 |
Classic Video Games Make a ComebackWhen Rob O'Hara needs a serious video game fix, he unwinds a black rubber joystick and plays a few rounds of "Space Invaders" on his Atari 2600, vintage 1982.
The 30-year-old networking engineer owns newer Xbox, PlayStation 2 and GameCube consoles, but for a true gaming geek like O'Hara, nothing tops the blocky graphics and simple sound effects of retro video games.
"Playing games was a big part of my childhood," says the Yukon, Okla., man. "Back then, it seems like games were more family-oriented, and as a result, families ended up playing a lot of games together."
O'Hara is no relic in his love of 1980s electronic nostalgia.
Vintage consoles are plentiful on Internet auction sites. An annual "Classic Gaming Expo" convention is growing, moving to larger quarters this year. And companies are trying to cash in with repackaged editions of classics including the space fighter "Defender" and the pill-munching "Pac-Man."
Nintendo Co. recently released eight classic games for its portable Game Boy Advance, including "Super Mario Bros.," "The Legend of Zelda," and "Excitebike." Along with the $20-apiece games, the company also released a $100 Game Boy Advance system styled after its original Nintendo Entertainment System.
Jakks Pacific, meanwhile, sells a line of retro video game systems from classic game companies l
more: msnbc.msn.com/id/5270099/... (59)
bookmark: 
27/6/2004 | Viewed 10,507 time(s)
|
|
