The Recent Resurgence of Retro Gaming

There has been a recent tidal wave of nostalgia that’s been sweeping through the video game industry the past few years.  Until recently, retro gaming meant scouring garage sales, thrift stores, eBay and Craigslist but not anymore. The NES Classic, SNES classic, and Atari Flashback have all made successful returns to the mainstream market.  This is despite the fact that they are up against all of the newer games with HD graphics and sound.

What is the reason for their success?  The ones that grew up playing those retro games in their original forms have all grown up, we have a disposable income, and nostalgia is a powerful thing.

Nostalgia is much more than simply remembering things from the past.  It’s a feeling. “Nostalgia is the warm, fuzzy emotion that we feel when we think about fond memories from our past,” explains Erica Hepper, Ph.D., a lecturer in the School of Psychology at the University of Surrey in England. “It often feels bittersweet — mostly happy and comforting, but with a tinge of sadness that whatever we’re remembering is lost in some way.”

Let’s be real, barring a few classics that stand the test of time, most of these retro games are lackluster by today’s standards.  However, there is a certain sense of relaxation and happiness when we hear that original Super Mario Bros theme or Pac Man’s “waka waka waka”.  My company’s main help line has some hold music that is very reminiscent of something that you would hear on an 8-bit Nintendo game.  Every time I have to call and am placed on hold, I get this weird sense of nostalgia that washes over me just because it reminds me of playing those games.  I’m sure that isn’t the intention, but I actually don’t mind waiting on hold for a few minutes to listen.

I get the same feeling whenever I get my hands on an old game that I used to love and play endlessly as a child.  There is a simplicity and beauty to these older games that makes them feel different than many of today’s games.  It takes me back to some of the best times of my life.  No worries, no bills to pay, no job to go to.  Just me trying to survive with 3 lives, no YouTube videos, and the latest Nintendo Power magazine.