Standards of quality in modern gaming are very much tied in with technology’s current pace (graphical capabilities, scalabilities, production rate, etc…), however, there are those of us who relish the days of old. For example, I’m a huge fan of the Pokémon titles created for the Game Boy line of handhelds.

I find these games to be timeless. Consoles have come and gone, resolutions and frame rates and pixel densities have upscaled to previously unimaginable realms, and yet I say “meh”. It’s not a conscious decision I’m making, I just don’t feel any genuine attraction towards modern forms of gaming.

I’ll play a specific title every once in a blue moon just to see what the hype is about, but not much beyond that. I’m not a retro gamer, or really much of a gamer at all. It’s clear that I just love playing older titles on average, and I think I know exactly why.

There’s a good more people read books than comics in my opinion, and that is the experience. If you pop open a comic, every action, dialogue and chapter has an accompanying piece of artwork. The picture has been pieced together, you’re told how a scene played out and who looked like what when they said such. Of course, some people love this and no digs at those who do, but with a book you fill all of the gaps in yourself. That’s what makes a book a much more memorable experience for me anyway.

When I look a something like the latest Assassin’s Creed title, I do find the attention to detail to be absolutely amazing yes, but for whatever reason I can recall every inch of an island off the coast of the Hoen region a lot better. It still feels like we’re coming out of the uncanny valley to an extent. When you give me a 16x16px sprite and a map to run around in, I can picture the chill of a cave or the glow of streetlights on a street they’re running through a lot clearer.

I know we’re all products of our environments, and it may be the case that only those who grew up with games of these resolutions can relate. Call me crazy, but that’s how I feel.