I often find myself longing for the days of yore, back when each new game released was an event, and the subtle differences between similar games is what really made them stand out. As much as I enjoy today's games, I find the "newness" factor underwhelming. Could it be that I'm jaded, bored, and just plain old? My achy knee and increasing midsection would like to weigh in on that...

Recently, I've come to discover the joys of digging up old games- favorites of years past- and replaying them with the same gusto I had when they were released. As of the time of writing, I'm enjoying playing through the Legacy of Kain series on PC (I played them on PSX and PS2 back in the day).  I was thoroughly wrapped up in the storyline, the characters, and the world of Nosgoth when I first came across these games a decade or more ago.

Even now, I still enjoy picking up Mega Man's NES adventures on a nearly yearly (yes, I rhymed!) basis just for laughs. And what year would be complete without a stroll through Castlevania on or around Halloweeen? Just this past Christmas, I bought my 10-year old daughter a copy of Chrono Trigger for her DS, and she really has gotten into it whole-heartedly. She'll even admit that its a better game that a lot of the newer titles that have came out, Pokemon included.

Maybe there's something about the "charm" of the old school games that today's games are lacking. Everything on the market today marketed to the "core" gaming audience has to be cutting-edge, gritty, and adult-minded. What happened to the cutesy characters who had engaging gameplay, tongue-in-cheek humor, and were just plain fun? I was hoping the Wii would do that, but they've gotten too "niche" with the motion controls.

But, there's always hope. Some of the downloadable titles I've seen (Yay, Mega Man 9!) really spark that orignal feeling I had when 2D sidescrollers were the rage- that feeling of joy, of excitement, of youth.  Maybe, just maybe someone's paying attention. Maybe, against all hope, we'll see these games make a comeback. Maybe I won't have to dig up an NES in the future.