Pixel Perfect: Why Retro Gaming Was Better!
Yes, it’s a controversial statement to make, but think about it, modern gaming with all its bells and whistles doesn’t really measure up in comparison to games from 20, 25, or even 30 years ago. We are over saturated with GTA, COD, and any other acronym you can throw out there. The fact is that while there’s a lot more choice now, is it really any better than what we used to have back in the day? Let’s have a look and really weigh up the facts.
Single-player Gameplay
This is probably the biggest difference between retro gaming and the modern multiplayer setup. With games like Call Of Duty relying so heavily on the interactivity between players over different continents and making the most of gaming microphones, the game player experience in the 8-bit universe consisted of a lot more games where you have to get out of situations yourself and not work as a team. From a psychologist’s point of view, this is good for developing resilience as opposed to reliance, but from the perspective of a game player, you have a lot more of a richer experience thanks to the early RPGs like Final Fantasy. As a result, you didn’t need to rely on other players.
The Variety
While every new game for the PS4 or Xbox is an event where you see people queuing around the block, does this really mean that there are more high-quality games to choose from for these new consoles or are the majority just filler? With the retro gaming universe, you have a library of games to choose from, and you can get them for free on most PC gaming websites. The modern gamer on a PC needs to make the most of their budget and purchase the best ram for gaming, the best tower, the best control pads, the best microphones, and the list goes on. While modern PC games are a deep and rich experience the fact of the matter is that a lot of the time you have to wait a long period before something truly great comes along. At least with the games of the past, you can easily make your way past the filler and go straight for the killer!
The Difficulty
The fact of the matter is that games back then were infinitely more difficult than games now. If you sit down and play one of the older games like a true retro gamer, there was no such thing as saving your progress, you had to complete the game in one sitting! And this doesn’t mean that they made it easier for you. In fact, there’s nothing more frustrating than getting to the last level on Super Mario Brothers 2 and being stuck on that for years because there was no variety in terms of how you protect yourself during the game. Once you got the hang of a game, fate would usually step in the way and give you a power cut!
Not only were games difficult, but they were better in various ways! Try to sit down to one of the retro classics that make sure you set aside a weekend, and some backup power supply just in case you get a power cut. You will find yourself challenged like you have never been challenged before!