@meissnerd:I don't know if they're really all that necessary for modern fans. Fallout 3 and onwards are tangentially related to the originals at best. It's like they played Fallout 1 and 2, then made a long list of "things" it had and methodically checked them all off without replicating any of the intrinsic qualities that made those games as unique as they were.

Yes! YEEEESSS! Oh man.... That brings back memories..... I miss those games...

Ohhhhhh you just made me remember that damn animation too, every single damn damn waiting for it to finish, hnnnnnnnnggg.

Fallout 1 had a really great sense of mystery to it, it really felt like you were just tossed out of the vault into this world that you don't know anything about and sort of stumble your way through, it feels like no path you take is the wrong path because anything could go terribly wrong (or perfectly right) at any moment.
Some of that mystery is tied to the lore though which if you are familiar with the new Fallout game it may take away from that, the first time I saw a Deathclaw or Super Mutant I was like "OH HOLY SHIT NO DON'T KILL ME NO!" But now it might be more like 'oh that thing I recognize'
And the game never felt like it over stayed its welcome, feels just long/big enough.

Fallout 2 was, and maybe for some this is a good thing, to each their own, but it always felt like too much to be, it's way bigger and has so many characters and things you can do it becomes overwhelming. I always felt like I had an idea of what to do next or where to go in Fallout 1, in 2 I felt like I was sort of stumbling around and just crossing my fingers I had the right direction down. It's still enjoyable too me, but the first is miles ahead of it for me.

Also MacGuyever is in the first one.
So. You know. Buy it.

To me they are the best in the series still, so yes. Way more interesting than either of the Bethesda games which feel like overblown big budget Hollywood adaptions.

Some of the best pure roleplaying experiences ive ever had, so much freedom, so many different ways to approach and complete quests, so many choices to make and you can create pretty deep character personalities with all the dialogue options given. Not many top it even today. However if you want to go in and explore a wasteland, shoot up some super mutants and find awesome loots you will be very disappointed. The combat in the first fallouts is the worst part of the game and the way exploration works is a whole lot different as well.

So as weird as it sounds, if you want to get into these games, don't go in expecting to play what you define as a fallout game. Expect more focus on a pure roleplaying experience with combat being something added onto the game as something extra to keep you occupied. They absolutely do hold up, but they aren't for everybody...and that includes fans of the later games.

Startin' to get a little 'games were better then' in here.

Fallout 2 added a "move" command to party NPCs because in Fallout your game can end prematurely with the NPCs blocking doorways and not having anyway to move around or past them.

Probably the best response in here. It hold up in the sense of being a quality game with great stories and entertaining experiences; but if you want a modern interface, being told directly what to do and don't like the though of potentially messing up your game due to bad skill choices and perks etc...then no, it won't hold up for you. The game can be really unforgiving, quite gruelling and may take a few restarts until you find what works for you, but there are few RPG's that come close to the original Fallouts, even 17 or 18 years later.

get off my lawn

As far as the world is concerned, absolutely. The UI and controls though, as someone who mainly played Fallout/2 after becoming addicted to FO3, it's a jarring change, and sometimes irritatingly so. The graphics are on par for most complex MS-DOS games if not nicer, though it's definitely got that whole "weird fusion between Mortal Kombat/Donkey Kong Country claymation and early 90s cinematic CG" thing going for it so that'll be divisive I imagine. If you made it through the SNES/PlayStation era you'll probably be okay with it