As I mentioned in my first post, I’m very passionate when it comes to gaming. Nostalgia is what drives that passion. That very word can invoke a lot of things for people. For me, it makes me think of happy childhood memories of blowing on a Nintendo cartridge, sticking in the console, and pressing the Start Button.
Over the last few years or so, it seems that there has been a lot of interest in playing the old retro games of past decades. That feeling of nostalgia tends to creep up on you, especially as one gets older.
And in the case of video games, companies like Nintendo and Sony have listened. We’ve seen the release of classic “mini-consoles” such as the NES Classic, the SNES Classic, and even a mini version of the PlayStation release.
We’ve seen indie developers release games that intentionally look like they did in the 8-bit era. And for those who enjoy game emulators, computers these days are powerful enough to play the older systems without issue.
When it comes to Retro gaming, it is hard to say what exactly counts as a “retro” game these days. In most cases, it is a game that is either older than yourself, or old enough that you could have played it when you were a kid.
But as we get older, our consoles do as well, and given enough time, any game could become retro….
Anyways, I’ve gone a bit off topic.
In this post, I hope to show you everything you need to know about retro gaming for beginners. I’m here to give you a bit of information of what’s out there, where to start looking for old retro games, and which ones are a good starting point.
How do I start? There are thousands of games to play!
Retro gaming has been made all the more accessible by companies continuing to support their old games, even decades after release. At the same time, software emulation has been an ongoing hobby for many folks out there, and is one reason that the older games have not completely died out.
That being said, it can still be quite overwhelming, especially if you are just starting out. The NES alone had over 700 games produced in its lifetime.
I don’t know about you, but the average joe likely does not have enough time on their hands to play all of those games, much less an entire console library’s worth. And don’t get me started on other consoles!
90% of everything is crap!
Sturgeon’s Law is in full effect when you start going down the rabbit hole of retro gaming. While there are loads of groundbreaking gems out there, there is a huge pile of crap you can expect to sift through.
These games are just not worth your time to enjoy.
As I build out this website, I will try to include reviews of any past games I have played, so that you can make a better choice when picking out a game or a console.
This guide is here to help you understand the many ways you can enjoy retro gaming.
Play on Vintage Consoles for the True Experience
There is simply nothing quite like the feeling of holding that vintage controller in your hand; you know, the same one you held 10-15 years ago. Try to imagine yourself sitting behind the wheel of a classic 60’s muscle car, and you probably might get the idea. It’s old, iconic, and the experience of using is simply unlike any other thing you’ve tried.
At the same time, it’s old. Dated. Sometimes, things don’t always age well. Plus, it can be quite expensive to buy the real deal.
The point is, playing games on the original console, especially any of the consoles that came out before the NES, might be worth the experience, but unless you are planning on becoming a collector of vintage video games and consoles, you might want to look at other ways to enjoy the classics.
Old Game Systems are Rare!
In any case, finding old vintage consoles, along with their retro games, can be fairly simple to find, especially if you look on eBay or Amazon. If you are feeling adventurous, you can even look into your local flea market or weekend yard sales to see if anyone is looking to sell their old consoles.
Keep in mind that as older consoles get, well, older, it will get increasingly harder to find games, especially ones in good condition.
Here’s another thing to consider; playing old consoles on new TVs. Until every modern device came standardized with a digital HDMI cable port, older devices had to connect to a TV typically with an analog connection such as an RCA connector (the red, white, and yellow cables). In some cases, old consoles could hook up using an RF adapter.
If you are using a modern HDTV, it is likely that it may not have the necessary connections to support your old consoles. There are some out there that build special adapters to accommodate some consoles, but the worst case is, you may have to buy an old CRT TV in order to play old games.
The big takeaway from this topic is this: playing vintage games and consoles will set you back a lot of money, but they provide the most authentic experience.
Classic Edition Consoles: An Excellent Workaround to Modern Retro Gaming
The best thing about these consoles is that they were designed to be used on modern media; you can hook the NES Classic up to your HDTV using a single cord, and you’re good to go. No need to tinker with cable connections, or changing to channel 3 or 4 to get your game working.
It just works.
These miniature consoles also come pre-loaded with all of the best games the console had to offer during its lifetime. Nintendo, Sega, and Sony have curated their selections so that you can play the best.
Perhaps even better is that you get to see these games played at near perfect visual clarity. No scan lines or fuzzy images, you get to see all of the detail that went into making those sprites.
I have to admit, if you are interested in getting started with retro gaming, I find these consoles to be a good starting point.
Perhaps the one dealbreaker with all in one consoles, is that they were not designed to play the original cartridges; they can only play the preloaded games. If you have been collecting cartridges since the old days, you will be unable to use them; they will continue to collect dust. It’s a shame, really.
Arcade Cabinets and Countercades: No more quarters!
With the exception of ports, another way to experience retro gaming is through arcade machines. Highly popular in the 80’s, they have slowly declined in popularity, especially as newer consoles started to play better quality games.
Nowadays, you might expect to find an old arcade cabinet in a local bar or restaurant.
Luckily, the arcade experience is still out there; you just have to look harder. But for those who yearn for arcades in their home, you may want to consider looking into getting your own arcade cabinet.
Arcade1UP is a company that I have found that offers the best solutions when it comes to in-home arcade machines. From what I can find, they have 3 different styles of machines: cabinets, countercades, and head-to-head tables.
One thing to be mindful of is that unlike game consoles, arcades will require some space in your home. Cabinets are not as large as the original machines found in arcades, but they will still need a nice spot in your room to accommodate your new toy.
Countercades are smaller arcade machines that can sit on a table or a counter, as they are aptly named. The head-to-head tables are designated centerpieces, and are ideal for a family game room, man cave, or even a spot in the office break room.
Game Emulators: With Great Power, comes Great Responsibility… And Tinkering
When it comes down to playing retro games, the easiest way to gain access to many games is by using an emulator.
To put it simply, an emulator is a type of software that is run on a computer, which allows it to mimic the features and functions of a different computer(typically an older system). Emulation allows us to run old, outdated software and peripherals on newer machines.
A video game emulator is essentially a program that lets your computer play old games! The emulator reads game data ripped from a cartridge or a disc, and then plays the game right on your screen.
In most cases, emulators also come with additional features that make playing the games easier, such as save states, PC controller support, and upscaled graphics.
Before one can play a game on an emulator, they need to be able to obtain the data that is stored on their favorite game. Obviously, most PCs these days do not have a NES slot to read a cartridge, and so people have taken it upon themselves to build hardware designed to “rip” the data from a cartridge or a disc. Afterwards, the data is used to create a file that can be used by an emulator.
This file is called a ROM (data from a cartridge) or an ISO (data from a game CD). These days, you can pretty much find ROM and ISO files anywhere on the internet, if you know where to search.
Now, there are a few concerns to be mindful of. For starters, you have to configure the settings yourself in order to properly play games on other machines. Some people may sell “modded” versions of consoles, designed to play emulated games
Also, game emulation is not always a 100% genuine experience. Sometimes, emulators may not be able to properly replicate the original hardware, and as a result, games may run into a few visual bugs or glitches.
The other issue is downloading games from the internet, especially from the likes of Nintendo. If you do not own the actual game, you are essentially committing internet piracy, and many companies out there are cracking down on websites who host this content.
Hyperkin Consoles are an Inexpensive Alternate to Vintage Consoles
Hyperkin is a company that specializes in manufacturing and distributing console accessories and peripherals for many generations of consoles. What makes them stand out especially is that they have made their own versions of old Nintendo consoles.
Even if you don’t own the official console, you can still use a Hyperkin console to play your old games! These consoles are often cheaper to buy, and some models are special “5 in 1” consoles that literally let you play many game platforms.
If you do not want to invest all of your cash into buying the legit consoles, you may find that Hyperkin may have a console that works for you. Hyperkin has a lot of their products on Amazon, and since I’ve had a good experience with online shopping via Amazon, you might find it to be a great place to pick up these alternative consoles.
Anyways, that’s about all I have for now. Hopefully this information will help you out if you are jumping into the world of retro gaming for the first time. If you are interested in starting a video game collection, I may write up some content on this topic.
Feel free to keep checking out the site, as I will be posting more content on each of the many ways you can enjoy old retro games.
Until next time, have fun and happy gaming!
~ Ken, the Retro Game Guy