It’s surprising to think that while there’s an ever-growing tech industry developing new video games and bringing out new ways in which to enjoy them. In recent years there’s been an increasing number of people collecting and playing games that were made popular two and three decades ago. Furthermore, in spite of the fact that retro gaming is becoming more mainstream, the price of the old classics is also rising as fans aim to add to the vast collections.
As so much emphasis is placed on increasing the quality of graphics and making games as realistic as possible, it’s hard to understand this fascination with old retro titles, such as Super Mario Bros. and Tetris. However, some collectors have collections containing thousands of games, together with the consoles to play them on. While part of this attraction is due to nostalgia, many fans claim that old-style video games are harder to play, as you were often only given 3 lives before you had to start the game all over again.
However, the growing popularity of retro gaming is not all down to nostalgia, as it’s becoming an increasing trend among the wider gaming community, with the UK’s pre-owned games market currently being valued at over £125 million. One such collector credits the recent retro gaming revival with the release the Wii’s Virtual Console, where fans can download re-released classics such as Super Mario Bros. 3 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. There’s also a growing number of people looking to play traditional games in a digital format, such as roulette online, as developers and companies adapt this classic casino game for desktops and mobiles.
Fans buy the retro games at events which are held around the country specifically for people to buy and sell old games and consoles. Many people have noticed the increasing cost of such games, as collectors get in on the scene, and start to hoard games. However, the big game publishers are also aware of the popularity of the old school games and are providing ways for gamers to get onboard without having to resort to spending thousands of pounds to buy original copies, by releasing games such as Nintendo’s Super Mario Maker, which sold over a million copies within two weeks of being released.
It’s not just the big boys who have jumped onto the bandwagon; independent developers are also producing games with an old-fashioned feel, which have been based on such classic favorites as Pac-Man. Their re-creations of the old classics remind players of the visual appeal of pixelated graphics with games such Minecraft and Towerfall, opting for a more pixelated, retro look. But whatever the appeal of retro games, be it nostalgia or the simple appeal of the graphics, it seems to be a trend that shows no signs of abating.
