Photo by Unknown, Public Domain

Digital gaming in 2018 is such a ubiquitous part of the modern culture; it’s hard to remember a world without consoles, PCs, mobile devices and the like. Believe it or not, around 50 or so years ago, gaming only existed within the confines of a laboratory! But here we are, decades later with the power to reach players on the other side of the world at our fingertips. Gaming has undergone quite a dramatic evolution over the past half a century; here’s a look back at how it all started.

The 80s: Arcades to Living Rooms

At the beginning of the decade, video games were still mostly to be found in arcades across the globe. Playing games was pretty much a social activity, and titles like the iconic Pac-Manspawned a series of copycat and inferior rip-offs.

As this electric, new decade developed, video games proved that they were here to stay with the release of Nintendo’s first decent home console in 1985: the 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Nintendo arguably set the trend for a new wave of immersive, story-based games with fantasy settings like The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario Bros. Although they were platform games at their core, these innovative titles pushed the medium to its limits.

Not to be outdone, another Japanese gaming giant — Sega — released its first 16-bit console as the 1980s drew to a close, the Genesis/Mega Drive. Choosing a spiky blue hedgehog — Sonic — as its flagship character, the stage was set for a Sonic vs Super Mario standoff!

The 90s: Ultraviolence and Console Wars

Console gaming in the 90s began to take off thanks to a plethora of models released by Nintendo, Sega and the multimedia upstart Sony. The rivalry between Sega and Nintendo kicked off as soon as the decade did, with Nintendo releasing the amped-up 16-bit Super NESin 1991. Thanks to the return of old favorites Mario, Donkey Kong and The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo managed to eke out most of the market share.

That wasn’t the last to be heard from Sega, however, as it still had two firsts up its sleeve: the first console with a built-in modem and 32-bit graphics (Saturn), and the first console capable of online play (Dreamcast). Sadly, for those diehard Sonic fans, Sony would soon push the company out of the market with its cheaper alternative — the PlayStation.

Developers and design studios began to play with what software engineering was capable of in the 90s, unleashing a slew of ultraviolent, ultramodern shoot-em-ups, beat-em-ups, stealth games, RPGs, racing games and survival horror titles into the global gaming community. Amid these R-rated games, popular franchise characters also emerged, and Nintendo pulled off the biggest coup of the decade with its James Bond Goldeneye 007released on the Nintendo 64.

Enter the 21st century

Photo by Oleg, Public Domain

The Noughties: Things Take a Turn to Realism

Not only a new decade or even a new century, the year 2000 marked the dawn of a brand-new millennium. Fittingly, video games became more immersive, more technologically advanced and much more real, and the millennium opened up a whole new rivalry in the gaming world: Sony vs Microsoft!

In the year 2000, Sony sent shockwaves into the community with the 128-bit PlayStation 2. Not only did it feature DVD technology but it also had better graphics capability than a high-end PC and featured a brand-new game that kicked off the trend for realistic gaming environments, Grand Theft Auto. Other titles like Assassin’s Creed, Mass Effectand BioShockwould soon follow, and a whole host of movie tie-ins and games featuring the most iconic characters in popular culture began to hit the shelves.

Wanting a piece of this tasty and profitable pie, Microsoft gave birth to the Xbox, complete with a keynote presentation by Bill Gates himself at the 2001 CES. With an 8GB hard drive, DVD playability, PC technology and (just one year later) Xbox Live functionality, it was everything 50 percent of the millennial generation wanted from a console!

Nintendo gave itself a 21^st-century upgrade when it released the hilariously named Wiiin 2006. Offering a way for resolute non-gamers to get involved with, erm, gaming, it was marketed as a way to keep fit and entertain the whole family without having to leave the living room. Then in 2008, a new kraken awoke: mobile gaming! Always keen to be ahead of the curve, Apple debuted its online house of wares — the App Store— opening up all sorts of possibilities in mobile gaming for developers and gamers alike in the process.

2010 to the Present: Independence and Innovation

And so, we find ourselves in 2018 where gaming is big business! From the leading iGaming platforms with their long lists of real-money online games and apps to the esports tournaments where professional gamers go head-to-head to compete for massive prize pools, the global gaming industry is now worth over $108 billion!

Social gaming (PlayStation 4andXbox 3, we’re looking at you!) has been majorly emphasized over the past eight years. New editions to franchises like World of Warcraft, League of Legendsand Dungeons & Dragonshave connected players from Alaska to Australia, and the best ones have even formed teams to compete in those aforementioned esports tournaments.

Since 2010, we’ve also seen a rise in the number of independent games like Minecrafthit the market. No doubt boosted in popularity by the wildfire that is mobile gaming, which accounts for just under 50 percent of the global gaming industry’s worth! The medium is even developing into health and well-being and is considered by some to be as viable an art form as cinematography.

So, where does the future of gaming lie? Some say it’s all going to be about virtual reality and augmented reality in the years to come while others think it’s time to put the consoles to bed and power up the mobile devices instead. However, the recent trend of reissuing those classic consoles of decades gone by does show that we’re not the only ones into this whole retrowave thing!

Here are just a few of the vintage video-game experiences you can enjoy on Android and iOS devices today, ranging from platformers and shooters to slot machines and beyond.

Sega Forever Collection

It may have ducked out of the home console market almost two decades ago, but Sega is still a major presence on the development and publishing scene. If you want to relive some of its genre-defining games from the era of the Master System and Mega Drive, then you need to check out the Forever Collection.

This anthology of games includes everything from well known titles like Sonic The Hedgehog 2 to more obscure options like Comix Zone. And best of all is the fact that every one is free to play. You can pay a small fee to get rid of the in-app ads if you want, but there’s no obligation if you’re happy to sit through the occasional onscreen promotion.

Final Fantasy II

Fans of Square Enix and its historic series of JRPGs will appreciate the ability to play earlier games while out and about. And if you’ve yet to delve into the world of Final Fantasy, the second entry is a good place to start.

Its mobile adaption includes upgraded graphics, new dungeons and an immersive, sprawling storyline that will keep you playing for hours. If you like strategic, turn-based combat and deep characters, it is an excellent choice to add to your collection, even with its premium price point.

Alternatively why not check out the well-received mobile version of Final Fantasy XV to see how the series has progressed.

DOOM Classic

In the mid-90s the first person shooter genre was brought kicking and screaming into existence by the young team at ID Software. Today DOOM is still alive and well, with its most recent incarnation on PC and consoles managing to go back to what made the original so great.

To experience the claustrophobic corridors and squealing demons of the first game, all you need to do is install DOOM Classic on your iPhone. It comes with all of the levels and features you’d expect, along with the option to listen to the rocking soundtrack separately and take advantage of touchscreen controls to stay involved with the gameplay.

The app itself is getting on for 10 years old, but regular updates are still released to ensure that it is compatible with the newest versions of iOS.

Double Triple Chance

Mobile slots have improved massively over the years, bringing the experience of playing a casino to portable platforms in incredibly inventive ways. But if all the bells and whistles are getting you down, why not play Double Triple Chance at Casumo?

With three reels, five paylines and plenty of fruity icons, it is every inch the classic slot machine experience. And because you can play for free in the trial mode, you don’t have to risk any cash to go back in time and enjoy retro gaming excitement wherever you are.

Tetris

It seems like Tetris has been re-imagined in thousands of different forms over the years. But if you want a back to basics experience which is playable in the palm of your hand, the mobile edition published by EA is your best bet.

Sure, there are different game modes to try out, and the colourful graphics look quite a bit different from the green and grey of the Game Boy original. But the core mechanics remain the same and this is a game that can be enjoyed in short bursts or over longer sessions, which gives it plenty of flexibility.

Pac-Man Championship Edition

Tetris may be iconic, but Pac-Man is a mascot for the entire industry. The arcade style of this game is perfectly suited to mobile play, as are the simplicity of the controls, which avoid a lot of the complications that modern titles can suffer.

The graphics combine retro charm with contemporary effects, and this Championship Edition is arguably the definitive Pac-Man experience.

The Secret of Monkey Island – Special Edition

Often seen as the funniest, most enjoyable point and click adventure game of all time, this 1990 game was given a makeover a few years ago, with enhanced graphics and added voice acting. It is a natural fit for mobile play, with an interface that works well with your fingertips rather than a mouse.

You can even switch back to the classic graphics and audio effects if you do not want the remastered experience, which is a nice touch that many other developers have since copied. So get downloading and try these retro classics today.

Throne: Kingdom of War is a medieval strategy game from online developer Plarium. It is based in the time period defined as the middle ages, which is traditionally considered to be from the 5th century until the early modern period of the 15th century.

The game sets the player up as a lord who has one aim and that is to conquer the lands of his enemies and rise to power by seizing the throne. This theme is very much in keeping with the state of England during this time period. The collapse of the Roman Empire left the economy of the country in tatters and many towns and villages were completely abandoned.

There was an influx of Germanic peoples of the previous century led to the development of new cultures and identities within the population of the country and this led to power struggles among the different kingdoms. This is reflected when playing Throne: Kingdom of War where you have to build your own mini-kingdom as a Lord and set out to defeat your neighbours to seize power.

The building of a strong settlement is a massively important part of the game and is rooted accurately in the history of the period it encompasses. When the Saxons invaded in 1066, they ruled the country and suppressed revolts using a system of strong castles spread strategically across the land. The lords from the previous Anglo-Saxon period were a menace to the new rulers but the real problem came with the infighting of the Anglo-Norman elite.

This infighting led to the loss of Normandy for the country and there was a constant power struggle that saw different Lords unite to form factions against their political and military enemies. It is this kind of strategizing that the game captures so well as it allows you to form alliances with other players in order to destroy your mutual enemies and split their kingdom amongst the victors. This is exactly the environment that existed in medieval England.

The game allows you to take your armies to war but joining an order and working together is far more likely to breed success than working as a lone lord, again a realistic element transported from the annals of history. Another nice touch is the ability to upgrade your hero by conducting studies and try to gain an advantage over your opponents through enlightenment rather than military might alone, it is your call and the decisions you make could be very important as the gameplay develops.

The game is categorised as a MMORTS (massively multiplayer online real-time strategy) that has some notable similarities to classic titles such as Age of Empires II The Age of Kings which was released back in 1999 and received very positive reviews from a number of well-known websites. This title allowed players to build settlements with multiple building options that each opened up a number of new units. Harvesting resources was an important part of the game and has heralded many similar titles in the subsequent years.

So if you enjoyed the strategy genre and think you have what it takes to lead your people to glory then Throne: Kingdom of War is a game well worth a try but be warned, keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

Grand Theft Auto: Continuing to Push Boundaries

Grand Theft Auto seriously pushed the boundaries when it was released. It has been a game-changer for video games in many respects, with fans so attached to the virtual characters that many are choosing to take them with them from old console to new. However, it has also been a game that has pushed further boundaries as it has developed.

“Grand Theft Auto V (45)” by Videogame Photography (CC BY 2.0)

Sure, the majority of the game has always been about grabbing a car, getting your drive on, and not getting too many stars against your name. However, in GTA V online, gamers were able to wager money in races. So seriously has this aspect been taken, in fact, that you can read how to make the most of glitches online to win big, showing that despite just being intended as a fun, light-hearted part of the game, it certainly made a huge impression on fans!

Red Dead Redemption: Bringing Poker to the Mini Game World

If one game was going to show how to do gambling and betting within a gaming format, then Red Dead Redemption with its no-nonsense approach was going to take the title. With mini games of poker available to be enjoyed, players had another way to make the most of the huge gaming environment that you can enjoy on Red Dead.

“Red Dead Redemption” by Ian Hughes (CC BY 2.0)

“Red Dead Redemption” by Ian Hughes (CC BY 2.0)

When the original game came out, the world of real online poker play wasn’t quite as popular as it is nowadays, when iGaming companies like 888poker in 2017 can offer a huge range of games to play for real money, with technology making these online poker experiences hugely realistic whilst allowing players to enjoy the social aspect of cards.

With this in mind, it will be interesting to see if the upcoming (and much delayed!) Red Dead Redemption 2 will feature a more extended mini game series or if Rockstar will instead focus on making it a more action-based game.

James Bond 007: I Spy a Mini Game

While GTA and Red Dead Redemption are still very recent and retain their relevancy to the world of modern gaming, there hasn’t really been a wonderful James Bond video game since the era of Goldeneye, which gave gamers the chance to blow up their friends in multiplayer mode using proximity mines and even reveling in suspending the mines in the air (reveling unless, that is, you happen to be Pierce Brosnan, who apparently rather sucks at the game!).

The James Bond 007 game, however, did bring the world’s most famous secret agent into the gambling mini-game arena. Of course being on the Gameboy (which was still at its peak when this was made during 1998) made this a slightly less realistic experience, but the fact that you could finally enjoy the fun that Bond has (the sort of gambling fun seen in films like Casino Royale since) was a huge plus for the narrative.

Gaming within a game really does seem to enhance the overall experience, whether it’s gaming for the sake of gaming, gaming to resolve conflict, or gaming in the form of gambling. It may seem like rather a niche meta-world, but when you start looking more widely in the world of console gaming, you may find it’s far more common than you first thought.

Whilst we’re all waiting for CD Projekt Red to release more info about its Blade-Runner-ish new title Cyberpunk 2077, it’s worth remembering the greatest highlights of the last few games that sport the wonderful Retro-Synth aesthetic. Because of their unique artstyle, colour, direction and soundtracks these games have lasted the test of time, and have great replay value today.

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon (2013, Ubisoft)

(images from Steam)

Released as a spin-off DLC sized spin on Ubisoft’s earlier released title “Far Cry 3”, Blood Dragon sports everything we love. Neon lights, sexy action, references to our favourite 80’s flicks, and best of all, a retrowave soundtrack composed by Australian duo “Power Glove”.
Although short in length, Blood Dragon makes up for everything in personality. A terrific ambient soundtrack accompanies you through your conquest of a Dystopian island occupied by warlord Sloan, set during 2007 after “Vietnam War II”. The game is laden with low brow comedy, and tasteful graphics and animation that just hits every mark.

(images from Steam)

Getting passed the reliance on Far Cry 3’s release, everything in Blood Dragon is a throw to something we’ve come to love – the badass weapons, the side-quests, VHS tapes as collector’s items and a sexy heroes journey involving a crazy amount of neon lights.

This all goes without saying the terrific soundtrack Power Glove composed for this game – it sets scenes perfectly and keeps tension to an outrun-pace, almost as if you’re watching a Neo-Topian movie, but where all the explosions and death are your doing.

It’s an amazing experience, and should definitely be picked up by any lover of the aesthetic.

Hotline Miami
(2012, Devolver Digital)

(images from Steam)

Hotline Miami is a legend of indie-games. Widely acclaimed all over the world, the 2012 indie title transcends the typical mold for a game of its type.

Again, it’s everything we love. Hectic, immersive action, an art-style that reels the player in, and a soundtrack that just makes hair stand on its own, featuring artists such as M O O N, El Huervo and Perturbator. Hotline Miami is a surreal, psychedelic top-down action game, involving crazy amounts of gore and violence – if by some chance you haven’t graced this masterpiece, you need to.

Hotline Miami takes queues from drug and gore ridden movies and TV shows of the 70’s through to the 90’s. But that’s just in the creation of the aesthetic, beyond this Hotline Miami crafts its own mold of high-voltage gameplay that causes blood curdling, teeth grinding and brain frying.

The soundtrack tops it all off. If id Software’s 2016 DOOM (4) was to be praised for its action-audio synchronization, then Hotline Miami beat it to the punch. The beat-heavy, synth-ridden, guitar strumming soundtrack that plays in the background whilst you blow away at criminals and bodyguards makes you want to align every gunshot and melee strike up with the music.

This game is nothing short of a masterpiece. It’s worth your time.

VA-11 HALL-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action (2016, Sukeban Games)

(images from Steam)

Less-heard of, but definitely worth the mention, is VA-11 HALL-A, a 2016 title with a lighter tone than previous titles mentioned.

Rather than immersing the player in layers of violence, gore and chaos, VA-11 HALL-A takes a different turn, being more of a choice-based visual novel involving well drawn art, conversations, mixing drinks and a Shibe lead character. VA-11 HALL-A has a terrific immersive soundtrack, not leaning more into the Outrun scene, but functioning as a nice backdrop to the roleplay as a Cyber-Bartender. The game itself relies more on its character design and comedy, and it does both greatly.                                          

Make no mistake, VA-11 HALL-A is no outrun-heavy action thriller where you kill everything, enjoy the sounds, love the lights and move on – it has more of a chill vibe to it. Imagine yourself behind the bar of a Neo-Tokyo cocktail bar in a dystopian, comic-y world that takes queues from sci-fi, whilst keeping up a decent comedic tone, with a lineup of memorable characters. That’s essentially what you’ve got here.

The music doesn’t speed up your cocktail shaking or anything, it’s more of an ambient thing to remind you of the setting, and it’s a great listen, and really adds to the experience.

It’s a great game, and well worth its value.

 Deus Ex: Human Revolution (2011, Eidos Montreal)

(Images from Steam, game was remastered in 2013)

No list of retrowave games can go without Deus Ex: HR. Adam Jensen’s iconic line “I Never Asked For This” is enough to reel an unsuspecting gamer into the immersive universe of Deus Ex, but under the surface level of this epic game is everything we love about our aesthetic – a brilliant storyline, awesome action, and an immersive soundtrack that traps the player in the universe of this Blade Runner-inspired epic, complimented by visuals and art style.

Deus Ex takes a more serious, narrative driven approach than the other games on this list. It bends the aesthetic in its own, unique direction, picking up an orange and murky-grey hue over bright purples and pinks. It takes massive influence from the sci-fi’s of old, creating a unique dystopian storyline,

enhanced by every element of the game – needless to say the music, but also through player choices; you don’t need to kill anybody except bosses throughout the whole game, and you are often put into tense negotiation scenes.

But back to what we love – the soundtrack. It’s insane, and creates immersive, epic tension, and reaffirms the player’s choices no matter if they’re more pacifistic, ham fisted, or an action hero type.

You definitely need to pick up this masterpiece.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

(Images from Steam)

(2003, Rockstar Games)

Vice City was Rockstar Games’ love letter to the gritty, gory, drug ridden Miami-set action flicks of the 70’s and 80’s, taking major queues from Scarface and Miami Vice. It’s much more dated than the others on this this, but worthy of at least an honorable mention.

You’re in the control of Tommy Vercetti, a memorable player character within the Grand Theft Auto franchise, and a ruthless gangster in the drug-fuelled Vice City, based on Miami. You’ve got Lamborghini’s, Ferrari’s, Uzi’s and Helicopters at your disposal.

It’s an old game, in every respect of the title, but two elements of the game transcend age. Artstyle and soundtrack.

GTA Vice City used pinkish hues and eye-catching dominant fluoro-ish colours to enhance its graphics. Cutting edge in 2003, however less-so now, it can’t be denied that there is an aesthetic quality and personality to this game.

Soundtrack wise the same is true. Vice City doesn’t contain outrun and modern Retrowave and Synthwave artists – it’s a time-period piece. Video Killed The Radio Star, Billie Jean, classic songs that are intrinsically linked to our aesthetic make up the soundtrack to the game.
You might not appreciate it as much as somebody with sever nostalgia, but Vice City is a classic.

The games here are shining beacons of sound and artstyle. Insanely fun, beautiful in design, and well molded into their own directions, with unique soundtracks that fit perfectly.

Written by Zachariah Kelly

High-Tech & Lowlife and the return of the point and click.

Observer is a heavy cyberpunk themed first person survival horror from the people at Bloober Team the same folks that brought you (2016) Layers of Fear.

The story follows a detective known in the future as an Observer. Observers are a specific police unit in Poland that has the authority to hack into the minds of people to gather information. Imagine a police detective meets patriot act.

The world itself is a decayed after the global economy has collapsed in the wake of a global plague and World War. Now Megacorporation’s are the power in the geo-political landscape. The tech in this game is conceptualized as being very advanced although stuck in retro aesthetics; there’s still cables and wires sticking out and littered all throughout this, what looks like low-income ghetto housing. One of the characters even has previous gen-technology littered about his dwelling. The whole place feels like it shares the same world as Blade Runner or Johnny Mnemonic. You just want to stay there and take it all in on your investigation. Unfortunately, you are for the most part only given so many places to wander through on your journey but, on rare occasions you can peek out a window, between boards, and get glimpses of the future just outside.

The obvious comparisons that can be made about this game would be to Hideo Kojima’s Snatcher game, the not to recent remake of Syndicate, Static Shock and exc. The gameplay is driven by the story and the game progresses through corridor exploration, environmental investigation and conversation with the tenants of this world. You are able to switch between your standard P.O.V. and a sort of Electro-magnetic field vision. The actual hacking feels visceral and in all honesty an invasive act to perform. Other games have tried this but either Windex the experience into a basic “here’s what happened” or some sort of Hunter S. Thompson hallucination.

The voice acting is top-notch with interactions with people make up the bread and butter of this gem of a game. The writing team has carefully crafted each person with their own soul and humanity, or lack of. The lead actor here is non-other than Rutger Hauer (Blade Runner). His performance is perfect and withdrawn, just as anyone would be in this future. His palpable apathy and despair is evident from the start of the game all the way to its climax.

All in Everything and everything is everything; I give this game a definite “Buy It”. However, if you are like many casual players and you have the attention of a gnat or find this type of game not your thing, that’s okay too, feel free to watch someone else play it and submerge with both hands and feet tied into the despairing experience.

Observer (2017) from Bloober Team is worthy of your own investigations.

Video games are unlike any other from of entertainment. They are developed to be played continuously and new games will be coming out to supersede the old ones regular. The same song, film or book will be enjoyed by people over and over but with games a new installment can replace them. You can also spend many more hours on them, with some games never having definitive endings so they can be endlessly played. One thing any classic media has is common though is if they are popular, they will come back. Films may be remade and songs covered and games have new installments or simply released on new consoles allowing them to be played be a new generation.

 One of the ways how retro games can be enjoyed again is with online stores. Normally, if you wanted to play an older game you would have to track it down, which could prove difficult and expensive. Now though, any game can be re-released on PC or console. Go onto Steam, the PS Store, the Xbox Store or the Nintendo eShop and you can find many classic games. You can try out games from the previous generation all the way back to the earliest games. This allows people to play games that existed from before they were born or things they remember when they were younger. If you want to try Donkey Kong Country, Final Fantasy I-IX, Metal Gear Solid and more you can now download them through official online stores no problem. This means retro games can be played by everyone and they’ll never go away.

 Casino games have had a long history as video games. Every generation of consoles would have multiple games based on blackjack, poker, roulette slots and much more. LCD casino games were also common. With the advent of greater technology and the internet though, casino games remain a prominent part of video gaming. Online casinos such as Red Flush all you to play the most popular table games around on their website. They will feature modern graphics, ideas and online functions allowing you to play any type of cards, roulette or slot game you remember but in a new way.

The internet has also had a large impact of retro games. Adding online features to classic games opens up new dimensions that they never previously had. Street Fighter II for example was an arcade staple as you would battle against friends and rivals in the arcade, with the winner staying on. Playing at home could never recreate this experience but online play does. You can now play Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix against players all across the world. This means there’s always new people to fight and a high quality of competition. Casino games such as those from Red Flush also do this as you can play and bet against the world, rather than just AI opponents, giving you an authentic experience.

Retro games will be around forever and with new technology, they’ll always have something new.

Featuring a killer soundtrack with many artists from the scene, Blast Brawl promises to deliver!