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Were we better gamers than our kids?

Even though gaming is still portrayed as a young person's hobby, there's no denying that the average age of gamers is getting older and older. While that may be the case, the children of today have access to so many more games than their parents, with smartphone apps, downloadable console and PC titles and freemium experiences. Surely then, that should make them better gamers than the generation that went before? Perhaps not.

contragame

While the React series of videos is designed around the idea of making kids say “what?!” to something that their parents would have used, it is quite satisfying to watch them flail around during the opening level of Contra. The fact that they don't immediately mash in the 30 life code too, shows how unprepared for this experience they are. [yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSMVxv_4UMU']

In their defence of course, Contra is far from an easy game, especially when you aren't familiar with some of its specific mechanics. It probably also doesn't help that they aren't used to the lack of continues and autosaves either.

Presumably  these kids would get good enough to beat a few levels and eventually the game if they practised enough, but the question is, would they still enjoy the challenge like early gamers did?

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: I know there are some old classics I've never gone back too simply because I can't be bothered to beat it in one sitting. I've never quite finished the first Sonic the Hedgehog. I get stuck on the Labyrinth zone and after five times through the same level I just turn it off. Screw it.

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15 comments

  1. Should make them play the underwater/dam level from the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles video game.

    Actually, no. No one should be subjected to that torture ever again.

  2. contra isn’t even that hard . . . . . i mean seriously . . . . once you get the controls right it’s super easy

  3. Right?

    Also…up, up, down, down etc.

  4. Almost any water lvl is really really bad in older games now its not so bad but still can really suck XD

  5. I feel if you gave them a full day they would still be really bad at this game lol. I remember being a kid playing Contra with my brother and beating it a few times together lol.

  6. they are clueless noob.. thats all i can say

  7. and after so many times trying they didnt even figure it out… damn.. are they a gamer or what >> better they play tetris though…

  8. LOL

  9. ImpedingMadness

    This makes me wonder whether they can beat old Mario, Sonic or Donkey Kong.

  10. Demon Highwayman

    I don’t believe kids these days would put in the effort to play through an entire old school game, they simply don’t have the attention span we did. I never played contra so can’t comment on it, I have played most of the snes/megadrive classics and would play to the end of all my games.

  11. JeanneDStannard

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  12. Timoy Deathscythe

    seriously??? they didn’t pass on the 1st boss?? … teens this days..

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  14. Mark Ryan Eugenio

    This was our first Nintendo game. Me and my brother totally dominated this game and even finished it without being dead. If I’m not mistaken, my lives was around 33 or 34 because of the 30 lives + extra life bonus along the way.

  15. Mark Ryan Eugenio

    the mistake in this video is they never teach the kids first on the different movement/action of the player. they don’t even know how to shoot downwards by jumping + down arrow key and press B to shoot.