Around the time the original Sony PlayStation came out, I started losing interest in video games. Part of it was because I really didn’t like the almost unanimous jump publishers made from 2D to 3D. In early 3D titles I found the graphics to be grainy and horrible, the controls fidgety, and the awkward camera angles frustrating.

But a bigger reason was because almost overnight, publishers seemed to discard the notion that game play was the most important aspect of a game. Now, success meant that a title needed to look and play more like a movie than a video game. And by movie I mean big budget, brainless, Hollywood blockbuster complete with cutout characters, inane dialog and lots of explosions.

One of the biggest reasons I have trouble getting into newer games is that more often than not, after hitting START you’re almost always subjected to several minutes of cliched, cinematic backstory that does absolutely nothing to draw you into the game’s world. After that, you’re usually subjected to a tedious tutorial to get you familiar with the controls. This often takes just as long.

We’re now nearing 30 minutes since I pushed START, and I have yet to play the game. At this point I’m bored. I don’t even want to play the game. I actually resent it and the publisher for wasting my time despite how shiny and impressive the graphics are.

Compare that to this intro from 1987 arcade classic Double Dragon:

BAM. In about 15 seconds, I have all the back story I need: Some assholes came and punched my girl in the gut and took her away. Not only do I know exactly what I need to do, I’m emotionally charged to do it. I have to do it. Who the fuck do they think they are?! Tutorial my ass. Just give me the fucking controls and I’ll figure it out myself.

I’m pretty sure this intro didn’t costs millions of dollars to create. However, it served its purpose and I’d argue it’s a lot more effective than the CG wankfest intros we have today. I don’t need drawn out and arbitrary video game world politics, dramatic shots of the lead character looking determined, or forced emotion to get into a video game. The classics gave you the basics and left the rest to your imagination.