By 
By: CHRISTINE GIVER
Columnist
It is amazing to think back to the early 90s when “Super Mario Brothers 3” seemed revolutionary compared to the days of Atari—and at the time it was.
Yes, I said Atari. I owned one before it was considered old or vintage. It was pretty revolutionary for its time too, but technology evolves so fast that you can hardly settle in and enjoy the version you just bought before something new comes around.
I happen to own a working PlayStation demo kiosk, the kind you used to find in stores, that you could play to test out the system or a specific game.
During its era, the neighborhood kids would have probably lined up down my block for a chance to play it. Today, all of my twenty-to-thirty-something friends are the ones who want to line up to play. Games have evolved and, with them, the tastes of the gamers.
Many of today’s newer gamers expect the same level of reality from their games as they do when from watching a movie.
The graphics have to be top of the line and often times a great story needs to be tied to it. While I understand those needs, and sometimes seek that out myself, I wonder what ever happened to being able to enjoy something simple and fun.
I highly recommend checking out a segment on the REACT channel on YouTube called “Teens React.” On that channel, producers have these teens react to vintage video games. Some of the teens find them pointless, while others appreciate the games like those of us who grew up on them do.
Games like “Crash Bandicoot” or “Ratchet & Clank” may be considered juvenile to some, but that is part of what makes them so great.
In a world where so many bad things happen on a daily basis, we could all use a little silliness and remember how simple it was to be a kid again.
Great post! I think there in the last decade there was an itch for a return to gameplay centered games, which is why we’ve seen indie titles really prosper in recent years. For better or worse, the industry is fragmented now between big AAA titles with movie level productions and indie titles focused on innovative ways of play by small groups, with a lot of the middling studios disappearing.