My PS5 adorns the top of my desk to the left of my monitor, towering over the various accessories and peripherals that make up my streaming setup (all of which feature RGB lighting effects, of course). On the other side, the glow of my gaming PC reflects off of the adjacent gaming laptop, both machines capable of playing titles that demand a lot from the hardware.

And yet, I’ve recently found myself pining for the 32 and 64-bit days of yesteryear, when machines like the original PlayStation and Nintendo 64 reigned supreme. Even my eMachines-brand computer was capable of running the first two games in the Tomb Raider franchise. I’ve become infatuated with playing games that remind me of that time in my life, which could be the result of whatever “life crisis” comes in between quarter and mid. Or, it could be that developers are enabling me to feel this way, fostering a sense of nostalgia with the games that they are putting out.

Take, for instance, one of my more recent game reviews - Anodyne 2: Return to Dust. Anodyne 2 features graphics that are akin to something like Resident Evil 2 with its polygonal environments and characters that have generally emotionless facial expressions - like characters from Metal Gear Solid. Ignoring the fact that Anodyne 2 is just, well… kind of weird and abstract, its aesthetics (accompanied by a superb soundtrack) make it a game that definitely makes me feel like I’m playing on ”ol’ grey” - AKA my reliable original PlayStation console.

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Plenty of other games - primarily of the indie games scene - have recently offered up similar nostalgic experiences. Just take a look at some of the gems that have been released and feature old-school aesthetics. However, this revival of PS1-style games on modern and next-gen platforms actually extends beyond the consoles themselves.

A brand-new animated series is being developed by Its Got Stealth that utilizes PS1-style graphics. Set within a dystopian cyberpunk world, Samurai Unicorn follows a detective and her samurai guardian as they fight against a corrupt megacorporation along with a new parasitic threat that lurks in the underground levels of the city. The trailer shows off exactly what viewers can expect, featuring 32-bit graphics that will immediately take you back to the late-90s. Its Got Stealth will begin production of its three-episode series once its Patreon goal is met.

I think it's a reasonable theory to think that many of the developers of these studios are around my age. Having grown up with the industry, perhaps these developers are at a similar place in their lives as I am - happy and grateful to have the technology that we do, but feeling nostalgic about the games they grew up playing.

To be honest, it’s a weird, semi-conflicting feeling to own a next-gen console and powerhouse gaming PC, but have an immense desire to play games like Twisted Metal, Blasto, Loaded, and Driver. Maybe it stems from a want to go back to simpler times - times that were arguably simpler than today. Or maybe it’s just that developers are intentionally creating throwbacks to celebrate the early days of home console gaming. Whatever the reason, I’m absolutely here for it.

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