A FEW people might have come across a photo online showing their friends in front of a TV set enjoying a game of Circus Charlie, Galaga or Super Mario Bros. One checks for clues on whether it’s a throwback photo, but he figures out along the way that the game is played on a flat screen TV which was virtually non-existent in common households back during the boom of the Family Computer.
Back when wireless gadgets were a dream or an absolute luxury, parents had to keep on reprimanding their children if they were seated too close to the television. Kids had a decent (and probably legitimate) reason back then why their eyes were just a few feet away from the TV: They didn’t want anyone to accidentally trip on the game console controllers’ wires.
Trends come in cycles. And those who declared disco dead are seeing, hearing signs of its resurrection, perhaps in another form through EDM.
Such seems to be the case with gaming.
Although game consoles like the Sony Playstation and Microsoft XBox have garnered their respective devout following of hardcore or casual gamers, smart phones are becoming more and more accessible to the general public. This means, game developers are looking toward making game apps which blend fun and utmost gaming simplicity (since currently, there’s only so much one can do with a smart phone). This element of simplicity has found its way in the daily lives of millions around the world who have no time for figuring out all the control schemes in most advanced gaming consoles.
Enter the Family Computer: A gaming console that features games in 2-D, with a maximum multiplayer mode of only two and besides the direction button (left, right, up, down), have only two gaming buttons, A and B (not unless a controller had those two extra Turbo A and Turbo B buttons).
But then, besides all these technical talk, much of the sales spike recently can be attributed to a much more simple thing: Nostalgia.
Here are a few more reasons why the Family Computer seems to be an upcoming throwback hit these days:
Holding a controller. Sure, a gamer gets the same satisfaction using just about any console available out there. But comparing the gaming experience of having to hold a controller compared to just pressing one’s smart phone screen proves to be an experience.
2-D, 8-Bit environment. Since everybody’s used to high definition stuff these days (including YouTube videos), the 2-D, 8-Bit design which all Family Computer games feature gives off a degree of aesthetic value in today’s 3-D world.
Simplicity. There’s always that parent who refuses to play the latest Playstation game with his or her child because of the many “buttons.” The Family Computer though, and the gaming schemes mostly used in most if not all of its games, are simple enough for any player of any age.
Do you think the Family Computer comeback is for real? Or is this just another trend that will fade away?