We are taking our first steps into adulthood. The age in our bios no longer begins with a ‘1’, our worries now include affording groceries, and with this we may find ourselves becoming more sentimental. Whilst many of us are still, by all accounts, very young, nostalgia may nevertheless wash over us as we hear a particular song, or, as this article will focus on, play a childhood video game.
So, what is nostalgia?
By its etymology, nostalgia is ‘the pain of returning’. It derives from νόστος (nóstos), a Homeric word meaning “homecoming”, and ἄλγος (álgos), meaning “pain”. Nostalgia is a fairly recent term, only coined in the 17th century by a Swiss physician Johannes Hofer. He used it to describe the sentimentality that mercenary troops experienced when away from home for long periods. Once considered a disorder – blamed for desertion and illness – we now accept it as a welcome and bittersweet reminder of the past.
For many of us, video game nostalgia is connected to times with other people. Many in our generation have fond memories of playing Wii Sport with the family at Christmas dinners, or competing over FIFA with friends. But for those who enjoyed games as a pastime, replaying our old video games is a joy. The nostalgia feels deeper, almost enveloping. Many times I’ve wondered why this is feeling more powerful than with other forms of media. Why do I feel so strongly when I revisit old Final Fantasy DS spin-offs, compared with old Doctor Who episodes, or my mum’s Latin tracks?
Reasons for this
I’d mostly attribute it to the agency that video games provide. They are unique in that they encourage us to take an active role in the media which we are consuming. When I watched Disney classics as a child, I did just that – watched. However, when I played Zelda, I took on the role of Link. Where he went, I went, and when he fought, that same adrenaline affected me too. When I played, I was Link. The experience is completely different from passively observing.
This immersion amplifies the player’s experience, anchoring us to the world of the game, thus involving us far more than any other medium. Games can be a form of escapism, and the more imaginative titles, with fantastical and colourful worlds, can transport us to the wonder of childhood.
These facets are applicable to pretty much every game, regardless of genre. When we play these titles, we engage with them on a level which no other media allows. In addition to this, video games uniquely combine different mediums. They have the visual aspect of cinema in their graphics, the auditory aspect of music in their soundtracks, and the narrative aspect of novels in their stories. It is through the combination of these mediums to create a greater experience that video games achieve their immersion.
Are video games underrated?
Despite the size of the industry, games are often dismissed as a legitimate form of storytelling. But can we blame non-gamers when they see us pouring hours into seemingly nothing? Gaming is a relatively new medium, so it hasn’t quite reached the intellectual esteem of books and cinema. However, the potential that video games have for compelling storytelling is astounding. There are many methods unique to video games that the best developers take full advantage of when crafting their stories. Evolving sound design, alternative endings, and quick-time events can all personalise the experience. Many recent games have displayed this (The Witcher, Silent Hill, Red Dead Redemption), and I look forward to future examples.
How developers use nostalgia
This colossal industry is fully aware of the power of nostalgia. From Nintendo’s Virtual Console, which allowed players to digitally access older titles, to the remakes that keep getting announced, that much is clear. However, what inspired this article were the aesthetics of retro games that echo in modern games.
Image credits: Armor Project, Bird Studio, Spike Chunsoft, Square Enix, Sugiyama Kobo
The HD-2D art style was pioneered by Square Enix for 2018’s Octopath Traveler and featured recently in the phenomenal and highly successful remake of Dragon Quest III. It is a gorgeous blend of 2D sprites and 3D backgrounds, creating a gorgeous new style of graphics to reinterpret this classic game. This homage to pixel art shows that even the industry giants haven’t forgotten their roots.
Conclusion
It is the nature of the high involvement that video games offer that heightens our attachment to the medium. Since games make use of several tools to create immersion, our experience of them feels rich and full. With hours poured into them over time, far more than films or many TV shows, our ties to them may feel stronger. Considering this, it’s no surprise that video game nostalgia is so powerful.
Nostalgia is a kind yet cruel emotion. It is both grounding and transportive. It’s an awareness of the dichotomy and the disparity of then and now. It’s the remembrance of the continuous coexistence of our past and our present.
I think nostalgia is extremely important. Whilst many of us may mourn the carefree lives we led, and how much we wished to be grown, I advise you to use your occasional waves of nostalgia to cherish the little child in you. Despite how much you’ve grown, you’re still the same person, and it’s okay to still enjoy the same things you used to. I’d be lying if I said that I left my Nintendo DS in the 2010s.
Nostalgia shouldn’t consume us, though. We should embrace it as an uplifting reminder of who we were then, and who we are now.