Have classic games changed the way you play?
Classic games are available on all the major game consoles. From Mario to Sonic, they have anything you could want. Are they causing you to change your gaming activity?
Video game developer Capcom announced on Tuesday that it will be bringing some of its classics to the PlayStation 3 and the Sony PSP. According to the company, it will be releasing Mega Man Powered Up, Dino Crisis, Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, and more.
Capcom is following a long list of companies that have brought classic titles back to gamers. And for the most part, they can be found on the major consoles.
Xbox 360 owners can download several classic titles, including Doom, Sonic the Hedgehog, Worms, Duke Nukem 3D, Banjo-Kazooie, and many others (full list).
Sony offers Final Fantasy VII, Crash Bandicoot, Twisted Metal 2, Wild Arms, Tekken 2, Metal Gear Solid, and Destruction Derby, to name a few (full list).
Nintendo boasts a variety of classic titles, including Wave Race 64, Punch-Out, Donkey Kong, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Super Mario Bros. (full list)
Today's gaming landscape is (naturally) home to the most advanced video games we have ever played. But this generation of consoles is also ideal, if you're into classic gaming.
I, for one, get more excited when the "big three" announce additions to their classic-game lineups than when they announce new games. At least half of my time gaming includes trips down memory lane. I'm fighting my way through Final Fantasy VII, I'm crashing against the water in Wave Race 64, or I'm taking opponents out in Punch-Out. It's fantastic.
Recent moves by developers and hardware makers to bring classic games to current consoles are ideal for someone like me. I'm often bored with derivative first-person shooters. The same basic stories pitting good against evil get old. I need to get away and immerse myself in a world that was created years ago, when the industry was different.
Developers in previous gaming generations didn't rely so heavily on graphics to impress crowds--they relied on innovation. That focus on innovation comes through in so many of the classic games I play. Final Fantasy VII's story is better than most current-gen titles. Sonic the Hedgehog's use of speed to build excitement is unparalleled. I still have more fun playing Super Mario Bros. than any other game that has been released in the past few years. None of those titles might be able to match up graphically, but they offer something unique that makes them far more compelling than many newly released titles.
So as I consider how my gaming has changed since I've started immersing myself in classic gaming, I'm shocked to see the impact it has had on how I play games. Years ago, I played nothing but current-gen games. Today, I'm splitting my time between the old classics and new titles. It's fun.
What about you? Are you playing old games, or are you sticking to the new stuff? Let us know in the comments below.
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