Like innovation, sandbox worlds and GBA connectivity, retro gaming is one of those trendy terms that are banded about smarmy PR types the world over � but as is always the case with people who like to use these words, many don't even know what the word 'retro' means.

But what does define a retro game? Most people would shrug and mutter 'an old game' � which is fair enough. A retro game is old, yet fashionably so; it's a game that ages with style. By definition, it's also a game with a degree of nostalgia behind it � coming back to Sonic the Hedgehog after leaving it to decay in your attic for years certainly adds to the retro vibe. Simple ideas � but where does one draw the line? What actually makes a game retro?

The majority of people would agree that any game preceding the Nintendo 64 era is a retro game � and rightly so. Suggesting that Super Mario 64 is a retro game, however, leads to controversy. The fact it's three dimensional is a deterrent; it's traditionally 2D games that are associated with the term. But consider this: Super Mario 64 debuted in 1996 � that was almost ten years ago. In that time, nearly two full generations of consoles have come and gone. Coupled with the fact that videogames as a medium have only been around for thirty years or so, Super Mario 64 suddenly feels a lot older than most of us remember. Certainly many people have fond memories of the game from all those years ago � so that's a tick in the 'nostalgia' checkbox. So why don't many gamers consider it 'retro'?

It all comes down to the fact that Super Mario 64 was a 3D game � albeit one of the first 3D games. Because expansive game worlds have been around for so long, and so many platformers have tried to emulate the style and success of Nintendo's lovechild, it's understandable that the game might not feel old at all to some. Odd, for a game that has been around for a third of the time videogames have. Bearing most of these factors in mind, it stands to reason that the early Nintendo 64 games can all be classed as retro.

But what about those games released towards the end of the N64's lifespan? Is Conker's Bad Fur Day a retro game? Most would disagree � especially since the game has just earned itself a second outing on the Xbox. Is it remakes that prevent old games from feeling old?

Perhaps. But with so many games being recycled and replayed years after they were first released (particularly on the GBA), old games have become a huge part of a modern gamer's diet. Perhaps this is an indication that retro is more than a label � maybe a genre? Maybe those old-school 'shmups' and 2D side scrollers that evoke nostalgic feelings can be classified as retro games?

If that's true, everything from the latest Metal Slug titles to Alien Hominid can be classed as 'retro' � an idea flawed by the fact that most 2D games are reminiscent of older titles, with only the likes of Viewtiful Joe daring to include new gameplay mechanics. If we judge retro by how a game is to play, then arguably every shooter since GoldenEye; every platformer since Mario 64, is a retro game. It doesn't work.

In that case, has the term been introduced too early into the lifespan of the industry? Yes. It probably should not have been introduced at all. Retro is a term derived from fashion, not from videogames. Neither film nor music has a 'retro' selection � so why should videogames? Because hardware becomes outdated? No � because going by that argument, any backwards compatible machine thereby prevents any old titles from becoming 'retro', despite their age. The argument is flawed, whichever way you look at it.

Do retro games exist? Not in my mind. If they do, then theoretically every game released can be classed as retro � within weeks of coming out. Like your old Sega Saturn, the premise does not work. Enjoy your older titles, and enjoy the memories they bring. Call them retro games, if so you desire. But remember that the term is only a label, brought in to associate old games with the fashion that it's normally used to describe. With videogames as a central pastime almost looked down upon, we needed something to make playing old games sound cool. What better way than to associate them with fashion?

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