At what age did you become a retro gamer?

[BoringSupreez]

I was thinking about the fact that there are more young retro gamers than there used to be, and it got me wondering: how old were we when we began to retro game? Myself, it was when I was 11. I couldn't afford as many games as I wanted for my PS2, so I started searching out free PC games online. I came across a DOS games website, and discovered a game as good as any I had paid money for: Commander Keen. I was hooked, and looked up more and more old PC games. I had never realized there was a whole bunch of good games from 10 or so years ago (at the time) which were now free to download as I pleased! I didn't discover the fact that there was a world of great old games on consoles too until a year later, when after seeing an promo for the Scooby game on N64 at the end of a Scooby VHS I decided to search one out. My console came with Goldeneye, and I found out that just because a console isn't still sold in stores doesn't mean it's lame. My retro gaming snowballed from there.

How old were you when you started retro gaming? Were you a kid like me, or did you stick with the current gens until you were an adult?

[8bit]

Even though I was 6 when I got my first NES, i'd say I became a true retro gamer when I was about 17 and we were in the beginning of the ps2 and xbox days. I started seeking out old NES classics I missed from childhood.

[Gooseberrysoda]

I received a Nintendo 64 in sixth grade, well after the gamecube had launched, and spent a lot of time collecting for that, and it was all downgrading from there.

[Betamax001]

I saw a SNES at a friends house way back when and was curious about it. Same thing with an NES. This was probably around 2002 or 2003. I remember the first game I got with my PS2 was a cheap three pack of all three Spyro games. I played them at my cousins house and was enamored with those games. I was like...I can only get one game....or this three pack...I went with the 3 pack. More bang for my (parent's) buck! That's why I got into Retro Gaming mostly. It's cheaper (sometimes )

[RyaNtheSlayA]

I started on Genesis when I was 7 or so (2000). Wasn't really retro, but, old at the time. My first real foray into retro games involved me stumbling on an NES emulator for my at the time fancy PDA. In 2003 I was in the discovery channel store and ended up buying what I now know was a repackaged NGPC. Then around 05-06 I found this site and proceeded to get a Saturn and a few games. Been rockin retro games off and on ever since.

[Michi]

I'd say it was probably right around the time I started college. I'd had access to an NES growing up and I had my own Genesis, N64 and GBA, but other than picking up a few GBA games over the years, my interest in gaming sort of petered out around high school. I completely missed out on the PS2, Gamecube, Dreamcast, and Xbox generation. Partly because I was busy, and partly because I had no money.

Then about 2 years after it came out, I got a Wii. Games were still pretty pricey then, even the used market (at least around here anyway), so I started picking up Gamecube games that I'd heard about and missed out on. After that I started finding N64 games at thrift stores that I hadn't had a chance to play before. I was thrilled and figured, "Why stop there? Might as well look for all the other awesome stuff I missed out on" and it sort of snowballed from there

[CFFJR]

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

I got an nes right around the time Super Mario Bros. 3 came out, and I've been active in every game generation since. The thing is that I didn't stop playing my older systems when new ones came out.

As I see it, I'm just a gamer (and collector).

[stickem]

I started on pong right before the 2600 came out. Every generation i got rid of the older one. Started buying back what i used to play as a kid around the start of the ps2 days in my mid 20's.

[Phades]

I've been playing since my dad brought home the Atari. I've enjoyed games ever since and have always enjoyed popping in a classic every now and then. Can't say there was a specific time I got into retro as I never really got out of it.

However, my urges to collect do come and go.

[flojocabron]

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

I got an nes right around the time Super Mario Bros. 3 came out, and I've been active in every game generation since. The thing is that I didn't stop playing my older systems when new ones came out.

As I see it, I'm just a gamer (and collector).

same here. I never owned my own system untill I was 16 and had money to buy everything I can get my hands on. Back in the late 90's there was a glut of games. The first next gen was available and everything not current gen was super cheap. It was a good time to be a retrogamer/collector.

Growing up I did get to use my brothers Atari 2600, but it was never mine. Eventually I got a little bit of everything. Having a nice big fleamarket near me as a teen really did help out my noob ass. I aslo had a good neighborhood friend that also had a huge collection and we would often trade stuff or fight over things at the fleamarket. He had (in my eyes back then) a huuuuge collection. He had the N64 and me the PS1 and we would often swap consoles for a few weeks at a time.

I dont see myself as someone who became a retro gamer/collector. I simply like owning games no matter what year they were released.