since I'm still reflecting on that simple 3D shimmer over here 
It certainly taps into nostalgia... but rather than that rose-tint be a stasis-inducing, choke-holding kind of event... I think it's really a 'link to the past' that is active and engaged. There's a through-line from enjoying a digital space in a childhood context to a modern sensitivity that can be practiced now! For instance, the lovely little "unremarkable" series by Any Austin on youtube. I can certainly reflect on my own time in Super Mario 64 visiting unimportant spots, at least by goal-driven level standards, and taking in the surroundings or odd angles. Used to let Mario fall asleep in any number of random, in-between places.
It's not that big a leap to something like the pause allowed by a modern game's photo mode, being able to take in a carefully crafted environment or simply appreciate a character's idle animation. Or driving off the course in TrackMania Nations, "opting out" of the rigorous time-trial play to find a comfortable vantage point and watch the other racers leaping across a gap in the track or attempting a hard corner. Or hey, sitting atop some rock in Breath of the Wild and just watching the day/night cycle run its course.
So, just sharing the momentary good feeling. That connection that still has some kind of life outside the past. The low-poly world taps into most all of that for me these days when I see it.