At what age did you become a retro gamer?

[Luke]

I didn't really become a retro gamer so much as I never quit playing my old games.
...
As I see it, I'm just a gamer (and collector).

Me too.

[gtmtnbiker]

I was born a retro gamer...

Same here. I grew up with Pong/Atari/Asteroids.

[Thierry Henry]

I never lost the instant pick-up-and-play fun that consoles of yesteryear used to/and still provide me.
To me that's a big part of why I love the retro stuff.
And also I guess the "uniqueness" of each system. That's something that you don't find so much nowadays.

[Nemoide]

I've always been "behind the times" more often than not. I keep playing my old consoles even after they've been discontinued. It also takes me a while to buy a new console - I usually wait for price drops, which usually results in my jumping on the previous generation right when it's ending.

[harper]

Like many have said, for the most part I've just always played what I grew up with. And of course there have been times that I've explored other systems/games that I didn't experience as a kid.

It wasn't until 2008 that I acquired a PS2 and Wii (only because they were given to me) and very recently that I actually started buying games for the "newer" systems (by that I mean PS2, Gamecube, Wii). For whatever reason I've just never been really hip on the current gen stuff (not that I have anything against it, I just can't catch up haha).

[sevin0seven]

when i knew that i rather play the game of the 80s/90s instead of the next gen.....and when i look at my game room.

[fastbilly1]

I didn't really become a retro gamer so much as I never quit playing my old games.

Same. We took our NES with us on vacation up until 2000ish even with other consoles. There has always been atleast one NES in the house since we got ours way back when.

[Blu]

Like CFFJR, Apple Queso, Luke, Harper, and everyone else said--it's refreshing to see how those systems have always been a big part of our gaming lives. My parents always encouraged me to take good care of the consoles we had so that they'd last. Then, when the next generation came out we'd take our old consoles "Up North". It was cool to appreciate what came before when you weren't making comparisons to the new technology: the games were just fun in themselves. Then it'd be my Dad and I playing games in our garage in the middle of the woods.

[Luke]

Like CFFJR, Apple Queso, Luke, Harper, and everyone else said--it's refreshing to see how those systems have always been a big part of our gaming lives. My parents always encouraged me to take good care of the consoles we had so that they'd last ..

Then it'd be my Dad and I playing games in our garage in the middle of the woods.

Last things first. My memories of playing Atari with my Father growing up in the early 80's consist of nothing but good times.

First thing last. You will run into some members who picked up on almost everything retro because "it's cool", but the majority of rb members love the consoles and games that they grew up with and simply love great games.

[3DSStrider]

When I was about five, I had a SNES. I remember getting up early in first grade to play Killer Instinct. I think my dad took it after he worked in Iowa and soon after he and mom divorced, so now I was stuck with my Xbox. I remember about third or fourth grade he got me a Wii, (back when they were super rare) and he got me Star Fox 64 and Super Mario World on Virtual Console. I also spent much of this time finding out about these old games on Wikipedia. In fifth grade, I ended up moving to the house of my mom's boyfriend at the time. He had a NES, SNES, and later N64. At this time I also started reading Hardcore Gaming 101 and watching the AVGN, which made me enjoy retrogaming even more. After moving to my current house, I took the NES, SNES, N64, PS2, PS3, and my Wii and Xbox 360 (which I'm going to sell). Now with my old Xbox found, and a Saturn, Dreamcast, and Neo Geo Pocket (speaking of which, I kept my GBA SP after al these years and my handheld collection now includes those, a 3DS, and a PSP), all my time is spent reading about and playing old video games. Now, when I'm spending all my money on Saturn imports and arcade sticks.



And Power Rangers toys. Can't forget the Power Rangers toys.