Which Games / Consoles Should Be Considered Retro? - Retro Bird

In this video, I discuss what qualifies as "retro" in the video game world.

Which Games / Consoles Should Be Considered Retro? - Retro Bird / What Counts as Retro?

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#retrobird

[RetroBirdGaming]

Games played: Contra (0:00), Klonoa 2 (0:10), Final Fight CD (0:25), Streets of Rage 4 (1:10), Side Arms (1:25), Stray (5:15), Sonic Mania (8:00)

[kennethc]

You're a criminally undersubscribed channel. A true diamond in the ruff. Thanks for the great content. This channel alone made me fix my 'retro' PS2 (bad av board), and have been playing NightFire, SOCOM, and RE4... and having a blast. Thanks again.

[Supersizeshake]

The ‘naners with the brown spots are retro, the green ones aren’t. It’s that easy.

[FreakinSweet]

Whenever I put some real thought into what I consider "retro, " a few key things come to mind. Style, aesthetic, and feel. For me, in order for a game library or console to really fit into the retro category, it needs to harken back to a specific point before gaming had the consistency we know today.

Older games, typically the PS1 and N64 era, all had a very particular way about them. Devs had to get creative because they couldn't rely on visuals alone like today's market. There was never a completely consistent layout for things like jumping or camera movement. There was an expected level of jank that was necessary to overcome, but was simply accepted as a part of what video games of the time were. That, at least to me, is something that makes a game retro. That inexplicable... thing that games just had once upon a time, but don't anymore.

This type of thing continued into the PS2/Dreamcast/GameCube era to an extent, which is why I feel that they're just *barely* where the cutoff is. And if I may be so bold as to say this... I think that's where the cutoff is going to be forever...

Once the PS3/360/Wii era began, visuals reached a level of polish that never really went back down, save for some instances. Controls, especially for things like FPS games, all adopted a mostly similar layout. Versions of games on different hardware all played mostly identical outside of the Wii, and that's a completely nonexistent piece of history at this point. To me, that's the point where gaming became what it is today, and theoretically might remain forever as we move forward.

I'll never consider anything from the PS3 onward to be retro because it will always *feel* the way games do now. Maybe a little clunkier from the age, but never to the point of the N64 or Sega Saturn. Of course that's just my take, but I like to think there's at least some truth to it.

[Hola-royv]

The term “retro” means different things to different people, but I’ve found that if you look at what the video game industry considers “retro” (and this includes retailers as well as developers and manufacturers) it basically means anything that isn’t part of the current generation.

[LongGamingSessions]

If the console can legally order a drink in Vegas, it's probably retro

[bradtuttle]

For now I consider anything that is pre-HD to be retro. That could change as the years go on.

[Serger]

I love making it to the end of your videos just to hear your catchy theme song, awesome channel !

[greenmachine]

I was emulating the SNES around 2000. It wasn't even 10 years old, but time feels different when you are younger.

[michaelmolina]

You made a great point about retro being based on what you played as a kid. Would a 60+ year old gamer who grew up on Pong consider the NES retro? Perhaps not. But a 10 year old nowadays may see PS3 as retro. It's all relative. Great video as always!

[XanthinZarda]

I forget when it happened, but there was a popular Japanese magazine that recently declared the Gamecube as retro, and the timing is right. Depending on your Department of Transportation or international equivalent, you can apply for Classic plates for a car 15 years or older, and "Antique" for any car 20 years or older.

[Connfo]

I don't have any hard and fast classifications, but my rule of thumb has always been 'Two Console Generations Behind.' That seems to be roughly when adults go "Hey, I remember these games from when I was a kid, I miss them and want to play them again, or something like them."

[bbeaup]

Back when the ps2 came out we’d always refer to snes/genesis and older as old skool systems. Interesting how the labeling has evolved now.

[captainhawdon]

I've recently started collecting X360 games because they are so cheap and they are mostly complete and physical. I don't know if we need to draw a line solidly anywhere. Love the video. Great job

[mentalblocked]

Retro is a vibe, feel the retro vibe.

[PowerSynopsis]

"To do then now would be retro. To do then then was very _now-tro, _ if you will."

[Yuuretsu]

I used to think about retro purely in terms of years and visuals but nowadays I think of retro as any nostalgic game that brings back those fond 'back in the day' memories. Which happens to include some PS3 games of late.

[jimsoczka]

I'm 44 so obviously I grew up with my NES. I had friends who had Genesis as well as Atari 2600. My wife n I have them all now bit if I had to pick. For me, cut off for Retro would be gen 6. Xbox, ps2, gamecube. I was an adult at that point so I see that gen as being the last of my Retro consoles.

[Tomfissh]

Youve always got a new idea for a video man 🤯

[BoxoSpoons]

I think the real problem is that games have been around long enough that all the stuff that’s definitely not “modern” anymore doesn’t feel right being put in the same era. I feel like around the 6th generation at the turn of the millennium we definitely crossed a bit of a threshold, but at the same time acting like we should be putting the snes and the ps2 in the same category feels ridiculous.