Retro Gaming - Complete List
Documentaries and films about, inspired by or influencing the retro gaming scene.
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- 24 titles
- DirectorLincoln RuchtiStarsWalter DayBen GoldSteve Sanders1982's Video Game World Champions share their philosophies on joysticks, groupies and life.I would also recommend watching this youtube video by Plaster of Paris Productions: Funspot: A Small Documentary on the World's Largest Video Game Arcade
- DirectorSteven LisbergerStarsJeff BridgesBruce BoxleitnerDavid WarnerA computer hacker is abducted into the digital world and forced to participate in gladiatorial games where his only chance of escape is with the help of a heroic security program.
- DirectorSeth GordonStarsSteve WiebeBilly MitchellMark AlpigerDie-hard gamers compete to break world records on classic arcade games.
- DirectorJohn BadhamStarsMatthew BroderickAlly SheedyJohn WoodA young man finds a back door into a military central computer in which reality is confused with game-playing, possibly starting World War III.
- DirectorsTim KinzyAndrew SeklirStarsTim McVeyWalter DayDwayne RichardIf you ever played the game "Snake" on your early model Nokia cellphone, then you're familiar with "Nibbler," the original "snake" game. MAN VS SNAKE tells the story of Tim McVey (the gamer not the bomber) who in 1984, on a single quarter (and over forty-four hours of non-stop play) was the first person in history to score over one billion points on a video game. This historic accomplishment led the City of Ottumwa to declare a civic day in Tim's honor (Tim McVey Day) and present him with the key to the city. Twenty-five-years later, when rumors of a higher score surface online, attributed to Italian kick-boxing champion Enrico Zanetti, it calls into question everything Tim McVey has believed for decades and forces him to make a decision: either set a new world record, or risk losing his legacy forever. Now middle-aged and out of shape, Tim discovers that reclaiming the Nibbler title will not be easy. Packed with unexpected twists and turns, the film documents one of the epic achievements of the classic gaming era and proves a powerful tale of the triumph of the human spirit.
- DirectorNick CastleStarsLance GuestRobert PrestonKay E. KuterHigh schooler Alex Rogan conquers the Starfighter video game, only to find out it was just a test, and is transported to another planet. He has been recruited to join a team of the best starfighters to defend their world from the attack.
- DirectorSean TiedemanStarsRichie KnucklezWalter DayBilly MitchellFollow the rise and fall of the King of Arcades as one man pursues his dream against all odds.I would also recommend watching this youtube video by Bitscreed: PIXEL BURN - A King, Konquered: The Fall of Billy Mitchell
I would also recommend watching this youtube video by Karl Jobst: Gaming's Biggest Conman Billy Mitchell Is Being Sued For Millions! - DirectorTodd HollandStarsFred SavageLuke EdwardsJenny LewisA boy and his brother run away from home and hitch cross-country, with help from a girl they meet, to compete in the ultimate video-game championship.
- DirectorsAndrew AustinAdam WardPaula KosowskiStarsChris BishopBrad GartonTracy HallA documentary that chronicles the journey of the world's most notorious video game controller: the Power Glove. For the first time, discover the history and legacy behind the glove that helped inspire a generation.
- DirectorTomaso WalliserStarsBil HerdNolan BushnellManny GerardBefore Google, Yahoo and even Apple, before the Silicon Valley cliché of informal dress code, skateboards running the corridors and wild creativity became commonplace, one company embodied the digital economy lifestyle and business style: the one firm coming out of the Age of Aquarius was Atari. The story of Atari is two-thirds the story of Nolan Bushnell, founder and visionary, and one-third the first and probably biggest boom and bust of the new economy some 20 years before the new economy even existed. Atari was showing that technology is cool, way before the personal computer revolution took place and they were reaching out to an ever-growing audience with something that is still cool today: video games. Atari literally introduced the digital world to the mass consciousness. Nolan Bushnell and Atari have a huge collection of firsts: the first successful video game company, the first coin-op video game ever, the first general purpose console to win the market, the first marriage between video games and movie industry in the history of entertainment, the fastest growing company in history, the biggest industry crash ever, the weirdest anecdotes in Silicon Valley, the coolest brand on the planet... Atari is a story to be told for two main reasons: it is pure fun and it is impressively educational. Going through the ups and downs of Atari's ride, one can learn when and how our relationship with the digital world was born (ahead of Apple, Commodore, Microsoft and even the Homebrew Computer Club), how the 100 billion dollars a year video game industry was born, what to do to make your idea successful, what to do to screw it all up, whether to sell your baby to a giant major or not, what not to do to preserve your market from crashing and many others interesting topics.
- DirectorZak PennStarsZak PennJoe LewandowskiRobert RentschlerA crew search for all of the old Atari 2600 game cartridges of "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" that were tossed into a landfill in the 1980s.
- DirectorKurt VincentStarsAnthony CaliHenry CenAkuma HokoruThe story of Chinatown Fair, the legendary arcade located in the heart of New York's Chinatown. This documentary explores how the arcade became a shelter to a community as diverse as the city surrounding it and changed lives in doing so.
- DirectorChris ColumbusStarsAdam SandlerKevin JamesMichelle MonaghanWhen aliens misinterpret video feeds of classic arcade games as a declaration of war, they attack the Earth in the form of the video games.
- StarsCharles MartinetRebecca Ann HeinemanNolan BushnellTraces the history of classic video games, featuring insights from the innovators who brought these worlds and characters to life.
- StarsKôhei AmasakiSayumi SuzushiroYûki HiroseA chronic gamer abysmally inept in academics and sports finally meets his match at his usual shady arcade -- and it's his rich classmate, Akira.
- DirectorsAnthony CaulfieldNicola CaulfieldStarsShahid AhmadNigel AldertonNick Alexander'From Bedrooms to Billions' is a 2 and a half hour feature length documentary movie telling the remarkable, true story of the British Video Games Industry from 1979 to the present day. Developments in computer technology in the UK of the late 70's early 80's helped inspire a generation of small team enthusiasts, hobbyists, school kids, bedroom coders and entrepreneurs to make and release some truly classic games. 'From Bedrooms to Billions' tells the story of how the creativity and vision of a relatively small number of individuals allowed the UK to play a key, pioneering role in the shaping of the billion dollar video games industry, which today dominates the modern world's entertainment landscape. 'From Bedrooms to Billions' is the first to attempt to bring this amazing story together. Featuring interviews with key contributors to the UK story such as Peter Molyneux, Jeff Minter, David Braben, David Perry, Mark Healey, Jason Kingsley and many others from across video game development, publishing and journalism from over the last 40 years, combined with compelling archive. 'From Bedrooms to Billions' reveals some of the remarkable stories, struggles and successes that saw the UK video games industry go from quite literally nothing into a major force littered with original thinkers, innovators and eccentric characters. The film takes you on a wonderful journey through those early 8 bit years, the transition into the 16bit era and PC, the influence of the Japanese and American consoles and the availability of finance, right through to the present day of triple AAA games, indie development and the future. 'From Bedrooms to Billions' is regarded as the most comprehensive and thorough video game documentary ever created and is essential viewing for anyone interested in video games, either as a player or as a creator.
- DirectorsAnthony CaulfieldNicola CaulfieldStarsShahid AhmadRichard AplinBrian BagnallHow the Commodore Amiga helped influence a generation of Developers to take Video Gaming to a whole new level.
- DirectorsAnthony CaulfieldNicola CaulfieldA film that explores the influence of the Sony PlayStation and how it took video game development and the very way we experience games to a whole new level, revolutionising the video games industry forever.
- DirectorRichard GoldgewichtStarsNolan BushnellDavid CraneCain DeVoreThe history of video games.
- DirectorsJeanette GarciaDaryl RodriguezStarsNolan BushnellPatrick Scott PattersonColin MoriartyChronicles Atari's pivotal role in creating the video game industry, exploring its business dealings, pioneers' personalities, engineers creations, rise as America's fastest-growing company, and near-destruction of the industry it birthed.
- DirectorRich MooreStarsJohn C. ReillyJack McBrayerJane LynchRalph is tired of playing the role of a bad guy and embarks on a journey to become a video game hero. But he accidentally lets loose a deadly enemy that threatens the entire arcade.
- CreatorsChristopher CantwellChristopher C. RogersStarsLee PaceScoot McNairyMackenzie DavisFollows some players in the 80s technological revolution that lead to information society.
- DirectorValveStarsBenedict LimClinton LoomisDanil IshutinFollow three professional video game players as they overcome personal adversity, family pressures, and the realities of life to compete in a $1,000,000 tournament that could change their lives forever.This is not really a retro-gaming documentary as it is set mostly in 2011, however it is a nice capstone to what came before and shows the turning point from the older pro-gaming circuit to modern professional gaming.