April 05, 2016

TURN BACK THE CLOCK FOR SOME RETRO GAMING FUN

There are plenty of ways we can make a link with our past and one fun way to do that is to play some retro or vintage games. There’s something about playing the games you remember from childhood that always has an added sense of enjoyment; even if some of the games aren’t what you played, but are those that other people in your family enjoyed.

Anyone for a game of bingo?

When you were growing up, you were bound to know someone in your family circle that loved bingo. The simplicity of the game and the sense of community it fostered meant that it was always a popular game with your gran’s generation and maybe even your mum’s.

Today, there’s nothing quite as retro as a game of bingo, and yet it’s strange to call it retro as it’s never truly gone out of fashion. Bingo did go through a less popular phase during the nineties when the National Lottery was new and exciting and the core bingo playing population was reduced to older ladies who had the time to go to the bingo hall.

Since the game became available to play online, however, it’s become more popular than ever before with players of all ages logging in to play a few rounds anytime they like as the games are available 24/7. In bingo rooms with names like Cheap as Chips, Seaside Bingo or Joker Jackpot, there’s a vast choice of bingo games where it’s possible to play for big jackpots, join multiplayer games and even use the multi-play feature to play several games simultaneously. Bingo-playing fun has never been so easy and accessible.

As well as the convenience of playing online, bingo sites today still have that warm community feel about them – a retro feature in itself – as they provide the social ambience of the traditional bingo hall through their chat rooms. 

Bingo’s not the only retro game to have made it online – there are plenty of the original arcade games from the 70s and 80s that are enjoying a renaissance too – like Pong, Frogger, Space Invaders and Pac-Man. Do a quick search and you’ll find your old faves all ready to be played.

Let’s get physical

Not all retro games have to be played online, of course. Retro sports activities such as skating and hula hooping are always a good way to reconnect with the past. You might not have kept your old rollerskates, but there are now plenty available online – many of which have a vintage look to them. You can also find a local roller-disco to take a trip down memory lane for a night out with the girls with a difference.

Hula hoops – like skipping ropes – have always been available over the years, but there are some kids who will never have played with them. This year, as spring turns to summer, why not invest in some new kit for summer garden fun? Check out the moves on this vintage hula hoop ad and see if you can get anywhere close with your own hoop!

Whatever games you choose to take that retro journey, as well as having loads of fun, you’re bound to enjoy a great nostalgia trip at the same time.