I would spend hours with my brother and close friends, striving to complete them. These are legitimately good and important games in the history of gaming, but I think what makes them so special for me personally is the broader context of playing these games. For example, I have very fond memories of playing The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario Brothers on the NES. "Instead, I believe that the games serve as a cue or a reminder of experiences we had in our youth that were truly fulfilling for us. "I think retro gaming actually has little to do with the specific games one is nostalgic for," he explained to me back in 2012. The past is fixed it cannot and will not change, and therefore, it provides something of a comfort blanket as we try to navigate the present day Routledge – whose latest book Past Forward is an exploration of how nostalgia can help you live a productive and fulfilled life – feels that retro gaming often has very little to do with the games we're returning to but is more about reliving the past experiences which shaped us as human beings. "Critically, nostalgia is a functional human emotion as research demonstrates that engaging in nostalgic reflection increases positive mood, self-esteem, feelings of belongingness, and a sense of existential meaning." "When people are nostalgic, they are reflecting on personally significant or momentous past experiences," he explained at the time. ![]() Over a decade ago, I spoke to existential psychologist, writer, consultant and keen video game player Clay Routledge for a feature on a similar topic for Eurogamer. For me personally, retro games and their associated systems are heavily linked with my younger years, when I had all the time in the world to crack them open and explore every tactic, strategy and secret. Likewise, when I boot up my Saturn, I can't help but be transported back to the '90s, when I made trips on the train to Birmingham CEX to trade in older titles for new ones. I personally can't think of the Mega Drive without calling to mind the Christmas when I got mine, the visits to my local importers for new Japanese games and the endless hours I spent flicking through copies of Mean Machines, pondering my next purchase. ![]() In the past, I've written about how games can remind you of particular places, but it's perhaps more accurate that they take you to particular times. Just like listening to Oasis or Blur teleports 40-something individuals back to their schooldays, loading up a truly memorable game can instantly take you back to the first time you played it in many ways, the hit of nostalgia is even more potent than a song or a film, because video games not only engage all of your senses but expect you to take control of proceedings, too. However, speaking from personal experience, one of the main reasons I'm so in love with retro gaming is that, like a song from your youth or a classic movie, they can transport you back in time. Just like listening to Oasis or Blur teleports 40-something individuals back to their schooldays, loading up a truly memorable game can instantly take you back to the first time you played it ![]() Retro games can provide a pure gameplay experience which isn't sullied by online updates and DLC, and titles like Super Mario World, Streets of Rage 2, Street Fighter 2 and Zelda: A Link to the Past arguably honed their approach to perfection these games – and hundreds (if not thousands) like them – have stood the test of time and are still eminently playable today.
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