We have no excuses anymore
Backwards compatibility has always been a problem for the games industry. It is one of the limitations that has kept and still keeps videogames from becoming a form of entertainment or art even to rival music or movies. The cyclical nature of the industry with each upcoming generation rarely supporting the previous generations does not help either. Sony promised a while back that its own systems will always support backwards compatibility. Of course as with many promises this one proved empty and the company introduced a cheaper non-PS2 compatible Playstation 3 which will eventually be the version that sells the most.
This meant that if you wanted to play an older game, like Super Mario Bros, you needed to have the NES console connected to your tv alongside the current generation’s consoles. Not very practical is it. The porting of games from console to console was a mixed blessing as the quality of the game always varied so it could never really considered a substitute. Then we had the emulators with which you could play NES games on your PC or arcades on hacked Xbox’es. But it was never going be the manner in which old games would re-establish their presence.
Thankfully now with downloadable content this is about to change. All three consoles have online stores where you can download either NES, Mega Drive, PS1 or Xbox games. There is no need to own all consoles ever made in order to play them. I know that videogamers are usually more concerned with current generation games as they are attracted to shinier graphics and more online capabilities.
But there is a legacy. And it is a strong one. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Super Mario 64, Sonic: The Hedgehog, Metal Gear Solid, Halo: Combat Evolved the list goes on and on.
Some of the biggest entertainment classics such as To Kill a Mockingbird, Star Wars and (Led Zeppelin) were all created before i was born and yet i have read, watched and listened to all three. The majority of the greatest games of all time are not of the current generation consoles. Aren’t you interested in playing them?
Now we can.