We ’re almost a twenty-five percent of a way through the twenty-first hundred , and this year brings a ton of television game anniversary .
In 2025 , we ’ll be celebrating gaming launches that defined the start of the new millenary 25 years ago , like Sony ’s PlayStation 2 . On top of that , some one-time - school classics are celebrate anniversary that will make you feel old if you grow up toy them in arcades or on a gaming cabinet . There are gobs of fresh game to look ahead to in 2025 , but for those of us who are more sentimental , I ’ve rounded up 10 of the most notable video biz anniversaries take berth in 2025 . Hopefully , those birthdays bestow some new games with them .
Pac-Man — 45 years
Pac - Manfirst rack up arcades in 1980 , and gambling was never the same after that . It was one of the first instance of a plot that discontinue out of the sport or action genre confines to make a world-wide experience for all people , regardless of age or skill point . Pac - Manwas an early taste of how broadly appealing play would become , and the original still holds up today . The serial publication is still going strong , but Bandai Namco is celebrate its 45th day of remembrance by getting experimental . Shadow Labyrinthis a mettlesome action - platformer inspired by Pac - Man that is launching in 2025 and has already faze us with aviolentSecret Levelepisode . The fact that Pac - Man is still around to surprise us 45 geezerhood after is a will to how iconic of a play franchise it is .
Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) — 40 years
The Secret of Monkey Island — 35 years
The Secret of Monkey Islandis one of the most important adventure games ever released . This charming , comedic adventure showcased the storytelling electric potential of video games as a medium and heavily influenced many of the adventure game that have fall subsequently . While the adventure plot genre is much more niche now than it was whenThe unavowed of Monkey Islandreleased in October 1990 , developer like Double Fine have sustain the genre since then , while studios like BioWare and Naughty Dog have spearhead storytelling in more AAA - friendly genres . While there are n’t any gravid plans forThe Secret of Monkey Island‘s 35th anniversary right on now , I urge celebrating by checking out 2022’sReturn to Monkey IslandorThe Secret of Monkey Island : Special Editionon Steam .
Chrono Trigger — 30 years
Chrono Triggeris one of the best RPGs ever made , and it ’s celebrating its thirtieth day of remembrance in both Japan and North America this twelvemonth . If you ’ve never played it before , this time - hop RPG adventure still hold up and was out front of its time when it amount to its seamless , natural process - packed conflict and engrossing taradiddle that features multiple conclusion . unhappily , Square Enix has not done much withChrono Triggersince its subpar PC release in 2018 . While nothing has been formally announced or bruit , I think Chrono Trigger could be a good paroxysm for theHD-2D remaking treatmentSquare Enix is move over classic Dragon Quest secret plan mightily now . Hopefully , this anniversary reminds Square Enix of how much mass worry forChrono Trigger .
PS2 — 25 years
The PS2 is consider one of the best gambling consoles of all prison term . It sold over 160 million units , consistently got new game for over a ten , and was the birthplace of iconic franchises like God of War , Ratchet & Clank , Kingdom Hearts , Devil May Cry , and Yakuza . By doubling as both a secret plan console table and videodisk instrumentalist , the PS2 collect a sort of aggregative appeal that no game console table had before . Because it offered more ripe franchises like Killzone alongside Kyd - well-disposed ones like Jak & Daxter , the PS2 did a wad of heavy lifting to prove that video games had long since acquire beyond being considered children ’s toys . Hopefully , Sony persist in to celebrate the PS2 ’s legacy this year by contribute more classical games to itsPlayStation Plus Premium game catalog .
Final Fantasy IX — 25 years
The Final Fantasy serial publication ’ last hooray on the original PlayStation in 2000 is conceive a classic . Final Fantasy IXcontinued to build on the strong fundament prior PlayStationFinal Fantasy gameshad established , but also did so with a more vibrant style . It feels like a sendoff to the old era of Final Fantasy , as the serial would radically shift in gameplay , style , and tone fromFinal Fantasy Xonwards . Final Fantasy IX‘s 25th day of remembrance give you a perfect excuse to revisit this iconic RPG or sample it out for the first time . A remaking ofFinal Fantasy IXhas also been rumored for several year . If that ’s real , learn about it during the game ’s 25th day of remembrance would make a lot of sense .
Resident Evil 4 — 20 years
The year 2005 is considered one of the best years ever for gaming , and titles likeResident malefic 4are part of the reason why . Resident Evil 4was a radical release , not just for the repugnance series it ’s part of , but for the telecasting plot diligence as a whole . It was one of the first games to truly cop the feel of third - soul scrap without feeling clunky to dominance . game likeGears of WarandUnchartedwould go on to further elaborate the game feel , but all mod third - person shooter game owe something toResident Evil 4 . Over the preceding 20 long time , Resident Evil 4has been rereleased onto most major gaming platforms and remade for both the Meta Quest and current - gen console . As such , you have plenty of options if you want to celebrateResident Evil 4‘s day of remembrance by replaying it .
Shadow of the Colossus — 20 years
Shadow of the Colossuswas a likewise influential secret plan release in 2005 . This escapade , which see to it players go on a quest to kill 16 colossi to deliver the cleaning lady they love , intertwined narrative and gameplay in an impressive way few game had done before . Its boss fights against these massive opposition offer up a spectacle that many game still fail to equalize , and the same goes for the previous - game crook that recontextualize everything that player have done to that point . The PS2 original and its PS4 remaster are must - toy PlayStation classic , and it would be very meet to playShadow of the Colossusas you celebrate its 20th anniversary . Hopefully , intriguer Fumito Ueda honors it anniversary by showing us more of his young biz , which got ateaser trailerat The Game Awards 2024 .
Mass Effect 2 — 15 years
BioWare ’s Mass Effect trilogy is still one of the most telling storytelling feats in gaming story . While the whole saga is worth check out , Mass Effect 2is the series ’ crowning achievement . The subsequence is peak BioWare , as every character thespian can inscribe feel flesh out and iconic in their own right hand . There are also tons of significant choices that climax in a thrilling suicide commission where anyone can break down . It ’s hard to believe this secret plan is already 15 years old , as it was the last BioWare secret plan to be released without any real disceptation . Hopefully , the studio will turn a corner soon . BioWare brought the Dragon Age series back in 2024 withDragon Age : The Veilguardand is now arrange to do the same with a brand new Mass Effect game . We have n’t interpret much about thisnew Mass Effect gamesince it was first teased in 2021 , though . If it ’s not coming out to celebrateMass Effect 2‘s 15th day of remembrance , BioWare and EA should at least take this anniversary chance to offer us a deeper look at the next Mass Effect sometime in 2025 .
Undertale — 10 years
There are a few game that are highly important to the indie game scene , likeCave StoryandBraid . But no other 2010s indie game was quite as influential asUndertale . ThisEarthbound - breathe in RPG took the world by storm in 2015 because of its uproarious committal to writing and novel fight mechanic where players can choose to kill or save any opposition they fight . Whatever route players take has important , fourth - wall - bump issue that madeUndertalequite the seditious experience in 2015.Lots of other indie games inspired byUndertalehave set in motion over the past decade , but we ’re still thirstily waiting for solo developer Toby Fox to fetch up upUndertale‘s successor , Deltarune . Thankfully , Fox recently confirmed that the next two chapters ofDeltarunewill finallycome out in 2025 , which is a staring way to celebrateUndertale’s10th day of remembrance .
