Reasons for playing retro games

[MegaDrive1987]

Hello all, thought I'd TRY and start a discussion so here we go...

Interested to know what reasons people have for playing retro games, is it nostalgia, money, hardware limitations or just personal preferences?
Personally I play both although lately I've started to lean towards the classics more even though I have a pretty decent PC. Currently playing through Resident Evil Code Veronica (Via Flycast) as I weren't able to play it properly when it was new due to several reasons.

 

[Yousef]

The only reason that matters; elitism against modern games

Nah I’m just joshing around, I love all kinds of games
I personally don’t subscribe to the idea that games “age badly”, so I enjoy a lot of retro games of all kinds. 2D, 3D platformers, action adventure, what have you.

 

[RanmyakuIchi's iconRanmyakuIchi]

I just play retro games because I like them. A good game is a good game to me, regardless of age or time of release.

 

[Waffles's iconWaffles]

I have two main reasons for it:

1) I have no computer nor stable internet connection, so I'm mostly sticking to emulators and ROMs for my entertainment (not that I'm complaining).

2) None of those games are tied to a company server that can be shut down without warning.

 

[ThePeon]

Nostalgia but also there allot of games I played as a kid and teens that I never beat so now when I can understand english and are better at games in general im beating the games I never finished as a kid.

Also there so many new games from the snes and nes and sega and PC engine and pc-98 and ps1 and 2 and so on that I never played before that looks like games up my ally.

The issue is allot of these games I missed because well I could never afford them or they where never released in my country or they are JP only that got fan translation.

 

[RustySK]

I don't think I have a distinct reason for playing retro games as such.

I play them for the same reason I play any game - because I find them enjoyable to play and I'm in the mood for whatever kind of experience they provide.
Not all older games - even a couple of the venerable greats - are fun to me and not all newer games grate on my nerves. They're all in the same category in that sense and I don't subscribe to the notion that (good) games age.

 

[Hourai]

Fun things are fun. That's it.

 

[MegaDrive1987]

I have two main reasons for it:

1) I have no computer nor stable internet connection, so I'm mostly sticking to emulators and ROMs for my entertainment (not that I'm complaining).

2) None of those games are tied to a company server that can be shut down without warning.

You make a good point with games being tied to a company server, I don't like the idea that they can be taken away from you at any point or if your internet isn't working you're not accessing your games.

 

[Inkingsama]

old good, new bad.

1) I have no computer nor stable internet connection, so I'm mostly sticking to emulators and ROMs for my entertainment (not that I'm complaining).

What? Waffles is a phoneposter!?... No way... I don't know who to trust anymore...

 

[Pinballbuzzbro]

It’s two main things for me!

1. The convenience. In a world where games get longer and longer as time goes on, stuff from the nes up to the ds is typically short and sweet, taking a day at most to beat and most of the time not even that, being only an hour or so. Not to mention emulation means these games can be played on nearly any device regardless of how it was designed for games, MacBooks, iPhones, modded 3DS’s etc. this makes them really easy to pick up and play, while also being accessible no matter where I am!

2. Their emphasis on intense rapid action. On top of being easy to boot up, stuff like run and guns and shoot em ups really put your mind’s reflexes and memorization to the test, providing some super engaging experiences that keep my brain stimulated while also being genuinely good for it too instead of some mobile runner brainrot slop lol.

Plus with the world of rom hacking and homebrew there’ll always be near infinite opportunities to go back and replay the games I love! Just a few days ago this forum itself posted a big patch compilation for Contra Hard Corps and now I’m itching to give that game a go again lol.

 

[carb0n0x]

The reasons for NOT playing retro games could be any of these

• FOMO
• too high test (lol) so you can only play competitive multiplayer game
• corporate fanboyism
• muh GRAPHIX!!!

Serious talk, every good game has already been released and it's only downhill from here.

 

[Orclease]

retro achievements

 

[Yousef]

old good, new bad.

What? Waffles is a phoneposter!?... No way... I don't know who to trust anymore...

I am too, since me and Wafflesman are the same person… always have been >:)

 

[Stookymalarkey]

Cause they're fun and inflation-proof. I'd rather go through my back catalogue of games I want to try than shell out $120 CAD for a new title. For example, I finally decided to give Final Fantasy X a fair try (having been put off by the obnoxious Tidus in the past), and I find I'm enjoying it.

 

[Jediuser]

Multitude of reasons:
- Growing up with PS2
- Steam and GOG releasing older titles for cheap
- A desire to experience as much as possible
- Games on Genesis and SNES being much simpler and easier to learn than many today

 

[Swagmata]

Got into it when I was a kid because it was cheap and just never stopped. It was a little alienating being the only kid into earthworm Jim in 2005 tho

 

[Antilocal123]

None, retro or modern I don't touch that shit.

 

[Grumpy_Old_Man]

Even if i wanted to play modern games(I don't), I simply can't those things are too resource intensive and I'm not buying a new computer every few years, to play a copy/paste cover shooter or open world...
Also most modern games that I been interested you can probably play then in a 386, like Shadow of the ninja reborn.
Too much eye candy to little game.

 

[SorenFireEmblem]

I like to know what was happening during my growing up period, and before I was born.
So for me, it's mostly curiosity on what I missed.

 

[At_Least_20_Dogs]

They're cool. Seeing what people made with the limitations they had and with different controllers and aesthetics. also games are games at the end of the day and I like playing those.

 

[partymembervii]

just because games get old doesnt mean they stop being good, some of them are even better than a lot of stuff coming out nowadays

 

[Bakuma1997]

Bronze reason: Far more simple to obtain for free
Silver: Being able to patch bad ones into something good or good ones into even better experiences
Gold: To see what we missed due to being unable to afford it and have back what we could

 

[MegaDrive1987]

None, retro or modern I don't touch that shit.

So why are you here?

 

[Antilocal123]

So why are you here?

Because I like music :3

 

[MegaDrive1987]

Because I like music :3

Haha fair enough