Editor’s Note: We’re happy to have a guest post today from Michael over at Ninety Nine Percent Gaming. Michael’s from Ireland, which automatically makes him cooler than me, and he writes about all things video games on his blog (which recently celebrated its 10,000th hit!). Check it out:
My first console was the Nintendo Gamecube. Naturally this means that I missed a ton of original and influencing games from the Atari, NES and SNES era. Series I thought were timeless — Mario, Pokemon — all had beginnings in these venerable machines. Going back and playing, no, experiencing these classics has taught me a lot about video games. Here are five such lessons.
No. 5: Consoles owe their success to arcade games
This may have been obvious to a lot of you, but arcade gaming was never popular where I grew up. They were treated like comic books; something far away and mysterious. Therefore, when going back and playing systems such as the Atari, it struck me just how much they contributed to the success of the first home consoles. Pac-man, Asteroids, Pong. Even Mario started life on an arcade machine under the moniker ‘Jumpman.’
No. 4: Difficulty levels have dropped immensely
Recent generation games hold our hands to the point of embarrassment compared to older games. The only series nowadays that actually promote difficulty as an attractive feature are Demon’s/Dark Souls and the Monster Hunter series. Turn the clocks back, however, and you’ve got several titles competing to liquidate you as often as possible. Take Megaman, Castlevannia or — God help you — Ninja Gaiden, all for the NES.
No. 3: Nintendo’s finest had a starting point
Mario and Link, two undisputed titans of the gaming world, each owe their success to the perfectly named Nintendo Entertainment System. Their first games instantly distinguished them from the crowd, bringing pixel-perfect platforming and unparalleled adventuring respectively. Their bright color schemes and varied enemies sparked fan bases that remain to this day.
No. 2: Under the surface, games aren’t changing much
The amount of money being pumped into the video game industry is increasing on a yearly basis, and graphically games have never looked more cinematic, more lifelike. Under all the shine, however, core game play remains largely unchanged. Franchises like Doom and Half life established fundamental 1st person shooter axioms, and Mario 64 is the canvas on which most 3D games are based. It makes you wonder if budgets are being spent in the right places, or are simply being used to coat everything in a new layer of gloss.
No. 1: I freaking love video games
When I picked up a NES online, friends talked a lot of guff about how I wouldn’t enjoy playing on it. “It’s too dated nowadays,” “You’ve grown up used to modern graphics and styles,” “Why would you want to play old stuff?” Most were confident that a teenager of today couldn’t possibly appreciate such raw, unrefined games. To those people, I smile, nod and then forget about them completely while pressing my way through Hyrule and tossing axes at Dracula. I’m a gamer, and retro-gaming has allowed me access to pure gaming. And I couldn’t be happier.
— Michael
Gray Areas 
Reblogged this on Ninety Nine Percent Gaming and commented:
A guest post I wrote for At The Buzzer, a great site with a weekly podcast. Check them out!
Hey Michael, you smell and you have an abnormally huge head
Guess who 😀
Love you too, Julius 😀
Hey, nice to have a guest post!
Michael, have you read the book, “Ready Player One”?
Point number two, yes yes yes. As someone writing a classic gaming blog, I can’t help but notice pretty much everything made these days seems kind of… familiar.
I remember feeling this way when, after playing TMNT 1 (or was it 2?) on the PS2 a few years back, I experienced the level where players were treated to a flashback: the original arcade version of TMNT. It was beyond awesome, it truly was. Difficult as hell and what games used to be. Retro gaming is pure, good gaming. Great post! 😀
There is something to be said for the purity and simplicity of retro games. No elaborate stories or cutscenes — just rugged, tough gameplay.
Yes to #4! In exchange for more difficult games, I think we’ve gotten better stories and more in-depth play. Not so bad I guess. Doesn’t make modern games any less frustrating in their own ways though.
@Nick: I’ve heard of that book – is it a good read?
I really liked the book because it was rife with nods and kudos towards a lot of old games, and very full of references to various stuff from childhood, of which I actually caught on to a handful.
It wasn’t the best book ever written but it was very entertaining. Michael’s post reminded me of the book!
I’m woefully ignorant when it comes to books on gaming, seeing as how there’s so much reading material online! I’ll definitely pick it up when I get a chance though, it sounds cool.
Sounds pretty good. Think I’ll stick it on my to-read list. Thanks!
Super Meat Boy is another game that promotes difficulty as an attractive feature. However, I suck at video games as much as I love them so I’m a fan of the lower level of difficulty that games have these days 🙂
Oh man, me and SMB do not get on. I swear it’s tougher than Castlevannia!