Why Nostalgic Games Are Trending Again
Nostalgia can be a powerful thing. If you hear a song that was popular during your teenage years, then you might feel a sudden sense of longing for the past. The same applies to fashions, art styles, and even video games.
We’ve seen several waves of nostalgia-inducing games. The emergence of modern pixel-art tools, like Aseprite, has made it possible for the 16-bit era to make a return on modern systems. Low-poly assets, ‘chiptune’ audio, and deliberately retro rendering pipelines have allowed the gaming aesthetics of yesteryear to make a comeback.
But exactly what is it about nostalgic games that makes them so appealing? There are a number of factors worth considering.
The Comfort of Simpler Times
When the world around us is complex and disorienting, it can be comforting to take refuge in nostalgia. This was especially obvious during the pandemic, when billions of people around the world found distraction in their screens. A good retro game will provide a valuable kind of escape.
Retro Graphics and Sound Have Cultural Appeal
Over the years, photorealistic graphics and crystal-clear audio have become the norm. And yet, millions of gamers still yearn for the imperfections of the past. The limitations of older systems helped to inspire creativity in developers and artists. Certain sounds, like the squelchy FM bass of the Mega Drive, can provoke instant nostalgia in anyone who hears them.
The Rise of Indie Game Developers Paying Homage
Of course, many of the gamers who lived through the 80s and 90s have been shaped by their experiences. The indie developers of today have thoroughly dissected the games they grew up with, which has allowed them to develop new and improved homages to bygone periods in gaming history.
In many cases, however, developers have been able to preserve those nostalgic aesthetics while adding in quality-of-life features that make a big difference to how enjoyable the games actually are.
For example, modern titles like Ion Fury, which draws upon the famous Build engine, allow for the experience of older sprite-based shooters, like Doom and Duke Nukem 3D, to be replicated.
Digital Accessibility and Emulators
What happens if you want to play an SNES game, but you don’t have access to an SNES? Emulation provides an answer. An emulator provides a recreation of an older system. You might buy a Raspberry Pi and keep it beneath your television. Or, you might look at a more powerful FPGA-based system instead.
Classic Game Formats Work So Well on Smartphones
Of course, one place where classic games are readily available is the app store on your mobile phone. You might look at puzzlers, shooters, card games, and traditional bingo app games. They’re quick, simple, and perfect if you’re looking for a hit of nostalgia while you’re on the move.
Nostalgia-Fuelled Multiplayer and Local Co-op
Increasingly, gamers are looking to not just compete with one another over an internet connection but to collaborate using local multiplayer, in the same way that they did during the 90s. The spirit of two-player shooters like Gunstar Heroes and World of Illusion has been replicated through their modern descendants.
Board Games and Analogue Game Resurgence
Nostalgia isn’t just to be found on digital platforms. You might look at the explosion of interest in card games, board games, and quiz nights to find plenty of evidence of it. More than ever before, gamers are craving a dose of the pre-digital era, and it’s easier than ever to find one!