(Discussion) Explaining Passion for Retro Games to People Outside the Hobby - Retro Bird 

I was actually writing a grocery list while watching this video and had a feeling I was missing something.. two minutes later. Blueberries. Retro Bird saves the day 👌🏻

I'm 43 and though I don't have the time or interest to game as much as I did in my teens and 20's, I'm still picking away at collecting and playing the stuff I loved from then. 1. While my responsibilities in life have risen with the inclusion of a wife, kids, and a career, my income level has also risen. So while retro game prices have gone up, my ability to afford them has also increased. 2. And while I don't game anywhere near as much as I used to, when I do, I find myself reaching for a retro game I grew up with over something more modern. 3. What's REALLY been fun in all this is seeing my kids try "Dad's old games" and watching them enjoy them as much as I did/do. "Sure guys, Minecraft and Fortnite look fun, but let me introduce you to a dinosaur named Yoshi that helped a plumber named Mario beat up a bunch of evil turtles and save a princess!" "Wow, Dad! These games are old, just like you!"

I usually get the "you're a 40 year old married man, why are you playing with this crap?" When I tell them the value of my collection, their interest piques and all of a sudden they're interested. Money....the root of all evil Oh and yes, blueberries rock!!

Blueberries are cool but have you tried making a smoothie with them? Even better.

My mother didn't understand my love for video games during my youth in the 90's. However when she traveled to see me one day and saw my 20" Trinitron, SNES, and cartridge collection in my game-room she was much more impressed and accepting of it since she knew I grew up with it and still enjoying them well into my late 30's. I reminded her of how appreciative I was that she saved my original boxes and manuals for all of it as they really make a impressive collection to look at. I love slipping back into my childhood from time to time...and Ebay.....

This is my favorite channel on RU-vid. This one was worth the extra wait

My reason for liking video games: they’re good. Also: Don’t forget to make sure your seatbelt is tied.

One of the reasons I enjoy gaming (both retro and modern) is not only playing them, but discussing them with other fellow gaming enthusiasts. All my friends past and present were gamers, so it is always fun to sit down with a group and just have fun. Couch gaming is always a blast with friends!

I think I understand people's eh.. "skepticism" when it comes to other people's passion. I simply think that not every one has a passion, or is a passionate human in general. I think it's a gift, honestly. I have many friends who are just downright depressed if they don't work for a week or if there's no "outside stimulus" that actively entertains them. Especially the lockdown phases the last year have shown me how much some people are lacking the ability to entertain themselves, or to find a hobby. So when these people see your gaming room (because it's one thing to be into retro games, but it's another to be a collector I think), they just can't comprehend it. They don't understand how someone can use their money on things that have "no use". While when I showed my collection to my very conservative uncle, he actually really liked it. Because he has hobbies, too, like fishing! And he likes to collect different rods and baits and dedicated magazines etc. He gets it. I had more luck with men than women when it comes to sharing the passion, because I know more men who hyper focus on specific things (like cars, model trains, sports, computers etc) and they can empathize more with the concept of passion hobbies. In my experience.

Huge fan of berries in general. Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, gooseberries... I'm a berry fanatic! Not much a a cake guy but if we go out to a restaurant and they have berry pie on the menu I AM IN!

Blueberries or bacon. You can’t go wrong. But yeah my friends don’t collect..anything and my family doesn’t either. So that’s why I’m here enjoying your videos and thinking the same thing

Blueberries in my oatmeal, my muffins, my bagels, and just on their own. They are the goods! As far as people asking me why I like retro games, I go with these 3 things. 1. They generally offer a more quick and accessible experience compared to current day games. 2. Curiousity, as there were plenty of games I missed out on as a kid, and now I want to go back and experience them. 3. I like the preservation aspect/hobby side of it. Cleaning up and fixing old games/consoles so they can continue to be enjoyed (or at least that is the direction I am going in).

I don't collect retro games so channels like yours give me that nostalgic shot in the arm.

My cousins grew out of games but I love them even more as an adult. Even collecting full size arcades.

I love that blueberries are blue, and compared to other fruit they have a low key bittersweet taste

I generally interact with people around my age, 30-ish. Most of them into retro stuff, some others into modern games. But more often than not I'll get someone finding it childish, and sometimes they're even younger than me! With these people I also have a hard time explaining watching content regarding retro gaming be it videos or streams. But lately with the pandemic and all people have turned to stuff that entertains them, that has allowed me to be more open about these hobbies.

I am 16 and I’ve fully committed to collecting retro games not because of money or anything but because I genuinely have a passion for video games and video game history

A lot of it for me was growing up and seeing all these cool looking things in magazines but I couldn't afford them. Now it's much easier to find or play them somehow. Sometimes it's disappointing, sometimes it's great. But now I know. And knowing is half the battle.

I got into retro gaming because of its "pick up and play" nature. Being an adult, responsibilities start to pile in. I remember when I was a kid and it was summer vacation, I would play all day. Now, the most I get to play as an adult is 1 to 3 hours (if I have the actual time for it).

I’ve still never really been questioned on liking retro video games, but one of my fiancé’s friends did tally up the amount he thought I’d spent on games. I had to tell him not all of them cost $60 and I’d spent about 15 years collecting them all. He still thought it was weird.

Thankfully my parents and other family have always respected mine and my brother's gaming hobby. Most of my coworkers are also into gaming and they respect my tastes and I respect theirs. As for the blueberry question, yes I do like blueberries especially in muffins and pies.

For me it’s the opposite. I’m so disgusted when people don’t get it. I’m like what’s to understand 🤣🤷

I'm finding more and more over time that people understand the hobby from an actual gaming activity standpoint. It's the physical collecting of large amounts that can be a tossup.

What has worked for me is comparing it to other art forms, so Retro Games could be defined as Vintage Interactive Experiences, that you might like to revisit (Such as reading an old book or watching an old movie), collect, or even improve upon (I'm a sucker for romhacks that focus on quality of life or bugfixes).

I’m so glad you tackled this subject, Mr. Retro-Bird! I think your monologue checked all the boxes. Very enlightening insight into perception, stigma, and generation gaps in association with video games. Thanks for the video!!👏👏👏

I like blueberries but even better is exploring the art in old video games. Love trying games i never heard of. Clayamation and digitizing photographs really cool ideas back then.

The only person I needed to explain my passion for retro-gaming was my significant other, she took it well, like you said she saw my hobbie brought me joy at the end of the day...

Man I love blueberries, and I hate it when people question my love for the berry I truly love!

I love retro games 🎮, thanks for sharing your experience with us.

02:47. For a sort time I thought video games was something I did when I was a kid and after I was an adult it was over, around 2005 something nostalgic happened to me rediscovering retro video games. The same youthful joy came back to me collecting video games from SEGA and its competitors.

I like it because it's a hobby that I can play and collect. Comics you can't really constantly use and model trains take up a ton of space. Not too many people hassle me anymore about my collection. Even my mother in law thinks it's neat.

Blueberries are awesome, full of antioxidants. In terms of being a gamer, I’m very low key about it and don’t share it with too many people.

I love blueberries. When I was a kid every year I would go with my grandparents and pick blueberries. We would tie a bucket around our waists with a rope and fill them up. We would eat a bunch and then freeze a bunch to have them throughout the year. These were big big sweet blueberries. I also love retro video games. I don't play much anymore but will play with my kids some. They had an NES and a Sega before we got a Switch. My son had to beat the Legend of Zelda first and second quest with me before playing Breath of the Wild.

What gets me are my friends who play modern games and think I’m crazy for spending money on old games (often far less than you’d spend on a new release), yet they’re perfectly content to spend $60-$80 on a new game, play it for a month and then trade it in for $5 credit... but I’M THE WEIRD ONE 🤨

Honestly. Just show them this video. It explains so much about it. And I do like me some blueberries.

Blueberry are my favorite. Don't you just love it when you hear people say minecraft and roxblox so retro xD

Great video man! I really enjoy how you delve deep into retro games and then on top of it you have both your own style AND an ever present wisdom vibe lol. It’s refreshing and I really enjoy it. Keep it up sir!

At the end of the day, it’s all about preference and opinions and based on what you like.

Being passionate about anything you love and showing that in a conversation regardless of how they feel about it is half the battle. Then that sparks what they're passionate about. It shouldn't be hard to understand that games are fun, interactive, beautiful to look, takes some or alot of skills and can be played in many different way(speedrunning etc). But it is so my solution is showing my passon. Great topic Bird.

Not gonna lie after discovering this channel about 2 months ago, I’m now at the point where I have seen nearly every episode. And now I don’t know what to do with the rest of my life. I think I am having an existential crisis.

Honestly, when I tell people about my collection, they tend to ask why I collect rather than why I collect the games that I do. Nothing makes me want to give up on a conversation more than someone saying "why don't you just emulate it?" No joke, I was eating Blueberries while I watching the video! Freaky.

Retro bird, you put so much effort and time into making videos even without millions of subscribers. I love supporting smaller youtubers, and I love your energy and humor. 10/10 keep making videos.

I really appreciate your channel. It’s nice to see a gamer not focusing on leaks and rumors. Please keep it up.

Love your videos, great sense of humor, I wish we were able to hang out and game!

Blueberry pancakes with blueberry syrup Cracker Barrel style 👍 luckily my nephews (13 and 7) like all types of games regardless of era so we will put on co-op games I got for that exact purpose. Currently exploring all those weird Japanese Mega Drive/Super Famicom games that never came out stateside for my super retro trio galaxy since it plays them.

When people give me the feeling I have to justify my hobby that's an immediate red flag not to bother talking to people about it. I don't feel comfortable talking about monetary value as a way to win people over. Same goes for your significant other or when dating. You shouldn't feel the need to justifiy your love of retro games or any video games for that matter. they just have to respect you and what you like.

I have about 65 nes games. When people ask about them, I just say "I like the NES." I usually dont get any questions beyond that. Then again, I have a lot of games, but not "a lot" to the point that I am embarrassed by it.

I never had blueberry's.... i think.... So i dont know.... Also... when explaining to other people your video game collecting hobby, i always explain it like this: I like to collect books that are interactive and visiualized! I always get plus 100 respect because of the word "book" i use xD And it makes people more easy to understand my hobby. Because they know the fenonomon called a libary!

Sometimes I question it myself

I like blueberries too.

At the end of the day, the proper answer is SCREW'EM!!! And yes, I too love blueberries!!!

I, unfortunately, had the “if it’s old it must be bad” mentality when it came to old films and movies but never video games. I guess probably playing Atari 2600 first just made me appreciate video games the more they increased in quality over time, while never forgetting how it “use to be”.

I have relatives who sometimes make comments about my hobby, and they wonder why my complete in box copy of Sub Hunt is more involved in my life than they are. My uncle is the exception and is actually pretty interested in it, and would tell stories of him playing the Atari 2600 when it was new. He even gave me his PS2 back in January.

I'm grateful to be a part of the generation that gets it. It's mostly those older than me that don't approve. That being said, there are a few my age who look down on it, but rare is the day that I care

Ohhh man what a great video. My mom knows I love my video games, even the old ones, even as a 28 year old man. I try to relay the idea she watches movies cause she likes epic stories that she can’t live out herself, are lived out so vividly you can try to live vicariously through the actors in those moments. Same thing with video games! It’s just hard to show her that it’s not just Super Mario Bros these days. I showed her God of War on the PS4 and I still got the same “mmmmmMMMMmmm so interesting” I’ve been hearing since I was 8 with Tony Hawk Underground lol Blueberries rule

I really like video games and I think it is very interesting to go back in time and play old games that were made long before I was born. But my family obviously doesn’t understand that. They just think that I am spending my money away buying random garbage. At least people here understand my hobby

Also, I recently got a job, I’m planning video game collecting. That’s if I can video games for a cheaper price lol 😂

I was used to be questioned by my ex colleages on my previous job because I just play retro video games, they always asked me why I hadn't gone through the new generation of consoles, and joined them to play the COD and many other online titles, that all those old games that I talked were good by the time that they were released but not anymore... And that's the reason why I changed my job 😅 Kidding...Well, I can say that as a retro games enthusiast it's kind of difficult to have someone who shares the same passion, even my brother prefers modern games...

I love blueberries and video games too!

My parents didn't want games in the house so l would just play at all of my friends, and not being allowed to have them as a kid for sure directly fueled my desire to collect. I now have thousands of games and dozens of consoles.

I have never seen a Blueberry. Here in Brazil we don't have this fruit... but we have several others that you don't know, like: jabuticaba, jamelão, araça, carambola, fruta pão, ameixa do mato, siriguela.. 😂

Im into Retro Games for 2 Reasons. I really dont care about graphics and retro games are at the end of the day very similar to modern counterparts. Also Im fascinated by the history of video games, as I grew up in the Late late ds-3ds era of gaming. Also I had a wii and a bunch of my friends a wii u

It’s always frustrating when you have that one friend you KNOW would love a certain game but refuses to give it a try because he’s not “a video game person” even though he’s enjoyed the only two games he’s ever played. Also, I love blueberries when they’re plump.

Blueberry! I thought for sure you would have went with Bananas.... Always got to shock and amaze!

Nice to see you back

Love blueberries. Have some in the fridge that I plan on eating for breakfast. 😎🤘 I don't get to talk to very many people about video games in general. Most people around me have "out grown" them, never liked them, only have a handful of games to talk about, or are cool with hearing me talk about video games. The third and fourth reason is great to me. I'll talk for hours about those few games with the third reason person. Fourth reason person I go all out on my gaming goals. The online gaming community has been very hit or miss for me. Sometimes people within it can be so mean and outright toxic. I try to avoid it, but sometimes it just shows up. I really feel for women gamers.

Welcome back, blueberries are ok imo. My kids are crazy about them, but prefer to enjoy them in baked goods (muffins, cobbler, buckles, and etc) then eating the berries out of hand. As for the games, though I've never had anyone ask why I play or collect, they do ask how many games I when they find out I'm into gaming though.

there's nothing like popping a cart into the ol' SNES and sitting down on a couch with a pal for some coop, some of the best luck I've had sharing the hobby with the uninitiated has been doing that for sure. Blueberries rock. Pro-tip: cut 'em in half and have em in milk like cereal for extra delight and the added bonus of a blueberry milk chaser.

Haha, this happens all the time to me! I always get the "why can't I start from where I died" haha. Because it's a hard game, dude!

This is the Retro Bird, yeah! And it´s talking, talking about videogames... ???....any hope that you like what it has to say!

I told my friend blueberries are my favorite food and he just wouldn’t accept that it qualifies as a food. Just argued with me over and over about how it doesn’t qualify as a food. 🤷‍♂️

It's weird, my family doesn't ask me anything, well except for my mother. She'll ask me what some of my favorites are or which consoles are the best. My in-laws visit and my father-in-law will say something like, "boys, alot of money in all those discs" I don't bother explaining that I've gotten most of them at thrift stores or as part of bundles where I made money. It would be nice to have one family member of friend with a similar interest in games though.

Thank You

My mom understood video games was a permanent thing in my life ....one time she was at the video store and she said "they had a new game there it was a japanese rpg game with fighting monsters" i laughed so hard and said "mom you just described every rpg" and she was like "oh well i don't know"

When some people see my PVM monitor they'll often say something like "Whoa, thats a really old TV! Why do you have one?" I do try to explain why I keep an RGB monitor around but it doesn't exactly resonate with them.

My ex used to give me crap when I'd be playing games that are "too old". Yet I still don't understand why she was so upset when she caught me playing with the 23 y/o hottie from the bar.

he's back! and yeah i also feel like the idea of "a game being old = crap" is dying with the "video games ruin your brain" stance, mostly due to retro gaming getting a boost in popularity and just plain ol nostalgia, especially for a series that used to be good and fell off (mostly shooters and sports games)

I grew up with the blueberries of the '80s and '90s mostly, and while I do enjoy modern blueberries, I am more often than not eating retro blueberries. Though I still have major respect for anyone who can only enjoy what's hip and current in the blueberry community.

What doesn't seem to help is that anytime video games are shown somewhere, they make it look like a stupid pointless activity. They focus on pointing out that games are just there to waste time, and get "to the next level". That's like saying there is no reason to enjoy eating because it just makes us not die, or that you cant enjoy driving because cars are only meant to get us to a destination. Retro games usually have levels, yes. And they usually have lives that you can lose. But if story-telling, amazing music, digital artistry, and imagination were the focal point of the general public in ads/movies/or discussions, I think we would see that change more. Not as bad as it used to be, and I think things are changing. Fun story: I was watching tv with my parents when I was a bit younger, and a commercial for one of the uncharted games came on tv. My dad said "wow, is this this some sort of new animated indiana jones movie?", to which I said "no, this is a new video game coming out. You basically get to play as indiana jones though". I don't think his brain could comprehend that games could look that good. He seemed just confused lol.

If people are curious, you could show then pictures or video of the game. Maybe if there's catchy music, play the soundtrack too! Also, blueberries are amazing.

216 likes vs 0 dislikes. I like that ratio. Keep up the great vids

good content as always

I usually get the daydreaming pretending I'm listening reaction lol

Well said man!

Yes, blueberries are great, I'd argue as far as berries go they are the ideal balance of sweet and tart.

What hurts the most is the fact that if you're into classical music, or Da Vinci or Van Gogh paintings, or contemporary novels, you'll look like cool and smart for most people, because IT'S ART. They don't understand that Video Games is a modern form of art as well, and it's amazing at that. It has drawings, it has graphics, it has epic music, or relaxing ones(they have good music) which needed talent to draw, compose, or anything to get it into fruition. And the best part of Video Games being a modern form of art is that YOU INTERACT WITH THEM, which, in my opinion, makes it a better form of art. Something you couldn't do with past form of arts, that's why the original painters or composers gets all the credit. If you admire someone who has a passion for the classical or any form of art or music, you should admire gamers as well, as they actively contribute to a modern art form and keep it going from dying out. We are not nerds, nor time wasters(as long as we keep it healthy), we are PATRONS, just like how a lot of former royals and emperors were. This argument can also be used in the issue of preservation of retro games, and why Nintendo (and the others) should also make an effort to keep their old games alive. Monalisa lasted for hundreds of years, so should Zelda.

I have the same thing, people who have no interest in vintage/ retro games look down on it as a hobby and interest in general. Even more so when you discuss the fact that you could pay out a lot of money for certain games

I don't like blue berries but I Do like video games. While I was watching this I'm putting together my vertical screen bartop arcade to be able to play shootem ups the right way! (without black bars)

as far as i'm concerned, retro games are the perfect form of gaming. i don't care that they don't look as pleasant to the eye as modern videogames, i care that they are engaging and challenging. if others don't get it, i'm rather indifferent to it. it's my perfect hobby and i'll enjoy it for as long as i can.

I had some blueberries yesterday. Delicious.

I like blueberries AND bananas. DID YOU KNOW THEY'RE BOTH BERRIES!? As for love/like/tolerance of my retrogaming passion, everyone I associate with (including the couple that live with me) are understanding until they're not. For instance, I buy an old game at a high price and share with them the details of said transaction. That doesn't always go over great but that's ok, I'm an adult.

I'm 19 and for my family it kinda doesn't make sense why I would want to collect all these retro games. It's not really in a disrespectful way but just a I don't get it but have at it way. For me I personally have always been interested in the history of the media and learning more about it and playing these games that were before my time. Overall I also just prefer retro games. Especially jrpgs which is my favorite genre. There are so many good retro jrpgs.

Blueberry's are pretty good

Yeah, my parents are Baby Boomers and I don't think they understood my enjoyment of video games when I was a kid as it was just a foreign concept to them. Although, I remember my dad I remember my dad bought me DOOM when it was released and thought it was the greatest thing ever! He played it more than I did! He also would passively watch and comment when I played Ocarina of the Time for the first time as he was fascinated by it. My mother and sister never seemed into video games until I found out my mother played Tetris and my sister really enjoyed playing Dr. Mario. Maybe people who don't particularly like games need to just find that _one_ game that they enjoy? 🤔

Why yes I do enjoy blueberries I put them in my oatmeal every morning !😌

As an adult the couch co-op is fucking amazing... Pre-roll the blunts... Crack open a couple cold ones and prepare for a party with the homies. Cannot capture the same feeling with modern games... At least in the same way. Let's play some Madden... Whatever! Fuckkk it uppppp!!!!! 😂😂 Awwh yeah :")

the background music :`)

Cause I feel like it

All of the best memories of retro games are multiplayer times, im still always trying to find some people to game with. Its next to impossible to gather a group forgoldeneye nowdays though.

I think that anyone who thinks that old video games are trash is because they never had them