We’ve got a piece of news that will prick the ears of all fanatics of retro-themed gaming, as Amazon has announced the opening of a brand-new hub catering for all types of old-school video gaming. The Amazon Retro Zone has been created in an acknowledgment of the resurgence in the demand for retro games among players, with the store set to stock products from household video game publishers including Atari, Nintendo, and Square-Enix.
Aside from retro video games and games consoles, the Retro Zone will also feature retro gadgets, books, and clothing which were cherished by millions around the world in the 1990s. It’s a move that has been warmly welcomed by the gaming community as Amazon seeks to further cement its position as the world’s number-one online retailer for all goods.
The renaissance of retro video gaming
There has been a huge revival for retro video gaming in the last couple of years, led largely by Japanese gaming giant Nintendo. Last year saw the release of the NES Classic Edition, a miniaturized replica of the inaugural NES system which was released to the world way back in 1985. This replica brings the simplicity of retro gaming to our living room and bedroom television screens, with all that’s needed is to plug the system into your TV and play any of the 30 classic games pre-loaded onto the computer. Earlier this fall saw the release of the Super NES Classic Edition too, with the original 1992 release recaptured in an incredibly small hand-held size. The Super NES Classic features two wired classic controllers and has 20 unmistakable titles pre-loaded onto the system including Super Mario Kart, Street Fighter II Turbo and Star Fox 2. The festive season looks to be a particularly popular time of the year for people looking to get their hands on the Super NES Classic, with the Official Nintendo Store in the UK selling out completely during its Black Friday deals on November 24th.
September 2017 also saw the release of the Atari Flashback 8 Gold console, featuring some of the 1980s classic arcade video games that people aged 40+ will have cherished for many years, such as Pitfall, Asteroids, and Space Invaders. There are 120 built-in Atari 2600 games in the Flashback 8 Gold, with two 2.4 wireless controllers and 720 HDMI output providing a picture-perfect plug-and-play retro gaming experience. The Atari system has even added functionality to pause, rewind and play in-game action. Meanwhile, the SEGA Genesis Flashback has also reached our shelves, bringing its 16-bit gameplay back to our screens, featuring classics such as Mortal Kombat and Streets of Rage. Although the Genesis Flashback has all of its 720p HD graphics games pre-installed, the system is also built to accept existing Genesis cartridge games that you may have owned all those years ago. Furthermore, it also has its own “Classics Hub” on the online gaming site Steam.
Why nostalgia plays such a big part in the gaming experience
That nod to nostalgia is something that is being felt in many areas of the gaming industry. The mobile gaming industry enjoyed tremendous success with Niantic’s Pokemon GO which attracted millions of players across the globe via smartphone and tablet devices, many of whom had wonderful memories of trading and playing Pokemon cards with their friends in their yesteryears. Nostalgia brings a sense of comfort to gamers on all platforms. Even the iGaming sector is getting in on the act, utilizing the names of famous stars such as Elvis Presley and James Bond and iconic films and shows such as Jurassic Park and Game of Thrones in their video slots to give gamers comfort that there are big names behind each title.
Classic gaming: Perfect for time-poor gamers
There’s something utterly heart-warming about sitting down for a session on a retro games console. There’s no doubt that the gaming developers of the 1980s and 1990s were able to work miracles with very limited graphics and audio capabilities. Most video game cartridges on the typical SNES or Sega Genesis would have the capacity for just 4MB of data. When you contrast that with today’s typical video games which can house upwards of 40GB of tech it’s remarkable how engaging retro titles managed to be.
The pick-up-and-play element of retro-themed titles is also another reason why they have come back in fashion in such a big way. People are increasingly time-poor in the 21st century and don’t have hours to spare. The fact they can pick up a basic control pad and quickly load up a game is yet another reason why gamers are still looking back in time to get their kicks – even with the third decade of the millennium fast approaching.
What do you think about the new Retro Zone? Is it for you and are you ready to take advantage of this offer today? Let us know in the comments below!