The bouncy MIDI melody of Nintendo’s Wii theme descends into a drill beat. A Game Boy Color opens up into a lip gloss case. A$AP Rocky goes “full Minecraft” in a pixelated hoodie, and a panting man bobs up and down with his arm stuck in a bush. This is not a glitch. Pop culture is embracing retro gaming, both online and in real life. Even modern games, like the Aviator Game, tap into nostalgia. They have simple, risky aesthetics.
On TikTok, #retrogaming has over 6 billion views. YouTube uploads and Spotify retrogaming playlists are up 50% from last year. Even live streamers are embracing NPC catchphrases and movements. So why are younger generations drawn to retro gaming in an era of cutting-edge technology?
The answer for < Kingsley Ellis, a millennial who grew up with Sega Mega Drives and N64s, is nostalgia. His TikTok account, UnPacked (1.5M followers), showcases old gaming gear, featuring fun videos about quirky retro gadgets like screen magnifiers and fold-out speakers for consoles.
“Some attachments I wasn’t aware of as a child blow my mind,” he says. For example, the PediSedate snorkel. It lets pediatric dentists deliver doses of nitrous oxide to their patients. At the same time, they played games or the Game Boy-controlled sewing machine. Ellis’s content offers a winning combination of innovation, discovery, novelty, and nostalgia. “I think the current wave of tech will almost be disregarded in the future,” he says. “I don’t feel the nostalgic properties are there.”
Gen Z and Gen Alpha are embracing retro-tech and gaming in significant ways. Ellis’s channel shows a love for nostalgia. It’s seen in the rise of reaction videos, PS2 character filters, and the comeback of Y2K gadgets. Urban Outfitters sold out of refurbished iPod Minis. A 20-year-old Olympus camera is now a top Gen Z accessory. For many, retro devices’ “hack and discover” vibe is more satisfying than modern tech.
This nostalgia extends to gaming soundtracks and graphics, inspiring new creations. Artists like Jay-Z and Lil B have sampled video game music. NTS, an indie radio platform, often features gaming-themed shows. From The Legend of Zelda to rap tracks built on game samples, gaming’s cultural impact continues to grow.
The show’s curator, Thierry Phung, wants to honor video games and anime music. They deserve more recognition. For many ’90s kids, video games introduced them to genres like jungle and breakbeat. Viral hits like PinkPantheress’s “Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2″ and Charli XCX’s “Nintendo World” ad show gaming’s impact on music.
YouTube DJs are reviving gaming’s musical legacy. Ryland Kurshenoff’s PlayStation Jungle mix has 2.4M plays. Slowerpace 音楽 makes vaporjazz soundtracks for fake games. Once dismissed as frivolous, gaming is celebrated for its creative and cultural value.
TikTok trends also embrace retro games. Whistle synths from GTA: San Andreas and the Mii Channel music are in thousands of videos. Esports agent Britt Rivera calls it a “cool fusion of the past and future.” It turns background characters into stars.
For Gabi, 27, a TikToker known as @babesgabes, the charm of retro games lies in their simplicity and comfort. Like many “cozy gamers,” she finds nostalgia soothing. “It eases my mind and lets me escape,” she says. A 2022 study even found that half of Gen Z believe gaming improves mental health.
In an age of rapid tech advances and AI concerns, retro gaming offers stability. “It’s constant—it won’t change tomorrow,” says Rivera. For a generation raised in uncertain times, pixelated graphics, clunky animations, and predictable NPCs feel comforting.
Beyond nostalgia, these games are a window into history. “The music, graphics, dialogue, and style—it’s a whole vibe,” says Gabi. Retro gaming isn’t fun; it’s a cultural time capsule.