Choosing the right blend of old and new for an amazing retro games room

The potential issue with gaming is that the technology develops so rapidly and dozens of new games come out every year. Some people are happy to set aside some funds each year to keep their games room up to date.

But here's the thing. Most people who have a house with available space and the funds to convert it into a games room are at least into their 30s or 40s. As adult gamers, we tend to have the biggest affection for the games we played in our teens or early 20s. Creating a retro games room that is focused on the old classics gives us a chance to bask in nostalgia. And from a pragmatic perspective, it is never going to go out of date.

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Find the right space

The key to a great games room is versatility. Whatever type of game is your preference, you'll want to be able to accommodate different gaming genres and other features and accessories to complement the theme and make it welcoming.

These factors need to be thought through when deciding which space to allocate for your games room. Some people choose to convert a garage or outbuilding, which is a good call if you can spare it and as long as it has the necessary infrastructure in terms of power, internet, plumbing and anything else you might need. If it doesn't, don't automatically rule it out. For example, if WiFiinternet connectivity is patchy from the house, you might find that a simple plug-in booster will solve the problem. These are inexpensive, and some internet service providers even give them away for free if it will help them to retain a customer.

The other popular option for a games room is a spare bedroom. There are, however, a few potential issues here. First, unless you live in a mansion, the spare bedroom is unlikely to be very big. And if you do live in a mansion, use a downstairs room! The other issues with converting a bedroom are firstly that your gaming could be a noisy distraction to neighboring rooms. Second, if you are going to have any heavy centerpiece games, getting them up the stairs could be a serious challenge.

This latter point is the main constraint with converting attic space into a games room, too. Not necessarily insurmountable, but definitely an important point to consider.

Choose convenience over authenticity with retro hardware

IMAGE: https://pixabay.com/photos/retro-90s-gaming-sega-sonic-7517127/

When considering the games themselves, try to cast off the rose-tinted spectacles as much as possible. The retro gaming market is actually supremely well-served and if, for example, you want to relive the glory days of the early 90s with SEGA classics like Sonic the Hedgehog, Leaderboard and Micro Machines, a product like the Mega Drive Mini is going to be far more practical than the real thing.

Yes, you can buy 30 year old consoles online, everyone's favorite internet auction site is falling over with them, but be ready to deal with bad connections, sticking buttons on controllers and so on. It's a little like having a classic car – only buy one if you understand how it works and take as much pleasure from fixing it as you do from using it!

The same applies, but even more so, with older games. 80s kids might be nudging 50 today, but most are still haunted by memories of waiting 10 minutes for a game to load, only for a dreaded 'read error' to intervene when it was 90 percent done. 

An old Commodore or Amstrad looks great sitting on the shelf among other memorabilia, but if you yearn to play Jet Set Willy or Roland on the Ropes, there are some great emulators available online that give an authentic playing experience without waiting a week for each game to load.

Blend tech and tradition for casino games

It will come as no surprise that casino is one of the most popular themes for a retro games room. After all, who wouldn't want their very own US prohibition-style gambling den, or perhaps a more classy joint like Rick's Casino in Casablanca.

Whatever style you might lean towards with the finer details, you can again achieve a great deal by blending both the traditional and the technological. Let's take roulette as an example. A real roulette wheel makes a fabulous centerpiece to the room and is an investment you won't regret. But for actual real money action, a live dealer roulette game on the big screen with a real human croupier is far more practical – for details click here and find out more about online live dealer roulette in the US.

The same applies with the slot games. Real cabinet-style slot games come up for sale all the time and you could spend anything from $20 for something that's been lying in a barn for the past 20 years to $400 for one that has been fully restored. A real slot or two would sit perfectly against one wall with a couple of other arcade games like Space Invaders or Pac Man. And the beauty of them is they are incredibly simple if you have even basic abilities with a screwdriver and a circuit tester!

Jessica Tanner

Update 19 June 2023