After the last podcast I just did with Markus, it got me thinking that we should go back to the classic. The talk about Pokemon going back to Generation One (Red,Blue and Yellow) and Two (Gold,Silver and Crystal) as Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time and then, I got the idea to play Super Mario Bros. 3 on the NES. I have to say it was a great reminder of my childhood and well I have to say I have to get back to game from my childhood. It brough back memories, when titles like Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time 3DS came out, I was thrilled just as I was with Pokemon Black and White; it brought back something that Generation 3 and 4 Pokemon games lacked for me. The thrill of the new people discovering new Pokemon games and new team like I was a kid. The rush it gave me was something I can’t describe.
Today is just a day where I felt like a kid again and not what I am now. I enjoy games like Gears of War and Mass Effect but I can never forget what games started it for me like Super Mario Bros. 3 which if I remember correctly could be my first game ever. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on the N64 is my favourite by far.
We all have these memories, the classic star music, chasing the mushroom or 1up only to have it fall into the hole. It just takes us back to simpler times to escape the hardship of our lives now. I will close with saying we can never forget what got us into gaming, you know what started it for me (Super Mario Bros 3, Pokemon Red or Legend Zelda Ocarina of Time). So I end my post with this; what was your first game and your favourite childhood game?
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Well it’s generally agreed on that retro games were simpler and therefore requires more imagination but delivers more “charm”. Small development teams create games out of interest.
Modern games on the other hand have more resources to deliver “better quality” games but are generally in it for the money.
The 16-bit era is the “golden generation” in my opinion because there were many competitors out there to choose from plus developers made a lot of amazing games during that time.
First game: Street Fighter II for SNES. Fav childhood: Super Mario Kart on SNES
Agreed with above statements/comments. I find that games today either try to appeal to a wide audience and usually lose something in doing so, or they try to appeal to a core audience and generate sales but no new audience. As soon as games became 3D (the N64/PS1 era) that’s when the industry really seemed to start obsessing over realism and graphics over gameplay and fun. As soon as they were 3D 2D games became largely overlooked (with the exception of Castlevania Symphony of the Night). That sentiment only continued to amp up until well into the HD era of consoles where we’re at the point now or getting close to one where graphics from one generation to the next won’t see the leaps and bounds visually that we used to expect from console generations past.
My first game played on a console in our home was Jackal http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyOo-O7Yljw&feature=related on the NES (then Duckhunt/Super Mario Bros. on the NES-with the gun, then Castlevania, Punch-Out- all of which I beat before I was 8). My favourite childhood game that somehow surpasses those ones is The Legend of Zelda OOT, before that game probably Wave Race 64.
Oh and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on NES! Never got to finish that game though… got through about 3-5 levels/stages on it though. =S
I can’t remember exactly which one but my first was probably PacMan (Arcade) or SMB (NES) For childhood, It’s split between Pokemon Blue/Red/Yellow and Star Wars: X-wing vs Tie Fighter/X-Wing Alliance.
As with the article and previous posts have already iterated, retro gaming was and is one of the best eras in gaming as the SNES era is widely considered the Golden Age. It does also help that many of us grew up with these retro systems and almost guarantees that we will have nostalgia for simpler times.
Gaming definitely has evolved over the past 30 years or so that it’s been around and has seen a shift towards more social gaming these days, which can be a good thing, but as I see it, can dilute the market for those who are looking for a deeper, richer experience. Let’s hope there isn’t the same crash that happened in the late 70s as I’d hate to see the market disappear!