We’re all partial to a bit of nostalgia – and the world of gaming is no different. While there are major blockbusters and showstopping games topping the charts, there’s a real appetite for our old favourites. 

Whether you loved nothing more than competing with your best friend in a game of Street Fighter or you were strictly a platform fan who whiled away the time levelling up in Super Mario World and Sonic, you might want to join gamers in reigniting their love of everything retro. 

Here’s a look at why these games from the past are being played in the present and where you can play them. 

Why we’re going retro

The games of today are incredibly detailed. There are CGI-enhanced worlds with never-ending puzzles to unlock.

When it was first released in 2018, Red Dead Redemption 2 had been a long time coming. It first went into production in 2010 during the development of its predecessor, Red Dead Redemption. A team of around 1,600 people worked on this sequel, and every detail was painstakingly considered, from the different scenarios and story arcs to the sunlight shining through a character’s ear. 

There’s none of this detail in the games of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Instead, there are wonky graphics, simple soundtracks, and endearing characters. There’s none of the realism we see in games today – and this escape to a simpler time seems to be the driving force behind the revival of some of these older games. 

As well as recapturing our youth, there’s a comforting feeling that we can get from returning to games we know. The world has changed a lot in the last 18 months, and with uncertainty around what comes next, going back in time can be a reassuring feeling. 

How to play

So, if you want to go back in time and step away from the latest games for a little while, how can you do it? Here are some ways to go retro. 

• PC

Steam is an ideal option if you want to play these retro games on a PC. Alternatively, you could invest in an emulator, which is software that simulates the hardware of an original console. This gives your computer a means of opening and running these older games. You’ll also need a ROM, which is a ripped copy of the game cartridge or disc that you’d have used on your console when you were younger. 

• Raspberry Pi 

Those who make emulators have been able to get retro games running on Raspberry Pi-based systems. They tend to do this with emulation programmes such as RetroArch.

Those who spend time tinkering on Raspberry Pi are more likely to be successful at creating their own games consoles, but there are plenty of opportunities for novices to try their hand too. 

• Original consoles

Of course, you might already have the original console tucked away in your attic. If you can track down the cartridges to accompany this, you could be onto a winner. Should you have the originals, it’s worth checking to see if they’re fully operational before you head online to see if there are any for sale. 

Will you go back in time and break out The Legend of Zelda? Maybe you’ll try to play that unbelievably complicated Ghostbusters game that you could never complete when you had the SEGA Master System?  

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