We live in an era where modern life seems impossible without smartphones. But we often forget that just 40 years ago, none of this technology existed. So, what did we do for fun back then?
Let’s go back to 1980s Seoul. No Netflix, no YouTube, and no internet in the palm of your hand. Although we didn’t have the flashy entertainment we have today, looking back, my only memories are of playing outside with friends all day long until dinner.
🚩 Our Playground Was Simply the “Alleyway”
After school, we’d throw our bags at home and shout our friends’ names one by one. “Hey Gil-dong! Come out and plaaay!” The moment we got permission from our moms, we’d roam the neighborhood, summoning the rest of the crew.
We used to play with folded paper tiles called “Ttakji.” Back then, Ttakji was our smartphone. “All the Ttakji in this neighborhood are mine now!”
We would cry and laugh over a single piece of paper, nurturing our grand ambition(?) to conquer the entire neighborhood.
When the Ttakji game was over, we became Maradona, we became Cha Bum (a Korean soccer legend), and we roamed the alleyways. The passion we had back then, running until we were out of breath, seems hotter than any professional sport today.
🇰🇷 5 PM, Time Frozen
Even when we were fully immersed in soccer, something magical happened at 5 PM. The National Anthem would ring out from somewhere, and as if promised, all the friends who were running around wildly would stop and salute the flag. At that time, we were just taught to salute when the anthem played. Back then, we listened to adults incredibly well!
🦸♂️ Imagination Becomes Reality, A Season We Forgot the Cold
On days when we watched the dubbed Superman movie on TV, we would all tie a wrapping cloth around our necks and fly through the alleys like Superman. I never doubted that I could fly, although my legs did hurt a little.
When winter came, even if our hands and feet felt like they were going to freeze and burst, we didn’t know how to go inside. Winter was purely joyful as long as I was with my friends and our wooden sleds.
Then one day, the scenery of the alleyway began to change little by little. A friend brought a small portable game console. All the neighborhood kids put their heads together to see that tiny black-and-white screen. Compared to today’s flashy graphics, it was just a shabby lump of pixels, but it was a shocking device that gave us chills. Of course, I still cherish that game console in my drawer.
✨ The True Meaning of ‘Retro’
I consider the games we enjoyed back then to be true “retro.” Time has flown by, and I’ve become a middle-aged man, but my childhood self still lives in my heart.
Back in my middle and high school days, my friends always had the high-end gear: the Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo (SNES), TurboDuo, and the Neo Geo.
At my house, we had the trusty 8-bit NES. It was a powerful machine in its own right, but I couldn’t help but feel envious of my friends.
I remember the visual shock of seeing the protagonist transform into a wolf in Altered Beast on the TurboGrafx-16. I was floored by the fact that you could play Fatal Fury 2 and Art of Fighting 2 right in your living room with the Neo Geo. I gasped in awe at the intensity of Goku’s special moves in Dragon Ball Z: Super Butōden on the SNES. And the flashy animations on the TurboDuo? They blew my mind—I couldn’t tell if I was watching an anime or playing a game. It was pure chaos in the best way possible.
I used to save up my allowance to buy gaming magazines, playing the games in my imagination just by staring at the screenshots. Sadly, all those magazines I collected vanished somewhere along the way—lost while I was away for military service. But they remain precious memories to me.
I remember making a vow to myself while playing Art of Fighting 2 at the arcade. “Just wait! When I grow up and make my own money, I’m going to buy every single 16-bit console and arcade game out there.” That was my wish.
Time flew by like an arrow. We shifted from the analog age to the digital era. I went from a student to a middle-aged man. I’ve built a family, I’m raising kids, and I’m busy living in the present. But sometimes, the nostalgia hits, and memories of those games suddenly come rushing back.
And then, I remembered that old wish.
Wait… realized that my wish actually did come true! Haha.
Whether it’s during my commute or lying in bed after tucking the kids in, this handheld retro game console in my hands is exactly what I wished for.
Inside this tiny portable device lives every console my friends had and all those games I wanted. I can pull it out and play whenever I want! My dream really became reality.
I guess I should thank my younger self for making that wish.
