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The 80's freight train is leaving my head.


Keatah

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The 80's freight train is leaving my head. And it isn't stopping!

 

It's like the past month I had gone through and revisited a lot (but not all) of my fav arcade games briefly through MAME. And then that was it. They all seem so monolithic, and gameplay seems to be but a single direction. Same thing with a lot of the music and other cultural references. Seems all worked-through. Too safe. Too predictable. Sure as hell caught me by surprise. And to be completely honest, a little scary, because, I thought I would love this stuff forever! Anyone else have change of attitude in recent times?

 

A saving grace is that there is so much PC stuff I need to go through and get organized and caught up on. Both vintage and modern-day. Not to mention exploring the best Nintendo and Sega have to offer.

Edited by Keatah
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Can you give some examples?

Sure single screen arcades of the 80s were pretty monolithic to put it mildly, electronic music was also ... well drums and brass were awful ... but the Goonies, Labyrinth, Neverending Story, Princess Bride, Rocky III, First Blood, Star Trek IV The Voyage Home were and still are kind of awesome.

 

Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back and Return of The Jedi were also '80 ... so are Raiders of the Lost Ark and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and Wall Street, Top Gun ... pure awesomesauce.

 

The Amiga and Atari ST are '80 ... and the Mac, lots of cool stuff back then. And your beloved IBM PC 5150, the one that started it all and gave you current MAME :twisted:

 

Forgot this one:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Sega_arcade_video_games#Super_Scaler_series

 

Sega Space Harrier[edit]

Sega OutRun[edit]

X Board[edit]

Publishing

Y Board[edit]

 

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

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I think the 80s freight train is always going to have a station in my head. The missus just got me a Tomy Scramble unit and I was amazed what a good job it did replicating the actual game, which, realistically is just "move to the right." It was slow and easy... but I had a ball playing it.

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NEWSFLASH: OLD THINGS ARE OLD and they get older every day.

 

1980 was almost FORTY years ago and a lot of our favorite artists from that era are dead. I still pay for XM Radio for some reason, and my favorite/least favorite station is "1st Wave," basically the Vice City soundtrack, somewhat but not much expanded. It's great to put on as a comfort food but MAN is that stuff overly familiar.

 

I will always have a soft spot in my heart for games, movies, and music of the era. I think I'm over the books and TV from those days for the most part. I think that's just a function of time. When the radio plays music from the 2000's and calls it "oldies," you know you're a dinosaur.

 

star_wars.png

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Can you give some examples?

 

I think much of it has to do with arcades and the going-to-the-arcade experience. That and the non-interactiveness of a lot of 80's media. Hate to say it, but I think social media of today (in moderation) has become a good thing. It also has to do with the "peak of nostalgia" there's only so much "going back" one can do before burning out on it.

 

Sure I'll always enjoy an Indiana Jones or similar re-run, that's ok.

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I think that interactive element has a lot to do with it. I remember when a non-networked computer sorta-kinda made sense as a programming tool, or as a game console. I also remember when I thought that an unconnected computer was kind of a brick. When I think back to vintage computers, I'm struck by how much of a pain in the ass it is to get good networking going. Even when we had 802.11b, it's wackadoo to me to think that 11mbps was ever sufficient for anything. What I'm forgetting is that it used to be an order of magnitude faster than most internet connections. It's hard to look back at that stuff, and we're spoiled by the cheap, plentiful, good-enough tech around us in these future days in which we live.

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I will always have a soft spot in my heart for games, movies, and music of the era. I think I'm over the books and TV from those days for the most part. I think that's just a function of time. When the radio plays music from the 2000's and calls it "oldies," you know you're a dinosaur.

 

The first time I heard 311 played on the classic rock station I just about crapped myself.

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NEWSFLASH: OLD THINGS ARE OLD and they get older every day.

 

1980 was almost FORTY years ago and a lot of our favorite artists from that era are dead. I still pay for XM Radio for some reason, and my favorite/least favorite station is "1st Wave," basically the Vice City soundtrack, somewhat but not much expanded. It's great to put on as a comfort food but MAN is that stuff overly familiar.

 

I will always have a soft spot in my heart for games, movies, and music of the era. I think I'm over the books and TV from those days for the most part. I think that's just a function of time. When the radio plays music from the 2000's and calls it "oldies," you know you're a dinosaur.

 

star_wars.png

1st Wave is one of the presets in my car. I'm also partial to Lithium (90s alternative, but they dont have enough variety) and Ozzy's Boneyard. Lately, though, I've been listening to the Real Jazz and Watercolors jazz stations.

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I think that interactive element has a lot to do with it. I remember when a non-networked computer sorta-kinda made sense as a programming tool, or as a game console. I also remember when I thought that an unconnected computer was kind of a brick. When I think back to vintage computers, I'm struck by how much of a pain in the ass it is to get good networking going. Even when we had 802.11b, it's wackadoo to me to think that 11mbps was ever sufficient for anything. What I'm forgetting is that it used to be an order of magnitude faster than most internet connections. It's hard to look back at that stuff, and we're spoiled by the cheap, plentiful, good-enough tech around us in these future days in which we live.

The parallel to this, though, is that unconnected consoles/computers have the luxury of not being useless when the Net goes out. :) there were some issues with XBox Live sign-ins the last couple of days and it reminded me that without me signing in and being connected to the Net it's a big ol' friggin' useless brick of a console.

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Speaking for myself, I realized a long time ago that interests come and go... and then come and go again. And then again. At this point in my life, I think I know what my interests actually are, and they just rotate. Sometimes I'm really into old video games. Sometimes it fades and I'm into, I dunno, guitars or something for a while. But then it comes back.

 

I don't think I'd ever say the train has left the station on any of my hobbies or interests. If I was interested once, I can and probably will be again. It's just a lull.

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I don't think I'd ever say the train has left the station on any of my hobbies or interests. If I was interested once, I can and probably will be again. It's just a lull.

How about the console upgrade train? I was gonna skip the PS3, but a friend got me into it ... it became my favorite of the generation, but at the expense of the 360 and definitely the Wii. This time around, I jumped on the PS4, but the Xbone (with its backwards compatibility, funny enough) is the one I like best. I really should sit out the next round, or at least pick ONE and stick with it. Once you've seen the upgrade cycle several times, it just feels foolish to be throwing cash into the new thing.

 

Or maybe I should just look at it like a car, an inevitable expense and minor hassle for the entertainment I want. Thing is, with cars, I always give up the old one to make room for the new. It would be healthy for me to do that with modern games, but I think I prefer the old stuff more.

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Yes that makes sense. I rotate my interests in vintage items and am about to come back to PC and Apple II stuff. It might be that I burned out on binge-watching arcade repair videos. ALL OF THAT WORK!! And the required cleaning & cosmetics.. Yikes!!

 

But I won't go deleting all my 80's emulators or trash my modest collection just because it has 1980's dates stamped on everything.

 

 

The 80's freight train is leaving my head. And it isn't stopping!

 

It's like the past month I had gone through and revisited a lot (but not all) of my fav arcade games briefly through MAME. And then that was it.

 

Maybe it was some sort of weird brain twist. Or something. Some kind of itch.

Edited by Keatah
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Or maybe I should just look at it like a car, an inevitable expense and minor hassle for the entertainment I want. Thing is, with cars, I always give up the old one to make room for the new. It would be healthy for me to do that with modern games, but I think I prefer the old stuff more.

 

If you don't go hog-wild space shouldn't become a concern. Emulation or physical items. It can be manageable.

 

As far as funding goes, it's like any hobby. It's going to cost some amount, whatever it costs it costs. So yes it's an inevitable expenditure. Even emulation costs $$$, for a premium experience you need the right hardware, comfortable controllers, and all the little niceties and dodads and gadgets, it adds up.

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How about the console upgrade train?

For me it's pretty much the same thing. There was a time when I *had* to have all the newest consoles; I even stood in line to get them on day one. I thought I was over that; I never had an original Wii or Wii U (until like a year ago), never had an Xbox 360 or original Xbox One. I had a PS3 and that was it.

 

But somehow, I currently have a PS4, Xbox One S and Switch. (And I even had an Xbox One X for like a minute and a half.) So I guess I'm back on that train.

 

It's a little different now in that I have them all for different reasons unique to each system (the PS4 at this point I mainly have for PSVR; the Xbox for streaming and 4K Blu-Ray; the Switch for its unique form factor, though I haven't used it all that much recently, to be honest). In the old days, it was just "there's a new game console!" and that alone was enough. I don't know if I'll rush out and buy every replacement for the current systems; it depends on what they actually do. But I can't say I won't buy all of them either. Probably depends on my financial situation at the time. If I'm flush with cash, I'm probably more likely to buy all of them like I used to, just because they're there. Game consoles are definitely something I do just like to have, if money's not an issue. But my financial health seems to change a lot.

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My train is just stuck on a circular track. The times come and go, and come again. Luckily I figured this out early on, so I kept things as I lost interest in them, and years later I get back in.

 

Granted, I "collected" the games, not the boxes, so outside of a couple of consoles, most my stuff doesn't really take up much space. I feel for those completionists though.

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Speaking for myself, I realized a long time ago that interests come and go... and then come and go again. And then again. At this point in my life, I think I know what my interests actually are, and they just rotate. Sometimes I'm really into old video games. Sometimes it fades and I'm into, I dunno, guitars or something for a while. But then it comes back.

 

I don't think I'd ever say the train has left the station on any of my hobbies or interests. If I was interested once, I can and probably will be again. It's just a lull.

 

This is why I refused to sell my core collection this time around, although I purged quite a bit. I bought and sold two major collections since 1992. Both times I thought I had gotten over my nostalgia for these old games but the time would come around again and I have a huge desire to play them again. Best thing to do is put it all aside or away in storage when those interests fade but keep them around for when that desire inevitably returns.

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This is why I refused to sell my core collection this time around, although I purged quite a bit. I bought and sold two major collections since 1992. Both times I thought I had gotten over my nostalgia for these old games but the time would come around again and I have a huge desire to play them again. Best thing to do is put it all aside or away in storage when those interests fade but keep them around for when that desire inevitably returns.

 

Yeah, same thing happened to me the first couple times I thought I was over classic gaming. Sold a bunch of stuff both times, and later regretted it both times. Best to keep it around unless you really need the space or money. I didn't; was just trying to streamline my life. But what the heck... I don't think the meaning of life is "getting rid of stuff". (Neither is accumulating it, but once you do have it, may as well keep it.)

 

I'm currently downsizing a little bit but it's because I have to to get ready to move. I'm still planning to take most of my game stuff with me and probably replace most of what I'm selling now later.

 

I realize too that this is slightly off the original topic, which was about the simplistic gameplay of 80's games and the realization thereof, not about downsizing a collection. It was also specifically about arcades, though I think it applies to consoles too. And I do admit that there are certain consoles I keep around mostly for nostalgia reasons, not gameplay... but then I *never* particularly liked any of the games on the Atari 2600, even as a kid. But I have one now because my cousins did and I remember playing it at their house.

 

As for arcade games, I mean there are probably too many great games from the 80's that I still enjoy playing to even list. And I keep finding more in MAME.

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I've never really had a huge 'this stuff is now old & outdated, what's up' kind of moment. Then again, I've always been sort of unstuck in time... I graduated high school in 2001, but spent most of my freshman year in tie-dye and homemade bell bottom pants. I only started wearing jeans becuase it was required for my horse riding lessons. (Ironically, flares got big right after I quit wearing the bell bottoms). I used to make my friends mad on car rides becuase when they wanted control of the radio, their parents would let me pick instead becuase I was into classic rock. It's not like I didn't watch/listen to/play current things, I just never considered it important. The end result is a weird mish-mash of eras in my favorites that means if I'm picking the movie on movie night, you have equal chances for it to be The Avengers, Short Circuit, or How to Stuff a Wild Bikini.

 

I think there's just a certain amount of what you're after in any given moment affecting which decade's output you're largely in. I did have a stint awhile ago where I just didn't play anything 8-bit. It made sense in the moment though- when I was looking to play a game, I either wanted something quick & easy, like an Atari era shooter, or a meatier side-scrolling type game. 8-bit was too slow for the easy option, but too primitive for the meaty one. Lately though? I'm not really looking for quick, I want a nice sit down & play set of games. When I'm looking to play at a (usually) slower pace, the 8-bit games work, so they've been coming out again. Alternatively, I've also been feeling my PS2 a lot more lately too, and it's been ages since I spent any serious time with that.

 

I think it's less of a 'I don't love this anymore', but instead a 'I don't love this right now'. This time next year you might be craving the simple, one-directional gameplay of your old favorites & the familiar old tropes of classic movies. Just roll with it, there's a smorgasbord of pop culture old & new in the world, it only makes sense you'd want to switch things up from time to time.

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My eras always cycle around a bit...sometimes it's the 80s, sometimes the early-mid 90s...

 

...sometimes even the late 90s/early 2000s, which wasn't exactly a great time for games...or movies, or music, or anything else for that matter.

 

Some really great games, which game from mixing old-school sensibilities with new technology, but really a lot of garbage that didn't know how to cope with the new technology, or a lot of shovelware/stuff that was just trying to ride the "games aren't just for geeks anymore" bandwagon that PlayStation and FF7 started.

 

But I'm rambling now =)

 

Still, that era was pretty memorable, since I was a teen and life on the whole was pretty decent. Also, the Internet was a new and exciting place, like the Wild West, rather than today where it's basically just a host for social media and video streams.

 

Even when we had 802.11b, it's wackadoo to me to think that 11mbps was ever sufficient for anything.

I don't know, I still prefer ethernet when I can get it. Wireless is convenient for smaller devices, but I like my stationary desktops to have the best connection possible.

 

It might be that I burned out on binge-watching arcade repair videos. ALL OF THAT WORK!! And the required cleaning & cosmetics.. Yikes!!

Ugh, yes, I was just thinking about that this morning >_<

 

As much as I love being able to fix my own stuff, having a 50-60 hour job means I don't really have time to rip my Nintendo handhelds apart and order parts from China every time the R/L buttons decide to stop working >_<

 

Or, you know, what ever other console/computer decides to take a dump that day.

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I dunno, man. I think the 90s are pretty cool. Some of the best games and music ever to exist. I'll likely never leave, even though I do like some modern stuff. I have more nostalgia for the 80s, in particular the NES, than I do desire to actually PLAY 80s games, which is kinda weird, I guess. But far be it from me to poop on someone's 1980s preference. The decade was cool, just not as cool as the one that immediately followed. :lol:

 

There are just a very few 80s games that I go back and play regularly. Nintendo Tetris (very late 1989, probably didn't play it until 1990), OG Legend of Zelda (1987), Dragon Warrior (1989), Tiger-Heli (1986? 1987?), Contra (1988), Double Dragon (1988?), and Mega Man II (1989) are those games. And that's about it. I have tried some Atari 2600 games - games I used to own - in recent years and realized that I was better off leaving my early video game past in my past.

 

The rest of my NES favorites were mostly developed in the 1980s but not released until 1990 or later in North America. Final Fantasy, Dr. Mario, Super Mario 3, Ninja Gaiden II, TMNT Manhattan Project, Super C, Castlevania III, TMNT Arcade on NES (which I prefer to the arcade version), Tecmo Super Bowl, Kirby's Adventure, StarTropics... That list goes on and on.

 

And that probably has to do with the fact I graduated high school in 1996. I've read somewhere (or perhaps dreamed it) that the time of your high school years impacts your tastes for life. Maybe not always true, but for me it seems to be.

 

edit: I also want to mention that the 90s had my favorite console ever (Genesis), saw the peak of my favorite gaming genre (2D fighting games) and had some amazing arcade titles (even outside of fighting games; NBA Jam and Jam TE were outstanding, and so were the Cruisin' games)

Edited by derFunkenstein
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