Videogame Nostalgia Isn't What It Used To be

Thanks to GameSpy for its 'Pixel' column discussing the dangers in letting videogame nostalgia run unchecked, as the author explains: "Number one: Just because it's old, doesn't mean it's particularly good. And number two, loosely based on Sturgeon's Law: 90% of all video games ever made are either mediocre or crap." He gives an example: "Case in point: A little PlayStation game called Gunners Heaven. It was a very early Japanese release by Sony... [and] the American import magazines covered it a bit and described it as a Gunstar Heroes clone", but the game, once acquired, "was thoroughly mediocre", showing "the dangers of unchecked nostalgic anticipation."

Lemmy get this straight...

[Anonymous Coward]

One guy gets hyped up about some old Japaneese game he'd never even played before, solely based on the fact that people - including paid reviewers which are probably the worst source of info on the planet - compared it to a similar game he enjoyed. A couple years later, he buys it, finds out its crap... and suddenly nostalgia is a danger to everyone.

Excuse me while I go hit my head against a wall for an hour.

The best part of the article

[cgenman]

The best part of the entire article is that the sentence "I officially veered off the path of rational thought and entered the dreaded forest of unthinking nostalgia," appears next to an ad for Star Wars Galaxies.

"How could it not be worth getting?"

Re:If it's broke but generating adviews, don't fix

[gmhowell]

90% of everything is crap

Like slashdot stories (and editors) and gamespy articles. Funny how that works.

Re:Lemmy get this straight...

[Anonymous Coward]

Man, I remember when I was a kid, I used to hit my head against the wall all the time, it was so much fun.

When I read your post I wanted to try it again, so I banged my head against the cinderblocks and hurt myself.

I tell you, nostalgia can be a dangerous thing!

Re:modern "ports"

[Man of E]

I personally loved Duke 3d, and I would love to play through it on a newer engine.

Be careful what you wish for, you might have to wait FOREVER!

Is this person serious?

[Dizzle]

This person is, get this, getting nostalgic about nostalgia! That's just absurd!

Re:Gamers today are spoiled

[AltaMannen]

Oh I agree. Haven't seen a "totally awful in every way" game in years.

Oh yeah? You must have missed this one then... [gamespot.com]

bad call!

[geminidomino]

Deadly Towers was a great little game. You want to talk about bad games, tho, I got two words for you: "Wisdom Tree"