Is nostalgia a good or a bad thing for todays games/sequels?

[f0rked]

Check out the article here. It's a pretty interesting take on gaming nostalgia. I have to admit, I see it reflected quite a lot in forum posts. Like "I'd like to see another doom game, but like the original doom". I mean, personally, I think that would suck. A game devoid of any in-game plot, simply fighting wave after wave of baddies, in levels with 3 different coloured keys, and mazes being the only actual puzzles? I think a game like that would probably get slated for being too simple, with nothing but gunning down bad guys as the real gameplay mechanic.

The same goes for lots of games these days. "Yeah (insert sequel) is okay, with its new 3d graphics, and shaders, and physics and everything, but I wish it was more like the original, 199x game.'

But now, to the real point: nostalgia, good or bad?

 

[bliink]

I wrote maybe.

Deus ex and Deus ex 2 are good examples why you should look at where you came from before you try and decide where you're going.

 

[Dalamari]

What bliink said, like HL2, it still stayed a zombie bashing/soldier killing game with a few old characters, but it threw in cool physics and amazing graphics to make the game new

 

[sabre0001]

Maybe - I would like Fifa to go back to RTWC '98 but some games are better moving forward...Isn't Serious Sam like the old-school Doom that you gave in the example?

 

[f0rked]

Deus ex and Deus ex 2 are good examples why you should look at where you came from before you try and decide where you're going.

Yeah obviously there are some exceptions. I'm not saying every sequel is better than the original. DE2 is a case in point. The original Deus ex was a masterpiece in storytelling, and an amazing action/adventure/rpg to boot. Whereas DE2 was still an action/adventure, with some nice graphics and physics (for the time), while the RPG element was completely butchered. I felt that removed a huge chunk of what made Deus Ex so great. That wasnt really trying to improve a game for the times as it was trying to make it more commecially viable. That and the story kinda sucked. I mean, JC was not the same character that he was in DE1. I actually almost hated him in the second.

What bliink said, like HL2, it still stayed a zombie bashing/soldier killing game with a few old characters, but it threw in cool physics and amazing graphics to make the game new

Actually I think what bliink was trying to say was that DE2 strayed too far from the original formula that made DE great, instead of just taking DE and adding cool graphics and physics. I think.

Isn't Serious Sam like the old-school Doom that you gave in the example?

Yeah Serious Sam is pretty much like what I described. I wouldve found it pretty boring if it weren't for the wide range of enemys/insane guns/comedy/awesome secrets/over the top traps/distorted gravity that made it unique.

But speaking of Serious Sam, I think that SS2 is another game that strayed a bit too far from its roots, and got a bit consolized in the process.

 

[Gargantou]

Maybe, it's all relative and depends on the games in question.
Also, nostalgia doesn't necessarily have to be sequel, I think that the early 90s were a better era for gaming, when I look at companies like Microprose for example, I play a ton of old games, everything from DOS, Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64 and I have to say overall I think that if you'd look on all games being released now, and then, you'd find that that era had alot more fun and experimental not to mention entertaining games. I'm yet to see any major commercial game use the detailed and awsome character generators from Twilight 2000 and Darklands for example.

 

[f0rked]

Yeah true. I realise now that this is more of an issue that needs to be discussed on a game-by-game basis, as opposed to discussing it in regards to games in general.

 

[CyberPitz]

I hit no instead o maybe, doh.

I hate when I do that.

 

[Ennui]

good in small doses

 

[Slacker]

I like it to some extent. Nostaligia is fun.

 

[Bob_Marley]

i think it can be a good or a bad thing. For example, I'm afriad that when Starcraft 2 comes out its going to get slated by eveyone for not being as good as the original. An example of this that has already happend is C&C: Tiberium sun. Now, on its own, it was a good game, but many fans felt that it didnt live up to the standard set by the first 2 games, an opinion that was no doubt strenghtend by the long wait gamers had for it.

mind you, personally I'm pretty immune to gaming nostalga, I've been using a mighty 400mhz machine since 1999, so I've played games from that era for the past 7 years. And I can honestly say that the gameplay in many of them is better than newer games (My other rig is a 3.2ghz). I'm yet to find a turn based tactical combat game better than Jagged alliance 2, the game play of the original UT is superior to the more recent versions (IMO the ommision of the enforcer in 03 and 04 was a huge error), worms world party is the best of the series, etc...

And even really, really old school games, like Operation Wolf i still play from time to time and find them truly awsome! And for 4 people crowded around a single computer in the school library game play you just cant be Super Smash Bros...

 

[PvtRyan]

"So is that a good or a bad thing?

- Yes.

Yes what?"

Your poll doesn't make sense

And nostalgia sucks, games are always greater in your memory than they actually were, which screws with people's expectations for new games.

 

[xcellerate]

I think it's better used it things like Doom 3 where on the slates of stone were original doom images. You were like holy crap, i totally remember playing that like 20 years ago!

 

[Bad^Hat]

I put maybe, but I meant sometimes.

 

[Naudian]

I'm gonna assume that "Yes" means it's a good thing, and pick it...

 

[boglito]

Nostalgia is usually a winner.
The main reason why games like deus ex2 and doom3 strayed so far from their originals was simply due to limitations imposed on what they wanted in vs. what they actually could get in.
When doom3 launched the engine was brand new and afaik the first with proper dynamic lighting and shadowing. It goes without saying that you can't pioneer graphics like that _and_ at the same time have 30 imps throwing fireballs at the player like in doom2 while having acceptable framrates.
DXIW got gimped due to xbox, simple as that. I read somewhere that the xbox-version also out-sold the pc-version by a factor of 3 to 1. Pretty sad, but that's geek-life.

Ofcourse, developers must keep in mind that most games wont sell for nostalgia alone, but gamers _do_ want their sequels to be similar to the original game. If you enjoyed half-life you want half-life2 to be a newer prettier better cooler version of half-life, you don't want something "brand new" with a lambda-logo on it. I feel that valve did a good job in keeping the half-life-feel while making the game-mechanics and story evolve.

.bog.

 

[The Brick]

Yes, nostalgia is good or bad.

 

[Uriel]

All depends on taste.

I would have liked to see a better DOOM sequel than DOOM 3. The feel wasn't right. DOOM should have never been recreated with a stamina bar and tight ass levels. The whole feel wasn't DOOM, it was more of a Sci-Fi shooter to me. However, I would have liked to see a more realistic DOOM to a point, but I feel they made the wrong changes. But that's my opinion.

.....and where the hell were the Brown Thorny Imps? Baron's of Hell with HORNS and Goat legs. WTF? I need some soulcube to defeat the Cyber Demon Lord? Hell no, I'll do it with a double barrel shotty if i have to. And of course they left out the SpiderMind. I'm using a flashlight to beat off Hell's forces? >< Brass Knuckes are kewler than that

 

[Beerdude26]

Brass Knuckes are kewler than that

Lol amen to that

 

[sabre0001]

For some games, there should be no sequel unless it can be done perfectly...Sensible Soccer - Ruined, Micro Machines - Ruined, Doom 3 - Ruined, etc...

They should be left as the monuments that they were!

 

[Ravioli]

I installed Diablo1 a few hours ago and was eager to kill diablo since i never got down to visit him when i was younger playing the game. However, i just came down to the church lvl 2 before i lost intresst. I dont know why, but its just not the same. However i love diablo2.

However, i think the system you play the game on matters. For example, when i was younger i loved to play Truxton and Golden Axe and all that crazy shit with my friend on his Sega all night. Now ive downloaded the ROMs and can play it on the PC but i loose intresst in about 5 minutes because its just not the same feeling. Bring in the small 10" TV monitor, throw in the old Sega, throw me some of those blocky game discs, bring the coke and chips, put on some music, bring the couch, bring the homies, start fighting about the controls.....and start playing...ahhh thats the way it should be.

 

[destrukt]

However, i think the system you play the game on matters. For example, when i was younger i loved to play Truxton and Golden Axe and all that crazy shit with my friend on his Sega all night. Now ive downloaded the ROMs and can play it on the PC but i loose intresst in about 5 minutes because its just not the same feeling. Bring in the small 10" TV monitor, throw in the old Sega, throw me some of those blocky game discs, bring the coke and chips, put on some music, bring the couch, bring the homies, start fighting about the controls.....and start playing...ahhh thats the way it should be.

I was playing Micro Machines with my girlfriend on her old megadrive on this tiny tv throwing lollies around and that, soo fun.

I love pushing people off the tables, hah.

 

[Reaktor4]

The old classics that i still play are as fun to me now as they always were. In most cases, if a game really was good, it will always be good imo.