Generation G

The Third Generation

Alex's introduction to the Lee brothers (the characters from Double Dragon) was made through the ostentatious bezel of my arcade companion, and a most rewarding acquaintance it was. She felt the same exhilaration taking on Big Boss Willie's gang as I did at her age when I first played the game, and it has lead to her develop a very similar attitude as to what constitutes a valuable video game experience as mine own. She gets little enjoyment from locking herself off from the world in order to become immersed in a new reality, and instead thrives on the social interaction of multi-player titles. There is no better way to enjoy an activity than by experiencing it with a companion, or companions, who share a similar passion. This is not a new or alien concept for any of us; it's simply no longer associated with playing videogames.

What do today's players want from videogames? The same thing we wanted at their age and the same thing we still want - fun. This might sound obvious, but there is scant little of it to be found on the shelves at the moment; it has to be dug for and earned, a shared quest between gamers who have become mired in the confused swamp of the videogame industry. Remember what it is you loved about the games of your past and teach the art of playing them to your children. They will soon be passing along this valuable heritage to the Third Generation of Players.

Spanner has written articles for several publications, including Retro Gamer. He is a self-proclaimed horror junkie, with a deep appreciation for all things Romero.