Do you play your games? Are you afraid of insertion marks?

[seieienbu]

its not really correct when used ON old machines.     Its only correct if its "new thing trying to be old thing"

like all the games on steam.

This seems the most concise and accurate definition of retro as used with video games that I've ever seen.

[Black Tiger]

Faux pixelart is real "retro", but video game aesthetics and design are unique and 240p pixelart generations stand apart by more than time passing. It's worthy of some kind of umbrella term and even if "retro" isn't the best, it's still better than "8-bit" or "pixel games".

[Gypsy]

retro is just a stupid gaming buzzword perpetuated by a bunch of people who thought it sounded cooler than vintage because vintage implied corduroys, black and white TVs, and couches that are really itchy.

and now everyone slaps retro in front of any gaming thing ever.

RETROVISION RETROHURPITTYYYRETROGAMEGOODNESSOMGRETROLOLNEWHARDWAREBOXRETROBRITELOLOL

its not really correct when used ON old machines.     Its only correct if its "new thing trying to be old thing"

like all the games on steam.

Arkhan have my babies.

[exodus]

I still play my original copy of Magical Chase which is priceless to me because of sentimental value. I don't know what the benefit is of dying knowing that my games have fewer insertion marks, just so that they can be tossed in the trash or sold to flippers through an estate sale.

I was about to say almost the exact same thing. I've played my magical chase hundreds of times. it's one of my girlfriend's favorite games. I have probably used the game with 4 different consoles. insertion marks!! whoooooo caaaares.

[SignOfZeta]

Giant Robo (1992) was and will always be Retro. Giant Robo (1967) is just old.

[Gypsy]

Giant Robo (1992) was and will always be Retro. Giant Robo (1967) is just old.

Correct.

I really liked Giant Robo (1992).

[Punch]

Language change is variation over time in a language's phonological, morphological, semantic, syntactic, and other features. It is studied by historical linguistics and evolutionary linguistics. Some commentators use the label corruption to suggest that language change constitutes a degradation in the quality of a language, especially when the change originates from human error or prescriptively discouraged usage.[1] Descriptive linguistics typically does not support this concept, since from a scientific point of view such changes are neither good nor bad.

So, if enough people shriek retro the definition changes? While true, meh.

To be quite honest this whole misuse of the retro word started with your usual hipster caricatures calling both faux old AND old stuff "retro". The spillover into video gayme circles was recent.

[turboswimbz]

To be quite honest this whole misuse of the retro word started with your usual hipster caricatures calling both faux old AND old stuff "retro". The spillover into video gayme circles was recent.

Neither is new. It depends on your interpretation of recent. Retro in terms of gaming has been around since at least the early to mid 2000's and sources claim it's from the late 90's.  and the term hipster for the counter culture started in the 90's.  It is probably coincidental that both grew in popularity during the same time period, but both have influenced the other.   
 

[xelement5x]

"Hi, Bob! Welcome to NEC!"
"Hi Jim! I'm glad to be at NEC making this Retro game system with everyone else. I really hope we can get it as Retro as possible before the 1987 release date."
"Don't worry, Bob! This shit'll be maximum Retro. We're filling it to the rafters with Retro touches and Retro capability."
"Retro!"
"Retro!"

I feel like this could be a South Park skit.

[ChuChu Flamingo]

Eventually everything will be retro.

[retro junkie]

I am retro.

 

[cr8zykuban0]

Definitely play my games. May not have the time to play em all but i do. Especially the aes games. So many insertion marks on em. They definitely get played and abused a lot

[esteban]

...Artwork printed on plastic on Hucards is shiny and colorful. It is the highest quality artwork on a video game cart and better than all retro console game carts....

I never really thought about this, but it is definitely true and a huge part of what makes HuCards attractive. The artwork printed right on the card is unique to PCE/TG16 AFAIK...

Yes it is unique in my knowledge. Those cards look awesome. It would be interesting if somebody has info how much costed to Nec to do this! I mean if it actually costed more than the stickers of the combetition.

I think second higher quality after PCE/TG16 was the stickers of the first Game Boy

Hell yes!

First, I agree with nopepper: the HuCARD inserted into console/GT/TurboExpress = a brilliant, gorgeous aesthetic that NEARLY ALL OTHER consoles of olde failed to achieve (I have argued that, usually, carts looked like ugly, STOOPID warts growing from the hardware).

Second, to address art-directly-on-media: I have thought about this often (printing directly on HuCARD) and, as folks have suggested, it might be rather unique to the BeeCARD media:

(1) I have an MSX Star Soldier (printed directly on it)

(2) Sega Cards (I only have NA...so nothing too exciting to see)....

(3) Did old Odyssey have printing on carts? I am pretty sure there are some Atari or Coleco games with text printed on cart...but, maybe my memories from youth are wrong? Like....SEARS version of VCS/2600 had simple text printed on cart?

(4) I have to take a photo now... but I think I traded away 99% of my Atari stuff a few years ago.

(5) I wrote about it here: http://archives.tg-16.com/EGM_1989_07.htm#HuCARD_Evolution

(That article has some images that show how NA HuCARDs evolved over time...)

[esteban]

UPDATE: I might still have some Atari stuff, but I didn't look. I just snapped this (Sega card has a label/sticker):

 

In the photo below, I was trying to show that the thickness of the MSX and Sega cards are slightly thinner than HuCARD, but the shadows defeat the purpose (ha!).

 

[Medic_wheat]

Shot shot shot shot shot everybody.

This has the potential to be taken out of context.