Retro is the new cool in gaming - RaychelSnr's Blog

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RaychelSnr's Blog

Retro is the new cool in gaming Stuck

Posted on January 11, 2010 at 04:09 PM.

(10)

Is it 1994 or 2010?

I read about a new NBA Jam being released while also playing a side scrolling Super Mario game on my Wii today. I think gaming might have just jumped the shark.

What is with gaming's sudden obsession with going old school?

I have a couple of theories, one of which is that using tried and true formulas are the safe ways to perhaps make profits in the tough economic times of today. Another reason could certainly be traced to the fact the people who grew up with these classic games are now becoming the demographic which is more likely to spend more money.

Regardless, a lot of us are getting to relive our childhood with several retro themed releases. Here are three more games which should get the Punchout/NBA Jam treatment:

Ken Griffey Jr. Baseball (SNES)
Bil Maimbeer's Combat Basketball
A Mutant League Game

I know I'm definitely not alone and I left dozens of games off my paltry three game list, so which games do you think should be revisited by sports gaming developers?

Comments

# 1 Sparco @ Jan 11

1. Super Dodgeball (NES)
2. Ken Griffey Jr. Baseball (SNES): had a friend who literally put EVERY name on the correct player. Rememeber, this was before the internet too...
3. Super Punch-Out (SNES)

# 2 dark_warhawk @ Jan 11

Bill Laimbeer's Combat Basketball was awful

# 3 DirtyJerz32 @ Jan 11

EA should have made Tecmo Bowl again instead of Madden Arcade!!!

# 4 bronco92 @ Jan 11

Not only are the people who grew up playing the games the people buying the games, they are also the people in charge of making them.

# 5 jyoung @ Jan 11

It's only a good thing when the updated versions aren't a complete disgrace to the original, like say, Tecmo's NBA Unrivaled or Ubisoft's Turtles in Time: Reshelled.

Mark Turmell making a new Mutant League game would be sick.

# 6 CreatineKasey @ Jan 11

Mutant League would definitely take me back.

# 7 jarrrrett @ Jan 11

Wayne Gretsky's Hockey game (that old N64 one)!!

# 8 superstarshad @ Jan 11

They were supposed to release Tecmo Bowl for the Wii last August, but opted not to, following the poor sales on DS. BTW- if you have a DS, you can purchase Tecmo Bowl for 14.99.

# 9 Sherman91587 @ Jan 12

@ dirtyjerz32.... wish EA could make Tecmo Bowl and add the NFL name to it, but Tecmo is somehow still alive and kicking. I really dont know how since I cant remember the last good game they put out. Unlike I think Midway had NBA JAM and when WB bought them out the NBA and TNA parts were not included. That is why EA can come out with NBA JAM.

# 10 jyoung @ Jan 12

Tecmo Bowl DS was not nearly as bad as this year's versions of TMNT or NBA Unrivalved, but it was still way under par compared to the older games.

Online play was lagged out, the sim engine only had like 3 or 4 possible outcomes, stat-tracking was pathetic, etc.