Define....retro

[Chrispy]

Just what is considered retro these days? anything pre ps2?

[Slippery]

Taking you back to the days of old, starting since the dawn of Pong and ending with the N64/Playstation era.

[AranchineD]

Anything two console generations before the current one imo. Just so you can continue to use the same rule when the next generation of consoles come along.


But at the moment that would be like Slip said, everything N64/PS1 era and before.

[Second]

A hairy crotch.

[Marble]

Taking you back to the days of old, starting since the dawn of Pong and ending with the N64/Playstation era.
Actually, earlier than Pong. The first video game ever, Spacewar! came out a decade earlier.

[Dust]

A hairy crotch.

Wasn't that the sequel to Custer's Revenge?

[Char Aznable]

Dreamcast is the cut off. RIP SEGA ; ;

[Dust]

I still got my Commodore 64 at my parents house.. Complete with a tape and a floppy drive. Some of the floppies are even hole-punched on the side so I could use both sides! Try doing that with a DVD... :P

[Mike-Towns]

Dreamcast is the cut off. RIP SEGA ; ;

Wouldn't that still count with Playstation 2/Xbox/Gamecube?

I'd say retro = up to the Saturn/Playstation/Nintendo 64...yet even they don't seem to retro...

[SOX]

Dreamcast and backwards IMO.
It didn't really compete with the ps2 or the rest cause they stopped making them like 1 year after the ps2 came out if I remember correctly.

[Hotaru_oz]

personally I believe retro is up the point of the dreamcast.
You could count the Gamecube and the Xbox since you can't buy them brand new any more and they've long stop making games for these consoles.

[JubeiSaotome]

I would say 32/64 bit era, with the inclusion of DC, since game design for it was still stuck in the 32/64 bit era.

[Jickle]

For the purpose of this forum, I tend to think 32-bit and below. The actual term though, for me, generally makes me think of the SNES and everything that came before it.

[Cerebral]

Anything where part of the enjoyment is derived from the fact that it is so old. N64/PSX era imho

[FX-GTZ]

- Pixels, 8 bit, 16 bit, 24 bit,
- Playing Super Mario Bros on an Iphone isnt retro, so dont do it, also its illegal.
- Play it on the original console, with the original hardware that was originally bundled with the game. Or close to that.

[Spudzilla]

- Playing Super Mario Bros on an Iphone isnt retro, so dont do it, also its illegal.


Make me.

[FX-GTZ]

Make me.
I cant, do it yourself. Dont be cheap and actually play it how nintendo originally intended it to be played, non portable style.

[Spudzilla]

Make me.

[Marble]

For the purpose of this forum, I tend to think 32-bit and below. The actual term though, for me, generally makes me think of the SNES and everything that came before it.
Well this is all or the purpose of this forum, since "retro" in this context doesn't really make much sense at all. If you're using a term to lump together games made before a certain point, then "old" is a better choice.

Keeping in mind that this is all for the purpose of this forum; DC and before seems about right. Though, if I was to start a thread on a new STG (Dux, for example) or a 1CC lists thread of something, I would definitely start it here just because I think a thread of this sort would get more attention in this part of the forum.

[super_deformed]

Yeah. By RETRO we just mean old. That's how the term is used in gaming circles. Cause if you take the actual definition of RETRO (-"Imitative of a style, fashion or design from the recent past") then we should probably be discussing things like Geometry Wars.

Another test of 'RETRONESS" is the degree to which persons will defend the merits of shitty, shitty games despite the fact they're clearly unplayable, and rarely enjoyed by those not in the grips of overwhelming nostalgia. So yeah, THE DREAMCAST is definitely retro. Hee-Hee. So is anything SONIC (future titles included).

So to summarize.....

RETRO CAN MEAN OLD.
RETRO CAN MEAN SHITE BUT I'LL DEFEND IT TO MY DEATH

[Mike-Towns]

RETRO CAN MEAN SHITE BUT I'LL DEFEND IT TO MY DEATH

I love Bubsy the Bobcat btw.

[dinopoke]

Yeah. By RETRO we just mean old. That's how the term is used in gaming circles. Cause if you take the actual definition of RETRO (-"Imitative of a style, fashion or design from the recent past") then we should probably be discussing things like Geometry Wars.

Personally, I would still just used the word old to describe these games. The word 'retro' already has a distinct meaning for it and if we keep using it incorrectly, that meaning is lost. Besides, 'I like playing retro games' sounds infinitely more wankier than 'I like playing old games.' :p

In response to the original question though, I'd say anything PS1 and earlier.

[Marble]

Personally, I would still just used the word old to describe these games. The word 'retro' already has a distinct meaning for it and if we keep using it incorrectly, that meaning is lost. Besides, 'I like playing retro games' sounds infinitely more wankier than 'I like playing old games.' :p
Exactly. I honestly feel that changing the name of this forum from "Retroactive" to, um, "Old Games" or something would be very appropriate. I'm sure some would see it as pedantic, but I think it's important.

[Gemerald]

I would say 32/64 bit era, with the inclusion of DC, since game design for it was still stuck in the 32/64 bit era.

Agreed entirely. Given that the DC lived on for a while in Japan after it's demise internationally it's fair to say the PS2 will live on for an even greater time.

I wonder when PS2 games will stop being produced for our local market. Guitar Hero bundles are still available for the PS2.

[casual_pedestrian]

I think an appropriate term/forum section that could be adopted more is 'past generation console(s)', or referring to games - 'past generation games'. They're not as cool as retro, which I think is part of the reason why retro is used. It also sits well with the culture of Gen X and Y gamers/nerds.

[super_deformed]

Personally, I would still just used the word old to describe these games. The word 'retro' already has a distinct meaning for it and if we keep using it incorrectly, that meaning is lost.
If you want to save the english language destroy all text messaging, advertisements and chat rooms. Calling these games 'retro' is a pretty small blight. Besides for most people 'retro' means every 3rd friday at their local RSL.

Fight the good fight. Go on a crusade to save the word 'literally' from meaninglessness. I hear that word misused daily.

See also the following words: 'amazing', 'awesome'......

[Marble]

Fight the good fight. Go on a crusade to save the word 'literally' from meaninglessness. I hear that word misused daily.

See also the following words: 'amazing', 'awesome'......
And the list goes on. That's pretty much the plan - one step at a time!

[Blob]

I wonder when PS2 games will stop being produced for our local market. Guitar Hero bundles are still available for the PS2.

Same time the wii becomes obsolete id say. Its funny Nintendos making sony profit because companies can expand their market by making wii/ps2 games.

[Ryan Hayward]

Retro to me is anything that is hard to obtain brand new and older than 8 years......

[Xanafalgue]

I would define anything that was on the market before the Saturn/PS1/N64 generation as retro.

[Cerebral]

I cant, do it yourself. Dont be cheap and actually play it how nintendo originally intended it to be played, non portable style.

Ahh yes, I can imagine Miyamoto himself directing the game, thinking of how the experience would be ruined were it to be played in a future portable environment.