Retro Gaming | Retro Gaming | St. Francis College

Retro Gaming, A Blast from the Past

Throughout history in the digital world, there have been many digital trends that have come and gone. However, many digital trends stand the test of time and stay relevant no matter what era. Regarding digital trends like this, the one that stands out to me the most is retro gaming. No matter how many years past, there has always been a love for these games as people enjoy playing because they remind them of simpler times in their lives. Many people love to turn on their old consoles or if they don’t have them anymore they use emulators to play these retro games. To me, this digital trend of retro gaming shows the power of nostalgia and how much people hold on to their past as a whole.

Regarding retro gaming and what this trend means as a whole, it is all about people young or old who play or collect outdated video games and consoles from the past. Many people who get into this hobby of retro gaming are usually those who know how to take care of old electronics and how to keep them in check. This trend is also about seeing and examining what started the gaming industry and what were the beginning pieces of modern gaming that we have now. When it comes to the collecting side of retro gaming it deals with people wanting to have certain limited edition games or systems that mostly went to people who got these items when they first came out. This trend goes beyond just having people collect and play old games, there are also many different kinds of content creators who explain what retro gaming is. These content creators show their viewers how to take care of these old consoles properly and why these games are still loved. Some of them also have websites that advertise their retro gaming store, to give people access and a chance to own these games that they thought they would never have access to. Retro gaming has many variables that make it a big successful digital trend.

Throughout my research surrounding retro gaming, I found many pieces of information that stand out to me when it comes to knowing what this trend is truly all about. When it comes to retro gaming, some important information is that these games bring out different emotions depending on whether you have a love for gaming in general. The reason I bring this up is because most people who critique retro gamers say things like “These games are outdated or Why don’t you play something modern instead”? Some people just don’t understand how much value these old games have to many people. For example, when doing my research I found an article that gave different reasons why people love these old games. In an article written by Anne McCarthy called Why Retro-Looking Games Get So Much Love, a young gamer gives his reasoning for playing retro games. He states “AS A YOUNG and fair-weather gamer, I loved playing Super Mario Brothers because it was my older brother’s favourite game, and I wanted to be just like him. I can still hear the 8-bit theme song in my head, and I’m guessing you can too, if you played Mario as a kid” (Anne McCarthy, 2021). Another example comes from Chris Schranck who is called FutureManGaming on his Twitch channel. He brings his feelings on retro gaming and states how “you’re happy to be feeling like a kid again. As an adult, you have all these responsibilities and anxieties, and if you can just find a way to forget about that, even just for 15 minutes, it can help. I think if you can find something, anything, that can help you feel good, that’s a good thing. Retro games evoke these happy memories” (2021). A man named Michael Fraser who works with people who have video addiction brings up how he plays his childhood games with his children. He says “My daughter made a certain move on the third board of Donkey Kong that I forgot all about, and memories flooded through my mind of when my friends and I first discovered that move. (2021)” These three examples show one of the most important aspects of retro gaming which is the nostalgia and emotional experiences people had playing these games when they first came out.

Even though nostalgia plays a huge role in the love for retro gaming, there is much more to it than that. In my research, I have found that another reason these old games are loved so much is because of the social interaction they provide for all different groups of people. Old console systems and games were not made in mind for online gameplay like how games are made today. This allowed friends to come together every once in a while, play video games with one another, and have social interactions with each other. For example, in an article I found called Why Is Retro Video Gaming So Popular? It’s Much More Than Nostalgia, made by Jay McDonald, states “The effect of this baked-in characteristic turns out to be an interesting benefit: to play against friends, you have to actually get together, and sit down with one another. Add in the fact that cords on old controllers are kind of short, and you’re not only sitting in the same room, but relatively close to each other. Playing retro games can be very social, and not in the pseudo “social” sense of much interaction today where people do things separately and share them online” (McDonald). This to me shows how much these old-school games provided not only entertainment but also gave friends or even family time to socialise with one another in a way that you don’t see as much in today's world since most people who play video games today with other people don’t use the same kind of socialising that gamers did in the past when it came to gaming.

Another component that makes retro gaming what it is, is the music provided within these old games. No matter how bad it is, sometimes the music that is played throughout the story of the game more than makes up for it. This for me is something that is very essential for the love of retro gaming. There are many video game titles that the music they provide for their games makes them what it is from time to time. Pokemon, Sonic The Hedgehog, Mario, and many others are examples of this. To give a better idea of what I am trying to say, here are some links to some music from retro games :

Sonic Game Music

Mario Game Music

Pokemon Game Music

Dragon Ball Z Game Music

All of these retro video game music examples I have given are some themes that many gamers including myself have fond memories of listening to when playing these old games.

Like music, another piece of information to know about retro gaming is the selling of these games. There are many gamers and collectors in general who have these old games and systems that they will sell to you for the right price. For the most part, many people who play retro games or use retro systems can only get access to these items through retro gaming stores or websites like Amazon, eBay, and retro gaming websites. Modern game stores don’t sell these items often if at all. Depending on where you are buying your retro games or consoles, prices for these items can vary from high to low. Through my research on this topic, I have seen prices for certain games or consoles that I am glad I got earlier. For example, when I was younger I had GameCube games but never a GameCube itself. I would play them on my old Wii that had GameCube compatibility. Sadly my Wii broke as time passed however, once I got older and started working, I went to find a GameCube for a decent price and now I own one. The system was the only thing I needed which was great for me. I did not have to spend extra cash on games I knew people would sell at high prices, since a console is sometimes sold in bundles where it comes with games as well but for a much higher price.

Lastly, another major component when it comes to retro gaming is emulators and how they keep retro gaming alive for most gamers. Emulators are seen as the quicker option when it comes to getting access to retro games. The reason for this is that for the most part, they are seen as the more reliable way to be able to play these games. In an article from my research made by Paul Jack called Are Emulators The Solution To Retro Games Preservation, he states “Emulators could preserve retro gaming for the future, allowing gamers to easily access and play classic games without having to hunt down expensive physical copies or rely on vulnerable digital platforms” (Paul, 2023). The article also brings up how all gaming companies in general should embrace emulators as well and provide their emulators to keep these classic games alive. Something else that comes up is that, is it illegal to play these games through emulators? The answer I found through my research is that emulators themselves are not illegal, it has to deal with games that are copyrighted being downloaded. To me, this shows how much of a fan base retro gaming has since multiple emulators allow for the download of many copyrighted games, which shows how emulators truly work and help the future of retro gaming.

When it comes to new and surprising points surrounding retro gaming, I would say some new info I got through my research is how big Nintendo DS and Gameboy games are when it comes to retro gaming. The game that stood out the most to me between these handheld systems was Pokemon. Lots of old Pokemon games sell for very high prices depending on where you look. Websites such as Amazon have some of these classic games at over 200 dollars or more. Some of these games I have in my possession which I am very grateful for.

When it comes to this topic and what has been said about it in the past, what makes what I’ve been saying different is that I am focusing on the parts that make retro gaming what it is when it comes to being a digital trend. I am looking at the main points of this topic and focusing on what stands out as well. Another point that makes what I am saying different from those before me is that I have experience in the area of gaming and I know what games people truly love.

As a whole, the larger cultural argument I am trying to make exploring this digital trend is that our past holds a strong place in our hearts through nostalgia. It can be retro gaming or anything else general that reminds us of anything of our past that we want to hold on to. Nostalgia as a whole makes us feel emotions that some of us never thought would feel again.

Reference Page/Sources

Chan, Eric. (2023). What Is Retrogaming? https://gadgetmates.com/what-is-retrogaming

Jack, Paul. (2023). Are Emulators The Solution To Retro Games Preservation? https://www.cbr.com/retro-games-need-emulation-for-games-preservation/

McCarthy, Anne. (2021) Why Retro-Looking Games Get So Much Love. https://www.wired.com/story/why-retro-looking-games-get-so-much-love/

McDonald, Jay. (2019-2023). Why Is Retro Video Gaming So Popular? It’s Much More Than Nostalgia. https://retrogamestart.com/answers/why-retro-video-gaming-so-popular-its-much-more-than-nostalgia

Schmidt, Gregory, (2018). The Future Is Bright for the Video Games of Yesterday.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/02/business/retro-video-games.html?hpgrp=ar-abar&smid=url-share

Well, III, Earl, Robert. (2020). Video Game Emulators: What You Need to Know. https://www.lifewire.com/video-game-emulators-need-to-know-4687006?utm_source=emailshare&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=shareurlbuttons

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