Home / Retro Gaming / Overview

Contents

1 Overview
2 A little history
3 A little history- 2
4 A little history- 3
5 A little history- 4
6 Renound games
7 Best retro game
8 Build your own

What exactly is "retro gaming"?

Retro gaming in the video game world refers to games that have since become obselete or forgotten. Usually this is caused by the arcade machine, computer or console being abandoned by the consumer in favour of newer models. On occasion it may be that a game once available on a discontinued machine is re-released on the new model. In this way the game enjoys a new lease of life, sometimes with improved graphics, sound and gameplay. Not to mention lining the pockets of the game publisher for little effort.

What happened to the old machines and games?

The vast majority are still around. A large industry has formed on the trading and collecting of old games and machines. Players either buy or trade old machines and games, generally via the www or run an emulator on their machine to play the old games. It may be that you even have a few games or machines stored in your attic.

Why bother? Surely the old games aren't worth playing?

Maybe. Some people think that whilst modern games have great graphics and sound, they are sorely missing great gameplay. Others play the old games because they remind them of when they used to play them.

Where can I acquire an old machine and games from?

It depends what you're after. Ebay is generally a good source and they also have a vintage section. Companies such as Arcade Warehouse specialise in sale and refurbishment of old (and new) arcade machines. If you're lucky you may have a high street shop similar to CEX who sell and trade old machines and games. Some rare games have been known to sell for hundreds of pounds to serious collectors.

Can I play old games on my computer?

Yes, though it depends what computer you have. The PC appears to have the most numerous crop of emulators, though emulators do exists for other platforms. Well known examples being MAME (Arcade Machines), Bleem (Playstation), UAE (Amiga), SpecEmu (Spectrum) and Frodo (C64). Emulators have been around for several years, so you may find one for your computer. Try searching on Google or browse popular sites such as classicgaming.com

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