Editor's note: Michael is definitely on to something here: About a year ago, I went back and played a game called Kangaroo that I loved as kid. What a stinker! -James.
A few days before Microsoft released Perfect Dark on Xbox Live Arcade, the game had already become the sixth-highest-rated game on the service with a score of four-and-a-half stars out of five. Obviously, Xbox Live users weren’t judging the remake since it hadn't been released yet. So what were they rating? Was it the original N64 game? Or were they rating their memories? My guess would be the latter, and though the enhanced version turned out pretty well, gamers need to be aware of something I like to call “nostalgia burn.”
Many lists and conversations about the greatest games of all time include Perfect Dark’s predecessor, GoldenEye 007. But ask a fan to play it now, and their reaction may be somewhat different. Aside from its incredibly dated graphics, the gameplay is very primitive for a console first-person shooter. It broke ground at the time -- especially for a genre that was a dud on the TV -- but playing it now is quite shocking.
This is the nostalgia burn I'm referring to: You have fond memories of a game, but often when you go back and play it, it’s not what you remembered at all. And with a whole new way to get classic games via Xbox Live's upcoming Game Room, it seems like a good time to think about the ways your memory can trick you.
Of course, this doesn’t mean you were wrong about the game: At the time, it was great. But "was" is the important word here. If a game with GoldenEye-style controls came out today -- great graphics or not -- it would be laughed out of existence. And nostalgia burn is never about graphics -- though we may remember some games looking better than they do. It’s really about gameplay.
Another way our memories deceive us is when sequels remedy negative elements that an earlier title had. As an example, take the original Final Fantasy. Square has published 47 (give or take 20) new takes on the classic RPG, but those who want to get really nostalgic will always opt for the NES version. And that’s when the player will remember “ineffective" hits. An ineffective hit happens when you issue multiple commands. Your first character attacks enemy "A" and deals a killing blow, and when the subsequent party members attack, they go for the empty space where enemy "A" was instead moving on to enemy "B."
A pretty big gap of time has elapsed between the original and most recent Final Fantasys. Even the Final Fantasy remakes have removed the ineffective hit. So to be fair, let's look at something more recent, like the two Uncharted titles. Between the original and its sequel, Naughty Dog improved the shooting mechanics, the damage and cover systems, grenade throwing, and more. If anyone new to the Uncharted games asks me if they should play the second entry first, I tell them no: It would be very difficult to go back to the original after experiencing Uncharted 2.
Letting a beloved name grab ahold of you is a third way to get burned. Titles like Paperboy and Double Dragon may bring back fond memories, and both of those games appeared on XBLA. I've heard they sold fairly well during their initial release, but if you go back and play them, you’ll wonder why those memories are so nice. I was a victim of a name-related nostalgia burn. Memories of Double Dragon enticed me to buy the XBLA version. As they say, you can never go back, and I didn't have much fun. (As a side note, Double Dragon is no longer available -- probably for the best.)
These are the big culprits when if comes to nostalgia burn, but I'm sure others exist. Just remember to play it safe, and the next time you buy some old title on Virtual Console, make sure to bring plenty of bandages and aloe.
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