[[2026 Games#^53c076|2026 Games]] If you’re reading this, the statistical likelihood of you having a frighteningly close relationship with ibuprofen is pretty high. Subsequently, you also probably understand the appeal of [[games]] that are considered “retro.” And yes, I regret to inform you that the [[GameCube]] is, in fact, retro now. But the youth might not, and that can be a problem. You want to share your deep and personal relationship with a game as old as you with someone who might be young, or only recently getting into gaming as a hobby, but they might bounce off of it because of a lack of QoL or guidance. Lucky for you, I’m here to help you get your friends and family interested in the fan-translated 20 year old [[PlayStation 2]] [[JRPG]] that you (bafflingly) adore. All you have to do is keep the following in mind: ## Tell Them What’s Up Perhaps obvious, but telling someone about what the game is like and the context around its release does a lot to draw your target in. "Yo, just go in blind, don’t look stuff up, just play it” is not the pitch for most people that you think it is. ## Validate their Grievances This deadass might be the most important rule. Going to the past and playing game is not the same as watching an old movie. Controls might be weird, menus might be confusing, and gameplay loops might confuse and even frustrate the person. Telling them that “the reason **Romancing SaGa 3** doesn’t explain a single fucking thing to you is to replicate the feeling of playing a D&D campaign” is just going to piss them off.[^1] Commiserate with them to keep their morale up. ## Do it for the Art, not You I'm going to admit an insecurity that I had in my mid 20s: I wanted people to think I’m cool because I like cool art. Shocking, right? But whether you had or have that goal, put it aside and place the game front and center so that the person you’re introducing the art to can have *their own* relationship with it. ## Don’t live Vicariously It’s very likely that you played **Undertale**[^2] without a guide, or had to look up the solutions to a few bosses in **Shadow of the Colossus**. Let your future fellow game glazer have the same experience. Don’t tell them what to do when Toriel tries to stop them or shit like that. Let them play the game unoptimized the same way you did. ## Mod it, Maybe Mods and emulation can make old games more palatable! Sure your buddy could play **Ocarina of Time** and be baffled by the archaic controls. *Or*, you could set up Ship of Harkinian for them, with a beetter camera, button remappings, and so on. Making the experience painless and hassle-free will increase their enjoyment. ## If They Don’t Care, STOP Just kidding this is the most important tip. If you try and they don’t like it or don’t want to, *s t o p*. You’re just being annoying after that. Do I wish every person I know played **Gravity Rush** or **Astlibra** or **Gitraoo Man**? Of course. Those are my big rules! There are more, like knowing your audience and shit, but that feels most obvious. Why did I write this? Because I, perhaps regretfully, recommend shit to my friends all the time. But I also have crippling [[Dealing with Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria|RSD]], so I’ve had to start figuring this out myself. Now go out there and get one more person to play **Genealogy of the Holy War** — I know you can do it! [^1]: believe it or not, i’m actually *not* speaking from personal experience here lol [^2]: it’s 10 years old, it’s retro and you’re a dinosaur sorry :3