Gaming, video games, portable

Nintendo DS and Playstation certainly seem to have much of the portable video game market and the quality and intricacies found in these games is quite impressive.

I can’t help but compare the quality of the sound, pictures, graphics, packaging and marketing to those of the first video games that, basically, became the predecessor to these much more sophisticated versions.

In the mid-80’s, we felt quite cool playing games such as Pac Man and Frogger.  It seemed to us, at that time, that we had arrived – that the technology was a breakthrough and we were now living the “Star Trek” dream.  However, I also distinctly remember that these video games were certainly not portable, nor was the selection all that impressive.  Also, it never felt to me as though  there was all that much talk about these games.  Sure,  these were probably popular in certain “gaming” circles, but otherwise, I don’t really remember hearing about this deal or that deal or this upgrade or that upgrade.

Somehow though, this all seemed to change in the late 80’s early 90’s.  All of a sudden it seemed to me that the words Nintendo and then Nintendo DS were everywhere – it felt as though every parent was searching for a Playstation (or the latest updated version) for their child’s  Christmas present from Santa.

It simply amazes me how far we have come in the gaming technology and I am sure that when someone reads this article in 5 years, they will laugh because the technology will most certainly have upgraded and been enhanced twofold.

I love visiting stores to see which portable video games they have for sale and what is “hot” at that moment.  Although I am not overly fond of most of the more violent games, there is a very well stocked variety of games for all types of tastes.  I was also tickled pink to find out that many of the “old standards” of my day have somehow managed to resurface and are now being  offered to a whole new generation of future “froggers”.

You gotta love that technology.