There are a lot of really great older games that can be played on laptops. Laptop technology has reached the point that desktops were at only two years ago, and some are even comparable to last year's desktops. And those are not even the top of the line laptops. This makes them ideal for taking the best of the best from a few years ago on the road with you today.

The games I'll be profiling in this article were once at the top of the heap, but now thought of as outdated. Sure, the graphics aren't on par with the games of today, but laptops aren't on par with today's desktops either. I won't be rating any of these games because they're all long-time favorites of mine, and I wouldn't be presenting them if I didn't already like them. The purpose here is to show you some of the great games of yesterday you can play on the laptops of today, so read on for a dose of retro gaming to go.

One other benefit: these are likely to be insanely cheap, found on the bargain table of your local games retailer. Where current games are generally fifty bucks or so each, we've seen some of these games, new and sealed, for as little as a buck.

A trip to Mars
In Figure A you'll find the cover of Red Faction, the Mars-based shooter game that Doom 3 should have been.

FIGURE A


Red Faction, still the best Mars-based shooter. Roll over picture for a larger image.

This game has more story, environments, vehicles, and overall playability than all three of the Doom games and their various add-ons combined. Sure, the graphics aren't in the same league as Far Cry, but when this game came out, the graphics and engine were trendsetters.

Red Faction featured the Geo-Mod engine, creating an entirely interactive environment. Basically, what this means is that you can blow up virtually any part of the game environment. Shoot a rocket at a wall, and it will blow a hole in that wall. You can even create tunnels by continuing to fire at the same spot, which actually becomes useful during the game.

Red Faction puts you in the place of Parker, a contract miner working for Ultor Corporation on Mars. In reality you're not much better than a slave though. Soon, the miners rebel as shown in Figure B, and things really get moving.

FIGURE B


Led by the mysterious Eos, the miners (in red suits) rise up and rebel against their tormentors. Roll over picture for a larger image.