• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Anyone else have kids that won’t play old games?

My son who’s 7 won’t play Zelda or Mario on the NES with me. Might have to list him for adoption lol. Anyone else have kids not interested at all in old games?
 
Can't blame a 7-year-old for not appreciating the classics. People don't watch black and white silent films anymore either (I do, but I'm a hermit holed up in my room all day). If he's gonna play anything, might as well play what's out now, with years of maturing the medium has gone though.

I suggest you just try to find out how far back he'll go. Will he play SNES games? N64? GameCube?
 
You have to control his intake of media.
If he's had access to newer games and better graphics aleady it's going to be tough to make him play and appreciate the originals.

Generally gaming has gotten more refined over time so if you want him to truly appreciate the classics you have to start there.

My son is 2. When he starts getting screen time when he's older I'll probably start with the NES and Mario and branch out from there.
I experienced these systems in real time, but since these games are already out it shouldn't take very long to get him caught up if he's interested.
 

radewagon

Member
My son who’s 7 won’t play Zelda or Mario on the NES with me. Might have to list him for adoption lol. Anyone else have kids not interested at all in old games?

Older generations never forced their media on me. I was allowed to explore at my own pace. I think it's really common for hipster types to want their kids to appreciate things like the NES, but that's silly. You already had your childhood with your games. Let your kids make their own memories independent of your nostalgia.
 

Armorian

Banned
Older generations never forced their media on me. I was allowed to explore at my own pace. I think it's really common for hipster types to want their kids to appreciate things like the NES, but that's silly. You already had your childhood with your games. Let your kids make their own memories independent of your nostalgia.

Yep, BOTW, Horizon and Forza will be their childhood classics just like NES and PSX games are for me (there was no 16 bit gen in poland, jump was from NES clones to PlayStation) :)
 

EBE

Member
I'll go back and watch films from the 20s and 30s but you can miss me with that NES shit. I don't blame any kid that feels the same, honestly
 
My nephew doesn't even want to touch my current gen consoles, but he's so addicted to some stupid F2P/P2W smartphone games somehow. What a generation!
 
It's hard these days, kids get taken in by highly addictive, crappy mobile games on their phones and on Facebook. Unless you get them introduced to real gaming ASAP (we're talking toddler watching you play on console or on PC) they're forever lost to this hobby.
 

Kadayi

Banned
You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink. No point trying to force something on a kid.
 

nowhat

Member
You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink. No point trying to force something on a kid.
This is so true. I mean, I suppose I could dig the C128 from storage (if it works even anymore ) and force my 11-yo daughter to play Ultima V as much as I did way back (and having her to record what she does by hand, because in-game journals - luxury, I say!), but I don't think she'd enjoy it. It would help her lingual skills though, my English is pretty much from Ultima/Infocom/Magnetic Scrolls, but again, not going to force her.

It's funny though. She's absolutely been going to town with Super Mario Odyssey (almost 400 moons so far) and she actively hates the "old Mario" bits (the sidescrolling parts with sprite-like graphics). I should think they'd be easier than the 3D bits, but perhaps 2D is still a bit more unforgiving when it comes to precision. Personally I don't find them that different difficulty-wise.
 

Harlock

Member
I blame cellphones. They are destroying the youth gaming.

Suggestion: setup a retropie and test different games from different 8 and 16 bit videogames. Until find what clicks. Dont be surprise if was an Atari 2600 game.
 

Zannegan

Member
Eh, people like what they like, and 8-bit games can be pretty hard to get into when you have a world of other options available. Hell, I grew up in the 90s, and even I don't really have a desire to go back to most NES games (though I still love Mario 3). If you've got your heart set on getting him into retro games, maybe try some SNES beat-em-ups like Turtles in Time. Since you can actually play together, they should be good for some father/son bonding.

Sorry if you're disappointed, but the good news is, sometimes you go back to things you thought you hated and find out your tastes have changed. Don't put him up for adoption just yet. XD
 

Daniel Thomas MacInnes

GAF's Resident Saturn Omnibus
This is perfectly normal. Children and teenagers always reject everything from their parents’ generation. It’s old! It’s lame!

I didn’t listen to The Beatles albums until I was 24 (1997), because 1) their songs were always on the radio anyway, and 2) I had my generation’s music of the ‘90s instead. I didn’t start discovering the past until the turn of the century, when the pop music landscape shifted to corporate-manufactured Ken and Barbie dolls and nearly everybody I loved had bowed out, retired or died.

Again, perfectly normal. Good art is timeless.
 

Northeastmonk

Gold Member
My nephew liked 2D Mega-Man. My step daughter will play anything from Bubble Bobble to Guantlet Dark Legacy to Mario Odyssey. She'll play Super Dodge Ball.

It was all exposure and content. My step daughter loves Banjo Kazooie and Grabbed by the Ghoulies. I tell her about a new game or if she wants another game; I suggest we play this or that. The game is meant to be fun. There is also an objective or at least something to control on the screen.

I think it's normal to like and not to like something. There's periods of liking one thing over the other and so forth. You have to find a way to introduce something you like or want to show them.

I take my step daughter to the family fun center here in town. I'll take her on my own , so we can play all the classic arcade games.

Kids aren't just going to get educated or informed watching random things on YouTube. I let her play, but I'm also not going to always get up and change a game because they get stuck or they don't like a certain part.

It's like when we were kids. If our parents bought us a game that sucked, we were stuck with it. There wasn't always a huge selection to choose from or "watch" online.

My step daughter likes Duck Tales on the Disney Collection and even Mr. Goemon. I would suggest everyone take their children to the arcade.

I find the arcade to be fun. Especially if they have to actually play the game and it isn't some automatic win. Instead of having your son always play a modern game. Take him to where he has to find something fun, like an arcade. There's a lot of fun in retro games. I went to the arcade a lot as a kid. It babysat me while my parents went shopping. It was my choice because I always wanted to go as a kid.
 
Last edited:

WaterAstro

Member
Even I'm not big on playing classics, mainly because I already played them and have a great memory of the experience. Like Megaman, those games are really punishing. Game design (usually) has come a long way to make games feel better. If an indie makes a pixel game like a classic platformer, like Celeste, it's just going to feel better to play because there are a lot of improvements in game flow and engaging the player.
 
My parents made a blunder last Christmas by sending my kids a SNES Mini by mistake. I asked them to get it for me and they thought I meant "for my kids". Well I was proper pissed lol and my kids tried it and laughed and hated it so I "got it" after all. They can't stop playing Minecraft and Gears of War 1/2/3/4. They also got me another one because they realised the blunder which I told them to keep and save it to flog in 10 years for millions.
 
Last edited:

A.Romero

Member
I'm 34 and I'd be hard pressed to play a NES or maybe even a SNES game start to finish.

Games have gotten so much better in pretty much every sense of the word that playing older games can be something jarring.

I'd rather play an indie game if I want a classic-like experience.
 

Codes 208

Member
My brother is four years younger than me and he despises the nes/snes style games (minus zelda) so i think im like a generation apart lol. (Im 26, the first game ive ever played was link to the past and sonic 2)

My 3 yr old niece on the other hand has hope. She already knows some nintendo characters and ive got her to play sonic on her mom's ipad
I'm 34 and I'd be hard pressed to play a NES or maybe even a SNES game start to finish.

Games have gotten so much better in pretty much every sense of the word that playing older games can be something jarring.

I'd rather play an indie game if I want a classic-like experience.
Cant say i fully agree. I cant name a single "new" mario side scroller better than SMB3 or SMW and LttP is still a top tier zelda title.

And we all know modern sonic games are shit compared to the old trilogy (barring mania, colors and generations of course)
 

geordiemp

Member
My son who’s 7 won’t play Zelda or Mario on the NES with me. Might have to list him for adoption lol. Anyone else have kids not interested at all in old games?

Retro guy shouts at screen why kids dont like his films / music / games lol.

My son is 13, wait until his friends get online and its Destiny / Fortnite / COD / Rainbow 6. Single player is for old guys.

Its only going to get worse.
 
Last edited:

KevinKeene

Banned
Be a good parent and force your son to finish those NES-titles. When old enough, have him sit down and watch Cowboy Bebop and Ghibli-anime, the ONLY good anime amirite. When he starts being interested in girls around the age of 16, recommend him to show his girls how far video games have come on their first dates. Once his brain's wave lenghts have aligned perfectly, you can finally transfer your mind into his brain, thus gaining a new, younger body and another life. Just please don't date your wife anymore. People wouldn't understand.
 

Masatshi

Member
perfectly normal... my son (12) is only playing Minecraft, Fortnite, COD, and sometimes Battlefield and some F2P Handy-Games even though we have a gameroom full of old and new gaming-systems and tons of games... it's actually only multiplayer-titles he is playing. story-games/singleplayer games he is not interested in at all. but I don't mind, I am perfectly happy to play Battlefield or Fortnite with him and I think when he comes of age, he will try something new/old, I am pretty sure. Just give him time...
 

llien

Member
Yes, but not only games, they don't like, but also some cartoons that both my and my spouse adore and even ice cream that both of their parents find to be #thebesticecreamevercreated is "meh" for them.

Might have to list him for adoption lol.
Haha, sounds like a plan.
 

Breakage

Member
I struggle to get into anything pre-PlayStation. I think the games you end up liking are strongly influenced by the console era you grow up in. For example, I cannot conjure up any feelings of endearment or genuine interest for NES or SNES games, but that changes when I come across old PS1, PS2 etc games. It's all about the memories you associate with the consoles and games of your formative years.
 
Last edited:

ambalek

Member
My son is 5 and plays a lot of SNES, NES, and Mega Drive games with me. I think it's because I let him have a 3DS when he was 2 and he found Super Mario on it and could actually understand it unlike more complex modern games. Also, I didn't let him have free reign on the 3DS, I'm usually with him when he plays it and he only gets it for an hour at a time, so the fact he's currently got limited access to games makes him more excited about them.

He can actually build in Minecraft and loves Super Mario Odyssey and any kid-safe open world games like Burnout Paradise, but 8/16 bit Sonic and Mario are his favourites. We have a Sunday afternoon retro gaming session and hunt old games around London (it's actually hard to find retro games in the city now though).
 
I started my daughter with Mario Bros on the original NES at the age of 5, now at the age of 11 her interest in gaming has dipped abit but I'm pretty sure thats my ex-wife convincing her that games are for boys but when its just us hanging out she still likes to checkout games from my collection and play.
 

dcll

Banned
Why care if they dont like old stuff you did? I say let a kid explore and enjoy what they like, no sense on forcing stuff on them
 
I'm worried my nephews will get too into the trash that floods the market these days on mobile and (increasingly) in the AAA space and I won't be able to relate to them. But my sister and her husband mostly play the good stuff with minimal trash. Then again my ex's daughter is all-in on trash she watches Markiplier and PewDiePie play despite her mother being hardcore. Thank goodness I know how to make my own games so I don't have to ride the wave into the next market crash.
 

SoulUnison

Banned
My son who’s 7 won’t play Zelda or Mario on the NES with me. Might have to list him for adoption lol. Anyone else have kids not interested at all in old games?

Dude, I didn't really want to play Zelda on the NES when I was like 5 or 6 and it was the latest, greatest video game around. Shit's obtuse.
Not wanting to play Mario, though? Even as a historical curiosity? You should disinherit him.
 
Last edited:

UnravelMay

Neo Member
Be a good parent and force your son to finish those NES-titles. When old enough, have him sit down and watch Cowboy Bebop and Ghibli-anime, the ONLY good anime amirite. When he starts being interested in girls around the age of 16, recommend him to show his girls how far video games have come on their first dates. Once his brain's wave lenghts have aligned perfectly, you can finally transfer your mind into his brain, thus gaining a new, younger body and another life. Just please don't date your wife anymore. People wouldn't understand.
lmao i might think about doing that
 

UnravelMay

Neo Member
perfectly normal... my son (12) is only playing Minecraft, Fortnite, COD, and sometimes Battlefield and some F2P Handy-Games even though we have a gameroom full of old and new gaming-systems and tons of games... it's actually only multiplayer-titles he is playing. story-games/singleplayer games he is not interested in at all. but I don't mind, I am perfectly happy to play Battlefield or Fortnite with him and I think when he comes of age, he will try something new/old, I am pretty sure. Just give him time...
I've been playing persona 5 and spending 40 hours so far in game. It's a great game but yeah more of a story, single player title. You could get him to watch the trailer and see if he's interested.
 
I still can’t believe I beat this game without a guide back in the day...insane. I saw the previous poster about single player being for old people...that’s so sad lol. It’s also funny because I say why do they keep calling single player “campaigns”, but I guess sign of the times. 31 is now old :-(
 

A.Romero

Member
My brother is four years younger than me and he despises the nes/snes style games (minus zelda) so i think im like a generation apart lol. (Im 26, the first game ive ever played was link to the past and sonic 2)

My 3 yr old niece on the other hand has hope. She already knows some nintendo characters and ive got her to play sonic on her mom's ipad

Cant say i fully agree. I cant name a single "new" mario side scroller better than SMB3 or SMW and LttP is still a top tier zelda title.

And we all know modern sonic games are shit compared to the old trilogy (barring mania, colors and generations of course)

I'm not a big fan of that genre (I could never got into Zelda) but I guess you could make an argument that newer generations might appreciate something like New Super Mario Bros over the older ones.

I just think that some stuff might be jarring for newer generation gamers...
 

Jag

Member
I blame cellphones. They are destroying the youth gaming.

I have 2 custom built gaming PCs and 1000s of Steam games; I have a fully loaded PS4+PSVR....

Both my boys (14 and 17) only play games on their phones.

(rarely they will boot up a 2K sports game on the PS4)
 
Last edited:

ph33rknot

Banned
my nephew didn't like any of the old ones as he calls them the only thing I got him to play was a bit of Psychonauts he said it was cool for an old one then went back to playing on his tablet
 

iconmaster

Banned
Four kids and can’t say that I’ve been successful at this, but they’ve had some exposure to a few things like River Raid and Zelda 1. Some ideas though:

- Avoid the really punishing stuff. That might mean some classic franchises are right out, unfortunately.
- Consider starting with the SNES era. The look of those games is timeless.
- Encourage your child to make liberal use of save states.
- Look at NES Remix as a way to quickly sample multiple older titles in short order.

But what I recommend most of all:

- Expose your child to a wide variety of classic titles and go with whatever catches his or her eye. I’d think there’ll be something, even if it’s not the game you’d expect.
 
Last edited:

checkcola

Member
My nephew, who is 12, loves first person shooters. I do think part of the appeal for him is to play with his school friends. Retro gaming is different, I recall showing him Super Metroid when I was babysitting him once, to his credit, it did hold his interest, but I don't see him wanting to play those type of games on his own. Its just how it is.
 

Rubik8

Member
My son who’s 7 won’t play Zelda or Mario on the NES with me. Might have to list him for adoption lol. Anyone else have kids not interested at all in old games?

My kids (12, 10, 5, and too young to play) don't like old games unless they have save states. The primitive graphics aren't the issue for them; it's the crushing difficultly.
 
Top Bottom