Game Nostalgia - 4-Bit Fanaticism

(I have removed Friday from the posts since I will likely never post on time.)

"You're still playing Atari?" my dad asked me today as I was piddling around on Game Room before we headed out. The truth is that I have always been behind the video game evolutionary curve. We had our Atari 2600 burning up the T.V. well into 1990 when my parents finally broke down and bought a Nintendo system. I have been consistently rewarded with a system about two years before it goes out of style. (With computers and cellphones, it is about two months.)

With this in mind, I must say: I FUCKING LOVE ATARI GAMES! Yes, their graphics are about as interesting as day old coffee grounds, and game plots were as thin as William Shatner's sanity. Yet they existed in an age when graphical limits challenged designers to innovate games more intriguingly, or steal from everyone else, as game copyright laws were extremely lax at the time. I still remember running through endless mazes to avoid Zots for hours of endless fun, and this happened only three weeks ago.

Tunnel Runner, 1983. Copyright CBS Electronics

Now, one could say that games have evolved so much that there is no point to looking back, and in some regards this is true, for nostalgia is often used as a cheap marketing ploy in lieu of innovation. However, to deny the roots of gaming is to forget the foundations that they laid for the games of today.

I guess in the end, what I find most fascinating about my 4Bit Fanaticism is that it mimics my attachment to other hobbies, for I often love my gateway item and my current fascination. All matters in between are immaterial, and it is often the first that stands as the most endearing and memorable experience.

So, for me, when I fire up Game Room, I wish not only to reclaim something that I once loved, but also to remind myself of where I am now and the path that I took to get here. Wiping out the horror of NES-level game difficulty though is an important step in the process.

Epic Fail - Post and Rant

My diligence has not been strong right now. Thesis work and independent studies have consumed too much of my time and I am really feeling a bit burned out, thus I have not been doing updates. However, a recent excursion with my new Gameinfo magazine has led me to today's slightly hypocritical post: sequel mania.

One of the main articles in the magazine feature the top 50 games to premiere at E3. While many of them will likely be stunning titles, I couldn't help noticing that nearly all of the games are simply sequels, remakes, or extensions of previous games. Where was the host of new IPs that are not simply motion sensor gimmicks? Now, I am a bit biased, being a total Shin Megami Tensei fanboy, but even I must ask where the hell are all of the new games without the guaranteed series backing. This fits into a much larger discussion of the distinct hole plaguing many artistic venues, as it seems that there is an initiative in place that stifles and/or discourages any active movement toward risky new properties.

I have watched this phenomenon develop throughout the course of the horror movie genre, which has only shown a few moments of punctuated equilibrium, characterized by radical shifts in the genre. During the rest of the time, one can find hundreds of imitations and copies that simply do not take any risks or cash in on a prevalent trope without any useful exploration.

While I will likely partake in a few of the titles, I will simply hold out for the next new, innovative title, or Persona 4 Portable...

Newest Distractions

My life has been consumed by two new pastimes that might become staples of my weekly routine. Though my feud with 8bit Emma has not been resolved by any means, our Wednesday trip to the Castle P to obtain new delicious comics has become something I now cherish greatly. Though I did not buy any new comics, I bought some newish Marvel Ultimates comics that take place after the Ultimatum debacle. I have committed to getting into a few series on a monthly basis as opposed to my usual routine of spam buying trades when I come upon them.

The second distraction, totally awesome and fitting within my love of old games, is the download and expansion of my Game Room on Xbox Live. For those of you unfamiliar with this program, it is a virtual space, modeled after a retro arcade, where you can buy old Konami arcade, Atari 2600, and Intellivision games, and install their arcade likenesses into this space. You can also buy mascots from the games that float around inside your game room looking totally pimped out and awesome. Any friends on your Xbox Live account appear as patrons in your arcade, and if they decide to download the free program and expansions, they can visit your arcade and see how you have designed it. My room is starting to look fairly active, as I have the bottom floor completely decked out in themed rooms, while the second floor has two rooms according to game system.

Despite these distractions, I still hope to continue with Game Nostalgia Friday tomorrow, but I have decided to review a tabletop roleplaying game instead of another video game. While I will not divulge the identity of the game, I hope that you will find it most enlightening.