As a child I became accustomed to owning old games (the games I had) and appreciating them for the entertainment they provided. As an adult I discovered the Atari 2600, 7800, and NEC Turbografx and I’ve been excited to try out games on them ever since.
In the past year, I’ve been trying to go back, catch up on missed games, and discover the history of gaming through older consoles (like Colecovision, Atari 2600, and 7800).
Early games show a lot of imagination – both by the game developer and the audience. To get in the right mindset to fully appreciate the games, I might Google archives to read the backstory, view the manual, or look at the box (or cabinet) artwork. I try imagining that concept or world while playing the game. This is also a reason that old Nintendo Power issues are popular (even to collectors today). Not only did they have previews of games, screenshots, and walkthroughs, but also interviews with developers, story-lines, and even comic strips and manga of then-new games.
(Nintendo Power inspired many gamers to try out titles and still does)
A lot of the game mechanics and concepts in the 70’s through early 80’s were still being formed and it’s interesting to me to see and play an implementation of the results. Some concepts (like Tempest and Gyruss) worked and some didn’t (like the infamous E.T.). Because the developer or studio had more freedom (limited though by hardware) and less guidance in those days (Atari 2600 developers were basically left alone and tasked with coming up with the finished game), the games inherited a strange charm or artistic styling.
(Gyruss – seemingly based on Tempest – is an interesting take on the shooter genre)
Sure, even old console games back then still conform to archetypes (like space-ship shooters), but on early systems like Atari 2600, many remain abstract and highly imaginative. I believe this is also the same reason people cling to the indie scene today with newly-developed (but retro-inspired) games. When production is small, developers get to express their artistic talent and vision on a more personal level. This is juxtaposed to a large production, where things are streamlined to fit a commercial standard.
(Yar’s Revenge is very imaginative and has an interesting backstory to explain the game)
Early games (like Q-Bert, Mr. Do, or Space Invaders) are simplistic in graphics and controls, but remain challenging and fun. Designed to be progressively harder over time, they challenge your hand-eye coordination and dexterity – their timeless appeal. The difficulty tapers up in such a way as to allow the casual players their fun while at the same time providing the advanced players with a significant challenge. This is seen by some as a cheap way to extend gameplay (and it is), but it also got around hardware limitations such as rom space for level storage. For games like Ms. Pac-Man, the same levels are played over and over – only with game-rule tweaks, like decreased time to eat Ghosts.
(Mr. Do is a fun and challenging game)
The other thing brought over from arcades to early consoles was the scoring system. In early console games, like in arcades, high scores were very important. Most of us will die on Pac-Man after a few levels, but we can try for a better score each time around. In the Atari 2600 days, there were special promotions where players would take a Polaroid photo of their score to receive T-Shirts or prizes. And on Game Boy, people would send in their top scores to get them posted in Nintendo Power magazine. Even the original Super Mario Bros. had lives, a top score, and a count-down timer you could die from (if you didn’t finish the level in time).
(Even Steve Wozniak (Evets Kainzow) sent in his top score to Nintendo Power back then)
Despite the focus in modern gaming on the gaming experience over challenge there remain modern analogues to game scores. There’s the now-aged ladder systems from Blizzard on the PC, match counts on online fighter games, and even achievements and rankings from online subscription services like XBox Live. There also remains a healthy score competition on old arcade games via the Internet – revived again in recent times as most people have access to MAME and can post pics via their phone to twitter. There’s also the revival of older games through mobile devices (even revamped by the original company for a tablet or phone).
(Modern analogues to high scores)
Where older games don’t have much in the graphics department, they can provide quick, immersive gameplay on demand. They’re great stress relievers in this regard (with the right mentality of course). One doesn’t have to commit much time to enjoy them. You can just sit down, pop in a cart, and zap some aliens. Get bored with the game? Then go on to something else. There’s no 60-hour ongoing saga of a story to get through. You certainly could devote many hours to perfecting your game though. That’s why these games remain timeless and are enjoyed by multiple generations – even those that were born decades after the game’s hayday.
(Sinistar is a survival game while also being a shooter)
Some games have a sense of impending doom or urgency (i.e. E.T. having a decreasing counter for actions). This is supposed to be enjoyable in the same way that a roller coaster is (you’re on edge the whole time, but you get a sense of accomplishment as well). Take the arcade game Sinistar for example, where you must frantically go around getting materials to hinder the forming of the giant killer planetoid – all the time being taunted by that being (or later hunted down and slaughtered if he’s fully restored. There’s also Robotron – where you must quickly kill aliens and save innocents in rooms that progressively get busier with enemies.
(Robotron 2084 is a frantic game with break-neck action)
The survival genre has carried over into today with games like Five Nights at Freddy’s (an indie game where you must fend off killer robots from a control room to survive until morning).
(In Five Nights at Freddy’s one must fend off killer robots from a central room)
Five Nights employs simple controls, a limited amount of electricity to utilize, and a creepy atmosphere and backstory. The developer for this game uses mini-games and scenes that resemble Atari 2600 games to segway and fill in some of the backstory.
(One of the mini-games between nights)
It might appear that people who are into playing and reading about old games instead of new games is doing themselves a disservice. After all, why play Adventure (2600) when you could be playing Skyrim. While it’s great to try modern games as they become available, to many of us these old games are new and remain exciting. So I invite you to go try and old, forgotten game from time to time. Besides opening up a new world to explore, it’ll help you appreciate the games you already own even more.
Now for shameful self-promotion:
I sell hand-made (or modded) items (like back-lit custom Game Boys) here (etsy).
And I also sell extra used games and manuals I pick up here (ebid) and here (ebay).
Also, please follow me on Twitter and Instagram (@UrzasRage) for pics and announcements.
Proceeds from my shops either go back into my collection as game purchases (so that I have more to write about), for more game-chasing, or are given to gaming-related charities.