Fallout source is gone too. There was just no reliable way to store source code back then, a lot of times it was just one of the developers that had it sitting in a desk drawer.
Sometimes licenses get in the way, it’s possible they bought an engine or tech from a 3rd party and don’t have the legal standing (or don’t know if they do or not) to release the source.
Super Mario Brothers is what brought video games into the household.
This one game is why every game system was called “a Nintendo” for decades. Yes, other games came along and changed the landscape dramatically, but SMB1 created that foothold into the home.
Old enough games can be emulated and run just fine. There’s already emulators for everything, Sony could build their own and just embed the game inside and it wouldn’t be much bigger than most other games.
I think it has more to do with license than technical issues.
Fallout source is gone too. There was just no reliable way to store source code back then, a lot of times it was just one of the developers that had it sitting in a desk drawer.
If it’s new enough, maybe a burnt CD.