The best game you never completed...

[kingnat]

Master Blaster, Castlevania, Ghost N' Goblins, Goldeneye.

I would crush Goldeneye back in the day, but couldn't beat the final Temple level on the top difficulty... so tilting.

[swiggidy]

I would crush Goldeneye back in the day, but couldn't beat the final Temple level on the top difficulty... so tilting.

It's because you're old, don't feel bad.

[pantherhound]

It's because you're old, don't feel bad.

This. I can't believe how hard some of the games from my youth seem now that I've revisited them. I tried Mario Bros 3 again recently and I can't even steer Mario through the very first levels without continually falling down pits and on flytraps and whatnot.

Does anyone remember Nightbreed on the Amiga? That game was actually designed to be totally impossible, I'm sure of it.

[a500lbgorilla]

This. I can't believe how hard some of the games from my youth seem now that I've revisited them. I tried Mario Bros 3 again recently and I can't even steer Mario through the very first levels without continually falling down pits and on flytraps and whatnot.

How much did you play? Everyone sucks at any game until they practice at it. Games are just colorful opportunities to practice playing with the controls.

[kingnat]

Master Blaster, Castlevania, Ghost N' Goblins

Thinking about this, if my kids played these games the way I played them... that is, playing for hours and hours, and rage-restarting if I happened to die within the first 10-15 minutes. I'm not sure how i'd react. I think I'd discourage their behavior, but is it desirable for kids to be persistent at something even if it's just a video game? Is it reasonable that experience might transfer over to meaningful learning in a different context when they are trying to learn how to do challenging mathematics, for instance?

[aubreymcfate]

Thinking about this, if my kids played these games the way I played them... that is, playing for hours and hours, and rage-restarting if I happened to die within the first 10-15 minutes. I'm not sure how i'd react. I think I'd discourage their behavior, but is it desirable for kids to be persistent at something even if it's just a video game? Is it reasonable that experience might transfer over to meaningful learning in a different context when they are trying to learn how to do challenging mathematics, for instance?

So, this is actually something I think about quite often. I think that some video games absolutely have an "educational" value, particularly RPGs which are all about strategy rather than motor control. Another thing about RPGs is that they sort of teach you how to properly investigate a world with different personalities and dynamics. I know that the emphasis on character and story in retro RPGs have shaped the minds of those young gamers based on how they reminisce on them now (myself included).

Even platformers and action games... I mean, it is a skill, for sure. You practice and you get better. You develop hand-eye coordination, learn to think quickly on the spot, etc. I don't think it's that unlike learning a musical instrument, at least in the technical aspects.

Obviously moderation is key and all that.

Do you play games with your kids? You might feel better about it if you share the experience with them. I wish I had that with my parents. My boyfriend grew up playing games with his father and he cherishes those memories.