Kids Today...

[Graham Mitchell]

Were you even born when this was the case? Xbox, okay granted you were maybe five at the time, but Sony has been around the fringes since well before there was a NES, and Microsoft about as long as the NES.

No disrespect, but you are a kid; I'm still borderline one really. We can't escape the age we're born into, but only try to make it better.

There's no blanket issue wrong with today's games; if anything, you're much better off that I was in the 90s because of the choices you have available, and I theoretically was better off than kids who only grew up with Atari, and whatever. Game development didn't stop with the classics; I also think that there was a directness and emphasis on some good design that isn't a part of many of today's highly visible movie games, but for the most part the old games aren't gone. There's still cartridges, there's MAME, and there's lots and lots of freeware games and cheap direct download titles that simply didn't exist before.

Props for focusing your attention on something a lot of people think is merely "history," but there's no need to slag off today's games, I don't think.

That's just my half a cent's worth.

-----

Also, folks would be well to remember that people (successful people) don't write prose like Edgar Allan Poe or poetry like Walt Whitman; blackface isn't welcome in the movies anymore, etc. Old games probably fare better than some other artistic mediums because of how simple and direct they are - they speak across the decades clearly (at least the great ones do), but the state of the art has had to change as well. It's just how things go. Even if there's nothing wrong or offensive about old games, it's just not with the state of the art, which is guided by fads and marketing.

QFT. I used to be a real snob about this stuff, but the real motivation behind it was that I was in med school, and I was too busy to invest in a PS2 game because they were too time intensive. But NES games were great (for the most part). Play for 15-30 minutes at a time and you've gotten a fairly complete experience out of it. But when I bought a 360, I was so impressed with it that it renewed my faith in modern gaming. (I thought the Wii was gonna be the be-all end-all, but it wasn't.)

Anyway, sorry to derail...just felt like sharing.

[Drewskiwannabrewski]

I don't remember middle school all that well, but i'm pretty sure I wasn't making fun of people for what video games they played. When it really comes down to it games are a frivolous thing, and probably one of the least constructive leisure activities, despite how much we all adore them.

So my question is, why even get worked up over it? In two or three years the same kids will probably make fun of you just for being upset over such a thing. Steven is right, the sooner you learn not to care about what people think the better off you'll be.

It's their loss anyway.

[ReTrO-pLaYeR]

Believe it or not, I'm 14 and I think Call of Duty is a bunch of bullshit. The sad part is is that I'm one of the small number of kids this generation who carries on the old things. I've been called a dumbass for saying I listen to casettes and for telling a seventh grader that he couldn't sell an NES with SMB/DH and Punch Out for $8000 just because someone sold one that had a SEALED COPY OF THE RAREST GAME FOR THE NES, and know what? I don't give a damn. They can continue their dumbass mistakes that screw their lives up in the long run, and I'll live a more sophisticated, fun one that'll leave me with a life to be proud of.


And I somehow spell better than most adults here. Weird.

Wow, it's really great to have someone in the same boat as I. And, selling Super Mario for 8 grand? Just the idea of that, it being one of the most common games out for the NES library just makes me gag. Seriously- just because Stadium Events netted a person 40 grand for a sealed copy doesn't mean your common NES games are worth that much.

[ReTrO-pLaYeR]

And what REALLY sucks is that it is incredibly difficult to find classic stuff from where I live. Even Atari VCS consoles are tough to come across, and when they do come around they cost a LOT of money.

[Arkhan]

And what REALLY sucks is that it is incredibly difficult to find classic stuff from where I live. Even Atari VCS consoles are tough to come across, and when they do come around they cost a LOT of money.

whre is your location? O_o

atari's are all over the damn place here!

[Poofta!]

This may not precisely pertain to classic video games- but it does involve them in a sense. I'd just like to blow off a little steam concerning my classmates up at my middle school...

They love to talk smack about the classic games (particularly NES and SNES) just to piss me off- they know I'm obsessed with 8-Bit Mario games in particular. They say those games are "stupid" (great vocabulary, kids!) because they don't have enough violent or gory scenes. What the hell!? Maybe there isn't blood dripping off my television screen, but hey- these games are FUN! The classics contain one element current-generation games will never have: gameplay. They revolve around one simple element, may it be navigating a frog across a busy highway or blasting aliens with a fragile tank. Have these kids even given the classics a CHANCE? I think they're being biased. Or maybe I'm just one of a kind at my school.

im not sure if youre trying to suck up to us so we think this 12 year old is cool, or if youre being trolled in real life and dont get.

either way... youre a kid every bit as much as everyone else in your elementary school.

yes retro games are fun; not everyone likes them. cool story.


also, everyone here who says games today suck, is an idiot. there are just as many great games today as there were being released at any point 10, 20, 30 years ago, if not more (depends which point you pick, really). nostalgia has a way of mucking things up. just because you enjoyed metroid doesnt mean you cant enjoy metroid fusion or prime 3. just because you think contra is the bee's knees doesnt mean that CoD:MW is crap. everyone here needs to grow up. for every shitty lightgun game on the nes there is a shitty railgun game for the wii. for every shitty 16bit sequal there will be a CoD: WaW.

games as a whole are getting better. technology has pushed realism in graphics, music and gameplay to new heights. this has made genres evolve and the landscape of gaming change. some mascots transferred well (mario), some... not so well (sonic). however the fact that today you have games being made which are 'old school' and are better than almost anything in their class from 10-30 years ago, is undeniable - whether it be depth of quality (castle crashers, shadow complex, dishwasher samurai, dragon age, SFIV etc etc). of course some games are timeless, we call them classics. the thing about classics is that each gen has them, including this one.

new franchises are able to create and expand on things from the past that programmers back then only dreamed of. calling games like Modern Warfare 'shit' is a sign of ignorance (at best). genres like racing were simply incapable of matching up to the quality which the programmers (and gamers) wanted until just a generation ago. RPGs today are everything that SSI attempted to do 30 years ago. Carmack himself is pleased with what FPS are today, and continues to push them forward and evolve. Hell, even side scrollers of the nes/snes era have lived on with spiritual and literal sequels (of varying quality, as everything in life) which deserve a spot in every gamer's library.

look at any wise/knowledgeable/experienced collectors or gamers here (or anywhere, really) and notice the span of their collection. it usually starts at when they began gaming (sometimes going backwards, depending on the person) and has the cream of the crop in terms of great games of every generation up until the current one (sure, everyone has a favorite era). pigeon-holing yourself to 2600, 8-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit, 64-bit, last gen or current gen is absolutely absurd. you are missing the point of interactive entertainment and prove nothing more than how narrow-minded and truly juvenile you are.

fanboys dont only apply to mascots or companies. dont be fanboy. try to view everything as objectively as possible. it is ultimately you who loses out on what the world has to offer. in the end of the day neither your classmates, nor us, give a shit to what you play on your tv, in your home.



if anyone is curious: ive been gaming since the NES. i enjoy my guardian legend as much as my IL2 Sturmovik.

[TRM]

im not sure if youre trying to suck up to us so we think this 12 year old is cool, or if youre being trolled in real life and dont get.

either way... youre a kid every bit as much as everyone else in your elementary school.

yes retro games are fun; not everyone likes them. cool story.


also, everyone here who says games today suck, is an idiot. there are just as many great games today as there were being released at any point 10, 20, 30 years ago, if not more (depends which point you pick, really). nostalgia has a way of mucking things up. just because you enjoyed metroid doesnt mean you cant enjoy metroid fusion or prime 3. just because you think contra is the bee's knees doesnt mean that CoD:MW is crap. everyone here needs to grow up. for every shitty lightgun game on the nes there is a shitty railgun game for the wii. for every shitty 16bit sequal there will be a CoD: WaW.

games as a whole are getting better. technology has pushed realism in graphics, music and gameplay to new heights. this has made genres evolve and the landscape of gaming change. some mascots transferred well (mario), some... not so well (sonic). however the fact that today you have games being made which are 'old school' and are better than almost anything in their class from 10-30 years ago, is undeniable - whether it be depth of quality (castle crashers, shadow complex, dishwasher samurai, dragon age, SFIV etc etc). of course some games are timeless, we call them classics. the thing about classics is that each gen has them, including this one.

new franchises are able to create and expand on things from the past that programmers back then only dreamed of. calling games like Modern Warfare 'shit' is a sign of ignorance (at best). genres like racing were simply incapable of matching up to the quality which the programmers (and gamers) wanted until just a generation ago. RPGs today are everything that SSI attempted to do 30 years ago. Carmack himself is pleased with what FPS are today, and continues to push them forward and evolve. Hell, even side scrollers of the nes/snes era have lived on with spiritual and literal sequels (of varying quality, as everything in life) which deserve a spot in every gamer's library.

look at any wise/knowledgeable/experienced collectors or gamers here (or anywhere, really) and notice the span of their collection. it usually starts at when they began gaming (sometimes going backwards, depending on the person) and has the cream of the crop in terms of great games of every generation up until the current one (sure, everyone has a favorite era). pigeon-holing yourself to 2600, 8-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit, 64-bit, last gen or current gen is absolutely absurd. you are missing the point of interactive entertainment and prove nothing more than how narrow-minded and truly juvenile you are.

fanboys dont only apply to mascots or companies. dont be fanboy. try to view everything as objectively as possible. it is ultimately you who loses out on what the world has to offer. in the end of the day neither your classmates, nor us, give a shit to what you play on your tv, in your home.



if anyone is curious: ive been gaming since the NES. i enjoy my guardian legend as much as my IL2 Sturmovik.

And you my friend are an idiot if you feel that people are idiots, based off of whether or not they do or do not enjoy current gen videogames.

I will admit, that there are some good current gen titles on the market. I grew up on NES, and find Mario Kart Wii, Mario Galaxy, Mega Man 9, etc enjoyable. However, The number of games that I have a desire to play has decreased dramatically since the NES days. I used to share a dorm with a dude who was into current gen X Box stuff, and I had no desire at all to play that crap. Not Halo, not Gears of War, no desire for the new Metroid stuff either.

I think that there are two definitions of good, which need to be looked at. Some of these games may be good in the same way that Ralph Waldo Emerson's writings are good, and worth studying. In reality, many people may abhore these (both the games and the writings), but by the same token, they have their significance and should be treated likewise. Then there are the games that are just simply fun, and these would fall into the other category of good. I am not going to argue that the graphics/realism are not getting better with these newer games. However, to equate this with improvement? I cannot honestly say that games are getting better, it all depends on a person's taste.

If my brother did not have a Wii, I honestly would not have bought one to play the new games, because I am just as happy with the retro stuff. Does that make me closed minded? Possibly, though I am not totally sure whether I agree with that or not. I personally find the newer games less fun, and to me, they are not an improvement over the older stuff. Sure I have found certain titles here and there that I enjoy, and find great, but overall, there is definitely a smaller selection of games that I would choose to purchase than with the classic consoles. Not really a case of being a close-minded idiot, or being a retro fanboy, or of being narrow-minded. Simply a case of personal taste, and everyone is allowed to have their own.

[Poofta!]

And you my friend are an idiot if you feel that people are idiots, based off of whether or not they do or do not enjoy current gen videogames.

I will admit, that there are some good current gen titles on the market. I grew up on NES, and find Mario Kart Wii, Mario Galaxy, Mega Man 9, etc enjoyable. However, The number of games that I have a desire to play has decreased dramatically since the NES days. I used to share a dorm with a dude who was into current gen X Box stuff, and I had no desire at all to play that crap. Not Halo, not Gears of War, no desire for the new Metroid stuff either.

I think that there are two definitions of good, which need to be looked at. Some of these games may be good in the same way that Ralph Waldo Emerson's writings are good, and worth studying. In reality, many people may abhore these (both the games and the writings), but by the same token, they have their significance and should be treated likewise. Then there are the games that are just simply fun, and these would fall into the other category of good. I am not going to argue that the graphics/realism are not getting better with these newer games. However, to equate this with improvement? I cannot honestly say that games are getting better, it all depends on a person's taste.

If my brother did not have a Wii, I honestly would not have bought one to play the new games, because I am just as happy with the retro stuff. Does that make me closed minded? Possibly, though I am not totally sure whether I agree with that or not. I personally find the newer games less fun, and to me, they are not an improvement over the older stuff. Sure I have found certain titles here and there that I enjoy, and find great, but overall, there is definitely a smaller selection of games that I would choose to purchase than with the classic consoles. Not really a case of being a close-minded idiot, or being a retro fanboy, or of being narrow-minded. Simply a case of personal taste, and everyone is allowed to have their own.

well put.

not to offend, but you remind me of a middle aged person who would rather die than to listen to any music that isnt of the era he grew up in (usually teens to late 20s). whether it be big band or classic rock.

youre right though, it is all preference, but at least you give it a try. personally i find super mario world funner than mario 3. and SotN funner than any castlevania from before [or after] it. while shadow complex gives metroid a run for its money. i think forza 3/GT5/PGR4 are superior and funner to any and every driving/racing game from previous generations.

i think GTAIV and SFIV are genuinely fun and re-playable. however i think FF6&7, chrono trigger, Secret of Mana etc are better than everything Square churns out today. although Breath of Fire peaked at 3.

im just trying to push for an era-agnostic approach to video gaming. where you compare games based on their merits and not their age or nostalgia factor (which i understand is close to impossible. nostalgia is a overpowering force).

TRM, maybe you simply have grown disenchanted with gaming? and hold on to the ones you liked because they are familiar to you.

[Icarus Moonsight]

Hey, I'm only basing things on my experience. What a typical 12yo kid wants to play now days is kinda scary, content and substance-wise. Some years ago, a kid about that age was looking at the PS2 case with his mother. She was buying him his birthday present. The kid looked bewildered/uncertain and mom was much worse than that. I pointed out Okami, it was a few weeks old at the time. He looked at the box and then at me, quizzically. I guess he thought it looked childish and stupid. I told him it played much like a 3D Zelda and had really neat and unique gameplay, an interesting story based on Japanese mythology, along with lots of color and a great visual presentation to match. With all that, it was pretty well set apart, for a PS2 title. I figure I said something that spooked him, as he quickly told his mom that he wanted Spy Hunter with "The Rock" wrestling guy on the cover... *sigh* Lost another one. Slippery buggers.

[Poofta!]

Hey, I'm only basing things on my experience. What a typical 12yo kid wants to play now days is kinda scary. Some years ago, a kid about that age was looking at the PS2 case with his mother. She was buying him his birthday present. The kid looked bewildered/uncertain and mom was much worse than that. I pointed out Okami, it was a few weeks old at the time. He looked at the box and then at me, quizzically. I guess he thought it looked childish and stupid. I told him it played much like a 3D Zelda and had really neat and unique gameplay, an interesting story based on Japanese mythology, along with lots of color and a great visual presentation to match. With all that, it was pretty well set apart, for a PS2 title. I figure I said something that spooked him, as he quickly told his mom that he wanted Spy Hunter with "The Rock" wrestling guy on the cover... *sigh* Lost another one. Slippery buggers.

okami is far from being for everyone. its like the arthouse film, sure it may have critical applause, but wont win much awards. personally i didnt like it either.

and spy hunter didnt have 'the rock' on the cover. ever. in fact it wasnt until years after the new games came out that *talks* of him emerged about putting him in the movie.

[Icarus Moonsight]

DQ'ed

[Poofta!]

DQ'ed

wow. you got me. i had NO IDEA they made a game based on the movie which is based on the game which is a revival of an old game.


i mean. wow.

i am so sorry. i suppose my punishment is knowing it exists? i was so much happier before =[

[Icarus Moonsight]

I didn't want to do it. But you forced my hand!

[Sonicwolf]

Anyone ever wonder why so many young people find offense with things that are not modern? I have always wondered this.

[buzz_n64]

Anyone ever wonder why so many young people find offense with things that are not modern? I have always wondered this.

Maybe it's how most of us view 90's cell phones, VHS, and the telegraph. Out dated and serving no purpose to them, which is wrong. I think I've actually reached the point of not even caring or wanting the next gen systems to come out, because I'm not even liking most new titles coming out now.

[Sonicwolf]

Maybe it's how most of us view 90's cell phones, VHS, and the telegraph. Out dated and serving no purpose to them, which is wrong. I think I've actually reached the point of not even caring or wanting the next gen systems to come out, because I'm not even liking most new titles coming out now.

I see. I dont know why, but I have always felt differently about the stuff of yesteryear in comparison to most of my peers. For example, I have always preferred to use my parents 1988 stereo over my sisters brand new Sharp from 2002. I just like old things more than new. There is something to admire in the style and longevity of some things.

[buzz_n64]

I see. I dont know why, but I have always felt differently about the stuff of yesteryear in comparison to most of my peers. For example, I have always preferred to use my parents 1988 stereo over my sisters brand new Sharp from 2002. I just like old things more than new. There is something to admire in the style and longevity of some things.

You know, I take it back. Today my buddy and I went to Walmart, I got out of my car wearing my Sonic the Hedgehog t-shirt, and a little kid at the car next to me said he likes my Sonic shirt, and I said thanks. Maybe there's some hope after all.

[Hari Seldon]

Anyone ever wonder why so many young people find offense with things that are not modern? I have always wondered this.

Cause old stuff is related to old fucks like us. It's the circle of life.

[Hari Seldon]

Anyone ever wonder why so many young people find offense with things that are not modern? I have always wondered this.

Cause old stuff is related to old fucks like us. It's the circle of life.

[Sonicwolf]

Cause old stuff is related to old fucks like us. It's the circle of life.

I dont find old stuff and the relation to older people to be a problem. Just because something is old doesnt mean its useless