From the very first days of computers, creative programmers and fun-loving designers have been using them to have fun. Computer games have been around for so long that their evolution is really easy to trace, from the days when the most cutting-edge games were simple blocks of pixels moving around the screen, to the very latest in virtual reality and immersive gaming.
Although the latest games incorporate a huge amount of work from experts in their field, there is also something about the retro gaming style that really appeals to even the most modern players. From playing old style fruit machines online to tracking down retro gaming consoles to trace the origin stories of some of the most popular characters that are still around today, retro gaming has never really gone away.
Although some of these traditional games do now seem quite dated, there is evidence to suggest that these early games have an appeal that goes right to the heart of why we feel nostalgia at all, according to the experts at RetroGeekery. For gamers that remember the classics from the first time around, playing a retro game is a reminder of the heady days of early computing when playing anything was a real labour of love.
A generation remembers the frustration of trying to load a game from a tape, waiting for a game to load excruciatingly slowly, or of saving all their pocket money to pump into an arcade machine in an attempt to beat the final boss. These were truly the entertainment choice of the day, as games such as Pac Man and Space Invaders gave way to more complex ones such as Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter.
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Gamers who grew up playing these games will always remember the excitement of the latest technology offering up entirely new ways to be entertained. The pressures of adult life can be happily ignored for a little while as the games of your childhood offer a chance to rekindle that joy that is found in play.
Many games were released onto a disk or chip for gamers to load up on their computer or console.
The psychological effect of classic games on the players
Although gaming has moved on apace, the love of classic games is often reignited when gamers want to show their children the games from their youth. Playing the games that they loved in their younger years brings back the feelings they remember from their own childhood, and sometimes a little remaining muscle memory can make a parent a contender against even the savviest gaming teen.
That’s one of the reasons that newer games are often designed to incorporate elements of some of the most iconic games from days gone past. Some of the visuals in modern games are so reminiscent of their early predecessors that they trigger the same sense of nostalgia as the original games, triggering the same urge to play that many of us remember feeling as kids.
Similar gaming patterns can also be used in the same way, to trigger the feelings that were inspired when playing the games of our childhoods. Finally getting a big win or beating a level that you had struggled with imparted a real sense of achievement in our childhood selves, and that’s a satisfaction that we want to replicate as we get older and harder to please.
By combining the responses of our memories and our reward systems, retro games affect the parts of our brains that generate a positive emotional response, flooding the brain with happy memories and imparting a general feeling of wellbeing. This then reinforces those feelings, encouraging us to seek out more retro gaming opportunities and reinforcing the cycle of positive feedback.
A lot of gamers think playing retro games provides a happy and nostalgic feeling.
The popularity of retro games
Scientific research shows that our personal identities are also tied up in the way we game, with risk-takers finding an outlet for their desire to push themselves to the limit within the safe confines of the game. Conversely, those who enjoy finding logical solutions to problems and strategizing their way to success seek out games that allow them to indulge that part of themselves.
Kids that are passionate gamers can often find that same joy triggered by playing similar games as adults, and they can work as an antidote to anxiety and depression in later life. This can be especially true when games require some degree of emotional resilience to succeed, reminding players of times that their patience and dedication paid off.
For some, the cultural takeover of gaming also plays a part in their love of retro style games. Classic fruit machines were ubiquitous in pubs around the UK, and even the sight of them can serve as a reminder of our formative years. Many people seek out games that remind them of their childhood but offer a more adult experience, such as online fruit machines and other traditional games that have surged in popularity in recent years.
The current popularity of retro games and machines is also providing games designers and developers with a challenge: to create new and engaging games with a retro feel that will appeal to a modern audience. Finding games that suit your playing style is even easier when there is so much choice.
Traditional games of chance have been given a facelift, meaning that there are plenty of ways to enjoy your favourite games in digital form, from classic card games to updated versions of games such as bingo and even chess. With so many to choose from, there is the perfect game out there for anyone.
