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[Plies]

So, confession time - I guess I'm a quite a bit to the younger end of the gaming spectrum here on GAF, being 26, but the majority of my nostalgic video games comes from the early 2000's.
Play Station 2 and Game Cube and original Xbox. Games like Super Mario Sunshine, Jak and Daxter, Star Fox: Adventures, and seemingly forgotten games like Kya: Dark Legacy and Herdy Gerdy.

To a degree, I feel like this era's overlooked as far as nostalgia goes, and it makes sense if the majority of people involved in the industry didn't grow up in that time, but it always struck me as strange when people listed pixel-art side-scrollers as nostalgic. And it got me thinking - is there an untapped market there?

Supposedly the majority of developers are in their 30s and 40s, so I guess it makes sense that they'd overlook the nostalgia factor of this era, but honestly I can't help but think how ecstatic I would be if "retro" game developers started catering to that, instead.
There are only so many times I can replay Sly Cooper before getting bored - but an active genre of gaming that returned to those bright, cartoony, often quirky and awkward but somehow charming style of games that I remember from back then. Oh, and the beach themes of this era were fantastic!

 

[Hawk The Slayer]

Definitely try out the Ratchet and Clank series, it's one of the best 2000s era games

Ratchet and Clank
Ratchet and Clank Going Commando
Ratchet and Clank Up your Arsenal
Ratchet and Clank Deadlocked
Ratchet and Clank Future Tools of Destruction
Ratchet and Clank Quest for Booty
Ratchet and Clank A Crack in Time
Ratchet and Clank Into the Nexus
Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart

It starts getting really good starting from Going Commando too, the first game on the list might be a bit hard to get into.

 

[Guardian Monkey]

The Hudson River, two years ago..

 

[Generic]

The start of the PS2/Cube/Xbox era was one of my favourite gaming periods - even if I was only able to enjoy them in my friend's home and rental stores.

 

[GateofD]

Definitely try out the Ratchet and Clank series, it's one of the best 2000s era games

Ratchet and Clank
Ratchet and Clank Going Commando
Ratchet and Clank Up your Arsenal
Ratchet and Clank Deadlocked
Ratchet and Clank Future Tools of Destruction
Ratchet and Clank Quest for Booty
Ratchet and Clank A Crack in Time
Ratchet and Clank Into the Nexus
Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart

It starts getting really good starting from Going Commando too, the first game on the list might be a bit hard to get into.

I only played a small handful of the R&C games but I was very surprised at how funny the dialogue and script was. Like I never really experienced much comedy video games and what humor any had, it was just dumb humor. But R&C has some really witty jokes in their story

 

[Rentahamster]

it always struck me as strange when people listed pixel-art side-scrollers as nostalgic.

Is it because those seem "too" old, from your perspective?

 

[Plies]

Is it because those seem "too" old, from your perspective?

It's more of contemporaries who have nostalgia for an era so far back.
I'm not saying there's a line in the sand to be drawn as far as nostalgia goes, because I understand everyone has different levels of exposure. I find it interesting, is all.
Obviously that might sound a bit hypocritical, but ..

 

[Rentahamster]

It's more of contemporaries who have nostalgia for an era so far back.
I'm not saying there's a line in the sand to be drawn as far as nostalgia goes, because I understand everyone has different levels of exposure. I find it interesting, is all.
Obviously that might sound a bit hypocritical, but ..

Yeah that's kind of what I mean. Like how Grunge or Punk might sound "retro" to us, but disco, blues, or rockabilly might sound too ancient.

 

[Plies]

Yeah that's kind of what I mean. Like how Grunge or Punk might sound "retro" to us, but disco, blues, or rockabilly might sound too ancient.

"too ancient" to me is anything pre-NES.

 

[Digital-Aftertaste]

SSX Tricky is a nostalgia classic that has to date not been replicated.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

2000




2001



Yeah, these were great times

 

[Esppiral]

You automatically became a best friend of mine after listing Herdy Gedy

 

[Instant_Classic]

Gen 6 is one of the GOATs, game didn't take forever to make, they weren't super expensive to develop, and they were pushing boundaries.

My fav gen, overall.

Had a Dreamcast, GameCube, Xbox, and PS2.

 

[Trilobit]

It's more of contemporaries who have nostalgia for an era so far back.
I'm not saying there's a line in the sand to be drawn as far as nostalgia goes, because I understand everyone has different levels of exposure. I find it interesting, is all.
Obviously that might sound a bit hypocritical, but ..

I'm 30+ and I have nostalgia for when I was a kid and played NES, SNES, N64, PS1, PS2, PC and DOS games. I'm nostalgic about playing KotOR in ny teens. I also have nostalgia for when I was 20+ and played Wind Waker for the first time. Heck, I even have nostalgia for when I played RDR2 for the first time about 3 years ago.

Not to mention with books I have nostalgia for stories written in the 18th and 19th century and the atmosphere those had. Religious people can feel nostalgic reading about events taking place thousands of years ago.

I also have nostalgia for music that was created decades and centuries before my birth.

My point is, don't be too "short-minded" when it comes to time. Gaming is such a young hobby, but with an incredibly rich history so we should be able to be nostalgic about everything about it.

 

[NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt]

Gen 6 is one of the GOATs, game didn't take forever to make, they weren't super expensive to develop, and they were pushing boundaries.

My fav gen, overall.

Had a Dreamcast, GameCube, Xbox, and PS2.

I didn't have a Dreamcast but I had the all the other systems that Gen

Sixth Gen was definitely something magical. Back in the Sixth Gen, developers were headed by gamers who wanted to make games for gamers. Plus the increase in budget made it Gaming Golden Age

Even the Gamecube and Xbox had lot of memorable experiences. That whole Gen had so many great games across all 4 platforms

I started gaming when the first Playstation came out but it wasn't until the Playstation 2 Era where I started to play and finish more games. So yes it's also nostigia

It's just not the same now

 

[Durin]

To a degree, I feel like this era's overlooked as far as nostalgia goes, and it makes sense if the majority of people involved in the industry didn't grow up in that time, but it always struck me as strange when people listed pixel-art side-scrollers as nostalgic. And it got me thinking - is there an untapped market there?

I don't think the era's that overlooked (literally Sony's best era), it's just not enough of a time gap yet to be the dominant decade to be nostalgic about yet. The 90s is starting to get its treatment like the 80s did, and guaranteed the 2000s will.

I'm a decade older than OP, and I'd still regard the PS2 as the best generation if we're looking back. It was that perfect time where 2D games were still going, 3D games got past the awkward but cool novelty of the 90s, and we got a great mix of cool games at reliable budgets. 360 era and onward we started to see the slow creep of genres die out that couldn't perform at high budgets (RTS, arcade sports games, 3D platformers), DLC and micro-transactions enter, multiplayer games needed to be endless services, and studios start to water their IP down.

Most of my emulation time going back to old games I've already played or catching up on what I missed, is exactly the early 2000s. Tons of cool games, and inevitably as younger devs build out indie studios they're going to make more games that hearken back to 2000s trends. Even just Space Marine 2 and Stellar Blade in big-budget space are 2000s era games down to the base aesthetics.

 

[AeonGaidenRaiden]

So, confession time - I guess I'm a quite a bit to the younger end of the gaming spectrum here on GAF, being 26, but the majority of my nostalgic video games comes from the early 2000's.
Play Station 2 and Game Cube and original Xbox. Games like Super Mario Sunshine, Jak and Daxter, Star Fox: Adventures, and seemingly forgotten games like Kya: Dark Legacy and Herdy Gerdy.

To a degree, I feel like this era's overlooked as far as nostalgia goes, and it makes sense if the majority of people involved in the industry didn't grow up in that time, but it always struck me as strange when people listed pixel-art side-scrollers as nostalgic. And it got me thinking - is there an untapped market there?

Supposedly the majority of developers are in their 30s and 40s, so I guess it makes sense that they'd overlook the nostalgia factor of this era, but honestly I can't help but think how ecstatic I would be if "retro" game developers started catering to that, instead.
There are only so many times I can replay Sly Cooper before getting bored - but an active genre of gaming that returned to those bright, cartoony, often quirky and awkward but somehow charming style of games that I remember from back then. Oh, and the beach themes of this era were fantastic!

If you are 26 now how did you play PS2/Gamecube/Xbox games with nostalgia when you were like....2yrs old by then. And by the time you were at least 6-8yrs old, PS3 and 360 were already a few years old And no, the nostalgia is not overlooked from this era as PS2 was until recently the highest selling console ever. All the best games and sequels we have today come mostly from that period.

 

[SamuraiEdge]

The 2000s were my favourite period of gaming easily. I was growing up along with my friends in those early teens into adulthood, which came in the 2010s, enjoying and sharing all those magical experiences together, as well as this being the age of the internet, growing along with this. It was just a magical time all round because of everything always constantly growing and changing at such a rapid pace.

 

[Baemono]

The PS2 is the only PS I never had sadly (litteraly, I even bought the PS TV), so I can't relate

 

[March Climber]

And it got me thinking - is there an untapped market there?

Supposedly the majority of developers are in their 30s and 40s, so I guess it makes sense that they'd overlook the nostalgia factor of this era, but honestly I can't help but think how ecstatic I would be if "retro" game developers started catering to that, instead.
There are only so many times I can replay Sly Cooper before getting bored - but an active genre of gaming that returned to those bright, cartoony, often quirky and awkward but somehow charming style of games that I remember from back then. Oh, and the beach themes of this era were fantastic!

The thing you are searching for has already started appearing more within the indie scene. Search for the tags "3D, Retro" in steam for these experiences.

 

[IAmRei]

tbh, i am still fond of old games in that era as well. the transition before fully HD is kind of interesting. even older MH2, FFX, GT4, Genji, still looks great in this day because they are using proper textures and clever tricks. and the era are extension of older era of genre invention in end of 80s through 1999. so they are like middle road between retro and newer games. lot of bad games of course, but genre starter also comes from there (not real starter, but who popularized)

 

[cireza]

It was a great period and I really loved the Gamecube. It had awesome games and even some great third party games. The Naruto games for example were amazing on that console, the fourth game was awesome and my friend imported it. I also had imported Battle Stadium and Bleach GC, good times !

Simple, fun games without the needless bullshit.

 

[SamuraiEdge]

It was a great period and I really loved the Gamecube. It had awesome games and even some great third party games. The Naruto games for example were amazing on that console, the fourth game was awesome and my friend imported it. I also had imported Battle Stadium and Bleach GC, good times !

Simple, fun games without the needless bullshit.

 

[SkylineRKR]

Playing the Capcom collection with Powerstone and Project Justice envokes a lot of nostalgia. Onimusha 1 and 2, and Otogi 2 I also beat recently.

 

[Parazels]

Looking back I have mixed feeling about the time.

On the one hand, lots of masterpieces like Shenmue, Gran Turismo 3, Tekken Tag Tournament, Metal Gear Solid 2, Resident Evil Remake, etc.

On the other hand, lots of games had rough animation, blurry textures and low frame rates.

 

[Hypereides]

So, what you're saying is that you want more games to use Y2K aesthetics? Blue skies, beaches. palm trees etc. etc.? Don't worry. A comeback is seemingly already brewing, albeit its coming from the indie scene.

I'm personally slightly nostalgic for the late 00's vibe. Felt like it was just ramping up until it got kicked its feet away from underneath it.

 

[Dr.Morris79]

but it always struck me as strange when people listed pixel-art side-scrollers as nostalgic. And it got me thinking

Hey! For some of us, they are!!