Glossary
This glossary provides historical and cultural explanations of retro gaming terms, concepts, and the language of preservation. Definitions focus on cultural context and historical significance rather than technical specifications.
Cartridge
A physical game medium used primarily in home consoles from the 1970s through the 1990s. Cartridges are often remembered for their distinctive tactile qualities—the satisfying click when inserted, their substantial weight, and the way they transformed games into collectible physical objects. Many collectors appreciate cartridges as symbols of an era when games were tangible artifacts rather than digital downloads. This era is often remembered for how cartridges made games feel substantial and permanent.
CRT (Cathode-Ray Tube)
The display technology that dominated television and computer monitors until the 2000s. CRT screens are often remembered for their warm glow, distinctive scan lines, and the way they rendered pixel art with a particular aesthetic quality. People often associate CRT displays with the authentic retro gaming experience, as they were the technology through which classic games were originally experienced. Many collectors appreciate how CRT displays affect the visual presentation of retro games, creating an aesthetic that modern displays can't fully replicate.
Arcade
Public gaming spaces that flourished from the 1970s through the 1990s, featuring coin-operated video game cabinets. Arcades are often remembered as social spaces where people gathered to play games, compete, and experience the latest titles. This era is often remembered for how arcades shaped gaming culture, creating shared experiences and establishing gaming as a social activity. Many collectors appreciate how arcade aesthetics—bright colors, neon lighting, energetic environments—continue to influence retro gaming room design.
Pixel Art
A visual style defined by low-resolution graphics composed of individual pixels, characteristic of early video game graphics. Pixel art is often remembered for its distinctive aesthetic—the way limitations became creative opportunities, how artists worked within constraints to create memorable visuals. People often associate pixel art with particular eras of gaming, and many collectors appreciate how this visual language defined entire genres and franchises. This era is often remembered for how pixel art created a distinctive visual vocabulary that continues to influence game design.
Preservation
In the context of retro gaming culture, preservation refers to maintaining access to games, consoles, and related artifacts as cultural and historical resources. Many collectors appreciate preservation as a way of maintaining connections to gaming history and personal memory. This concept extends beyond technical maintenance to include cultural preservation—keeping alive the contexts, aesthetics, and experiences associated with retro gaming. People often associate preservation with care, attention, and recognition of cultural value.
Retro Gaming
A term describing interest in and appreciation of video games from earlier eras, typically from the 1970s through the 1990s. Retro gaming culture encompasses collecting, preservation, aesthetic appreciation, and nostalgic connection to earlier gaming experiences. Many collectors appreciate retro gaming as a way of exploring gaming history, design evolution, and personal memory. This era is often remembered for its distinctive qualities—physical media, arcade culture, pixel art, and the social contexts in which games were experienced.
Console
A dedicated gaming system designed to connect to televisions, distinct from arcade cabinets or personal computers. Consoles are often remembered for how they brought arcade experiences into homes, transforming gaming from a public activity to a private one. People often associate specific consoles with particular eras and cultural moments. Many collectors appreciate consoles as design objects and cultural artifacts, representing technological and aesthetic evolution in gaming.
Box Art
The artwork and design featured on game packaging, particularly prominent during the cartridge era when boxes were displayed on shelves. Box art is often remembered for its role in marketing and how it created visual impressions that collectors continue to appreciate. This era is often remembered for distinctive box art styles that reflected particular design movements and cultural moments. Many collectors appreciate box art as collectible design objects that represent the visual language of gaming during specific periods.
8-bit / 16-bit
Terms referring to the processing power and graphical capabilities of early gaming systems. These terms are often remembered not just for technical specifications, but for the distinctive aesthetic qualities they produced. People often associate 8-bit graphics with the early home console era, while 16-bit represents a period of increased visual sophistication. Many collectors appreciate how these technical limitations created distinctive visual styles that defined entire generations of games.
Home Console
A gaming system designed for use in private homes, as opposed to arcade cabinets. Home consoles are often remembered for how they democratized gaming, making it accessible beyond public arcades. This era is often remembered for the way home consoles transformed gaming from a public, social activity into a private, personal one. Many collectors appreciate home consoles as symbols of this cultural shift and as design objects that reflect the aesthetics of particular decades.
Physical Media
Tangible game formats like cartridges, discs, and cassettes, as opposed to digital downloads. Physical media is often remembered for how it made games into collectible objects with aesthetic and tactile qualities. People often associate physical media with particular eras of gaming, and many collectors appreciate how physical formats create different relationships with games than digital formats. This era is often remembered for how physical media made games feel substantial and permanent.
Collection
In retro gaming culture, a curated group of games, consoles, or related artifacts that holds personal or cultural significance. Collections are often remembered not just for their contents, but for how they're organized, displayed, and maintained. Many collectors appreciate collections as personal archives of memory and cultural history. People often associate collections with particular approaches to preservation and appreciation—whether focused on completeness, personal favorites, or aesthetic harmony.
Nostalgia
A sentimental longing for the past, often associated with retro gaming culture. Nostalgia is often remembered as a driving force behind collecting and preservation—the desire to reconnect with earlier experiences and memories. Many collectors appreciate how retro gaming can trigger nostalgic feelings, connecting people to specific moments in their lives. This era is often remembered through the lens of nostalgia, with games serving as memory triggers for particular periods or experiences.
Using This Glossary
This glossary focuses on cultural and historical context rather than technical definitions. Terms are explained in relation to retro gaming culture, preservation, and the ways people think about and appreciate classic games. If you encounter terms in our articles or elsewhere that aren't defined here, please contact us and we may add them in future updates.
Remember: this glossary reflects our editorial focus on culture, history, and preservation rather than technical specifications or repair information.