A Return to 8-Bit

The release of Megaman 9, an 8-bit sequel in one of the biggest franchises of all time, came and went this week. As a game, it isn't much; as a statement (both artistically and in the sense that more games should be like it), it says more than any press release or journalistic article ever could-

Games should be simple.

Sure, it's not much to look at. It's only that nostalgia factor that makes the graphics attractive. The point of the game is to show us that games could be fun, even without the realism and over-the-top violence in todays industry. They could be challenging without the human to human interaction that many games today depend on. Competition wasn't fighting to see who was the best; no, it was racing against time to see who could finish the game in the least amount of time. Whatever happened to this golden age in gaming?

The answer, as it always seems to be, is technological advancements. Games have begun to do things because they can, but most of what's in the games of today is smoke and mirrors.

Yes, there's a certain aesthetic to today's games that we couldn't have had years ago; we feel like we could actually be there. But gaming was created to take us away from the worries and struggles of the real world. It's as if people have forgotten the fundamentals of what gaming is today.

So, if you had to choose, what would you have? The games today with the great multiplayer and amazing graphics or the games of yesteryear that were made for us to have fun with the game? I'd really like to see some opinions, so post about it in the comments section.