How Old Does a Game Need To Be To Qualify as Retro?

As one of the leading online and physical video game shops in California, Fair Game answers hundreds of questions from novices and self-published game journalists every month about the nature of video game-related merchandise and consoles. The most popular inquiry we get from collectors is, “How old does a game need to be to qualify as retro?” We receive many variations of this question, such as “What is considered retro gaming?” and “What makes a console retro?”

In this explainer, our experts will detail the cultural and technical components responsible for putting video games and their respective merchandise in the retro category. We will also provide a concise definition of retro gaming because we know time passes faster in the video game industry, and triple-A releases from last year could feel considerably older than some PS3 games in the collective memory of our shoppers.

What Is Retro Gaming?

Many video game writers and directors have an affinity for a time they consider the golden age of video games when triple-A studios did not make games to make millions from microtransactions, and Valve was still a gaming company. Retro-style games like Cuphead, with its 50s Walt Disney aesthetic, or Stardew Valley, with its 8-bit presentation similar to Harvest Moon, are now multi-awarded classics despite coming out post-2016.

Many video game editors and streamers put these games in the same league as Contra, a run-and-gun Konami classic similar to Cuphead, or SimCity, one of the first city-building simulators from 1989. Players don’t need a new system to play retro-style video games because they don’t require high-end CPU and GPU capabilities, unlike games from well-known franchises like Titanfall or Battlefield, which are slowly fading into irrelevance. Some gamers say Cuphead and Stardew Valley can run on Pentium processors from over a decade ago with a few tweaks to their codes.

For this article, our experts will focus on authentic retro games, a category composed of titles, consoles, and related merchandise that have withstood the test of time despite being released decades ago. Some of these games are seeing a resurgence due to the market shift to handheld consoles that feature more limited graphical and computing capabilities.

Titles like Animal Crossing, which had an original release date over two decades ago in 2001, and Mario Kart, a nearly 30-year-old franchise, are given new life through Nintendo Switch and iOS releases. We will not consider them retro games, even if their makers come out with remixed and remastered versions. However, we would still throw their original versions released on now-outmoded consoles into the retro gaming category.

What Is Considered Retro?

An essential part of answering the question “How old does a game need to be to qualify as retro?” is defining the term retro, which can be tricky because of the subjectivity of time. The video game industry is massive, and as electronic devices become more powerful, varied, and affordable, more young people are becoming dedicated players. According to an analysis from WePC, the global gaming market cap will surpass $90 billion in 2021, with 75% of American households featuring at least one gamer.

Research from the Entertainment Software Association reveals the average age of the American male gamer is 33, composing 52% of the over 215 million professional and casual players across the country. Female gamers prefer mobile consoles over tabletop models, laptops, and PCs, and they are around the same age, too. Most gamers are late Baby Boomers and Millennials who will share the market equally with Gen Z members in one or two decades.

For Gen Z gamers, titles like Left4Dead, World of Warcraft, and even the original Borderlands are retro games because they had release dates before half of their generation was born. However, Millennial players remember the releases of these games on Steam like yesterday, and many are still active players and contributors to their online modding communities.

So, to answer the question, “What is a retro game?” our experts will stick to a definition that currently applies to the age group of most active gamers today. Titles with an original release date over 15 years ago qualify as retro. The list includes most games Millennials grew up playing during the PlayStation 2 era, such as GTA: San Andreas and Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty.

Retro Console Definition

Retro consoles do not share a definition with retro games because software codes and game engines can be revamped, reconfigured, and re-released. Consoles have a maximum lifespan of only 10-13 years.

The original versions of retro games like RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic, Grim Fandango, and Max Payne now have iOS and Android compatibility without changes to character design, graphics, and gameplay. However, consoles like the SNES, Sega Genesis, and GameCube have had no new games from niche and independent makers for the past few decades. Most of our readers fell in love with these devices growing up, but they are now relics of forgotten eras.

Some systems like the Vectrex, Commodore 64, and Sega MegaDrive have seen releases like Frontier from niche studios as late as 2019. We still consider these devices retro because consumption and fanfare around their games comprise a percentage of the overall market that is so small that it’s almost nominal. However, the new games people play on them are not retro but only retro-styled, similar to Undertale, a 16-bit title like the 1985 version of Super Mario Bros., but with a 2015 release date.

The Three Hottest Retro Consoles on the Market

Retro consoles have a faithful following among gamers and enthusiasts who want to preserve a time when gaming was an honest yet downtrodden pastime. Until the early 2010s, console gamers and PC builders had to take a lot of flak from their peers for being unathletic dorks. Today, the most popular movies are comic book titles, and video gaming is the most profitable industry in the world.

At Fair Game, we are proud to be the number one seller and reseller of titles, parts, and accessories for retro consoles that are still hot on the market. The following are some of the most sought-after retro consoles in California.

The NES Classic Edition

The NES Classic Edition is the most influential video game console of all time, according to IGN, having been the birthplace of game-changing titles like The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Bros., and Metroid. The NES Classic Edition is known as the Famicom (short for “Family Computer”) in several East Asian markets. We receive many local and international orders for parts like controllers and cartridges that allow nostalgic gamers to relive their childhood.

Nintendo re-released the NES Classic Edition in a limited production run in 2018, featuring a library of 30 games, HDMI capability, a USB power adaptor, and two vintage controllers. They called it the NES Classic Mini, and gamers consider it a collector’s item, selling for as much as $220 per unit on the gray market.

You May Find This Helpful: How Much Is An Original Nintendo Worth?

The MegaDrive Mini or the Sega Genesis

The Sega Genesis was responsible for sparking the gaming tech wars of the early 90s, producing a rivalry with Nintendo that overshadowed Intel vs. AMD and Samsung vs. Apple. The Sega Genesis offers a library of games that outpaces the NES Classic by 12 titles, with iconic original releases like Sonic the Hedgehog. Many gamers attempt to evoke the experience offered by the Sega Genesis by using emulators on PCs and Android phones, but nothing can match the original.

The Original PlayStation

The first iteration of the PlayStation was responsible for making Sony, until then popular only as an audio giant, a viable player in the gaming market. It is the most iconic 32-bit gaming console from the 90s, featuring innovative controls and environmental animations for titles like Tomb Raider, Crash Bandicoot, and Final Fantasy VII.

The demand for the original PlayStation in the mid-2020s was high enough for Sony to re-release it as the PlayStation Classic, with 20 pre-installed games, including Ridge Racer Type 4, Tekken 3, and Metal Gear Solid.

Contact Fair Game Today for More Information About Retro Games and Equipment

So, to answer the question, “How old does a game need to be to qualify as retro?” our answer is 15 years, but that definition could change over time as companies put out greater technologies and games at faster paces. For more information about retro games, contact our experts at Fair Game Retro today by contacting us before making a purchase.