10 Things We Miss About The Early Days Of Gaming & 10 Ways It's Better Now
What Do You Miss Most?
Games of today certainly have the edge when it comes to technology, yet there are things about old-school gaming we can't help but look back on fondly. After all, nothing rivals the start of something totally new, even if the graphics were shoddy, we had to sit through 8-bit soundtracks, and our progress didn't save properly half the time. Here are 10 things we miss about the early days of gaming and 10 ways it's better now.
1. The Simplicity
Remember games like Tetris and Pipe Dream? It was the time before complex open worlds. These games were prime examples of less being more.
2. The Nerdy Subculture
There are many positive aspects of gaming going mainstream. However, we miss that old nerdy community. We had our own lingo and everything.
3. Difficulty
Even though games were simple, that doesn't mean they were easy. There was no hand-holding back then, no obvious clues. You really just had to figure it out.
4. Buying Games In Their Entirety
Back then, when you bought a game, that was it. You were never asked to pay extra for DLC, or pay-to-win, what was in the case you bought was the whole thing.
5. Gathering With Friends To Play
Sure, online gaming is convenient, but oh how we miss rushing over to Johnny's place after learning his mom just bought him the new Mortal Kombat. Physically gathering together is always better than virtual.
6. Arcades
Of course, arcades still exist. They're full of flashy new VR equipment. We miss the old-school arcades that we used to loiter in after school, spending all our allowance on Pac-Man and Space Invaders.
7. The Bad Graphics We're All Nostalgic For
Sure, many modern games are stunning, and the old graphics were horribly pixelated heaps of garbage in comparison. But somehow, looking at three lines and pretending like it was a tank is something we're all nostalgic for.
8. Those Catchy Soundtracks
The catchy 8-bit soundtracks that would play when you put your coins in a machine or cartridge in the slot will forever be burned into our memories.
9. Everything Was New
The most exciting thing about the early days of gaming was that everything was new. Sure, gaming is a constantly innovating field even today, but the major strides that happened every few months in the early days were something else.
10. The Weird & Wacky Games
Gaming studios today are way less willing to take risks than in the good old days, leading to most modern games being a bit too formulaic. Back then, they were way more experimental, giving us delightfully off-the-wall games like EarthBound, Myst, and Katamari Damacy.
Now that we've covered the things about the early days of gaming that we're all nostalgic for, let's talk about the ways it's better now.
1. The Graphics Are Amazing
Look at the stunning art in games like Horizon Forbidden West, Starfield, and Cyberpunk 2077. Now look back at the quite frankly comical pixelated graphics of early Mario or Mortal Kombat games. There is no comparison.
2. Online Multiplayer
We love physically gathering together, but in the modern day when all your friends are busy in their own lives or living in different places, online multiplayer is the next best thing. It definitely kept us sane during Covid, and will no doubt have our backs in future challenges as well.
3. Autosaves & Cloud Saves
Remember in the 90s when you would work on beating a level for days, and when you finally did, you'd have no space on your memory card to save? We're not against modern gaming coming up with a convenient solution to this frustrating problem.
4. Better Accessibility Options
Horrendous graphics with weird color schemesweren'tt just unpleasant to look at, but also made for an inaccessible gaming experience. Being able to customize the games with things like colorblind mode and adaptive controls is a literal game-changer.
5. User-Generated Content
User-generated content (UGC) like mods, skins, and maps makes for more of a custom experience. It helps keep games fresh and interesting.
6. More Complexity
Games nowadays have vast, open worlds with impressive detail and endless things to do. It makes for a more immersive and interesting gaming experience.
7. Deeper Storytelling
As much as we love the simplicity of old games, we also love the cinematic narratives with realistic moral dilemmas and creative plot devices that are present in many modern games. Games like Cyberpunk 2077, and The Last of Us have storylines that rival movies.
8. Indie Games
While many mainstream games are a little too formulaic, independent games like Cuphead and Disco Elysium offer something fresh and experimental. These wouldn’t be possible without platforms like Steam and Itch.io.
Chad & Jared Moldenhauer on Wikimedia
9. Immersive Technology
Whether you love it or hate it, VR technology is here to stay so we might as well do some cool things with it. Immersive tech has elevated the gaming experience to unimaginable levels, and it’s only in its infancy.
10. Constantly Transforming Games
While we like the one-and-done model of old games, there’s also something nice in the ever-evolving games of today. New content being released over time means games are constantly transforming, keeping players engaged for longer periods.
