The Guide #158: Video games are the new frontier for pop culture's obsession with the past

The past is a big deal in the video games industry right now. Hardly a month goes by when we're not being tempted by a new retro mini console, whether that's a cutesy Nintendo or a demure ZX Spectrum (a new version of which is arriving in November, complete with rubbery keys and 48 legendary games). And this year's release schedule is absolutely crammed with remasters of classic titles. In April, the video game news site Kotaku listed 30 old timers being exhumed and revived for 2024, including The Last of Us Part II, Tomb Raider 1-3 and Star Wars: Dark Forces. And the article missed a few! October alone will see updated versions of horror adventures Until Dawn, Silent Hill 2 and Clock Tower, as well as Lego Harry Potter.