What point do you consider a console retro

[lurpak]

on another thread (about age) I relaised why so many of you consider the likes of dreamcasts, PS ones, even GBAs as retro consoles, me being 36 consider the likes of Master systems and NES only just qualifying as retro and all the others as just systems out of date.

to me retro consoles are the likes of Atari VCS, my beloved Videopac, Coleco Vision, vectrex..

I suppose retro (to me) is my teenage years, what is your icon of youth and does that reflect what you consider retro ?

[Immutable]

The only thing that comes to mind as retro would be all those FC clones, like the Polystation III.

[Cryomancer]

Woodgrain.


edit: honestly though, I generally don't think "retro or not retro", I think more like "fun or not fun", or "have owned/played this before or not". Honestly I couldn't care less about when something came out as long as i could have a good time with it.

[syd]

For me retro would be NES since it's the first real system I had. I had an Atari 2600 but that died when I was 4 or 5 so I didn't get to use that thing too much!

[Pantechnicon]

I'm perfectly happy with putting a number on "retro" by declaring a minimum console age of 20 years. NES and SMS have therefore just joined the club. Everything from 1985 on up is still awaiting eligibility (Atari 7800 is on appeal...)

I suppose retro (to me) is my teenage years, what is your icon of youth and does that reflect what you consider retro ?

The only problem with this thinking is that it can only be substantially understood by old fogies like us over thirty-types. I got out of high school in 1988. And when I started looking for another Atari 2600 in 1991 or so nobody, myself included, thought of the system as being "retro", instead it was regarded by others as "old crap".

No offense is intended to the 18-year-olds here (I really do love you guys...), but just because the Dreamcast came out when you were 12 and you call that "retro" does not make it thus. Go forth into the world; Hit the books in college when you'd rather be playing Halo, get a grinding job, marry a sweetie, have some kids, worry about paying your bills on time. Wait for one year to blindly merge in to the next one until the passage of time starts to feel a little foggy. And then you'll start to understand what "retro" really means.

[Kejoriv]

I consider a system retro anything snes and earlier. Why? Those games were new when I was a little youngen. And now as a 23 year old, I LOVE playing the all the games, that I couldnt afford with my paper route or the games that friggen Santa Claus never bought for me.

[SkiDragon]

I dont want to even call an SNES retro, and thats the first system I owned. The NES is marginally retro, and its hard to say that anything older than the NES itsnt retro.

[wufners]

Oddly enough, I would consider the Genesis retro but not the SNES or the Turbografx (tho maybe I would if I had ever played it.)

*shrugs*

Go figure.

I guess the definitition of retro is in part an age question but also a matter of when the console no longer became relevant within the mainstream gaming comunity.

Naturally, exceptions abound--2D is certainly becoming more and more retro, but I'd wager that the Playstation will feel retro long before the Neo Geo will.

[rick weis]

IMO anything prior to the NES! NES and above are not retro...

Rick

[jajaja]

I think from the NES and below. SNES isnt quite retro for me. I need oldskool chipmusic to get the retro feeling

[WanganRunner]

For me, every console fits into one of two categories:

Retro

Current

By that measure, it's pretty simple to tell what goes where. Age has nothing to do with it. If it's not currently being supported, it's a retro console.

I haven't quite put Dreamcast there yet, because (a la Trizeal) games are still coming out for the thing that aren't techically homebrew. Thus, the GBA definitely doesn't qualify either.

The PS1 qualifies, as does the N64, Saturn, etc...

[Cmosfm]

For me, every console fits into one of two categories:

Retro

Current

The PS1 qualifies, as does the N64, Saturn, etc...

no, no, no, and no. Those are not Retro, not in one bit whatsoever. So when they finally drop the N-Gage, it's going to be Retro as well?

I know that's your opinion, but I just disagree with your opinion.

Retro, in my opinion, is anything 20 years old or older. SNES - nope, Genesis - nope, none of those are retro. NES, Atari, Coleco, all retro.

[NESaholic]

Well i think when it's 20 years or more till the console came out you can call it retro.

[WanganRunner]

I know that's your opinion, but I just disagree with your opinion.

I disagree with your Barry Manilow avatar.

Firstly, the definition of "retro" in application to videogames is pretty damned subjective. Next time just give your opinion, and leave mine the hell out of it.

Insomuch as I'm concerned, "retro" means anything that is NOT "current" technology. This leaves the problem of defining what is "current", and I detailed my approach above.

But the bottom line is, I can answer this question however the hell I want, it's just not a black or white issue.

I can answer True/False

I can answer in the form of a question:
"What is anything that's not current technology"

I can answer with immaterial bullshit:
"Purple Brontosaurus cheeseburger my Zeppelin!"

Next time just say "Retro is anything that is 20 years or more old". I see no need for you and Mr. Manilow to try and "no" my post out of existence.

[Ikari Warrior]

For me, every console fits into one of two categories:

Retro

Current

The PS1 qualifies, as does the N64, Saturn, etc...

This is how I am too. If it's dead and games are getting harder to find in regular stores, I consider it retro.
Launch PS2 games are starting to feel retro to me, as I've been going back and picking up some obscure gems I missed the first time around.

It's not like we're talking cars here, where they go up in value after they reach some predetermined age.

[Jibbajaba]

I would say that in my opinion a console is retro or classic or whatever when it is 2 generations old. So a PSX or a saturn or an N64 or a gameboy color would not qualify. SNES, Genny, TG-16, original game boy would all qualify as classic. But this is just all off the top of my head.

Chris

[RangerG]

Easy: DP red book = retro; DP blue book = not retro

[Dr. Morbis]

I consider a console retro once there is a generation of systems between it and the current generation. So right now, SNES is retro but N64 is not. The original Playstation will be retro the day the PS3 is released.

/2 cents

[alexkidd2000]

Old School - 10 years old
Retro - 20 years old

[Crush Crawfish]

I consider a console retro once there is a generation of systems between it and the current generation. So right now, SNES is retro but N64 is not. The original Playstation will be retro the day the PS3 is released.

/2 cents

That's exactly the way I feel. However, It's gonna feel extremely odd to refer to N64, PS1 and DC as "retro." I feel like I was still buying new releases for those just yesterday! :/