Video Gaming In The '90s and Now
Judy Ramsook
May 04, 2009
The world of video gaming has undergone so many advanced changes, that when I look back on how different it was in the ´90s for avid video gamers, a slight chuckle comes to mind. Below is a list of noteable observations from the video games then and now.
Learning about a new game.
Then, if you wanted to know what game to get next, you read magazines such as: Nintendo Power, Gamepro and others. Those periodicals are still around today, but so is the widely used internet.
Or, if you happen to be discussing that particular subject with a buddy, friend or neighbour who heard about a game you might be interested in, then word of mouth worked well too.
Multiplayer gaming then and now
If you wanted to play a non single player game then or multiplayer one, you invited some friends over, or you went to their place.
Now, there is WiFi and many multiplayer video games and systems with online capability.
Knowing or not knowing the value of a video game then.
If you played a video game then such as: Earthbound for the SNES and did not think much of that game at the time, take a look at how much a single copy of that game is going for on Ebay today.
It makes you glad to know that through the internet, you learned how popular this game still is and how happy you are for playing and owning a precious copy of it even down to the guide that came with it when you purchased the game in the ´90s. (I wish Nintendo would remake it for the Nintendo DS.)
You think some games are addicting now
If you think being addicted to your precious copy of Tetris DS for the Nintendo DS ( only 100,000 copies were sent to the US) is a big deal, try playing the original Tetris on your Gameboy in the ´90s. Now there was an early addiction.
Getting stuck on a stage or level
If you were playing a video game in the ´90s and didn´t have a magazine that contained useful tips on how to clear a stage or what to do next, or had a friend who knew what to do to advance the game, let´s face it, you were stuck.
The internet, being as widely used as it is today changed all that. Now if you are stuck in a certain part of a video game, all you have to do is a little internet search and there you are! Stuck no more!
Playing Games you knew nothing about
In the ´90s, before subscribing to magazines such as: Nintendo Power and/or Gamepro or Game Players, I played a lot of video games I knew nothing about. My first Legend Of Zelda video gaming experience, for example, was so unknown to me that I did not know what to do with Link or had any clue what I was supposed to do in the game in order to rescue Princess Zelda from her plight.
Even the original Metroid game for the NES left me wondering if I would ever get Samus Aran to the Mother Brain in time. Who knew then what the Metroid and Legend Of Zelda series would have become what they are today.
Saving your progress in a game
Also in the ´90s, there were some games that came with a built in save feature and some without. Most of your adventure or RPG type of video games came with that. But if you were playing a game on a recent system such as a PS2 or Nintendo Gamecube, you could not save your progress unless you had a Memory Card for the system.
And what did impress me at the time, was the original Metroid game cartridge had this built in save feature. It was a password type feature, but still, it was pretty innovative for the time. Now systems like the Nintendo Wii come with a built in hard drive, no memory card needed there.
Of course, I like the advances technology has managed to lend to the video gaming industry today. My video gaming world has not been the same since I got my Nintendo DS, for example. Yes, and every now and again, just for fun, I still plop the Super Mario World cartridge in the SNES system and give that game one more work out as well. It does bring back fond memories when the multiplayer video gaming world was not what it is today.
Learning about a new game.
Then, if you wanted to know what game to get next, you read magazines such as: Nintendo Power, Gamepro and others. Those periodicals are still around today, but so is the widely used internet.
Or, if you happen to be discussing that particular subject with a buddy, friend or neighbour who heard about a game you might be interested in, then word of mouth worked well too.
Multiplayer gaming then and now
If you wanted to play a non single player game then or multiplayer one, you invited some friends over, or you went to their place.
Now, there is WiFi and many multiplayer video games and systems with online capability.
Knowing or not knowing the value of a video game then.
If you played a video game then such as: Earthbound for the SNES and did not think much of that game at the time, take a look at how much a single copy of that game is going for on Ebay today.
It makes you glad to know that through the internet, you learned how popular this game still is and how happy you are for playing and owning a precious copy of it even down to the guide that came with it when you purchased the game in the ´90s. (I wish Nintendo would remake it for the Nintendo DS.)
You think some games are addicting now
If you think being addicted to your precious copy of Tetris DS for the Nintendo DS ( only 100,000 copies were sent to the US) is a big deal, try playing the original Tetris on your Gameboy in the ´90s. Now there was an early addiction.
Getting stuck on a stage or level
If you were playing a video game in the ´90s and didn´t have a magazine that contained useful tips on how to clear a stage or what to do next, or had a friend who knew what to do to advance the game, let´s face it, you were stuck.
The internet, being as widely used as it is today changed all that. Now if you are stuck in a certain part of a video game, all you have to do is a little internet search and there you are! Stuck no more!
Playing Games you knew nothing about
In the ´90s, before subscribing to magazines such as: Nintendo Power and/or Gamepro or Game Players, I played a lot of video games I knew nothing about. My first Legend Of Zelda video gaming experience, for example, was so unknown to me that I did not know what to do with Link or had any clue what I was supposed to do in the game in order to rescue Princess Zelda from her plight.
Even the original Metroid game for the NES left me wondering if I would ever get Samus Aran to the Mother Brain in time. Who knew then what the Metroid and Legend Of Zelda series would have become what they are today.
Saving your progress in a game
Also in the ´90s, there were some games that came with a built in save feature and some without. Most of your adventure or RPG type of video games came with that. But if you were playing a game on a recent system such as a PS2 or Nintendo Gamecube, you could not save your progress unless you had a Memory Card for the system.
And what did impress me at the time, was the original Metroid game cartridge had this built in save feature. It was a password type feature, but still, it was pretty innovative for the time. Now systems like the Nintendo Wii come with a built in hard drive, no memory card needed there.
Of course, I like the advances technology has managed to lend to the video gaming industry today. My video gaming world has not been the same since I got my Nintendo DS, for example. Yes, and every now and again, just for fun, I still plop the Super Mario World cartridge in the SNES system and give that game one more work out as well. It does bring back fond memories when the multiplayer video gaming world was not what it is today.