So what is retro gaming after all? It’s hard to beat Wikipedia when it comes to simple descriptions so here you go:

“Retro Gaming is the hobby of playing and collecting older computer, video and arcade games.”

But why do people play older games?

First I would say difficulty. For hardcore gamers it is increasingly difficult to find real challenges in today’s video games, and most retro gamers argue that this lack of titles dedicated to the hardcore player base made them turn to classic games. And second, nostalgia, the simple act of playing a game that marked your childhood or adolescence, to revive your memories.

The first emulators appeared in the 90’s, and that increased the players thirst to discover or replay old classics. Basically, an emulator is an application that let’s you play console games in your computer, and nowadays a single CD can hundreds of these games. Nearly all formats, including those of consoles that ran on a CD, have one or more emulator applications available on the Internet, along with websites where you can download the games (called ROM’s) free of charge. I must add that it is interesting to see how some timeless classics are still as popular as some recent games.

Another advantage of emulators, especially for Western players that have been affected by the territorial exclusivity of some Japanese and American games is, that with this kind of application and the opening of the source code contained in the cartridges, cards and magnetic disks, it was possible for some fans to translate those games that were completely indecipherable for anyone not fluent in Japanese.

To respond to the growing wave of revival, Atari published a line of consoles with a similar architecture to that of VCS, with some games included in its internal memory - called Atari Flashback. This example was followed by Namco and SEGA,opening a new market for miniaturized versions of old hardware. The experience becomes more real and, in truth, more official.

But the passion for vintage games has not always been healthy. Some players completely extinguished their interest in new releases, and became devoted to the absolute recovery of classics, claiming to be the true retro gamers. If there is a plausible and justifiable reason to return to the classics, it is to know the path of the industry to this day, because video games are essentially a by-product of refining technologies.

Conclusion

In my opinion, retro gaming is not objectionable. Some players live obsessed by the latest news... interestingly, with the amount of new releases, many don’t even have enough time to enjoy each game. The novelty of yesterday is often eclipsed by the product released today so, over the years, many titles didn’t receive the attention they deserve.

Despite the technical developments, older games kept its charm - perhaps because the industry has expanded so rapidly. It’s a different experience, to play a game with simple controls, graphics and sounds.

But in the end the real player is not guided by labels. Ultimately what matters is the qualityof each title, and personal preferences.