As a gamer from the late 80’s to now, I feel like people have forgotten the true essence and concept of solid games/playability. Playing the older or original games that we all know and love today allows for a much greater appreciation of our current era of gaming. Many people are extremely strong critics of Nintendo. However, it’s not the Wii U or the intricate graphics of its games that keep Nintendo afloat, it’s family and fundamentals. They have several titles but Mario, Zelda, Donkey Kong, Kirby, etc. will always be present. Those characters and their corresponding games are as timeless as the systems we discovered them on.
Retro games also allowed for a much more dedicated and proficient gamer due to the fact that there was no internal memory card or hard drive. However, retro gaming is still going strong. Revised copies of titles like Madden, Metal Gear Solid, and Streetfighter are still as strong as the day they were released. For the retro gamer, it’s not about achievement goals, it’s about solid gameplay. Players in the 1980s could easily identify the type of player they would be later. Some went the way of strategist or role-playing/action-RPG with Final Fantasy, or first-person shooter with Duke Nukem and Doom; while others went with sports from Techmo Bowl to Madden. The two biggest game genres that are booming today are the FGC or Fighting Game Community, and MOBA or Multiplayer Online Battle Arena gamers. Massively multiplayer online games or MMOs are also constantly maintaining a growing population. The fact remains that if it weren’t for our groundbreaking games like Streetfighter, Sword of Mana, Breath of Fire, Mortal Kombat, League of Legends, World of Warcraft, and the Marvel Vs. series, they wouldn’t exist.
No matter which route we choose to take, we must always acknowledge the origin or the games. When you grow as a player, you also find more in the mechanics and stories of the games you played in the past. Older games also allow you to apply the strategies and tactics to newer titles or our current time. If possible, play an older title of a game that might interest you. You may find the original games much more challenging than you expect. Have fun and keep playing!!!