![Lange Nacht der Computerspiele 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/Lange_Nacht_der_Computerspiele_1.JPG)
Retrogaming, also known as classic gaming and old school gaming, is the current playing and collection of obsolete
personal computers
A personal computer (PC) is a multi-purpose microcomputer whose size, capabilities, and price make it feasible for individual use. Personal computers are intended to be operated directly by an end user, rather than by a computer expert or tec ...
,
consoles, and video games. Usually, retrogaming is based upon systems that are outmoded or discontinued, although ported retrogaming allows games to be played on modern hardware via
ports
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as H ...
or compilations. It is typically for nostalgia, preservation, or authenticity. A new game could be retro styled, such as an
RPG with turn-based combat and
pixel art
Pixel art () is a form of digital art drawn with graphical software where images are built using pixels as the only building block. It is widely associated with the low-resolution graphics from 8-bit and 16-bit era computers and arcade video g ...
in
isometric camera perspective.
Retrogaming has existed since the early years of the video game industry, and was popularized with the Internet and
emulation
Emulation may refer to:
*Emulation (computing), imitation of behavior of a computer or other electronic system with the help of another type of system
:*Video game console emulator, software which emulates video game consoles
*Gaussian process em ...
technology.
It is argued that the main reasons players are drawn to retrogames are
nostalgia for different eras,
the idea that classic games are more innovative and original,
and the simplicity of the games.
Retrogaming and
retrocomputing
Retrocomputing is the use of older computer hardware and software in modern times. Retrocomputing is usually classed as a hobby and recreation rather than a practical application of technology; enthusiasts often collect rare and valuable hardw ...
have been described as
preservation activity and as aspects of the
remix culture
Remix culture, sometimes read-write culture, is a term describing a society that allows and encourages derivative works by combining or editing existing materials to produce a new creative work or product. A remix culture would be, by default, pe ...
.
Etymology
The first known instance of the term "retro" in gaming came from the online video game store RetroGames, which was launched in 1997 as a joint effort of Turbo Zone Direct and Robert Frasure. It specialized primarily in
Turbografx-16
The TurboGrafx-16, known as the outside North America, is a home video game console designed by Hudson Soft and sold by NEC Home Electronics. It was the first console marketed in the fourth generation, commonly known as the 16-bit era, thoug ...
,
Sega Master System
The is an 8-bit
third-generation home video game console manufactured by Sega. It was originally a remodeled export version of the Sega Mark III, the third iteration of the SG-1000 series of consoles, which was released in Japan in 1985 and ...
, and
NES
The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redesigned version, was released in American ...
sales and repairs. This was quickly followed by the emulation website retrogames.com in 1998. The original word was coined by Robert Frasure when he found that "Flashback Games" was taken.
Games
The distinction between retro and modern is heavily debated, but it usually coincides with either the shift from 2D to 3D games (making the fourth the last retro generation, and the fifth the first modern), the turn of the millennium and the increase in online gaming (making the fifth the last retro generation, and the sixth the first modern), or the switch from analog to digital for audiovisual output and from 4:3 to 16:9 aspect ratio (making the sixth the last retro generation, and the seventh the first modern). They can be played on original hardware or in modern
emulation
Emulation may refer to:
*Emulation (computing), imitation of behavior of a computer or other electronic system with the help of another type of system
:*Video game console emulator, software which emulates video game consoles
*Gaussian process em ...
.
Retrogaming methods
With increasing nostalgia and success of retro compilations in the fifth, sixth, and seventh generations of consoles, retrogaming has become a
motif in modern games. Modern retrogames impose limitations on color palette, resolution, and memory well below the actual limits of the hardware, to mimic the look of old hardware. These may be based on a general concept of retro, as with ''
Cave Story'', or an attempt to imitate a specific piece of hardware, as with
MSX color palette of ''
La Mulana
''La-Mulana'' (stylized as ''La•Mʊlana'') is a platform-adventure video game, designed to imitate the look and feel of MSX games. Released on June 27, 2006, in Japan for Microsoft Windows, the game was only available in Japanese, but an Englis ...
''.
This concept, known as deliberate retro and NosCon, gained popularity due part to the independent gaming scene, where the short development time was attractive and commercial viability was not a concern. Major publishers have embraced modern retrogaming with releases such as ''
Mega Man 9
''Mega Man 9'' is a 2008 action-platform video game developed by Capcom and Inti Creates. It is the ninth numbered game in the original ''Mega Man'' series (Or tenth game overall when including ''Mega Man & Bass''). ''Mega Man 9'' is the firs ...
'' which mimics NES hardware; ''
Retro Game Challenge
''Retro Game Challenge'' is a Nintendo DS game developed by indieszero and published by Namco Bandai Games and Xseed Games in North America. It is based on the television series '' GameCenter CX'', and Shinya Arino gave much input into the ga ...
'', a compilation of new games on faux-NES hardware; and Sega's ''
Fantasy Zone II
is a Sega Master System game created by Sega in 1987. It was later ported to the arcade, Famicom, and MSX, and was remade for the System 16 hardware on a PlayStation 2 compilation in 2008. It was re-released on the Wii Virtual Console in North ...
'' remake, which uses emulated
System 16 hardware running on
PlayStation 2 to create a 16-bit reimagining of the 8-bit original.
Vintage retrogaming
Vintage retrogaming can involve collecting original cartridge and disc media
and arcade and console hardware, which can be expensive and rare. Most are priced lower than their original retail prices.
The popularity of vintage retrogaming has led to counterfeit media, which generally lack collectible value.
[
]
Retrogaming emulation
Retrogaming may involve classic game systems being emulated on modern hardware. It bypasses the need to collect classic consoles and original games. Read-only memory (ROM) files are copied by third parties, directly from the original media. They are then typically put online through file sharing sites. They are often sold as re-releases, typically in compilations containing multiple games running on emulation software. The accessibility of emulation popularized and expanded on retrogaming.
Ported retrogaming
Ported retrogaming involves original games being converted to native on new systems, just as emulation but without original ROM files. Ported games are available through official collections, console-based downloads, and plug and play systems. Ported retrogaming is comparatively rare, since emulation is a much easier and more accurate method.
Remakes
Modern retrogaming may be more broadly applied to retro-style designs and reimaginings with more modern graphics. These enhanced remakes
A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the sam ...
include '' Pac-Man: Championship Edition'', '' Space Invaders Extreme'', ''Super Mega Worm
''Super Mega Worm '' is an action game, action video game developed by computer game developer Deceased Pixel. The game was first released for Apple, Inc., Apple's iOS in August 2010.
In the game, players control the Great Death Worm, Wojira, who ...
'', and ''3D Dot Game Heroes
is an action role-playing video game developed by Silicon Studio for the PlayStation 3. The game is presented using voxel-based graphics in a 3D environment to emulate the 2D graphics of earlier video games. The game was published in Japan by F ...
''. Some are based directly upon the enhanced emulation of original games, as with Nintendo's ''NES Remix
''NES Remix'' is a compilation video game series for Wii U, developed by Nintendo. The first and eponymous game was simultaneously announced and released on December 18, 2013, on the Nintendo eShop following a Nintendo Direct presentation. A seco ...
''.
When remakes are created by an individual or a group of enthusiasts without commercial motivation, such games sometimes are also called fangames
A fangame is a video game that is created by fans. They are usually based on one, or in some cases several, video game entries or franchises. Many fangames attempt to clone or remake the original game's design, gameplay, and characters, but i ...
. These are often motivated by the phenomenon of abandonware
Abandonware is a product, typically software, ignored by its owner and manufacturer, and for which no official support is available.
Within an intellectual rights contextual background, abandonware is a software (or hardware) sub-case of the ...
, which is the discontinuation of sales and support by the original producers. Examples of fan-made
Fan labor, also called fan works, are the creative activities engaged in by fans, primarily those of various media properties or musical groups. These activities can include creation of written works (fiction, fan fiction and review literature), ...
remakes are ''King's Quest I: Quest for the Crown'', '' King's Quest II: Romancing the Stones'', and ''Freeciv
''Freeciv'' is a single- and multiplayer turn-based strategy game for workstations and personal computers inspired by the proprietary ''Sid Meier's Civilization'' series. It is available for most desktop computer operating systems and available ...
''.
The nostalgia-based revival of past game styles has also been accompanied by the development of the modern chiptune genre of game music. Chiptunes are characterized by severe limitations of sound imposed by the author's self-restriction to using only the original sound chips from 8-bit or 16-bit games. These compositions are featured in many retro-style modern games and are popular in the demoscene
The demoscene is an international computer art subculture focused on producing demos: self-contained, sometimes extremely small, computer programs that produce audiovisual presentations. The purpose of a demo is to show off programming, visual ...
.
Re-releases
With the new possibility of the online distribution
Digital distribution, also referred to as content delivery, online distribution, or electronic software distribution, among others, is the delivery or distribution of digital media content such as audio, video, e-books, video games, and other so ...
in mid-2000, the commercial distribution of classic games became feasible, as deployment and storage costs dropped significantly:
A digital distributor specialized in bringing classic games out of abandonware is ''GOG.com
GOG.com (formerly Good Old Games) is a digital distribution platform for video games and films. It is operated by GOG sp. z o.o., a wholly owned subsidiary of CD Projekt based in Warsaw, Poland. GOG.com delivers DRM-free video games through it ...
'' (formerly called ''Good Old Games'') who started 2008 to search for copyright holders of classic games to re-release them legally and DRM
DRM may refer to:
Government, military and politics
* Defense reform movement, U.S. campaign inspired by Col. John Boyd
* Democratic Republic of Madagascar, a former socialist state (1975–1992) on Madagascar
* Direction du renseignement milita ...
-free. Other companies have also been established to rerelease retro games, including Limited Run Games
Limited Run Games, Inc. is an American video game distributor based in Apex, North Carolina. The company specializes in the release of digital games on physical media, with the games being sold on their website. The company, founded by Douglas ...
and iam8bit
iam8bit, Inc. is a media production company, creative think tank, policy institute, and art exhibition based in Los Angeles, California.
Development
iam8bit was originally developed by video game and tech journalist Jon M. Gibson, in the su ...
.
Online platforms for classic video game re-releases include Nintendo's Virtual Console
A virtual console (VC) – also known as a virtual terminal (VT) – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some Unix-like operating systems such as Linux, BSD, illumos, Uni ...
and Sony's PlayStation Network.
Mobile application developers have been purchasing the rights and licensing to re-release vintage arcade games on iOS and Android operating systems. Some publishers are creating spinoffs to their classic games, keeping the core gameplay while adding new features, levels, and styles of play.
Plug-and-play systems
Plug-and-play systems have been released or licensed by companies such as Atari, Sega, and Nintendo. These systems include stand-alone game libraries and plug directly into the user's television.
Retrogaming community
The retrogaming market is active with online and physical spaces where retrogames are discussed, collected, and played.
Online
Several websites and online forums are devoted to retrogaming. The content on these online platforms typically includes reviews of classic games, interviews with developers, fan-made content, game walkthroughs, and message boards for discussions. Many gameplay videos posted online feature attempts at breaking speedrun
Speedrunning is the act of playing a video game, or section of a video game, with the goal of completing it as fast as possible. Speedrunning often involves following planned routes, which may incorporate sequence breaking and can exploit glit ...
or high score
In games, score refers to an abstract quantity associated with a player or team. Score is usually measured in the abstract unit of points (except in game shows, where scores often are instead measured in units of currency), and events in th ...
records.
Fighting games
The competitive Fighting game community
The fighting game community, often abbreviated to FGC, is a collective of video gamers who play fighting games such as '' Marvel vs. Capcom'', ''Mortal Kombat'', '' Soulcalibur'', ''Street Fighter'', ''Guilty Gear'', ''The King of Fighters'', '' ...
comes from arcades, such as ''Street Fighter
, commonly abbreviated as ''SF'' or スト (''Suto''), is a Japanese media franchise centered on a series of fighting video and arcade games developed and published by Capcom. The first game in the series was released in 1987, followed by six ...
'' and '' Mortal Kombat''. Some fighting games have continued to receive arcade releases after the end of the arcade era. Face-to-face competition of '' Super Street Fighter II Turbo'' has been featured in the Evolution Championship Series
The Evolution Championship Series, commonly known as Evo, is an annual esports event that focuses exclusively on fighting games. The tournaments are completely open and use the double elimination format. As with Super Battle Opera, contestant ...
.
Exhibitions
Events typically include vendors, gameplay, tournaments, costumes, and live music.
Museums
Retrogaming is recognized by museum
A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make thes ...
s worldwide. For example, the ''RetroGames'' arcade museum of Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe ( , , ; South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the third-largest city of the German state (''Land'') of Baden-Württemberg after its capital of Stuttgart and Mannheim, and the 22nd-largest city in the nation, with 308,436 inhabitants. ...
, Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
was founded in 2002 and the Computerspielemuseum Berlin was founded in 1997. Some classical art museums bear a video gaming retrospective, as with 2012's Smithsonian American Art Museum exhibition titled ''The Art of Video Games
''The Art of Video Games'' was an exhibition by the Smithsonian American Art Museum which was on display from March 16, 2012 through September 30, 2012. The exhibition was designed to highlight the evolution of art within the video game medium o ...
'' or as part of the Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues.
It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...
"Applied Design" exhibition in 2013. Starting in 2015, The Strong National Museum of Play
The Strong National Museum of Play (known as just The Strong Museum or simply the Strong) is part of The Strong in Rochester, New York, United States. Established in 1969 and based initially on the personal collection of Rochester native Margaret ...
adds games annually to the World Video Game Hall of Fame
The World Video Game Hall of Fame is an international hall of fame that opened on June 4, 2015. It is located in The National Museum of Play's ''eGameRevolution'' exhibit; the hall's administration is overseen by The Strong and the Internatio ...
. In 2016, the first museum dedicated solely to the history of the videogame industry, The National Videogame Museum, was opened in Frisco, Texas.
Legal issues
Though many abandonware
Abandonware is a product, typically software, ignored by its owner and manufacturer, and for which no official support is available.
Within an intellectual rights contextual background, abandonware is a software (or hardware) sub-case of the ...
games are freely downloadable on third-party websites, the duration of copyright on creative works in most countries is far longer than the era of home computing.
Emulators are typically created by third parties, and the software they run is often taken directly from the original games and put online for free download. While it is completely legal for anyone to create an emulator for any hardware, unauthorized distribution of the code for a retro game is an infringement of the game's copyright. Some companies have made public statements, such as Nintendo, stating that "the introduction of emulators created to play illegally copied Nintendo software represents the greatest threat to date in the intellectual property rights of video game developers". However, video game developers and publishers typically ignore emulation. One reason for this is that at any given time, most of the games illegally distributed for emulation are not presently being sold by the company which owns the game, and so the financial damages in a successful lawsuit would likely be negligible.[
]
See also
* Video game collecting
* List of retro style video game consoles
This is a list of retro style video game consoles in chronological order. Only officially licensed consoles are listed.
Starting in the 2000s, the trend of retrogaming spawned the launch of several new consoles that usually imitate the styling o ...
* History of video game consoles
* '' Halcyon Days: Interviews with Classic Computer and Video Game Programmers''
* MAME
MAME (formerly an acronym of Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) is a free and open-source emulator designed to recreate the hardware of arcade game systems in software on modern personal computers and other platforms. Its intention is to preserve ...
, multi-system emulator
* Old School Revival
The Old School Renaissance, Old School Revival, or OSR, is a play style movement in tabletop role-playing games which draws inspiration from the earliest days of tabletop RPGs in the 1970s, especially ''Dungeons & Dragons''. It consists of a loose ...
* Retrocomputing
Retrocomputing is the use of older computer hardware and software in modern times. Retrocomputing is usually classed as a hobby and recreation rather than a practical application of technology; enthusiasts often collect rare and valuable hardw ...
References
External links
*
*
Nostalgia
Video game culture