Ah . . the good old days when games were games not fmv clips

The problem is these days . . .what qualifies as a proper "game" ?? I'm not sure that Real Time Strategies, RPGs or Simulations even qualify - which makes the PC redundant as a gaming machine. Some games are so FMV heavy that you could almost classify them as interactive movies while others try to be so realistic that the programmers neglect to inject the most important element . . .errr GAMEPLAY anybody ?? Indeed some of the more entertaining games currently are those put out by Popcap and other shareware companies, very similar to those that appear on XBox Live. On the 360, for instance, I find the only game I come back to time and time again is Ridge Racer 6 which has its roots firmly in the arcade style of racer and I'll take that over more "serious" racers like Forza or Gran Turismo any day of the week.

The problem is these days . . .what qualifies as a proper "game" ??The dictionary definition is "an amusement or pastime" so that leavves it wide open to iterpretation. I know what you mean though, when I first started "gaming" I had a pretty narrow view of what made a video game. I must confess I look at all types of game as more entertainment now than narrowing it down to a single definition. Mind, I'm not a 100% dedicated retro-gamer. I like my old-school shizzle and that can be on any platform (the PS2 has some of the best old-school stuff there is); but I still play good modern games too.

Yeah . . .I dunno if it's just me but it seems that when people look back over the various computers and consoles from the past 25 years, there are a lot of classic games that many gamers of all persuasions agree upon. Even consoles like the Saturn and Dreamcast which, although didn't do great saleswise, had many, many classic titles . . .in fact it's amazing how many people quote Dreamcast games like Soul Calibur and Sega Rally 2 as their alltime faves. Somehow, I don't see that many of the last gen and current gen games will acheive cult or classic status 20 years down the line. That's not to say their aren't some great games on the PS2 and XBox . . .just nothing that would prompt me to stick any of em in my Top 5 in 2020. I think where more modern machines come into their own are the rare occassions where a newer console recreates an arcade classic and actually improves it. I would take Jeff Minters Tempest 2000 as a good example . . .although most people would say that the Atari Jaguar was a) rubbish and b) retro already.

I would take Jeff Minters Tempest 2000 as a good example . . .although most people would say that the Atari Jaguar was a) rubbish and b) retro already.The Jaguar rocks simply because of Tempest, it's the only reason I bought one (when it was new) and the only reason I bought one again a couple of years ago. I also bought a Nuon just to play Tempest 3000, so you can see just how sad I am.

That's my old telly by the way

I think the number of new classics that will hold up over time is certainly a low percentage of the volume of titles released. Same with music and movies though. This generation just doesn't get off on creative thought the way we did. They like gimmicks, effects, 5.1 digitized fodder. Their attention span needs too many quick edits. However, I liked some of the Burnout games, Half Life 2, SSX, the remakes of Outrun and Testdrive. But it is getting more disappointing year after year.

That's my old telly by the way Yes, agreed. I sold my Jag but I'm so full of remorse that I'm trying to get one back with a copy of Tempest. I can play it via emulator but I must admit it's a game that needs a big telly with nice sound. Nuon . . .you lucky bugger. I downloaded the emu and some roms just to play Tempest 3000 but it's one of the few emus that I can't seem to get going properly. So how much did the Nuon set you back, if you don't mind my asking.

I got pretty lucky with my Nuon player, I think I maybe payed $40 with $40 shipping from the US (it's the Toshiba model). I payed around £40 for Tempest (which I think was a little expensive; but I needed it). All I had to do was get a controller and a remote for the DVD player.

That's pretty cheap . . .so about 80 quid for the machine and the game including shipping. I'd go for that if i could get one that cheap . . .

Re: Ah . . the good old days when games were games not fmv c
To me, a game is something you get straight into, sit at for an hour or two and then turn the bloody thing off when you've managed a decent high score or reached a particularly difficult level. :shock: Couldn't have said it better. I just loved Qbert on the Atari, Carvup on the Amiga. Simple concept games that were challenging but you could quit when you wanted to. I remember one game that I acquired for the Amiga (cannot remember the name) that after spending hours trying to play it, but failing miserably because it was so frustrating to play. Then in Amiga Format magazine, some sad git had detailed all the levels and the time required to complete the game. Geez it was like 126 freaking hours - that's not a game, it's a career. Actually, some careers are shorter!!! Todays games follow the same pursuit and are almost 'unfinishable' because of the length of time they take to complete. On today's platforms I like Disney Golf on PS2 for it's simplicity in concept (not as easy as you might think!) and its fun element. :) And one day, I'll beat the kids!!!!!

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