Jason Trent, Associate Writer

Classic Gaming Will Always Have Its Place

We've seen a recent resurgence of classic-style games lately. Mega Man 9 released on Wii ware almost a year and a half ago, and since then, it appears that developers are taken with the idea of offering gamers an experience that is both old and new. After Mega Man 9 saw critical and financial success, developers became more willing and eager to hearken back to the days of yester-decade. Mega Man 10 has since been announced, Dark Void 0 was released on Wii Ware along side its Next Gen counterpart, and even No More Heroes 2 has included elements from vintage games. It's official: bump mapping is out and sprites are in. Is this a style that gets better with age?

Often, the first thing we notice when playing a game are the visuals. Although it's not always the best way to evaluate something, we have a tendency to take a game at face value. It can be indicative of the amount of effort and polish given during the development process, as well as the overall experience one can expect while playing. Reverting the graphical style of a game to 8-bit style sprites is definitely a way to get our attention. There aren't many pixels to them, but what they lack in glamour they more than make up for with soul and charm. Mega Man 9 even went as far as to recreate graphical glitches where sprites flicker when there's a lot of on-screen action. The original graphical style is painstakingly recreated for your nostalgic enjoyment, and the throwbacks don't stop there. The audio has also been devolved into the synthesized beeps and blurps we all remember. It's like eating a good home cooked meal after non-stop fast food; it makes you feel right at home.

Then there's the difficulty. Maybe I just don't have what it takes, but I don't have a single achievement for the Xbox Arcade version of Mega Man 9. My wife watched in horror as I jumped, dodged and shot my way into Game Over time after time. This game is tough. To say it brought me to my knees would be an understatement and I can't be the only one. This game is brutal. When I was a kid, I'd get one game a year for Christmas. Going through hell to master the game was a bit appealing, as I could get more and more time out of my gift before reaching its end. I could play a game for months on end; trying to master every little nuance. Gaming wasn't just a hobby; it was a skill. Reliance on memorization and trial and error was key and the gameplay was distilled into its purest form. With tight controls and unforgiving...well everything...your success is solely based around your ability to learn and adapt. It's certainly not something I'd like to see in every game, but in small doses it is a great deal of fun.

Mega Man isn't the only example of classic games recreated. Shadow Complex is a recent example that takes the aesthetics of a new game with the game play sensibilities of the 90's to make something that's familiar and fresh at the same time. The developers took the 2-D Metroidvania gameplay, married it with the Unreal Engine 3, then threw in some 3-D gameplay elements for good measure. The result? One of my favorite games of 2009. This just goes to prove that the old ways of thinking will always have a place in our living rooms. Though not every game is classic in the sense that the graphics are straight out of the 80's, we still see classic elements everywhere (Bayonetta anyone?).

Much of the appeal surrounds the idea that those who played games in the 80's and 90's were of a special breed. We're a part of an exclusive group of classic gamers who are battle hardened and hungry for a challenge. Although the tastes of the average gamer have changed, classic gaming will always have its place. Few things are as powerful as memories, and with classic gaming, we get to be kids again. I don't expect these style of games to appeal to the mainstream gamer. These are things best enjoyed by the seasoned player. Obviously, the gaming market has changed to appeal to a broader audience than that of our childhood.How much longer can we expect to see throwbacks to older games? There's no telling at this point. Eventually, we all decide with our dollars, but this is a trend I don't see going away for some time.