What do you think of the "all new retro" titles being released these days?

[Rhindle The Red]

So, recently there's been a big move towards "retro" games. Not only replicating older gaming styles (New Super Mario Bros., etc.) or homages to 80's games (No More Heroes), but also straight-up 8-bit gaming, blinking graphics and all (Megaman 9, 10, etc.). Not to mention a game like Retro Game Challenge which presents a compliation of 80's games that never existed.

 

What do you think of this trend? Is it cool to see older styles revisited by the mainstream? (We all know that with homebrews, these types of games never really died.) Would you rather they left retro titles to re-releases and the homebrew scene?

[Rhindle The Red]

Whoo Hoo, I'm 1st response!

Please don't do that here.

[PunkySkunk]

It's great. I don't like a lot of the new stuff, so it's pretty much like "nobody ever releases any games", and when a retro-style game comes out, it's like "finally, a new game".

 

NSMBW is really good (which was surprising, as I thought the first NSMB was bland, and I still don't get the hype for Super Mario Galaxy), Retro Game Challenge was pretty alright, I don't know a thing about No More Heroes except that it didn't look interesting to me in any way and don't really see how it fits in this argument, and I bought Megaman 9 and Castlevania ReBirth day one, and intend to do the same for Megaman 10.

 

As for game collections and 2D fighting games, I eat them up. Everything from Sonic Mega Collection and Sega Genesis Collection to Capcom Classics 1 & 2, Street Fighter Anniversary Collection & Alpha Anthology, pretty much every SNK release on PS2, Atari and Activision collections, Taito Legends 1 & 2, etc.

 

Don't get me wrong, I like newer games too, but I'm very old-school.

[Zoyx]

This movement to retro is a backlash to the increasing complexity of modern games. Ten years ago, Quake 3 was the ultimate in complexity. In comparison, look at Modern Warfare 2 and the steep learning curve associated with that title.

 

After a long day, more and more people just want to come home, pick up a game, and play... without a lot of hoops to jump through. These simpler games with familiar gameplay are filler that need.

[mos6507]

This movement to retro is a backlash to the increasing complexity of modern games. Ten years ago, Quake 3 was the ultimate in complexity. In comparison, look at Modern Warfare 2 and the steep learning curve associated with that title.

 

After a long day, more and more people just want to come home, pick up a game, and play... without a lot of hoops to jump through. These simpler games with familiar gameplay are filler that need.

 

It's just that this tends to take the form of casual gaming that you play on the web for free, or downloadable games on the PC that you register for a small fee. You will rarely see retro-themed games sold at modern game pricepoints. People may prefer to play retro games but they still don't think they are worth paying as much for them as a modern game (unless you are a classic gamer buying homebrews of course).

[segasaturn]

Their just "okay". And thats the problem. Their so "OKAY" that why even bother. I mean there good. Don't get me wrong, I like a couple games. But they just keep making and releasing new games about retro games. You would think that after 2 or 3 at most they would stop.

[Tickled_Pink]

Some have been pretty decent. Pacman C.E. is a favourite on XBLA, even though I wasn't a big Pacman fan back in the day (probably because I was pretty awful at it). OutRun is pretty good as well.

 

There have been a few demos on XBLA I've played but can't remember most since they've been pretty forgetable ... I want an authentic version of Berzerk on XBLA.

[Zoyx]

There have been a few demos on XBLA I've played but can't remember most since they've been pretty forgetable ... I want an authentic version of Berzerk on XBLA.

Microsoft will be rolling out a "retro gaming service" called Microsoft Game Room. This will be rolled out over Xbox live and Windows live. Will be complete withe leaderboards and achievements. It'll be a gradual roll-out, starting this spring. Thirty games initially, with more to come. I suspect Berserk will be included eventually.

 

I plan on getting involved in this. Won't be the same as an actual arcade (no stale air, bad 80s tunes and mixing with arcade regulars), but it should be fun.

[atarian63]

There have been a few demos on XBLA I've played but can't remember most since they've been pretty forgetable ... I want an authentic version of Berzerk on XBLA.

Microsoft will be rolling out a "retro gaming service" called Microsoft Game Room. This will be rolled out over Xbox live and Windows live. Will be complete withe leaderboards and achievements. It'll be a gradual roll-out, starting this spring. Thirty games initially, with more to come. I suspect Berserk will be included eventually.

 

I plan on getting involved in this. Won't be the same as an actual arcade (no stale air, bad 80s tunes and mixing with arcade regulars), but it should be fun.

needs to be on ps3 or wii instead.

[cybercylon]

This movement to retro is a backlash to the increasing complexity of modern games. Ten years ago, Quake 3 was the ultimate in complexity. In comparison, look at Modern Warfare 2 and the steep learning curve associated with that title.

 

After a long day, more and more people just want to come home, pick up a game, and play... without a lot of hoops to jump through. These simpler games with familiar gameplay are filler that need.

 

I think there is a difference between "retro" and "casual" (brought up by another poster). The line between the two can blur though.

 

There are days where I simply want to mess with a few games with the colecovision or 5200 because I am too tired for a long sit down. But that is not what most casual gamers are looking for, because many of them aren't going to mess with 25-30 year old game consoles.

 

Then you have remakes like Megaman 9, 10, etc. Certainly it has a retro feel, and after a long day of work, they can be appealing because one doesn't have to think about the story line or complex game mechanics. Still, I would say that it is "retro", but not casual. I mean they are made with the difficulty of the old school megaman games, right? Casual gamers aren't looking for games that require a lot of hand eye coordination, one wrong jump and you die, etc.

 

New Super Mario Brothers Wii blurs the line somewhat. I like it because I do not generally like 3D platform games. I did not like Super Mario 64. Sonic in 3D is a disaster. So, the game appeals to the retro part in me by design. Yet, there is some appeal to the casual game player. Could you save your progress in SMB3 or Sonic 1? Nope. You had to do it in one sitting. Yet something like SMB Wii is more approachable. Multiple saves and more approachable than those 8-bit platformers some of us ground our teeth on and broke controllers over.

 

Then you have Uno on-line, Wii fit, 1 vs 100. Simple in concept. More approachable by far to a larger segment of the population.

 

Modern complex games? After a long day, if I want to play a complex game, I much prefer many save points or save anywhere (like Fallout 3, Dragon Age) so I can play a little while, feel like I accomplished something, and come back later. Even some more modern JRPG have taken a hint. Tales of Vesperia: save anywhere on the map, and smaller, manageable dungeons with a save point at the start, middle, and before a boss. Beat a dungeon in a reasonable amount of time, save, and play another day.

 

I didn't answer the poster's original question though. Retro remakes? I like them generally if they are well done, but I think they have to have a few elements that some would consider to be "casual". If someone where to make an 8 or 16 bit RPG with all of the charm, fine, but there better not be random battles, 3 hrs between save points, and endless grinding just too get 100 gold/gald/silvers/whatever to save up for that sword that costs 5,000 gold/gald/silvers/whatever.

 

Oh... and retro games on XBox live.... as soon as they have on-line multiplayer combat, I'm sold (sadly, that won't be the case for now).

Edited January 28, 2010 by cybercylon

[Shawn]

Megaman 9, Contra ReBirth & Castlevania ReBirth are just amazing.

[rpgfaker]

Any 360/PS3 sidescroller is welcome in my house. Now that's not saying I want Castlevania ReBirth which graphically is no better than super nintendo...no I want to see these games photo realistic with classic gameplay. Smoother fluid animation, particle effects, classic modes, smoke, fire, water, custom soundtracks, random gameplay factors, ect.

[ATARIPITBULL]

Yeah I hope they come out with a reto-game collection for the PS3, I know I would fly to my local Game Stop store to buy one.

 

[Shawn]

Have to add, with the release of Megaman 10 my vote that new-retro games are awesome is stronger than ever!

[otaku]

I think its fine but the only way I'll really go for them is if they have new features etc otherwise unless its something rare/expensive I'd rather have the real original thing

[psquare75]

Megaman 9 is HARD! But great!

[toptenmaterial]

I think that "new" retro games are wonderful! Personally, I love side scrollers, which seemed on the verge of extinction during the late 90s. Looking back, platformers like Symphony of the Night have aged very well in comparison to early 3D games released during the same era. For me, gaming must be intuitive. A lot of modern games have complicated combat systems that I can't impliment on the fly (Lords of Shadow, I'm looking at you). No need for all that, just stick to the basics. Jump and shoot, B, A and a D-pad, that's all you need!

[Protoplasym]

I love 'em - tons of quality games out and about. My major gripe is that the majority of them do not have physical releases.

[marthbrightblade]

If the quality is there it's ok. But like with the Megamans if it was a game with a different character, same game, different name, would people have bought into it as much? The marketing gurus know Megaman will sell downloads not something named Robotboy or anything with no name recognition. Trying to draw in a new generation could scare off the older audience by over exposure.