Old vs. New Video Games

*Originally published on 6/11/09


Retro-gaming has made a comeback in recent years. More and more, I see people embracing their nostalgia and hooking up their Super Nintendo or Sega Genesis. My roommate from college even went so far as to say that gaming in general has gone downhill since systems hit the 32 bit mark. This got me thinking, do the classic games still reign supreme? It's almost like comparing apples and oranges at this point. Gaming has changed so much that you could almost call them two different experiences entirely.

The old games had a simple charm to them. The graphics were good for their time, but by today's standards, they are rather primitive. Most games were simple platforms like Super Mario Bros. or Sonic the Hedgehog. You also had mindless beat em ups like Streets of Rage and fighting games like Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat. Nostalgia plays a factor in the gaming experience with these old systems. We all remember growing up, playing these games as a kid. I wasn't much of a gamer, but I still have fond memories of playing the Genesis. When my roommate at college borrowed one from one of our dormmates, we went back to the past to play some Sonic and TMNT III. It was great times to be sure.

If the internet has taught me anything in recent months, it's that even the classic consoles were not immune to bad games. They definitely had their fair share; one could argue that they had more than their fair share. Games were cursed with stiff controls and quirks that made the game difficult to the point where it wasn't really challenging, just unnecessarily frustrating. The phenomenon known as "nostalgia goggles" definitely comes into play. Some have busted theirs and retaliated by posting videos on youtube, ranting about the agony that these bad games put the players through.

Back then, the gaming market wasn't as open as it is now. With the internet and television jumping into the world of video games, it puts pressure on game makers to deliver a quality product. Back in the day, the only resource gamers had was Nintendo Power, a magazine providing news on upcoming releases, reader questions, and game reviews. One would think that the plethora of information the internet provides consumers would all but stop the production of bad games. This is not the case, unfortunately. On the contrary, makers have used the new technology to show off fancy game play and then release a game that's glitchy as all get out (I'm looking at you Star Wars Force Unleashed and Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe!)

They're not all bad, on the contrary there are some great games available for the modern consoles. You can immerse yourself in increasingly realistic worlds and get hours upon hours of game play from them. The story lines are more intricate and while there are at least twice as many buttons on the X-box controller as there are on, say, a Sega Genesis, the controls are better on the newer consoles. The stiffness is gone and the response is very good.

One of the frustrating aspects of the old games was a limited number of lives and little to no continues. With the addition of save points, this is moot. Never again will you reach the last level of a game, only to die and have to start all over. I always figured starting with 3 lives and 3 continues, with the occasional 1 up or health pack spread throughout each level was plenty, some gamers found even this to be substandard to suit their needs. With save points, you also erase the need for ridiculously long passwords.

Gaming has changed drastically in only a few short years, so much so that it's difficult to compare the two. The experience one has playing a 16 bit game on his or her Super Nintendo is completely different from the experience you have playing a game on the X-box 360. Whether the old or new games are superior is really a matter of opinion. There is fun to be had on both. If you're an old school gamer who thinks that games peaked with either the Super Nintendo or Playstation, you should check out some of the newer stuff. Even if it is just a rental over the weekend. If you grew up on the X-box and Playstation 2, I highly recommend going back to the gaming roots. You can find old used consoles and games for cheap (and I mean CHEAP) on either Amazon or Ebay. While the zapper, or whatever gun accessory fits the appropriate system, won't work on a high definition television, you can still have a blast playing the classic Zelda, Mario, Sonic, or Madden games.