Interactive media is an ever-changing creature. Whilst creative mediums elsewhere have spent the past few years adjusting technical minutiae, games have seen change little short of a revolution. From advances in graphical fidelity to leaps in the art of digital story telling, video games have seen an unprecedented rate of development since the days of the original Playstation.

Very few series of games illustrate this shift quite as starkly as Tomb Raider. The adventures of Lara Croft are synonymous with the mention of the Playstation franchise and thus, help chart the mass alteration video games have experienced.

Casting an eye back over February released reboot Tomb Raider is a joyous adventure that truly embodies the kind of innovative, engaging adventure that has made the series so popular. So it seems only logical then to use this week’s release of the original Tomb Raider (1996) as a point of reference when considering digitised evolution.

A throwback to a by-gone era, this slice of nostalgia is available for a mere £2.39 on the PSstore as part of the appropriately named Playstation Memories section. (Which also contains such delights as Tekken 2, Crash Bandicoot & Syphon Filter.)

Wandering through the poorly textured caves of Siberia with a scantily clad and equally blocky Lara is every inch the indulgent trip down memory lane you’d expect. The most imperative piece of consumer advice that can be given falls on the right side of the fence; it’s fun.

Using the directional pad to control Lara’s cuboid bonce is about as frustrating as could be expected in a gaming environment with a multi-directional analogue stick. But this aside, her quirky movement adds to the archaic charm that makes this title such fun.

Shooting is often inconsistent but ultimately effective. Firing off Lara’s peashooters isn’t anything close to the viscerally empowering combat of 2013’s model, but the instantaneous pull of the old girl’s throwaway killing is fun in a moreish way that always asks for a little bit extra.

The Tomb Raider series is part of what has made platforming such a stapled part of third-person action games and true to form this classic is built upon the concept. Running, jumping and scaling across terrain is an extremely visual and stimulating style of player input, hence its frequent use subsequent to Tomb Raider, and whilst playing through this unashamedly ageing title it’s easy to see why. Climbing with Lara 1.0 remains enjoyable.

The name Lara Croft is just about all the 1996 and 2013 model of Tomb Raider’s protagonist share. In terms of characterisation they sit at polar opposites of the social spectrum, with one holding the flag of self-empowered hero and the other a reluctant innocence with greatness thrust upon her. These two characters represent a shift in their series, their genre, and indeed video games as a whole. What has come to be expected of female characters and indeed protagonists has, and indeed is, changing radically with much credit due to this progressively empowering series.

Travelling back nearly 20 years in games is not the best way to find astonishing technical experiences. What it will do is provide an insightful look into how far video games have come, whilst dishing up a healthy serving of nostalgic fun for those of a retrospective inclination. Not bad for the price of £2.39.

Playing through the origin of this popular series is a fascinating dive into the start of a generation. Helping illustrate the on-going development of Lara Croft and exhibiting the change so much of the industry has been subjected to. Tomb Raider (1996) is a wonderful point of reference to chart the change of an industry. Above all else, what can be taken from the variance between the everlasting Tomb Raider (1996) and the conversely excellent Tomb Raider (2013) is that with every addition, yet more progression is made. Which for this blossoming, creative medium is a treasure of immeasurable value.

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