How do you feel about retro gaming these days?

[Ack]

Do you still enjoy retro gaming

Yeah, I have plans to do a lot more of it, I've just been busy lately. And hopping on Steam is simple. Truth is, I haven't been playing as many games as usual overall this year.

Do you engage with old games often?

Actually, yes. I keep my NGPC beside my computer, so I will often sit back with a puzzle game and play a few rounds for fun.

Is modern gaming more appealing to you?

Only in that it is much easier to download and install something off Steam. Frankly I haven't bought games for a while. The modern stuff I have been beating is all stuff I acquired over the last decade and am just now getting around to or is stuff I am trying to wrap up so I can set it aside and move on. I don't own a modern console at all.

When's the last time you beat an 8 or 16-bit game?

I haven't a clue. The last retro game I beat was last night, as Half-Life: Episode 2 officially became 10 years old on October 10. But I have also been focusing on computer games for a while, so I don't think of them as 8 or 16-bit.

[laurenhiya21]

Do you still enjoy retro gaming?
I'm not sure if I can say that I enjoy retro gaming overall, but I still enjoy some older games. I'm super picky though so it has been tough finding ones that I like.

Do you engage with old games often?
Not super frequently, but it's hard for me to say exactly how often I try to play retro games. I think I don't end up beating most of the retro games that I play, just because I'm not enjoying them for whatever reason. These are the percentages I have for how many retro games I did beat though:
2017: 36%
2016: 30%
2015: 15%
2014: 40%

Is modern gaming more appealing to you for particular reasons?
A lot of the modern games that I've played tend to be a lot easier on the grinding. Plus there tends to be easier difficulty options.

I can handle some games with grinding and some difficult games, but it's pretty rare.

When's the last time you beat a 16 or 8-bit game?
If DOOM counts, then I beat that June 2nd 2017. If not, then it's Metal Slug 3 on August 18th 2016. I don't beat a lot of 8 or 16bit games

[samsonlonghair]

I don't play video games every day but pretty much every day I do I'll play a retro game.

Even the new games I play are mostly retro in mindset

I don't think of it as a choice I make, it's just the games I like to play are usually old fashioned

This is how I feel.

Yup there's a poll up there because I love me a poll.

Besides the poll, feel free to post your thoughts on playing old games these days. Do you still enjoy retro* gaming? Do you engage with old games often? If you don't enjoy retro gaming much lately, why is that? Is modern gaming more appealing to you for particular reasons? When's the last time you beat a 16 or 8-bit game?

*And by "retro", I mean playing games that are at least ten years old.

Do you still enjoy retro gaming?

Retro Gaming is basically all I play. I don't play anything beyond the PS2/GCN/XBOX generation. I don't have a flat screen television and the new games really don't interest me all that much. I sometimes play more 'modern' games at friend's houses, but it doesn't interest me at all. I'm still playing catch up from all the games that I didn't play.

Do you engage with old games often?

It's all I play. It's my only way of gaming.

Is modern gaming more appealing to you?

Likewise!

[Exhuminator]

Lots of good replies and reading so far, I've enjoyed what most of you had to say.

To answer my own questions...

>Do you still enjoy retro* gaming?

Absolutely. If anything I enjoy it more than modern gaming on average. Primarily because older games get to the point faster, and don't wear out their welcome as quickly. Beating an 8 or 16-bit action game can take an hour, whereas a modern action game can take 8-12 hours easy. So from a time perspective alone retro gaming is ideal. But there are also styles of art and game design I love, which are not often present in modern gaming these days.

So in seeking those specific genres and aesthetics, I find myself gravitating towards retro gaming often. And of course nostalgia is a big factor. I do love that I can continue reaching back in time, and finding new-to-me old games to play which I missed in my youth. For example it's a real joy to play a "new" NES game, and experience its fresh content, all while feeling the blankie effect of the old graphics and audio.

>Do you engage with old games often?

I do consciously attempt to mix in retro gaming with my modern gaming . To be honest I think I retro game in cycles though. I will get on retro gaming spurts and beat a bunch of old games, and then do more modern gaming for a stretch of time after.

>If you don't enjoy retro gaming much lately, why is that?

I can't say this question applies to me. But when I do go for long stretches of time without retro gaming, it's probably because I'm trying to beat some 40-80 hour long behemoth modern JRPG.

>Is modern gaming more appealing to you for particular reasons?

I would say from a story perspective, yes. The quality of immersive story telling has improved dramatically over the years, and modern games can make me feel more immersed in their narrative than old games usually do.

However the state of modern AAA gaming is not appealing to me in the slightest. I do not care for online multiplayer, and I'm not one to support drip-fed monetization tactics. I'm also not someone who would buy a new platform just to experience improved graphics. I don't care about that too much.

My most modern hardware is a PS3, 360, Vita and 3DS. I don't see myself moving beyond those platforms any time soon. Well, my smartphone and laptop are rather more modern, but that's a side effect of my job rather than gaming.

>When's the last time you beat a 16 or 8-bit game?

Earlier today when I beat Night Slashers. I've beat a lot of 8 and 16-bit games lately as part of my Halloween-athon.

[Gunstar Green]

Do you still enjoy retro gaming?

Sure. My tastes haven't changed and they probably won't. I don't really seek out games anymore or do much collecting beyond an occasional accidental discovery.

Do you engage with old games often?

Yes. There are still things in my library I haven't beaten and games I want to get around to playing. I still replay old games I've beaten before as well, they're my favorites for a reason and still make me happy.

Is modern gaming more appealing to you?

I'd say maybe just as appealing, games are games.

The modern gaming I do tends to be within specific genres or franchises that appeal to me unless something comes out that's different and fits my tastes. A lot of the modern games I get into are evolved forms for the retro games I'm into. I think modern gaming is fantastic, it's just very rare I get into one of the big titles all the kids-these-days are playing, but it happens occasionally.

When's the last time you beat an 8 or 16-bit game?

I'm not sure. I played quite a few Famicom games this year but I didn't really finish any, not because I wasn't enjoying myself but because I don't always sit down with a game to beat it. I did finally sit down and beat Ninja Gaiden (NES) sometime early in the year so probably that. I played mostly PS1 and PS2 stuff over the summer.

[Sarge]

Do you still enjoy retro gaming?

I don't think anyone needs to ask that question of me, just check my games list for this year! Absolutely I do, although I have found that my tastes have changed over the years. I used to be all about the RPGs, wherever I could get them, and some action stuff on the side. Now, my retro leans more towards action stuff (especially platformers), with an occasional RPG. Most 8-bit RPGs are pretty crusty these days, with very few exceeding or matching their obvious inspiration, Dragon Quest (at least the third and fourth game). Even a lot of the translated 16-bit RPGs we've gotten are second-tier stuff that doesn't hold me like it used to. Give me something more visceral. (Bonus points if you combine action and RPG, though, like Gun Hazard, or give me a top-tier SquareSoft title like Treasure of the Rudras.)

Do you engage with old games often?

Yep. All the time. I've been mining that NES catalog for oddball games that I've thought were interesting, although that's on hold for a bit while I power through Ys VIII. I do need to branch out a bit more, though; I know there are some obscure systems out there that likely have stuff that I've heard of but never really tried. For instance, I need to get Aquales up and running at some point, per the recommendation of Exhuminator.

Is modern gaming more appealing to you?

Modern gaming is such a broad term. There are aspects of modern gaming that I absolutely do not like, one of which is all in the gaming news right now. (Loot boxes/microtransactions/whatever.) The massive installs bug me to some degree, but that's not so bad as the massive downloads on a crappy Internet connection. I never thought I'd be having to download 20GB patches...

However, there are still quite a few games that I very much enjoy. The aforementioned Ys VIII? Fan-freaking-tastic. Uncharted 4? Good times, even if you're just playing a movie. I enjoyed the heck out of stuff like Dragon Age: Inquisition and Horizon: Zero Dawn (even if I did have to abandon a lot of the side content), and Breath of the Wild was splendid. I have absolutely no doubts I will enjoy Super Mario Odyssey. Guess I'm just saying the right kind of modern title still piques my interest. Not as much, though, as...

...the indie scene. Yes, there's a LOT of junk out there, but retro-style gaming is absolutely still available, and many of the games out there are absolutely splendid. I still don't think they're doing that well in the 16-bit JRPG side (haven't gotten to Cosmic Star Heroine yet), but platformers and Metroidvanias? Holy mackerel, there's so much good stuff. Shovel Knight, Guacamelee, Axiom Verge, Elliot Quest, Dust, Odallus, Rex Rocket, just so many great games. And they're still coming, like the upcoming Indivisible, which will hopefully be an excellent sort of spiritual successor to Valkyrie Profile, or the high-profile Bloodstained. It's good times, folks, good times.

When's the last time you beat an 8 or 16-bit game?

*Checks beaten thread*... 10/7, Star Wars on NES.

[Exhuminator]

but platformers and Metroidvanias? Holy mackerel, there's so much good stuff. Shovel Knight, Guacamelee, Axiom Verge, Elliot Quest, Dust, Odallus, Rex Rocket, just so many great games.

Add Shin Megami Tensei: Synchronicity Prologue to your list. It is fantastic.

[dunpeal2064]

>Do you still enjoy retro* gaming?

Fuck yes.


>Do you engage with old games often?

Every day. I've actually been going through 16 bit libraries either re-trying out games I'd passed on before, or finding completely new games. It has been delightful


>Is modern gaming more appealing to you for particular reasons?

The big one would be multiplayer. Its hard to convince people to give retro games a good chance, but they are usually willing to jump into the "new hotness". I like gaming with my wife and friends, so this is where almost all my modern gaming comes from.


>When's the last time you beat a 16 or 8-bit game?

Just this year, I've beaten many 16 bit games for the first time. Super Metroid, Turtles in Time, Earthbound, etc. Hell, until a few days ago, I had never played a Final Fight game, and they actually kick ass! Feels like I could continue down this lovely rabbit hole for years. <3

[Tanooki]

I chose other. I fall into the first two choices but not one over the other.

Most of my gaming does fall into the 10+ and back, but I also regularly dabble with a phone game or two, and then you have the Switch and 3DS along with my laptop. Thing is my gaming is in spurts. I've had some work being done this last few days and I've not fired up anything but pokemon junk on my phone as I'm not feeling it. Without distraction I could have gone hardcore into my SNES Mini or something else. At most I've had a 30min here or there on Tiny Barbarian DX and have not gone back to Mario&Luigi 3DS in a week but did barely touch the SNES device.

I prefer the older in many ways but not always, it comes down to the game in the end. I like the handheld stuff even more when it gets to the older as much of it either is bite sized and excellent, or it has a password/battery and I can roll back to it. Ease of use having a little kid and stuff going on it can be pulled out and used when and wherever (much like my choice of modern stuff -- laptop, switch, 3ds.)

[marurun]

Primarily because older games get to the point faster, and don't wear out their welcome as quickly. Beating an 8 or 16-bit action game can take an hour, whereas a modern action game can take 8-12 hours easy. So from a time perspective alone retro gaming is ideal. But there are also styles of art and game design I love, which are not often present in modern gaming these days.

You know, I think this is a really interesting observation, one which I have noticed as well. The only exception in older games is probably RPGs, where there is often only about 10-15 hours of actual content but another 10-25 hours of grinding to gain levels to be able to survive the next bit of content.

I went through a phase (over a decade, so is it really a phase?) where I stopped reading fiction books and mostly stuck to short stories and novellas for fiction. Part of the appeal is that short stories never turn into trilogies and pentologies. They never overstay their welcome. They typically have to introduce their characters, the story conceits, anything unique in the world that's important to the story, and the plot itself in a very short space. It can make the telling rather intense. Sure, there are some stories you can't tell that way, but there are a great many you can, and they are so much more powerful much of the time in that shorter form. Every word counts in a way that it doesn't in a 500 page novel. World-building is so much more to the point. Characters are so much more carefully crafted; nobody cares what their favorite color is unless it is essential to the story.

Classic games do this, but for gameplay instead of story.