Nothing beats the feeling we used to get when picking up a controller, booting up our console, and playing a game for hours on end when we were younger. Even now, when we revisit the worlds we used to explore back then, see the iconic characters that reside in them, and hear those games’ classic soundtracks, we find solace in indulging ourselves in gaming eras of the past. But what exactly is it that brings up this feeling in us when we play retro games?
The Power of Nostalgia
One of the biggest factors that makes us love old-school gaming is that feeling of nostalgia, as it brings out strong emotions in us for times gone by. That same sense of nostalgia and euphoria has likely caused the massive worldwide success of iGaming platforms. Whereas places like Vegas and Atlantic City were once the bastions of gambling, you can now even access online casinos in Florida and other states despite them not being legal in most states. According to gambling expert Khadija Bilal, such platforms are in a legal gray area in such states since they aren’t legal there but can still be accessed and played on offshore sites.
The nostalgia many players derive from being able to play their favorite casino games from the comfort of their own homes is a powerful driver of why online gambling sites have become so popular. Ordinary gamers experience similar feelings when they play retro video games, which are often tied to important moments in their lives as the many fond memories of countless gaming sessions enjoyed with friends or siblings after school.
In addition to letting us relive some of our favorite moments, another feeling that nostalgia awakes in us is the childlike wonder we used to have as kids. Whenever we play old games, we find ourselves reliving that feeling of exploring new worlds and going on exciting digital adventures again, even if we’ve played that game a million times in the past.
Quality of Retro Gaming Consoles and Titles
Another factor that has contributed to our love for nostalgic games is how these were designed and how old consoles were built. An example of this is how retro gaming consoles such as the Sega Genesis and NES made gaming easy for us with their simple controls. Titles for these consoles also contained carefully designed pixelated graphics that made it easy for us to understand character actions even with the constraints of the old technologies these games were built on. That’s why no kid back in those days had any trouble understanding how to play titles like Pac-Man, Super Mario, and Tetris, as they were all defined by simplistic game mechanics.
Contrary to modern developers whose games rely heavily on good graphics, retro game developers focused more on producing titles with excellent gameplay and rich narratives, such as The Legend of Zelda, Loom, and Baldur’s Gate. The well-written stories and relatively easier gameplay of nostalgic games like these have made them timeless classics, as gamers are still enjoying replaying them long after they were released.
Retro games, most of the time, are very challenging as they offer gamers limited lives and levels that get almost impossible to beat as they progress through the game, all while having no save points in some titles. Their difficulty offers gamers a better sense of accomplishment as they remember how hard they had to grind for days and weeks on end, sometimes just to get to the next level.
Escapism and Comfort
Nostalgic gaming has become a haven for many people from the fast-paced and very competitive modern gaming scene, where most gamers are just focused on improving their rankings. Additionally, these games also serve as an escape that many people use to get away from the chaos of everyday life as they would with watching movies, playing at online gambling sites, or reading books. What makes old games a fantastic escape though, is that they also allow us to visit familiar worlds with familiar characters from times when our lives were simpler, which gives us a sense of comfort.
What builds this sense of comfort is indulging in the familiar sounds and sights of games we used to play and their ability to help us momentarily escape the stressors that come with being an adult with bills, jobs, and other responsibilities. Playing retro games takes away the feeling that we have of always being scrutinized and under pressure and replaces it with what we used to feel when our biggest worry was figuring out how to beat the next boss. Revisiting the characters we used to encounter in retro games also furthers this feeling of comfort, as interacting with them again can feel a little like spending time with old friends.
Community and Shared Memories
Nostalgic games aren’t just a comforting personal experience for many people though, as these games take many of us back to a time when we used to play with friends and fight over the controller with our siblings. The core memories these games let us share with our loved ones bring back the sense of community we had when playing them. Revisiting them, especially with friends, can remind us of these special moments where we shared, both over the frustration and the joy we got from getting through difficult levels together.
Remakes, Remasters, and Adaptations
Nostalgic gaming is popping up in other forms these days too, with many developers releasing adaptations, remakes, and remasters of old games. These new takes on retro games have been vital in allowing us to play retro games on new gaming systems. An example of this is the remakes and remasters of old franchises like the Final Fantasy and Assassin’s Creed series that have improved their visuals and gameplay to work well on modern systems whilst preserving the main details that made us love them in the first place.
Conclusion
We can all agree that retro gaming can bring back good memories and remind us of simpler times, often providing a comforting escape from our fast-paced lives. These games also fostered a sense of community that we can relive by playing them, as many of us associate the gaming memories with friends and family members. The great part is that this sense of community has persisted over the years as many retro games have active online communities who get to enjoy both the old versions of these games and their remakes together.
