Nostalgia is a powerful emotion. It can leave you feeling happy, excited, and even sad.
At certain points in history, individuals experiencing it were sometimes punished, considered social liabilities, and unfit to participate in normal society.
Fortunately, nostalgia isn’t something you can be persecuted for anymore! This post’s intention is to explore one particular area of video gaming that leaves many millennials feeling extremely nostalgic: Retro games.
Many people born in the last two decades have even reported feeling nostalgic for retro gaming even though they weren’t around when it was brand new.
Keep reading to find out why retro gaming is as magical and captivating as it is.
Much Simpler Times
Retro games take a lot of us back to when life was simpler. Rather than logging onto a computer or booting up game consoles, teenagers used to flock to arcades and gather around, playing amusement machines in the company of others. Nowadays gamers tend to play alone in the comfort of their homes, and while gaming alone is a much more immersive experience, it’s also one that leaves many young people feeling detached from society as a whole.
Back when video arcades were a thing, you would make friends in them, getting to know people from all walks of life, all your age, all sharing your passion for gaming.
Video arcades were not without their faults and could sometimes be dangerous, but they were fun and have largely been abandoned by many young people today, though this does seem to be changing.
More and more people are starting to put down their games controllers and go out to arcades and other public gaming spaces such as e-gaming tournaments, where they are able to play with other people and make real friends.
If you are interested in going to a retro gaming arcade but feel like you’re too old, you may be surprised to learn that many arcades are marketed to adults, not children.
This is because of how powerful nostalgia can be! Adults like to relive their childhoods and while going to arcades an adult might feel a little immature, many adult-centered arcades have open bars and restaurants.
If you live in a small town it’s unlikely that there will be any arcades in your area but you’ll probably be able to find some in the nearest big city.
Bringing Back Memories
Retro games can be a great way to bring back memories of your youth, when things were simpler, as noted above.
If you’re interested in playing retro games because you want to feel nostalgic, you’ll be pleased to know that the vast majority of popular retro games have been indexed on the internet.
You may need to download some kind of emulator in order to be able to place them on your computer, however.
Alternatively, you could buy the games you used to play and the console that you used to play them with, i.e., the Nintendo 64.
Retro consoles can cost a lot of money and are not the cheapest things to buy.
However, you’ll also be pleased to know that you can typically pick them up and pay for them as part of financial arrangements, paying monthly installments rather than for everything all at once.
If you plan on buying a console online, make sure that you conduct extensive online research and get one from a reliable, trusted vendor.
A vendor’s reviews can tell you everything you need to know about them and help you decide if they are the right one for you.
Keeping You Engaged
The good thing about retro video games is that they can help you to get more engaged and involved with things.
Many people’s time is spent idly on social media, doing nothing of substance. While playing retro video games isn’t necessarily productive, it is a good way to enjoy yourself and can be very entertaining.
As long as you’re happy spending time by yourself, then retro video games are great. Again: Make sure that you find video games that you like playing.
Do not play ones that do not interest you or that bore you (or caused you a great deal of stress when you were younger).
It’s important to also note that if you find video games are consuming all of your time, you should give them a break.
Do not make the mistake of getting addicted to them. Because video games allow you to be anyone and go anywhere without restriction, it can lead to addiction.
Make sure that you prioritize your real life instead of constantly playing games. Video games are only good in moderation.
If you get too addicted to them then this could cause serious problems for you. There are online services that you can use to help work through your addiction.
Home Entertainment
One of the main reasons that retro video games have become as popular as they are again is because they give people something to do with their spare time.
As mentioned above, retro video games can be very fun. If you are interested in using them for home entertainment and have never played retro games before, make sure that you conduct extensive online research and find the best games that you can.
There are indexes, referenced earlier, that contain information about each and every retro video game ever released.
There are lots of websites giving away popular retro games for free. These sites are fraudulent and should be avoided.
Using them can actually get you into trouble. People have been fined in the past for pirating retro games.
The only time it is allowed to download a retro game for free is if the studio’s license has expired and they are openly allowing people to use their products free of charge.
You should research the particular game you are interested in playing before downloading it just to make sure that it does have an expired license. Don’t just take the word of the site offering it.
The bottom line
Retro games can be a magical, nostalgic experience. If you are interested in playing them, make sure that you find a good website to buy or download them from, and also consider getting yourself an old console.
Retro games consoles can be expensive so you may want to buy them as part of a finance plan.
