Do you have fond memories of playing your favourite video games as a kid? I know I do. That’s why it was so cool when my friends and I were invited to the release party for Retro Games UK, a new arcade that has opened up in town. It was like stepping back in time! Some of our favourites were there, along with some other great ones we’d never played before. We had such an awesome time playing them all and hanging out with each other. If you’re looking for something new to do on the weekends, or just want to say hi to an old friend, come visit us at Retro Games!
So Why Retro Games Gain So Much Love
Retro gaming has a psychology that is partly rooted in nostalgia.
Super Mario Brothers is a game that would give any young, fair-weather player an unforgettable experience. What began as my older brother’s favourite video game became mine too – and I can still hear the 8-bit theme songs today from when we played in our youth.
The iconic “bah, da-da-da doo dat” from the 1985 hit song is a common childhood tune. It was as comforting to many children of that generation as grandma’s hugs and Gushers after school was for us–or Saturday morning cartoons! Games like Street Fighter or The Legend of Zelda offer nostalgic comfort food for gamers today.
Chris Schranck aka FutureManGaming (Twitch) says: “It’s nostalgia. It brings back a sense of innocence like you’re 5 years old and your mom is telling you to get off that video game now.” In Missouri as a youngster, he played Mario while his mother set an egg clock to limit gaming time in the mornings. He currently plays Batman and Arkham Knight on Twitch Chris Schranck aka FutureManGaming loves playing retro games UK because it takes him back to simpler times when all people had been their imaginations for entertainment–before smartphones or computers even existed!
You can feel like a kid again by playing retro games. Schranck explains how you’ll get lost in your own thoughts for 15 seconds before the adult worries start to creep back into your head and it feels good because all adults need is something that makes them happy. Retro gaming will bring up memories of when opening Christmas consoles or new video games as children were exciting, nostalgic even!
Amanda Lim’s passion for gaming is undeniable. From Mario to FPS games, the Singaporean competitive gamer has experienced it all and now loves Valorant more than ever before! The Gameboy was a crucial part of her early gaming experience which led her down this path in life.
Amanda Lim had an affinity with Nintendo that started from playing Mario when she was younger because he seemed cute and fun at the time, but as years went by she realized there were other types of games out there – such as first-person shooters- so Amanda transitioned into these type instead while continuing to play on various consoles like GameBoy. All along, though, one thing remained constant: “gaming isn’t limited to ages.”
Donkey Kong Fantasy!
Michael Fraser is a therapist who specializes in people with video-game addiction. His 13 and 10-year-old childs are currently enthralled by Donkey Kong, but he sees it as healthy gaming because of the nostalgia factor. “That was one of my favourite games when I was their age,” says Michael, “and there’s just something about how well they can relate to that game.”
For many people, retro games can bring back nostalgic memories of simpler times. In the words of Fraser “It takes my mind back to a simpler era when games were 2-dimensional and the music was simple.” These moments are made even more meaningful by his daughter’s hand in it as she makes her way through Donkey Kong for the first time on 3rd board which brings up old friends and their involvement with this game – like they’re there playing right alongside them now.
Donkey Kong video games and other childhood video games have a way of staying with you, much like the old-looking ones that continue to be loved today. In 2021 they will still be enjoyed in their current form as there is no reason for them not to stick around considering how many people love playing these titles from decades ago. Game developers are capitalizing on this by designing new 8 or 16-bit looking game applications which sate your appetite for nostalgia while also engaging in addictive psychological mechanisms similar to those found within slot machines just so that we can keep coming back again and again!
Feeling And Experience of Nostalgia
The concept of nostalgia is not as simple to understand. When we see a game, it triggers happy memories for some people while others feel an emotional tug at the sight or sound in front of them. Why does our brain want this?
Jacques Jospitre Jr. is the cofounder of SohoMD, a company that specializes in digital interactive learning games for kids and adults alike. He says retro gaming has seen an increase thanks to its dual appeal as both intrinsic (classic gameplay) and extrinsic (a positive experience).
- Jacques thinks it’s because gamers are looking for ways to escape these days with everything going on, “and I think we’re just tapping into this need.”
- Retro gaming offers “an unforgettable experience” through timeless classics like chess or Tetris alongside more modern experiences such as Pokémon Red.
Video games from years ago are often considered “nostalgia gaming” because they remind us of our past. Michael Feldmeier, a psychiatrist at Level Up Mental Health explains that nostalgia gaming can trigger nostalgic feelings and thoughts when the brain’s memory systems work with its reward system to release dopamine – an important neurotransmitter responsible for pleasure and salience. This means people may gravitate towards retro video games as a way to seek out these positive emotions again; maybe even seeking them more than experiences in their current lives!
Michael Feldmeier (a psychiatrist) explained how playing old-school video games can tap into your mental state psychologically, by triggering memories or making you feel like you’re reliving some precious moments all over again.
Nostalgia can help people cope with difficult times by providing a source of hope for the future.
Feldmeier states that nostalgia is important in emotional resilience, “Looking back at the past allows one to see the future even when it’s hard to do so.” A person who can recall a better time may be able to have some type of peace and look towards their life ahead as they contemplate what could come next.
Delight Response and Personal Identification
When we play a game from childhood or even one that looks like a game from that time, there’s an exponential effect of pleasure. It seems as if the reward pathways are more sensitive in children and adolescents than they are for adults; so when these games are played later on in life, it can be said to have compounded their past experiences with them.
Identifying yourself as a risk-taker is one thing, but what about identifying so much with your hobby that you become it? This feeling ties back to personal identity and how important this notion of self plays in our everyday lives. As Woog says: “This would be particularly true if they were able to remember the game well as a child.”
A global depression pandemic coupled with the advent of more advanced gaming consoles has led people to seek comfort in older games. Fraser says, “There’s something in old-school gaming.” The retro look and simplicity help instil perseverance and strength for difficult times.
Old Tricks, Latest Games
Ocean’s Heart, and similar games, play on the brain chemistry that makes people want to be in a familiar environment. Video games with 8-bit or 16-bit pixel designs are built for gamers who desire new game development but an older looking design and sound reminding them of being kids again.
The late Oliver Sacks wrote in his seminal book Musicophilia, “Music can pierce the heart directly.” When we hear a song from our high school days, it can take us back to the moment. When we listen to music from an older game, that same feeling is created in our subconscious – and they were designed for that very purpose!
There is still some happiness in these unstable times, and many find it in retro video games. These classic looking games are a welcome relief from our chaotic world that can bring rare moments of perfect joy to one’s heart.