It seems that everywhere you look at the moment there is something retro making a comeback. Mid-century Scandinavian furniture is all the rage, people love taking their polaroids on vacation, and the odd kooky pal will choose a Nokia 3310 over the latest smartphone. The world of gaming is no different with an untold number of 16-bit classics from the 1980s and 1990s making a comeback, albeit in a more advanced and sophisticated twenty-first century way. With an improvement in graphics and gameplay, a new generation of gamers is discovering the joys of a whole host of retro titles.
Image SourceSuper Mario Run
Although Mario never really went away, he did make his first venture into the world of smartphone apps in 2016 with Super Mario Run. From the days of old when he had Yoshi as a sidekick, and he was in search of the princess, up and down pipes, and battling Bowser on a range of Nintendo devices, he still retains his cheeky and likable persona. There’s no hint of a Call of Duty shoot ‘em up encroaching on the sweet innocence of this little Italian plumber. Mario has a new legion of fans who enjoy playing games on their smartphone as much as their console. By moving with the technological times, Mario looks set to be a franchise that will continue to build on its success.
Final Fantasy XV: A New Empire
Hironobu Sakaguchi’s science fiction classic from 1987 has had a lifetime of installments, adaptations, and enhancements. Exploring different worlds and battling with magic or fighting hand to hand has been the stalwart of these games. As an RPG, this franchise has been the best selling of all time and has spawned books and anime series of the same name. You can experience Final Fantasy 15 by downloading an app straight to your smartphone. Gone are the days of the NES; now it’s all about Android and the iPhone.
Bubble Bobble
If you loved nothing better in your youth than controlling two little dragons and helping them out of some random obstacle courses by popping bubbles, then you’ll be pleased to know that the Commodore 64 which launched the game is making a comeback in 2018. Preloaded with the original 1989 game and other Commodore classics, there have been no updates or developments to make the game sharper or make it a more immersive experience. The game is how it was nearly thirty years ago with the same blips and glitches as before.
Image SourceStreet Fighter V: Arcade Edition
It doesn’t matter whether you enjoyed battling as Ryu, Ken or Blanka, the original characters from the 1987 classic beat ‘em up all appear in the latest installment. With its manga-style graphics, awesome gameplay and cool special moves, Street Fighter is simplicity at its best. Highly addictive with the arcade editions proving the most thrilling to play, Street Fighter remains head and shoulders above its rivals.
If you fancy getting your offspring into gaming without the gore and violence of Call of Duty or GTA, take a look at some retro classics to bring some fun into the household.
