Despite the ongoing evolution of gaming hardware, I've been thinking about how old games have proven to offer a variety of extra lives.
Which Old Games Are Worth Revisiting?
The Table of Contents
We replay them on enduring or refurbished original platforms (something I've watched for 17+ years running The Old School Game Vault); we constantly buy video games and sell them all the time, we download
them digitally through current-gen marketplaces, and we discover and enjoy them as in-game Easter eggs (playing Maniac Mansion in its sequel, Day of the Tentacle, for instance, Zork and Dead Ops Arcade in Call of Duty: Black Ops, or several Atari games in other titles).
In a broader sense, old games live on through sequels and reboots (Tomb Raider, Resident Evil, Final Fantasy VII Remake), in the futuristic yet 80s-game-obsessed novel Ready Player One, and as the subject of more and more movies (from The Wizard and Super Mario Brothers to Wreck-it Ralph, Prince of Persia, and even Angry Birds).
Not All Games Age Equally
Not all games age equally well. As a technology-intensive medium, games show their age more quickly than books or even FX-intensive films. Sometimes, game mechanics and graphics styles that result from the technological limitations of their time deserve to be left behind.
A few years back, I tried to return to the early D&D-based PC games of my youth, such as Champions of Krynn (1990), but I didn't last long. The split-screen interface, with a tiny, dull graphics window in the top left, stats on the right, and text at the bottom, was not something I wanted to devote many hours to in the 21st century.
When Old Games Still Work
On the positive side, I've recently returned to text-based games (or interactive fiction), an even older genre with no graphics, and found the interface, while frustrating in some ways, less off-putting than the earliest D&D games and graphic adventures. Similarly, I don't see myself playing retro games such as the original Wolfenstein or Doom anytime soon, but I have still enjoyed returning to the retro Super Mario games from time to time (and my wife's a big fan of Pokémon Snap, a game that I also still enjoy).
Genre Evolution Makes the Difference
I think the difference between these good and bad experiences of returning to retro video games has to do with how much the conventions of these game genres have improved over time. It's hard to play
Wolfenstein after you've played Modern Warfare because the latter has basically everything the former has, but gives you so much more capability for interaction and control.
It's hard to go back to the Krynn D&D CRPGs after playing Skyrim or Persona 3 or Neverwinter Nights 2 (or even Final Fantasy VII) for the same reason. The capabilities of those earlier games were heavily constrained by the technology of their day, in ways we have long since become accustomed to accepting.
But with an old text-based game like A Mind Forever Voyaging or a newer, non-commercial one like Anchorhead, or the original Super Mario Brothers, these games really fulfill the potential of the kind of games they are – they do "text-based game" or "side-scrolling platformer" really well. New technology can make other kinds of gameplay mechanics possible and more popular (text-based games are never going to become bestsellers again), but they don't beat these old games at their own game. If you want a side-scrolling platformer, the original Super Mario is still fun.
Nostalgia: The Big Wild Card
Nostalgia is the big wild card in this equation. I returned to Krynn in the first place because of fond memories of playing it as a kid, but found it (IMO) unplayable today because video game RPG tech and conventions have moved on to much better places. I return to Final Fantasy VII for the same reason, and despite the aging tech and conventions, the quality of the mechanics, tech, and story – combined with the nostalgia factor – make it an enjoyable replay for me. If I hadn't played it in '97, though, I'm not certain that I'd stick with it today.
When the Best Version Is a Matter of Preference
On the other hand, in a game series with a winning formula, the best iteration can be a matter of preference, as with the Smash Bros., Mario Kart, Zelda, Call of Duty, or Metal Gear series. Updated graphics, controller schemes, and capabilities don't always improve on a classic, and a great game is worth playing even when its graphics are outdated, as long as the gameplay remains fun.
The Wrap up
What old games do you find yourself returning to time after time? When does nostalgia play a factor, and when do you think the gameplay experience still stands on its own, even when up against newer competitors? Which old games were great experiences at the time but are hard to replay today? Are there other factors that explain this besides the ones I've identified here? Are there some games that you won't replay, but a remake with HD graphics might be the answer?
From a buyer's perspective, Nostalgic video games often keep their value better than others. People tend to replay these games more, while less popular titles gather dust on shelves.. Super Mario RPG, complete in box, is highly sought after. Many people want to play it and collect it in its original packaging.
Some impressive games from that era are worth less now. They just haven't aged as well. A great example is the PS1 library. Its graphical limits really show their age. Thus, many of these once-popular games are now sitting on our shelves longer. Nostalgia drives the retro game market, but playability keeps it alive.
If you have old games collecting dust—whether they've aged well or not—we buy them for cash at The Old School Game Vault.
