But why not play the original game you might have already owned instead of forking over more money? After all, Super Mario Bros. 3 sold 18 million copies, for crying out loud! Just whip out your NES and be done with it!
That’s not always feasible, says Reichert. “Some enthusiasts still collect vintage gaming hardware, but the majority of gamers only own current generation consoles,” he says. Even if access to old hardware is available, the $5 it costs to download the game to your current console might offset the hassle of exhuming your NES from the attack and trying to connect it to your HDTV. As Reichert puts it, gamers will pay for convenience, especially for a relatively small price.
Despite their allure and increasing availability, though, some new players fault the classics simply for looking old. “Not playing a game because of outdated graphics is like refusing to drive a vintage car simply because it looks old,” says Grahame. “Classic games were once state of the art and the game play is often sublime and challenging, much like driving an old car.”
Adds Reichert, “It’s easy for people to get wrapped up in the marketing of the current industry. Remember, gaming companies really want you to focus on those new releases and their full retail prices. Fortunately, digital services like Virtual Console, Xbox Live Arcade, PSN, and Steam are increasing appreciation for retro games while making them more accessible.”
As a result, gamers that may have missed some of the classics are becoming more open to playing them today. “For younger gamers, retro-styled games might offer an experience that’s different from what they’ll find in the new release section,” says Nintendo’s Kaigler. Furthermore, “a Virtual Console game like Mario Bros. could appeal to young gamers who discovered the Mario universe via a newer game like Mario Kart Wii,” she says.
The charm of retro-styled games is so strong, in fact, that developers such as Capcom have begun releasing new games using retro technology. “The past five years have taught us that you don’t necessarily need cutting edge graphics to make a great new game,” says Chris Kramer, alluding to the rise in retro, not to mention the popularity of the graphically challenged Wii. “You don’t always need eye-watering futuristic 3D graphics to deliver these types of games.”
To put their money where their mouth is, Capcom released the latest sequel of the Mega Man series using 8-bit technology last year. “The fact that the game looks 15 years old only makes it more abusive to the current generation of gamers when they get their robotic head handed to them by one of the eight Bosses,” says Kramer. “Since the success of Mega Man 9, we’ve already begun considering what other classic Capcom titles should live again.” Other new games like Cave Story, that favor old-school graphics over newer ones, have left a favorable impression as well.
In the end, good design will always be good design, regardless of the technology. “Any game that’s truly classic will appeal to players no matter when it was released,” says Kaigler. “Take the original Super Mario Bros., for example. It’s been nearly 25 years since the game first appeared on the NES. Console graphic technology ’ all technology, for that matter ’ has evolved quite a bit in that time, yet the game is just as enjoyable now as it was in 1985.”
The above was originally written by Blake for GamePro, after which it took on a different form in editing.
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