Story by Colin Deppen of Spotlight PA This story first appeared in PA Local, a weekly newsletter by Spotlight PA taking a fresh, positive look at the incredible people, beautiful places, and delicious food of Pennsylvania. Sign up for free here . Forty years after the cinder block-sized Nintendo Entertainment System introduced America’s youth to virtual duck hunting and Mushroom Kingdom plumbing, devotees remain — and not just behind the controller.
Pennsylvania video game developers are making new games and cartridges for the NES nearly three decades after it was officially discontinued. They’re also making games for other bygone consoles like the Sega Genesis. Why? James Deighan of Pittsburgh’s Mega Cat Studios told PA Local, “For many of us, it’s the era that inspired us to join the industry.
So there’s a very strong nostalgia attached to it that kind of fuels that fire.” There’s also this: Like vinyl, retro video games are cool again. In April, The Guardian reported #retrogaming videos have amassed over 6 billion views on TikTok, YouTube uploads have increased a thousandfold since 2007, and Spotify users have upped their creation of playlists with throwback game music.
Esports talent agent Britt Rivera told The Guardian that in a world of relentless technological advances, old-school games are reliably stable and contained. Classic games are popular for more practical reasons too. Modern video games are often blockbusters with massive audiences and expan.