Classic Gaming vs Modern Gaming

[Major7up]

I am curious to know how people feel about different generations of games (all categories included) and so I'd like you to vote for the one in which you find your favorite games. I define classic games as anything prior to the N64/PS1 and anything from N64/PS1 onward to be modern. For example, two of my favorite games are the original Legend of Zelda on the NES and Chrono Trigger on the SNES and so I would choose classic gaming. What about you? I realize that some of those voting may not have been around for that period of gaming history and that may bias the results but I am willing to accept that.

 

[purplerat]

While I have a great love and appreciation for the games I grew up with and still love to break them out whether it be a ROM, Wii store or if I'm lucky enough to have the cartridge for the NES system I refurbed I still have to go with modern games. They're just better and should be.

I've written this several times on this and other forums regarding "old vs new" but I'll say it again. Most of the time when people think the "classics" (old) are better than the "modern" (new) it's really that they remember the old more fondly and are more skeptical/cynical of what's current. It's a pretty common mistake that people make whether it's about sports, movies, music, politics or games.

Sometimes it is true that the old really was better, but that is usually only the case when something has been around a long enough time to be past it's prime. But that's hardly the case for video games. What today is considered the classical era of gaming was really just the beginning of gaming. If gaming really peaked 20 years ago and is worse today that would mean an incredible rate of decline for something that has only really been around for about 30 years.

The truth is that is almost a shear given that gaming has to be better considering how long it's been around and the massive advances in that short period of time. That doesn't mean we can't appreciate the classics but saying NES/Sega/Super NES games are better than today's would be like owning a car in the 50s and arguing that the Model Ts were a superior automobile.

Of course this all comes down to subjective tastes but I would recommend people actually consider whether games really were better once upon a time or if that's just the way they remember them. If your able to try playing a 20 year old game along side a modern counterpart of see which one you'd really rather play (or more importantly pay for).

 

[Major7up]

In some respects I would agree with you but one of the things I think is missing from the 'modern' era for lack of better term, is the variety and willingness to try crazy things. In part this is due to the expense and time it takes to make games today but it still seems to me that there are two different philosophies between the two eras (in general, I don't mean to apply this to all games or studios) and that is what leads me to say that I prefer classic games. Furthermore, if I do as you suggest and play a modern version and a classic one such as the original LoZ and the newest one, I genuinely prefer the old one. That is not to say that i didn't thoroughly enjoy Twilight princess but it is staring to feel repetitive and been tehre done that. I feel this way about a lot of current games as well and is partly the reason for the poll. You are right though, it is very subjective and there are some games which I would put up there with my favorites which would be considered modern as I defined them (System Shock 2, Soul Reaver etc). I just would like to see something new, different. Gears of War offered a refreshing twist of FPS game play but I have lost interest in it. It is really tough to pin down but as I said I really feel something missing from games today that was present in the past.

 

[randomizer]

I find myself improving my memories of old games to the point that when I play them again that the graphics are so bad I can't stand to look at them for long. The exception is the old Sonic games. They never get old

 

[Major7up]

I find myself improving my memories of old games to the point that when I play them again that the graphics are so bad I can't stand to look at them for long. The exception is the old Sonic games. They never get old

And lets not forget that our old 480i crt tv's made the pixly images seem not so pixly...but when you pull them up on your trusty emulator boy do you notice! Still, That does not detract from the fun those games can still provide. As an example, a couple of years ago for X-mas, my cousins from Florida came (they were ages 7-12 at the time) and I busted out my old NES with the power pad and the cart that had Mario, Duck Hunt and the Olympic games. They thought that this was so much more fun than the newer systems and now have fond memories of a system that came out years before they did. In fact the first thing they asked for when they came this summer was, not for my Wii and Wii Fit, but the old NES and power pad!!!

 

[Mystical_Chicken]

As a Y Gen gamer I haven't played many classics, does Diablo 2 count?

Modern games just tend to be more appealing to me than older classics. Though people say they can be more enjoyable (which I doubt).

Does Starcraft count too?

 

[randomizer]

I still have several 480i TVs The only emulator I use is for SEGA Genesis/MegaDrive games as that is the only old console I owned that I can still enjoy playing (with the Intellivision it's too hard to tell what it is I'm looking at and the sound drives be crazy. B-17 Boooooomber!). It has several plugins available for upscaling and smoothing the old games. I believe the one I used normally was 2x Scale and Interpolation (2xSaI).

 

[Major7up]

The other thing I love about emulation is the community behind some of the games. Take Seiken Densetsu 3 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seiken_Densetsu_3). Here is a game never released in the US although it should have. Some people refer to it as Secret of Mana 2 here and has been translated into English by fans. Not only is this a very deep and enjoyable game, but I think it can compete with any current game in the genre. In fact, just a few months ago I got my girlfriend hooked into the story and now she is playing this game instead of Fable 2 as she was. I think this one is a shining example of a game that still has a lot to offer a gamer who takes the time to look past pretty graphics and all that. Anyone interested in an well written and intricate story with great plots and sub plots (which changes for each of the six chars you choose) should check this out. I played in several times to learn the whole stories behind each character.

 

[tutubi]

classic gaming is still a challenge and still lots of fun despite all the new games with great graphics and stuff. well i guess id still vote for modern gaming since 2d is kinda boring after a while

 

[purplerat]

Classic games had to be more challenging otherwise they wouldn't be worth playing. For most games there just wasn't enough to the game other than degree of difficulty that would keep people playing. If a game was not challenging any kid would beat it in a couple of hours and never touch it again. Today's games just have way more content and therefore even if they are easy to progress through it still offers a lot of playtime. Even if a game is easy you can still put a lot of time into them and if the content is decent still get a lot of enjoyment.

 

[lm8dark]

I agree with purplerat. I think that most classic games if converted graphicwise... they would outdo most of the current games we now.

 

[Major7up]

I suppose too that it depends on what you consider content. And also I value story and presentation above content to begin with. Not that classic games are short by any means in terms of playing time, but I would rather play a shorter and more fulfilling game than a longer and less fulfilling one (ie repetitive). For example, I would much rather play a game like Flashback or Chrono Trigger than play some of their more modern equivalents. And I whole heartedly prefer Super Metroid over the newer incarnations that went 3D (though I did enjoy them though not anywhere near as satisfying).

 

[daviduk109]

I voted for classic gaming (perhaps mistakenly) since I still play games dated 1998. Sorry I failed to read the initial post before I voted!

 

[Dekasav]

I've replayed Seiken Densetsu III (Secret of Mana II) every year since the translation came out. Best game ever.

And I like classic games, though I'm too young to appreciate the old atari/commodore stuff, the SNES had a lot of gold. New stuff is great and all, but older games all seem more.... special.

 

[Major7up]

Thx Dekasav, nice to see I am not alone! And one is never to young to appreciate Atari/Commodore stuff, in fact I had never played Coleco or Vectrex until a few years ago and found some gems there!

 

[lm8dark]

I still remember the good old chrono trigger days. classic games rock imo

 

[Major7up]

I still remember the good old chrono trigger days. classic games rock imo

That was almost as good as Seiken Densetsu III but not quite. Additionally, Chrono Cross was not nearly as fun as Chrono Trigger was hence my original question!

 

[lm8dark]

Never did play Seiken Densetsu. Im currently looking for games to play. new or old as long as its fun. Seeing that your a fellow trigger enthusiast. Maybe Seiken would also be fun for me.

 

[Dekasav]

It's awesome. Though, IMHO is definitely based on combat, action-style In fact, that's why I like it more than Chrono Trigger and FFVI (3). None of that pansy, turn-based stuff, have to attack/cast all on yer own.

It's pretty epic.

 

[lm8dark]

I guess if you love that hack and slash type, most probably you'll love dissidia on psp. I love it ^^

 

[techie555]

Classic gaming is a must for all gamers so that you can appreciate the roots of modern gaming. Try playing games on the Atari and SNES. You will be amazed on how good games are back then.

 

[Major7up]

Never did play Seiken Densetsu. Im currently looking for games to play. new or old as long as its fun. Seeing that your a fellow trigger enthusiast. Maybe Seiken would also be fun for me.

As Dekasev said, it's awesome. It really is and I am continuously amazed that it was never released outside of Japan in the first place. I had always hoped that maybe we'd see a version find it's way to the DSi or something but alas I have not heard of anything yet.