Retro Console – What is a Retro Console?
Retro Console, also known as Classic, Vintage or Old School Console, is a retro gaming device to play retro video games from the days past. In addition, retro gaming devices can also be retro home computers and retro arcade video game machines. Retro gaming itself is based upon systems that are obsolete or discontinued. Devices can be divided into generations.
Article by: Retroconsole.xyz
Retro Console Generations
Retro gaming usually involves around playing retro video games, produced from the early 1970-s to late 2000-s. Or in other words, it can include playing video games on, or released for the 1st to 6th generation of video game devices. Read more about console generations
Retro gaming devices and emulation
Retro gaming has existed since the early years of the video game industry, but was popularized with the popularity of the internet and emulation technology. It is argued that the main reasons players are drawn to retro games are nostalgia for different eras, the idea that older games can be more challenging, and the simplicity of the games that requires less hours of game play.
Generally retro gaming has three main activities:
- Vintage retro gaming
- Emulated retro gaming
- Ported retro gaming
Vintage retro gaming includes gaming that is played on the original hardware. Players are usually also collecting the original hardware, cartridges, and discs the video games were originally released on. The hardware collected includes arcade systems, old home consoles, and their cartridges and discs.
Emulated retro gaming involves newer systems simulating old gaming systems. This way you can bypass the need to collect old consoles and original games. ROMS – read only memory files, are taken directly from the original cartridge or disc from third parties. They are then typically put online through file sharing sites and played via emulators on modern hardware.
Ported retro gaming allows games to be played on modern hardware via ports or compilations. It’s different from emulation because the games are being rewritten for the new system and don’t use the original ROM files.
Additionally, the term retro gaming could apply to a newer game, but with features similar to those of older games, such as an “retro RPG” which features turn-based combat and an isometric camera perspective. Or modern games with simple old school pixel graphics and so on. Source
Retro gaming categories
There are different types of retro gaming movements. Most generally, retro gaming can be categorized by the way of playing the games:
- In alphabetical order (usually only one specific device at the time).
- In chronological order (specific device, specific game series or playing every possible game year by year).
- Mixed order but follow a specific device or brand (Sega, Nintendo, Atari, Commodore, Genesis, Atari 2600, Amiga).
- Playing only specific game category (complete every RPG game ever made).
- By generation (8-bit gaming, 16-bit gaming, 32-bit gaming).
Modern Retro Console
Modern retro console is a device that was built after obsolete or discontinued gaming system and it’s purpose is to emulate, or to be able to read and play original vintage media (cassettes, discs, floppies or any other format necessary) to play video games from the past.
Here are few of the modern retro gaming devices released:
- Nintendo Entertainment System Classic (NES Classic)
- Super Nintendo Classic Mini (SNES Classic Mini)
- Sega Genesis Flashback and Mega Drive Mini
- Some Atari Flashback Variations
- Playstation Classic
- Famicom Mini
- Commodore 64 Mini
- Retro Bit – Super Retro Trio
- Retron 5 Console
- Retro Freak Console
- And Others..
All these consoles above are emulation based, however there are also some high quality hardware based retro consoles available by Analogue:
- Analogue NT Mini
- Analogue Super NT
- Analogue Mega SG (April 2019)
Composed by: retroconsole.xyz
Published: 2018
Last modified: 2018-12-25
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