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Meet the New Gen, Way Better Than the Old Gen
Nostalgia is a bitter bitch. With fangs.
This previous Saturday, I was bitten hard by the familiar twinge of melancholy that is wrapped up, part and parcel, with fond remembrance; I was drinking beers alone, trolling the internet for anything remotely interesting, and it occurred to me just how lame my life has become. I tried to think of the coolest period of my life, and it was undoubtedly when I was seventeen years old. Now, I’m not that creepy old dude who hangs out at the local high school trying to make pimply adolescents honestly believe that they’re experiencing the greatest years of their lives. I hated high school. I hated being seventeen, which may seem contradictory - because, obviously, it is. But that’s part of what makes nostalgia such a noxious emotion. We believe things that we know to be false, and there’s no way to safeguard against it.
But, getting back to the point: Part of what made being seventeen so cool was that I rarely had a job. I’ve been working consistently since I graduated high school, while periodically attempting college, and - frankly - it’s really put a cramp in my gaming style. During my junior of high school I could sit in my room for hours playing Tony Hawk on N64, listening to the Clash and taking breaks only to grab some chow at Burger King with Tim. I could theoretically listen to Sandanista! in its entirety, in one sitting, and it felt completely natural to do this. That’s the beauty of being young.
So, on the particular Saturday night in question, being drunk and near a computer, I went ahead and ordered myself a copy of the original Tony Hawk. I got it off a private seller on Amazon.com for less than two dollars, and over the next three days I waited expectantly for it to arrive at my doorstep. You can see, maybe, where this story is going.
My package came yesterday and when I popped the game in today at my first opportunity to really dig in, well. . . Let’s just say I have either glamorized those years of my life so heavily in my own mind that I have no honest recollections left, or video games have improved so much in the time since I was such a dedicated T. Hawk disciple that I’m no longer able to recognize what I originally enjoyed about the game. It’s probably a combination of both, along with my experiences playing later, more sophisticated titles in the series, but one fact is practically indisputable: the original Tony Hawk, for the original PlayStation, is absolutely retarded.
Now, to a neophyte, the differences are minimal. The premises for all true* Tony Hawk games are nearly identical: You are a professional skateboarder. You are let loose in fully skateable environment, and your job is to pull off the gnarliest combos your button pressing skills will allow. You also have various missions to accomplish, which range from collecting all the letters in the word “skate” to performing specific tricks on specific objects. The later games in the series have grown more open-ended, and they require a greater range of skills and a more extensive knowledge of both skating and video game culture. The basic idea, though, remains the same. So this original Tony Hawk, to someone who really doesn’t care, would probably seem like an understandably more primitive version of an incredibly successful formula.
I don’t see it that way.
During the course of my gaming career, I have owned a Super Nintendo, a Gameboy, an N64, a PS2, a Nintendo DS, and an XBox 360. The most advanced system is obviously the 360, but the best is the PS2 - this is probably the greatest console ever known to man, as it has the most games and is most the fun to play while drinking** - but that’s not really the point I’m making with the above list. My point is this: Throughout my life, since I was first introduced to Mario and Luigi on Christmas day 1991, I have played video games on some system or another. And this is notable because I’m not even remotely fanatical about this shit; I could be described as a casual gamer at best. Ticking off the list of games I’ve actually played through to completion wouldn’t even require all the fingers on one hand. So, to be absolutely clear on this issue: I’m not a dude who plays a ton of video games. And this is why I’m certain that my feelings about the first installment of the Tony Hawk series cross over the line that separates opinion from fact; what I say is irrefutably true.
What this means is that video games have become so much better, at such a quick rate, that a game originally released in 1999 is almost totally unplayable to someone with only a passing interest in the format. And, mind you, it’s not just Tony Hawk; this idea hasn’t sprung forth as a result of one sour experience. I purchased a GameBoy Advance copy of the original Metroid a few weeks ago and it is the most difficult and frustrating game I’ve ever played - as well as possibly being the ugliest. It definitely has the most annoying soundtrack. There are numerous other examples, and I’m sure that anyone who enjoys even the occasional gaming session will understand what I’m talking about. Now, this is a relatively obvious and borderline irrelevant concept - there’s no way for old video games to be as good as new ones, and very few people probably give a shit either way. But with all the technological advances of the past two decades, and the level of sophistication evinced by modern titles, an idea of video games as legitimate art has emerged.
My recent experiences with Tony Hawk and Metroid, however, have convinced me of something I’ve always denied out of hand, simply because I tend to believe in the validity of every even semi-artistic enterprise: video games will never actually be art. This is because once a game’s shelf life has expired, you can’t go back and re-experience it in a meaningful way. With the introduction of every successive “next gen” and the requisite increased standards of gameplay, old games are so frustratingly stupid that it makes no sense to even waste your time. They’re not charming or refreshing in their simplicity - they’re just shitty.
And you could never make that argument for any other form of entertainment; the experience of revisiting an album, film, or book today, regardless of which decade saw their initial release, is simultaneously pleasingly familiar and different in new and fascinating ways. A vinyl copy of Blood On The Tracks doesn’t lose its impact because it’s also available as a remastered compact disc. Citizen Kane is the greatest film of all time*** whether you’re watching it on a worn VHS tape or a shiny new DVD. But the original Tony Hawk will never be as good as, say, Tony Hawk’s Project 8. And you can’t make any argument otherwise; it’s actually impossible to enjoy it more. By virtue of the shitty one joystick control scheme alone (and the inherent inability to redirect the game’s camera) it’s totally foreign and unacceptable by today’s standards.**** All great art is interactive, but video games are too literally interactive, and depend too heavily on the technology of the day, to age gracefully.
Coming back around to the original (admittedly flimsy) thesis of this essay, nostalgia is a bitch. But it’s an unavoidable bitch, and the way that video games do not allow players to pleasurably indulge in this universal form of mental masturbation***** prevent them, now and forever, from being a true form of art. Fond memories of past favorites may live in your soul, but the opportunity to revisit the titles themselves and experience their charms doesn’t exist. And this is the most dispiriting revelation I’ve had in quite some time - it means that when I’m thirty, I will try to play Halo and it won’t be satisfying in the least. Off the top of my head, I can’t think of a more depressing notion.******
- Adam Angiulo
*Excluding that “Downhill Jam” shit my little brother plays on his DS - barreling down a hill while occasionally attempting a kickflip is not a real T. Hawk experience; it’s just a lame attempt to water down a legitimately great franchise and port it over to a less sophisticated platform as easily (and lazily) as possible.
**True story: Josh spilled beer on one of my controllers the first night I had the goddamn thing.
***I’m using Citizen Kane as an example because pretty much everyone has seen it and most people are willing to go along with the consensus that it’s the best movie in the history of motion pictures; including an argument for the greatness of A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors would stretch the length of this article far beyond its already strained limits.
****Not to mention that the graphics are all pixelated and shitty.
*****Even more universal than actual, literal masturbation, if you think about it.
******I really, really love playing Halo.
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27 comments for “Meet the New Gen, Way Better Than the Old Gen”
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I find this notion very depressing as well, Although, there are some games that I can go back, time and time again and still enjoy. Pac-man, on my original Atari, It may have 2 dimensions, no sound track and the entire premise of the game is easy enough for me to master when i was 5. However, it was the original third person action game, and there is so much nostalgia that it makes up for not having 4 dimensions and a symphony played sound track. Moving up a couple of generations, we come to the greatest game of all time, with it timeless awesomeness, the simple fact that it was also one of the original FPS also helps with the nostalgia. Goldeneye on the N64 will always be one of those games that you and your friends can pick up and enjoy, because of its timeless qualities, and while playing you can talk of times past, and remember years long past when this wonderful game was all that was out there. And one of the newest games that has the replay value is Advent Rising for the XBox. Not the greatest game I’ve ever played, but the fun idea of a human gaining super powers and destroying the evil alien scourge that destroyed his planet, may not be the first use of this idea, the story line is well written and the game play is just terrific, and any game where you can go from firing double fisted rocket launchers, to firing Ice blasts or energy pulses out of your hands is a winner in my book.
But as a general idea, I couldn’t agree more, and that realization makes me sad.
Throw in Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out for the original NES and tell me if you’re able to beat Tyson on the first try.
Get a friend and a six pack and fire up Techmo Super Bowl. Tell me that the thrill of picking the right defense of the 4 choices isn’t the fucking best when you shut that sucker’s offense down.
I also agree with Jeremy that Goldeneye may just be the best male bonding/drinking game of all time. How great is that feeling of walking outside after playing that shit for hours on end and your brain reacts the same way as if you’re still playing? Who’s around that corner? Peek out, jump back, peek out, oh shit, rocket to the face!
My mom gave my original Atari to my 80 year-old neighbor. She’s since upgraded to Nintendo but I never got the Atari back. Life’s a bitch indeed.
ps - Anyone else almost break their spacebar playing Kareteka on the Apple II? Oh jeesus, I think I may have just dated myself. Either way, that game may have just held the true meaning of life.
Sweet essay. For me, it’s not revisiting Goldeneye that is nostalgic, even though it is undoubtably the game I’ve played most in my life (next to Fusion Frenzy for XBox), but Mario Kart 64 that still holds up when I play it. That’s a game that has not benefited from newer gen graphics and the gameplay itself is still pretty enjoyable.
And, no, I don’t remember spilling beer on your PS2, that was probably Craig. We should try playing Simpsons Road Rage again and see what kind of nostalgia punches me in the shoulder.
I have to say that there are certain games for the original NES that I would put on the level of a Citizen Kane or Return of the Jedi as far as being able to go back and enjoy them despite their lacking in current video game technology/beauty. For one Bubble Bobble. 110 fucking levels with a secret door on level 99 to get to the bonus 10 levels to defeat the bad guy as a one eyed cutesy alien guy–how do you beat that?
Plus the soundtrack stays the same through the ENTIRE GAME. And you love every second of it. Easily still one of the best games I have ever played. I own a nintendo for that very reason still today….Bubble Bobble
One important thing that I forgot to mention in the article is this: The games that you guys mentioned are only replayable if you played them originally, when they were new. For a person like me, who didn’t play a shitload of original NES games, going back and trying to learn those games now is fucking impossible because not only are they really dumb, they’re really, really fucking hard. (Case in point - Metroid). Also, a lot of early games didn’t have creature comforts that we take for granted now - like saving your game. I’m sure everyone has personal examples that seem awesome no matter how old they get, but the average person who’s never previously experienced these titles wouldn’t enjoy them now. Letting someone play Bubble Bobble for the first time with never rank with showing them Return of the Jedi.
Also, Return of the Jedi pretty much sucked, Tim. I don’t know why that was your example.
Return of the Jedi is the best of the Star Wars and one of the best movies of all time. Your life pretty much sucks. Jedi, on the other hand, does not.
Return of the Jedi–right up there with Reservoir Dogs as “Movies that Tim likes that are virtually irrelevant because they are inferior to other movies made around the same time by the same film-maker.” Well done.
Your statement reminds me of Matt Dillon from Something About Mary where he says “you know, classics, like The Karate Kid and… Harold and Maude.”
Josh you’re being stupid about the Reservoir dogs thing, because guess what….alot of people like Reservoir Dogs too. Maybe not as many, but it’s not like I’m alone in my opinion.
Return of the Jedi are you kidding me? Even Roger Ebert thinks that’s one of the best movies ever made. Same with Reservoir Dogs. This is coming from the same guy who likes the Arcade Fire more than the new White Stripes.
Return is one of the best movies, and no i don’t think Reservoir dogs is up there with pulp fiction, but it definitely a great movie.
I doubt Ebert thinks Jedi is the crowning achievement in the Star Wars catalog–I bet that distinction goes to Empire Strikes Back and I’d like to see a source that says otherwise. And with Reservoir Dogs, I like it, I own it, but Pulp Fiction happens to be my favorite movie of all-time, and again, Ebert did TV specials, that you can find on the Fiction DVD, that showcase just how much better Pulp Fiction is than Reservoir Dogs and how it may be one of the most important films of our lifetime. Like we said on the show, you are free to have your own opinion, but just like everything, don’t expect that you’ll not be given shit for it. Like when I didn’t agree that Icky Thump was UNBELIEVABLE–if there were no conflict with our opinions, our show would not be interesting to listen to.
I also agree that Bubble Bobble kicks serious ass, so we’re on the same page as far as that goes…
It is your love for bubble bobble that saves you from certain ass kickery as of now. I am pretty sure as I understand it that Ebert was quite fond of Jedi. At least that is what I remember from reading his book a few weeks ago. I could be wrong on that though.
Sorry to be a dick, and I’m gonna drop it after this, I swear, but my need to prove this point was overwhelming for some reason.
“The Empire Strikes Back” is the best of three Star Wars films, and the most thought-provoking.
–Roger Ebert
I’m out.
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19970221/REVIEWS/702210302/1023
Heres the proof of what Ebert thinks is the best.
I go back and forth, yes, Empire has the most plot, the better story, or part of the story. But one of my favorite Star War moments from all 6 movies, is in Return of the Jedi, it’s the final Light Saber battle between Luck and Darth. The cinematography and the music just works so well together. so its a close tie, but if I where to have to pick one it would be Return.
Going back to the original points of this discussions Adam, some of these games a novice that has never played before could love them. Take for example Golden Eye, its easy to learn and master, and still be fun.
I believe Ebert gave Reservoir Dogs two and a half stars. He praised the style but complained that the characters should’ve died from blood loss long before the movie ended.
As far as the whole Star Wars thing goes, almost anybody who actually knows anything about Star Wars can agree that Jedi, while being the most action-packed and surface-level “thrilling” of the original trilogy, it also heralded in the idea of Star Wars as purely entertainment for children. Look no further than the fucking Ewoks. I defy you to find a professional film critic willing to propose that Jedi is better than either of the first two films.
The Ewoks are the clear predecessors to Jar Jar Binks and everything else that was totally shitty about episodes 1-3.
As far as GoldenEye is concerned, I have always hated the game, even when it was brand new, because everybody else was amazingly good at it and killed me within three minutes of beginning a session. Fuck GoldenEye forever.
Yeah but that still doesn’t make it art because in light of these newer gen games, stuff like GoldenEye gets replaced by Halo, and even GoldenEye replaced stuff like Doom for the PC. But newer movies and music don’t make it harder to appreciate the originals, and that’s why video games aren’t art.
I wish I had something to do at work besides talk on this message board, but I don’t know why I feel compelled to keep writing shit…
I sucked at Golden Eye. I preferred Quake on the PC where you could use the mouse to aim. The stiffness of Golden Eye totally fucked me over.
Empire and Return of the Jedi tie. I chose to use that as my example on a whim. Next time I’ll just be stoopid and use Godfather Part II or something.
You’re all wrong. Jackie Brown is by far the best work from Tarantino.
Night, night John Boy.
When you absolutely positively have to kill every motherfucker in the room…and no exceptions.
I’ve been kicking myself for not mentioning Jackie Brown on the show the other day. Honestly I don’t think it’s as good as Pulp Fiction, but it’s definitely better than Reservoir Dogs. Reservoir Dogs is all attitude and style - it’s more of a notable directorial calling good than a great film. That said, I’ve probably seen RD more times than any other movie, with the possible exception of Billy Madison.
Josh, I see what you’re saying about GoldenEye, and that’s what I was trying to say, and I’m happy that together we were able to articulate at least one decent thought. The reason you can’t stop posting is this message board is that my article is the greatest article in Strong Words history, and it’s not only a matter of time until it eclipses your Interpol article in popularity. Thought-provocation, muthafucka!
This effect is why there have been half a dozen remakes of the original Final Fantasy game.
However, I have found that some games, like Chrono Trigger and Legend of the Seven Stars, age very well due to how advanced they were for their consoles and the caliber of their story.
You should check out Metroid: Zero Mission (for the GBA). It’s a total remake of the original Metroid in Super Metroid style, with 2-6 hours of gameplay added at the end.
Metroid is fucking impossible.
This article is getting close to eclipsing the Interpol article, it’s imminent by Wednesday.
I agree with the point of the article (being the most conclusive,
focused piece yet from Angulio). With each innovation in gaming … so sets
the bar on our expectations of the next generation. This is the whole premise
behind the marketing in the video game genre … sell your old one/but the new one.
No other medium/art has that mentality.
I would also agree with Thomar on the RPG angle, those
games have never been about graphics and gameplay, but how
well they get us engaged in the story (timeless).
Check out http://www.everyvideogame.com, for a travel down nostalgia memory lane.
Bill are you getting paid to pimp everyvideogame.com or something, you sound like a god damn walking infomercial. PS: Can I “borrow” your room on Tuesday?
Tim
No
No
Hugs & Kisses,
Bill
Myspace Graphics and Backgrounds, Myspace Stuff…
Sorry, it just sounds like a crazy idea for me :)…
Cool Myspace Layouts…
I couldn’t understand some parts of this article, but it sounds interesting…