Retro gaming is bigger and better than ever – and, of course, it is! Right now, the adults who were kids back then have adult money to spend on all these fun things, and their children see them doing it and join in. 

Plus, it has never been cooler to be tech-free or low-tech, listening to retro music and prefer an 8-bit game to VR. 

Photo by Ben Griffiths on Unsplash

But what is it about retro games that make them so much fun? 

Nostalgia 

Nostalgia is one of the most powerful things on earth. A small, or the sight of a toy that we had when we were small, can bring us back to the exact moment. When it comes to games, the graphics, the sounds, and even having to blow into the cartridges all bring back the joy. Even the wait for the game to finish loading feels good now – but back then? That minute was long! It doesn’t matter if it was an Atari, Commodore 64, an NES, or playing slots in the arcade that was your first gaming experience – there is nothing like those moments. 

Simplicity 

Have you ever tried to play one of the more modern games, only to find that there are 94 commands, and you have a nanosecond to make a decision? They are fun, sure, but there is something inherently wonderful about a game that is simple enough to have just two buttons – and that is it. It is harder to go wrong with fewer control options, but really retro games are ideal to play with family members of all ages – because there isn’t much to explain! It is that simplicity that means when you have younger children that you want to connect with, you can do that with your favorite games! 

Challenging 

Sure, the games might’ve been simple – but what they weren’t always was easy. And, to top it all off, for most early gamers, there were no forums you could go to get a cheat or a way to kill the baddy. You had to work it out on your own. At the time, for many releases, developers and game studios didn’t want to offer multiple skill levels – it was hard or nothing, and to progress in the game, you had to learn lessons the hard way. 

Creative 

We are at a point in gaming where it is less and less likely that you will run into a completely new idea – but when these retro games first came out, there was nothing like it. Game designers and developers were working with tiny squares and such limited capabilities regarding the build environments – and what people had in their homes to play it on, that they were more creative than many games. 
In the end, it is that creativity that makes these retro games so easy to replay for years and easy to share with children, and it isn’t really a surprise that there are whole communities dedicated to retro gaming!