The pleasure response is found in children and adults. But when we play a game from childhood, or even one that looks like a game from that time, there’s a compounding effect of pleasure. “The reward pathways are more sensitive in children and adolescents than in adults,” says Woog. “So when these childhood games are played as an adult, the pleasure response from the past adds to the current experience.”
Personal identity is also a potent force, as well as a predictor of behavior. If you identify as someone who is responsible, you behave responsibly. If you call yourself a risk-taker, you take risks. Someone who identified as a successful gamer as a kid—or merely a passionate one—may be tied to that as an adult. Woog says the pleasure response is even stronger in these types of people. “This would be especially true if, as a child, they were particularly successful at the game, or at least remembered it that way.”
“Successful life experiences become part of our identity,” says Woog. “This success identity, when activated while playing childhood video games, would further enhance the experience. Nostalgic play may also recall positive childhood experiences unrelated to gaming. Evoking these when playing childhood video games could result in a boost to mood, especially if the individual is experiencing negative mood states such as sadness or depression.”
During a global pandemic, and the subsequent three-fold increase in depression symptoms, it’s no wonder that many are finding comfort in older games and retro-looking ones. Older games instill perseverance, too, to help get through tough times. “There’s something about the old-school games,” Fraser says. “You only got three lives, you needed to earn a new life if you performed well. I talk to my kids about this with a strange sense of pride. I grew up playing games that taught patience and grit.”
wired.com
https://www.wired.com/story/why-retro-looking-games-get-so-much-love/