There are thousands of people and groups who create new games and products for hundreds of classic systems. In addition there are sites like Atari Age which showcase people from the industry and new ways to play classic games.
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Growing up in a tiny village in the countryside meant very little access to exciting technology. When my brother and I were given our cousin’s old Commodore in the late ‘80s, we were hooked straight away. Spy Hunter was always my favourite (despite being rubbish at it) because of the addictive gameplay and awesome theme tune.
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To me, this was a huge milestone in gaming. It had a great story, and fantastic combat with really interesting designs where everything had a clear use, and felt great to use. As a designer, never give power in a game without giving fun.
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As a former traditional 2D animator I think that Earthworm Jim has some of the best character animation I’ve ever seen in a video game. The visual design is unique and the game play is responsive giving the player a tactile experience. Unlike most game franchises where the sequels usually get better as time goes on, this IP never really made any thriving sequels. The first game is still the most popular and still gets ported to new platforms. EWJ is a solid side-scroller even by today’s standards.
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It really all started with Jones in the Fast Lane in 1990. I’m a huge Simulation fan and found the game quite ahead of its time. The basic goal is to find food, get a job, go to school, and invest in an apartment and other things. A simulation about real-life… who would want to “play” that? Well, I did…
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Zelda II had a dark and enigmatic spirit that captured my attention as a child and continues to inspire me to this day. I love the warbling, disconcerting soundtrack that sets the stage for falling into graves, fighting severed heads, and even confronting your own shadow.
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Intense, but well-balanced action, ridiculously fun variety of weapons, innovative gameplay modes and modability, gorgeous graphics for its time (which got high frame rates even on my modest computer), headshots, taunts, the booming voice of the announcer, great soundtrack.
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There is something strange but enticing about fatalities that I loved. I can hear the words now. FINISH HIM! FLAWLESS VICTORY
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Dark Castle was really ahead of its time. It had wonderful animations, incredible diversity in its gameplay mechanics and well-tuned difficulty. It told a great story with very little narration.
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It’s hard to choose just a single favorite classic game, but M.U.L.E. stands out because it remains excellent multiplayer entertainment, even today. Who would imagine that a game of exploration and economic development could be so much fun, but the game is brilliantly balanced…a hallmark of coopetition and a total blast!
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Favorite classic game would have to be the original Metroid! I love it for the sense of bizarre isolation it creates with the music and endless underground caverns.
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What impresses me most about Elite is the exceptional quality both of the innovative elements (3d and the huge, expansive algorithmically generated universe that fits neatly into 64k) the gameplay.
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It’s a murder mystery about rival biker gangs with themes of loss and the ending of eras, set against the backdrop of the American southwest — albeit a bizarre version of it with flying cars. Also, you get to hit guys in the face with a 2×4 while riding a chopper. This type of fantasy is why we play games, and why I got into making adventure gamers.
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The role-playing aspect drew fans in and the detailed story which included side quests, character development and multiple endings kept players not only interested from start to finish, but coming back for more.
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It’s the first game I ever made, back in the day at Interplay Productions. It was one of the most exciting rewarding times of my life as I was just starting out in the biz!
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Pretty much you are always running and moving forward which means you are constantly slashing at enemies and using your special weapons. Ryu can also climb ladders and can flip of walls to get to higher ledges. This may all sound easy, but trust me it is not. The first problem is like many games on the NES if you scroll from one panel to the next and back the enemy returns. What makes this horrible is when jumping from ledge to ledge and some damn bird knocks you to your death.
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