Description: A Blog about Politics, Culture and the Arts
I recently acquired an Atari 2600 Plus video game console, an updated version of the 1977 original. I collect games via eBay to play on it. The aesthetics of Space Invaders, for example, are straightforward and basic; the console itself is made of black plastic and wood veneer. I like it very much.
My enjoyment partially reflects my nostalgia for the period from whence it came. I particularly like games such as 1978’s “Circus Atari”, whose objective is to bounce clowns off a see saw to pop rows of floating balloons. The balloons themselves are squares, the clowns are pixelated stick figures. This is a far cry from “Grand Theft Auto”.
It’s not just games and consoles; I find that I like the look of cars and clothes of that period more than previously. Even the colour beige seems more attractive than it once was. There is something about the time that was more innocent, more pleasing to the senses than would appear at first glance.