Thursday, July 16, 2009

Retro game bash: The ugly

Pushing 30 years old, and I still select clothing for humor value.

Because what's a retro game bash without a game-related novelty t-shirt? Yes, I did wear this. And I'd do it again. In a second.*

On one level, the retro game bash was a chance to get together and re-live some good experiences. Those all-night game sessions in high school were some of the best times of my life. It was great fun to revisit them for a day.

It was also a reminder to savor what we already have. If you're anything like me, you've got a lifetime of gaming collecting dust in a closet somewhere. Games that defined your childhood, that formed the basis of lifelong friendships, that provided some of your happiest memories -- they're sitting in the dark, waiting for you. Give them a try. You might like what you find.

It's so easy to focus on the next big thing, to get swept away in the hype, especially if you're plugged into the games blogosphere. Ask yourself: Does it really matter if BioShock 2 gets delayed? Is it more important to drop today's new release the second tomorrow's hits shelves? At this point, we've got over 30 years of other games to enjoy. It's a shame if we don't stop, once in awhile, to do exactly that. You won't regret it.

Unless you play GoldenEye.

*Preferably with a sexier pose next time.

2 comments:

Gary A. Lucero said...

I have to be honest, I was playing with GI Joe dolls when I was a kid, not an NES. At 48 years old, which can sometimes feel ancient, I somtimes feel disconnected from the current gaming scene.

Yes, much of Western gaming is based on the glory days of the 80's and 90's, and influenced by classics that appeared on the C-64, Amiga, and PC, but so much of it is Japanese centric and hinges on what Nintendo did in the past and continues to do.

I'm not really bitter, but my memories of retro gaming are all from my early adulthood, and outside of owning an Atari 2600 about the time I got out of highschool, none of it is based on console gaming.

But times keep changing...

Julian said...

Nice. It's always good to get some perspective once in a while. Even if that perspective is just that Goldeneye is a horrible game and San Francisco Rush is somehow still fun. There's always a great game to play, even if it's a few years (or decades) old.