Monday Tip-Off: Nostalgia Is Special, Not Sad
We’re at midcourt, and the ball is about to go up…it’s Monday Tip-Off! Join me as I begin the week here at the NLSC with my opinions and commentary on basketball gaming topics, as well as tales of the fun I’ve been having on the virtual hardwood. This week, I’m tipping things off with some thoughts on how nostalgia is something special that we’re lucky to have, rather than being sad and pitiable.
Nostalgia has been getting a bad rap for quite a while now. Oh sure, there’s plenty of nostalgic communities and content online, as many of us love to reminisce. However, there has undoubtedly been a noticeable backlash to nostalgia as online demographics have shifted over the past decade or so. Beyond tired arguments about what was better – then or now – the discourse has been polluted by smug armchair psychoanalysis. If you’re nostalgic, or prefer to stick with something older, you must be hung up on the past, miserably chasing a moment in time that you’ll never get back.
Now, I can’t say that that doesn’t hold true for some people, though I’ll say it with far more sympathy and understanding than those who want to dump on the past to prop up the present! For many of us though, continuing to enjoy the classics – or at least looking back on them fondly – is neither depressing, nor preventing us from having new experiences. And so, the idea that nostalgia is a sad, delusional cry for help is infuriatingly condescending. Frankly, if we’ve made fond memories with our interests and passions that we can enthusiastically recall, then we’re extremely fortunate. If those things can still bring us joy, we’re even luckier. There’s nothing sad about that.
This is something that I’ve been thinking about as LeBron James (presumably) winds down his career, and the final push to establish him as the consensus GOAT ramps up. So much of that manufactured, performative debate has come down to insulting ad hominem arguments. “You just miss your childhood and the comfort of your Michael Jordan blanket.” “You’re just stuck in the past and close-minded.” “If anyone comes along who’s better than LeBron in the future, then we’ll actually admit it, unlike your generation.” Well, we’ll see about that last one! We’ll also see if the same people who scoff at nostalgia now will start feeling it when it’s their past that’s fading into history.
And here’s the thing: if they do start feeling nostalgic, I’ll be glad to see it! Not just because I’ll be able to deliver a well-deserved “I told you so”, though yes, that will be immensely satisfying. However, I’ll also be happy for them, because our passions and interests should leave us with fond memories. If you’re a fan of LeBron James – and especially if you’ve watched his entire career – then you should absolutely be able to name memorable moments that you were thrilled to witness, and enjoy going back and watching them since those highlights are so accessible. If you’re a hardcore hoop head who loves LeBron, I do hope that you’ll be able to fondly reminisce some day.
I assume that will happen but honestly, I’m not certain that all supposed LeBron fans will fondly recall memorable moments the same way that us MJ fans often do. There doesn’t seem to be the same talk of iconic highlights and moments, of which LeBron obviously has several. Sure, maybe someone will bring up the block in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals, but most of the conversation is about how he’s the greatest, and that anyone who disagrees is a sad hater blinded by nostalgia. They talk about his stats and his legacy, but not their favourite memories. It feels like they’re more enthusiastic about winning a performative debate than enjoying and celebrating him as a player.
It’s why I wonder if many of them will cast LeBron aside if narratives for players like Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic gain traction in the GOAT debate, or if they’ll continue to champion him as previous generations have stuck by MJ, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson. On one hand, some of them might be holding true to the promise that they won’t cling to LeBron out of nostalgia. On the other hand, it suggests that they’re a bigger fan of the notion that the present is always the pinnacle than they are of LeBron James himself. So yes, I do wonder if they actually have any fond memories they’ll reminisce about in the future.
Of course, judging quality by popularity and making the things you like far too much of your personality is nothing new. We jump on trends so as not to feel left out, and equate being the most popular with being the best, irrespective of any other criteria. Conversely, we can take the snobbier approach and declare anything that’s popular to be of low quality in order to appeal to the masses, and claim that true art is niche. The irony here is that refusing to form any kind of long-term attachment or fondness out of a desperate desire to prove that you’re on the cutting edge, or that your tastes are far more refined than the average person, is much sadder than feeling warmly nostalgic!
In any event, we’ll see what happens when a few years go by, future Hall of Famers like LeBron retire, and the talking heads are handed new hot takes to bleat out in the name of engagement. Once again though, I hope that people who are fans – genuine fans – of LeBron, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, and the league’s other elder statesmen, will be able to reminisce about them fondly after they retire. It’s always sad to see the end of the road for the stars we enjoyed watching, but the nostalgia they leave us with is special. It doesn’t mean we can’t and shouldn’t enjoy the new generation, but there’s nothing wrong with reflecting on the moments that solidified our basketball fandom.
So, let’s shift gears and talk about basketball video games. While we don’t see the same kind of performative debate over favourite video games – or favourite entry in a long-running series – there is a similar recency bias and scorn for nostalgia. What’s interesting about the pushback on nostalgia for video games and insulting suggestions about the motivations for retro gaming is that it differs from how we talk about the classics in other mediums. Enjoying re-runs of TV shows – or nowadays, streaming them – is normalised. We have favourite movies that we’ll eagerly re-watch. We listen to songs we love, and consider some music iconic. Classic literature is a must-read.
That’s not to say that there isn’t any mockery of that nostalgia, but it’s generally more accepted that TV shows are fun to re-watch, films are art to be appreciated, books are classics, and great music is timeless. Granted, they may still show their age, but there are shows, films, books, and songs that resonate with generations that didn’t grow up with them. Video games are admittedly different because they’re tied more directly to technological evolution, which arguably causes them to age worse than other media. Even if you grew up with them, not all video games are as accessible as the original Star Wars trilogy, Beatles songs, Harry Potter, or classic episodes of The Simpsons.
At the same time, there are games that hold up superbly despite inferior graphics or less depth than their modern counterparts. Moreover, if we’re to make the argument that video games are art – and I absolutely believe we should – then we can’t dismiss the classics just because they’re no longer cutting edge. Again, it’s fair to say that in some ways, video games age worse than other media that’s become somewhat dated. With that being said, there are games that we can enjoy beyond simply reflecting on fond memories, and acknowledging their artistic merit and innovation for their era. In fact, we can draw some further comparisons to other forms of entertainment here.
Just as more realistic CGI and visual fidelity don’t automatically make a film better than an old one with a superior plot and acting, complex mechanics and technological marvels don’t always result in a more fun gameplay experience. Modern games can have similar design flaws to retro titles; they just look prettier and have a bit more depth! Far too often though, the latter is locked behind paywalls in some way. To that point, a modern game may be capable of being more enjoyable than its primitive predecessors, but greed makes it tougher to access that experience without mindless grinding or paying extra. In short, there are reasons why people prefer retro gaming.
There’s no denying that nostalgia is one of them. If nothing else, it often inspires the curiosity to go back, especially if you’ve grown weary of more recent releases. When you’re on that trip down memory lane, nostalgia also helps to smooth over some of the rough edges. It doesn’t completely delude us, though. It is possible to genuinely prefer an older game due to design choices, simplicity, or some other personal preference. It doesn’t mean that you’re saying it’s objectively better than its successors; just that it’s a better fit for you, and what you want out of a gaming experience. Not every old game will satisfy those needs, particularly if it was seen as heavily flawed in its own time.
When an old favourite does still hold up for you though, and you’re able to create new memories with it on top of the nostalgia you already have, that’s special, not sad. It doesn’t always mean that you’re desperately, mournfully trying to wind back the clock to a happier time. It’s not an undeniable indication that you’re stuck in the past and completely unable to enjoy or even consider new experiences. It isn’t a sign of a moral failing, immaturity, or arrested development. Spare me the scolding, condescension, and psychobabble! One could just as easily make a judgemental assumption that being anti-nostalgia is all about keeping up with the Joneses to avoid feeling old or uncool.
That would be hypocritical of me, of course. I have to admit though, it’s extremely tempting whenever I see a condescending comment such as “it’s time to move on”, usually accompanied by the aforementioned armchair psychoanalysis. Again, that could very easily be turned around on those who call nostalgia sad and mock others for indulging it. Do you genuinely enjoy everything new, or are you just afraid of getting older and looking uncool and out of touch? If you’re more concerned about your tastes and opinions looking trendy or intellectual, are you actually a fan who enjoys your interests, or are they just a means to feel smart and superior to others?
Sometimes that is the case, just as some people’s nostalgia isn’t healthy. We can’t and shouldn’t speak in absolutes, though. Ultimately, we all want to enjoy our leisure time, and that means choosing the forms of entertainment that appeal to us the most. There is some lingering judgement of retro gaming and nostalgia though, which is why as someone who enjoys that hobby, I do feel compelled to defend it. Besides, most of us who partake in retro gaming can keep old favourites in perspective. There are the ones that hold up, the ones that are fun to revisit briefly, and the ones that can stay in the past. I’m certainly not nostalgic for NBA Live 07, or any other disastrous releases!
Mind you, if anyone is nostalgic for NBA Live 07 – unlikely as that is – then I won’t deny them that feeling. While I’d be surprised by the choice, I’d appreciate that it was special to them, and that it brought them enjoyment. That is the whole point of video games, or any leisure activity for that matter. Would I disagree if they argued it was the best basketball video game ever made? I’d definitely be inclined to champion a different title, but I wouldn’t gate-keep their nostalgia! Furthermore, I can respect that their fond memories aren’t disposable, and that it was a meaningful experience for them. I can relate to feeling that it was time well spent partaking in a treasured hobby.
That’s why nostalgia is special, not sad. You don’t have to constantly and actively indulge it. You don’t need to believe that everything was better back in the day. I definitely don’t think that, as many of my Wayback Wednesday retrospectives prove! However, nostalgia demonstrates that your hobbies and interests have produced some wonderful memories, which is why we engage in them after all. Yes, it’s important to live in the present and to seek out new experiences, and it’s unhealthy to constantly, wistfully ruminate on the past. Still, I can’t ever imagine discarding my fandom and fond memories so readily. If you ask me, doing that – and not nostalgia – is what’s sad.
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