Why Classic Video Games Are Great For Kids

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  • DC
    Hall Of Fame
    • Oct 2002
    • 17996

    #1

    Why Classic Video Games Are Great For Kids

    http://www.racketboy.com/retro/2007/...-children.html

    Once I have kids of my own, I want them to be well-adjusted and smart, but still able to have fun. I’d like to keep passive TV watching to a minimum and help both my kids’ bodies and minds stay active. I don’t plan on keeping my kids deprived of digital entertainment, so I hope to have a healthy dose of quality video games to work their minds and keep them occupied.

    As a classic video game enthusiast, I will naturally be inclined to share my favorite old-school games with my kids as they grow up, but I have a number of reasons why I think other gaming parents should look into building their game library around the classics as well.
    Classic Games Are Less Complex

    kids-less.jpg It is a simple fact that two-dimensional games are less complex than their modern 3D brethren. Just by comparing the controllers for the NES, Sega Genesis, or even the Super Nintendo to the likes of the XBox 360 or Playstation 2 you can see that the dramatic increase in the number of buttons and controls used for modern games.

    The in-game perspective can also make a huge impact on the game’s complexity. I think most people would agree that three-dimensional games are more complex than their two-dimensional cousins. In 2D games, you only have two ways to move — left and right (not including jumping and such).

    With these simplified controls, these old-school classics are ideal for youngsters who are just getting started out with games. Having a simpler game also makes it more inviting other family members (mom/dad/grandma/grandpa/uncle joe) to play with the kids.
    Classic Games Are Good, Clean Fun

    Depending on the age of your kids and how sensitive you are about the content of games, you may be concerned about keeping the “bad stuff” out of their entertainment. This is increasingly difficult as more of the modern media outlets are filled with content that would be deemed inappropriate for younger children.

    While there were some mature games made in the 80’s and 90’s, it was much easier to find some good, clean fun. (Even those games rated “Teen” or “Mature” in the 1990’s are pretty tame by today’s standards. Perhaps this was because most games in the earlier years of the industry were marketed towards kids.
    Classic Game Genres Are Perfect for Kids

    Some of the earliest game genres such as platformers, adventure, and puzzle games are both engaging and beneficial for kids.

    Platformers (or “those run-and-jump games”) like Super Mario Bros. and Sonic the Hedgehog typically have colorful characters, a variety of colorful settings, and
    kids-disney.jpg

    some puzzle-solving elements hidden within. There is also a healthy selection of high-quality platformers based on Disney cartoons such as Mickey Mouse, Aladdin, The Lion King, Chip & Dale Rescue Rangers, and many more if your kids are into those. These games typically have very simple controls and objectives, but offer some nice challenges in further stages (Dad may have to lend a helping hand sometimes).

    Adventure games like The Legend of Zelda and the Monkey Island series are filled with charming stories, exploration, treasure-collecting and many puzzles to solve. A child’s imagination can go wild with these types of games and you might also want to encourage them to have similar adventures in your back yard when they need to run around a bit.

    Puzzle games are logically the perfect choice for working your kids’ brains while offering a challenge in either single-player or two-player modes. Games like Tetris, Dr. Mario, and Puyo Pop Fever are all excellent choices to get you started and there are many other variations to keep you busy. What is also appealing about puzzle games is they are not dependant on graphics at all, so your kids are less likely to want more in terms of eye candy.
    Classic Games Are In Abundant Supply

    If you only have a Gamecube or an XBox 360, you might have a harder time finding a steady supply of kids’ games that will keep your youngster interested over the years. However, if you are willing to dig back into the massive libraries of popular classic platforms like the Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, or Sony’s original Playstation, you will have hundreds of games that are easily accessible on eBay.
    Classic Games Are Cheap

    Face it: Kids are expensive. And kids go through toys and other entertainment products like crazy. So if you want to avoid taking out a second mortgage to pay for a big game collection, I recommend finding some excellent classic game bargains that can be found online.

    kids-price.jpgOther than the rare games that are popular with collectors, most any popular game more than a few years old can be found dirt cheap – many for less than $10. Luckily for you, I’ve already done some digging around and compiled a list of the best games for older consoles that can be picked up off of eBay or Amazon.com for less than $10 (and some essentials that are slightly more).

    If you don’t yet have some of these classic gaming machines, there are some very affordable consoles such as the Sega Genesis and Sega Dreamcast that can be found for about 5-10% of what you would pay for a cutting edge gaming machine. Not only does this mean that you won’t have to spend much to get started, but you also won’t have to feel bad if your kids break it.
    Classic Game Cartridges Are Durable

    Speaking of breaking things — if you’ve even hung around with young children and watched them play with their toys (or your toys, for that matter), you know that they don’t always take care of things.

    I remember when DVDs were first becoming popular, many parents still wanted to get VHS tapes for the children as they weren’t sensitive to scratches and such, leaving them less vulnerable to their kids’ destructive habits. Since video game cartridges are even less sensitive that VHS tapes (there is no tape inside), you could make an even stronger argument for game cartridge durability. (CDs and DVDs are liquid-proof, however)
    Concrete evidence/videos please
  • youvalss
    ******
    • Feb 2007
    • 16601

    #2
    Re: Why Classic Video Games Are Great For Kids

    DC, you're now officially ready for kids.
    My Specs:

    ZX Spectrum
    CPU: Z80 @ 3.5 MHz
    GPU: Monochrome display
    RAM: 48 KB
    OS: Sinclair BASIC

    Comment

    • ProfessaPackMan
      Bamma
      • Mar 2008
      • 63852

      #3
      Re: Why Classic Video Games Are Great For Kids

      When I have Kids, the first games they're gonna play are Tecmo Super Bowl and Mike Tyson's Punch Out on the NES. Two of the greatest video games ever created.
      #RespectTheCulture

      Comment

      • youvalss
        ******
        • Feb 2007
        • 16601

        #4
        Re: Why Classic Video Games Are Great For Kids

        I wish I had my old Sinclair Spectrum computer. I got it in 1983 and played games on it for 7.5 years. It had some of the most amazing games -with only 48k of memory LOL!



        This is what the keyboard looked like, but my dad used to have sort of club at his job that all people who bought this computer joined to, so he got us a big plastic keyboard that looked more like today's keyboards, and he also got us a switch button that was attached to the keyboard and enabled us to do a reset.
        The games were loaded through a tape recorder, using cassettes...LOL. My dad used to get us one cassette full of games every few weeks, and each cassette was called Master - with a number (Master 1, Master 2 etc.). My brother still claims that "Master 13" was the best
        But the game I liked the most, and I wish my (future) kids could play, is "The Factory" - in which you were a small guy going from room to room and trying to stay alive or something...don't really remember, but it was addicting!
        My Specs:

        ZX Spectrum
        CPU: Z80 @ 3.5 MHz
        GPU: Monochrome display
        RAM: 48 KB
        OS: Sinclair BASIC

        Comment

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