What counts as retro these days anyway? It still kind of blows my mind that some people consider the PS3 / 360 retro now.
If forced to choose one retro console forever what would you choose and why?
Submitted 11 months ago by Altomes@lemm.ee to retrogaming@lemmy.world
Comments
Chobbes@lemmy.world 11 months ago
otp@sh.itjust.works 11 months ago
I can understand the PS360 argument. It was probably the last generation where most games were actually playable off the disc without a bunch of patches.
With how common DLC and stuff was becoming that generation, though, I feel like it’s sort of a soft boundary for retro. I can equally accept retro being anything before the PS360, or before/including that generation.
I don’t look forward to the days where “retro gaming” refers to “any console with physical releases at all”.
TwilightVulpine@lemmy.world 11 months ago
It doesn’t feel right to count the that generation as retro, for reasons like GTA 5, which was initially released for those consoles, yet it’s still considered a current game, with no significant overhaul beyond graphical fidelity. It’s the greatest example of how games haven’t drastically evolved since then.
Compared to the jump from SNES to N64 and PS1, or from PS1 to PS3, we haven’t had any major breakthrough, just moderate incremental improvement.
SilentStorms@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 months ago
I mean it makes sense, I remember around 2006 everyone referred to the SNES as “retro” and no one questioned it. That’s a smaller time gap than 360 era to now.
Chobbes@lemmy.world 11 months ago
For sure, though I think a couple of things make it weird to me. Games changed a lot more in that early period, I think. Plus a lot of games in the PS3 / 360 era seem to just get rereleased slightly differently every few years which kind of makes it seem like we never left that generation.
ann3nova@lemmy.world 11 months ago
15 years for me. :)
Chobbes@lemmy.world 11 months ago
That seems reasonable, but oof it makes me feel old lol.
GustavoM@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Videogames (also) do get “older” so the “retro” bar tends to raise.
PhantomPhreak@lemmy.world 11 months ago
SNES. Other than the wide variety of top level games, the controller felt very good in the hand, with just the right amount of buttons, in the right places.
NewNewAccount@lemmy.world 11 months ago
FYI, retro means something new with inspiration from the past. The word you’re looking for is vintage.
Setting that aside, it’s gotta be the SNES. The games from that generation have aged far more gracefully than the early 3d games of the fifth and sixth generation consoles.
JTStrikesBack@lemm.ee 11 months ago
The Retro/Vintage thing drives me crazy. Not that I mind words altering their meaning over time, that’s just a fact of language. But searching for things when the two words are used interchangeably half the time is a chore 😂 From what I’ve seen, other hobbies do it a bit better than video games do.
But I’m going to completely agree with the SNES. Early 3D aged so horribly, if you ask me. As much as I loved my N64 back in the day, it is easily my least used console and mostly just collects dust.
DarkMetatron@feddit.de 11 months ago
In german this differentiation is only valid for furniture (and sometimes clothing), everything else is always just Retro. 😮💨 People are unwilling to change their minds on that. I had that discussion often enough to give up and just accept it. Sometimes neo-retro is used for inspired new stuff, seems to be easier to create new words the to use the correct ones it seems. 😫
GunValkyrie@lemmy.world 11 months ago
I’m sad no one else has said Dreamcast.
skullone@sh.itjust.works 11 months ago
To the top with ye!!!
whoisearth@lemmy.ca 11 months ago
Best console ever.
Sabin10@lemmy.world 11 months ago
I’d still take the snes but DC is my second choice since I’m a big fan of fighting games
nonfuinoncuro@lemm.ee 11 months ago
I could probably play soul calibur and powerstone forever
Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Definitely SNES. A few years ago I might have said N64, but I’ve realized that there were very few good games for the 64.
Sabin10@lemmy.world 11 months ago
The 5th gen consoles are a great time capsule of everything developers didn’t understand about 3d gaming. If you don’t have a strong sense of nostalgia for them, most of the games aren’t worth bothering with and even the ones that still hold up were mostly dead ne better on the 6th gen consoles.
The fact that most of the great 2d games were intentionally withheld from the North American market is a real shame since the ps1 and Saturn were amazing at 2d.
Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world 11 months ago
If Atari was the infancy of video games, then the N64 must be the awkward puberty years.
Nacktmull@lemm.ee 11 months ago
ook_the_librarian@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Nacktmull@lemm.ee 11 months ago
Nice counter, lol
iheartneopets@lemm.ee 11 months ago
Is the PS2 old enough yet to be considered retro? That would be my pick, if so.
LifeOfChance@lemmy.world 11 months ago
I dont want to accept it however I’m pretty sure that it is considered retro. I would also pick ps2 not only does it have an massive library of games but there are alot of insanely good ones
iheartneopets@lemm.ee 11 months ago
Yeah, some of my favorites of all time are PS2 games. Plus, not only does it have a huge library on its own, but it can play PS1 games as well
Tippon@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 months ago
Super Nintendo, or SNES. The Mario and Zelda games were great, and so was Mario Kart, but there were loads of great third party games too, like Castlevania and Super Probotector (Contra?).
Gradually_Adjusting@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Same - how could I turn my back on the system that gave us Earthbound, Chrono Trigger, Metal Combat, Mega Man X?
Nipah@kbin.social 11 months ago
I suppose it depends on how much I can bend the rules...
If I'm allowed to use the console only 'as-is', then probably the Nintendo DS. This gives me DS games (which are great), but also GBA games as well (though you'll miss out on GBC/GB games, which is a bit sad); this also nets you a smattering of NES/SNES ports as well, so that's nice. But most importantly, it gets me Chrono Trigger and a bunch of my favorite Castlevania games all in one place (sad that SotN doesn't get here, but...)
If I'm allowed to use the console with no hold's barred, then Playstation Vita. Mod that little sucker and you've got access to a ton of stuff... PSV games obviously, but emulated PS1, PSP, GBA, GBC, GB, NES, SNES, and Genesis (and maybe more, I don't think I've tried any others though) as well.
SVcross@lemmy.world 11 months ago
GBA. Most games are very solid, and even the top 200 are great.
caseyweederman@lemmy.ca 11 months ago
Plus it’s compatible with every DMG and CGB game.
Kolanaki@yiffit.net 11 months ago
Amiga or Commodore 64. If I get bored of the games already around, I can just program my own!
ace_garp@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Oh yeah, Amiga ftw.
So much gold.
HipsterTenZero@dormi.zone 11 months ago
Does a personal computer count as retro? im going with that one
yamanii@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Doesn’t count as console though.
caseyweederman@lemmy.ca 11 months ago
Commodore 64
oxideseven@lemmy.ca 11 months ago
SNES or PS1. Tough call either way. So many games that really did it for me on both of those. I haven’t cared about consoles since really.
Mini_Moonpie@startrek.website 11 months ago
Does Wii U with its entire eShop count as a retro console? Because, despite being unpopular, it had a lot of games from a lot of past Nintendo consoles.
Glemek@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Given that it is nintendo’s next most recent console, I don’t think it does. An arguement could be made for the wii though, and I think that had an even more extensive virtual console
ExfilBravo@lemmy.world 11 months ago
PS1 had a bunch of bangers. or N64
yamanii@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Probably a PC-engine, been discovering it’s library and it’s extremely pleasing for a weeb.
elbarto777@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Its* library.
nefarious@kbin.social 11 months ago
Can I pick a PC? x86 is retro, right? /joke
But seriously, probably the PS2. Mainly because it's the only console I got as a kid and also because it's the last console before games and consoles started wanting to phone home over the Internet. I have PS3 games that I'm pretty sure are permanently hampered or unplayable because their servers are offline, but I feel confident I can still boot any PS2 game I own and play it without issues.
MajorHavoc@lemmy.world 11 months ago
I’m gonna cheat on a technicality, and say “Evercade” which is still getting new cartridge releases. It’s retro, but not vintage.
If I had to go vintage…probably the SNES for multiplayer, but it would hurt a lot not to pick the Gameboy SP.
ShitOnABrick@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Xbox 360 if that’s to young then prehaps the PS2 or gameboy
killeronthecorner@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Hearing the 360 referred to as retro physically pains me
elbarto777@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Too* young.
knF@lemmy.world 11 months ago
New 3DS XL. Great screen(s), great battery, great emulation capability and great native games.
Secret300@sh.itjust.works 11 months ago
I got a new 2ds xl and I gotta say, it’s ass. I have fun with Kingdom hearts, monster hunter, and smash bros. Mario kart gets boring and every other game is in this dumb chibi art style. Every jrpg.
knF@lemmy.world 11 months ago
I found Xenoblade absolutely impressive under all aspects. Zelda is fantastic, FF EX, Dragonquest… all with their distinctive art style and mechanics
But what really stuns me are the emulation capabilities. You can play all Nintendo portable games at ease + a ton of home console of the '90s and before and all in your pocket
Aatube@kbin.social 11 months ago
Great menu, great cfw…
SidewaysHighways@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Does wii count? Hacked with all emulators and virtual console stuff downloaded.
That allows one to play pretty much everything good up to wii sports and stuff, lots of options
deus@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Would be my choice as well. The Wii had an amazing library by itself and could also play GC games out of the box, it’s a pretty good deal even without hacks.
specseaweed@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Original NES. Mario 1, 2, 3. Just about every 1st party game was legendary, but the sports games were great too. There have never been better arcade versions of their sports than Tecmo Bowl and Baseball Stars. Then there was the amazing 3rd party support. Everything from Jaws to Jackal to Top Gun to Maniac Mansion. Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, and on and on.
No brained. NES.
dhork@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Personally, I would prefer the N64 to the SNES. I think I could still spend months just playing Goldeneye and that Star Wars game.
qyron@sopuli.xyz 11 months ago
Mega Drive
I still have mine.
km3k@lemmy.world 11 months ago
I’d have to go with one of the kings of backwards compatibility to have a huge library; the original PS3 for its PS1/PS2 backwards compatibility, GBA SP for its GB/GBC backwards compatibility, or Wii U for its Wii and Virtual Console compatibility.
randomthin2332@lemmy.world 11 months ago
At some point, all consoles will be retro consoles :p
!Gameboy Advance, just so many great games I’m still to play!<
caseyweederman@lemmy.ca 11 months ago
Specifically AGS101 for the better backlight. I’d say DMG because that’s my favorite, but with the GBA line, I don’t have to pick.
papagoose08@lemmy.world 11 months ago
ColecoVision.
nomecks@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Pong machine.
B0NK3RS@lemmy.world 11 months ago
It’s a close call but I would pick the original PlayStation. It still gets regular action to this day and I’ve barely scratched the surface of the games library.
m_r_butts@kbin.social 11 months ago
Asked differently, "what console did you have as a kid?"
NoIWontPickaName@kbin.social 11 months ago
Nah, I had each of them and the SNES was best. Super Mario World, karts, RPG’s.
No SMB3 though :(
m_r_butts@kbin.social 11 months ago
Do you mean it didn't exist, or that you didn't have it? Because SMB3 on Super Mario All-Stars for SNES is how I most often play it.