Vent your Nostalgia

DietarySupplement

maximumzero wrote: »

Never mind the NES; there's VHS in dem dere hills!

Delzhand

Sam wrote: »

While I agree that I miss how excited I would get as a kid anticipating a new game, I have to admit that the actual "playing the game" part is a lot more enjoyable now that I can buy what ever game I want. So overall, I prefer the present.

However, I did let myself get carried away and bought way too many games, to the point where just looking at my collection and picking one game to play was a chore in itself. Its kinda like those home schooled kids that go nuts when they go away to college. I overcompensated.

games really used to capture my imagination. I would find myself daydreaming about them, I'd draw pictures of them, I'd think up story ideas for sequels or cartoons.

I used to do this, too. Of course, now I'm an indie dev, which is the next logical step.

Sam

Raiden333 wrote: »

Sunset Riders ate so many quarters as a kid. I was always Cormano because ponchos are awesome.

looking at those videos, I'm realizing how huge a part music played back then. I'd almost say even more so than now. The music had to be insanely catchy to make a game stand out, given the limited resources, not just for the sound chips, but the game in general. Not that game music today is bad or anything, it just seems like it was way more integral to the experience back then...

Sunset Riders had some awesome music. I'd completely forgotten, but looking back I guess that's a huge part of why I liked that game so much.

Mr_Grinch

I still have my CD32 snuggled up next to my upstairs tv. I love it, can't get enough of Liberation, Super Skidmarks, Alien Breed Tower Assault, Beneath a Steal Sky, Simon Sorceror (my first talkie!), Cannon Fodder.

Oh and Diggers! And Wing Commander! And Ultimate Body Blows!

Damn it, now I'm going to have to make sure it all works.

firewaterword

Holy shit Raiden! I haven't thought about Base Wars in years and years! That was the best game! I liked the floating dudes the most. Crushing the shit out of the other guy never got old.

Rubycat

When I think back to the Nes, I think about this game and how many times we rented it over and over again
-never found a retail copy we could own,, later our Nes died and we got a genesis a few years later-

on the point of buying Nes games, I have fond memories of ToysRus and the isle of console games with tags youd pull out and take to the games counter, then get your boxed copy and head for the register. -oh good times with parents-

Sam

i wonder if it's possible to make a game with graphics like 8bit era box art.

or if anyone would actually do it.

Graviija

I remember that I learned the word "nostalgia" from A Link to the Past, when you bring the ghost back to his house. So whenever I say or see the "nostalgia", I become nostalgic for A Link to the Past, and even Zelda in general.

That is, like, meta-nostalgia.

Snarkman3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvA_kus5VTU

Where did we lose this? When did Id lose this?


Altough this is less "nostalgia" and more "I love the fuck out of these games"

Ceno

I am the definition of a crotchety old “my hobby has been infiltrated by frat boys and teenagers and motion control” gamer. Started playing with the 2600, and it’s not that I think that games today are bad. Far from it, I still love me some vidya games. I just miss certain aspects of the way the industry used to be versus the way it is now. For example:

1) I really wish that gaming had not gone “mainstream”. I realize that we would be missing out on a lot of modern hits, but I would gladly sacrifice those games if it meant that xXFratboyDouche69Xx never learned to operate anything with more that one button. It would also go a long way in eliminating the unnecessary hand-holding that modern games have. Zelda games now have a wall of text that pops up whenever you pick up something like a heart container explaining what that item is, how it works, etc. The original didn’t have that problem. You knew what it was and what it did because they counted on you having common sense and basic deduction skills. It added a freaking heart, and it didn’t spell it out for you in crayon.

2) Multiplayer was a bonus mode when I was growing up, and it will remain a bonus mode until the day I die. People who buy games solely for the multiplayer and don’t even touch the singleplayer are godless abominations that will reap a wretched harvest of pure comeuppance one day. Multiplayer-based achievements are the seeds of this harvest.

3) The advances in technology have allowed the true visions of game franchise creators to surface. In some cases (Grand Theft Auto) this is an incredible pro. In others (Castlevania) this is a soul-crushing con. Castlevania will always be ultimately expressed by Super Castlevania IV’s gothic European atmosphere, and not by modern-day Castlevania’s Kingdom Hearts anime characters with cutscenes and dialogue that cause physical pain.

But enough of my grousing. Next thing you know, everything’s going to be all 3-D…. awww, damnit.

curly haired boy

golden sun. i remember booting it up and falling in love with it at the title screen.

stlobus

When I think back on my favorite video game moments, four words come to mind:

"Your Shuba has torn"

Mifio

Some of my earliest memories are of playing the original tomb raider when I was 2 and a half/3 years old. So the original TR holds a lot of nostalgia for me, as well as Spyro (which we bought on PSN. ), Crash Bandicoot, and Crash Team racing. Loved all those games.

And, to a lesser extent, the original animal crossing for gamecube. Absolutely loved it. I miss it so. I remember many a rainy day when I would stay inside, play the game.
In fact, I find myself humming one of the background music pieces in the rain sometimes. In fact, the irony of it, is the song i hum is the 'rainy day' theme.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dlHkXOdK6U

I miss AC, and Crash... :<

TyrantCow

i just beat the original (NES) contra over my lunch break (on the DS)

i can't stop enjoying running through this game.

ben0207

Ceno wrote: »

I am the definition of a crotchety old “my hobby has been infiltrated by frat boys and teenagers and motion control” gamer. Started playing with the 2600, and it’s not that I think that games today are bad. Far from it, I still love me some vidya games. I just miss certain aspects of the way the industry used to be versus the way it is now. For example:

1) I really wish that gaming had not gone “mainstream”. I realize that we would be missing out on a lot of modern hits, but I would gladly sacrifice those games if it meant that xXFratboyDouche69Xx never learned to operate anything with more that one button. It would also go a long way in eliminating the unnecessary hand-holding that modern games have. Zelda games now have a wall of text that pops up whenever you pick up something like a heart container explaining what that item is, how it works, etc. The original didn’t have that problem. You knew what it was and what it did because they counted on you having common sense and basic deduction skills. It added a freaking heart, and it didn’t spell it out for you in crayon.

2) Multiplayer was a bonus mode when I was growing up, and it will remain a bonus mode until the day I die. People who buy games solely for the multiplayer and don’t even touch the singleplayer are godless abominations that will reap a wretched harvest of pure comeuppance one day. Multiplayer-based achievements are the seeds of this harvest.

3) The advances in technology have allowed the true visions of game franchise creators to surface. In some cases (Grand Theft Auto) this is an incredible pro. In others (Castlevania) this is a soul-crushing con. Castlevania will always be ultimately expressed by Super Castlevania IV’s gothic European atmosphere, and not by modern-day Castlevania’s Kingdom Hearts anime characters with cutscenes and dialogue that cause physical pain.

But enough of my grousing. Next thing you know, everything’s going to be all 3-D…. awww, damnit.

1: Wrong. I mean, I know it's your opinion, but it's wrong. Those games you played as a kid? Nearly all of them were mainstream. It's just the stream is a lot wider now. Let's face it, CoD4 is just today's Contra.

And there's no way something like NMH or Rez or Disgaea or a million and one other things would have been made during the NES era. Video games are a massive artform now, and the breadth of titles being released today is unimaginable.

And games aren't getting easier, either. They're just getting easier to understand, and using less of this stupid videogame logic. They're (generally) getting less frustrating, and more accessible. This is a good thing! Why should we be the only ones who get to enjoy them?! Sure, you and me both know that bosses in Sonic games need 8 hits to kill - but that doesn't make any sense to anybody else!

2: Yeah, it's really terrible that other people could enjoy a different thing to you. Christ man, it's not as if singleplayer games aren't getting made any more. And a lot of the time these day, games have both great multi and a great singleplayer! Think of say, Halo. We got bored of the multiplayer a looooong time ago, but even now I have a halfway completed Legendary save that I'm going through.

3: Maybe your problem here isn't with modern video games but with how bad the 3D Castlevanias are. And I would argue that the increase ing graphical capabilitiy has led to an increase in atmosphere and artistry - take Half Life 2, or Portal, or Silent Hill - the atmospheres they portray simply wouldn't be possible without their graphics and sound design.


tl;dr: You haven't really thought your argument through properly.

maximumzero

DietarySupplement wrote: »

maximumzero wrote: »

Never mind the NES; there's VHS in dem dere hills!

Fucking right. I have to watch my "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" VHSes somehow!

DietarySupplement

Gaming peaked at Oregon Trail on my Apple IIe

Ceno

ben0207 wrote: »

Ceno wrote: »

I am the definition of a crotchety old “my hobby has been infiltrated by frat boys and teenagers and motion control” gamer. Started playing with the 2600, and it’s not that I think that games today are bad. Far from it, I still love me some vidya games. I just miss certain aspects of the way the industry used to be versus the way it is now. For example:

1) I really wish that gaming had not gone “mainstream”. I realize that we would be missing out on a lot of modern hits, but I would gladly sacrifice those games if it meant that xXFratboyDouche69Xx never learned to operate anything with more that one button. It would also go a long way in eliminating the unnecessary hand-holding that modern games have. Zelda games now have a wall of text that pops up whenever you pick up something like a heart container explaining what that item is, how it works, etc. The original didn’t have that problem. You knew what it was and what it did because they counted on you having common sense and basic deduction skills. It added a freaking heart, and it didn’t spell it out for you in crayon.

2) Multiplayer was a bonus mode when I was growing up, and it will remain a bonus mode until the day I die. People who buy games solely for the multiplayer and don’t even touch the singleplayer are godless abominations that will reap a wretched harvest of pure comeuppance one day. Multiplayer-based achievements are the seeds of this harvest.

3) The advances in technology have allowed the true visions of game franchise creators to surface. In some cases (Grand Theft Auto) this is an incredible pro. In others (Castlevania) this is a soul-crushing con. Castlevania will always be ultimately expressed by Super Castlevania IV’s gothic European atmosphere, and not by modern-day Castlevania’s Kingdom Hearts anime characters with cutscenes and dialogue that cause physical pain.

But enough of my grousing. Next thing you know, everything’s going to be all 3-D…. awww, damnit.

1: Wrong. I mean, I know it's your opinion, but it's wrong. Those games you played as a kid? Nearly all of them were mainstream. It's just the stream is a lot wider now. Let's face it, CoD4 is just today's Contra.

And there's no way something like NMH or Rez or Disgaea or a million and one other things would have been made during the NES era. Video games are a massive artform now, and the breadth of titles being released today is unimaginable.

And games aren't getting easier, either. They're just getting easier to understand, and using less of this stupid videogame logic. They're (generally) getting less frustrating, and more accessible. This is a good thing! Why should we be the only ones who get to enjoy them?! Sure, you and me both know that bosses in Sonic games need 8 hits to kill - but that doesn't make any sense to anybody else!

2: Yeah, it's really terrible that other people could enjoy a different thing to you. Christ man, it's not as if singleplayer games aren't getting made any more. And a lot of the time these day, games have both great multi and a great singleplayer! Think of say, Halo. We got bored of the multiplayer a looooong time ago, but even now I have a halfway completed Legendary save that I'm going through.

3: Maybe your problem here isn't with modern video games but with how bad the 3D Castlevanias are. And I would argue that the increase ing graphical capabilitiy has led to an increase in atmosphere and artistry - take Half Life 2, or Portal, or Silent Hill - the atmospheres they portray simply wouldn't be possible without their graphics and sound design.


tl;dr: You haven't really thought your argument through properly.

That's because it wasn't an argument, and it wasn't thought through. It was the rant of a curmudgeon. Lighten up.

maximumzero

ben0207 wrote: »

Ceno wrote: »

I am the definition of a crotchety old “my hobby has been infiltrated by frat boys and teenagers and motion control” gamer. Started playing with the 2600, and it’s not that I think that games today are bad. Far from it, I still love me some vidya games. I just miss certain aspects of the way the industry used to be versus the way it is now. For example:

1) I really wish that gaming had not gone “mainstream”. I realize that we would be missing out on a lot of modern hits, but I would gladly sacrifice those games if it meant that xXFratboyDouche69Xx never learned to operate anything with more that one button. It would also go a long way in eliminating the unnecessary hand-holding that modern games have. Zelda games now have a wall of text that pops up whenever you pick up something like a heart container explaining what that item is, how it works, etc. The original didn’t have that problem. You knew what it was and what it did because they counted on you having common sense and basic deduction skills. It added a freaking heart, and it didn’t spell it out for you in crayon.

2) Multiplayer was a bonus mode when I was growing up, and it will remain a bonus mode until the day I die. People who buy games solely for the multiplayer and don’t even touch the singleplayer are godless abominations that will reap a wretched harvest of pure comeuppance one day. Multiplayer-based achievements are the seeds of this harvest.

3) The advances in technology have allowed the true visions of game franchise creators to surface. In some cases (Grand Theft Auto) this is an incredible pro. In others (Castlevania) this is a soul-crushing con. Castlevania will always be ultimately expressed by Super Castlevania IV’s gothic European atmosphere, and not by modern-day Castlevania’s Kingdom Hearts anime characters with cutscenes and dialogue that cause physical pain.

But enough of my grousing. Next thing you know, everything’s going to be all 3-D…. awww, damnit.

1: Wrong. I mean, I know it's your opinion, but it's wrong. Those games you played as a kid? Nearly all of them were mainstream. It's just the stream is a lot wider now. Let's face it, CoD4 is just today's Contra.

And there's no way something like NMH or Rez or Disgaea or a million and one other things would have been made during the NES era. Video games are a massive artform now, and the breadth of titles being released today is unimaginable.

And games aren't getting easier, either. They're just getting easier to understand, and using less of this stupid videogame logic. They're (generally) getting less frustrating, and more accessible. This is a good thing! Why should we be the only ones who get to enjoy them?! Sure, you and me both know that bosses in Sonic games need 8 hits to kill - but that doesn't make any sense to anybody else!

2: Yeah, it's really terrible that other people could enjoy a different thing to you. Christ man, it's not as if singleplayer games aren't getting made any more. And a lot of the time these day, games have both great multi and a great singleplayer! Think of say, Halo. We got bored of the multiplayer a looooong time ago, but even now I have a halfway completed Legendary save that I'm going through.

3: Maybe your problem here isn't with modern video games but with how bad the 3D Castlevanias are. And I would argue that the increase ing graphical capabilitiy has led to an increase in atmosphere and artistry - take Half Life 2, or Portal, or Silent Hill - the atmospheres they portray simply wouldn't be possible without their graphics and sound design.


tl;dr: You haven't really thought your argument through properly.

Ranadiel

There are a lot of games that invoke warm feelings of nostalgia for me, but none do it better than Chrono Trigger.



I can't exactly peg just what made me love this game so much, probably because I loved everything about it. The characters, the atmosphere, the music, the plot, the combat, the multiple endings, the New Game+ feature.

The game was an orgasm of RPG goodness, and had everything you could possibly want. It had swords, guns, magic, advanced technology, advanced technology powered by magic, time travel, robots, monsters, cavemen, dinosaurs, floating islands, and a time machine you could fly around the world.

The fandom for this game is one of the most dedicated. I can think of at least 3 fan based remake projects that were all canned by SquareEnix, which irritates the shit out of me because it doesn't look like they'll be doing anything with the franchise. Square's answer to a recent question regarding the CT franchise getting a modern treatment was, "If people want another game, they should have bought copies of the DS port."

Blah. It's probably just as well; the original game was created by a literal Dream Team of genius developers that somehow managed to all come together and birth this classic. Afterwards they parted ways, and it's unlikely they'll ever unite under the same banner again. Not even the follow up Chrono Cross managed to capture me in the same manner Chrono Trigger did - likely because it was developed by a new team.

Aoi

ben0207 wrote: »

Ceno wrote: »

I am the definition of a crotchety old “my hobby has been infiltrated by frat boys and teenagers and motion control” gamer. Started playing with the 2600, and it’s not that I think that games today are bad. Far from it, I still love me some vidya games. I just miss certain aspects of the way the industry used to be versus the way it is now. For example:

1) I really wish that gaming had not gone “mainstream”. I realize that we would be missing out on a lot of modern hits, but I would gladly sacrifice those games if it meant that xXFratboyDouche69Xx never learned to operate anything with more that one button. It would also go a long way in eliminating the unnecessary hand-holding that modern games have. Zelda games now have a wall of text that pops up whenever you pick up something like a heart container explaining what that item is, how it works, etc. The original didn’t have that problem. You knew what it was and what it did because they counted on you having common sense and basic deduction skills. It added a freaking heart, and it didn’t spell it out for you in crayon.

2) Multiplayer was a bonus mode when I was growing up, and it will remain a bonus mode until the day I die. People who buy games solely for the multiplayer and don’t even touch the singleplayer are godless abominations that will reap a wretched harvest of pure comeuppance one day. Multiplayer-based achievements are the seeds of this harvest.

3) The advances in technology have allowed the true visions of game franchise creators to surface. In some cases (Grand Theft Auto) this is an incredible pro. In others (Castlevania) this is a soul-crushing con. Castlevania will always be ultimately expressed by Super Castlevania IV’s gothic European atmosphere, and not by modern-day Castlevania’s Kingdom Hearts anime characters with cutscenes and dialogue that cause physical pain.

But enough of my grousing. Next thing you know, everything’s going to be all 3-D…. awww, damnit.

1: Wrong. I mean, I know it's your opinion, but it's wrong. Those games you played as a kid? Nearly all of them were mainstream. It's just the stream is a lot wider now. Let's face it, CoD4 is just today's Contra.

And there's no way something like NMH or Rez or Disgaea or a million and one other things would have been made during the NES era. Video games are a massive artform now, and the breadth of titles being released today is unimaginable.

And games aren't getting easier, either. They're just getting easier to understand, and using less of this stupid videogame logic. They're (generally) getting less frustrating, and more accessible. This is a good thing! Why should we be the only ones who get to enjoy them?! Sure, you and me both know that bosses in Sonic games need 8 hits to kill - but that doesn't make any sense to anybody else!

2: Yeah, it's really terrible that other people could enjoy a different thing to you. Christ man, it's not as if singleplayer games aren't getting made any more. And a lot of the time these day, games have both great multi and a great singleplayer! Think of say, Halo. We got bored of the multiplayer a looooong time ago, but even now I have a halfway completed Legendary save that I'm going through.

3: Maybe your problem here isn't with modern video games but with how bad the 3D Castlevanias are. And I would argue that the increase ing graphical capabilitiy has led to an increase in atmosphere and artistry - take Half Life 2, or Portal, or Silent Hill - the atmospheres they portray simply wouldn't be possible without their graphics and sound design.


tl;dr: You haven't really thought your argument through properly.

1)Damn son, how old are you? There was a period in the early 80s where gaming was mainstream, but after that little bubble burst, It was a pretty insular thing for quite a few years. It started lightening up a bit once Madden started getting big in the Genesis days, but for the most part there was a good decade plus there where with some exceptions here and there, you got scowled at in school/public for even looking at a game magazine.

As for your comments about a lot of those games never being made in the early gaming era, you should take yourself a closer look at what did go on with games, both in that early pre-burst period, and especially on the PC back then. It may not have been as pretty, but Sierra On-Line, Lucasgames, and Origin Systems are three companies on a much larger list of companies that took the "artform" serious even back then, and I would say did more experimentation than most of the big boys do today. I would say games ARE also getting easier as well.

Just looking at something like an old-school Ultima, or even an NES Ninja Gaiden, and you will find yourself a game that will hand you your ass like very very few games made these days will. On the other side of the coin though, they were also harder because game design wasn't such an exact science back then either, and some games were hard because they were broken, the designers were god damned sadists (thanks Sierra), or things were just kind of janky and broken (think STALKER).

2) Kinda agree with you on that one. He is just being a cranky bastard there.

3) Eh, it's a mix of outlooks on this one. Gaming companies have tried taking their franchises forward with the technology, and it's resulted in shorter, less complex idea stemming from the devs wanting to get used to the new outlook on game design that come with things like more powerful hardware, new control methods, and at one point, 3d. It just doesn't always work out well. Then again, for his example, that's what the DS Castlevanias are for. Heh.

I guess what I'm saying is, you were both kind of right, and you were both kind of cranky narrow viewed bastards.

Ceno

I try to be a cranky, narrow-minded bastard only in the most jovial kind of way :-)

Sam

Mario, Street Fighter, Metroid, Zelda, GTA, Final Fantasy, Nina Gaiden and I'm sure tons more have all benefited from their iterations on modern technology. You really don't have much of a point...

And just because they fucked up Contra and Castlevania doesn't mean it's impossible to do them well with 3D or cel shaded graphics.

Visti

Snarkman3 wrote: »

Where did we lose this? When did Id lose this?


Altough this is less "nostalgia" and more "I love the fuck out of these games"

I think it's pretty clear where they lost it, what happened and also sort of why it happened.

Sam

Should I play Daikatana? Did they ever patch that shit to where it was playable? What about Battlecruiser 3000 AD by you know who?

maximumzero

Sam wrote: »

Should I play Daikatana?

Yes, but not the PC version.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ig0M86VVkA

Visti

Sam wrote: »

Should I play Daikatana? Did they ever patch that shit to where it was playable? What about Battlecruiser 3000 AD by you know who?

There's no use patching; the disease is inside it.

LBD_Nytetrayn

Beltaine wrote: »

I miss how I used to get so damn excited about a new game.

Calling around to all the local stores to see if they had a copy, then the endless begging my parents for it, then the excited ride to the store, getting giddy seeing it in the display case, having to open it and read the booklet before getting home, and finally cramming it into the slot of my NES and powering up and enjoying.

I distinctly remember that whole leadup when I got my copy of Super Mario Bros.

When I got the Legend of Zelda for my 10th Birthday, unboxed it and saw the shiny shiny gold cartridge. Man, that was so awesome.

Now it's all just sort of "meh", and it makes me sad.

Agreed. No release dates, for the most part; it simply got there when it got there, and you'd call and hope it was in that day, and try to convince the parental units to make the trip.

Even seeing the box for the very first time seemed special. Sure, you might have seen the art and logo in magazines, but seldom the final product where it all comes together.

Speaking of magazines, I miss when those were not only relevant, but simply THE way to find out about games. I also miss when renting games was a viable prospect.

Aoi wrote: »

ben0207 wrote: »

Ceno wrote: »

2) Multiplayer was a bonus mode when I was growing up, and it will remain a bonus mode until the day I die. People who buy games solely for the multiplayer and don’t even touch the singleplayer are godless abominations that will reap a wretched harvest of pure comeuppance one day. Multiplayer-based achievements are the seeds of this harvest.

2: Yeah, it's really terrible that other people could enjoy a different thing to you. Christ man, it's not as if singleplayer games aren't getting made any more. And a lot of the time these day, games have both great multi and a great singleplayer! Think of say, Halo. We got bored of the multiplayer a looooong time ago, but even now I have a halfway completed Legendary save that I'm going through.

2) Kinda agree with you on that one. He is just being a cranky bastard there.

I guess I misread that as being the case where it seems like any game nowadays without a multiplayer mode automatically gets points docked and then wedged into a sequel, like BioShock or Metroid Prime.

Zephos

maximumzero wrote: »

ben0207 wrote: »

Ceno wrote: »

I am the definition of a crotchety old “my hobby has been infiltrated by frat boys and teenagers and motion control” gamer. Started playing with the 2600, and it’s not that I think that games today are bad. Far from it, I still love me some vidya games. I just miss certain aspects of the way the industry used to be versus the way it is now. For example:

1) I really wish that gaming had not gone “mainstream”. I realize that we would be missing out on a lot of modern hits, but I would gladly sacrifice those games if it meant that xXFratboyDouche69Xx never learned to operate anything with more that one button. It would also go a long way in eliminating the unnecessary hand-holding that modern games have. Zelda games now have a wall of text that pops up whenever you pick up something like a heart container explaining what that item is, how it works, etc. The original didn’t have that problem. You knew what it was and what it did because they counted on you having common sense and basic deduction skills. It added a freaking heart, and it didn’t spell it out for you in crayon.

2) Multiplayer was a bonus mode when I was growing up, and it will remain a bonus mode until the day I die. People who buy games solely for the multiplayer and don’t even touch the singleplayer are godless abominations that will reap a wretched harvest of pure comeuppance one day. Multiplayer-based achievements are the seeds of this harvest.

3) The advances in technology have allowed the true visions of game franchise creators to surface. In some cases (Grand Theft Auto) this is an incredible pro. In others (Castlevania) this is a soul-crushing con. Castlevania will always be ultimately expressed by Super Castlevania IV’s gothic European atmosphere, and not by modern-day Castlevania’s Kingdom Hearts anime characters with cutscenes and dialogue that cause physical pain.

But enough of my grousing. Next thing you know, everything’s going to be all 3-D…. awww, damnit.

1: Wrong. I mean, I know it's your opinion, but it's wrong. Those games you played as a kid? Nearly all of them were mainstream. It's just the stream is a lot wider now. Let's face it, CoD4 is just today's Contra.

And there's no way something like NMH or Rez or Disgaea or a million and one other things would have been made during the NES era. Video games are a massive artform now, and the breadth of titles being released today is unimaginable.

And games aren't getting easier, either. They're just getting easier to understand, and using less of this stupid videogame logic. They're (generally) getting less frustrating, and more accessible. This is a good thing! Why should we be the only ones who get to enjoy them?! Sure, you and me both know that bosses in Sonic games need 8 hits to kill - but that doesn't make any sense to anybody else!

2: Yeah, it's really terrible that other people could enjoy a different thing to you. Christ man, it's not as if singleplayer games aren't getting made any more. And a lot of the time these day, games have both great multi and a great singleplayer! Think of say, Halo. We got bored of the multiplayer a looooong time ago, but even now I have a halfway completed Legendary save that I'm going through.

3: Maybe your problem here isn't with modern video games but with how bad the 3D Castlevanias are. And I would argue that the increase ing graphical capabilitiy has led to an increase in atmosphere and artistry - take Half Life 2, or Portal, or Silent Hill - the atmospheres they portray simply wouldn't be possible without their graphics and sound design.


tl;dr: You haven't really thought your argument through properly.

citizen kane snip.

spoilerd and snipped for length

but man, ben, you hit the nail on the head with the rebuttal. and i applaud that. as well as the citizen kane shot.

Rotam

LBD_Nytetrayn wrote: »

Beltaine wrote: »

I miss how I used to get so damn excited about a new game.

Calling around to all the local stores to see if they had a copy, then the endless begging my parents for it, then the excited ride to the store, getting giddy seeing it in the display case, having to open it and read the booklet before getting home, and finally cramming it into the slot of my NES and powering up and enjoying.

I distinctly remember that whole leadup when I got my copy of Super Mario Bros.

When I got the Legend of Zelda for my 10th Birthday, unboxed it and saw the shiny shiny gold cartridge. Man, that was so awesome.

Now it's all just sort of "meh", and it makes me sad.

Agreed. No release dates, for the most part; it simply got there when it got there, and you'd call and hope it was in that day, and try to convince the parental units to make the trip.

Even seeing the box for the very first time seemed special. Sure, you might have seen the art and logo in magazines, but seldom the final product where it all comes together.

Speaking of magazines, I miss when those were not only relevant, but simply THE way to find out about games. I also miss when renting games was a viable prospect.

I agree, I miss this so much. I buy new games now and I'm not very excited until I sit down with them. There is no massive build up, I just go and purchase.

This is probably old age cynicism. I had a similar experience with the Zelda games back in the day. The wait was excrutiating, then the power went out on Christmas day.

It didn't come back on till the next day.

Bobbyskizza

Magic pockets, I loved that game so much maily I think because it was a phone in game on some saturday morning tv show (Motormouth?) in the UK when I was young. Good times.

Mr_Grinch

I agree almost entirely with ben0207.

I too am a cranky old git (by video gaming standards). I like my games short, simply and with local multiplayer only.

Beltaine

I snagged this on release day. Full retail + tax came to $85. Unheard of for a game at the time. I had saved up my allowance and lawnmowing money for months.

I was 13 years old.

I still have no idea why this one hasn't been re-released on an updated platform. Hell, Final Fantasy 2 has been re-released on practically everything.

Herkimer

I played the hell out of Zaxxon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHORFz6ZCC0

and River Raid

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Uf2jYtXQZE

Good times.

Dehumanized

Beltaine wrote: »

I snagged this on release day. Full retail + tax came to $85. Unheard of for a game at the time. I had saved up my allowance and lawnmowing money for months.

I was 13 years old.

I still have no idea why this one hasn't been re-released on an updated platform. Hell, Final Fantasy 2 has been re-released on practically everything.

You mean, other than the PS1 and GBA releases of FF6?

edit:
http://media.gamestats.com/gg/image/object/774/774643/ffvi_packusa.jpg


http://i43.tinypic.com/2ueifrk.jpg

Seidkona

Zak McKraken

Man, I loved this game and all the old Lucas Arts adventure games.

Artereis

Beltaine wrote: »

I snagged this on release day. Full retail + tax came to $85. Unheard of for a game at the time. I had saved up my allowance and lawnmowing money for months.

I was 13 years old.

I still have no idea why this one hasn't been re-released on an updated platform. Hell, Final Fantasy 2 has been re-released on practically everything.

This is still Square's masterpiece, as far as I'm concerned. Don't get me wrong. I loved Chrono Trigger fiercely, but FF6 the probably the shining jewel of my gaming childhood. I saved up money for what felt like forever to pick it up.

Delzhand

Beltaine wrote: »

I snagged this on release day. Full retail + tax came to $85. Unheard of for a game at the time. I had saved up my allowance and lawnmowing money for months.

I was 13 years old.

I still have no idea why this one hasn't been re-released on an updated platform. Hell, Final Fantasy 2 has been re-released on practically everything.

Can you imagine FFVI in the style of Lost Odyssey? Man...

Arrath

The first computer game I ever played?

Snake, oh boy did I have lots of fun with that game. Then my mom got a cellphone with snake on it, I think I used it more than she did.

But the game I remember most?

Dangerous Dave


Oh god I played this game so many times that image of the first level is burned into my brain. I can still hear the midi sounds in my head just by looking at that picture. Never did beat the game, but played the ever living hell out of it.

There is another one I played back in those days, but I'll be damned if I can remember the name of it. All I can really remember is that there were 2 starting options (I think, or maybe the '2nd option' was just the 2nd level) and you went around drinking soda can shaped powerups so you could shoot fireballs at aliens. I remember a level on the alien ship that was just a bitch.

Visti

Okay, did anyone else play this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iu4hmzUOajw

There was a time where I didn't get any information about games, I didn't buy any magazines or anything like that, but once in a while I would go down to the used movies/games/etc store and pick up something that looked good. And play it regardless of whether or not it was. And this had an awesome cover.. I sort of remember being blown away by the ability to fly. For some reason.