May Contain Peanuts

Doop dee doop.

Check this out:

http://kotaku.com/gaming/clips/ultimate-nes-mash-up-starring-mega-man-and-that-kung-fu-dude-282402.php

Man, you gotta love old school nintendo games. Back then, the controller had 4 buttons, not 12 or 14 and goals were simple. Run, jump, shoot. Easy. Don't get me wrong, new games are great. 3D adventures add a whole different level of play and improved graphics immerse you in a virtual reality. But the old games were just so fun.

The big video games companies are aware of this fact. You can now download these older games to your new console and play on the web and compare high scores. It's like the arcade in your home. Thank god there's finally a good use for the internet.

Personally, I still have my old nintendo. And my Genesis, and my atari. Yes atari 2600. It doesn't get much more rudimentary than two squares shooting smaller squares at each other. There's an old game called "Circus Atari" that used the 'innovative' peripheral of the rotating paddles. These were analog long before analog was hip again. Anways, the game is basically bouncing a little circus guy on a teeter totter and popping the balloons overhead. Think a more complex version of 'breakout'. You lose when your man bouncing up and down misses the teeter totter and splats on teh ground, legs flailing. For some reason I found this hilarious as a kid and sure enough when I brought it out again, the laughter continued.

This brings me to my point. New games are great, new innovations and styles are remarkable. But are they worth the price? $60 for a new game on top of the $500 you spent on the console. If you got the money, disregard this comment. But if you're a tad on the thin wallet side and are looking for good entertainment, go back to the old consoles. You can still pick up used ones at the local game store, and there's plenty of material available to make sure you only get good games and not Superman 64. I feel like the kids of today should all be exposed to these old school games. Less violence, simple goals, plenty of fun. I feel I was priveledged to grow up with the gaming industry, whereas kids now are entering it at a point that is far too much for an introductory gamer. But what do I know? I'll be happy playing the first Zelda or Gunstar Heroes and leave the heavier games for the pros.