What Counts as Retro?

[Damrabbit]

...Like when will the dc be counted,its no longer made or is it just down to the length of time its been out of production and if thats the case does the jaguar count,I am only asking as this forum seems to be concentrating on 8-bit and 16-bit machines and i think if we want to keep this section it ought to be widend a bit 8)

[MD]

Retro is technically any console that doesn't have mainstreme games released on it anymore.

So Dreamcast isn't Retro as Sega of Japan still release games on the DC (well Third Parties do anyway...), but the Nintendo 64 can count as Retro as all game developement has ceased since the last game came out last year!

Classic Retro is anything pre 1982 (pre-spectrum)
Retro is 1982 to 1987 (pre PC Engine)
Neo Classic is 1987 to 1994 (pre Saturn)
Modern Retro is 1994 to 2002 (pre Dreamcast. )

Hope that helps.

[lordcookie]

I would agree with MD, the problem arises when you start discussing the neo geo though.
Although the new games for it cant be classed as retro, surely the ones released earlier on it's life should be.

[Treble]

I suppose you'd say the AES is a retro machine with some retro games, but is also a 'current' platform with 'current' games. It defies description, really.

[Streets Of Rage]

I just work it on age so if its hard to find new or 2nd hand now then i class it as retro, thats why i put my ff7 thread in here as i never see it around anymore, not omcplinaing btw just adding my thoughts to the matter!!!

[Mayhem]

I'd almost argue that Classic Retro was anything before 1983/4 (ie. pre crash)... then you get into the realms of 8 bit retro and neo classic...

[Afterbirth]

Retro is what it is (and somewhat relative).
What maybe Retro to me (mainly 1982 onwards) will be postively dull to a young gamer today (which by the time they reach 30 - GT3 will be retro).

To me - Retro is that nostalgic felling of everything that was something back then.
The memories induced whilst playing the games and remembering the arcades.

I was lucky to be born in an era when the Microprocessor was developing in to new and wild games.
When the arcades were booming and the medium of the computer was a growing child and genius revolution.
These births rarely happen but i'd like to think this one was for the best.
Whilst i hung on, i enjoyed immensley.
Those days are in my mind and sometimes i want to be there again, but alas, those days are gone.
Just revisted through the alleys of my mind.

That is Retro.

[Ish]

I agree with pretty much all of what Afterbirth has to say. Its all about the 'feel' of the console to the individual. For example neither my DC or my N64 feel retro to me whereas my SNES and MegaDrive do.