7 Video Games That Tried To Exploit Nostalgia (And Won)
Welcome to Tues Your Own Adventure! Join Jules and James as they take look at video games that tried to exploit nostalgia (and won)!! Happy memories.
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00:00Hello all of you beautiful little demons, Jules here for WhatCulture.com, back again
00:03with another episode of the awesomely named and awfully hosted Choose Your Own Adventure,
00:08the weekly medieval themed format where I, the Crown Jules of WhatCulture.com, take a
00:13list chosen by you, yes you the person who started off the week by replacing one door,
00:18then a lock broke on another door so I had to replace that, then another door had to
00:21be replaced as well.
00:22Three doors in one week, that's gotta be some sort of record, yes you get to decide
00:26what list I dole out to you each and every week, and this week we have none other to
00:30thank than me.
00:31Now I know it's a bit ironic that I would create this community focused show and then
00:39decide to dole out ideas that I've generated, but trust me, there is one specific video
00:44game that I wanted, nay, needed to talk about this week, and you'll understand why.
00:49So yes, today we're talking about times that video game nostalgia was exploited, but
00:54actually not for all the wrong reasons.
00:56Now using the term exploiting in a sentence rarely sets a good tone for the conversation,
01:00right?
01:01I mean, it's a word that is accepted by its implication that can mean that something
01:04or someone is manipulating a situation for their own benefit.
01:08It's also a term that has been bandied around a lot when it comes to the video game industry,
01:12and with good reason, as it seems that developers and publishers the world over love nothing
01:16more than taking pleasant childhood memories and wheeling them out for their own personal
01:20game.
01:21For example, why don't we just take the entire 1980s, which seems to be a huge source
01:27of fuel for the fire for video game publishers and developers, because they basically just
01:31grab mascots from the past and just say, hey, remember this guy?
01:35Remember this guy?
01:36Remember this guy?
01:37Well give us some money, or I'll hit him in the head, sploink!
01:41Of course you remember them, and simply by their sheer existence in their video game,
01:45publishers want you to take part in a rose-tinted transaction, no matter how shoehorned or forced
01:50the tie-in is.
01:52But that's not what we're talking about today, because we're actually going to be
01:54covering some cases of when nostalgia was still technically exploited, but actually
01:59came at the benefit of both the publisher and the player.
02:02Confused?
02:03Well, take a seat, my friend, and let's have a chat, and if you're already sat down,
02:07then sit down further, you fool, as I'm Jules, this is WhatCulture.com, and these
02:11are 7 Video Games That Tried To Exploit Nostalgia, and 1.
02:157.
02:16Retro Skins
02:172.
02:18Resident Evil 2 Remake, and Metal Gear Solid Ground Zeroes
02:21Oh boy, graphics will never get better than this!
02:25I remember saying that about Final Fantasy IX.
02:29Now upon reflection, I was an absolute idiot, but at the time, I seriously thought that
02:33the likes of Zidane and his crew were the best realised and most beautiful looking sprites
02:38that I'd ever seen.
02:40Now looking at the landscape of today, where even track-side flowers on kart racing games
02:44have more fidelity than the best-looking moments of my childhood titles, it's almost
02:48brain-breaking to think how graphics can improve further.
02:51And yet I, alongside so many others, will always get a huge nostalgia boner whenever
02:57a developer offers us the chance to play a current-gen game with classic skins.
03:02I honestly feel like bloody Ed Gein sometimes for how much I crave these nostalgic skins,
03:08and when the likes of Resident Evil 2 Remake and the almighty Metal Gear Solid Ground Zeroes
03:14offered us a chance to play in these low-polygonal suits, then oh, you'd best believe I was
03:19there for that, son!
03:21It might seem like a small detail to many, but the fact that the devs chose to remind
03:25people of their title's lineage in a loving and rather humorous way shows a lot of thanks
03:30for the foundations built by these classic titles.
03:33Hell, in the case of Ground Zeroes, the PS1-inspired snake-skin suit also comes with a special mission
03:39that infused the gameplay with a supremely retro tone that sends shivers of ecstasy through
03:44my blocky bones.
03:46Oh, I love it!
03:48That's...
03:49I don't know how to represent physical blocks, alright?
03:52Work with me here.
03:53Number six, everything about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shredder's Revenge.
03:58And here we come to the crux of this list immediately.
04:01The reason why I wanted to make this list is because James Dowse and I have played through
04:05this game recently, I did it for a review on WhatCulture as well, and, ye gods, is this
04:10a blast from the past and I am strapped to the rocket, my friend.
04:14I love this game, without a shred of hyperbole, I think it's one of the best arcade experiences
04:20I've ever had.
04:21Okay?
04:22Alright?
04:23Good.
04:24This, in my opinion, is video game nostalgia done right.
04:27It is a carefully considered, beautiful homage to the past that elevates not only the TMNTIP
04:34as a whole, but also delivers such a fun and exciting time that it actually stands
04:38as one of the finest side-scrolling brawlers ever.
04:40It's also a game that will have a vice-like grip on your dopamine receptors if you have
04:44even a shredder of love for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
04:49Those pizza-munching buddy pals.
04:51I mean, where to begin with this one?
04:53The graphics are a fantastic throwback to the arcade TMNT games, but are filled with
04:58so much character and subtle animations that it's clear that this is no low-poly filter
05:02rush job.
05:03The soundtrack will slap your cheeks so hard that they will reveal your bloody skeleton,
05:08and the gameplay is so viscerally addictive and well-produced that gamers of any skill
05:12level will be able to pick this right up and get right into the action.
05:15Plus, as an added moment of true nostalgia, this game doesn't break the bank.
05:20It's not a £70 plus title release that so many other remasters, remakes and reimaginings
05:26are trying to con their way through the market with.
05:29This actually feels and gets a proper nostalgia pop from me for not breaking the bloody bank.
05:33I've got enough cash left after buying this for a curly whirly.
05:37Hell, I might even splash out for a chomp as well.
05:40A bloody chomp, James.
05:425.
05:43Taking Sonic back to his roots, Sonic Generations
05:46Now as we're all aware, Sonic, as a video game mascot and an icon of the video game
05:51industry as a whole, has had so many ups and downs that Simon Miller is personally suing
05:57him.
05:58We've all visited the absolute doldrums that were Sonic 06, and the disaster piece
06:03that was Sonic Rise of Lyric.
06:06UGH.
06:07But here's the thing.
06:09He can have an upshot sometimes.
06:11He can have a good day... sometimes.
06:14And this made the glorious love letter that was Sonic Mania all the more special.
06:19This game was piano-wired tight, looked utterly amazing and sounded like if Jesus came back
06:24in chiptune format.
06:25However, it's not being included on this list.
06:28Why, I hear you ask?
06:30Well, it's because Sonic Team didn't actually make this game.
06:35Therefore, I don't think it should be included as a nostalgia pop because of the fact that
06:38the original developers didn't create it.
06:40It was created by the fans, through nostalgia, yes, and is a moment of great nostalgic memories
06:45being formulated into one crystalline experience.
06:48But it didn't come from the original developers.
06:52That's not to say that they haven't tried their best, though, because Sonic Generations
06:54came pretty damn close.
06:56Because yes, even though it sounds like I'm bashing on Sonic Team, I want to talk about
06:59Sonic Generations, a title that was produced by the assigned devs which actually hit that
07:04sweet nostalgia target by giving fans exactly what they've been crying out for for years,
07:09and that is a 2D Sonic.
07:12Sonic Generations traded heavily on letting fans go back to the good old days with 2D
07:16Sonic sections that even featured the retro design of everyone's favourite quick-stepping
07:20hedgehog.
07:21And as you'd expect, this gambit absolutely worked.
07:24Sales were much higher than previous 3D escapades, and critical reception, especially of these
07:29sections, was through the roof.
07:31We asked, we got, we thanked Sonic Team for not including bestiality.
07:354.
07:36The Soundtrack of Your Youth
07:38Tony Hawk's 1 & 2 Remaster
07:41Now I won't lie to you, when the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 & 2 Remaster came up for pre-order,
07:47I absolutely punched my screen as hard as I could trying to hammer home that pre-order
07:53button.
07:54GET IN MY BASKET.
07:56Not a touchscreen monitor.
07:58Cost me a lot of money.
07:59The original trilogy of Tony Hawk's games was absolutely pivotal to my interest in gaming
08:03as a whole, and I know so many other gamers who list these titles as some of their favourite
08:08childhood games.
08:09And while Activision could have easily just slapped a high-res texture pack on top and
08:13wheeled it out to make an absolute bundle, they did the unthinkable and actually set
08:18out to make a decent and loving remaster of the original two games.
08:21And in amongst all of the promises of reworked gameplay additions, such as the reverb being
08:26added into the titles and online support, was a feature that filled many with that warm
08:30gooey goodness of nostalgia.
08:32I'm speaking, of course, about the soundtrack, which arrived, admittedly, with a few omissions,
08:38but with enough force to still recapture the glory days of our youth.
08:43Nearly every single absolute smash banger was on the playlist once more, and it transported
08:49you back to being a wee stupid little oik holding the controller for the first time
08:54and doing like, I don't know, a 180 melon and thinking that was the best trick you were
08:57ever going to land.
08:58It was a glorious experience.
09:01And you know what?
09:02Activision got a lot of positive feedback for actually going down, doubling down on
09:06this moment.
09:07They could have easily just grabbed in a ton of new artists, and admittedly they did put
09:10in a few new tracks as well, but they could have just replaced the entire soundtrack and
09:14said, there you go.
09:15But the fact that they went back, back to the drawing board and said, let's actually
09:18give fans what they want, rather than what we tell them what they want, and you know
09:22what?
09:23That was a good thing for all involved.
09:24Number 3, Lego DLC, Forza Horizon 4, Lego Speed Champions.
09:39Now I'll ask you, James, is there anything more nostalgic than Lego?
09:42Yes, Hot Wheels.
09:43No, I'll answer for you, actually, that, no, no.
09:46Yeah, but Forza Horizon 3 had Hot Wheels.
09:48No, Lego.
09:49Lego is the answer that I was looking for.
09:50Some of the earliest memories of your childhood may well be block-based thanks to this wonderful
09:55construction and creativity-based toy.
09:58Is it a toy?
09:59Is a brick a toy?
10:00Are we telling kids that bricks are toys now?
10:03Yes.
10:04And I know of a fair few adults with more than their fair share of Lego sets adorning
10:09their walls and shelves.
10:11The love for Lego has only grown as the brand has expanded into more and more complex sets,
10:16and tied itself to almost every IP going, meaning there is quite literally something
10:20for everyone to enjoy.
10:22And while the Lego brand has sometimes churned out a few stinkers in its time, the likes
10:27of Lego Star Wars and Lego Marvel Super Heroes really do stand out as not being just great
10:32games, but also massive dollops of nostalgia for fans of the medium.
10:36However, one of the low-key best Lego bangers ever actually comes in the form of a racing
10:40game.
10:41And no, unfortunately, I'm not going to be talking about Lego Racers today.
10:43I will cover that on a list at some point in time, but today, we're talking about
10:47Forza Horizon 4, which got a Lego-based expansion.
10:51And it is an absolute stonker.
10:53Tearing through Lego play sets at speed is just so much fun that I swear the government
10:58will likely ban it at some point, and being able to build your own house is just the icing
11:02on the blocky cake.
11:03A pseudo-realistic race simulator, and Lego should not mix this well, but it forms a sweet
11:09and heady broth that you'll be quaffing for weeks to come.
11:122.
11:13FOMO Mario – Super Mario 3D All-Stars
11:16And now we turn to the curious case of Super Mario 3D All-Stars, a trilogy of Mario's
11:22best games that dropped for the Switch in 2020, only to then drop off the face of the
11:27bloody Earth a few months later.
11:29While other entries on this list have been cases of publishers putting players first,
11:33this was a case of appearing to be a gesture of goodwill that turned into a greasy marketing
11:38tactic by Nintendo.
11:40Now it's fair to say that a lot of ninty fans are incredibly nostalgic for Mario's
11:44early 3D outings, with many touting these games as being the benchmark to which all
11:48others are measured even to this day.
11:50And so they were incredibly excited when the 3D All-Stars pack was announced for the Switch
11:55and included Mario 64, Mario Sunshine, and Mario Galaxy.
11:59The fact that this was also announced alongside Nintendo's 35th Mario Celebration event
12:03made the nostalgia hit all that harder.
12:06So of course, many bought in straight away for the simple fact that this was their childhood,
12:10but now on a handheld console.
12:13And yet, for Nintendo, this apparently wasn't enough.
12:16To drive home the fact that you needed to buy this pack, Nintendo announced that after
12:20a few months, this bundle would be delisted from online sites, and that they wouldn't
12:24print any more physical copies.
12:26This was now a slice of nostalgia, with a deadline.
12:29A rather insidious move indeed, to effectively hold your childhood to ransom, but at the
12:34end of the day, people bought this in droves, so technically Nintendo exploited our nostalgia,
12:40and most definitely won here.
12:421.
12:43ALL OF THE NOSTALGIA – Mortal Kombat 11
12:46So when it came to answering the question of, hmm, I wonder what part of the collective
12:50consciousness we should mine for that sweet, sweet nectar of money, NetherRealm Studio
12:56answered with, everything, every last drop of it, I want it all.
13:03This might seem like hyperbole, but seriously, just take a look at the DLC characters for
13:07the Mortal Kombat franchise, and try and tell me that your inner child isn't experiencing
13:11a sugar rush unlike anything else.
13:14Rambo, the Terminator, fricking Robocop, joined the roster of stone-cold killers in Mortal
13:19Kombat 11 in a manner that screams, just remember these guys, and continues a rather epic trend
13:25of the studio pumping fans full of fizzy nostalgia pop, what with their previous efforts including
13:30the Xenomorph, Leatherface, and the Predator.
13:33It seems like any movie IP worth a damn has been well and truly mined, as have the wallets
13:38of fans who were more than willing to splash the gore-soaked cash.
13:41But what separates these characters from other Tesco-brand tie-ins is the fact that it actually
13:46kind of fit with the tomes of their respective IPs, I mean, splitting throats, smashing heads,
13:53and then covering their skeletons in acid, blood, or spit is actually very on-brand with
13:58a lot of these, well, other brands, so yeah, it fits so well, and that's why people were
14:04really, really keen to kill with Robocop.
14:08Yay.
14:09And there we go, my friends, those were seven video games that tried to exploit nostalgia,
14:14and won.
14:15I hope that you enjoyed that, and please let me know what you thought about it down in
14:18the comments section below.
14:19As always, I've been Jules, you can go follow me over on Twitter at RetroJ, but the O is
14:23a zero, and the same for Instagram, RetroJ, but the O is a zero.
14:28Hope that you enjoyed that, hope that you're doing well, hope that you're treating yourself
14:31with love and respect, my friend, because at the end of the day, I've got a lot of
14:36nostalgic love for you guys.
14:37You got me here at this point on the channel with all the love and support, so I'm always
14:41gonna pay it back to you.
14:42I hope that you're treating yourself with love and respect, I hope that you realize
14:46that you are a massive legend, you deserve all of the best things in life, and I hope
14:50more than anything else that you go out today and you smash your life goals.
14:54I believe in you, and thank you very much.
14:56As always, I've been Jules, you have been awesome, never forget that, and I'll speak
15:00to you soon.
15:01Bye.