Although there are plenty of advancements going on in the world of gaming, with the development of things like augmented and virtual reality, developers are also finding that going down a nostalgic path can generate sales. So while some games are looking to the future, others are bringing elements of the past to modern audiences. Iconoclasts fits into the latter group, and will most certainly please fans of the 2D platformers of old. The game takes a lot of inspiration from hugely popular titles of days gone by like Super Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog.
Set for release on January 23, Iconoclasts will be available on multiple platforms including PlayStation 4, PC, and PlayStation Vita. The 2D puzzle and action game was developed by Konjak and will be published by Bifrost Entertainment. It was built using the Construct Engine. In the game, players will have to fend off enemies with a gun while also solving puzzles using a wrench on platform-style levels reminiscent of games like Metal Slug and Sonic the Hedgehog. Iconoclasts has been in development for over ten years, and although it uses elements taken from simple games of old, it will be much bigger than any of the titles from the 1980s. This should serve to attract younger players who enjoy exploring vast worlds and getting hours of playing time from their titles. Older audiences will likely flock to the game for its nostalgic elements, which are clearly taken from other classic games.
Simply looking at the trailer to this stunning game will fill older generations with memories of the games they enjoyed while growing up. There are certainly a lot of visible influences from the golden age of video games in the 70s and 80s when companies like Sega and Nintendo were producing titles like Donkey Kong and Asteroids. As explained in a recent Lottoland retrospective, the development of platformers occurred to appease the arcade crowds of the era, and these later became more advanced when home consoles came into production. Having a game for modern consoles that harks back to the arcade elements is likely to draw in players’ nostalgia and make them want to play the games.
The nostalgia effect has been used to good effect in recent times, and the release of Pokémon Go in 2016 was a prime example of it. The new mobile game attracted a large number of older users who remembered playing the Gameboy games when they were growing up, and wanted to relive their youth. The same can be said about the re-release of the Nintendo Entertainment System last year, which was met with a much higher demand than anyone expected. It just goes to show that even though these original games were more primitive in many ways, they have still stood the test of time.
Iconoclasts could be about to set the mould for a new kind of nostalgic game – one which takes elements of the classics but spruces them up for the consoles of today. The original storyline and gameplay will surely attract younger players who enjoy the retro feel as well.
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