One of the biggest reasons why I enjoy retro gaming is because the games themselves were actually fun and didn't rely on being too realistic or too involved to play and get into. Today's games forgot what fun was all about and aside from a few gems I'd say that it's become such a diluted medium that the industry has changed for the worse because of it. Remember back in the day when you'd play a video game for months and months on end, you know, back when Super Mario 3 was huge and you could play that game through 20 times and still not be completely bored with it? That's what I'm talking about here. These days most gamers buy one game and play through it once and then never play it again, or they get multiple games at once and only touch upon certain games here and there and don't bother finishing or playing certain games only to move onto something new, I call it the "one and done" syndrome. Back in the day we seemed to bond with our games more, we seemed to appreciate our games more. Back in the NES/SNES/Genesis days we didn't rush out to sell our games as soon as we were done with them, we didn't ignore our games in favor of whatever the flavor of the month was, and because of that we learned these games through and through and forged memories with them that will last a lifetime, hence why we are here talking retro games on a classic gaming website.

These games today aren't giving us this experience (for the most part). 20 years after you played Legend of Zelda you still remember every tip and trick, in 20 years will you remember every tip and trick of the latest Xbox 360 or PS2 games? Probably not. It's because the industry releases 10
"must have" games all at once and do this every few months which causes gamers to finish a game and to move along to the next and basically forget what has come previously. Instead of following this trend I have a simple method that helps me bond with my games and create memories that will last just like with my classic systems and games. It's as follows...

I try not to buy my own games. I know that sounds silly, but when I was a kid I didn't buy them and I had to wait to finally get one for my birthday or for Christmas or something, there was a level of anticipation that built up and drove us wild as kids waiting for receive a new game. When I get that new game I try not to surround myself with other new games so that I can focus on the game I have, sometimes I'll juggle two at a time but it's very rare. Then what I do is I focus on playing through a beating that game multiple times, making sure I grab whatever achievements I need along the way so that I can explore the game for all it's worth. Some games like Lego Batman and Modern Warfare 1 & 2 I've beaten like 5x each, there are some pure gems out there that measure up in the fun department and those games should be explored and played. If a game has a multiplayer option whether it be local or online I try to get friends involved much like it did with 2-player games like Contro, Double Dragon, TMNT II, and others back in the day, beating games together helps to create fun memories with the game and with that person. And last but not least, I only get maybe 2-4 games over the course of the calendar year, which helps me to play those games to death and to enjoy the experience I'm having with them. I don't get those people who buy every new big blockbuster release, they can't possibly put the time and effort into all of those games and most of which will be forgotten, but by doing this I ensure that certain games will reach my "legacy list" much like many of my retro games have and I spread out the fun I have in the process.

I don't expect everyone to handle gaming like that, it's just how I do it and it helps me to maintain the classic gaming feel I had when I was a kid. It's funny, all of my friends think I'm crazy for not running out and buying MW3 at launch, but instead I'm waiting to get it for Christmas which will make the game all the more sweeter when I play it because I'm anticipating it so much and it'll make Christmas special because I'm actually getting something I want instead of clothes and movies, stuff like that.

Well......what's your take on modern gaming and how do you keep the "fun" in gaming?