Three Video Games I Wish I’d Played When They Were First Released

The trend of re-releasing old, underplayed classics is a recent phenomenon. It makes sense: the generation that grew up playing games only really started to comprehend nostalgia en masse about a decade ago.

We longed to relive that false history and the market responded in kind, monetizing our memories with a fresh, slick veneer. High-definition, 60 frames per second new textures, new characters, new content…

And that’s all well and good but, for some of us, those memories literally don’t exist. There are games we simply didn’t play. We have nothing to feed off, nothing to help us push past the primitive design decisions we ignored as children. It’s like a joke retold a second time, the impact is lost in the retelling.

You had to be there, we often say.

With so many of these classics it’s hard to shake a similar feeling. ‘You had to be there’. You had to be there to forgive Ocarina of Time’s shonky framerate. You had to be there to forgive Resident Evil’s clunky controls. You had to be there to marvel at Mario 64’s now primitive camera work. You had to be there.

The following video games are examples of this phenomenon: I wish I had been there. But I missed out. I could play these games now, in HD on the Wii U controller. The experience may be slicker, more accessible, but time has rendered their magic dull and impotent.

Insert sad face. These are the games I massively, massively regret not playing when they were first released.

Earthbound

Why I Didn’t Play It Back Then

In the UK, where I grew up, Earthbound was a game that existed only in some God forsaken corner of a magazine. It was a single screenshot and a caption. That’s it. I don’t remember reading a single review of this video game. I don’t remember seeing a single copy of this game on shelves. Sure, there were stores that imported NTSC versions of games but it was always more convenient (and cheaper) to buy PAL. And it wasn’t like there was a lack of quality games to play on the SNES.

Why I Wish I Had Played It

It’s a genuinely unique video game and those tend to be my favourite. It’s funny. It’s original. It’s surreal and loaded with obscure cultural references. It’s a video game you want to talk about, share with others. It’s a bloated, clumsy beautiful thing.

Or so I’ve heard.

Why I Can’t Play It Now

I just can’t. The moment is gone. Video games have evolved to the point where a game like Earthbound just isn’t as unique as it once was. Earthbound’s mechanics and visuals are a bit clunky with hindsight and, with multiple other games waiting to be played, it feels a bit pointless. I would be playing it to say I’ve played it. And that seems a little silly.

Super Metroid

Why I Didn’t Play It Back Then

This is a tricky one. The short answer is I have no idea and I am ashamed.

The long answer is that I was young and my gaming budget only stretched so far. I’m sure it’s something we can all relate to. Games were doled out at birthdays and Christmas almost exclusively, so certain games had to go unbought, unplayed. Super Metroid, sadly, was one of those games.

Why I Wish I Had Played It

It’s arguably the best designed video game ever made. Seriously. People are still finding ways to speed run this game more efficiently – to this day.

Even now, playing this game feels like diving head first into an ice bath. It’s a shocking, terrifying, bewildering, unforgiving experience yet it always has its player in mind. As primitive as it looks today, you could argue that no game made since has managed to evoke quite the same level of atmosphere, with the exception of (maybe) Metroid Prime.

Why I Can’t Play It Now

Here’s the thing: I totally can play it now. I’m in the process of playing it now. It’s so amazing that I can’t help but wonder how much more I would have enjoyed it upon its first release. That idea is haunting me.

Is this game timeless? Has it aged? I honestly can’t tell. If it has aged, and playing it today has less impact than it once did? Well, that’s simply terrifying. It’s probably the best game I’ve played this year.

That’s scary, and it makes me mourn the experience I could have had all those years ago.

Deus Ex

Why I Didn’t Play It Back Then

I was never much of a PC kid growing up, and that’s sort of filtered throughout my life. I play games on PC, but it’s never my first choice. Deus Ex was a game that just slipped under my radar. Simple as that. I never got the chance to be blown away by it. That upsets me.

Why I Wish I Had Played It

Deus Ex wasn’t just a game, it was a manifesto. It was a message delivered via megaphone: this is what games are capable of. This is what games can be. I really wish I could have been part of that realisation.

Why I Can’t Play It Now

This is relatively simple: the game hasn’t dated well. As a manifesto it remains relevant; as a game? I feel as though there are others that do similar things in a more modern fashion. Dishonored springs to mind, a game I absolutely adore. I think I’d rather just play that instead.

What games did you miss out on? Let us know in the comments below.


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