Using the past tense to refer to "classic" games

[gs68]

On a certain wiki, I had to rewrite two entries to refer to a couple games in the present tense.

Am I the only one bugged by people saying stuff like, for instance, "Gradius III was a shmup" instead of "Gradius III is a shmup"? I don't like that application of the past tense. It implies that the subject used to exist at one point, but doesn't anymore.

I hold a lot of respect for various games that are considered classic. But I don't just sit there and let those games dissolve into memories that I'll never play again. Many of them still exist, and they're still playable in some form or another, if you look hard enough. If you liked a game as a kid, give it another try! Heck, play it on an emu if you have to!

[Alec]

It was a shmup, now its a collector's item.

[kengou]

I agree! I always get annoyed when people refer to older games in the past tense. I still play a lot of old games! In fact I play MOSTLY older games rather than new ones! If I'm playing it currently, it's a present-tense game, isn't it? It's not like the game no longer exists or is no longer playable.

[Ed Oscuro]

"Nothing good happened in the past, retro games are good" - I'm not sure if I've quoted correctly.

However, using GameFAQs or watching Game Center CX sure beats the hell out of trying to play some older games without help

"Gradius III was a shooter until somebody got the idea of breaking the fourth stage."