Nope, that means somebody at least made an effort!
All good points, but I beg to differ on the following
They might also be gone within 10 years, especially when it comes to games encumbered by DRM and/or relying on server-side parts.
Only having 8-bit colors and 2K RAM available required developers to get really creative. In today’s games, I don’t see a lot of creativity, only rehashing of the same with marginally better looks. And often enough, the originals are still better than the clones, which is one good argument for “retrogaming” 
.
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How many piecesof art were lost in history because of fires, theft…?
I am not saying all of them can be preserved, but they stand a better change. Unless we are hit by a huge electro-magnetic storm which wipes everything clean. Then again, we’ll have other things
to worry about than game preservation.
If we, as humanity, want to preserve something, we can. C’mon where is the 1980’s hacking spirit “You call that a copy protection?” DRM is not waterproof.
Sure! That’s also why I like games made last century (without being a snob about more recent games- I have some from 2010 even!).
I was just pointing out the old programmers don’t necessarily look back with all that nostalgia towards those old platforms as we, the players do.
Confirmed everytime @RonGilbert said in interviews “those old games aren´t quite as good (looking) as you remember them” everytime I thought “Oh, yes they are! I just played them like YESTERDAY!” because I never stopped!
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I guess I would not want to go back and code Amiga BASIC, or in general lose the comfort of a modern IDE (and I assume others will have similarly grown accustomed to the convenience afforded by today’s developer tools), but looking at the interviews in, say, From Bedrooms to Billions, there seem to be plenty of developers quite fond of the old systems. Which may just be nostalgia after all, though that does not account for the folks programming new games for those systems today.
For me it depends on the game. Take the first Civilization for example; I wouldn’t want to play it today because I decided that it has a horrid UI and UX. But it’s not a bad game, just one that’s better being fondly remembered than actually played. Now contrast that with something like Lotus Esprit Turbo Challenge, or Ultima VII. These games are as good today as they were back then, if not better in light of what came after.
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A game is a retro game when, despite being over 30 years old, big pixels, a few colours (not even 8!), only UP and DOWN commands…
… is still able to let you say “I have to do it!”
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Many nerves were shattered. *Beep* you, Aztec Challenge. I love you.
I’ve tried again. Today. I’ve succeeded in reaching the pyramid at the first attempt!!! 
And…is there a yellow crystal inside?
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Nope. It’s an Egyptian pyramid.
What? Why is it called Aztec challenge, then?
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Good point. I think I have realized it just now, after 34 years! 
That´s not an egyptian pyramid. I must know, I´ve been inside of one!
Look at the staircase and the structure. Like in aztec challenge!
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The main reason why you’ve played Aztec Challenge is the music.
In the end it’s often about music.
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Hey, I’ve been there!
(Sadly they don’t let you climb the steps. I think you have to go to Disney World and climb the fake one to experience that)
I totally agree! I think that’s why I love TwP so much. Even hearing the music on the menu screen for games like Zelda or Super Mario Bros. makes me nostalgic.
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I´ve been to the other place(Giza)!
Maybe because Jeff Bridges boned in there in Against All Odds(if that is the one)?
Thirded, good video game music is crucial for a games sucess in the post Atari era.
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Good memory, yes… but maybe just too many crazy dudes visiting the pyramids at full 
looking for 
’s.
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That is true for Giza, too. However due to the structure it is of course also way less secure to get on top of it. But you can still get inside (and other than at the Akropolis in Athens there was exactly zero security around at least when I was there).
Also why is the Aztec temple in a desert with people in Egyptian clothes?
Here’s the manual of Aztec Challenge…
Who is that woman on the cover? Just sales techniques I guess.
Tl;dr:
- usually takes up to 6 minutes to load a 28K program such as Aztec Challenge from cassette.
- the game was made by the man who brought us Forbidden Forest. If you needed any more proof him being a sadist.
- there’s a whole section to help troubleshoot loading errors.
So to get back on the real retro experience topic: who is willing today to spend 6 to 24 minutes getting this game loaded?
lower your hand, @someone 
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