Retrogaming - Some Thoughts

What is retrogaming? A fun hobby, or something more? Over ten years, I myself have engaged in this hobby, having collected over 15 different systems representing 30 plus years of video game history. Early on, it was merely incidental that I would get the different systems, as they were originally purchased during their main time on the market, their "generation" so to speak. Eventually, systems like the Nintendo 64 and Sega Dreamcast became last gen, paving the way for their successors and their successors' successors. Now as I look at my collection, I see many games that I won't play, purchased for the sole purpose of "collection."

Retrogaming, by definition, is slightly ambiguous. (Oh, a side note: I once saw something saying that Americans went by the name "old school gamers" and the term "retro gamer" was a European thing; whatever the case, retrogamer suited my tastes better.) The word combines the Latin word for "back; backwards," with the term "gaming." But just how far back does "retro" mean? There is no single consensus within the retrogaming community. Personally, I view systems two generations back as being the starting point from which to go back. Clearly, there are systems that are obviously retro games now, such as the Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, and the original Playstation. However, my fear is that a time will come when it will be increasingly difficult to tell the difference between one generation and the one before it - be it in graphics, gameplay, or what else. For now, my view of the seperation holds. But I digress.

One good point of retrogaming is that one can enjoy many good games, often for less than the current releases. It is true that some games become rare, but often they do not. Take for instance, Super Mario Bros for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is was and is one of the most popular games ever released, and is fairly easy to find, either on its own or in the two-game or three-game cartridge with Duck Hunt and World Class Track Meet. The system itself can be found at a modest price, either at a local retrogaming store or on the sites of Amazon or eBay. (One can also get what is known as an "emulator" for their computer and play old games like that. Originally, I was throughly opposed, seeing them as 'cheating.' However, after getting several Final Fantasy games for an emulator, I see the benefits. The topic of emulators is lengthy enough for an entire article, so I will leave this topic here.)

For those reasons, and for the fact of the proven quality of the older games, I retrogame. Also, the interaction of the different companies, and the stories of the different consoles are quite fascinating, but something to discuss another day.