By Jeremy Parish Last Update: 12/12/03

When it comes to games, are you a Musty Old Guy? Do you wander aimlessly through your local gaming shop, staring listlessly at the shelves and missing the simple, straightforward games of the past? Go on, speak up -- don't be ashamed. Sometimes I'm the same way myself.

There's nothing wrong with it. Video games have changed over the past twenty years, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse; but no matter what your opinion of the medium's current state, there's no denying that games really aren't what they used to be. That's known as progress.

As much as I enjoy the fruits of progress -- as much as I've loved playing hot new games like Prince of Persia and Beyond Good & Evil and The Wind Waker -- sometimes it feels good to regress a little. To revisit old favorites and enjoy games from simpler times when you didn't have to worry about free-floating 3D cameras and leveling up and interminable cinematics and Tommy Vercetti losing health because he got his foot stuck in a glitched polygon.

But even more satisfying than lingering over familiar territory is taking a risk and finding newly-produced games that embody the principles of bygone days: straightforward gameplay, satisfying action, minimal "immersion." Sometimes games like this show up in the most unlikely of places; the goal of this ongoing feature is to bring worthwhile retro-style games to the attention of the Musty Old Guys in the audience. Watch for updates every few weeks.

From one Musty Old Guy to another, I think you'll find it worth your while. Volume One -- December 12, 2003: A brief look at two recent GameBoy Advance platformers that quite possibly slipped beneath your radar -- the first because it's obscure, the second because it's a Disney license.

Ninja Five-O (GBA) Hudson reaches back into the past and reminds us that you can't spell the word "ninja" without the letters "brutally challenging old-school action."

Disney's Lilo & Stitch (GBA) It's like playing every game you ever loved, all at the same time.

Copyright © 2003 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in 1UP.