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Are you still playing those clumsy old video games? This just in: Times have changed, man! It's time you update your library and get with the latest games already which look, sound, and even play better than most of that nostalgic stuff you’re still holding on to. (Check out “Crysis Warhead” – pictured above – to see what I mean.)


Read on for our list of the top five reasons modern video games are better than retro ones. And then tell us: Do you agree or disagree? (But hold those tomatoes — we know there are two sides to every story. Tune in next week when we name the \"Top 5 reasons retro games beat modern ones.\" Clever, huh?


Tell us: Do you agree or disagree?


-- Blake Snow

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Inflation stinks ... unless nominal price stays the same. In that case, a product actually sells for less, which is precisely what has happened to video games. For example: The cost of a console game in the mid-1980s and early 1990s? Often $50 or more. The cost of a console game launched in recent years (like “Super Mario Galaxy” pictured above)? $50. In some cases, modern games are even priced between $30 and $40. Although still more expensive than movies and music, and despite a $10 \"high definition\" tax for select Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 games, retail video games are more affordable than ever. "; games_top5_090714_ModernGames[i++] = new Array("","They have better multiplayer features","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/rock-band-2-multiplayer.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "Harmonix", "235", "423", "#000000", "", "", "", ""); games_top5_090714_ModernGames[i-1].body = "

Like all good games, video games are rooted in multiplayer action. But for much of their history, multiplayer features often played second fiddle to single-player – especially in the '80s and '90s. Not anymore. Over the past five years, there has been a resurgence in party, cooperative, and massively multiplayer games. What's more, online gaming against \"live\" opponents is practically standard now. It's good to play together – as an evening playing “Rock Band 2” with your friends (pictured above) will prove. "; games_top5_090714_ModernGames[i++] = new Array("","They have better controls","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/wii-remote.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "Nintendo", "273", "363", "#000000", "", "", "", ""); games_top5_090714_ModernGames[i-1].body = "

In their nascent years, video games often had only a joystick and a single button to dictate play. Fun but not ideal. In their adolescent years, games often required that a player consult the instruction manual to learn complex button presses. Fun but, again, not ideal. Today, there are more options than ever to play games. The Nintendo Wii recognizes full motion and pointer controls. Nintendo’s DS and Apple’s iPhone prove that “touching is good.” And realistic peripherals further blur the lines between gameplay and reality. More than ever, you can play the way you like. "; games_top5_090714_ModernGames[i++] = new Array("","They have better graphics","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/shadow%20of%20the%20colossus%20by%20Sony.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "Sony", "273", "365", "#000000", "", "", "", ""); games_top5_090714_ModernGames[i-1].body = "

Video games are only fun to look at for so long. They either have it where it counts (the gameplay) or they don't. But marry arresting gameplay with good looks, and you're in for a lasting treat. Though blocky pixels will always have a special place in my heart, today's games are more fluid, more artistic and more elaborate — in short, they're downright gorgeous at times. (Play the excellent “Shadow of the Colossus” to see what I mean.)"; games_top5_090714_ModernGames[i++] = new Array("","They're more capitvating","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/CoD4.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "Activision", "265", "423", "#000000", "", "", "", ""); games_top5_090714_ModernGames[i-1].body = "

I played Atari 2600 and NES as much as the next guy — for entire Saturdays even. Addicting games will always have that kind of appeal. But today's games bombard the senses on all fronts. They control better. They sound better. They look better. And they tell better stories. It's no wonder \"immersive\" has become the most overused adjective in modern game reviews. I dare you to casually walk away from a game of \"Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.\" It demands your attention.

Tell us: Do you agree or disagree that modern video games beat retro games?
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