The return of retro gaming has taken the video game market by storm. Revamped games such as “Pong” are being made compatible with new consoles, and handheld devices with classic arcade games are becoming increasingly popular with today’s gaming generation.
The appeal of old school games and systems attracts the seasoned crowd of veteran gamers along with the new generation in the digital high-pixel age, creating a new market from old technology. This is new territory for game companies to breach, but so far, the consumer thirst for retro gaming hasn’t been slaked.
University sophomore Brenton Agena recalls his childhood with his first video game console, an original Atari system.
“I played ‘Pac-Man,’ ‘Galaga’ and ‘Missile Command,’” he said. “All those games are so classic. I also had a Nintendo NES, and I was a big fan of the ‘Super Mario’ series and ‘Duck Hunt.’”
Retro games never seem to grow old. Aiming the large plastic ‘Duck Hunt’ gun at the television screen provides as much entertainment as the most complex of any platform game, and everybody gets the ‘Mario Bros.’ electronic music stuck in their head for hours after playing. While the graphics are marginal and the music is repetitive, games from the ’80s and ’90s are making a comeback into the hands of gamers worldwide.
“It’s the feeling of nostalgia that really appeals to me,” Agena said. “I love playing a game and thinking, ‘Wow, I played this when I was six.’”
Classic arcade games, such as ‘Street Fighter’ and ‘Cruisin’ USA,’ are being made into small handheld gaming systems, complete with hundreds of different classic games that can be played without inserting a quarter into a slot.
These all-in-one systems are relatively inexpensive to purchase, but some gamers download retro games off the Internet. Many games, like Sega Genesis’ popular ‘Sonic the Hedgehog,’ have been programmed into flash versions and are free to play online.
“Newer games are more challenging,” Agena said. “Older games are great to play when you need to unwind.”
Retro game systems, such as the original Atari, Nintendo Entertainment System, Super NES and Sega Genesis, can be purchased in gaming exchange stores, or online on specialty sites. Many carriers of retro gaming systems and games offer repair and upgrade services for truly committed gamers.
The first home video game console was Magnavox’s Odyssey, which was released to the public in May 1972. It was quickly followed by the Atari . The first game released on the Atari was called “Pong” after the noise of the ball hitting the paddles on the screen.
In 1983, Nintendo was founded. Its creation, Famicom, which later became known as the Nintendo Entertainment System, was brought to the United States from Japan. The Sega SMS followed in 1986, and Sony’s PlayStation and Nintendo’s N64 came out in the mid-’90s. Today, the video game market’s top selling consoles, the Sony PS2 and Microsoft’s Xbox, continue to rule over the rest, each selling hundreds of thousands of units each month.
The evolution of home video game systems continues to occur, with new products, games and consoles entering the market every day, yet the acclaimed popularity of the retro game system stands the test of time. With the new availability of games online, and brand loyalty and consumer nostalgia creating demand, there will always be a shelf in every gaming store that carries retro games.