If you’re at all a fan of video games, you might have noticed a resurgence in retro and retro-inspired titles in the last few years. Despite gaming systems constantly raising the bar with new hardware, developers and fans continue turning their gaze backwards, seeking out the standouts of yesteryear. While some of the reasons for this are obvious, the retro revival in gaming is more multifaceted than you might think, and it’s only going to get bigger.
Classics for a Reason
The core which holds retro games as such an important part of our history is the simple component of fun. No matter how old a game is, if the core experience is enjoyable, then it’s not doing to degrade with time. This effect can be even more pronounced in retro titles because of the purity they exhibit. These titles are easy to learn, but they’re impossible to master, and history has shown us that this aspect of gaming is what helps give title legs.
To demonstrate this point, all we have to do is look back on the early titles which set the gaming world on fire. Some key standouts here are listed at SlotsOnlineCanada.com with games like Space Invaders, Pac-Man, and Tetris. Mechanically, the gameplay foundations of these titles are so well-loved that they continue to inspire sequels decades later. Today, modern versions like Pac-Man Championship Edition and The Tetris Effect are still huge hits, with thanks going to timeless aspects of the base gameplay.
Looks and Feelings
As for modern takes on retro games like remasters and remakes, appreciation can also closely tie into the all-powerful force of nostalgia. As explored on elitedaily.com, nostalgia is the rose-tinted recollection of the positive aspects of our past, but it’s often not entirely accurate. Memories are fickle things, and as we idealise them over time, they can morph into something even more impressive than the fun they were originally.
In retro remasters and remakes, improved technology and upgrades to the classic formula can let players see games not as they truly existed, but as how we experienced them. In this way, retro revivals can be as much about recapturing the feelings the originals gave us as they are about delivering a more approachable take to newcomers.
Time and Complexity
Aside from RPGs, classic games also had an advantage in that jumping in and getting started was often an instantaneous process. These didn’t have hour-long tutorials like those detailed at thegamer.com, and they weren’t filled with bloat and unnecessarily dragged-out plot points. If you wanted to race, you raced, if you wanted to shoot, you shot, and if you wanted to roll around at the speed of sound, you grabbed some rings and got out there.
Whether on mobile, computers, or consoles, retro games are a release from an industry that many feel has moved too far in the wrong direction. Retro titles leverage our nostalgia and the core fun of their titles to give us instant gratification, and that’s an easy combination to appreciate. Of course, as each new year pushed what qualifies as retro further and further, we have to wonder how many aspects of today’s retro revivals will remain.