Nostalgia is a son of a bitch. I watch movies that were great when I was young, and realise they were pretty cheesy. I listen to songs on youtube that I haven't heard in years, and realise that they aren't as awesome as I remember (although they still kick the crap out of current music). I look back at people I went to school with in my yearbooks, and realise we weren't as cool or sexy as we thought we were. And I play virtual console and old PS1 games, and realise that my favorite games haven't aged well.
People who were around in the Nes days are probably in the best position to see how gaming has changed. We used to have to beat games that were challenging in one sitting. No saves. No continues. We saw games like 3-D World Runner and Afterburner, and thought "Wow! This is so real! It's like I'm really there!" We used to spend hours trying to hone our craft. Going for that high score, learning that tricky jump, our trying to beat that one cheap boss. The sense of accomplishment was amazing. We saw music evolve from simple bleeps into movie worthy orchestra scores. Every time we'd witness the evoloution, the industry and gamers alike would ignite. Those were exciting times.
The worst thing Nintendo ever did was create the virtual console. Without updating the game, most of my childhood favorites have aged terribly. What was once fun and challenging is now simple and repetitive. What was once amazing and realistic is now bland and strange.
The game has changed. I guess the lack of HUGE changes on a regular basis (like the introduction of Starfox, or Donkey Kong, or Pokémon) takes away from the excitement. Don't fool yourself. Video games now are better than they've ever been. If you don't believe me, get yourself a Wii, and download your favorite classic. Believe me, she's not as sexy as you thought she was.
