Nostalgic for 90s Games

While I was writing another article and talking about whether game is fun to play is the most important thing. Two games immediately popped into my mind, Theme Hospital and Neighbours from the Hell, and I decided to write one more short post about them. I played these games when I was in middle school or elementary. These games were the among the start of the path leading to the checkpoint that I'm here, writing these post, and could possibly go to game industry in the future. I still like them after 10 years. And honestly, these games have really characteristic graphics as well (comics like something?) If they were to be released these few years, I don't see they'd be consider outdated.

I think someone mentioned the theme hospital in his post. It was released in 1997. It's simply a fun game, you run a hospital, and as you level up, more patients are flushed in, more equipment can be built and doctors meaner can be hired, and it gets difficult in the later levels. It's also famous for the dark humor from the producer shouted out by the broadcast. and I still remember the broadcast say to the patients: Patients, DO NOT die in the hallways!

(image source: http://4nndroblog.blogspot.com/2014/05/theme-hospital-full-review-pc-and-ps1.html )

Another representative game is the Neighbours from the Hell. It was released in 2003. This is another fun game. It still get 10 out of 10 on steam. Basically you mess up with/prank you neighbor and his girlfriend because he's a %$&# using objects near you.

( image source: https://www.giantbomb.com/neighbors-from-hell-2-on-vacation/3030-5994/)

As for artwork, while there're more and more fancy 3D games, I feel like sometimes their 3D models come from the same set of modelers or artists and get me tired, so at times when I come across simple games like these that have a distinctive style, they immediately grasp my attention, and I think that's a trend as well.

The other day I was discussing game ideas with other guys from the class, we came up with similar ideas with the Neighbor from the Hell. The mechanics of triple A RPGs are always similar, like backpack, fight to level up, collect treasures, open world...I mean I am a big fan of RPG games, but I get tired too. I think a couple of people express the similar thought in this blog that sometimes we don't need realistic graphics and complex combating system to cover the flaw of fun mechanics.