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Posted on May 16th 2012 at 02:05:21 AM by (Slowman)
Posted under nostalgia

My experience with what we now call retro gaming began in 1989 when I received an NES Action Set for Christmas '89.  Included with the NES were two controllers, a Zapper, and a copy of Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt.  Needless to say, I played Super Mario Bros. that entire day.  Shortly thereafter I received SMB2 and appreciated it's odd gameplay and new enemies.  Contra came shortly after that and I had many good memories of playing co-op with friends through what was at that time the most difficult game I'd ever played.  Over the years I also had Super Mario Bros. 3, Bucky O'Hare, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Mega Man 4 and 6, The Adventures of Lolo, Super C, and Tiger Heli.  I owned the NES with these games until around 1996 or so. 

I never had a Super Nintendo or a Genesis for whatever reason.  I remember asking Santa for one but it never showed and I kept playing my NES.  I got a Playstation 1 in 1997 but I don't really remember many games that caught my interest until Gran Turismo dropped.  THIS was *the game* for me until a year later when Gran Turismo 2 came out, which replaced it.  These games along with a few others such as Metal Gear Solid and Einhander kept my interest until the PS2 came out. 

With the PS2, naturally, came Gran Turismo 3 and 4.  So many PS2 games have gone through my hands that I couldn't begin to list them all.  There are a ridiculous amount of A1 quality titles available for PS2 and I'd still go so far as to say that the PS2 is the best value for money in gaming right now. 

I bought a PS3 in 2009 and an Xbox 360 in 2010.  I started coming to the realization that gaming is moving towards becoming something where they just push games out as quick as they possibly can (many in an unfinished state), collect your money at point of sale, attempt to collect more with DLC, then sell you the same game with a new skin next year.  Gamestop (evil destroyer of FuncoLand) is basically out to rip you off.  Then we now have digital distribution.  A way that they can charge full price without actually giving you something that you can hold in your hand, look at the artwork, lend to a friend, trade in for value, etc.  Now your digital copy's validity is checked with a license online; essentially you're asking permission to use something you paid for.  And with the latest announcements of the good possibility that new consoles may actually block the playing of used games, I'm done.  They're now operating under the assumption that I NEED to have their latest games and I most certainly do not. 

I've sold most of my newer game stuff and I am now down to 3 Xbox 360 games and 4 PS3 games.  My gaming time is now almost entirely spent on Super Nintendo games, which as I've discovered, are just as fun to play as anything made now.


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Comments
 
Wow you had a pretty badass collection of games for your NES when you were a kid. We had a lot of crap, but every single game you mentioned is awesome.

I'm also not digging the direction that modern gaming is moving, but I'm not as jaded about it. The game companies have been nickle and diming us for years, characters have been pimped out into ridiculous spin-offs since there have been characters to pimp out, and companies have been rehashing their popular games for decades now. I've dealt with it with a smile on my face for a long time now and will continue to do so as long as there is a solid physical retail presence.

I dont like (or support) DLC or the dissapearance of manuals, but I'll still purchase the games that interest me.

Look on the bright side: with fewer and fewer games that I want to spend my time and money on coming out currently that frees up all that time and money to explore the rest of the vast world of gaming. There are systems that I havnt even had a chance to play yet let alone games.
 
I can share the fond nostalgia for classic gaming, and obviously the NES holds a very special place in my heart. As Crabby mentioned you really did have a great selection of titles for the time.

While I agree with you in that I will be finished buying games if/when they go all digital. While I have no issue with DLC (I like my really great games to continue), I don't care much for non-retail titles. The thing that people have to realize is that you aren't really buying a digital game, you're simply licensing it per the terms of their agreement. I do have digital games, and enjoy them, but I wouldn't bother to purchase a digital only system.

I don't have any dislike of modern gaming. There have been really fantastic titles this generation, just as in the past. There is plenty of rehash, but that has been the nature of the industry all along. Game companies do what makes them the most money, and it is clear that sequels sell well. That is ok since many people are gamers first/only. Collectors definitely fit into a different niche.
 
I like to touch and see my games, my books, my movies, and my vinyl; there's just something aesthetically pleasing about it to me.  So sad that anything tactile is slowly becoming a thing of the past.  Well, I guess homes in the future (unless owned by a collector) will be tidier.

To each their own, I don't hate DLC, but I don't throw any money at it.
 
@Crabmaster2000:

I dont like (or support)... the dissapearance of manuals

Some part of me thinks that they're phasing out manuals to get you to buy the strategy guides. That way they can make that much more bank offa ya.

Then again, I'm probably just bein' paranoid...


@singlebanana:

I like to touch and see my games, my books, my movies, and my vinyl; there's just something aesthetically pleasing about it to me. 

That explains the blindness and hairy palms... Wink

So sad that anything tactile is slowly becoming a thing of the past.

Seriously, though, I understand and share Mr. Slowman's and your attitude when it comes to the tangibility factor of retro video games, consoles, and accessories. And when arranged and stacked just right, the ol' collection's a sight to behold.
 
Yes, looking back I did have some great games.  I had a pool of 4 friends and we all shared and traded between us. 

Maybe I was a bit too cynical about newer games in my post.  Now I'll puff 'em up a bit.  Quite simply, nearly every title that releases looks absolutely fantastic.  Even if they don't run native 1080p they still look great.  Heck, even the Wii looks great at 480i.  Newer games deliver a level of polish and depth of storytelling that was unimaginable even 10 years ago.

What I don't like about DLC is that it can get very expensive very quickly.  I've got an embarrassing amount of time logged in Fallout 3 and the DLC can extend your playtime about 25 hours if you got all 5 packs.  However, they cost $10 each.  Add that to the cost of buying-in new and it comes to $110.  This seems a bit excessive to me, that's all.  I'm glad I picked up the Game of the Year edition w/ all DLC for $15 used.  The way they're talking about the next generation of consoles, this wouldn't be possible for me to do.  As much as I like Fallout 3, I'm not paying $110 for it.

And yes, rehash has been part of gaming since it began.  How many Pong-clone machines were on the market in 1977/1978? o_O

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