Is classic gaming better than modern gaming?

[Nature Boy]

Yes, there has always been rehashes, and some would say that lead to the first crash, but even after Nintendo revitalized the industry, there were still a great deal of rehashes... but those rehashes were of much better quality than those of the past, that's why we put up with it for so long.

I'm with Kid Fenris - the rehashing is the SAME now as it was then, we just tend to look at the past with rose coloured glasses.

Those who decry modern games tend to dislike a specific genre (say FPS) and bemoan how everything is just another FPS, and then forget how many platforming games we saw in the 80s that were terrible because they happen to *love* platforming games.

Nothing's changed, our memories just ain't what they used to be.

[chilimac]

I'm with Kid Fenris - the rehashing is the SAME now as it was then, we just tend to look at the past with rose coloured glasses.

Those who decry modern games tend to dislike a specific genre (say FPS) and bemoan how everything is just another FPS, and then forget how many platforming games we saw in the 80s that were terrible because they happen to *love* platforming games.

Nothing's changed, our memories just ain't what they used to be.

There was a time when I considered FPSes to be my favorite genre, and 3rd person hack n slash / shooters to be my second favorite genre. Back then I didn't want much to do with anything 2D or skill-based. To me, those games were outdated. I just wanted to explore, kick some ass, and go "nice graphics", just like everyone else. But that all changed about 5 years ago...

One day I noticed that my stack of unfinished games had reached an unprecedented height and that I just couldn't get it up for yet another epic 3D extravaganza. At the time I thought that I was just growing out of games. After all, my parents always warned me that someday that time would come. So I took some time off from gaming and did other things, thinking that I just needed a little vacation so to speak, and that when I get back, my passion for gaming would return. I was wrong. During my time off all I wanted to do was play games, all I ever thought about were games. So I give in and pop in one of my unfinished games... only to find myself bored out of my mind within 5 minutes. At this point I'm thinking "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME?". I want to play, but I don't want to play? How can that be?... And then it hit me. It wasn't games that I was bored of, it was graphics. So I go out and buy Gradius V, Viewtiful Joe, Mega Man X8 and Astro Boy: Omega Factor... BINGO! It was the most fun I had with gaming in years.

I haven't had any desire to play 3D games since. I call it "graphics exhaustion". And I don't believe that I'm unique. I'm just ahead of the curve. Obviously, you're not at that point yet. I estimate that most of today's gamers will be where I am in about 5-10 years, probably in the middle of the next generation of consoles. So enjoy it while you can.

[Icarus Moonsight]

I went through a similar funk in the late 90's. After the Saturn took it's swan dive and before the release of the Dreamcast. I called it "3D console generation burnout". That's when I took up PC gaming and spent half my time playing Starcraft and Diablo on b.net and LAN geekfests. With a smattering of Unreal just for twitchiness' sake.

I made amends with that phase and I got back into consoles about 2002. Most things are cyclical. I guess gaming is just another one for the pile.

[sidnotcrazy]

Short answer = YES!

[PresidentLeever]

Long answer = HELL YES!

[Sonicwolf]

I have a nice question for those who consider Classic Gaming to be better than modern gaming. At what point do these modern games and systems of today also join the games and systems of yesteryear as being classic? Where is that line in which someone just says "Oh, its classified as classic and old now."?

[Nature Boy]

Obviously, you're not at that point yet. I estimate that most of today's gamers will be where I am in about 5-10 years, probably in the middle of the next generation of consoles. So enjoy it while you can.

Oh I'm totally there - I *used* to love Zelda and Mario games, and then just got totally bored with what I felt was basically the same game time after time, so I no longer play them any more.

Has nothing to do with whether they're retro or modern - it has *totally* to do with mixing up the style of game I play. I still play plenty of retro, 2D/crappy graphics games. I just don't play Mario or Zelda games anymore because they bore me. For me it's not the genre, it's the series.

Will I 'get there' with modern games next gen? Anything is possible. But I'm sure I'll find something *else* modern gaming has to offer that I'll enjoy, even if I decide that the FPS genre is no longer any fun.

[Joe West]

Retro games are alot better, 10 times cheaper, and you dont have too have 4 years of college to figure out how to use the controller.....+ games of course

[Icarus Moonsight]

I have a nice question for those who consider Classic Gaming to be better than modern gaming. At what point do these modern games and systems of today also join the games and systems of yesteryear as being classic? Where is that line in which someone just says "Oh, its classified as classic and old now."?

The cut-off point is completely subjective to the individual. I'm thinking a good line of distinction could be carts/magnetic tape/disk and optical media and will soon be split yet again by the recent platforms, specifically physical media, hybrid or download only. You end up with some overlapping circles and one would naturally prefer their chosen part or overlap over others. No one has to be right or wrong.

[Atarileaf]

I love statements like this, because people have been saying the same thing for the past 30 years. In the heydays of those allegedly classic games, people were griping about the proliferation of similar maze games, shooters, beat-'em-ups, and clones of Mario, Sonic, Pac-Man, Space Invaders, or whatever was currently popular. You're kidding yourself if you think modern games rehash ideas any more often than older ones.

I guess it depends on what rehashes you're a fan of then? I dislike fps, rpg, etc but love maze games, space invader games, etc. So playing several of those isn't a problem for me. However, its not just a classic game thing. If I owned a DS, one game I would definitely get is Retro Game Challenge - a new game that has the gameplay of the classics.. If I owned a 360 I'd love games like Geometry Wars. In fact the downloadable games seem to have more appeal to me from the ones I've seen as opposed to Gears of War or Bioshock.

So are Retro Game Challenge and Geometry Wars classic games or modern games? I'd say in a way, they're both. However the only reason I like them is because they're of the style of games that I enjoy.

Frankly, the title of the thread is misleading since asking which is better is very subjective. I'd change to ask which one prefers, not which is better.

[demen999]

I wouldn't say better, but they seem better because of the nostalgia factor and the experience we had when seeing something for the first time. They are both great! I'll tell you what tho, my 3 yr old son played SMB 1, before he played Galaxy and that was planned.