Why listen to old music when new music is clearly better? (ROFL)

Great games will always stand the test of time, my 7 yr old niece played Super Mario Bros 3 on the NES for the first time and she's now obsessed with it like I was when I was a kid.

It's games journalism. It's gonna be stupid about 97% of the time. Doesn't help that it's Vice.

Why has nostalgia become such a bad word lately? If its nostalgic for me and that increases my enjoyment then who gives a shit?

Yeah, I love that when I want to play a new Xbox One game I have to install it first. At all times I keep a gameboy advance on my desk and a pile of games. When a modern console glitches out or hits a long load screen I just sit back and enjoy some tetris. :P

At least retro games were 100% complete when released.

"video games are better than ever, so why are we trying to revisit the past?" you mean revisit the past I wasn't even born yet to see? and all the thousands of games I missed while I was alive?

Better than ever? That's purely subjective. I'll take retro games over modern games any day.

No one should feel guilty because they have nostalgia for their joyful childhood experiences.

Retro games will always rock.

Why play new games when retro games are better?

That guy is completely wrong. Thinking it's all nostalgia. Garbage was garbage back then just like it is now.

I don't revisit old games, I have never left. What a bogus article.

It's not fair to say that modern games are better because the technology is more advanced. Good design is good forever.

I largely can't stand modern console games anymore. Older games didn't require you to wait for updates to download before you could play them. Older games didn't barrage you with reminders of extra content that isn't in the game that you paid for. Older games didn't require $50-$60 annually for online play, and local multiplayer was the rule-- not the exception. Modern games look better and bring more complexity (for those who prefer it). For me, though, the positives of modern consoles and video games don't come anywhere close to balancing the litany of negatives. I'll stick with what's the most convenient and comfortable for me, regardless of what some blowhard writing an incendiary "gaming article" thinks.

Saddest thing I ever heard was a female Hollywood Video employee back in the 90's casually mentioning she would not watch a movie if it was black and white.

The real question is why does age even matter? A true gamer plays any game that they find fun, be it an SNES or a PS2.

I'll speak for myself, but I'm 40 years old and have been playing video games since 1983, and IMHO I think video games have reached heights I never even dreamed of. The past 10 years have been quite impressive and I hope people can appreciate where we're at when it comes to video games.

I was born in 1996. My parents had a Sega Genesis, which I saw them play a few times (never actually played it at the time, since I was still a baby, but my brother and I did dig it out of our basement when we were in high school, and that's what got us into retro gaming), and the first console I ever played was the original Playstation. I can't be nostalgic for NES or Genesis, since they weren't a huge part of my childhood. I still really like them. Games like Sonic the Hedgehog, Darius Twin, Super Mario Bros, and Street Fighter II are excellent games, even though it's been 25+ years since they came out. Besides just being great games, there's also a ton of other reasons why it's fun to play older games. It's really amazing to see how the technology has advanced over the years. You go from "I think that's supposed to be a man" to "holy shit, I can make out the smallest of details on his face!". At one point, there were four directions you could move and four other buttons on a controller, and now you have a full 360 degrees of movement, camera movement, and way more than four buttons, in addition to possible touch screens or motion controls. The NES could only use 48 possible colors, and now you can have any color you want. I could go on. It's also great to see the sort of games developers were coming up with in the early days of the industry. No one knew what was going to work, and what wasn't. Developers took more risks with ideas. Paperboy is one of my favorites, and it is such a strange idea for a game. Today, developers know what will work, and that's why there's a million fucking games where you just shoot things. I guarantee, the only people today willing to risk making something as strange as a game about delivering newspapers are indie developers, and far too often indie games are just KZfaq Let's Play or hipster type shit.

So many of the retro games I collect and play I did not grow up with or ever have a chance to play. I am not blinded by nostalgia, I just appreciate all video games, no matter their age.

New games suffer from the same thing new music suffers from: There is now a very clear formula to making a game or music and those that publish it follow it with only the money in mind. In earlier times of both before these formulas there were lots of experimenting to see what worked best and you got some interesting and unique results. Developers don't do that anymore.

My daddy asks me why I would want to play old games like they expire or something but he loves old cars.

Alright, let's get one fucking thing straight. I haven't read the article alone, but the title makes me mad. I will play Jedi Outcast, Jedi Academy, Kotor 1, Kotor 2, Dark Forces 2 and Battlefront 2 any day, over the garbage that is The Force Unleashed, TFU2 and 'Battlefront'. I'm glad I have bad taste so I can ignore today's clearly superior videogames.

My 1980's monocle almost fell out when he said shrimp cocktail for dinner. It is always a starter ..tut tut

i think the reason why i personally love retro games is the simple fact games are far too big and vast nowadays, and simply don't have the pick up and play for 30 minutes that they used to, not better or worst just simpler and for me that suits my life.

I have friends who say the same thing: "Why play retro games? The newer ones are better?" Bullshit. First off, "better" is always going to be subjective. Plus, there's always going to be people who like something you don't...but to blast an entire scene just because it's old is crazy ignorant.

"Newer art is better than older art."

Gamers like to go back to retro games because it reminds them of a time where they didn't have to deal with bullshit like day one patches, day one DLC, on-disc DLC, microtransactions, always online, pre-order garbage, etc. Yes there were shitty games back then too, but most of them were either very obscure games or licensed cash-ins that nobody cared about. Outside of that, we were getting one classic after another.

Video games are better than ever? If thats the case, how come this is the first gen I've not even bothered to own.

Ian, thank you for mentioning time. I like that most retro games don't take forever, because I don't have forever to play. I can get through the NES Zelda in a weekend afternoon or play a fun game of Dr Mario while listening to the new LP that came in the mail.

I'm 18. I wasn't born when the NES and SNES came out, or even the N64, but I love games from those consoles, because they're just really well made.

C'mon guys, it's an edgy opinion piece. Leave them be about it, it's not a big dea- (the author calls NeoGeo games unfun, particularly shit-talking Fatal Fury) Welp. Don't be surprised if a motherfucker's house magically turns into flames this weekend.

The thing that makes many retro games continue to be appealing is the graphic restrictions. Sprite artwork holds up 1000x better than dated 3d graphics, and if the game design itself is solid, then there's no reason to consider it worse than a modern game. I would play Yoshi's Island any day.

inb4 companies start complaining about their games selling bad because of retro games

it's great to have you back, sir!

I can appreciate a good retro game, but if I don't have any personal nostalgic sentiments about the game, then I usually just end up reselling it to a local store or on eBay. The only retro games I ever kept that I didn't play back in the day were those two 'Rocket Knight' games on the Sega Genesis.

I've only been playing video games for around 3 years and haven't played too many games yet but still find some retro games to be great. You can't really say it's nostalgia when people who have never played the games still find them fun.

If retro gaming is purely a nostalgia thing why are there people out there playing games that came out before they were even born? Heck, my two favorite games, Final Fantasy VI and Earthbound, are older than I am.

"You only remember the good ones" is a weak argument in my mind. The approach to developing films and games is different today compared to the distant past. Film attempted to forge its quality through storytelling - now it's strictly marketing and the story goes on the back burner. Gaming was an experimental and exploratory medium - now it's settled into comfortable genres and formulas and money grabbing gimmicks. Industries do change as the pressure increases on them to return good results to their shareholders.

In this instance you are reviewing the article not just reading it, which is great for the podcast because we get your perspective and good content.

I read the article and just shook my head and laughed at it. The main problem I see with the article is the writer doesn't once explain what makes new games better than retro ones. Instead, it's just him bashing retro games and the people who buy them.

Games might be better , but the gaming community is *TRASH*... Just bunch of kids complaining about *graphics*

Personally I think in terms of innovation the console industry peaked with the PS2, XBox and GC generation. Since then gaming has really only been about graphics. Which is fine, but it doesn't draw me in like it used to. I would much rather spend 30 mins trying to beat a retro game than 40 hrs for a modern game. Virtually all disc based games sit on the shelf because it just takes too much time to replay them.

I had the same thoughts as the one you point out about old movies - that you could say the same about movies; "why are you watching those classics?, when new movies are coming out?". There are such things as Timeless classics even among games. Your movie analogy is perfect Pat. :) Also taste comes into play, now, just like it did back then. There are games i loved then and still do now, that others don't like; or games people loved, that i just couldn't get into. But at the same time i have rediscovered games i didn't get as a child, that i now love, and like you said, games i don't enjoy as much now. Maybe the guy tried to play one game he loved as a child but could get into it and then takes out his big brush to paint a picture in broad strokes, with huge generalizations and the assumption that his experience somehow HAS to be the experience of everyone else?

Personally, I'm not a nostalgic person at all and I mostly play modern games. On top of this, I didn't grow up with an NES and despite that, I play NES games today and enjoy the crap out of them. The thing about Retro games is that they ARE games and are therefore nothing like the hand-holding movie-games of today. Retro games know that a game is supposed to be a challenge, and in order to make the most of their mechanics, retro games know that they need a decent level of challenge in order to push those mechanics to the limit and to make the gameplay exciting and rewarding. So from a totally non-nostalgic person, I think the majority of modern games could learn a lot from retro games. So no, many modern games are not objectively better. Especially if you like a challenge and don't care about cinematics and narrative... You know, things that movies will always do better.

What we have today in video games is NOT better. Graphically, YES, gaming wise, NO!!!!!

Only Pat video I actually hit like on. You guys got it spot on.

No you were right the first time. Click-bakey, as in the writer was probably high when he wrote it.

There are tons of old games that I played first as an adult, and fell in love with all without nostalgia.

Just had my brother and his son with his friend in their early 20's come over. We played everything from Atari warlords up to sega Saturn and dreamcast. These very young adults had never played any of these early game systems. But we had a blast and they loved them, especially when we played 4 player warlords on the atari.

People play old video games for the same reason people listen to old music and watch old movies, because they like them. That's all the reason a person needs.

Games today aren't better, and retro games aren't better either. Games are games, I like games from all time periods.

Here's the thing that's nice about old games: you power on your console and you're playing. Newer games you first have to boot up the system and wait for it to load its OS (unless you're on PC, it's probably already on), and then load the game and then sit through a bunch of copyright, logo and loading screens.

This writer is more a retro shamer than retro gamer, hell, I'd be surprised if they actually knew what they were talking about at all. That's the great thing about the hobby, it takes a such a genuine amount of knowledge to hold a conversation, that these overnight authoritarians are so very easy to debunk.

Because retro games ARE BETTER, everybody knows that, it´s common sense.

video games are getting WAY BETTER. there's no denying that. but the classics never lose their charm and nostalgia

I remember friends going on holiday and bringing back those knock off 101 game carts for the gba when I was a kid. How I discovered contra and lode runner amongst others. Gr8 times

All people named Ian are hipsters.

"Why Play Retro Video Games When New Ones Are Better?" Well, the simple answer (for me) is disappointment with those new games. Ever since the induction of micro transactions, online-only, a premium price of $60 per game, and DLC has really made getting new games not very exciting. In that regard, one could argue that new games are worse than the older ones. Let's put it this way; if we were to live in a world where all our old games did not exist, I'd probably kill myself. I would not want to live without my Neo-Geo games, or my pre-SOTN CastleVania's, or even my Contra.

I can't believe I used to do away with old consoles when new ones came in! When we got the Saturn, I decided I was done with the Mega Drive. When the Saturn crashed and burned in the marketplace, we got a PlayStation and I decided "no more Saturn". In April 1999, I rented Asteroids for the PlayStation and because I found myself back on level 1 despite having saved at the end of my first play session, I decided I was done with PlayStation and wanted to go back to Mega Drive, so I got my old Mega Drive back from the person I gave it to. I still have that Mega Drive and PlayStation to this day and it was that game rental experience which made me the primarily-retro gamer I am today.

Why should I watch Citizen Kane and other classics when all those new ones coming out in theaters are so much "better?" Why should I read and study Romeo and Juliet when Stephanie Meier's vampire shenanigans is the hot shit? Why should I listen to Pink Floyd, Mozart and other classics when Bieb- NO, I am not even finishing that sentence! This argument makes no sense, especially with lots of new indie titles coming out trying to mimic those exact old (and good) games - what are they falling under?

Simple reason for retro games are better than new ones= No day one dlc, online requirements, preorder bullshit.

I generally stick to newer games, but that said, I still love playing some of my favorite retro games, and a few of them still easily take several spots on my top 10 favorite games of all time. Games like SMB3, Zelda - A Link to the Past and Shadowrun (SNES-version). I can nothing but agree with both Pat and Ian on this one. It was great hearing you guys discuss this topic!

A well-designed game is a well-designed game, regardless of the time it came out, and that sense of design -- the design we see in games like Mario, Sonic 2, Gradius, and other classics -- is what drives the retro market, far more than nostalgia. Games like Yar's Revenge on Atari still hold up because of that design, and even a game like E.T., long lauded as one of the worst games ever, has a rising community of defenders as people delve deeper and recognize the finer elements of the game's design. The person who wrote this article... What bra, you even gaem?

Always thought it was weird to differentiate old games from new ones in the first place. Games are games. Find ones you like. Play them. Enjoy them. Shut the fuck up and let other people enjoy theirs.

Great video guys! Oh and Ian, the Neo-Geo had alot of incredible games! You just had to sell your house etc to affored an AES and the cartridges lol... but the games were sick! :)

Nonsense article. Do we say the same things about other art? Oh, the Godfather isn't any good, because there's been thousands of new movies out! Go watch a Michael Bay film instead! Or da Vinci's paintings are meh, Banksy is much better. People don't seem to understand that video games are an entertainment art, and as such quality games are timeless, or they do understand and choose to ignore it

Jeez, even a johnny-no-mates like myself has had people come over and play retro games, and it was fucking awesome. We did Super Smash TV, Turtles in Time, some Smash Bros Brawl and Bomber Man. How the heck would we have had a better time than that with modern "better than ever" games?

Retro games typically are more challenging, punish you more for screwing up and don't cover up massive flaws with eye candy. My kids (16 and 17) love retro gaming just as much as they love modern games. I still fire up Dungeons of Daggorath from time to time.

I can only speak for myself. I love games. I don't care how new or how old. I grew up in the 90s, so obviously the older game have a special place in my heart. However, there are new games that I do enjoy. What keeps me attracted to older games is the ease and simplicity of pick it up and playing. While new games are more immersive and engaging (Which I like), at times it can be a tad tiring. So I'll hook up an old console, crack open a beer and play old Sonic or Mario, or whatever. The only thing that gripes me about new games is majority of them seems to be heavily story driven, It's usually no big deal, but if the game play is lacking in favor of a detailed yet convoluted story , that's when I don't enjoy it. There are bad games old and new. However, if a game in good, I'll give credit where credit is due. No matter what era they came out.

Amen, Ian!

Love this!

To most Europeans, a trip to Spain can be seen as about equal to a trip to Florida......not the Mouse part either, the horrible, cheap and littered with public intoxication part.... It's (again, for most people here) a cheap and not so cheerful way to consume alcohol in proximity to a beach. Also, yes, they will sell you a Chinese knockoff console in a heartbeat in all those seaside stores. It's fucking disgusting. (YES I KNOW, Barcelona is amazing, as is Malaga, Valencia, and even smaller towns like Frigiliana and such, BUT it's a FACT that MOST people go to Spain for sun and booze.)

"i challenge you to play retro games with your friends for a night and have fun". In the past month or so me and my mates have played: ninja gaiden (NES), Batman (NES), Megaman (NES), Zelda (NES and SNES games), Mario Party 4 and 5 (GC), Castlevania Aria of sorrow (gameboy advance), kid icarus (NES), Mario Kart 64 (N64) just to name a few of the classics we have played and we had a rocking good time. Dunno what this fella who wrote the article is talking about.

Why play new games when the classics are so much better?

Actually very competent, property defense of the whole NeoGeoX situation + SNK, and the whole topic all around. Spot on. thanx guys.

I completely agree with Pat and Ian on this!

If video games now are better than ever why is so many people buying retro

I went a long time without playing the original Super Mario Bros. I went back to it after a game design video that was talking about it, and I'd forgotten how good that game is. Even to just control the game feels great. Something great about older games is very much absent from newer games.

My friends routinely get together with me for Super Mario Kart, Mario Kart, Mario Kart 64, Tetris Attack, Goldeneye 007, Secret of Mana, and so much more (even NES games). Of course we backed Super Russian Roulette. ;)

I definately take offense to this article, just like how you can enjoy classic movies, books and classical music without needing nostalgia you can love a classic game in much the same way. My first game system was an n64 and did not get the chance to play many classic games like super metroid and chrono trigger until just a few years ago but they are both easily some of my favorate games of all time. There have been tons of old games that where well before my time that I have fallen in love with.

I bought a multi cart in Spain once, living the playboy life style in Tenerife!!! Pat lives in California......

vice used to be good before they started hiring "writers" which they found from tumblr

In the 80s, 90s, games were a challenge. Completing a game was an achievement. Today's games are consumer products. You finished one of those? Yeah, that's because you're supposed to be able to do so on your first playthrough. It's such a fact, when a game such as Ninja Gaiden and Dark Souls come out, the difficulty level itself spawns hundreds if not thousands of articles... You can finish Rayxamber 2 on PC engine CD, you've earned my respect. You can finish any game released nowadays?? I really don't give a fuck.

even if i don't play Retro games that often i still very much enjoy them with friends is always fun going back to super mario kart or start fox or so many other games.

I could not possibly agree more with this guys keep up the good work.

The article doesn't really make any sense. The guy is angry at people for... enjoying old games? It reads like it was written by an 80 year old man who is angry at video games despite not understanding a thing about them or something. This Ian whatever guy that wrote it can not be an actual gamer.

My friends and I had a 3 hour run on General Chaos just last week.

yeah a market stagnated market full of military corridor shooters with day one patches and season passes is totally the pinnacle of gaming

The article made me laugh too hard!!

Me and my friends drink beer and play my old games all the time it's fun as hell.Beat Streets Of Rage 2 last weekend with buddies good times were had by all.

How about getting the full game for one price.

I would much rather spend my money on old games that have stood the test of time. The new games might be prettier, but lets see who's still playing them in 20 years...

My reasons: 1) nostalgia 2) history 3) cost

Ian is absolutely spot on and makes great points. The neo geo x was bad mainly because it was forcing a 480p signal to HD TVs producing atrocious screen tearing on top of a poorly, tacky made system and once it became clear it was nothing more than an emulator in a box, any semblance of console magic died a death. Coupled with that, it felt to me like a product that SNK never would have passed through quality control. The issue of retro vs modern games for me is simple. They are a completely different experience and I agree that investment in time and complexity is hard for us older gamers who have a lot of other responsibilities. BTW its Zed Ex Spectrum (not zee..!!! lol)

Ian! I love crazy castles as well.

Wether you like older games or newer games, the older games will always hold one advantage over the newer games. There's far less bullshit involved.

people love playing old mario kart games together to this day

Angry pats book plug hahaha

I don't understand how the existence of retro games hurt this guy. Just don't play it if you're not into it.