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Nostalgia aside, are old games still fun to you?

Kenpachii

Member
Are you like 15 or under ? The only way I could see that possibly making any kind of sense.

I guess the definition of old can vary drastically, depending on who/how old you are. Was gonna say maybe anything before the 2000s, as that seems like a good cut off point for a lot of things entertainment, pop culture, etc... wise.

And yea, if that was the case and I could have my pick of anything from either the 80s and 90s vs anything from the 2000 to now, I'd go with the older stuff.

35
 
Absolutely. Playing Phantasy Star IV and 3rd Strike for example, excellent games. There's also a sense of balls-to-the-wall quirkiness, either in game mechanics or thematic art/design/story presentation, with older games that new ones just lack. Either because a lot of newer stuff is too sanitized, homogenized, or "meta" in how certain things are done or written.

Antiquated controls or the such aren't turn-offs for me because if I like the game enough, I'll just adjust to play the game properly. Also a lot of the older games I'm playing these days, I actually skipped on them when they were new, so I have no nostalgia in play for the vast majority of them.

If you have an open mind then a lot of retro games can provide a ton of fun, just like how a lot of modern games can. True quality is timeless.

I recently replayed in the last 3 months: Bayonetta, RE2, RE3, TR Legend, TR Underworld, TR3.

All still bless to play, also Bayonetta that i didn't play since 2012 is still hella fun and imo the best BTA in the classic genre (better than other DMC and Bayo games that released after). It was such a bad decision imo to have made DMC5 with 3 playable characters and replaying Bayo 1 made realise even more that. I replayed first Bayo, and most DMC and GOW games many times but DMC5 i just can't. GOW3 is the one GOW that i replayed the least since it didn't had a NG+.

Without going into details on each game, just for example it shoking how TR3 was kind hard whatever you see it as today or backthen standards, there absolutely nothing to carry, normally Souls games and TR aren't really same genre but for some reason it really has some Fromsoftware game vibe, no help, nothing that carry you, minimum hub, no map ect, it really has that kind of unique test you find rarely in games.

There are some other older games that i would like to play and i plan to when i got the time, but yeah old games are still fun, of course the great ones, some old games stinks just like some modern games, and personally without the doubt i rather play an old great game than a random modern trashcan game.

5th-gen TR games, even stuff like the very original RE, can be deceptively difficult compared to modern entries. Original RE had no aim assist (same for the Saturn version), the old TR games might've had auto-aim lock-on but the stuff you mention about TR3 was even moreso for the first two games.

I always find it kind of funny when some people consider Souls to be among the hardest of games or try equating hard retro games to "the Souls of platformers" or whatnot. I mean there are 16-bit JRPGs harder than any of the Souls games if we're being perfectly honest. The difficulty in Souls games comes from learning your environment and careful planning. If you can do both of those things the challenge is very manageable and to its credit, unlike some 16-bit JRPGs the Souls games don't have a design quirk that could add unintended, unfair difficulty.

All of the design elements in them are refined and accounted for, whereas even among some of the best retro JRPGs, action-platformers etc. there may be a thing or two that creates an annoying difficulty spike out of nowhere (but in general never that much of a big deal).
 
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GametimeUK

Member
I think indie games replicate older titles for a reason. Some titles have gameplay and design that are timeless. There are some games that are hard to revisit because of their age. There are old games I will play that haven't aged well, but I still love because of the nostalgia factor. BUT there are definitely games that are timeless classics in my opinion.
 
List of games I still enjoy playing from time to time:

Super Mario Bros (original trilogy)
All NES Mega Man
Contra
Tetris (Gameboy version)
Sonic (Original trilogy)
Wonderboy in Monsterland
Street Fighter 2
Most point & click adventure games on Amiga
Lotus Esprit Turbo Challenge 2 (Amiga version)
Cannon Fodder
Alien Breed
Another World
Mortal Kombat (trilogy)
Killer Instinct 1 & 2
Metal Gear Solid
Tekken 3

Good games are just good games - nostalgia doesn't change that, but it's a plus.
Username checks out.

As for me: yes, I mostly play older games. And unlike some people in this thread that are referring to PS3/X360 games as "old" (LMFAO.... what? 😂), the ones I'm referring to are Gen 5 (Saturn/PS1/N64) and older.

I play a lot of 16-bit and 32-bit era games, a lot of them for the first time in the past couple of years. For example, I played Link to the Past to completion for the first time ever just last year, and it's arguably not just the greatest game on the Super Nintendo, but also one of the greatest games of all time, period.

Granted, when choosing old games to play, I do my research. There are a lot of great old games, but there are also a lot of shitty old games. Link to the Past is great; Shaq-Fu is not.
 
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Jada_Li

Banned
I haven't played lately but I still like:

Super Mario World -SNES
Super Mario All Stars - SNES
Batman Forever - SNES
Super Mario Kart - SNES
Fighting Force 64 - N64
Donkey Kong 64 -N64
Perfect Dark - N64
Lulu - NES
Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons - 3DS/Originally had it on GBC
Parappa the Rapper - PSP
Tomb Raider I/II/III - PS
Etc.
 
It's the same reason, albeit modified, that Roger Ebert didn't think video games were art; video games are an interactive media. Times change, and people change. REMOVING the nostalgia factor, I would not get the same joy from Super Mario Bros. as I did 40 years ago, give or take. I defy anyone to counter this salient point.
I can honestly say i’ve played the games i grew up with so many times that nostalgia isn’t even a factor anymore ; i’ve played them as much in my adult life as I did back then. If I do think about the past i’ll think of what I was doing when I was playing those games, not the games themselves.

A good game is a good game to me, I don’t rate the past higher just because it’s the past. If I did, i’d say mario 64 is better than any 3d mario… and it’s not, i’d say it’s like 2nd worst among home console releases (it’s a high bar though) despite that being the first 3d game I ever played.

When I play majora’s mask for example I just think about how damn great it is and not my memories from when it came out.

I honestly think if I first played it in my twenties i’d have the same opinion of it.
 
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Bakkus

Member
Aye, your point on RPG's is inarguable.
But in my opinion, the franchises the two platforms shared were way better on the NES.

-OG Zelda > LTTP.
-Double Dragon II & III > Super Double Dragon.
-Mike Tyson's Punchout!! > Super Punch Out.
-Mega Man 1-6 > MMX and it's sequels.
-..and on and on

The only franchise I can see that got better on the SNES was maybe Dragon Quest and that's it.
I respect the first Zelda and SMB games on NES for what they did at the time, but nowadays, I find them unplayable. I will admit I have not played much of the original Punch-Out or Super Punch Out, but I can based on gameplay clips certainly see why people prefer the first game there. It's far more iconic, for sure. I dislike all retro belt scrollers, so I can't say anything on the Double Dragon games. The best MM games on SNES have actually aged remarkably well compared to most games on the system, but I think MMX is still better because it has a lot more going for it, but MM2 is definitely more iconic.
 

Kataploom

Gold Member
I mostly play old games and japanese games... Not something I use to do conciously, but I happen to be ditching modern western AAA "master pieces" a lot often and being warmed and feeling better in general with almost anything like that... It's like the focus on realism puts me off unless the game has something that attracts me a lot like A Plague Tales or Alan Wake
 

SEGA_2012

Member
Yes. With some few exceptions (like Halo Infinite) the vast majority of new games are garbage.

Things are getting worse everyday.

For example Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio is past their prime.
 

Alan Wake

Member
Define "old".

I want to like them, but I have a hard time with Mega Drive games that I probably would've loved back in the day. Even some 360 games have aged badly, especially the gameplay.
 

Deerock71

Member
I can honestly say i’ve played the games i grew up with so many times that nostalgia isn’t even a factor anymore ; i’ve played them as much in my adult life as I did back then. If I do think about the past i’ll think of what I was doing when I was playing those games, not the games themselves.

A good game is a good game to me, I don’t rate the past higher just because it’s the past. If I did, i’d say mario 64 is better than any 3d mario… and it’s not, i’d say it’s like 2nd worst among home console releases (it’s a high bar though) despite that being the first 3d game I ever played.

When I play majora’s mask for example I just think about how damn great it is and not my memories from when it came out.

I honestly think if I first played it in my twenties i’d have the same opinion of it.
I think those youtube videos of millenials playing an xbox or an N64 is probably the closest we're ever going to get to seeing someone without nostalgia playing these games. They don't seem to be that impressed, overall.
 

Markio128

Member
I don’t mind watching the occasional video of old games, or even reading about them, but playing them is mostly painful.
 

DryvBy

Member
RTS games are and some graphic adventures. Even a lot of old shooters I can still get into. I'm currently playing Perfect Dark yet again.
 
I mostly play old games and japanese games... Not something I use to do conciously, but I happen to be ditching modern western AAA "master pieces" a lot often and being warmed and feeling better in general with almost anything like that... It's like the focus on realism puts me off unless the game has something that attracts me a lot like A Plague Tales or Alan Wake
I think Alan Wake was the last Western "AAA" game I completed in full. That game really spoke to me for some reason and I thought the core loop was solid. Also really dug the little in-game TV show easter eggs.
 
Define "old".

I want to like them, but I have a hard time with Mega Drive games that I probably would've loved back in the day. Even some 360 games have aged badly, especially the gameplay.

Depends what Mega Drive games you're having a hard time with? I could make a quick list of the absolute best games on that machine if you need a good starting point, and this is coming from the perspective of a person who has first dipped into its library in 2015.
 
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I think those youtube videos of millenials playing an xbox or an N64 is probably the closest we're ever going to get to seeing someone without nostalgia playing these games. They don't seem to be that impressed, overall.

That's because they're not interested in the games, they're interested in making Youtube videos. I have an acquaintance who is 15 years old and loves collecting 2600 video games, no bullshit.

It depends if you're interested.
 
I think those youtube videos of millenials playing an xbox or an N64 is probably the closest we're ever going to get to seeing someone without nostalgia playing these games. They don't seem to be that impressed, overall.

You really think people can’t escape nostalgia? Please. I can tell you just don’t appreciate the medium.

I mean there’s plenty of snes and n64 games I played later in life abd I still love them.
 

MacReady13

Member
I still love older games. Nothing better than playing Super Mario World or Donkey Kong Country 2. Still classics and hold up perfectly well today. Not too sure I can say the same for many PS1/N64 games but they were the beginning of the 3D era so I can cut them some slack.
 

Deerock71

Member
You really think people can’t escape nostalgia? Please. I can tell you just don’t appreciate the medium.

I mean there’s plenty of snes and n64 games I played later in life abd I still love them.
What I'm suggesting is you and I can't escape the nostalgia factor. Only those that weren't there can play the games with a fresh set of eyes. I'd be perfectly happy with a SNES and it's collection of gems until the day I die, but I was there when they first came out, so I would not be able to rule out nostalgia as a factor.
 
Most well made games are still very much fun! Especially 2D!
I can easily replay games like Day of the Tentacle, Monkey Island, Quest for Glory 1+3+4,
Heroes of Might and Magic 2-3, X-COM 1-2, ...
 
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What I'm suggesting is you and I can't escape the nostalgia factor. Only those that weren't there can play the games with a fresh set of eyes. I'd be perfectly happy with a SNES and it's collection of gems until the day I die, but I was there when they first came out, so I would not be able to rule out nostalgia as a factor.
How do you explain games that I didn’t play until I was an adult? For example I never played wave race 64 until I was an adult and it’s the best of its kind even today. For whatever reason, back then I thought it looked like a cheap sports game.

Look I mean I can play a game from today and say it’s shit, and I can play a game that’s as old as I am and think it’s shit. You’re mistaken on this one, esp. considering you brought up someone saying games aren’t art and you only like these games because of nostalgia ; basically you’re saying you don’t appreciate the medium.

Don’t project your lack of appreciation on me!
 
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Kataploom

Gold Member
I think Alan Wake was the last Western "AAA" game I completed in full. That game really spoke to me for some reason and I thought the core loop was solid. Also really dug the little in-game TV show easter eggs.
And the American's Nightmare expansion showed even better TV show content... Loved the antagonist so much it's one of my favorite antagonists in games
 
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Most of my favorite games are "old". I played Dungeon Keeper recently and it's... awesome. Lots of lols to be had and voice acting and art direction rivals anything made today. A lot of old stuff haven't been topped imo. Tie Fighter nailed space sim controls and with the HD 60 fps patch it's so much fun. Alpha Centauri is still the best 4x with awesome AI and deep interaction, Planescape Torment still has best narrative, Deus Ex is fps sandbox heaven and so on.
 

Zug

Member
Good arcade/genesis/snes games will never cease to be fun. My hacked snes mini is packed with a curated selection and I enjoy it a lot.
There is a "dark age" era during the decade 1995-2005 where most early 3D games are barely playable anymore, but 2D games are just fine !
 
I grew up with a PS2 and have 0 nostalgia for most truly retro games, but:
The Original Mario and Sonic trilogies, The classic Kirby games, Dynamite Headdy and Gunstar Heroes, the Donkey Kong Country Trilogies and Zelda: a Link to the past are pretty
 

Grechy34

Member
The 8/16 bit era has aged beautifully.

The early 3D era (PS1/N64) - My take on this era is different to most. I still strongly believe the PS1/N64 era is the best and still my personal favourite. It was the beginning of 3D but the true investment in the actual game was still there. I fired up Dino Crisis last night and I’m still pretty amazed that for such old hardware how well the game holds up.

Games like the original Tomb Raider 1, 2 & 3 are going to be enjoyed mostly by players who grew up in that era and appreciate that era of gaming. There is no way that kids today will go back to them games and say they are good but someone in their 30’s are still going to enjoy those games greatly. There were no microtransactions or updates. Games were still pure. The skins you got with he game were the skins you were going to have forever. A lot of playing these games today is dealing with clunkier controls etc. That was kind of part of the experience with these games. Games feel a hell of a lot better now, but I’m not sure they have the same soul. It kind of annoys me when a lot of gaming critics (half who never actually experienced the era) trot the "these games have not aged well" there is a lot more context around this.
 
That's because they're not interested in the games, they're interested in making Youtube videos. I have an acquaintance who is 15 years old and loves collecting 2600 video games, no bullshit.

It depends if you're interested.
Idk, what's the point of them making YouTube videos about games, if they're not interested in games?
A lot of people get really passionate over the 6th and 7th generations of games just like people did for the NES and SNES years ago.
 
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Username checks out.

As for me: yes, I mostly play older games. And unlike some people in this thread that are referring to PS3/X360 games as "old" (LMFAO.... what? 😂), the ones I'm referring to are Gen 5 (Saturn/PS1/N64) and older.

I play a lot of 16-bit and 32-bit era games, a lot of them for the first time in the past couple of years. For example, I played Link to the Past to completion for the first time ever just last year, and it's arguably not just the greatest game on the Super Nintendo, but also one of the greatest games of all time, period.

Granted, when choosing old games to play, I do my research. There are a lot of great old games, but there are also a lot of shitty old games. Link to the Past is great; Shaq-Fu is not.
Hot take, but gen 6 (Dreamcast, PS2, Xbox, Gamecube, GBA) are all just old enough to be retro.
 
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DJ12

Member
I'm a bit of a graphics whore these days, if I can play in an emulator and enhance the experience somehow (eg 2d filters or higher res for 3d games) then I can happily play old stuff as much as new stuff.
 

Dr. Claus

Vincit qui se vincit
Idk, what's the point of them making YouTube videos about games, if they're not interested in games?
A lot of people get really passionate over the 6th and 7th generations of games just like people did for the NES and SNES years ago.
That isn’t a hot take. That is a normal take. A hot take would be claiming that they *aren’t* retro.
 

aclar00

Member

Not sure i can separate the two....i can still play the games I loved on the PS1, such as Resident Evil, Twisted Metal 2 and Metal Gear Solid. I have probably beaten (been a few years now though) RE1 a few dozen times. I enjoy it more than any other RE, tank controls and all....but i guess its largely the nostalgia.
 
Hot take, but gen 6 (Dreamcast, PS2, Xbox, Gamecube, GBA) are all just old enough to be retro.
Not so hot of a take, I agree with this actually.

Although at some point the PSWii60 generation is going to join the "retro" ranks based on time elapsed, for now the way I divide it is:

Standard def (Gen 6 and prior) -> retro
High def (Gen 7 - Present) -> modern
 

CatLady

Selfishly plays on Xbox Purr-ies X
Xbox 360 games and 3rd party games from that era - absolutely. So many great games that I love from that generation, and I play them a lot thanks to Xbox BC. Anything older with the exception of Halo CE not so much.
 

Isa

Gold Member
Yes I have plenty of fun and good times playing older games, from 8bit and up. Plus getting to show my girlfriend all these great games and also being able to experience titles we've never played before together is great. Now I won't lie though, some oldschool mechanics such as save systems, bugs and game design decisions that can prevent continuing or even finishing a game, especially with no forewarning can be brutal. Moreso if one has limited time and doesn't want to or feel like replaying a whole game again.

But overall yes they're a blast. Its all perspective and worldview. With the right mindset anything can be enjoyable. One draw for my girl and I is the art design. World and characters are important to us and sadly many modern games just lack that oomph and imagination plus a great deal of soul that prior gens exhibited. It really is a shame because the tech is there, but sadly I feel the heart is not. Plus I'm so tired of all the unoriginal 8-16bit knockoffs in the indie scene. Sure there are a few good indies but if I want another Metroidvania or Zelda experience its going to be those, or something seriously dirty with great art.
 
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