LIVE FROM E3 2011 > Were Video Games More Fun When You Were a Kid?

by Christine Lusey Posted 2011/06/09 19:00:00

Related Topics: E3 2011, Atari, Colecovision, Sega, Nintendo, Arcade, Space Invaders, Video Games, Rush, SodaHead, Fun, Childhood, Video, Photos, 80s

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	Yes	82 votes	64%
	No	47 votes	36%

Yesterday we took a look at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, which spotlights the newest games and gaming hardware. But one of the most popular exhibits of the show so far isn't from any of the major game companies.

The Video Game History Museum brought a treasure trove of retro awesomeness to adoring fans, in the form of dozens of classic game systems - most of them playable -- and an arcade of some of the best games ever set inside a cabinet, like Space Invaders, Galaga, Asteroids and Ms. Pac-Man. The best part? No quarters necessary!

Is the popularity of the exhibit a testament to the quality of current releases? One thing's for sure: if the line for Galaga is longer than the line for some of the newest titles, something certainly seems amiss.

Check out the photos below and relive some childhood memories.

Players take a break from the hectic E3 rush for some retro fun:

relive childhood memories players break hectic e3 rush retro fun

relive childhood memories players break hectic e3 rush retro fun

The winner and still champ: The Atari 2600 (playing E.T.)

hectic e3 rush retro fun winner champ atari 2400 playing

Midway's classic Space Invaders cabinet.

winner champ atari 2400 playing midways classic space invaders cabinet

Do you remember Nintendo's Virtual Boy? Nintendo would sure like to forget it.

classic space invaders cabinet remember nintendos virtual boy nintendo forget

classic space invaders cabinet remember nintendos virtual boy nintendo forget

The Sega Dreamcast, still beloved by many.

cabinet remember nintendos virtual boy nintendo forget sega dreamcast beloved

The Nintendo 64 and its bizarro controller.

boy nintendo forget sega dreamcast beloved nintendo 64 bizarro controller

ColecoVision was massively popular for about six minutes in the 80s.

beloved nintendo 64 bizarro controller colecovision massively popular minutes 80s

beloved nintendo 64 bizarro controller colecovision massively popular minutes 80s

Do you still have yours? It's the Nintendo Entertainment System from 1985.

bizarro controller colecovision massively popular minutes 80s nintendo entertainment 1985

bizarro controller colecovision massively popular minutes 80s nintendo entertainment 1985

The gaming website 1Up put together a short video of the exhibit at the show:

Add a comment above

Sofahead 2011/06/10 00:13:30

No

+4
Video games weren't around when I was a "kid". As arcade games they started to appear when I was in my twenties. Pong, Pacman, and Q-bert

Most of the games I played were after I got my first PC, best Grim Fandango and Myst.
>> See Replies

More polls by Christine Lusey

Emo_Skater_Chick_13 2011/06/27 21:17:43

Yes

Yeahh, I am a kid so yeahh! My favorite video game is Battle Field Bad Company 2!!!

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~Pro-Fetus Anti-Liberal Ant... 2011/06/15 14:15:37

Yes

Nothing will ever beat this one...

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dePSyChO 2011/06/11 16:22:24

No

Nope, times change. Sure, I still love the games I played as a kid, but that doesn't make them better than newer ones. People need to take the nostalgia glasses off.

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Adam 2011/06/11 01:06:44
神薙鋼一 2011/06/11 00:52:45

Yes

Like, DUH. Back in my times, it was all about the NES, SNES, and the Genesis. My life was good as a kid. ;)

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David - a nudist 2011/06/10 17:12:41

Yes

Especially Nintendo and Game Boy (not Advance, the original). Sigh. I wish those were still around...
: (

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Bill G53 ~PWCM~JLA 2011/06/10 15:34:04

No

I was a kid during the days of Leave it to Beaver and Father Knows Best. I saw Pong come out of nowhere. A video game to me was a test pattern on the TV and knowing what the vertical hold control was used for, something a lot of the new generation never heard of. Vertical control...What's that?

But in my 20's I went to an arcade and spent $5. When I was finished I have cleansed myself of putting coins in those machines. I like computer games and have an Xbox but am very very selective of which games I'll play.

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stevegtexas@aol.com 2011/06/10 15:20:27

Yes

yes.... video games were more fun as a teen, there was more time to play, and more friends willing to play/invite you over to their parents place to play.

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Nudenz 2011/06/10 15:18:01

No

I don't like Video Games. When I was a Kid, I played Monopoly or Scrabble with a Board.

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✩Batman's✩Epic✩Understudy✩ 2011/06/10 14:30:00

Yes

Sega Genesis baby! ;)

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Jane 2011/06/10 14:12:12

Yes

I've still got my Nintendo 64: and frankly, the games for it are considerably better than plenty today.
Of course, I do love a bit on the Playstation (One. Not two, not three. One). But the 64 is still one of my favourites. Games with a little dash of ingenuity, rather than the modern 'bang-bang, boom' style. (I could make a mention of Call of Duty).

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rena 2011/06/10 13:00:34

Yes

I have been playing Video games since I was 11 years old. I really enjoyed the challenge and showed my reaction skills.

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FluffyCupcakespanker~PWCM~JLA 2011/06/10 12:58:30

Yes

This was my first gaming system I think I was 5 when my parents gave it to me, I had a lot of fun with it.

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Dawn 2011/06/10 12:50:17

Yes

I loved my atari and I played Pac Man nonstop for hrs at a time, I have a game controller that is a joystick, I plug it into the screen and I can play Ms. Pac Man any time I want but I don't have much time lol.

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Katfish 2011/06/10 12:39:53

Yes

Not more fun because they were better but because I felt I actually had time to play the Atari and pong before that. My cousin had a relatively unknown game called Oddessy, I played that too.

I played Atari for like 8 hours one day back in the early 80"s. I'm sure that my son smoked that record many, many times(not on Atari though). Plus my game addiction lasted less than a year, generations since have carried their game addiction to adulthood.

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Cottonmouth 2011/06/10 12:25:23 (edited)

Yes

Dreamcast was the best though

And I meant to pick no

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Grizzle 2011/06/10 12:01:16

No

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KB 2011/06/10 09:56:31

Yes

For the most part. I want to get a PS3 so I can download all the games that were around when I was a kid, but are too expensive to get now.

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kimlyn 2011/06/10 09:42:23

No

mario bros. rocks the planet but you got to admit nothing beats plants vs zombies

reply
gabbi 2011/06/10 08:49:30

Yes

yah, i remember the good old times, i would have my nintendo64, and all my cousins would go to our little tv, and play mario kart..

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Tigger Too 2011/06/10 08:40:57

No

I used to know someone who had retro pinball machines and video games in their family room. The only games I liked were Pong and Space Invaders [of which I was the all-time high scorer!]. I have never played any other video games, not even Tetras, when EVERYBODY was hooked on it!

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Mercedes 2011/06/10 08:35:38

No

I am still a kid, and they have always been fun! I began with a nintendo, then to pc games, then to xbox 360 games. Incredible all round.

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Foxiie 2011/06/10 08:34:24

Yes

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4EverDreaming 2011/06/10 07:49:46

Yes

I can still remember the day my parents brought it home and we took it out of the box and hooked it up. We all thought it was the next greatest thing to sliced bread. Androids, Pac Man, Frogger, Dig Dug, Space Invaders, Breakout, and Pitfall (loved them all). It's really amazing to see how far gaming has come over the years....

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Radical Ed 2011/06/10 07:38:07

Yes

still have my old master and NES systems <3

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Ty ~ PHAET 2011/06/10 06:58:03 (edited)

Yes

+1

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Nisa PinkySwear(*~*) 2011/06/10 06:53:02

No

+1
they are def better now. I remember when i had Donkey Kong (PS1 and Nintendo game station) . I kinda miss the classic-ness, but not the graphics.

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dm 2011/06/10 06:23:54 (edited)

No

I think about the same both fun. I haven't played in a while though.

I saw this toy in of all places a grocery store. It was a joystick you plug in and connect to your TV. It lets you play retro games from the 80's..like Pac Man. I was dorky enough to buy it. I bought it for my young niece to play but ended up playing with it instead..lol. But she was only five anyway.. wouldn't know what to do with it. I also haven't played that in a while. I watch more tv or go online instead.

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Aubbles the Dorkocent one o... 2011/06/10 05:45:50

Yes

I still have my Sega Genesis. :)

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Chris 2011/06/10 05:16:36

Yes

to me video games are too complicated today
back then it was more easy and fun to play.

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Jaigo 2011/06/10 05:16:13

Yes

My grandfather has a system that I think predates the Atari or it is an Atari. It's white so I don't know. Anyway the first Nintendo, Sega genesis, Sega Dreamcast, the first PlayStation. My new fave is the Xbox, the 360 and the Wii. Sega needs to start making game systems again and update their old games for a new generation.

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MOMMA THOMAS 2011/06/10 05:13:47

Yes

LOVED ATARI!

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Rage 2011/06/10 04:51:08

Yes

Hells YEA!!!! I remember me and my brother playing Donkey Kong and Mario Bros. those were some epic games.

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Juliet 2011/06/10 04:43:40

No

they were very good. and i like to play some old games that i grew up with. but i dont think they are better then todays games

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Angela Chambers 2011/06/10 04:14:33 (edited)

Yes

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The River Rat 2011/06/10 04:02:26

No

+1
There were no video games when I was a kid! I think we were a lot better off because of that. One of my kids (Daughter 13) wastes much time on her video game playing, to the detrement of her school work. I have played video games but it has been years ago. If I had used that time wisely, I would be better off now.

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Adam to The Riv... 2011/06/11 01:11:30 (edited)

I played too much as a kid, and it interfered with my life then. As much as I loved it sometimes, it was completely counterproductive to my individual growth. Thank god I've learned to manage myself better, but as for your daughter, you should do everything you can to get her out of that habit if she's doing it too much (>2 hours a day, most days). She might hate you for it now, but she'll thank you later. I just wished my parents urged me more to kick the habit (and sorry if you are already doing that, if it isn't working think about being more aggressive).

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Big Bo 2011/06/10 03:41:26

No

No we aint seen the end of technology for no one gives back the wheel once invented. It's gonna get better. Need a major move to get that sine wave headed back upward again.

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brittany 2011/06/10 03:16:20

Yes

+1
heck yeah! i missed those days.

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retrograve 2011/06/10 02:47:24 (edited)

No

They weren't un-fun then but I like the graphics now a days.

I think games were more harder back then too.

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