Golden Era of Gaming...

[will_d]

Hi all...

Quite new the forum so please excuse if this topic has been flogged to death before...

But I'm a 37 year old gamer, and very much someone you constantly reminieses back to 89/90 as the golden era of gaming... the megadrive giving us our first taste of perfect coin op conversions, owning the pc engine (who knew who that was back in the day among your amiga and c64 playing mates)...

I hope there are a few of us still around.. and again, apologies if this topic has been rehashed in numerous forms... From reading some of the posts, its just a pleasure to be around some people who were there... Its hard to find anyone who was there back in the day and gets it...........

[replicashooter]

The Golden Era of Gaming was...










..Whenever you were young.

Simple as that, the gaming was pretty much just an adjunct to the natural exuberance of youth hence why the era varies with the demograph questioned.

For the record: 16 Bit 4 Tha Win, quite simply the dopest era when everything was cutting edge, new and done for the first time for mine (and everyones) eyes. The rate of progression was phenomenal but the feeling of that era when the majority of the didn't a) know b) understand what was going on gets me all misty eyed.

I shall play you the song of my people:

https://soundcloud.com/john-pemberton/modem-dialup

[will_d]

It really was all cutting edge - CVG, ACE, Mean Machines, The Games Machine, Raze and even the console section in New Computer Express

[Decider-VT]

The golden era of gaming is now.

Better access to games, better knowledge of hardware, advances made in ways that were previously unthought of or unimaginable (proper RGB cabling, Everdrives, etc), biggest library ever, mature communities where in-depth discussion can take place.

I wouldn't go back.

[nakamura]

I'd partially agree. I'd dial it back a few years though as prices are crazy at the moment.

As for actual era. Games were a lot more inventive in the past. Especially PS1/PS2 era. It's not nostalgia. Just a fact.

[VR46]

Would say for me 1990 to 1993, young enough with no real commitments and also had plenty of spare cash, so SNES ?90 SFII Turbo, Mario Kart imports from Japan weren't even given second thoughts. How things change, now frequently dither over six quid on a digital PS4/One release.

[will_d]

You have a point there buddy.. its all relative... the net is a gamechanger for this

[will_d]

I've recently picked up an original xbox with coinops 6 pre loaded... The old games are so hard - R Type anyone?... if you've finished this congrats

[speedlolita]

I've recently picked up an original xbox with coinops 6 pre loaded... The old games are so hard - R Type anyone?... if you've finished this congrats

That second loop is brutal.

[Leon Retro]

I'd say the '80s and '90s were fun eras for gaming. At the time, the rapid advancements in graphics, sound and game design, was really exciting. Of course, now that those days are long gone, it's easy to dismiss all the hardware and games as "limited." Go back to many classic games, though, and they're still a joy to play for various reasons.

The magazines back in the those days were full of enthusiasm(the opposite of modern magazines), there were gaming tv shows such as GamesMaster, and computer shows/events full of gaming enthusiasts were common. Not forgetting the arcades, which were a breeding ground for cutting edge graphics and fun games. There was so much to enjoy in those early days, that it's easy to appreciate why so many people call it "The golden age of gaming."

When it comes to contemporary gaming, there are lots of flashy games with relatively(compared to graphics from the '80s & '90s)) amazing graphics, but many aren't very fun to play. A lot of modern games feel broken and badly designed. Of course, the best modern games are enthralling and often breathtaking. I think it's still nice to go back to simpler games from decades gone by and enjoy what they have to offer. There's a lot to savour.

So, as much as I enjoy some contemporary games, I still find value in lots of 8, 16, and 32-bit games. Great graphics design, music and gameplay, will always shine. That's why the retro gaming scene is thriving, because the best retro games still have a lot to offer.


Welcome to the retro section, will_d

[Asura]

Games were a lot more inventive in the past. Especially PS1/PS2 era. It's not nostalgia. Just a fact.

It's similar to what I said about snowboarding games in the Tennis thread. In the PS1 era, there were loads of them; now we just get SSX and one or two others.

[boxhead]

I'm 36 and the golden age for me was definitely the super nes. I had a mastersystem and megadrive before that and I thought they were good but the snes was the real game changer. I remember having to buy an import US snes and a tv with scart so i could play final fantasy 3.
I think the snes had some incredibly adult games compared to the competition at that time. super metroid and the wealth of RPGs really shaped my game tastes.

[beecee]

i agree its an age thing, what ever time you got into gaming is the one you would have enjoyed the most.

my fave era would be the nineties, even though i did enjoy the Atari and vic20,C64 and the like in the 80's, it was getting my first megadrive and snes circa 93/94 that really got me into gaming. I easily spent the most time playing games then. with the arrival of the Playstation and the N64, i still enjoyed playing but i would say it dived off after those consoles.

It's the Snes, MD, PSone and N64 where i spend most of my current gaming time now, although its very limited at the moment. my Wii and PS3 are not even set up, and haven't been for almost 2 years.

[Dogg Thang]

As for actual era. Games were a lot more inventive in the past. Especially PS1/PS2 era. It's not nostalgia. Just a fact.

Not sure I agree. There was a lot of trial and error back then in certain genres which was a very good thing and the big companies all appear to have reduced all risk since then, which is a huge shame. But a lot more inventive overall? Not sure. We had some crazy stuff back in the Speccy days. And then there is recent years: Flower, Papers Please, The Room, Minecraft and a whole bunch of indie and iOS stuff that offer entirely different game experiences. I'm not convinced much in the PS1/PS2 era can compete in that regard. So I would dispute this as being fact.

For me, yeah, I'd say the 'whenever you were young' is the real answer although most eras have some amazing things and new developments to offer that are unique to their generation. Not saying they're all entirely equal but it would be tough to find a true 'golden age'. At least not yet.

[nakamura]

Most indie games recycle old ideas. It's a myth that indie is a bastion of originality.

So many genres were covered in the past and so much choice within each genre.