Retro Games through history 8 bit games onwards
Retro Games
What is considered Retro when thinking of gaming? Well among collectors the 6th generation of consoles backwards is considered true retro consoles. The range of the 6th generation includes the OG xbox, Playstation 2, Sega Dreamcast and Nintendo Gamecube. So these and anything made before it Would be retro.
There are emulators available that can play Roms of all the vintage games available but the legality of this is questionable as retro games roms could be classed as counterfeit versions of the software and may be subject to copyright with rights reserved. Whilst Rom playing can give people a feel for the game My personal stance is that they are not original and do not play correctly so don't give a true experience.
What is the best retro system?
One of the many questions that is asked is "What is the best retro gaming system?"
Well it all comes down to personal preference of the particular generation of console, The question is still asked of systems today, what is better Sony ps5, Microsoft Xbox series X or PC? Every format has their loyal fans that follow the company as they are bought into the brand.
Where can I Buy retro Consoles?
For consumers there are many retro game stores around in the uk. Many collectors will often go searching for the stores when travelling the globe to see what items they can find for their collections. Coupled with the many physical game and toy stores there is an abundance of online stores available to choose from as well as the likes of CEX, amazon and Ebay. So there really is a lot of opportunity to assist with finding games.
Video Games
The Father of home video games was Ralph w. Baer he was a German-American video game developer. In 1966 he scribbled a description for Game box whilst working for defence contractor Sanders associates. An executive saw potential in the concept and gave him funding and 2 engineers to work on the project. Over the next 5 years 7 prototypes were made before in 1971 Sanders used the final design to file the first video game patent. It was Licenced to Magnavox and in 1972 was released as the Odyssey.
you can read more about it here.
Video games 80's onwards
The Atari is likely the first cartridge console that most will remember from when they were young. In 1985 the NES was born followed by the Game Boy handheld in 1989. 1990 Brought the Release of solitaire by Microsoft bundled with their home computers. The Sega Genesis/Mega Drive followed in 1991 with hope of stealing market share from Nintendo in the USA. In 1995 Sony enter the market with the Playstation which was considerably cheaper than the Sega Saturn. 2001 Brought the entry of Microsoft into the video game console market with the Original Xbox and its console exclusive Halo. The Nintendo DS is brought to life in 2004 as a dual screen handheld gaming device, little did anyone know it would be the best selling Nintendo handheld ever. It brought gaming a new lease of life with touch screen technology. You can buy all these retro consoles from a website an online search will show which companies have stock. As more and more people are buying these to play at home supply is limited. Some companies like Atari released new mini versions of their respective retro gaming consoles that will work on the latest tv's.
New Mini console variants
Lots of the versions are limited run stock. News releases confirm when new products are released on to a companies website. In 2021 Nintendo may time a release of their N64 mini that has been speculated about for the last few years. You will find original release products on our website. where specific items can be found via the search bar.
Emulators
There are after market games consoles that can be found along with rom files that will play retro games and and some of the best arcade ports from Atari, Sega, Nintendo and many others. You can get these online but be wary as in most cases all of the roms will breach copyright. One example of this is the retro Pi, the unit is legal, But using software without copyright is not legal. Some free software (licence free) can be found without the need for copyright as it is free-ware.
Do Retro Game consoles work on new TV's?
Original consoles from pre 2001 all work on rgb, Scart, coaxial connection and not HDMI, Most new Tv's have these connections but it is worth checking as on Newer model televisions some of these connection formats have been phased out so make sure you check the site information before upgrading. Most collectors will own an original tube based tv, This keep everything looking good. Light guns do not work on flat screen televisions so games like Time crisis and the house of the dead will not work. The old tv's can often be found on a local marketplace with people offering them free when they upgrade their own to the latest model. Time Crisis is a great game if you get to use it with a light gun in my experience. a quick click on a site and you will find a number of Atari retro arcade games that will work with new tv's.
Classic games Remade for current gen consoles
So it is now 2021, and many companies have issued re-releases of their time old classic retro games. The Mega Drive collection was released across all current gen console formats. The likes of streets of rage Brought out Streets of rage 4 across the playstation 4 which has been a hit. So wherever you look Retro games uk are making a comeback even with new consoles that have motion enabled controllers and so much new technology. The classic games will alway hold a part of gaming history.
Retro gaming UK
Retro gaming in the UK has become very popular over recent years. This has caused prices to rise and games to become more scarce. A lot of people thought this may be to do with Nostalgia, However there are many collectors in their 20's that have started collecting games and become part of the community. With the rise in digital purchases it will be interesting to see what happens to physical media in the future. Will video games be harder to find? Will they be more expensive? or will it cause people's habits to change.