As far back as I can remember, I’ve always enjoyed videogames. What initially got me into the genre, I’m not so sure. Maybe it was the interaction with friends, arcades, newness of the hobby, many people not knowing much about it, or the great experiences I had starting with the NES. Whatever was the “spark” I’m not sure, but I’m glad it happened. Decades later, I am still gaming albeit much less than before. Life’s priorities don’t afford me the luxury to game for hours on end like I used to.

Since I’ve played a lot of games when I was younger that are now considered “retro”, I was wondering how I could talk about them on my blog without having to write a traditional review. If you weren’t aware, the retro-gaming community is alive and well, in fact I would say more-so than before. I think it’s because of social media allowing gamers to connect, remasters of older games coming back, and generations like mine who grew up on those first consoles. Nostalgia sells, and every month I see more games being remastered, re-released or redone in someway to relive our memories of these amazing games. Just because it’s years old, doesn’t mean it’s not a great game!

So how am I going to incorporate my love for this sub-genre of games? By making a new column called the Retro Gaming Club! In this way, I can all about this in my own way and also introduce my readers to games they may have missed or never heard of. I also am calling it a “club” for those that are interested, we can chat on different platforms about retro gaming. Whether it’s on this post in the comments section, on social media, or even via email, I would like to find more ways to build relationships with the readers of this blog. What other purpose is there, aside from me typing posts and you reading them? Relationships with my readers is what I want to improve on this year, and I think this will be one way I can do that.

Starting off the club with this post, I would like to reference several older posts I have written on retro games, as well as I few I have been playing and will be talking about soon. To catch up on some games, on the Nintendo Switch I have access to their NES and SNES library, as well as the NES Mini and a slew of games I’ve bought over the years. Expect to see reviews, tips, merchandise, interviews and whatever else I can come up with on retro gaming.

Below is a list of reviews you may find interesting. I’m still going through the backlog of retro games I haven’t played on the Nintendo Switch’s SNES & NES collections, so I hope to review a few of those.

As of this writing, a few places I can recommend to play some retro games would be on the Nintendo Switch when you sign up for their monthly (or annual) subscription, PlayStation Network has lots of games from the PS1, PS2, and PS3 era as does Xbox’s digital store. One way that I have enjoyed getting several games in one purchase is buying a series collection edition. For example, Metal Gear has their Legacy collection, which has MG 1-4 all together, so you don’t have to buy them separately. Mega Man and Mega Man X have them as well, so look up your favorite series on your console of choice and see if it’s available!

• Review: Chrono Cross | Christ Centered Gamer
• Review: Secret Of Mana | Geeks Under Grace
• Review: Chrono Trigger | Geeks Under Grace
• Retro Revisited: Chip’s Challenge
• Review: Sonic CD – Geeks Under Grace
• Top Five Christian and Bible-inspired Nintendo Games
• Should A Christian Play ROMS or Hacked Games?
• The Lost Arcade: Hope For The Gaming Community
• Movie Review: High Score (Netflix)
• A Look at the History of Video Games (20th century – 1983)

Let me know what do you think of this column, any retro games you have been playing, and anything else you want to comment on. God bless, keep on gaming, and I am here if you need prayer or just someone to chat with about gaming!