5 Retro Gaming Trends That Need to Make a Comeback

So much about gaming has improved over the years. With better technology, we’ve gotten better graphics, more expansive gaming worlds, and exciting new mechanics. And yet, we gamers are prone to nostalgia. Who among us doesn’t look back fondly on those early days when games were little more than pixels, but still managed to create immersive stories? While there are some things I wouldn’t want to lose, there are some aspects of gaming days past that I’d love to see make a comeback.

Modern gaming trends can be frustrating at times. Consoles are getting more expensive, and microtransactions have become the norm. But that’s not the only reason I want to see some older elements of video games come back. Some things, like colorful consoles with creative shapes, were just more fun. In particular, these 5 older trends in gaming need to make a comeback.

I’m going to level with you here. One of the reasons I didn’t rush to upgrade to the Switch 2 was the fact that it’s one big black box. Compared to the default colored Joy-Cons for the original Switch, it just feels less fun. Especially for Nintendo, which has historically leaned into colorful consoles like the purple GameCube. But the colorful little sparks of joy have gone away across the board. Look at the default PS5 DualSense controller. Where are my multicolored controller buttons?

There’s a place for sleek and professional, sure. But does it have to be in our games? I get that some people might prefer a more muted look for the entertainment center, but I do very much miss when consoles and colors were colorful by default. I don’t want to wait for a special edition or buy a skin to have a little whimsy in my gaming life, please and thank you.

One of the biggest losses in the transition to digital games has been the game booklet. Once upon a time, when you cracked open the case of a new game, you’d find an instruction booklet inside. These often had a few tips and instructions for the game, but they were often hidden treasure troves of in-game lore. Some secrets lived only in these little booklets, and they were also just a fun, tangible way to interact with your brand-new game.

I confess I don’t tend to buy physical games these days myself, but the ones I have gotten felt a little empty. The case has just a game card inside, no extra lore or artwork to flip through. And honestly? Bring back the game booklets with physical editions, please and thank you.

Ahh, cheat codes. One of my earliest gaming memories is the amount of time I spent looking up Sims 2 cheat codes. Motherlode? Iconic. And while you can still use cheat codes in games like The Sims 4, they’ve become a lot less common. Arguably, they’ve been largely replaced by mods, which let gamers alter games to their hearts’ content if they have the know-how.

Cheat codes were a fun way to unlock hidden content and secrets. Often, they came from debugging tools, which meant we got a window into the development process. Whether it’s due to mods, paid DLC, or changes in the game development process, I miss the hidden layer that cheat codes added to games.

This is one trend that I think might be on its way back already. But in recent years, games with truly good split-screen multiplayer have become a lot less common. With the ease of online matchmaking and co-op, it makes sense that games have trended towards supporting remote multiplayer options. However, sometimes you want to sit down next to someone and play a game.

I was recently trying to find such a game to play with my husband, and I was pretty shocked at how few options there are. Aside from a handful of games like It Takes Two and the LEGO games, many titles don’t support local split-screen co-op like they used to. I’d like to see this become more common again, and some recent releases have me hoping it’s going to happen.

Back in my days of roaming the GameStop shelves to find what looked good, games were complete right there in the box. You took the game home, you played it as it was, and that was the experience. We’ve gained a lot from the option to add free updates and paid DLC, but it’s also become a bit of a loss for gamers.

These days, many games launch with a lot less polish, likely in part because the devs can always patch it up later. This leads to disasters like Mindseye. But it also causes situations like the Pokemon Legends: Z-A DLC debacle. Even a game that rolls credits has the potential to keep adding new content and asking gamers for more money to play it. Sometimes, it’d be nice if more games were released complete from day one, with a story ready and waiting for us to play from start to finish.

What retro gaming trends do you want to make a comeback? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

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