## 37 Back into Retro-gaming

I'm a big fan of retro gaming, using old consoles or emulation to play old games from the 70s to the 2000s. I can play a lot of games on my PC using Retroarch or other emulators. It's good for computer games, not for console games because of the controllers. I have played on the real console or computer with Amstrad CPC, Amiga, PC with CGA and EGA screen, Nintendo SNES, Gamecube, Wii, Sony Playstation 1 to 3, Sega Saturn, Microsoft Xbox and 360 and portable consoles with Nintendo GBA SP, Nintendo DS Lite, Nintendo Switch Lite and Sony PSP. So many memories and fun since my teenage years until now. Not far from 40 years of gaming... But now I don't have time or money to spend on AAA games of the last consoles or PC. Handheld consoles are my favourite because I can play anywhere, anytime... almost any kind of game. If the latest Nintendo Switch lite is fun, I wanted to easily play my old favourite games... 

I had my old PSP to use with emulators. I hacked it to do that, but I'm not a big fan of the console. It's too big to fit in your pocket, and the D-pad and analogue stick aren't very reliable over the years. I had to repair it and change the battery. My favourite consoles were the GBA SP and the Nintendo DS Lite. The latter was too fragile (I had 4 models because one for my wife, one for me...). The perfect size for your pocket, a screen that's protected because it's a clamshell, good autonomy and a backlit screen with a descending D-pad. So the perfect handheld console would be something of comparable size, with lots of emulators and a good battery life. For many years I've been looking at these consoles that come from China with an OS dedicated to emulation, based on Linux or Android. But I was not prepared to pay too much for something that could be obsolete and unsupported in a year's time. I read a lot of benchmarks, reviews and tests over the last 4 years. One brand stood out quickly: Anbernic. Pretty 
good support, good screen quality, many form factors copying old consoles for a single OS. And now, entry level consoles for less than 100€. 

After some hesitation, I chose the RG28XX, the smallest size, smaller than my last smartphone. And all this for less than €50 to play anything from classic arcade games to Playstation or Nintendo 64 games. I know that this 2.8'' screen may be too small for many gamers and sometimes for some newer games, but it's not so far from what I had with a GBA (2.9'') and more than the 1st Gameboy (2.6''). The D-pad and buttons are pretty good and my hands are not too big, considering my height of over 1.80 metres. There are two emulation systems for the same roms and many games on the SD card. I've added a few of my favourites, but with over 5000 games, that's enough for me. It only takes a few tens of seconds to start up and you can save whenever you want. It's a real pleasure because it's so small that you can carry it in your pocket or bag. It's light but solid. And I'm very happy to be able to play like... a teenager in the 90s. I remember a few tricks from certain games and the reflexes come back quite quickly,
 even if I sometimes have to add credits. 

But it's also a great way to discover some hidden gems in the life of old consoles. I have so much to do with this huge library of games. Sometimes there are some games that have not been spared by the passage of time, which are either very old-fashioned or of questionable interest now that we know how to simulate almost everything. I like baseball, but it's something that's not very interesting to play, like a lot of sports in athletics. Sometimes it's fun to play the first racing games like Sprint or Hang on. Graphics are not everything... sometimes a very simple game is fun and you want to break all your records. I'm very happy to play a Breakout or a Gauntlet, those old games that you can't play easily on your smartphone and that are not very interesting to make a modern remake of. JRPGs are still fun to play for hours on end. I don't have to deal with the 2 or 3 CDs of Final Fantasy games. I still have the boxes of many games in my basement. 

There's a lot of choice now and you can also build your own console for retro gaming .... or your own arcade terminal. I don't look at all the new games. I also have a lot of games on the consoles that are still connected to the TV. Too much for one life, because gaming is no longer just for geeks or teenagers. Maybe retro gaming is a way to stay young... but some young gamers are also discovering a new way to play video games. It's not always about buying the latest console, the latest video card. It's about recycling, not far from ecology. OK, my new console came from China and used resources. My old handhelds are not very usable, with problems with the hinges and the dummy contacts (the battery too, but you can replace it). Many retro gamers use small computers like a Raspberry Pi to play games, or a recycled PC like mine. It's more efficient for me than the last generation of consoles. Other retro-gamers also repair old consoles and use the original cartridge or CD. Dans now, retro-gaming is opening up t
o 2010s games, etc... each new generation of players is able to play a greater amount of games with lots of videos, reviews and "longplay".

I'm not the player I used to be. I play less. I play more small games, casual games, rather than long RPGs. But with the ability to save when I want, it's easier to finish a great RPG, do some levelling and sometimes find a solution on the web if you get stuck in a level or by a boss. I'm not looking for the same things in games as great graphics or music. I'm looking for simplicity, pure enjoyment and a way to distract myself from this sometimes boring life. My little orange console is fun because of the colour and the impression that it's a toy. Gaming is sometimes a serious thing, but playing is something universal that we have from childhood. Maybe I'm still a child in my head? 

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