Current terminology

[opt2not]

I've been noticing with the insurgence of older games becoming re-popularized lately,  a lot of people have been using "Retro" as a term to describe games from the 8 and 16bit era of gaming. Even the N64 has fallin' into that grouping.

I always thought Retro described games from the arcade era, primarily the early 80's.

If NES and SNES is retro, then what do you call games before that?  Classics?  Relics?  ANCIENTS??

It's an interesting conversation blip, especially when you're talking to someone who's in their 20's. I never really know if they're talking about the retro I'm thinking, or if N64 is what they're considering as being retro.

What are your thoughts on this?

[hypernova]

That's what happen as the river of time flows.  Eventually a PS3 will be considered "retro".

It's akin to the question of what will the "oldies" be on the radio in another 30 years?  The same stuff, or will it be Eminem?

[newmanfamilyvlogs]

The first time I heard metallica on the classic rock station I've listened to for years I almost ran off the road.

Retro is a moving target. One day crysis will run in an emulator on a phone.

[Ed_McCarron]

Current terminology

Amps.

[Hoopz]

Amps.

Acoustic.

[Mikezilla]

The first time I heard metallica on the classic rock station I've listened to for years I almost ran off the road.

Retro is a moving target. One day crysis will run in an emulator on a phone.

Holy god, I thought THE SAME THING. It just happened a few days ago. Enter Sandman was on the classic rock station. I almost simulatenously barfed and ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- my pants. The rest of the day sucked... Metallica is my favorite band of all time and hearing them on the same channel my mom listens too just made me sad all day. 

[newmanfamilyvlogs]

The first time I heard metallica on the classic rock station I've listened to for years I almost ran off the road.

Retro is a moving target. One day crysis will run in an emulator on a phone.

Holy god, I thought THE SAME THING. It just happened a few days ago. Enter Sandman was on the classic rock station. I almost simulatenously barfed and ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- my pants. The rest of the day sucked... Metallica is my favorite band of all time and hearing them on the same channel my mom listens too just made me sad all day. 

I guess you thought it would be the day that never comes?

[Vigo]

If NES and SNES is retro, then what do you call games before that?  Classics?  Relics?  ANCIENTS??

I would call the earliest of arcade video games 'Vintage' (Pong, Computer Space, Deathrace). When the 80's arcade video games hit, I would use 'Retro' for those games.

8 and 16 bit console games are not retro in my book. I would call them 'classic'.

N64? I would call that 'Past-Gen'. 

[Mikezilla]

The first time I heard metallica on the classic rock station I've listened to for years I almost ran off the road.

Retro is a moving target. One day crysis will run in an emulator on a phone.

Holy god, I thought THE SAME THING. It just happened a few days ago. Enter Sandman was on the classic rock station. I almost simulatenously barfed and ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- my pants. The rest of the day sucked... Metallica is my favorite band of all time and hearing them on the same channel my mom listens too just made me sad all day. 

I guess you thought it would be the day that never comes?

See, thats just ANOTHER reason why you are cool. 

For everyone else, thats funny because "The day that never comes" is a Metallica song. 

[shateredsoul]

3 years ago I was working at an Elementary school and I asked the kids "Do you know what Nintendo is?" They stared at me for a while with blank faces (because to them it's a brand, not a system).  Then I said, you know.. the old Nintendo? One kid yelled, "Oh I know! You mean Nintendo 64!"

 

*edit* also, when Mega Man collection came out I saw an 11 year old playing it at a kiosk at gamestop. He was watching his brother play who said he hated it. But his brother responded, "How could you hate it! Mega Man I a classic!", then the little kid responded, "I don't care, it still sucks!"

I would consider Nintendo retro, If it's before nintendo it's still retro only if it was in the arcade (not consoles.. that's too old).

According to google: Retro is a culturally outdated or aged style, trend, mode, or fashion, from the overall postmodern past, but have since that time become functionally or superficially the norm once again

To me, any console before nintendo has not become functional or the norm again. Wii and these virtual consoles has made anything as old as nintendo "cool" again (the exception being good older arcade games).

I think any home console before Nintendo isn't even played by most kids . I played atari after getting Nintendo, I didn't understand what to do at all as a kid. NES games and beyond are still easy to pick up, colecovision, atari, and all that stuff still confuses me sometimes! So how do I capture the cow? So that block is a knight and that duck/seahorse is a dragon? and how the hell do I throw the basket ball!! and why are there so many buttons!  Most atari games were in the arcade anyways, so you can play a better version in those classic collections.

[Gray_Area]

The first time I heard metallica on the classic rock station I've listened to for years I almost ran off the road.

Holy god, I thought THE SAME THING. It just happened a few days ago. Enter Sandman was on the classic rock station....

If that were Metallica, yes it would be sad.

I would call the earliest of arcade video games 'Vintage' (Pong, Computer Space, Deathrace). When the 80's arcade video games hit, I would use 'Retro' for those games.

8 and 16 bit console games are not retro in my book. I would call them 'classic'.

Consoles are just consoles, perhaps followed by the year or period of years.

3 years ago I was working at an Elementary school and I asked the kids "Do you know what Nintendo is?" They stared at me for a while with blank faces (because to them it's a brand, not a system).  Then I said, you know.. the old Nintendo? One kid yelled, "Oh I know! You mean Nintendo 64!"

On Halloween I was at a bar where I saw a group who were done up in Nintendo Mario world costumes. I asked the girl dressed up as Luigi what games they played, and by her response it seemed like none of them knew what Donkey Kong was.

[hypernova]

For everyone else, thats funny because "The day that never comes" is a Metallica song. 

Tsk tsk.  The joke loses its humor when you explain it! 

[Howard_Casto]

Actually the term Retro is quantifiable.  Anything older than 20 years is retro.  Mind you the term isn't officially given a time limit, but genreally speaking when something is around 20 years old or older it is considered "RETRO" judging by when most people use the word. 

So the nes is retro as is the snes.  N64 and more modern systems aren't retro yet.  That being said, unless the the item in question is really old (say more than 35-40 years) it's still retro.  So classic arcade games would still be retro as well.

Of course games from the mid to early 70's are getting into that really old category.  They could be considered vintage or classic. 

Again, none of this is set in stone, but these numbers are based on when people start using the terms in our hobby in particular. 

[Mikezilla]

For everyone else, thats funny because "The day that never comes" is a Metallica song. 

Tsk tsk.  The joke loses its humor when you explain it! 

That was for the people who didnt get it, but I know what you mean. If you were reading down, you would have seen cotmm's post first anyway. 

[Vigo]

Actually the term Retro is quantifiable.  Anything older than 20 years is retro.  Mind you the term isn't officially given a time limit, but genreally speaking when something is around 20 years old or older it is considered "RETRO" judging by when most people use the word. 

So the nes is retro as is the snes.  N64 and more modern systems aren't retro yet.  That being said, unless the the item in question is really old (say more than 35-40 years) it's still retro.  So classic arcade games would still be retro as well.

Of course games from the mid to early 70's are getting into that really old category.  They could be considered vintage or classic. 

Again, none of this is set in stone, but these numbers are based on when people start using the terms in our hobby in particular. 

Not to argue semantics, but going by the 20 year rule, I would argue that NES and SNES are not quite yet retro. Since retro means that it has culturally fallen out of popularity, then the end of the NES and SNES's popularity would be the marking point, not the beginning. The NES didn't fall out of fashion until the SNES and Genesis became the norm in the early 90's. SNES didn't really fall out until the Playstation and N64 hit the scenes in the mid-90's. You could say that that games like Super Mario Bros. are retro, but on a whole, I would say the NES has another year or so of not being retro, SNES has at least 5 years. 

[Frigo]

I'm gonna be 30 this year. My son's name is Frigo Jr. Does this make me Frigo Classic?

[opt2not]

I'm gonna be 30 this year. My son's name is Frigo Jr. Does this make me Frigo Classic?

Or Vintage Frigo?
 

[Frigo]

I'm gonna be 30 this year. My son's name is Frigo Jr. Does this make me Frigo Classic?

Or Vintage Frigo?
 

I think that only applies if I call my son Frigo64

[Blanka]

I think the iPhone should be retro. Damn having that phone makes one boring....

[Cakemeister]

If that were Metallica, yes it would be sad.

Yep, sad but true.

[newmanfamilyvlogs]

If that were Metallica, yes it would be sad.

Yep, sad but true.

I was hoping I wouldn't have to say it

[Mikezilla]

 

[shateredsoul]

yeah... I remember "flash back 80s weekends", now they have "flash back 90s weekends".  I'm surprised which bands from the 90s are still popular today, green day anyone? blink 182 anyone?

[WhereEaglesDare]

1 - Green Day and Blink 182 are huge sellouts
2 - The SNES isn't 20 years old yet (not in the new world anyways)...  Genesis however is.
3 - Frigo is not Retro
4 - Who cares?!

[shateredsoul]

1 - Green Day and Blink 182 are huge sellouts
2 - The SNES isn't 20 years old yet (not in the new world anyways)...  Genesis however is.
3 - Frigo is not Retro
4 - Who cares?!

yes, and to me they weren't that good to begin with.. that's why I'm surprised they're popular still and releasing new music.

[Marsupial]

[WhereEaglesDare]

Indeed.

BTTF Logic trumps all others!

[Frigo]

1 - Green Day and Blink 182 are huge sellouts
2 - The SNES isn't 20 years old yet (not in the new world anyways)...  Genesis however is.
3 - Frigo is not Retro
4 - Who cares?!

Aw. 

[Vigo]

1 - Green Day and Blink 182 are huge sellouts
2 - The SNES isn't 20 years old yet (not in the new world anyways)...  Genesis however is.
3 - Frigo is not Retro
4 - Who cares?!

Aw. 

Hey, at least you aren't a sellout. 

[WhereEaglesDare]

1 - Green Day and Blink 182 are huge sellouts
2 - The SNES isn't 20 years old yet (not in the new world anyways)...  Genesis however is.
3 - Frigo is not Retro
4 - Who cares?!

Aw. 

Hey, at least you aren't a sellout. 

Yet

[Gray_Area]

If that were Metallica, yes it would be sad.

Yep, sad but true.

I was hoping I wouldn't have to say it

But tasty enough.

Green Day and Blink 182 didn't make good music till they started getting popular. Good grief, punk was at least 15 years old by then.

[Howard_Casto]

Not to argue semantics, but going by the 20 year rule, I would argue that NES and SNES are not quite yet retro. Since retro means that it has culturally fallen out of popularity, then the end of the NES and SNES's popularity would be the marking point, not the beginning. The NES didn't fall out of fashion until the SNES and Genesis became the norm in the early 90's. SNES didn't really fall out until the Playstation and N64 hit the scenes in the mid-90's. You could say that that games like Super Mario Bros. are retro, but on a whole, I would say the NES has another year or so of not being retro, SNES has at least 5 years. 

I don't think anyone has said that retro means something has to culturally fall out of popularity.  "The 20 year rule" applies to 20 years from the original release date and/or the height of the items popularity.  The NES came out in 85 and was a run-away hit from day 1... ditto with the snes.  The snes was released around 91' (yeah yeah 92 outside of japan) so you could argue on that one, but again nothings set in stone and the system is "around" 20 years old and it's popularity wasn't as lasting as the nes.

I don't see how anyone could deny the nes's retro status, it parctically invented the term for modern pop-culture.

[Q*Bert_OP]

If that were Metallica, yes it would be sad.

Yep, sad but true.

 

[Frigo]

1 - Green Day and Blink 182 are huge sellouts
2 - The SNES isn't 20 years old yet (not in the new world anyways)...  Genesis however is.
3 - Frigo is not Retro
4 - Who cares?!

Aw. 

Hey, at least you aren't a sellout. 

Yet

It's true; I can be bought and sold as long as the price is right. Just ask this guy: