Old School Gaming or New School Gaming?

[spacegoogie]

How's it going guys?
I was just playing my 360 (have not played it in sometime) and thinking how I enjoyed playing older games allot more (Atari 2600, NES, SNES, Genesis Etc.)
Todays games look amazing but I don't have as much fun as I did playing the old school games. I play my MAME cabinet far more than I do my 360.
To me it seems like todays games are all about who has the best looking graphics! I have played my share of 7th gen games and like I said they do look amazing but at the same time some of those amazing looking games SUCK! Not all. There just not as fun. I would much rather play Dig-Dug, Asteroids, or DK. When I'm 50 I don't see myself
having any good time memories of 360, PS3, or Wii. I think the last time I thought Oh, wow!! This game is amazing! Was on PS1 and the game was Resident Evil.
So, I just wanted to see if anyone felt the same way about todays games Vs the old school games. Even thou Resident Evil was a WOW game for me I am definitely
"Old School".
Here is a pic of my Atari Jacket I got back in like 1984. Lol God I wish I could wear it!

[Epyx]

Im assuming you mean "prefer" rather than "purifier"?

How about an option "Depending on mood"? I like oldschool and newer gaming depending on my mood. Right now I am playing Red Dead Redemption but an hour ago I was finishing up my game of Black Tiger

[spacegoogie]

Im assuming you mean "prefer" rather than "purifier"?

How about an option "Depending on mood"? I like oldschool and newer gaming depending on my mood. Right now I am playing Red Dead Redemption but an hour ago I was finishing up my game of Black Tiger

lol I did mean "prefer". Thanks for that.

[92greenyj]

I must agree to an extent that most of the newer games just aren't as fun. However there are some exceptions to the rule. For instance, I have been playing New Super Mario Brothers Wii a lot lately. to me, that game does a fantastic job of re-capturing the glory days of gaming. Its true to form and brings back all the frustrations of the original.

[patrickl]

For arcade games I prefer the oldies (Galaga, Outrun, Sar Wars), other than that I prefer the newest games (like GTA IV and Uncharted 2 on the PS3)

[RayB]

I was just playing my 360 (have not played it in sometime) and thinking how I enjoyed playing older games allot more (Atari 2600, NES, SNES, Genesis Etc.)

Maybe you were more bored or easily amused back then?  I was the same way, even trying to beat crappy games like SNES Wayne's World, just because I rented it and wanted to get my dollar's worth.  Now I realize my time is a little more valuable than to sit there and grind through a game just for the sake of it.

There's also some irony in what you said about playing on the 360 and thinking what you did... just 2 days ago I was playing my Robotron on my 360, followed by Geometry Wars 2 (same gameplay, but "better everything"). So, ... what does that make me? Current gen or Retro gen player? 

[Vulgar Soul]

I love my classics, and yes I find myself playing more MAME and retro stuff. I turn on my 360 and pretty much just play the simple XBLA titles. I've beaten hardly any of these newer games in years.

I think games now try so hard to be like movies and spectacles that they forget the basic core elements of what makes a video game good. If there isn't a core challenge that gets harder and harder as the game progresses, some kind of points to rack up and constantly challenge me to reach higher, or at least some competitive gameplay, it just doesn't interest me.

Now, you have too many games that have amazing cinematic-like graphics, stories, and sound, but no sense of a core, compelling gameplay. Just going from point A to point B, doing the same thing over and over with no increasing challenge, or motivation, and the game is over. Capcom had a few games that at least kept me interested for a few minutes with Lost Planet and Dead Rising, NBA2K*, and the PGR series was also something I enjoyed, but I can't think of anything else that just had good old school gameplay I enjoyed.

The only thing I like about today's video games for the most part are the online play. At least online gaming stays true to what I love about video games: Challenge, points, and competition. I played the Call of Duty, and Halo series to death online, constantly pushing myself to get the most points every round, increase my level, earn more weapons. On the other hand I never touched the single player.

I'm only 20, but I guess I'm just old fashioned. I can picture when my game room is done, everyone will go rushing to play Call of Duty or whatever generic Xbox game is out, but I'll be at my MAME cab rackin up a new high score in R-Type, Mappy, Ms. Pac-Man, Raiden, and Metal Slug.

2pac said it best, "ain't nothin like the old school."

[spacegoogie]

I love my classics, and yes I find myself playing more MAME and retro stuff. I turn on my 360 and pretty much just play the simple XBLA titles. I've beaten hardly any of these newer games in years.

I think games now try so hard to be like movies and spectacles that they forget the basic core elements of what makes a video game good. If there isn't a core challenge that gets harder and harder as the game progresses, some kind of points to rack up and constantly challenge me to reach higher, or at least some competitive gameplay, it just doesn't interest me.

Now, you have too many games that have amazing cinematic-like graphics, stories, and sound, but no sense of a core, compelling gameplay. Just going from point A to point B, doing the same thing over and over with no increasing challenge, or motivation, and the game is over. Capcom had a few games that at least kept me interested for a few minutes with Lost Planet and Dead Rising, NBA2K*, and the PGR series was also something I enjoyed, but I can't think of anything else that just had good old school gameplay I enjoyed."

to that.  

[nitz]

I'm younger than most folks on here too - I'm 28 - but I much prefer old school gaming.

I didn't get into arcade games until I was old enough to actually go and play them, so I started out on consoles, namely the NES and later the SNES. Two best consoles ever made IMHO. I still play those games regularly. When we got to the PSX/N64 era, my interest in playing new games started to wane. I owned both those systems and they did have some great games, but they were never as compelling as those old school platformers and RPGs. It got to be all about graphics, and the game play really suffered.

My last foray into consoles was buying a Gamecube and a PS2 (which crapped out on me after like a year unfortunately). I only got a handful of games for them - not sorry I got them, but never played them nearly as much as the older systems. Haven't gotten into the latest stuff at all. Have tried to play a bit at a friend's house, but just can't get into it. Controls are often complicated and I just don't find the games interesting enough to learn. They mostly seem to be, as Mozee mentioned, Point A to Point B, no increase in challenge, game over, no reason to play again. To me it's like watching a movie only more expensive and not as fun. Can't see myself ever buying a console again really.

Never get tired of the classic arcade and console games though! They're beauty is in their simplicity - especially in the case of the arcade games, they had to be fairly easy to understand or people would quickly get frustrated and not play again, and they had to be addictive to keep people pumping quarters and also because they couldn't rely on graphics to keep people interested. Nowadays, I think graphics is what sells games for the most part, so that's what developers concentrate on. Gameplay comes second. Too bad. Saves me money though I guess, and we'll always have all those old great classics to play!

[Epyx]

I'm only 20, but I guess I'm just old fashioned. I can picture when my game room is done, everyone will go rushing to play Call of Duty or whatever generic Xbox game is out, but I'll be at my MAME cab rackin up a new high score in R-Type, Mappy, Ms. Pac-Man, Raiden, and Metal Slug.

2pac said it best, "ain't nothin like the old school."

You have no idea how cool it is for me to read about 20 year olds who are into classic gaming...brings a tear to the ole eye 

I just finished playing Raiden, R-Type, Truxton (another great one if you haven't tried this) this morning for many hours...a ton of fun.

[patrickl]

I think games now try so hard to be like movies and spectacles that they forget the basic core elements of what makes a video game good.

Some games try to be like a movie, but by no means ALL games do this. The smaller games hardly ever do (WiiWare or other downloadable console games). There are plenty of shoot em-up's, fighting, racing (or whatever sports) games on consoles too.

In fact plenty of games from old ages ALSO tried to be movies. They were just very much less succesful at it.

[Vulgar Soul]

Never get tired of the classic arcade and console games though! They're beauty is in their simplicity - especially in the case of the arcade games, they had to be fairly easy to understand or people would quickly get frustrated and not play again, and they had to be addictive to keep people pumping quarters and also because they couldn't rely on graphics to keep people interested. Nowadays, I think graphics is what sells games for the most part, so that's what developers concentrate on. Gameplay comes second. Too bad. Saves me money though I guess, and we'll always have all those old great classics to play!

That's it nitz, simplicity, challenge, points, competition, addictiveness. Gaming today is all about spectacles and less about solid gaming. Instead of thinking a game, developers are thinking of movies, and personally I'm just losing interest. Games these days just aren't "fun" anymore, they're hardly even 'games,' more like interactive stories or virtual reality movies.

That's why good ole score rackin, simple, addictive gaming will always have a place in my gaming heart lol.

And I wouldn't say my love for classic gaming saves me money. Now I have to spend thousands just to build my own arcades and re-experience good gaming the way it was meant again lol.

You have no idea how cool it is for me to read about 20 year olds who are into classic gaming...brings a tear to the ole eye 

I just finished playing Raiden, R-Type, Truxton (another great one if you haven't tried this) this morning for many hours...a ton of fun.

Lol yeah, I remember as a kid, I would ask my dad for a new Genesis game and he would always tell me, "new game? But you haven't even mastered the last game we bought." I never realized what he meant by that until now. The days of picking up a game and being challenged, and motivated to get the highest score possible, beat your friends, never lose, and "master" it have disappeared.

Honestly, it is very sad that their are people my age who grew up in the 16 bit golden age and don't care for this stuff, but even some of the older adults in my family think it's cool I'm gonna build a custom cab, but wonder why I would bother with old games when I have these amazing new systems today...ugh. But I'm sure once it's done they'll love it and be in nostalgia land...hopefully before the novelty wears it out.

And yes, Truxton kicks ass. Whenever I sit around deciding what to play, I can always click on a good ole shmup to get me goin.

[Vulgar Soul]

I think games now try so hard to be like movies and spectacles that they forget the basic core elements of what makes a video game good.

Some games try to be like a movie, but by no means ALL games do this. The smaller games hardly ever do (WiiWare or other downloadable console games). There are plenty of shoot em-up's, fighting, racing (or whatever sports) games on consoles too.

In fact plenty of games from old ages ALSO tried to be movies. They were just very much less succesful at it.

I agree, if not for simple online gaming like Xbox Live, and the small-scale integrated "arcade" platforms like XBLA and Wiiware which have plenty of good stuff keeping solid retro style gaming alive and well today, I wouldn't have too much interest. And of course certain genres can never escape the core principles of gaming.

I'm sure plenty of old games attempted to market themselves as visually exciting and cinematic, but the obvious hardware limitations meant that a arcade game HAD to be first and foremost fun, addictive, and challenging if it ever hoped to do well. But now, games can finally market visuals over all and live up to that marketing hype, leaving behind good gaming as we know it.

[TOK]

Had to go with Play Anything And Everything, though its not 100% accurate. I have a PS3 and Wii that are mostly dust collectors (I think the Wii was last turned on Christmas day), but I still play a lot of new games on the PC.

I love open world shooters like the STALKER series on the PC. Hate console controller for first person shooters, which is why the PS3 is mostly a glorified BluRay player.

[patrickl]

I think games now try so hard to be like movies and spectacles that they forget the basic core elements of what makes a video game good.

Some games try to be like a movie, but by no means ALL games do this. The smaller games hardly ever do (WiiWare or other downloadable console games). There are plenty of shoot em-up's, fighting, racing (or whatever sports) games on consoles too.

In fact plenty of games from old ages ALSO tried to be movies. They were just very much less succesful at it.

I agree, if not for simple online gaming like Xbox Live, and the small-scale integrated "arcade" platforms like XBLA and Wiiware which have plenty of good stuff keeping solid retro style gaming alive and well today, I wouldn't have too much interest. And of course certain genres can never escape the core principles of gaming.

I'm sure plenty of old games attempted to market themselves as visually exciting and cinematic, but the obvious hardware limitations meant that a arcade game HAD to be first and foremost fun, addictive, and challenging if it ever hoped to do well. But now, games can finally market visuals over all and live up to that marketing hype, leaving behind good gaming as we know it.

I really love the cinematic aspect of for instance Resident Evil 4 or Uncharted 2. My girlfriend and her sister where hiding behind the couch when I was playing Resident evil. My kid keeps asking me to play Uncharted. He just loves the story. So people not even playing the game enjoy it.

For some simple game fixes there are plenty options in the form of flash games or nintendo DS shoot em ups. "Space Invaders extreme" is nice on the DS.

[danny_galaga]

Another down for 'anything and everything'. Not surprised thats the largest vote. Mostly old stuff for me, but the other night, i played some Dreamcast with a friend (finally fixed it for him). And last night I thought i should give my Jaguar and then my SMS a whirl.

At 40, I'm an arcade kid, and never actually owned any consoles until fairly recently. Now i have a number ranging from the Master System to the Wii.

Once I get my MAME cab in the house though, all those consoles might just be collecting dust for a while 

[solidteezme]

Anything or everyting, Hell ive still got my N-gage in my pocket!