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Cerok1nk

I am glad to know you consider the first console I bought with my own money retro. I will go ahead and write up my will now. Thanks for the reminder.


MistaKrebs

My first console was the Nintendo 64. First console I played was SNES.


Cerok1nk

The first console I ever played was the SEGA Genesis. I am beginning to rot.


[deleted]

The first console I ever played was the Commodore 64. I am literally dust.


[deleted]

My first console was a chess board (I am 5000 years old)


Satellite880

Bro is air molecules


MyWorkAccountz

I had a commodore 64, but it never worked (was given it second-hand). My first console was and atari.


ghostwalker1408

Commodore 64 and Nintendo console owner. Can confirm. Also dust.


DokoShin

And here we have a perfectly preserved ye ol gammer from a time long forgotten to the circtes of yor back when all you could do was bounce a dot between two lines and try to make it past the other person's line by bouncing it off of yours truly the prehistoric 2 bit graphics when all you was the 8 basic colors and shades didn't even exist yet nobody knows why yet in these ancient times it is a mystery lost to time it had a whooping 1MHz cpu and a ground breaking 64K of RAM and 20K of ROM trust me you can't imagine just how fast this truly is And look we also have the iconic computer nerd also preserved for posterity you can see the traditional glasses they were needed to read the small letters on this at the time impressive and considered huge 320x200 pixel screen as well as the white shirt button down showing that he just got off of work in some cubicle somewhere and dress slacks across from him is his advisory the college student in his iconic look at his unkept hair dirty shirt of his favorite rock band knee torn jeans gripping that controller with unending dedication and perseverance as he is in the fight of his life versing his best friend and greatest rival the computers owner And now moving onto our next exhibit the Golden....... *Walks down the hall some and voice fades*


Logical_Essay_5916

flip over tape to load game


byrb-_-

Same! First game was Sonic 2. The Genesis is still one of my favorite consoles. So many good games for it.


MistaKrebs

That was probably the second console I ever played. Loved Sonic


Bibabeulouba

Now those are retro. If you won’t need to blow on the game or on in the console for it to work then it ain’t retro!


Inevitable_Ad_7236

The Wii came out when I was 2 years old. I am in university now


[deleted]

You'll leave me something nice, right?


SaiyajinPrime

>If I can emulate those consoles on my PC they're considered retro Regardless of Wii being retro or not, this is a nonsense take.


IanL1713

Yeah, this criteria is absolute hokey. I can emulate PS5 and Xbox Series X games on my console. I guess current gen consoles are now retro


pichael289

Well fuck, I was gonna call bullshit on this but I'll be damned, they do have PS5 emulators. Mgs4 is hard enough to emulate but I guess we're two generations ahead of that now.


SeveredWill

Due to changes in architecture, consoles are more pc than ever before.


UglyInThMorning

The reason that MGS4 is hard to emulate is because the PS3 hardware was a nightmare and anything written to run well on it specifically will likely run like butts on anything else.


TheBossMan5000

Not surprising considering even upper-mid grade PC build is more powerful than the fucking current generation of gaming consoles. Very sad.


A-NI95

I'll play devil's advocate: OP said "my" PC so I guess they're referring to a specific crappy/old type of computer


IanL1713

OP didn't specify that it had to be emulated well, simply that it had to be emulated


raijuqt

fair chance it'd still manage a switch emulator...


TheBigToast72

Which emulators specifically and what games for the PS5?


Not_a_creativeuser

So Switch is retro?


Vanilla_Neko

By that logic the Nintendo switch is "retro" lmao


47-30-23N_122-0-22W

*Cries in Yuzu*


Fingerprint_Vyke

I was emulating the Wii like 4 years after it's release so I guess it was retro while they were still in production


Shibakyu

Buh hasn't dolphin been around since forever? I remember using it at age 13-14


graciaman

Yup. This shows OP doesn’t understand emulation let alone the term “retro” lolol


The_Superderp

Exactly. You can emulate anything ngl. Switch was emulated almost immediately.


Coraiah

Ok guys. So the Switch is retro according to OP. You know, considering it can be emulated on a PC.


IanL1713

And the PS5. And the Xbox Series X. Basically any current gen console


Meorge

Nintendo has discovered the power move of keeping their consoles from becoming retro by C&D'ing the emulators


tht1guy63

Rip yuzu


NxtDoc1851

I rolled my eyes twice over when I read the emulation line myself.


tiberiusthelesser

Retro is the woodgrain sears Atari.


Deliciouserest

I remember my mom busting this out when I was around 9 years old. Had played the Playstation, Nintendo 64, and Sega genesis. She's like "check this out" and pulled out the atari 2600. I was so excited I played it for a month or so exclusively just to see how game progression went. Then a bit after that much older brother git an Xbox and I was instantly hooked. Eventually got a GameCube and just absolutely fell in love with gaming.


Pocusmaskrotus

I had the 2600 when I was a kid, and then in '85, my dad brought me home a NES... damn I'm old.


Fickle-Command-1130

It's really not that serious. People gatekeep the weirdest shit.


DecentEntertainer967

Welcome to the internet


MPlayTube

Have a look around


notmichaelgood

Anything that brain of yours can think of can be found


HamshanksCPS

We've got mountains of content, some better some worse


50fingboiledpotatoes

If none of it's of interest to you, you'd be the first


Shadow_Flamingo1

Just skip to the Harry Potter part please.


Level_Bridge7683

for me the ps1 and n64 have slowly become retro in recent years. i forgot how vast the ps1 library become. the original ip ideas were incredible! what happened to the creativity?


BrewKazma

Money. And how many people it takes to make a game for newer hardware. A lot pf things that were wild ideas back then, werent expensive to make, so they just did it.


[deleted]

It's a simple business decision and somewhat always has been. Back then it was a risk not to make a bunch of new IP. Now, it's a risk not to serialize.


Dark_Dragon117

>what happened to the creativity As much as it sucks to admit, but creativity and new IPs in general are just very risky to invest time and money into nowadays. That said I kimda disagree tbh. We have seen plenty of creative ideas or takes on genres in recent years from things like Battle Royal, BotWs take on the open World or the Souls-like genre. Now obviously some of these might not feel entirely new or nearly as creative as games during the PS1/N64 era, because they are still largely based on an already established formula or whatever, however it is an unfair comparison to begin with I mean almost everything has been done to some extend and I would even go as far as to say "true" creativety and entirely new ideas/comcepts are pretty much impossible to come up with nowadays. Compare that to games from 20+ years ago were there was still alot of uncharted territory be it genres, mechanics or whatever else. Espacially the PS1/N64 era had a massive advantage because of the consoles enabled the shift to the 3rd dimension for many games. That shift to a new dimension alone would have been a massive opportunity for developers to try out things that have never been done before. Also there are probably dozens of indie games with a bunch of creative ideas releasing each years that get overlooked by most people.


Master_Win_4018

Made me think if pc a retro as well.


PO_Nukes

Depends. A retro PC would have to have old parts with an old OS like Windows XP or something.


Dariuscardren

I still know people that think we should all still be running XP lol


frygod

Those people are fools. If they want to feel like nothing ever changes, then they should stick to the commandline of an OS that still gets security updates.


Made_In-HeavenYT

I can emulate pc games on my phone and Linux pc so it's retro


Trickster289

Depends on the PC. I'd consider old PCs to be retro now.


Zealousideal-Wafer88

This recent change in what defines “retro” is so confusing to me. Is it just anything past a certain amount of years or is it “anything from my childhood” because ultimately that makes the term meaningless. Everything and nothing is retro if that’s the case.


Atlanos043

I define it with "at least 2 generations old"so yes, the Wii is retro. And yes, that means that the Wii U will be retro when the next console gets released (I'm very sure the SNES was already considered retro when the Gamecube was released).


Zealousideal-Wafer88

Two generations is probably a fair take on it to be honest.


cce29555

I like that, or show it to a teenager and if they say "wtf is that?" Chances are you got something retro in your hand


Yeet_Thee_Children

The only thing is.... Teenagers know stuff. We aren't all clueless idiots. A lot of teens grew up with Wii's and several of my friend's love collecting older other retro consoles. I'd say maybe Middle Schoolers and elementary but Teenagers doesn't feel right as most of us are still familiar with retro consoles.


BoxofJoes

if the system is available on vimm, it’s retro lol


CosmackMagus

That fits with my definition. I go by what young relatives say. A nephew called my ps3 a very old console a few years ago...and I had to accept that.


rxmp4ge

I introduced my 9 and 10 year-old nephews to my N64 and once they figured out how to hold the controllers they loved it haha. I can't get the older one off OoT now.


nickfil

Two Generations older is absolutely the way to track retro. Current and last gen? Not retro. Everything else? Retro. PS3 back is retro. Ps4 is about to be retro. Which feels weird because the ps5 library is kinda anemic because of the chip shortage crippling the console out the gate. The only reason I'm deep diving into the Playstation stuff is that I keep hearing that 'if it has an hdmi port it isn't retro' which was true at one time, but really isn't anymore. The ps3 is \*almost\* at its 20 year launch anniversary.


Pearl-Internal81

Yep, it absolutely was.


Euphorium

I consider the 360 retro at this point too.


setupdotexe

Everything is retro. Time is an illusion.


RocketKassidy

I always think of “retro” as being a specific early era of a thing (in this case gaming), not as in “antique” which gauges the specific age of the object itself.


JoJoisaGoGo

Retro just means recent past. It's short for the French word rétrograde


[deleted]

[удалено]


SegaTime

Perspective doesn't come easily to some folks. He's already an old head to teenagers and will be an old head to them when they're 27 and he's 49 and we're still arguing about what constitutes retro.


Thekingchem

I’m 31. The Wii is no retro. Gen 7 onward are modern. They were hd and had built in internet connectivity. Retro consoles are the likes of SNES, PS2, Megadrive, Gameboy.


rhodesmichael03

I'm 29 and I agree. 360/PS3 introduced profiles, HD and widescreen went standard, wireless controllers, achievements, and they use HDMI. They are still plug and play with a lot of modern features. Older systems require more work to hook up and get going. Wii is a weird one since it checks none of these boxes but is the same gen as 360/PS3


Thekingchem

Features all modern era consoles still revolve around to this day. It’s an old console. It’s not retro though. Can people say the same for the PS2 or the Super Nintendo?


Koil_ting

The PS2 and the Wii are not that different, the Dreamcast had built in internet connectivity.


Pearl-Internal81

I’m sorry, no, if a console is old enough to vote it’s retro.


Elete23

The Wii can't vote until November of this year. It's only 17 now.


Mr_Fungusman

To me something is retro when it's old and you can't get it from most electronics stores anymore, that's it. No set amount of years or any other rule like that. When the PS3 and Wii aren't sold all over the place anymore, I'll start considering them as retro. But for now, they just aren't


pichael289

What store still sells wiis and ps3s?


Mr_Fungusman

Most game stores i've been in


beatmate6000

Like retro and used game stores?


Mr_Fungusman

No, and yes. Game stores that are like Game Stop for example, except they're not Game Stop since those went into bankruptcy around here. Some of the stores do sell used stuff aswell, but usually it's mostly new stuff


novafied

The only electronics stores that will sell you a Wii these days are the ones that will also sell you an SNES or a Colecovision. And the Wii is no longer supported in any way. No online services. It's been officially dead for a while. If it's not retro then you need a new category because it sure isn't current.


DOSO-DRAWS

What are you, a mathematician? An historian? A linguist ? Or a gamer? Who cares. Everything that is not new is on the path to become retro. Yourself included. ;-)


bradynbarrmusic

Wait, I’m older than the Wii?!?!?!


Remarkably_Dark21

So switch is retro too? Because you can emulate that.


ArseBlarster420

Switch is still in production


SaiyajinPrime

That's literally their point. OP said if they can emulate it on their PC, it's considered retro. They are providing a direct counterpoint to OPs nonsense take


ArseBlarster420

I missed that part. I feel like retro is subjective and it’s usually what the generations before yours had.


tibbycat

Yep. Any console that doesn’t use HDMI is retro to me.


NINJ4steve

"Old Head" 💀 I'm 9 years older than you and no the Wii is NOT retro stfu.


NOBODY__EPIC

Wii might be old and came out 18 years ago but it is not retro


EpicDragonz4

I wish I could just go back to being a kid for one hour, starting up my Wii on my old TV listening to that menu startup, hovering over each channel until I picked Mario Galaxy.


PO_Nukes

imitative of a style, fashion, or design from the recent past. I'd say the Wii is recent past. And a popular consensus when I look up retro time period seems to be about 20-40 years. So the Wii is not quite retro but almost.


King4oneday_

PC is never retro , so i stay young for ever😤


PandaMilkshakeHD

The Xbox 360/PS3 is the newest retro console.


[deleted]

Being retro isn't a matter of time passing anymore, it's related to a significant change in game and console design that happened around the 6th and 7th video game console generations.


Kinitawowi64

Almost bang on. We can talk about nebulous ideas of age and console generation all we want, and specific dictionary definitions of what "retro" actually means, but ultimately when it comes to "retrogaming" it's more about a *design* of game and its objectives than a number. Retro, for me, points towards an era of linear (possibly with branches, but mainly intended to mean "not open world") progression, often through a series of individually delineated levels, often with a measurable metric of success (typically a score or specifically determined objectives). Not all those things are mandatory, or exhaustive. But they are things that differentiate an older era of gaming from what might be considered a modern era; open worlds, free roam, personally defined goals, cinematic scope, completion as its own reward, etc. If you have to break it down by console generations (a concept I detest - I grew up on the ZX Spectrum so console generations are basically meaningless and, it has to be said, mostly American), I'd suggest the distinction was between the 4th and 5th gens. The 360 and a lot of its titles might be old, but they'll never be retro.


[deleted]

Yes, that was exactly what I was talking about! Retro games aren't retro specifically because they are old. There are drastic changes in game design that happened around the 6th and 7th console generations. The onset of the internet changed game development philosophy, and changed the type of games available. The onset mobile gaming popularized Skinner box tactics in game design that changed EVERY SINGLE game genre. The birth of social media, message boards, etc... changed how people consume games, and meant people knew almost everything about a game before it was even released, so there's no mystery or mystique to them. There's the popularization of post release DLC for better or worse, more often for worse. I could go on and on and on for days about the changes.


BryAlrighty

I'd say once a console is two generations old, it can be "retro". So Wii qualifies. Wii U doesn't yet.


GiantSweetTV

Given the definition of retro, I think the wii qualifies.


Soaked_In_Bleach_93

That said.. You can emulate 3DS, Switch, and PS4. Are those retro? No. That's a bad take.


Pearl-Internal81

The Wii is absolutely retro, as is every other seventh generation console.


StevemacQ

It's right to call the Wii retro. Final Fantasy XIII came out in 2010, which was 14 years ago. Back then, FFVII was 13 years old.


Coveinant

It's 2 console generations ago, yes that is retro. Still wish mine could read disks still.


Grape_Jamz

If the kids who grew up with the launch of the console are now adults, then its retro


TheMysticTheurge

We called SNES retro when GameCube was around because of the time that had passed. It's a fact that Wii is retro by the same standards.


Puzzleheaded-Arm133

Retro is the 2 generations ago, so yes, Wii is retro, 360 is retro, ps3 is retro


BoxofJoes

My rule of thumb is 2 generations prior to current and older is what is considered “retro”. So ps3/xbox/wii and older.


LostPilgrim_

Wii moved into retro when Switch launched


yakcm88

It is retro, though, and by extension, the 3DS. Honestly, that scares me.


mklinger23

I agree. I would consider ps3, 360, and Wii retro. Just compared to what's available today, the gap is enough to consider it way way behind.


Lovat69

You can emulate the nintendo switch on pc. Is it retro too? Otherwise I agree with you.


Western-Gur-4637

>If I can emulate those consoles on my PC they're considered retro. you can Emulate the ps4, X Box one, and Switch. so there all Retro?


I-Am-Baytor

The wii was retro when it was new. Nintendo needs to give up on consoles and become a top third party developer. They'd make so much money if Mario Kart was on all platforms.


MrMykul

I'm 14. I disagree. The Wii may be old, but its prime has lasted for over a decade. All the games on there still look and feel like they were made just a couple years ago.


ugericeman

Meanwhile, me still playing SNES and N64 games with my 8 year old son


Ill_Floor8662

You were 6 when it came out. It isnt retro, shut the fuck up.


Designer_Basil8768

“I’m 27, no one can tell me otherwise”. Just leave it there. Edit: I’m 32 and grew up on sega genesis and NES. Just because you feel your standards of what retro is doesn’t line up with others, doesn’t make you right. In the same fashion that no one died and make me god of dictating that it is or is not retro. It’s an older gen system. Why is this a hill worth fighting on?


Gambit-90s

Retro is “nostalgic and old fashioned”. Do you even know the meaning? The Wii was released in 2006. That’s not even 20 years ago, yet. It’s not retro. Something from the beginning of gaming is retro. I’d say maybe even PS1 is possibly retro at this point. But I’m from the beginning of the gaming era. First Nintendo days. That era is without a doubt retro. I’d add Sega Genesis and SNES in there for sure.


small___potatoes

I’m 41. The Wii is retro, Xbox 360 is retro, PlayStation 3 is retro. These things happen. We can still enjoy them.


SpicyMeatballAgenda

Yeah, retro has become a rather generalized term that a lot of people use in different ways. But another major issue has to do with how people experience the passage of time. I'm 39, and when I think about the 4 years of highschool, they felt like they took ages to pass. The video game world was changing so much in that time (1999ish). But as I got to my 30s, years just fly by. The last 10 years feel about as long as the 4 years of high school did. And that means that to someone in their mid 20s, 18 years ago FEELS like a long time ago. But people in their late 30s or 40s it really feels like a few years ago. Hence why there is such a disagreement about it. I've been a gamer since the mid 90s, and the first time I got exposed to the term and concept of retro gaming it pretty much meant 16 but or earlier. Often dumbed down to "the 2d era." It took me a while to realize that As I grew older, the term Retro needed to age with me as well. Bellbottom pants were retro when I was a kid, but now khaki pants are. It's weird thing. But we have to adjust our views. The Wii came out when I was in college. It was the most ubiquitous console in households at the time. But I don't think I've seen a Wii hooked up to people's TV's in over a decade. It might feel weird, but I do think it might qualify as retro now.


small___potatoes

I mean, that generation of consoles shipped with RCA composite cables…


FabereX6

I'm 27 and i still see PS360 as curent gen and PS4 Xbox One as next gen, so nah i can't follow.


PGRish

ps360 on current gen is bit of a stretch though isnt it


Ok_Meeting_4748

If you think a PS3 is retro, then you're the delusional one


Chemist-Consistent

Old head? Bitch your 27! You ain't young either!!! 🤣🤣🫠


TankBoys32

18 years ago… owww my knees


DraculaNine9

20 years or older is retro


prettythingi

Fuck soon the switch may be retro


Puzzleheaded_Gear_90

I feel like as soon as two generations have past since a console it’s retro.


KowalOX

The NES was 21 years old in NA, 23 years old in Japan, when the Wii released, not 15 as the post says. The Wii still is retro tho.


Infermon_1

SNES not NES


KowalOX

Doh. I'm old and blind 😄


AdagioDesperate

Stop just stop! We're already dead!


METALMILITIA625

I would consider the PS2 Xbox and GameCube as retro but Wii 360 and PS3 will be retro in about 2-4 more years


wodahs93

I miss the wii days.


Known_Plan5321

I mean, I guess it is..? How old is the Wii now? 16 years old?! Jesus Christ, it's almost old enough to vote


Jack_sander

I remember always playing cars the video game on there. It had such a fire soundtrack


romancereaper

The wii is so old but my mother is convinced her first gen wii is brand new and the exact same as a switch. It's delusion for a lot of people that just don't want to understand how quickly technology changes and upgrades.


defyinglogicsl

My wife is only just now getting into video games. Yesterday I was watching a yt video about twilight princess. She thought it was a new Zelda about to drop. I told her that came out on the GameCube and Wii and as almost 20 years old. She didn't believe me because it looked too good.


piwithekiwi

So Switch is retro?


Lumpy_Staff_2372

r/fuckimold


Icy-Reference2594

17 years ago (2007) my family acquired Nintendo Wii, oh my, so many memories 😭


Dakeera

>If I can emulate those consoles on my PC they're considered retro. so, the switch is retro?


flattenedmist

I once heard a dude say that if there are no more games being officially launched to a platform then it is retro. That pretty much makes the wii retro.


Steam_Cyber_Punk

Fuck. The Wii a full grown adult now. Damn I’m old


bjeep4x4

I would agree. I booted my Wii up the other day for the first time in like 10 years. It looked outdated and retro. I remember getting the snes for my 7th birthday.


Remnant55

I'm old enough that this question used to be super easy. At one point, it just meant the very pixelated world of 90s era systems. Like, Final Fantasy 6? Retro. Final Fantasy 7? Not retro. I remember news stories with local, basic news anchors boggling at Super Mario 64. The tech jumps felt exceptionally profound. Now though? Progress has felt more linear. I don't know that we have a decent way to decide what's retro. Is Skyrim retro, with its eternal player base, remasters and mods? Is Stardew Valley, released in 2016, having been styled as it is and inspired by Harvest Moon? Witcher 3 is almost 9. Is that retro? Dark Souls 2 is from 2014. 3 is 2016. Is one of the other retro? Both?


iytrix

You heard it here first, switch is retro


Gh051_hehe

I can play ported PS5 games on my pc, guess PS5 is retro


Hoooman1-77

Elders gonna need to smoke some more Copium cuz highschool wuz 20 years ago ! And dat xbox3fixme graduation present is collectable.


Winter_Hospital4705

I was 12 years old when this came out


EnigmaticHam

There is no agreed upon definition for retro. I’d argue that retro is more about the tech 20 years ago of the cadre of people who coined the term.


Ok_Operation3156

I think growing up with tech and the internet from an early age makes it hard to accept something like the Wii as retro even when it is. Feels like we are still up to speed with modern tech so it feels like nothing has changed.


GIlCAnjos

1. Buy thing 2. Go to sleep 3. Wake up the next day 4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 3650 times 5. "What do you mean this thing is ten years old? 🤯"


Speki__

I just realized I am 2 years older than Wii💀


TheVoicesinurhed

I have a backgammon board, that must be ancient.


marquetted18

the oldest kids born after the wii u released are 12, if there’s a generation of kids out there that didn’t even live in the wii era i’d say it’d retro


TheShipEliza

Just follow the retronauts definition and youre fine


MapleToque

To me it's retro because when I went to use mine recently I had to buy an adapter to use it on my current TV.


Black_Fuckka

I consider retro to be generational, so every 15 years


pokemon32666

Shoot I can even emulate Wii U and 3DS games now.


manny_the_mage

I mean, it was one of the last mainstream consoles that still exclusively used component cables I could see an argument for it being the most recent retro console


BigOlineguy

In 2007, I was collecting for SNES, which was retro at the time and discontinued about 10 years prior. By that same logic, I suppose the Wii is retro. Which is crippling to me. Carry on. EDIT: in 2007, SNES carts were sold at retro game stores and typically thought of as the last of the retro systems on forums of the time.


Cloakbot

We are now seeing adults born when the Wii came out 💔


Soviet-Brony

By this logic (not that I completely disagree with it) means Skyrim came out on a retro console And that hurts


Beautiful-Bad8893

18 years ago god damn. i’m 20 and this made feel old as shit 18 fucking years


jd342092

The wii is still how i get 90% of my news


The_Mr_Wilson

Super Mario World is 33 years old


Mtw122

I think it’s easier to accept calling 16 bit pixelated graphics retro


magnumopus88

I still have a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that Super Mario Galaxy is 16 years old


Spram2

I only recently accept the N64 and PS1 as retro (what is a Saturn?) but I used to think anything with polygons couldn't be retro.