A Ode to Old Video Games and Joysticks of Yesteryear in a Nostalgic List of Memes

Briana Viser • Writer and Editor

Aug 28, 2025 1:00 PM EDT

I grew up on video games. They'll always hold a special place in my heart. It's not just the nostalgia that keeps me hooked on loving video games, they're really an artform. From humble beginnings to games that are practically life changing in their depth, they've really expanded their meaning. I'm not the only one who thinks that, as video games exist as a globally popular enterprise. So many people play video games, it's not just all men. Women, children, adults, and elderly love video games. There's a special kind of magic in the pixelated worlds of old video games, a charm that modern graphics can never quite replicate. The blocky heroes, simple controls, and 8-bit soundtracks created entire universes. Each beep and boop was a homage to adventure.

Old video games taught patience, strategy, and the sweet frustration of trial and error. From memorizing whole levels, perfectly timed attacks, or downloading cheat codes on The Sims to make your one-story home go to two-story, there's a coziness to sitting on the couch playing a game. Blue lights, a sense of peace and focus simultaneously, there's truly nothing like video games.

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Beyond gameplay, these games were cultural icons. They initiated friendships over battling each other, trading tips on who could reach the high score or unlock hidden levels. They ignited imagination in ways that stretched beyond the console, inspiring creativity, problem-solving, and stories.
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