The word older is a relative term. For some older can mean something that came out last year. For those graphic hipsters out there, anything beyond 2012 might be considered old hat. Whereas for others older might mean games made in the the 1980s.
When we are talking about older games, we mainly talking about games at least 10 years old. Skipping away from the current generation. As we don’t really don’t really consider games that are just a couple years in age as really “old” yet.
- They are allot cheaper : Whether you want to pick up Need for Speed or a copy of Sierra On-line King’s quest chances are you can get them for a good deal. There are always good deals to be had at the sub ten dollar mark, which isn’t exactly breaking the bank. That is less than what you would spend on a night out on the town. Yet providing so much more in terms of hours of enjoyment. In some cases you can these games for free utilizing emulators or visiting a site like Abadonware and using D-fend Reloaded.
- They are tried and true classics : People like them and talk about them and they have an established track record. There will be no shortage of well seasoned reviews. You can share your experiences with others who want to bask in the glory of nostalgia.
- The artwork can be awesome : There is a big difference between Art Work and Graphics. Graphics in games usually means the ability to imitate realism. Whereas the artwork is the visuals in itself working within the graphical limitation. Sure a game like Ultima 7 might not have the high resolution and 3D of todays game. However if you use the Exult Engine to help modernize the resolution, it’s still a very pretty and colourful game and very pleasing to look at
- Music and Audio hasn’t really developed : The biggest difference in gaming from one generation to the next has been graphics. But once you have gotten passed the year 2000, music and sound are pretty much the same. Most games will have a fair amount of voice acting at this point. While music will be relatively full and professionally composed.
- They age better : Most modern games today utilize 3D technology. Where 3D is a means to imitate reality. Compare a 3D game from 10 years ago to one today. It probably looks like a very cheap imitation of reality. Whereas a 2D game is not meant to look realistic. Now compare some the best 2D games from the 90s to a mobile 2D game. Aside from a difference in resolution, chances are they don’t really look that different.
- Playing a 2D game is like reading a book : Because 2D games are not meant to be a realistic imitation of reality, the mind often fills in the blanks. Similar to when you are reading a book you form your own picture and representation of the characters. Which you don’t do when you are watching a movie where everything is spelt out.
The bottom line is older retro games still have high value. While graphics have improved over time, the actual gameplay on many modern games hasn’t improved. So the actual experience can potentially be better with an older game. So don’t be a snob and play some of those older games that have aged like fine wine!