Reasons To Embrace Retro Gaming

I'm thinking of doing a segment about this on the podcast and CGC and thought you guys might have some ideas on this too! Your reasons can be good reasons for gamers in general, or reasons specifically for Christian gamers.

I plan to elaborate when I create the segment, but right now I can think of the following reasons to embrace retro gaming:

1. Cost is usually much less than getting the new and shiny
2. Catch up on the awesome PC games your old PC/laptop couldn't run.
3. Bugs are worked out of most older games. (Especially if you buy from a site like gog.com, who patches and tests all the games they sell for use on newer systems.)
4. (Mostly For the guys:) visual sexualization/temptation less of an issue (due to poor graphic fidelity)... unless you like your women blocky and jaggy...)

That's what jumps to mind so far. Why do YOU think retro gaming is worth embracing?

I can list one.

• More room for the imagination.
  

Apparently my 'retro' is a bit farther back! I was thinking NES, SNES, Sega..... That said, I think I would agree with your reasoning for both really. But cost really is a big one. I find that realistic and amazing graphics really aren't required for a good time. Sure sometimes its cool, but playing through an old classic is a ton of fun too and sure can pass the time till the new hotness drops into the more sensible range! As for Christian gamers, I think games are increasing dark and 'evil' toned. Sure Road Rash on the Sega was brutal if you stopped and thought about it, but you never did. it was light and casual and fun to smash a guy off a motorcycle with a chain! The equivalent of that today would be a whole nother gruesome mess. Sure thats not by definition anti christian or anything but its really not required. And its really not for younger children, which is another point. I don't have to worry what the kids are playing on the old SNES, but I watch what they do like a hawk on their iPad and the xbox! Anyways, just my 2 cents worth. Looking forward to whatever you come up with!

CreatorsPixels wrote:Apparently my 'retro' is a bit farther back!  I was thinking NES, SNES, Sega.....  

I absolutely had those systems in mind as well! In fact, I'm planning to bring my Atari 2600 to the superbowl party for our church college/20's ministry! (Show those whipper-snappers how brutal Pac-Man can be!)

Just thought of another one. No voice acting!! Jeez, I remember when JRPGs were text only. A golden era devoid of weird anime vocal noises.

Paeter wrote:Just thought of another one. No voice acting!! Jeez, I remember when JRPGs were text only. A golden era devoid of weird anime vocal noises.

Uh?


Oh?


Ah.

I was on the tube the other day and there were two kids heading home from school playing Worms on a smartphone. I played the original on my Amiga (which I still have, possibly in working condition, kicking around and getting in the way).

But really, Jet Set Willy. That's my gaming generation  

I don't know though, were the Sinclair Spectrum and ZX81 too much of a European thing for many of you guys?

Dunadwarf wrote:

Paeter wrote:Just thought of another one. No voice acting!! Jeez, I remember when JRPGs were text only. A golden era devoid of weird anime vocal noises.

Uh?


Oh?


Ah.

  

And let's not forget the astonished "uh-(performed while inhaling)hah"!

Tic tac toe

Rickster wrote:Tic tac toe

Haha...Can't argue the classics!



I'm younger then some of the other people here, so my retro games come on the first PlayStation. That said, when I play older games I think the simplicity of it is refreshing. Granted, not all retro game are simple by any means, but most of my older collection are less deep and/or involving in some ways and can in turn be more relaxing. For example I had some classic arcade games on the PS1 (like froger, PAC-Man, Centipede and so on) and Hot Wheels: Turbo Racing (which is still one of my favorite racing games), and Thunder Strike 2 and so on and all those games are simpler to play and process than Back Ops, The Last of Us and Infamous. I'm not sure I explained that clearly, but it makes sense in my head.

Also nostalgia. Reliving a childhood experience through an older video game.

Also if you are interested in the origin of video games and want to see how they started and developed over time. I recently went to an arcade and tried out Street Fighter 2, Galaga and other classic arcade games and seeing the origins of styles of games that I love was very interesting.