The walls of Luke Malpass’s home workshop are packed with gaming nostalgia, featuring vintage Game Boys, Sega Mega Drives, and Nintendo consoles waiting for repairs.
Packages from gamers around the globe seeking assistance arrive at RetroSix, Malpass’s treasure trove of gaming history.
Transforming a lifelong hobby into a full-time career, he addresses the frequent question of how to manage outdated and worn gaming devices and components.
“I believe there’s a certain nostalgia involved,” Malpass, 38, stated as he organized the electronics in his home in Stoke-on-Trent.
He believes the current rise in retro gaming isn’t just a fleeting trend.
“For me, it’s the hands-on experience. Picking a game off the shelf, physically inserting it into the console… it encourages more play and enhances enjoyment.”
He has a collection of devices and accessories dating back to the 1980s, each waiting to be restored to its former glory.
Currently, he has between 50 and 150 consoles in need of repair, with services costing anywhere from £60 ($78) to several hundred pounds.
It’s not solely about reliving childhood memories.
He believes retro gaming provides a unique escape, contrasting with the online multiplayer games requiring extensive practice and competing with others.
“With retro gaming, it’s as simple as picking it up, turning it on, playing for an hour or just 10 minutes. The enjoyment is immediate and accessible,” he shared with AFP.
Playing one-player vintage games means there is no competition and none of the frustration often associated with more modern games.
A fan of classic titles like “Resident Evil” and “Jurassic Park,” Malpass even collects old CRT televisions to replicate the authentic gameplay experience of his youth.
The videos he creates of his gaming sessions on YouTube have garnered him a significant following.
‘Always something retro’
“People will always have an innate passion for the things they cherished as children,” Malpass remarked.
“I believe we will always have work in this area. It will evolve, and it probably won’t be Game Boys forever,” he added.
“There will always be something considered retro.”
This week, a BAFTA survey crowned the 1999 action title “Shenmue” as the most influential video game of all time.
Next on the list were “Doom,” released in 1993, and “Super Mario Bros.,” which first introduced Mario’s quest to save Princess Peach in 1985.
On Wednesday, Nintendo revealed updates about its highly anticipated Switch 2 console, featuring new installments of popular games like “Mario Kart World” and “Donkey Kong Bonanza.”
The London Gaming Market, focused on vintage video games and held quarterly, has seen increasing attendance from fans.
“I’m a massive ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ fan… You never know what treasures you might find when exploring,” said Adrian, a visitor sporting a Sonic-themed shirt.
Collectors and gamers meticulously searched through piles of CD discs and older consoles, on the hunt for hidden gems.
According to Andy Brown, managing director of Replay Events and organizer of this decade-long London experience, the Covid-19 pandemic sparked a resurgence in interest in vintage gaming.
“People were confined at home, looking for activities that reminded them of happier times amid the gloom of COVID,” he noted to AFP.
A recent study by Consumer Reports found that 14% of Americans indulge in gaming on consoles made prior to the year 2000.
In September, Italian customs officials seized 12,000 counterfeit vintage gaming systems packed with classic games from the 1980s and 1990s, exposing a smuggling operation.
