Why do we still play retro games?

[RyaNtheSlayA]

I guess an easy to sum up my feelings about retro vs. modern would be:
Retro: Japanese games made for nerds
Modern: American games made for fratboys

Are you saying Japanese devs > American devs? Because that, as a sweeping statement, is simply not true. I think they are equal, all things considered.

Well, as far as current gen console games, I think it's a generalization thats's more true than not, compared to a couple of generations ago.

Where I disagree with it is the generalization about retro games. We shouldn't forget that "retro" includes all of the great classic contributions of Western developers, especially prior to the Nintendo era. Atari and Williams deserve a lot of recognition for a great era of American game development, and games of a sort we no longer tend to associate with Western developers. Early Japanese developers like Nintendo, Sega, and especially Taito and Namco learned the fundamentals of great arcade gameplay from these American developers during this era.

Also don't forget the rise of our favorite company to hate these days. EA. They had a lot of fantastic games coming out in the 90's. The amount of good games they pumped out was actually pretty astonishing.

[Inazuma]

I'll say it. I think Japanese games are much better than Western games overall. Of course there are many excellent Western games, but generally speaking the Japanese are the best at making video games.

[BoringSupreez]

Are you saying Japanese devs > American devs? Because that, as a sweeping statement, is simply not true. I think they are equal, all things considered.

Well, as far as current gen console games, I think it's a generalization thats's more true than not, compared to a couple of generations ago.

Where I disagree with it is the generalization about retro games. We shouldn't forget that "retro" includes all of the great classic contributions of Western developers, especially prior to the Nintendo era. Atari and Williams deserve a lot of recognition for a great era of American game development, and games of a sort we no longer tend to associate with Western developers. Early Japanese developers like Nintendo, Sega, and especially Taito and Namco learned the fundamentals of great arcade gameplay from these American developers during this era.

Also don't forget the rise of our favorite company to hate these days. EA. They had a lot of fantastic games coming out in the 90's. The amount of good games they pumped out was actually pretty astonishing.

I thought Activision was our favorite to hate. EA hate is so 2006.

In the 80s/90s the most popular and bestselling games (Mario, Zelda, Mega Man, Final Fantasy) were phenomenal and worth playing. Today, the most popular and bestselling games (CoD, Halo, GTA, Gears of War, etc) are effing terrible and I generally have to look around for obscure titles to find something worth playing. I call it the Xboxification of gaming, crappy over-hyped American games are being pushed to the forefront.

You forget how well crap sold back in the 80's and 90's. Pac-man for 2600. Yearly mediocre sports titles on the SNES, Genesis, and PS1. Movie games like Addams Family Values. Cartoon show games like AAAHHH! Real Monsters. It's not that people today have worse taste, it's just that the mediocre titles that attract the masses have switched genres. Today, it's FPS games and party games, instead of arcade clones and poorly designed 2D platformers. If you want evidence of this, just go to a retro game store and peruse the Genesis bargain bin section.

I think it's a paradigm shift that has occurred in tandem with peoples' perceptions of gaming. When I was a kid, I was mocked for playing video games, it was a "nerdy" habit for kids who couldn't play sports, get girls, etc. Today I work with middle schoolers and see kids made fun of if they DON'T own at least a couple of current-gen consoles.

Video games are more mainstream now than they were when I was little, but I have never been called a nerd or looked down on because of it. All the kids I ever knew had at least one game they liked playing.

[Xeogred]

I'll agree with BoneSnapDeez a little bit on your last quote there. It was definitely different for me growing up in the 90's. Being a gamer was a bit more of a "nerdy" thing that parents made fun of (a lot still do though), and even up to jr. high for awhile it was like a lot of people I knew there couldn't admit they were into gaming, or in more extreme cases into anime (DBZ haha) until you went to their house and saw this stuff. I went to the preppiest jr. high school ever though, yeah I'm gonna use a label but that's exactly what it was. Not a fun time in my life. Since then it's definitely been different though with how I see the mainstream and most look at gaming.

[The Last Horseman]

In the 80s/90s the most popular and bestselling games (Mario, Zelda, Mega Man, Final Fantasy) were phenomenal and worth playing. Today, the most popular and bestselling games (CoD, Halo, GTA, Gears of War, etc) are effing terrible and I generally have to look around for obscure titles to find something worth playing. I call it the Xboxification of gaming, crappy over-hyped American games are being pushed to the forefront.

I think it's a paradigm shift that has occurred in tandem with peoples' perceptions of gaming. When I was a kid, I was mocked for playing video games, it was a "nerdy" habit for kids who couldn't play sports, get girls, etc. Today I work with middle schoolers and see kids made fun of if they DON'T own at least a couple of current-gen consoles.

Why are you hating on Gears? That's a good game right there. On topic, I play retro games because they are cheaper, and I can take my time playing them, not like multiplayer games where you always keep going, never stop.

[D.D.D.]

I'll say it. I think Japanese games are much better than Western games overall. Of course there are many excellent Western games, but generally speaking the Japanese are the best at making video games.

Since I think outta all RB members you're most pro-Japanese games, I'm curious as to what Western games you think are excellent.

[Inazuma]

I'll say it. I think Japanese games are much better than Western games overall. Of course there are many excellent Western games, but generally speaking the Japanese are the best at making video games.

Since I think outta all RB members you're most pro-Japanese games, I'm curious as to what Western games you think are excellent.

Blizzard games were fantastic prior to merging with Activision. I played Diablo I, II, Starcraft and Brood War like crazy and loved them very much.

Rare is from the UK, right? They made so many excellent Nintendo games like Goldeneye, Banjo Kazooie, Diddy Kong Racing, Battletoads, etc.

Retro Studios, the Texas based company that recently made Donkey Kong Returns on Wii. I haven't played any of their games but I am sure I would love them very much. They are extremely talented.

I love San Fransisco Rush and the Cruisin' series also. Those were by Midway I think. NBA Jam/Hangtime/Showtime also. I played the shit out of those games at the arcade and home consoles.

There are some others I can't think of right now. This was all off the top of my head.

[Sideroller]

Why do we still play retro games??


....cause they're fun!

[flamepanther]

Retro Studios, the Texas based company that recently made Donkey Kong Returns on Wii. I haven't played any of their games but I am sure I would love them very much. They are extremely talented.

Without looking anything up, I believe the only other games under their belt (as Retro anyway--individually many of them are veterans from Rare, Id, Nintendo of America, and some others, I think) are the Metroid Prime trilogy. Those are indeed first-rate games, however. I normally can't stomach modern FPS games, but these were incredible.

[Ack]

I'll say it. I think Japanese games are much better than Western games overall. Of course there are many excellent Western games, but generally speaking the Japanese are the best at making video games.

Since I think outta all RB members you're most pro-Japanese games, I'm curious as to what Western games you think are excellent.

Blizzard games were fantastic prior to merging with Activision. I played Diablo I, II, Starcraft and Brood War like crazy and loved them very much.

Ohh...that's a statement I don't fully agree with. Not to say that the games you mentioned were bad(Diablo is a personal favorite, and I feel it's a shame you left out Warcraft and Warcraft II), but Blizzard released its share of clunkers too.

Hey Inazuma, have you ever played any of the D&D-based western RPGs like Baldur's Gate? I know you enjoy JRPGs, but what do you think of western RPGs in general? Found any you really enjoyed?