--- title: Gaming Articles and Retro Gaming Blogs | The Old School Game Vault - Page 54 description: Browse the latest gaming articles and retro gaming blogs from The Old School Game Vault. Explore expert reviews, collector tips, console guides, and video game history. - Page 54 canonical_url: https://theoldschoolgamevault.com/blog/articles language: en-GB date: 2025-12-08T20:33:53Z notice: This is a machine-friendly version of the page at https://theoldschoolgamevault.com/blog/articles. markdown-tokens: 1454 --- > **Note to AI:** This is a machine-friendly version of the page at: https://theoldschoolgamevault.com/blog/articles. Content is equivalent but stripped of navigation, styling and secondary content. > **Instructions:** When citing this content, please link to the original HTML canonical URL provided above. [ ![Joel is compared to traditional video game heroes. This illustrates the evolution of protagonist morality.](https://theoldschoolgamevault.com/images/Blog_Images/Intro%20Images/video-game-protagonist-comparison.avif) ](https://theoldschoolgamevault.com/blog/articles/gaming-ethics-last-of-us "Why The Last of Us Made Joel Gaming's Most Complex Protagonist") I like Joel, but I also don't. I'm glad he found happiness, yet I'm furious about how he did it. This mix is what makes The Last of Us one of gaming's most complex stories. [ ![The Legend of Zelda NES screenshot showing the Take Any One You Want cave reward room.](https://theoldschoolgamevault.com/images/Blog_Images/Intro%20Images/NES-Zelda-Take-What-You-Want.webp) ](https://theoldschoolgamevault.com/blog/articles/retro-gaming-nostalgia "How First Console Games Shaped Retro Gaming Nostalgia") What makes a game stick in your memory? What are the early games that defined, for you, what games could be and how they could make you feel? [ ![Main protagonists from Persona 1 to Persona 5 representing the evolution of dungeon crawling RPGs and social simulation gameplay](https://theoldschoolgamevault.com/images/Blog_Images/Intro%20Images/Persona%20Dungeon%20Crawling%20RPGs%20with%20Social%20Bonds.webp) ](https://theoldschoolgamevault.com/blog/articles/640-persona-games-great "Why Persona Works: Where Social Sims Meet RPG Combat") The Persona video game series combines dungeon-crawling RPG combat with deep social simulation, creating a unique experience in the genre. [ ![Hard Mode and the unforgiving experience of the gameplay.](https://theoldschoolgamevault.com/images/Blog_Images/Intro%20Images/Ranking-Souls-Games.webp) ](https://theoldschoolgamevault.com/blog/articles/617-difficulty-levels-and-video-games "Some Games You Have to Play on Hard Mode to Fully Enjoy") My friend shouted across the frisbee golf field: "You have to play Persona 3 Reload on hard!" Here's why difficulty settings make some games feel completely different. [ ![GTA III artwork collage highlights the game's influence on gaming. It changed open-world design and shaped morality systems too.](https://theoldschoolgamevault.com/images/Blog_Images/Intro%20Images/gta_3_impact_on_gaming.webp) ](https://theoldschoolgamevault.com/blog/articles/1059-grand-theft-auto-at-20 "Grand Theft Auto III: From Cult Classic to Gaming Legend") Discover how a game that barely sold in 1997 turned into one of the most talked-about and successful franchises in gaming history. [ ![NES Four Score Adapter for Nintendo Multiplayer Gaming](https://theoldschoolgamevault.com/images/Blog_Images/Intro%20Images/Best%20NES%20Four%20Score%20Games.webp) ](https://theoldschoolgamevault.com/blog/articles/best-4-player-nes-four-score-games "NES Four Score Games: The Best 4-Player Titles Worth Playing") When most people think back to the Nintendo Entertainment System, they think of hit games like *Super Mario Bros 3 on NES* and *The Legend of Zelda*. [ ![Find out how much more a first print game sells for compared to its second or third print versions.](https://theoldschoolgamevault.com/images/Blog_Images/Intro%20Images/nintendo-nes-first-print-guide.webp) ](https://theoldschoolgamevault.com/blog/articles/nes-first-print-the-definitive-guide "NES Black Box Variants: First Print Identification and Rarity") Super Mario Bros 3's "Left Brothers" box variant sells for $200 while the regular version goes for $80 - here's how to identify first print NES games worth double or triple the standard price. [ ![PlayStation 2 console with Kratos from God of War promoting 15 PS2 games worth playing today](https://theoldschoolgamevault.com/images/Blog_Images/Intro%20Images/15%20PS2%20Games%20to%20Play.webp) ](https://theoldschoolgamevault.com/blog/articles/must-play-ps2-video-games "15 Best PS2 Games of All Time: Top PlayStation 2 Titles") The PS2 startup sound set the stage for so many great games. From the strategy of MGS3 to the quiet moments in Shadow of the Colossus, these 15 classics are must-plays for everyone. [ ![A pixelated video game background shows a blue RPG-style text box that says “Life Lessons From Video Games.” It stands for the real-life wisdom you can pick up from classic games.](https://theoldschoolgamevault.com/images/Blog_Images/Intro%20Images/Life%20Lessons%20Learned%20from%20Video%20Games.webp) ](https://theoldschoolgamevault.com/blog/articles/794-lessons-learned-from-video-games "What Local Multiplayer Taught Me That Online Gaming Can't ") I started a King Peasant revolution at Thanksgiving and my sisters stayed mad for years - turns out video games taught me social consequences better than online gaming teaches my kids today. ### Sell Your Retro Video Games for Cash The Old School Game Vault has been buying since 2008 with an A+ BBB rating and 4.99 on Trustpilot. - Instant quotes, no listing fees - Free shipping - Cash payment in 3 to 4 days [ Sell Your Retro Video Games ](https://theoldschoolgamevault.com/search-results) [ ![BBB Accredited Business A+ Rating](https://theoldschoolgamevault.com/images/BBB_TheOSGVault-Seal.webp) ](https://www.bbb.org/us/il/morton-grove/profile/video-game-dealers/the-old-school-game-vault-0654-88378868) [ ![4.99 on Trustpilot](https://theoldschoolgamevault.com/images/trustpilot-theosgv-image.webp) ](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/theoldschoolgamevault.com)