Hide: House-eey

I’ve loved playing video games since I was a kid, and I still play them all the time today.

My first machine was an 8bit computer, the NEC PC-6001mk2 (Z80A CPU compatible). I especially loved adventure games like “Mystery House,” “Portopia Serial Murder Case,” “Okhotsk ni Kiyu,” and “Dezeniland.” Sorry that the titles are in Japanese, but those are the only names I know! Later on, my first game console was the Nintendo Famicom, which is the NES in the US. I still play Famicom games almost every day, though I definitely like modern games as well.

These days, I see so many “8bit style” games on modern consoles and powerful PCs. They’re usually just “8bit inspired,” meaning they have pixel art and chiptune music. But for some reason, they don’t always feel as fun as the good old real 8bit games. I think modern creators should focus more on making the game actually fun instead of just focusing on the 8bit look.

Nostalgia is one thing, and that’s fine, but it’s different from actual fun.

But why are old games still playable and fun? Is it just nostalgia? Is it just because I played them during my childhood and have good memories? I don’t think so. Back then, there were no achievements, no trophies, no battle passes, no leaderboards, no loot, no high quality music, no crystal clear cutscenes, and no polygons.

For me, there are over a hundred Famicom games that are still genuinely fun to play, and not just the huge titles like Zelda, Dragon Quest, or Super Mario Bros. So I can definitely say it’s not just nostalgia.

As for modern games, I like them too, but for some reason, I can’t seem to play them for very long. To get achievements or trophies, I have to sit through tutorials because everything is so complex now. There are so many voice actors, super long cutscenes, and flashy music. I mean, sure, it could be fun, but is it really?

Another thing is that I really hate playing remakes of old games. Recently, a lot of developers have been releasing renewed versions of old titles with high res graphics and rich music. I just don’t get why.

Back when I played those original games, they didn’t have voices. That meant I could imagine exactly who was speaking, their tone, and their intonation. I already had those characters built up in my head. But these new remakes mostly just ruin my memories and those images. It’s kind of like when a movie is based on a novel. People have already created their own version of the characters, and once they see the movie, it can totally break those mental images.

That’s why I don’t buy those kinds of games.

So overall, I’m all for modern games, I just don’t have any room for those worthless remakes of old titles. ;-)

By the way, I still listen to over a hundred albums from the 80s and 90s every single day. As for today’s music… well, what do you think?