So many franchises today focus on delivering high-end visual experiences to tell their stories. They often forget that people played their games when visuals weren’t at a premium, because they were easy to play and had a level of fun needed to inspire long gameplay sessions.
In this exclusive Old School Gamer Magazine list, we share five games/IP that would absolutely benefit from a more retro experience.
Killer Instinct: At one point, Killer Instinct was an extremely hot franchise. Rare did something special here. However, the series has never been the same after its debut. A return to its retro look and focus on combos and great music could be the return to greatness it deserves.
NHL: The NHL franchise has been stuck in the mud for nearly 15 years. Many of the last ten games or so are indistinguishable from one another. The adoption of a more retro-look and focus on gameplay could make the series fresh and return it to its roots.
RBI Baseball: This series has been dead a few years, mainly because it tried to compete with The Show. No way it was ever going to win. Adopting the classic arcade and NES visuals it was born with, with extremely simple gameplay could make it a huge hit with older gamers.
TNA Wrestling: TNA’s first game was fun and a sequel never materialized. With a great roster and Nintendo 64-esque graphics, this could be one of those wrestling games people play just because it’s fun. It won’t be as grand as WWE or even as deep as AEW, but it would be fun.
The Legend of Zelda: Who else missed the original? What about Link’s Awakening? A game that channels that type of Zelda experience and not a massively open world could be a huge hit for Nintendo. Although not needed, if Nintendo is willing to do all these remakes and spin-offs with Link, why not officially take him back to his roots?
Patrick Hickey, Jr., is the founder and editor-in-chief of ReviewFix.com and a lecturer of English and journalism at Kingsborough Community College, in Brooklyn, New York. Over the past decade, his video game coverage has been featured in national ad campaigns by top publishers the likes of Nintendo, Deep Silver, Disney and EA Sports. His book series, "The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult and Classic Game Developers," from McFarland and Company, has earned praise from Forbes, Huffington Post, The New York Daily News and MSG Networks. He is also a former editor at NBC and National Video Games Writer at the late-Examiner.com
