Nostalgic Gaming

[Demonic Weasel]

I know that there's obivious bias in favor of Sega at these forums, but lately I've been wondering why, why when I play the older games on Sega systems, do they come across as being typically better than many of todays games.

In general I wish for a deeper storyline, deeper character develpment, but the older games all retain some sort of charm, an appeal that surpasses so many of the newer ones.

So I've been wondering, what is it that makes them feel that way?

[Drixxel]

Nostalgia is in itself bias.. not that there's anything wrong with it. I'm sure we've all had moments where we've realized that certain games just aren't as good as we remember them to be. Then again, pleasing memories of video games past can gloss over their shortcomings.

The 16-bit era was genuinely awesome, though (obviously!). I look at it as the best balance of hardware strength and developer creativity of any console generation thus far, and this mix made for countless amazing games. I attribute the coolness of so many of the 16-bit greats to that balance.

[David J.]

I don't even pay much attention to newer games.

Games these days don't amaze me much. Great graphics can take you only so far. Hell, they are nice technology displays, and pretty to look at, I'll admit that, but where's the originality today? I don't want to hear about your Katamari Damacy and Wario Ware are the best game evar!!11. Good games, I won't deny. But it pains me to see games that aren't so innovate praised over many 16-bit classics.

I remember everyone would shit their pants when their favorite arcade game was ported over to a console, and while it wasn't anywhere near perfect, or was completely different and or a bad port it still got good reviews and was well loved. I'll be damned if I didn't play games like T2: the Arcade game on the genesis to death, even if I knew it was a bad port. Now when someone releases a bare-bones arcade port everyone jumps on it and declares it sucks.

In the end, everything works out great for me, because a lot of the games from the past I want are cheap, and the wait makes the games a lot better. ;)

[Demonic Weasel]

I think that part of it is, that new games today have two main key elements. The first being the best graphics they can manage, and when graphics take a priority in gaming, there's a problem. The second being that game companies try to be innovative, just for the sake of being innovative, and that doesn't work so well. In the the 16-bit era there was more of a demand for good gameplay, not good graphics so much and when the creators tried to be innovative it worked, because the gaming industry hadn't been around for too long.

[Melf]

I think the Game Boy is a shining example of how wonderfully modern and advance graphics aren't needed for a game to be fun. No CG-rendered cut scenes, no soundtrack played by the London Symphony Orchestra, no top bill actors doing voice work; just good, solid gameplay that works. The console wouldn't have lasted for almost two decades if that weren't true.

[j_factor]

I think Game Boy is a shining example of how crap sells with a little bit of luck and good marketing. :P