Retro Game Challenge is without a doubt one of the most distinctive and enjoyable experiences I have had on my DS, but I also realize that I am exactly the type of gamer for whom this game was designed—I am 31 years old and grew up in the 1980s, a period in which the history of gaming was changing rapidly all around me. The game that Namco Bandai created around Retro Game Challenge stands on its own as truly enjoyable and offers the player plenty of opportunities for replay. Retro Game Challenge could have just played on that feeling of nostalgia and probably would have still captivated at least my interest. Younger players may find it confusing, but if you loved your NES like I did, you're bound to like this endearing game.

The games (retro bowl) inside the game were pretty enjoyable for me, and I found that I wanted to keep playing several of them even after the tasks had been finished (I found myself returning to Star Prince more than any of the others). I didn't feel the same way about Guardia Quest as Conrad did, though, and it's possible that's because the way I remember playing shooters, platformers, and RPGs was very similar to how RGC depicted it: I spent brief intervals of time playing shorter games before becoming immersed in an RPG for days on end.

The existence of the gaming magazines and how young Arino faithfully purchases them when each new issue is released were the aspects of Retro Game Challenge that remained with me the most (other than the game itself). The game targets our memories with the greatest accuracy at this point, and if it succeeds, it does so quickly and efficiently. From the first Nintendo Power I ever read to the moment I poured over the pages trying to figure out how to fight the boss and advance to the next level, every page of GameFan brought back some memories for me.