What is retro?

[Lord Innit]

If I listen to some 60's records or watch 70's films,I don't call it retro listening or retro movie watching.So,why the hell do I call it retro gaming when I play any 80's game? Isn't it really just playing video games?

[merman]

If I listen to some 60's records or watch 70's films,I don't call it retro listening or retro movie watching.So,why the hell do I call it retro gaming when I play any 80's game? Isn't it really just playing video games?

Oddly enough, that same argument appears in one of the Edge Retro specials...

[paranoid marvin]

Do you only truly retro game when you use the original console/computer?

[lavalyte]

Retro is whatever was around when I was 15.

[Lord Innit]

If I listen to some 60's records or watch 70's films,I don't call it retro listening or retro movie watching.So,why the hell do I call it retro gaming when I play any 80's game? Isn't it really just playing video games?

Oddly enough, that same argument appears in one of the Edge Retro specials...

Yeh, I remember it.It basically said what I had already thought.Thing is, I still call it retro gaming, despite what I think.It just sounds right.

[woody.cool]

retro rɛtroʊ [re-troh]
–adjective Informal.
1. retroactive: retro pay.
2. of or designating the style of an earlier time: retro clothes.

[GarryG]

Surely it’s obvious that RETRO in relation to computer games is all about the style of the game, or in other words the game-play.

Retro game-play is by definition the type of thing that we played before the advent of modern freely movable 3D environment games. The SONY Playstation was the main console platform where these games became most common, although this style of game was evolving on other platforms that had hardware capable of the task.

So I don’t think a RETRO-GAME is decided by what year it came out on, or what platform it is for, but rather by the style of game-play it uses! There are games that are more than ten years old that IMO aren’t RETRO because of the game-play mechanic used, and there are newly produced games that are retro-type games, because they use RETRO type game-play; mobile phone versions of modern 3D games are a prime example of this

[sonic91]

Surely it’s obvious that RETRO in relation to computer games is all about the style of the game, or in other words the game-play.

Retro game-play is by definition the type of thing that we played before the advent of modern freely movable 3D environment games. The SONY Playstation was the main console platform where these games became most common, although this style of game was evolving on other platforms that had hardware capable of the task.

So I don’t think a RETRO-GAME is decided by what year it came out on, or what platform it is for, but rather by the style of game-play it uses! There are games that are more than ten years old that IMO aren’t RETRO because of the game-play mechanic used, and there are newly produced games that are retro-type games, because they use RETRO type game-play; mobile phone versions of modern 3D games are a prime example of this

Yes, newly-produced games for mobiles, etc. can be classed as retro-style or retro-type, but they are not specifically retro. Although I agree that some games that are more than 10 years old can't be seen as retro due to the game-play mechanic used, for instance if all games over 10 years old were classed as retro, then the Spyro The Dragon series on the PS1 would be classed as retro soon, however I wouldn't see them as retro for a very long time yet.

[paranoid marvin]

Surely it’s obvious that RETRO in relation to computer games is all about the style of the game, or in other words the game-play.

Retro game-play is by definition the type of thing that we played before the advent of modern freely movable 3D environment games. The SONY Playstation was the main console platform where these games became most common, although this style of game was evolving on other platforms that had hardware capable of the task.

So I don’t think a RETRO-GAME is decided by what year it came out on, or what platform it is for, but rather by the style of game-play it uses! There are games that are more than ten years old that IMO aren’t RETRO because of the game-play mechanic used, and there are newly produced games that are retro-type games, because they use RETRO type game-play; mobile phone versions of modern 3D games are a prime example of this

Yes, newly-produced games for mobiles, etc. can be classed as retro-style or retro-type, but they are not specifically retro. Although I agree that some games that are more than 10 years old can't be seen as retro due to the game-play mechanic used, for instance if all games over 10 years old were classed as retro, then the Spyro The Dragon series on the PS1 would be classed as retro soon, however I wouldn't see them as retro for a very long time yet.

Does that mean then that 20 year-old-games which were ahead of their time (eg Deus Ex , ID) aren't retro?

[sonic91]

It goes without saying that a game that is 20 years old is retro, but then, just as every other message in this thread is, it's merely a matter of personal opinion. Whether people agree with that opinion or not is up to them. Most people may class Spyro as retro in a few years time, if not already. But I don't, and won't for a while. But how about a new game in a popular retro series, e.g. Sonic or Mario? As the original games are now retro (IMO ), should the new games, e.g. Sonic and The Secret Rings be classed as retro?

[GarryG]

But how about a new game in a popular retro series, e.g. Sonic or Mario? As the original games are now retro (IMO )

I think 99% of people would say no!
Again this isn’t because of the age of the game but because of the style. Anything from ‘Sonic Adventure’ and forwards has not been produced in a retro game-play style, and this includes ‘Sonic and The Secret Rings’. I don’t see that as being a retro style just because it’s a bit linier.

I think it is better to say retro-style, retro-type or retro-game-play, when talking about what most people see as ‘retro’ games. If you are talking about older games it may be best just to refer to them by there age, as is done with music etc. I.e. nineties-games, eighties-games…

I think there is more of a case to have a cut off date for the hardware though, because there isn’t really anybody making retro-style hardware anymore (yes there are the Plugs-into-TV type joysticks etc, but they emulate the old hardware by using modern components). A retro car or clothes seems to have a specific age by which it is deemed retro or not. This could be done with all electronic hardware including computers and consoles, but to my knowledge hasn’t yet!

Does that mean then that 20 year-old-games which were ahead of their time (eg Deus Ex , ID) aren't retro?

No, not a convincing argument, 20 year old games that were ahead of thee time were still written to run on twenty year old hardware, so obviously they are retro.

Castle Wolfenstein can be viewed as retro by using the above description, but this was a game that was evolving the modern style of game-play. Is Doom retro? It’s old, but it is widely regarded as the true granddaddy of the modern FPS genre, which lets face it is at least 90+% of most new action based games!

Personally I would say no to both, because they have (at least the beginnings) of modern day game-play, but I realise this is highly subjective.
I don’t agree that a retro-style-game should be judged purely on age though!

To me OLD and RETRO aren’t the same thing, just as NEW doesn’t necceseraly mean not of a retro-type.

[Ryuranger]

Retro For me would be when ... Most Big name Developers have stopped caring about it and moves on to other Consoles.

That would have been about a week after launch for the GameCube

Hahah Funny because its True xD

The Gamecube had an OK run, but there wasn't really anything special about it, To me the CG was a Polished up 64 with a New Controller.

[paranoid marvin]

Retro For me would be when ... Most Big name Developers have stopped caring about it and moves on to other Consoles.

That would have been about a week after launch for the GameCube

Hahah Funny because its True xD

The Gamecube had an OK run, but there wasn't really anything special about it, To me the CG was a Polished up 64 with a New Controller.

The same could be said of the Wii

[GarryG]

Retro For me would be when ... Most Big name Developers have stopped caring about it and moves on to other Consoles.

So, the PS3 is 'RETRO' for you then

[SirClive]