The 1980s was a decade full of digital evolution for the game industry, and the early gameswith famous characters such as ‘Pac-Man’ along with ‘Super Mario Bros.’ and ‘The Legendof Zelda’. Although a lot of technology has been far advanced for decades, modern gamesthese days are heavily inspired by those 80s games, especially in how student gamers enjoythose games. For students needing help with written assignments, a professional essaywriting service like Academized can provide support. Academized offers expert writingservices, helping students with essays, research papers, and more, making academic lifeeasier.In this essay, I will briefly discuss how 80s games are changing the way students are playinggames today.The Birth of Iconic Gameplay MechanicsIn addition, many of the core gameplay mechanics still seen in many modern games werefirst introduced in these 80s hits. In Super Mario Bros., players were taught to play with astyle of gameplay later known as ‘platforming’, where the key to level completion usually laysin correctly timing jumps. You can see that influence in everything from mobile games suchas Temple Run to console games like Celeste. Arcade games from the 80s such as SpaceInvaders and Galaga also pioneered the shoot-em-up game genre. With so many coregameplay mechanics still being implemented today as they were in the 80s, it’s clear thatgood gameplay design doesn’t age.Quick-to-learn, yet in-depth, games, like the ones from the 1980s, fit easily with students’lives that tend to be filled with class and personal obligations. The arcane mechanicalskeleton that came out of the 1980s remains the backbone of gaming today.Simple Graphics, Big ImaginationIn the 80s, most video games had blocky, pixelated graphics that forced a player’simagination to fill in the gaps. The passage describes how the cartridge of The Legend ofZelda (1986) – the earliest game of the series – introduced a player to a world of limitlessadventure through just a few pixels.This is reflected in many contemporary indie games where simplicity is often the norm (thegames Undertale or Celeste are good examples), with the use of pixelated art styles notbecause of technical limitations, but to evoke nostalgia and to inspire ‘imaginary play’. Manystudents of mine today, and certainly those who might want to build their own games, areinfluenced by the minimal graphics of old arcade games, which demonstrates that gameplayis not always about what it looks like but how it makes you feel and how it influences yourthinking.The Rise of Competitive GamingCompetitive gaming first mastered the social nuances of 80s arcades, where you had toshow up just in time to beat someone else’s high score on Donkey Kong or Pac-Man.Today’s multiplayer culture of students slamming away on games such as League ofLegends, Fortnite and Rocket League, which draw audiences in the millions, has its roots inthose arcades – because it is natural.It is estimated by the Entertainment Software Association that more than 70 percent ofcollege students in the US play multiplayer games. Since the 80s, many students havecompeted in organised esports tournaments. The goal of the games was usually to reach thetop of the leaderboard at the end of the week. This competitive spirit of the 80s has beenperpetuated in the form of today’s student gamers. Many colleges offer scholarships foresports. Students looking for assistance with their applications can seek personal statementwriters for hire to craft compelling and tailored personal statements.Nostalgia and Game RemakesThe 80s were so influential on gaming that many of those classic titles have been remade orre-released for modern consoles, and the Legend of Zelda and Super Mario series are stillmajor franchises today.80s Game Modern Remake or Continuation:Super Mario Bros. Super Mario Odyssey (2017)The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild (2017)Pac-Man Pac-Man Championship Edition (2010)Tetris Tetris Effect (2018)These re-releases and remakes are giving these students a glimpse into the roots of theirfavourite franchise, allowing them to relive classic titles with which many are familiar. Thenostalgia factor is huge, especially since many modern gamers are playing old titles for thefirst time on new hardware. There is a connection here between past and present. Thestudents are part of gaming history.Influencing Game MusicThe music of 80’s video games is iconic, but even the composer behind some of the besttracks didn’t work with a team of 30 – he had some funky sound chips. Check it out –instantly recognizable, yep.Today, chiptune music – the generic word for electronic music akin to the soundtracks ofthese early video games – has grown its own fanbase, especially among youths and indiegame developers. The retro novelty of the sounds is appealing and creatively fashionable,and there are even some students who make their own game music using that old-schooltechnique. And in chiptune music, now a vibrant genre, we even see professionalproductions retaining the 1980s-style arcade feel, as in the popular game Shovel Knight,among others.Social Aspects of 80s GamingThese 80s arcades were not simply places where to play games, users could get together,share tips and try to beat each other’s scores. This very sociability of gaming has survived tothis day. In fact, student gaming culture, especially in multiplayer games (be they online orface to face), is a way for students to get together and bond with each other.Sure, today’s students might provide their ‘quarter drops’ in other, less crowded places thanthe arcades of the 80s, perhaps online gaming platforms like Discord chats or the annualgaming clubs hosted on campus, but the key here is that the social aspect of gamingremains. New gamers still develop their own small gaming groups – just like the regulars atthe 80s arcades – and forge strong friendships with each other through common gamingexperiences.Game Design and Development InterestThe simplicity of 80s games also led many of them to consider developing gamesthemselves. With fewer individual assets and simpler programming requirements, retro-stylegames provide a manageable point of entry for a newcomer. Many of today’s students begindeveloping games with simple engines such as ‘GameMaker’ or ‘Unity’, which allow them toproduce 2D platformers in the style of the games they grew up with.The reach of these early games goes far beyond just playing. A lot of student gamedevelopers say that they’re inspired by the simple, compelling nature of 80s-era gameplayand try to recapture that in their own work. The success of student-led indie game projects isone indicator of how much influence these games still have on a new generation of gamemakers.ConclusionYou cannot deny that the gaming culture on today’s university campuses is influenced by1980s video games. Competitive multiplayer environments, novel remakes of retro games,and simple yet challenging mechanics of good old-school games are what students cravenowadays in a relatively monotonous gaming landscape. Although the 80s is long gone, itsinfluence on gaming – and student culture – has never been bigger.