We tend to think of nostalgia as a desire for the things of the past, which it is, but it’s also a part of our future. People will always have this interest in clinging to their past and the things that they are very familiar with, and they will bring that with them throughout the years of their life. This is why we see so many retro-style games and nostalgia-pandering games in the industry. Nostalgia is such a big part of our lives that this type of game is not going to go away.
Beloved Properties
It’s because of nostalgia that we’re getting sequels to movies like Ghostbusters, Jumanji, and Indiana Jones so many years after these franchises have started. Some of them were never intended to be franchises and others have never left the mainstream consciousness. When we look at gaming, we see a constant stream of remakes and remasters, especially over the last few years. Beloved properties like Elder Scrolls, Diablo, Silent Hill, and Resident Evil have all gotten refreshes in the last few years because people are still holding on to their fond memories of these properties.
We’re even now getting a sequel to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 4: Turtles in Time decades after the fact. That’s because a large part of the gaming populace has never let these things go and still has fond feelings for them. It’s the same reason we’re getting a continuation of the 90s X-Men cartoon series. We aren’t just seeing nostalgia for brands and properties but for specific releases of those properties that harken back to our childhoods.
It Permeates the Gaming Industry
You can see bits of nostalgia seeping into games that aren’t even part of beloved childhood properties. If you look at some of the สล็อตแตกง่าย2022, you will see that there are some nods to things adults of today used to love when they were children and probably still hold dear today. You see slots and online games that recall Indiana Jones, The Little Mermaid, The Godfather, and all these little bits of pop culture from our younger days.
Games may not be so quick to add in bits and pieces from major pop culture franchises that are still big today, or they may not be so obvious about it. You probably won’t see too many blatant Star Wars or Marvel references in online slots or AAA video games. Those kinds of references can get people in trouble, but to recall some character designs, motifs, and environments from older pop culture properties can seem reverential and might not bring legislative power down on the video game developers.
You will see these little strands of pop culture history spread throughout video games of all kinds, which is why you have an entire genre of what are known as Metroidvania games that are part of neither the Castlevania or Metroid franchises. These games simply hold the same tropes and gameplay stylings as those other franchises, and yet the entire genre is born out of nostalgia.
Nostalgia Moving Forward
There is no indication that catering to nostalgia and video games is ever going to stop or slow down. In fact, incorporating nostalgic moments into games is something that is more prevalent today than ever before. It’s very likely that we’ll see this bringing up of the past being a big part of the future of video games. If the upcoming Ninja Turtle sequel game does well, we may see a lot more games like that in the future. It’s very telling that the last Battletoads game was very much in the style of the older games and that the only successful Double Dragon games have followed the formula of the older Double Dragon games too.
Some games series and genres managed to reinvent themselves, and others will always be tied to the past in some way. They will likely always be side-scrolling Mario games, but as a larger mascot of the Nintendo company, Mario can safely branch off in other directions without hurting the brand. Other game series don’t have that kind of luxury and will probably always be tied to the same style of game if they want to be successful.
