Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The Games, Movies, TV & Comics You Love
flag of UK
UK
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of Australia
Australia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Future Games Show
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
    • Newsletters
    • Total Film
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsarama
Total Film
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Future Games Show
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
    • Newsletters
    • Total Film
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsarama
Total Film
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
Subscribe now
Trending
  • Dying Light: The Beast
  • Borderlands 4 review
  • Battlefield 6
  • New Games for 2025
Don't miss these
A crop of the Retro Gamer 252 The Magic of Mario cover image showing Mario spinning through space with stars around him
Super Mario 40 years later, Mario is still the ultimate gaming mascot: "He's got that Mickey Mouse effect"
Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario The "elegant design" of Super Mario Bros levels has inspired devs for over 40 years, but it was Super Mario 64's 3D leap that was a "watershed moment"
Donkey Kong Bananza screenshot shows DK looking shocked, with his hands in the air and eyes popping out of his head.
Donkey Kong Nintendo is probably regretting those Switch 2 mouse controls as players flock to Donkey Kong Bananza's artist mode to create penises and other cursed sculptures
A screenshot of PUCK eating an enemy during the upcoming Xbox Series X game, Shadow Labyrinth.
Games The best retro remakes and reboots out there aren't afraid to get weird with it – as Shadow Labyrinth being a dark and gritty Pac-Man game shows us
The Super Mario Bros NES box
Super Mario This may be the only Super Mario Bros review that landed with the NES launch, and the magazine that called it a "special hall of fame" classic in 1986 is helping set a new standard for game preservation
Atari 400 Mini on woodgrain desk connected to Dough Spectrum Black OLED monitor and Pac-Man on screen.
Retro This tiny Atari console is naturally great for Pac-Man, but I use it to play one of the most cursed retro games from the '80s
Mario stands next to the queen bee in a bee outfit in the Honeyhive Galaxy in Super Mario Galaxy, from the Nintendo Switch eShop
Super Mario Super Mario Bros' legendary themes have ensured they're unforgettable after 40 years: "Koji Kondo wrote Mario music with such light-hearted joy"
Stardew Valley Eric Barone fan portrait
Simulation Games Stardew Valley creator Eric Barone receives the highest honor possible: Big ConcernedApe, a gigantic in-game portrait one fan made with 20 hours of painstakingly arranged items
The best NES games: a screenshot of collection of NES games and a Nintendo console.
Games The 10 best NES games of all time
Luigi running from ghosts in Luigi's Mansion
Games The 25 best GameCube games of all time
Mario holds a Shy Guy and jumps above grass in Super Mario Bros 2 - from Retro Gamer 252
Super Mario Super Mario Bros' legendary jump helped define 40 years of platforming, Donkey Kong Country programmer says: "You had more control... There was risk/reward"
8Bitdo retro R8 gaming mouse next to Switch 2 running Mario Paint on woodgrain desk.
Nintendo Switch 2 Now that the Switch 2 has been blessed with Mario Paint, I finally have an excuse to use this NES-inspired mouse
A screenshot from Deltarune Chapter 2, showing Spamton smiling in his shop.
Games Deltarune's beloved Spamton is everywhere and Persona 3 fans are turning Japan's real-life Port Island into a JRPG mural in this viral web app that's seeing pixel artists literally take over the world
Best PS2 games
Final Fantasy Final Fantasy 10 dev reminds players obsessed with retro-style PS1 graphics in modern games that, back in my day, those graphics were a problem
Donkey Kong Bananza screenshot shows DK looking shocked, with his hands in the air and eyes popping out of his head.
Donkey Kong Donkey Kong Bananza sicko paints his Switch 2 cartridge yellow "to match the aesthetic of Donkey Kong 64," and as someone who just unwrapped his Switch 2, what happens next is like a horror movie
  1. Games

Classic gaming moments, lovingly recreated in MS Paint

Features
By Maxwell McGee published 12 November 2014

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

The still life

The still life

Famed American novelist and all around cool dude Herman Melville once wrote, "To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme." Sage advice, true, but I believe Melville's scope was too narrow. Might I suggest, "To produce a mighty work, you must choose a mighty theme." Countless works of sight and sound have drawn upon universal themes that speak to the soul of our species.

I believe we can do better, thanks to the power of video games. Never since the invention of the theater has one creative discipline combined art, sound, and audience participation into a single, harmonious whole. And while gaming is still in its infancy, there remain dozens (hundreds? thousands?) of moments that have left a lasting impression in our minds. Drawing from these moments - these mighty themes - we have set upon the digital canvas and given them form. If you're having trouble seeing that form, don't forget you can click the expand arrow in the top right to get a better view.

Image source

Page 1 of 13
Page 1 of 13
"Boy with Tail" by Henry Gilbert (2014)

"Boy with Tail" by Henry Gilbert (2014)

Page 2 of 13
Page 2 of 13
"Magical Sprite Shower" by Justin Towell (2014)

"Magical Sprite Shower" by Justin Towell (2014)

Page 3 of 13
Page 3 of 13
"Forbidden passion" by Andy Hartup (2014)

"Forbidden passion" by Andy Hartup (2014)

Page 4 of 13
Page 4 of 13
"Futility" by David Houghton (2014)

"Futility" by David Houghton (2014)

Page 5 of 13
Page 5 of 13
"Jason: An elegy in button X" by Artist Unknown (2014)

"Jason: An elegy in button X" by Artist Unknown (2014)

Page 6 of 13
Page 6 of 13
"the looking glass" by Anthony Snyder (2014)

"the looking glass" by Anthony Snyder (2014)

Page 7 of 13
Page 7 of 13
"Forever in your arms" by Ashley Reed (2014)

"Forever in your arms" by Ashley Reed (2014)

Page 8 of 13
Page 8 of 13
"The Master" by Jann Jones (2014)

"The Master" by Jann Jones (2014)

Page 9 of 13
Page 9 of 13
"rivalries" by Maxwell McGee (2014)

"rivalries" by Maxwell McGee (2014)

Page 10 of 13
Page 10 of 13
"On the importance of teamwork" by Lucas Sullivan (2014)

"On the importance of teamwork" by Lucas Sullivan (2014)

Page 11 of 13
Page 11 of 13
"Tragedy in motion" by UK contractor Sam (2014)

"Tragedy in motion" by UK contractor Sam (2014)

Page 12 of 13
Page 12 of 13
What speaks to you?

What speaks to you?

Now you have seen our very souls laid bare upon the digital page. What does this stir within you? Will you follow in our wake and give form to your own thoughts and passions? Sing. Draw. Create. Whatever it is, make your voice heard.

If the fine arts aren't your thing, you could also check out 5 obnoxious ways to be a troll in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare or Halo 5 beta: Hands-on with new modes, maps, and game-changing Spartan abilities.

Page 13 of 13
Page 13 of 13
CATEGORIES
Android iPad iPhone PC Gaming Wii-u Nintendo PlayStation PS4 Xbox Xbox One Platforms Mobile Gaming
Maxwell McGee
Maxwell McGee
Maxwell grew up on a sleepy creekbank deep in the South. His love for video games has taken him all the way to the West Coast and beyond.
See more Games Features
Read more
A crop of the Retro Gamer 252 The Magic of Mario cover image showing Mario spinning through space with stars around him
40 years later, Mario is still the ultimate gaming mascot: "He's got that Mickey Mouse effect"
 
 
Super Mario Bros.
The "elegant design" of Super Mario Bros levels has inspired devs for over 40 years, but it was Super Mario 64's 3D leap that was a "watershed moment"
 
 
Donkey Kong Bananza screenshot shows DK looking shocked, with his hands in the air and eyes popping out of his head.
Nintendo is probably regretting those Switch 2 mouse controls as players flock to Donkey Kong Bananza's artist mode to create penises and other cursed sculptures
 
 
A screenshot of PUCK eating an enemy during the upcoming Xbox Series X game, Shadow Labyrinth.
The best retro remakes and reboots out there aren't afraid to get weird with it – as Shadow Labyrinth being a dark and gritty Pac-Man game shows us
 
 
The Super Mario Bros NES box
This may be the only Super Mario Bros review that landed with the NES launch, and the magazine that called it a "special hall of fame" classic in 1986 is helping set a new standard for game preservation
 
 
Atari 400 Mini on woodgrain desk connected to Dough Spectrum Black OLED monitor and Pac-Man on screen.
This tiny Atari console is naturally great for Pac-Man, but I use it to play one of the most cursed retro games from the '80s
 
 
Latest in Games
Diablo 4 screenshot
Blizzard confirms the Diablo 4 season 10 changes that'll be permanent, and thank Inarius, getting rid of boss invulnerability phases is one of them
 
 
PopoRogue
After 5 years of work, Sony's cult classic PS1 JRPG trilogy is now fully playable in English as the roguelike spin-off finally gets its fan translation patch
 
 
Jacob Diaz is surrounded by DNA in MindsEye
"Everything I touch turns to poop": Actor says starring in former GTA lead's faux-open world flop made him think he'd "never work in a game again"
 
 
Arcanum
Fallout co-creator Tim Cain had a "10-year period where I didn't do anything but make games," to the point where he asked a co-worker if Britney Spears was a "new weapon" in their RPG
 
 
Dragon Quest 7: Reimagined screenshot showing a group of characters looking out over the horizon on board a ship
Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined takes the original JRPG's bloated story and cuts "subplots that have little or no direct relevance" to the main quest, but also adds "entirely new scenarios"
 
 
A Pokemon Mini console in front of a blurred background
Nintendo's tiniest console ever was a Pokemon handheld the size of a Tamagotchi, and after 24 years it's suddenly a wildly impractical way to play Game Boy games
 
 
Latest in Features
Borderlands 4 tips picture showing enemies drawn into a singularity vortex while the player watches
Borderlands 4 does what Destiny couldn't: I'm finally back on the looter shooter train, and it feels like reliving my 60 hours in Borderlands 2
 
 
The key art for Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight showing a shadowed Batman superimposed in front of a neon and spotlight lit Gotham City
I briefly mistook the new Lego Batman for modded Arkham footage, genuinely bamboozling me while making me more excited for the game than ever
 
 
A screenshot of a character looking bored during a cutscene in the trailer for Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave
September's Nintendo Direct told us a lot about the Switch 2's future, and I fear 2026 is the year I crack and buy another handheld
 
 
Assassin's Creed Shadows
"You have to design with the time you have": Assassin's Creed Shadows Claws of Awaji had to be a tighter, more focused expansion than anything its devs had made before
 
 
Hollow Knight: Silksong Hornet revel art
My favorite moment in Hollow Knight: Silksong recreates a Bloodborne classic, and I know it's not guaranteed because none of my friends have seen it
 
 
Mario stands next to the queen bee in a bee outfit in the Honeyhive Galaxy in Super Mario Galaxy, from the Nintendo Switch eShop
Super Mario Bros' legendary themes have ensured they're unforgettable after 40 years: "Koji Kondo wrote Mario music with such light-hearted joy"
 
 
  1. Key art for Lego Voyagers showing the two lego heroes with red and blue brick eyes near a rocket
    1
    Lego Voyagers review: "A carefully crafted, playful, and earnest adventure"
  2. 2
    There's now a real version of the Witcher Gwent card game, and it's just as engrossing as the original
  3. 3
    Borderlands 4 review: "Undeniably an excellent looter shooter, but one that requires a bit of tunnel vision to fully enjoy"
  4. 4
    This enormous exploration board game won't be for everyone, but it's a masterclass in narrative and sandbox gameplay
  5. 5
    Hollow Knight Silksong review: "Worth the wait and then some, this isn't just more Hollow Knight but an evolved, spindly beast all its own – even if it's fiddly at times"
  1. Vera Farmiga as 'Lorraine' in The Conjuring: Last Rites
    1
    The Conjuring: Last Rites review: "Not bold or memorable enough for the Warrens' final chapter"
  2. 2
    Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle review: "Roars past Mugen Train as Demon Slayer's best adventure yet"
  3. 3
    The Long Walk review: "One of the best Stephen King adaptations ever made"
  4. 4
    Frankenstein review: "A classy, if somewhat safe, adaptation"
  5. 5
    Weapons review: "A twisted fairytale that bests Barbarian"
  1. The cast of Gen V season 2
    1
    Gen V season 2 review: "As strong as the first season, if not stronger"
  2. 2
    Wednesday season 2 part 2 review: "Ortega shines, but it's a zombie who steals the entire show"
  3. 3
    Peacemaker season 2 review: "Darker and sadder than the first year, but there's still a lot of fun to be had with the 11th Street Kids."
  4. 4
    Wednesday season 2 part 1 review: "Complex and exciting but weighed down by too many subplots"
  5. 5
    Alien: Earth review: "Arguably the franchise's strongest outing since James Cameron's Aliens"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...