Why You Should Go Back And Beat Those Old Video Game Bosses

We live in interesting cultural times.

As of quite recently, Netflix had over 15,000 titles available across its international libraries.

On YouTube, users are now uploading nearly 82 years of content every single day.

Spotify has over 70 million songs, 2.2 million podcasts and 4 billion playlists.

So if you wanted to, you could keep watching new films, checking out new videos, and listening to new music without ever having to repeat.

Still, despite the overwhelming amount of newness in the world, there’s still a place for revisiting the cultural comfort food. As such, plenty of people get pleasure out of rewatching old favorites, playing old tunes, and rediscovering old books.

But what about video games? Where do video games fall on the play/replay spectrum?

A Reddit thread about replaying old video games makes some interesting arguments. On one side, there are those in support of new inputs, of broadening the playing experience, of new challenges.

On the other - well, your favorite games are your favorites for a reason! Though the graphics in new games may improve, the voice overs may feature brighter talents, and the controls might get fancier, surely there’s something left in that game you loved.

We are certainly in the second camp, but we recognize it’s not that obvious for everyone. So why should you take on those old video games again?

The Satisfaction That Comes From Replaying Your Favorite Games

There are plenty of reasons why you should take a break from swiping through the latest titles to take up with an old flame (we’re talking about video games still). Here are a few of the ones we love:

• The Simplicity - As Benny Lim writes, old games can be a reminder of the simpler times. While we love figuring out a new combination or exploring an immersive world as much as the next gamer, sometimes two dimensions is enough! Plus, taking on the bosses that we played against on older consoles when we were younger - and vanquishing them - can feel like a real accomplishment, too!
  
  
• The Difference From Books and Movies - Games, for all their narrative action, are not always completely linear. Movies and books tend to be (with the exception of Choose Your Own Adventure stories and everything Christopher Nolan has ever touched). Kate Gray makes an argument for experiencing the game differently, seeing different branches, and watching how the game unfolds from there.
  
  
• Getting Your Money’s Worth - While it’s tempting to jump from game to game. As Overwatch points out, putting more time into one game and exploring all its details can help cut down on overspending and impulsive game purchases. It could almost be seen as investment - the more you put into the game, the more you’ll get out of it in terms of richness, story complexity, and character development.

What about you? Do you replay your games, or do you move right on to the next title?