Retro games offer an alluring respite

Chicago Tribune ^ | 12/7/04 | Eric Gwinn

[qam1]

Today's video games are so deep, complex and involving that you don't play them, you live them. For people who already have a life, that's a problem.

Games now can take 24 hours or more to complete, because gamemakers want to make sure you feel you're getting your 50 bucks' worth from playing a game that cost $10 million or more to make. What happened to the Zen-like simplicity of "Pong," the uncomplicated mad dash of "Pac-Man"?

Actually, they're coming back.

Atari recently released the Flashback, a slim TV-top box stuffed with 20 games from the 1980s. Gamemakers Midway and Nintendo now offer Vol. 2 of their respective retro game compilations. "Xbox Live Arcade" brings in an Internet component so retro gamers with broadband-enabled Xboxes can compete against one another.

The differences between retro games and today's games are simple.

"Older games are reaction-based," notes Adam Sessler, co-host of a cable TV video game review show, "X-Play." To play, all you have to do is destroy the aliens or escape the monsters or jump at the right time, and you don't have to be inside anybody's head.

"There is no learning curve, no intimidation," says Michael Wolf, Xbox public relations manager, "just the opportunity to pick up and play with anyone at any skill level."

This year's hit story-driven titles "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" and "Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal" include old-school-style mini-games that are heavy on action and light on plot, a nod to the popularity of this kind of simpler entertainment and a break from the intensity of the main game's mission.

There's clearly an audience -- these games have become staples of the Internet. Sites such as Yahoo!, AOL and MSN draw hundreds of thousands of gamers,

[Sloth]

Not exactly what you are looking for, but a fun free game nonetheless:

http://www.theforce.net/videogames/apps/boyavin/index.asp

[edchambers]

Thanks, it won't work on my "legacy" gamer but it ought to run just fine on my XP based system.Have you tried it without a joystick?Yea, I need a couple of those too.Right now I'm hunting for demos and abandonware 3d shooters.They work well on just about anything and play well with just a mouse and a keyboard.

[Benrand]

Sorry I didn't get back sooner. I'm in Michigan, Lansing to be exact.

PM me for email contact. I'm interested.

[bootless]

I'm an Asteroids gal. Many, many quarters at my local 7-11!

[bootless]

Hi - I'm looking for an old pinball machine, too - could you ping me when you find that URL? Thanks!

[asgardshill]

I'd love to find an original "Clowns" arcade game. It was the one game I could literally play for as long as I wanted on one quarter. A yoke for the original "Star Wars" arcade game would also be cool - controlling the ship with buttons or a stick just isn't the same.

[Caipirabob]

You can download the original "Star Wars" game off the internet. Do a google scan, you'll find it. If not, freepmail me, I'll try to dig it up off one of my archives buried in my office.

[Caipirabob]

Sorry, that would be the original "Space Wars", isn't it? The one with the trek ship vs the start wars ship. It's out there.

=O - <

[asgardshill]

I'm too deep into GTA: San Andreas to take the time now. But thanks - I will track it down.

[qam1]

The problem with Star Wars on your P.C. even with MAME is you have to also find a controller that works like the one on the original machine, which I don't know if they even exists. Regular joysticks just don't cut it and the game is unplayable.

[asgardshill]

You are absolutely correct - Star Wars without that yoke sucks, and there's not been a version ported to work on a generic yoke yet.

[StayoutdaBushesWay]

Joust is one of my favorite games. Many, many quarters invested in that game back in the 80's.

[Caipirabob]

Hey, after I read your posts I started tracking stuff down. I found the BEST DOS EMULATOR for WINDOWS XP!!!

DOS BOX

and

My Jemm

I loved playing 1942: Pacific Air war because of the carrier campaign mode. I also loved "Wing Commaner: Armada" because of their campaign mode.

I just fired up 1942:PAW under DOS Box and it work perfectly the first time with full sound!

I'm going to work on Armada next.

WOO HOO!

[Caipirabob]

I'm too deep into GTA: San Andreas to take the time now. But thanks - I will track it down.

OK, so I envy a console game.

[xm177e2]

Every time I see a video game thread, I have to plug Natural Selection. It's a team-oriented first-person shooter/biter/slasher/builder game that is a lot of fun if you play with good people. It's got a brisk pace most of the time (there are almost no times when there is nothing to do), and there's a lot of action/tactical thinking/strategic planning. And did I mention it's free if you already have HL?

[asgardshill]

MAME well and truly rocks. One of these days, I'm going to get all the games I have organized and get a true arcade enclosure to put them into.

[Caipirabob]

Your going to laugh, I've finally tricked out my XP OS to install WC: Armada properly. It's loading now. I think it's going to work now. I've been trying to do this for a while. they just haven't beaten the simplicity and fun of the classics.

Well, a few have. GTA is supreme...

[asgardshill]

GTA III was awesome, GTA Vice City somewhat less so. I never could get into it. GTA SA is the best so far.

(And I've still got Halo 2 on the hopper - maybe after Christmas).

[killjoy]

One word: MAME

One of the worst things ever created. I say worst because once you have it installed and have a bunch of ROMs downloaded, you will never get anything else done in your life. It is worse than heroin.

[Nowhere Man]

"Final Fantasy VII and VIII" Bump!!!!!