35 Years of Retro Gaming

Retro gaming: it's more than just a hobby. For many of us who love it, it's a way of life and also, it's a part of pop culture. Recently, I watched a news segment on YouTube from a month ago and they were talking about how old school gaming was getting popular again. First of all, it never lost any popularity or waned. Retro gaming was popular back then and it'll continue to be exactly that for the foreseeable future.

If you came across the title of this story, you're not seeing things. I've been gaming for that long. I'm about to share with everyone why I've been so obsessed with retro gaming and what about it is so appealing to me.

The year was 1989. To be specific, New Year's Eve 1989. I was two years old at the time and discovered my now estranged father's NES. Not only that, I played my very first video game: Super Mario Bros. The second game I've played was Duck Hunt.

In the latter game, I had to use a gaming accessory called the NES Zapper. It was a controller gun for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) that was created by Nintendo of America's head designer Lance Barr for the Famicom in February 1984 and released in North America in October 1985. You'll need an older TV set and of course, the NES, to use it for certain games such as the aforementioned Duck Hunt, To the Earth, and The Adventures of Bayou Billy. The reception to this amazing accessory was mainly positive and garnered exceptional reviews. Unfortunately, after 14 years on the market, the NES Zapper was sadly discontinued in October 1998. Its best-selling game was, you guessed it, Duck Hunt. It sold over 28 million copies.

Fast forward to November 2016. The NES Classic was the talk of the town. It was a miniature version of the classic game console that had 30 pre-installed games such as Super Mario Bros. and Metroid. It was released on November 11 of that year, two days before my birthday. I was planning on buying one myself as a birthday gift, but by the time I went to my local GameStop and Best Buy, they were all sold out. The retail price of it was $59.99. Unfortunately, once something gets popular, there are those who take advantage of other people's desperation. I'm talking about those who bought multiple NES Classics and then turn around and jack up the prices of them to sell them to vulnerable and desperate people on sites like eBay. This is the true definition of why we can't have nice things. People like them ruins the experience for everyone else. They should be permanently banned from selling items online. As a result of this, I had to wait three weeks to finally get my hands on one and I did just that two weeks before Christmas. I found an NES Classic for a reasonable price on eBay. Some said that I gave in to the scalpers. When you want something really bad, especially as a late birthday/early Christmas gift, what choice do you have? So, I was pleased with finally receiving one.

Why do I love retro games?

This is one of the most frequently asked questions I get, and I have many reasons why I'm so drawn to it, but I'll offer a couple of reasons. The first reason is nostalgia. I'm a huge sucker when it comes to nostalgia. In fact, I'm obsessed with it. The games that I've played growing up and still do today brings you back to a time where life was much simpler. I grew up in the 90s, so I've played many games on different game consoles such as the aforementioned NES, Sega Genesis, and the Nintendo 64. The second reason why I love retro games is they're here for the long run. Retro gaming will be around for a long time. Back in 2018, I went to my local arcade, which I didn't know it existed, and my mind was blown once I stepped foot in there. I've never been to an arcade as a kid, but my first time at the arcade was brilliant and would end up returning again, especially on Halloween of that year. I went as The Human Spider from the first Spider-Man movie. The arcade had a promotion where if you arrived in costume, you got in for free. Usually, you had to pay $5 to play all the games you wanted. However, on this night, I had a great time. Now, I go to the arcade whenever I don't have anything else to do.

I bought my first Game Boy and game last year. That game was Tetris, which is one of my favorite games. I still have my Game Boy, which was used and bought it for a good bargain, but I love it. If you're thinking about buying an older game console with games, go for it. You're never too old for retro games or video games in general. Nor you'll ever outgrow it. I'm nearing 40 and I'll play retro games for the rest of my life.

What are some of your favorite games and consoles from way back when? How long have you been playing video games and why do you like them so much? Let me know in the comments and be sure to follow me on my socials. Also, please leave a one-off tip at the end of this story, big or small, to support my content. This would encourage me to write more stories.