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[SonicMegaDrive]

These days, as gaming has become more and more mainstream, I've found myself increasingly alienated from it. No longer do I hype myself up for 'the next big thing'. A while back, I became discouraged with gaming. I spent hundreds of dollars on games each month, and I rarely, if ever had the time - or the inclination - to finish them. I never had the time to spend countless hours playing a 40+ hour game like I did in my more youthful years. So one day, I looked at my gaming habits and realized that I just wasn't having much fun anymore.

However, I did not stop playing games. Rather, I went back and revisited some of the older titles in my collection. This got me interested in...I guess you'd call it 'classic gaming'. These days, I look forward to buying older titles for the systems I've long since dusted off such as the NES, Turbografx-16, SNES, the Genesis and its many add-ons, and the Neo Geo. Part of the fun is searching for some of these older games(especially some of those older gems I may have overlooked), as they can no longer be purchased at major retailers, or even most hobby stores.

You might say I've become somewhat of a collector of old games, although that doesn't quite describe it, as I actually play the games I collect. The best part about it is you can buy literally, dozens of games for a small price. Sure, you could take the easy route and play them via emulation on your computer or your Xbox, but that takes a lot of the fun out of it. While, it's strange to say I can no longer call myself a 'true gamer', I see no reason to play all of the newest games. Though I'll still play the occasional new game the classics are more than enough to keep me satisfied.

Anybody else relate to this?

 

[Hellraizah]

While I do love my Neo Geo, I could not get past Halo 2. However, I think the best is probably to combine old games with new school features (progressive scan, online play, etc...).

 

[Do The Mario]

I recently took a year off gaming but I picked an original NES and a few titles from 2nd hand shops. I have had some great times playing SMB, SMB3 and Battletoads (2 player) etc...

I regularly check these shops for new titles! It’s worth it for a .50-5 dollars they cost!

 

[madara]

Yeah, I agree. I still hoping we going thru a cycle and gaming will return down the road. I am sure glad I grew up when I did and not now or last few years though.

 

[seismologist]

I can sort of relate. I skipped all the big hyped games this fall and and in the meantime I'm busy playing Blast Corps and 1080 on the N64.

I guess it all started when my Xbox died. No point in rebuying another one since this gen is almost over.

 

[Prospero]

I haven't taken up collecting older games (though I recently picked up TIE Fighter on eBay), but I've reached a point where I'm burned out on hype and new releases. I haven't purchased any of the games that merit sticky threads in this forum, and I can easily see myself not purchasing a game at all for the next few months (my usual rate of purchase in 2004 has been at least one or two games a month). Every once in a while I take some time to go back to visit some of my favorite older games, like Heroes of Might and Magic III, or The Sentry, or Marathon--I feel like one of those periods is coming up for me.

I'm not a jaded gamer--I've just come to the conclusion that even if I played games for 24 hours a day, I'd never get through the stuff that I think is worth collecting. And with such a huge backlog, why buy new games at all?

 

[Link316]

oh yeah I can relate, but quite honestly there's just as much garbage back then as there is now, the only type of game I really miss these days are puzzle games like Lolo or Kickle Cubicle

 

[Teddman]

I used to be like this too, up until earlier this year at least half my gaming was PSOne RPG's I had missed out on, Saturn games, old SNES RPG's, Dreamcast, etc.

But lately I have been getting into online gaming on PS2 and Xbox Live, and for that you usually want to get into it while the getting's good, while everyone is playing and new to the game. So I've picked up Hot Shots Golf Fore, Star Wars Battlefront, Halo 2, Ratchet & Clank: UYA, and others right around release. Good times, good times...

 

[Ranger X]

I still buy NES games on Ebay and hobby stores etc.
I still play and will ever play older games as the new comes out. Sometimes, older games have this quick charm and are mindless and straighforward fun. I can't always play long and demanding games nowadays, i have much less gaming time than when i was a teen or younger.

 

[way more]

I've bought most of the GBA NES classics, but I still feel empty inside.

 

[Mrbob]

On the contrary, I'm almost the direct opposite. I have a hard time playing any type of old school game anymore. They just don't offer the depth and replayability that current titles offer.

 

[lexi]

They just don't offer the pretty graphics and awesome sound that current titles offer.

Fixed

 

[Mrbob]

Fixed

Or massive enviroments that provide hours upon hours of hot sexy gameplay.

 

[Drek]

The great issue with gaming today is that in this unprecidented era of mainstream gaming we're seeing the development pipeline become more and more saturated with generic titles designed more to sell than to advance gaming as a whole. Its the "EA-ization" of the industry. Why put in the effort to make something revolutionary when a rehash will sell just as well? Almost all large projects now are falling into this collective bin of vanilla game design.

This leaves us old school gamers in the lurch because we can see just how watered down many games are today. Be it in terms of difficulty or just inovation. Because of this us old school gamers who don't want to just conform to playing these fluff games are forced to find alternative means. For some thats playing the old classics. For me thats trying to find a quality diamond in the rough from a smaller developer who still puts quality first. Titles like Mark of Kri, Ico, Shadow Hearts 2, Disgaea, and Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter are what I'll remember from this generation, not yet another vanilla Final Fantasy or the handful of GTA iterations. The games that give something new and unique, even if its mostly a failed attempt, are more enjoyable to me than the biggest "Killer App" super high presentation and polish piece of casual fapware.

Don't get me wrong, I like Halo 2. But if you told me it was either Halo 2 or Mark of Kri, I'll go with the game that feels like something new, not yet another small iteration over what Half-Life did. This is yet another reason why the fall of PC gaming is a sad event in the history of the gaming industry.

 

[Ollie Pooch]

i'm obsessed with collecting older systems - just this year alone i've bought a snes, megadrive, gamegear, nes, saturn, and master system all from cash converters and ebay..

i think for me it's a mix between actually digging up some really awsome old games, minus the hype and system affiliation that the games have nowadays; and the nostalgia of remembering an old one i played 10 years back .. a bit like picking through the scraps of this gen after the GAF mob have torn all the games to shreds

memorable plays lately :dr mario (nes), moonwalker (megadrive), pocky and rocky(snes), and super bust a move on snes.... ahhhhhh

 

[MoxManiac]

I only play games with naked men in them.

 

[Tsubaki]

Agreed with most of the sentiment expressed in the thread.

As I mentioned on TNL, while I can understand MrBob's viewpoint, not everyone shares his view of what games should be like.

 

[Mrbob]

I think these whole old school sessions go in cycles. There is more quality out now than there ever was on the older days. But we can ignore the huge influx of crap titles that permeated in the day and just concentrate on the golden ones.

 

[Tsubaki]

I think these whole old school sessions go in cycles. There is more quality out now than there ever was on the older days. But we can ignore the huge influx of crap titles that permeated in the day and just concentrate on the golden ones.

... the point is that games are DIFFERENT now. Not talking about the quality necessarily. The truth is, if you like the way games were designed back then, it's possible that even a mediocre entry would appeal to you more than the best games of this generation.

There are certainly some genres which have become great with the advent of new technology. There are some genres which couldn't have been possible with lesser machines. Current gen systems excel at these.

But there are also other genres that peaked out long ago, or are not emphasized anymore. If these latter genres are what you were most interested in, then it's no wonder people are pining over the past.

 

[Teddman]

I don't know, I don't really see that you can't play newer games with old school-style gameplay these days. There are still shooters coming out like R-Type Final, Gradius V, Astroboy GBA. Fighters still live on in their 2D glory with Capcom vs SNK, Guilty Gear, 2D platformers live on the GBA, etc. 2D RPG's are still around too.

What "other genres that peaked out long ago, or are not emphasized anymore" can you absolutely not find any new entries in?

 

[demi]

I only play games with naked men in them.

You like River City Ransom too!?

 

[Tsubaki]

I don't know, I don't really see that you can't play newer games with old school-style gameplay these days. There are still shooters coming out like R-Type Final, Gradius V, Astroboy GBA. Fighters still live on in their 2D glory with Capcom vs SNK, Guilty Gear, 2D platformers live on the GBA, etc. 2D RPG's are still around too.

What "other genres that peaked out long ago, or are not emphasized anymore" can you absolutely not find any new entries in?

That's a trick question you ask. I think all genres are still going. But the GBA is holding most of the fort down when it comes to 2D. Once PSP and GBA2 take over, we may see a lot less of it as they will have much better 3D processors.

But in my opinion, many of those genres have become stale.

Astroboy GBA? Trust me. I'm a huge Treasure whore, but contrary to most people's belief that it's the 2nd coming, to me it's just a well-made game that's unnecessary. There's nothing noteworthy to comment about it other than that it's a solid attempt at entertainment. For most people, that's enough. But it's a far cry from exceptional. Take Sin & Punishment for example. The intensity and cleverness of the gameplay makes it one of, if not the best action titles ever made. And that one title alone is worth purchasing a N64 for. Astro Boy while competant, is simply just another game. Yeah, it was fun for a run through, maybe even two. But I could have easily not played it and it really wouldn't have mattered.

2D fighters? Capcom vs SNK, SNK vs Capcom, Marvel vs Capcom 2, GG... all of these completely worthless IMO. Why bother when you've got Third Strike.

And so on and so forth. My point is there may be games coming out for these genres, but they either don't try very hard to please or they include modern mechanics which change the essence of the genre.

(Metroidvania is one such example. They turned an action platform game into a maze-a-thon/collect-a-thon. While platforming used to matter in Castlevania games, the necessity for precision jumping is now gone. There are no longer bottomless pits, instant-deaths, etc.)

 

[VariableTerry]

I still play lots of old games. I go back and forth between old and new. A few days ago I was playing Kiwi Kraze, Codename Viper and Adventure Island while now I am playing Klonoa 2 and KoF 00. Whenever friends come over we always play Magical Drop 3 and Twinkle Star sprites. I casually collect NES games, I am up to about 350. I can't get enough of old and new games.

 

[Mrbob]

Well, if you a platformer and fighting fan I can see how 3D has sort of bummed you out. For the most part, these two genres have seem to stagnate since 3D has come around to the forefront. Although online play may save the fighting genre.

And as revolutionary as Mario 64 was, it pretty much damned the entire 3D platforming genre at the same time. It become the blueprint to follow in 3D platformers becoming stupid collect-a-thons.

I'm still awaiting a true Mario 3D game. One that takes the 2D platforming action and translates it perfectly into 3D with no additional collecting required besides coins and powerups.

 

[Unison]

They really need a new Uniracers, stat!

 

[Renegade]

On PC, partially due to me having a crappy PC, I've found myself very, very involved in Abandonware. I still enjoy my Warcraft 3's every now and then, but no strategy game compares to Master of Orion, except MAYBE Master of Magic or M.A.X. (Which is better than Command and Conquer or Starcraft). Warlords classic, old Ultimas, and many, many more. There's THOUSANDS of great games I missed out on that I'm catching up on. Plus it's LEGAL! Hop on www.the-underdogs.org and other abandonware ring sites today and download. Perhaps we could even play online.

So I can definitely relate. I take up emulation on the Xbox though, as it's kinda fun
I've found, in many instances, emulation to be much better than the real thing. The only problem I have is not being forced to remain 'faithful' to one game, with hundreds of other similar games with many accolades at my fingertips.