It is the year 2024. Gaming has come such a long way. Next-gen graphics, interesting gameplay loops, and amazing quality-of-life features have made modern games a success. Titles like Helldivers 2 feature gaming populations never seen before, and the steady flow of high-quality games on their way to release promises a bevy of new, addictive content to enjoy.

Knowing all this, why even play a retro? Why not stick to modern gaming?

Pride in Simplicity

Not all games need to be complicated to be fun. Retro games are the prime example of this, being easy to get into, even if you’re a newcomer to the genre. There are not a lot of new mechanics to learn, and while they’re not as intense as most modern games, they still have the capability to be engrossing.

For instance, the original Doom might seem dated compared to its 2016 reboot, but the visceral rush of shooting down demons never gets old. Its simplistic nature means even people who don’t play FPS games will be able to appreciate its gameplay and what it sets out to do.

Id Software’s Doom | Courtesy of Steam

Similarly, while Super Mario Odyssey is a fantastic 3D platforming game, the original Super Mario Brothers is still as timeless as ever. While Odyssey has you zipping and diving around with some all-new tricks, the down-to-earth approach of the original Mario game is still hard to beat.

Super Mario Bros. | Courtesy of Nintendo

Surprisingly Challenging

While these games may have aged as well, their challenges remain relevant. While the original Contra might have been released nearly four decades ago, the challenges it presents are no less grueling than they were back in 1986. It’s still a mechanically demanding game that asks the most from its players, with one-hit deaths and tons of enemies to dodge and mow down.

Contra | Courtesy of Steam

The same goes even for titles with modern reimaginings. The newer Ninja Gaiden games might be in 3D and allow for more fluid, fast-paced combat, but the original Ninja Gaiden is still infamous for being brutal and unforgiving. Deadly enemies lurk beyond screen transitions, and hits can send you careening into bottomless pits, but the fluid pace it sets keeps you going and coming back for more.

Ninja Gaiden | Courtesy of Nintendo

Convenient and Easy to Set Up

If that doesn’t convince you to play retro, maybe the convenience will. On Steam itself, plenty of retro games are available to play all under the retro tag. Whether it’s playing remastered versions of retro games or the originals put up on the store, their system requirements are incredibly low, and most modern PCs can run their requirements. Alternative stores like GOG and Epic Game Store also have a huge library of retro games to choose from, and even consoles like the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation Store have their own selection of older games.

If you can’t find any of the games you’re interested in, you can always emulate them as well. Emulators like Dolphin Emulator and RetroArch allow players to play their favorite retro games on devices like cellphones and computers.

RetroArch | Courtesy of Steam

There are just many different ways to experience the classics.

Trip Down Memory Lane

If the ease of playing them doesn’t convince you, maybe the nostalgia will. Studios like Nightdive have tried to bring the best classic on Steam. They recently released Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster, an upscaled version of the classic Star Wars: Dark Forces. To many people, this game had been nearly impossible to run on modern computers, but the recent release has finally let people reexperience this gem after nearly 30 years of waiting.

Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster | Courtesy of Steam

The same goes for games like the Classic Tomb Raider or the original Turok. Through their remasters (Tomb Raider Remastered and the rereleased Turok), people finally have a chance to replay these classics and the games they treasured during childhood.

Replayability and Accessibility Through Modifications!

There’s the added replayability and convenience of modding retro games to look forward to. These games have a huge community of people who adore them, so plenty of mods have arisen to give these old games new ways to play them. Some of them are simple patches, like the Final Fantasy 6 GBA Music Patch, which changes up the game’s music to be more in line with the original release.

However, other modifications have far bigger aspirations. For instance, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time has a fully-fledged randomizer meant to change item locations, enemy spawns, room layouts, and even boss locations. This turns what was originally a linear game into a wild romp with tons of replayability due to the added variance.

Ocarina of Time Randomizer | Courtesy of ootrandomizer.com

Intelligent System’s Fire Emblem mods go as far as adding entirely new content to play with. Coming in the form of romhacks, many talented modders and romhackers create their new content over at feuinverse, with brand new storylines, characters, graphics, and missions to look forward to.

Fire Emblem: Genesis - a Prugressian Tale | Courtesy of feuniverse

Some of these are just quality of life, giving people ways to experience the game for themselves. A notable example is Nintendo’s Mother 3, which has never been officially released outside of Japan. While it is playable on a virtual console on the Nintendo Switch Store, an article from Polygon notes that there were no intentions to release it to the West.

Mother 3 is natively unplayable in English, but dedicated fans have released their translation patch for it, giving people who want to experience the end of the Mother series some closure.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Fans of retro games will continue to find new ways and new reasons to play their old favorites once more. While modern games are fun, the classics are still just as good as they were years ago.

If this has convinced you to try your hand at playing some retro games, consider checking out our collection of published games. We at Mega Cat Studios love retro games and pride ourselves on developing and enjoying the classics. There’s nothing more we love than sharing that love!

This article was written by Alexander Cuaycong