Time for Companies to Go Back to the Future

I liked the 1970s as much as the next guy, but not so much that I want to relive them every time I fire up my video game rigs. I cheered the early days of the recent retro craze that brought classics such as Space Invaders and Galaga to portable units and the PC.

But now I think it’s time to move on. Resurrecting the grand masters of video gaming was a nice trip down memory lane--particularly if designers took the time to tweak the new incarnations--but in recent weeks it seems as if companies are just slapping any old thing into a box and hoping it will sell.

Consider Centipede and Missile Command for Sega Genesis, the latest in a long line of reruns dubiously dubbed Arcade Classics. The new 16-bit cartridge is practically identical to the 8-bit version released a few months ago for Game Gear. And I don’t mean that in a nice way.

The games weren’t that great on Game Gear and to see them botched again on Genesis feels like a double insult. Granted, the originals were pretty simple when they hit the arcades, but they looked even more primitive and stark on Game Gear. Blow those faults up and jack up the price and the result is the Genesis version.

Given the power 16-bit rigs are capable of these days, the Arcade Classic just looks and feels cheap. Wouldn’t it be nice to celebrate the passing of 16-bit gaming with a bang, instead of a whimper? Games like Vectorman demonstrate what Genesis can do.

All Centipede and Missile Command do is demonstrate how uninspired recent 16-bit titles have been. These games--like all the classics--were great in their day and still retain some charm, but they’ve worn out their welcome with me.

That said, I grudgingly popped Return to Arcade, Microsoft’s sequel to the popular Arcade collection, into my PC. Boy, was I glad I did. The same complaints apply--the games still show a decided lack of originality--but the Microsoft collection at least captures some of the originals’ spontaneity and flair.

The collection, designed for Windows 95, includes four arcade faves from the early 1980s: Pac Man, Dig Dug, Galaxian and Pole Position. All are perfect re-creations of the stand-up machines, although some translate to the PC better than others.

Pole Position, for instance, gets a little old after only a few laps. Galaxian, though, is as killer as it’s ever been. Pac Man and Dig Dug were never among my picks, but they survive intact.

Let’s hope new titles are waiting in the wings. All this old stuff is just getting old.

Staff writer Aaron Curtiss reviews video games every Thursday. To comment on a column or to suggest games for review, send letters to The Times, 20000 Prairie St., Chatsworth, CA 91311. Or send e-mail to Aaron.Curtiss@latimes.com.