Why You Should Consider Going Back to Retro Consoles
If you’re a gamer, you might recognise this: a shelf full of modern consoles, a subscription to Game Pass, and yet… most of the time the Xbox or PlayStation ends up being a Netflix machine.
That was me too. I’d been gaming my whole life — collecting consoles, playing whatever was new — but somewhere along the way, I stopped really playing. Life got busier, priorities shifted, and my old consoles ended up tucked away.
Sound familiar?
These days, I don’t have hours to grind for loot or sit through endless updates. More often, I’ve got 30–45 minutes free. Just enough to want a quick game — not a second job. And that’s exactly where retro consoles shine.
Back Where It All Started
Take something like Super Mario 64. Loading it up after years away was a revelation. Jump in, grab a star, jump out. No pressure. No battle passes. No updates. Just pure nostalgic joy.
That’s what retro does best — it respects your time.
If you’ve got old consoles tucked away somewhere, dig them out. They’re more than just plastic shells; they’re little time machines back to the days when games were simple, surprising, and endlessly fun. And unlike modern titles, you own them — not a digital licence that could vanish.
Why Retro Still Wins
Here’s why you should consider stepping back:
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Quick Sessions, No Updates
You can just pick up and play. No 60GB downloads before you get to the fun. -
Perfect for Limited Time
Retro games are designed for shorter bursts of play. Ideal if you’ve only got half an hour to spare. -
Couch Co-op Lives On
Grab a friend, crack open a couple of beers, and laugh your way through GoldenEye or Mario Kart. No matchmaking required. -
Physical Games, Real Ownership
Cartridges and discs don’t disappear at the whim of a company. When you’ve got the game, you’ve got the game. -
Genuine Variety
From platformers to puzzle games, the retro library is full of mechanics and ideas that shaped entire genres.
Modern gaming is amazing in its own way — huge worlds, millions of players, evolving experiences — but retro has a purity that modern games can’t replicate. It’s not about better or worse. It’s about finding the kind of play that fits your life right now.
Where to Start
For me, that starting point was the console I remember most fondly: the Nintendo 64. In my head, it was lightyears ahead of its time — the graphics, the controller, the leap into 3D. As I’m rediscovering, it still holds up today.
If you’re considering diving back into retro, the N64 is a great place to begin. And that’s a story worth exploring on its own.