SOT - Any retro video gamers here?

[Shion]

Hi all,

I'm not into modern computer/video games, but love older consoles, particularly those by Sega. I pulled out my Mega Drive (aka Genesis) and Master System a few days ago, for the first time in a while, and it has been a bit of fun.

Just wondering if anyone else here shares this interest?

I ask here because I think a part of small film formats' appeal is their "retro" factor. So I'm wondering if small gauge fans have other retro interests- old games, old cars, old houses, etc.

-Bon

[Rollef]

just a side note.
I bought the "Freaks and geeks" DVD some time ago. It's a killer tv-show. (to bad it was cancelled). Just saw an episode where Sam wanted an atari, and they where playing atari on the tv. That was cool. And in one episode they where also watching 8mm porn... but this is not what you were asking about so I’ll shut up.

[Evan Kubota]

I still enjoy playing SNES and Game Boy. Was never much of a Sega fan until Dreamcast (fantastic system), although Sonic is a great series.

[Angus]

Master system retro? Geez, I would be using my Sinclair ZX81 (US= Timex Sinclair 1000) if it worked....so I make do with emulators. I even occasionally write new programs for it!

I think the older computer games, prior to about 1985, had far more imagination. Since then a few have been great (the original Doom, Geoff Crammonds Grand Prix games) but the flair has gone.

Perhaps when you had very limited RAM and graphical capabilities you needed an imaginitive concept.

Personally I'd rather play some simple game on my PDA like dominoes or a trading game than any of the new games out on the PC right now.

As for consoles....I briefly tried a PS2 and didn't find anything worthwhile.

[Shion]

... but this is not what you were asking about so I’ll shut up.

Don't be silly- that's definitely relevant, and a cool bit of info. I'll have to look out for the series.

Evan- the SNES was an awesome system. I never owned one, but may purchase one now that this old gear is so cheap (another virtue of retro gaming . I never tried a Dreamcast, cool as they looked, so might have to look into that too...

-Bon

[Shion]

Master system retro? Geez...

Haha, true. I was wondering if someone would say that.

Perhaps when you had very limited RAM and graphical capabilities you needed an imaginitive concept.

Personally I'd rather play some simple game on my PDA like dominoes or a trading game than any of the new games out on the PC right now.

Likewise. I'm impressed by modern gaming technology, but simply don't find the games as interesting as those of older systems. I think there's too much emphasis on simulating "reality," when games are (IMO) supposed to be an escape from reality.

-Bon

[greenplastic79]

I always pick up old systems when I'm out shopping thrift stores for vintage clothes and cameras. I have a couple atari's and games, but I really prefer the old NES. Most of them don't work when you buy them but you can just fix the 72 in connector or replace it.

Dreamcasts are cool because people are making homebrew games and developing little programs for it.

My favorite game of all time right now is the NES Friday the 13th. That game will scare the crap out of you and every time you play it it's a bit different.

[MovieStuff]

Never really was into gaming. The only arcade game I liked was the original 70's version of "Death Race 2000", which had a bird's eye view of pitiful black and white CRT graphics of a box (ostensibly a car) chasing down a circle with legs (ostensibly a person). When you ran over them, they squealed, a cross popped up and taps sounded then the chase began again. I liked the game because of its gruesome simplicity, both in terms of the graphics as well as the rules (such as they were). The game was yanked almost 25+ years ago after a mothers' group objected. If only they knew what the future held. Grand Theft Auto makes Death Race 2000 look tame, by comparison.

About two years ago, my wife decided that I needed to relax more so she bought a game box (sony or something, I dunno) and bought a copy of a James Bond interactive game. The game controller was unmercifully complicated for an old fart like me. While I was futzing with it (sneaking up on a bad guy) I accidentally pushed the wrong button and, to my horror, I shot the poor son of a bitch in the back!!!!!!!!!! Despite my fascination with the original cathode ray carnage of Death Race 2000, this just seemed, well, wrong on so many levels. While I was surprised that I had shot the guy in the back, I was even more surprised that the game let me do it. I mean, this is James Bond! He doesn't shoot guys in the back! What happened to rules of conduct, code of ethics, etc?

Death Race 2000 was more "conceptual" and fun in a silly sort of way. But the graphics in James Bond were too realistic and the whole thing made me uncomfortable. Considering how tame the Bond game is compared to Grand Theft Auto, I sometimes wonder if the mothers' group wasn't right, all those years ago. There just seems to be no sense of accountablility in many of the violent games these days. Not a judgement call; just an observation.

Still, I would give my left nut to have an original Death Race 2000 arcade console from the late 70s. What a hoot.

Roger

[Alex_W]

It's funny you mention the shooting in the back roger. In the game 'Return to Castle Wolfenstein', there's a part where you have to shoot a nazi in the back, while he's listening to a piece of classical music (no, not Wagner, something really nice). You're shooting a nazi, that must be good. But wait, you're also shooting an 'person', a 'human being' who likes art etc. in the back! Moral dilemma never really used to be part of computer games, seems like this is changing.

I've never really been a gamer myself. The first game i ever played was Xenon 2 - and ofcourse the inevitable space invaders - on a 286 or something. I would steer the spaceship while my friend would shoot all the aliens to hell. I've never liked the whole idea of doing different assignments to achieve some status, i don't have the patience for it. Most of the time i'll just enter as much cheats as i can and fool around a bit until i start hating myself for not doing something useful.

[downix]

I used to retro game, now I'm planning on selling some of them off.

Anyone want a Magnavox Odyssey II? 8)

[Paul L.]

I bought a Sony PSP when it came out and the disc I'm most looking forward to is a compilation of early Midway/Williams arcade games including Robotron, Sinistar, Joust, Defender, etc. I can't wait to be able to bring that on the train with me!

An original Death Race 2000 cabinet would be pretty pricey. Not a lot of them made, and I'm sure a lot were destroyed/converted at the time.

[namke]

Retro? Well, for me you can't beat the original Elite on the BBC As for modern stuff, I got a PSP and Wipeout (very slick) - but my favourite recent game for the PS2 must be Rez - very retro graphics, but a modern twist I did get the Sonic Collection for PS2 just so I wouldn't have to dig out the Megadrive for my hedgehog fix

john..

[super8man]

i was always a sucker for the SIT DOWN version of the star wars X wing fighter game...they had a stand up version too but it just wasn''t the same...I can still hear Obi Wan saying "Use the Force Luke" - ultra ultra cool...simple line graphics but oh what my imagination would conjure up flying that game for what seemed like forever...I still want one in my home.

That and asteroids where the gravity was on and you kept getting sucked to the sides, etc...I love blasting rocks!

Now, on PS2, Ghost Recon is pretty cool, I have to admit...I love playing it in two player assist mode...very fun...

[mynameisbob]

I used to have a Vectrex - TOTALLY COOL! cannot believe i gave it away...

[reflex]

I'm not into modern computer/video games, but love older consoles, particularly those by Sega.

Just wondering if anyone else here shares this interest?

You bet. I've got a few hundred of them, from the common to obscure. I try to write about one on Retro Thing every week or two.

My favorite: http://www.retrothing.com/2005/08/vector_graphics.html