Gaming Odds: Retro Games Ready for VR Reboot

Well, it’s finally here. After years of promises and hype, virtual reality has hit the mainstream gaming world with a bang, and gamers are clamoring to see what’s next when it comes to the games that will be released.

No matter what you think of this new technology, it’s here to stay. Over the next few years, you’ll see huge advancement, potentially to the point that we witness a modern day version of The Lawnmower Man play out in front of our very eyes.

With the new tech come choices like what kind of headset should one purchase? For hardcore gaming, there are three options, the PlayStation VR (Playstation 4), Oculus Rift (PC), and HTC Vive (PC). Yes, there are a few other headsets out there for mobile devices, like the Google Cardboard or the Samsung Gear VR, but there’s a clear split between those and the upper echelon of VR set-ups.

The new technology gives game developers a chance to capitalize on nostalgia by rebooting some of the classic games of the 1980s and 90s to tickle the fancy of older gamers.

There have already been steps taken to bring classic arcade to the virtual world. Most recently Joseph Delgado created his own version of Duck Hunt VR for Global Game Jam 2016 and the results were amazing. But you still can’t shoot that damn dog!

There is also a Marble Madness (1984 Atari classic) reboot that is coming to the Vive and Oculus called Marble Mountain that will still have that retro feel but with modern graphics and more complex puzzles.

Another retro-influenced game called Look Both Ways is a reimagining of Frogger, only with more blood if the player gets hit by a car.

Now that Sony has released the Playstation VR for the PS4, you should see an upswing in both adoption of VR by gamers and, in turn, game development. You can fully expect Sony to get in on the retro games trend to lure Gen X and Y to its new tech. Those are the people with the cash to spend on a quality VR setup, afterall. Plus, many have the built in excuse of saying it’s for their kids.

Which retro games would you like to see be rebooted into immersive 3D? Keep in mind, both Xbox and Nintendo have not announced any VR headset of their own, but there are ones being made my independent companies that could eventually work on those consoles.

Below is a list of classic games from the 1980s and 90s that would be perfect for virtual reality goodness along with the odds of it actually coming to fruition.

Odds Retro Games Get a VR Reboot

It’s tough to say what game will get the VR treatment, but below are 20 retro video games that would be perfect for virtual reality fun at home.

Angry Birds is an app game that is still going strong; ROVIO has been throwing around the idea of making it an immersive experience.

Virtual Reality has also proved to be popular within the horror genre and one of the greatest horror video games of all time, Silent Hill, would be the obvious choice to convert to 3D.

How cool would it be to hop into a boxing ring with Punch-Out or sneak around like a ninja with a reboot of Ninja Gaiden? These are all possibilities; for some titles, it’s not a matter of if but when, as development talks are already underway. Others are wishful thinking.

• Angry Birds: 2/3
• Silent Hill: 3/2
• Sonic The Hedgehog: 3/2
• Punch-Out: 2/1
• Metal Gear Solid: 2/1
• Chrono Trigger: 7/3
• Donkey Kong: 7/3
• Ninja Gaiden: 3/1
• Contra: 3/1
• Castlevania: 3/1
• Rampage: 3/1
• Golden Axe: 4/1
• Double Dragon: 4/1
• After Burner: 17/3
• GoldenEye 007: 17/3
• Final Fantasy: 9/1
• The Legend of Zelda: 9/1
• Mario Brothers: 9/1
• Mario Kart: 9/1
• Ecco The Dolphin: 19/1

Feature Photo Credit: By Marco Verch (Oculus Rift @ Gamescom 2014) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.