Retro Games Nostalgia: Coin-Op

It may seem incongruous or even contradictory, but some folks who love technology aren’t always looking for the next big thing. In fact, some of them are looking back...way back! The resurgence in retro video games over the past few years has been nothing short of astonishing. No, these folks aren’t fighting the future. Most of them couldn’t survive without their iPads or Bluetooths. But like every generation that has come before them, they long for simpler times.

Most remember and relish the first time they pumped quarters into a Pacman game or defeated King Koopa to save Princess Toadstool in Super Mario Bros. And now that they’ve reached adulthood, these former arcade addicts can afford to reach back in time and bring back a beloved memory, in pixelated form.

What are they looking for?

The golden age of video games produced dozens of legendary titles. From the late 1970s to the mid-1980, games like Tetris, Space Invaders, Asteroids, and Donkey Kong had kids lining up. Now, many of these same players refer to themselves as retro gamers. Not only do they collect old video game consoles and cartridges, they also buy the bulky coin-operated arcade machines they used to play as kids.

Where do they put them?

The real appeal of retro games is not only the gameplay. Most retro junkies freely admit they adore modern games like World of Warcraft or Call of Duty. More often than not, they buy these games to remind them of a happy, carefree time in their lives. They might hook them up in their game rooms or man caves and ignore them for months. But when they want to take a stroll down memory lane and return to a simpler time, they’ll drop in a quarter a try to see that Frogger doesn’t get squashed by an oncoming truck.

And let’s not forget the number of new trendy bars offering arcade tables, modern versions of the old arcade machines, to entertain their guests.

Another simple explanation for why retro games are suddenly en vogue is that these nostalgic gamers now have kids, and they don’t want them exposed to the graphic violence of some modern games. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that designers are tapping into video game nostalgia with retro video game wall decals , accessories and home goods.

As a group, arcade games that were introduced in the golden age were simple, innocent, and best of all fun!