Poll: Classic Gaming

[OreWaUsopp]

The ever marching progress of technology is a good thing, I'll admit, but, it keeps rendering generations after generation of epic games unplayable. Well, not without jumping through hoops. Thank the Powers What Be for things like DOSBox and Residual and ScummVM that allow for the playing of these lost treasures, but.... they can still be a bit much on the average clueless user, especially with games that had multiple CDs. Lord knows I still can't get Dark Seed to run. Game plays, but cutscenes all blacked out. Not here to talk about my technical issues, I want to Yatter on about a few old games I miss, and encourage others to do the same. I really loved adventure games, so, that's what I'm likely to remember most, but, mention any you recall from your formative years.

First up, this one was kind of obscure, but, in horror game circles, pretty well known. SANITARIUM. Waking up in a horrid asylum with (ooh, original) no memory, you slip from reality to delusion as the game progresses, exploring damaged memory in very dark and trippy sequences. From a village where only the children remain, to the tunnels of an alien hive world, this game really knew how to provide atmosphere, without resorting to BOO! scares. It was dark, unsettling, and stayed with you even after you'd shut it down. Good music, great voice actors, all around good psychological horror game.

 

[OreWaUsopp]

one of the poll questions is cut off, and not letting me fix it.
#2 supposed to read : Yeeaaah, no, There's too much new stuff I want to play to go digging up antiques

 

[OreWaUsopp]

Poll question typo fixed.

 

[viranimus]

Well... given the new forum rules and how these programs to an extent denote piracy (its not implied, more like hinted at, but these kinds of programs are hotbeds for piracy) Wouldnt think this would be too safe.

Only thing I will add is that given Ive been gaming for 30 years or so, I dont really have to go back and see gaming history, cause ive always been immersed in it.

 

[OreWaUsopp]

Good point..... Crap.

 

[joebthegreat]

I'm not finding my option:

(I currently have every console from the NES to PS3 as a disclaimer, though I know it honestly doesn't mean anything)

No. No because of all the games that are old enough to be "classics" I find only about 3 of them that are still genuinely enjoyable and there are modern versions that do everything in them better.

Also because I'd like to know what constitutes "classic"

If Dreamcast era counts then I'd like to see them make a modern Power Stone. Not a "remake" but just another one.

 

[zfactor]

Where is the "I already have all the games that are considered 'classic' on the original consoles."? Because I do.

 

[Netrigan]

Also because I'd like to know what constitutes "classic"

Same here. I'm still annoyed by the Original Gamer shirts I saw with a NES controller on them. I came up on the Atari 2600 and I would be annoyed if there was a joystick on them, much less something that came ten years later.

As for the the OP... I think a lot of people get a fair amount of classic gaming growing up. Golden Age Arcade Packs are pretty common and while maybe a kid growing up today hasn't played all the games I think are essential, he's probably played a handful of them.

But just as someone doesn't have to experience the entire history of music, movies, TV, books, or comics to enjoy them today, they can easily jump in with a current era title and discover the joys of the video game medium. Some people will explore their roots fully, some will dabble with the past, others will exist solely in the now. There's really no right way to spend your free time.

And for those who love older games and wish to pass on the joys those older games offer, I implore you not to recommend games that have aged badly to someone with only a passing interest. The past is often grading on a curve. A revolutionary game might have really shitty controls (I'm looking at you GTA III) and while they're still worth experiencing, that's not an entry level game for someone who's just looking for older stuff that reminds him of GTA IV and Saints Row.

And if my experience with exploring the history of comics is any indication, you rarely find stuff that you love as much as the contemporary stuff. Yeah, I can put something like Dan Dare or The Spirit into historical context and realize what an amazing work this was for the time it was released; but I will forever be denied the thrill of discovering this on the stands when it was bright, shiny, and new... and there are simply too many contemporary works that have been directly or indirectly influenced by it to really blow my mind. Citizen Kane is the greatest movie ever made, but it's been ripped off so many times that it will never be the mind-blowing experience it was to audiences that discovered it fresh.