Modern video games are unquestionably more advanced than older games, with lifelike graphics, realistic physics, substantial artificial intelligence and online multiplayer choices. Despite this abundance of technology, gaming fans are increasingly turning to older games and gaming systems, making retro gaming one of the hottest trends in the leisure sector.
Gaming simplicity
Gone are the days when you could buy a game, rush home and pop it into your system. Due to current games carrying an increasing quantity of data and visuals, gamers are accustomed to downloading the most recent upgrades and releases, performing bug fixes and waiting hours for their new game to install. Then there is the steep learning curve often associated with increasingly complex modern games, with dozens of different controls and rules to remember.
By contrast, because they lacked the technology to produce slick and easily immersive gaming experiences, gamers from earlier eras had to rely more on producing compelling gameplay. Older games were less attractive, but more challenging and with simpler controls, making them ideal for gamers who want a break from the demands of modern gaming.
Retro casino gaming
Because the online casino business is so crowded, many modern online casinos are devising new and innovative ways to keep gamers engaged and away from the competitors. One approach to accomplish this is through historic gaming experiences, in which all the glitz and glam of the past are reintroduced, while still allowing the user to profit from 21st century technology.
Slot games, in particular, have a retro vibe to them, with themes based on classic TV episodes and movies. Live casino gambling has a vintage appeal as well, because it allows players to experience part of the ambiance of an in-person casino. More information about slot games can be found at Norskespilleautomater.com.
Old consoles
Many of the best games ever produced were released in the 1980s and 1990s, and many of them still hold up today, which helps to explain the nostalgia for sprites, cartridges, low-res polygons and CDs among Gen X and early Millennials. Whether you grew up with the NES, Sega Genesis or PlayStation, there’s a new, modern console that you can use to relive your childhood games.
Even better, because these systems use modern technology, you won’t have to dig up analog video cords or purchase graphics converters. Nintendo NES, Sega Genesis and PlayStation Classic consoles are more popular than ever right now, as users relive their childhood gaming memories or try out 80s and 90s games for the first time, and retro consoles are increasingly available.
Soaring price of originals
Have you kept your retro gaming classics? With many passionate players looking back in time to find their retro fix, there is a huge demand for original games. Unboxed versions of Tetris for the Gameboy, for example, are selling for over $1,500, while the Nintendo 64 Golden Eye version from 1997 could be worth over $800 and for a first edition, sealed copy of the first Final Fantasy game, you would now have to pay in excess of $6,000.
New retro console versions
The modern console market also appears to be heading back to its roots, with the release of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) Mini Classic, which offers the same appearance and feel as the original SNES home console, but in a more compact version that comes with 21 games. Veteran gaming company Atari has also returned with the release of the Ataribox, which was designed to combine iconic retro games with modern games to give you the best of both worlds.
Another old gaming name, Commodore, has also returned to the gaming market, with the C64 Mini, which features high-definition output via HDMI, a vintage-style joystick, and 64 built-in games, including old favorites such as Uridium, Paradroid, Hawkeye, Nebulus and Monty Mole.
Summary
Overall, while current games have many advantages, such as better visuals, higher-quality experiences, and many more challenges and adventures than games from the 1990s and 2000s, retro games have an appeal that is hard to ignore, since they bring back a sense of simplicity that we had in the past. This awareness that gaming fans are after something more than just ultra-realistic graphics is also likely to lead to greater depth and more absorbing gameplay as game designers adjust their priorities.
In short, retro games are back, and they’re most likely here to stay, so we should expect more retro gaming trends to emerge at the same time as new technology brings us even more cutting-edge modern gaming.