Retrotech and reminiscing the past

The year is 2005.

Your older siblings and cousins brag about their newly purchased flip phone, showing off the front and back camera feature that captures a pixelated photo. You hear your relatives talk about getting on Facebook and signing up with their PC’s or bulky laptops. Your classmates bring to school different types of video game consoles like PlayStation Portables (PSP) and Gameboys flaunting the games like Tetris, Tekken 5 or Grand Theft Auto (GTA): Liberty City Stories. Youtube is just on the rise and it’s where you would download Avril Lavigne or 2NE1’s songs and import it to your MP4 player.

It was during this decade when personalized technology was fast becoming a trend and reminiscing about it now brings feelings of nostalgia. As gadgets became thinner and screens became higher and higher definition, technology incorporated itself onto our daily lives providing convenience and entertainment.

Despite all the more technologically-advanced gadgets available in the market today, these bulky blocks and massive round discs continuously attract collectors in our society. People are always on the lookout for what’s next from the big tech brands but some feel content with the classic and functioning hardware they’ve had for years.

Tried and tested, these are among the pioneering gadgets that influenced the way we now play games, listen to music, and take photos: By Vien Dimaculangan Photomanipulation by Nicole Mendoza

‘03 Apps

Janelle Dilao, a sophomore student taking up BS Psychology, got her pearl pink Game Boy Advance (GBA) Special (SP) for her 11th birthday. Up until this day, continues to play video games on it.

She finds the time to use her GBA during the weekends whenever she wants to take a break from the noise of social media and feel comfort in playing the games she grew up with. She remembers the simple life she had when she was younger as she said, “Gusto kong balik-balikan yung mga laro ko noong bata pa ako”.

She recalls the days when her only concern in life was about collecting GBA cartridges like Pokémon and those 361 in 1 cartridges that hold almost every imaginable game a child could ever want. She recalls playing Harvest Moon, Princess Pegasys, Mario Kart, and her favorite game to play presently, the Last Airbender which she has today. She remembers the time when she would drag her parents to Toys R Us and marvel at the array of cartridges in the glass cabinet in the store.

The handheld console was one of the most popular and sought-after technologies and it has contributed largely to the culture of contemporary video games. The cartridges in the GBA can be compared to the modern

day applications or apps that we download on our smartphones. Both devices allow their users to choose their apps or games by easily interchanging the cartridges in the GBA or simply downloading the application from Google Play App Store.

Janelle pointed out that she got hooked to role-playing and simulation games because of their plotlines. Compared to the modern games like Mobile Legends which she also plays, she says that even though it is more complex with the mechanics and it is more heavily reliant on graphics, the simplicity and ingenuity of the classic games are timeless. There are instances when game developers adapt these classic games just like Pokemon Go in 2016 but Janelle did not get on with this game. The main idea of the 2016 version was to allow its users to catch Pokemon by scavenging for them in different places in the real world, just like Ash Ketchum and Pikachu in the Pokemon World. Although it was her favorite game to play in her GBA, the amount of resources needed for the current version, such as mobile data and battery life is too much of a hassle. She still prefers the older version because of its familiarity, easiness and the wave of nostalgia that comes with playing her GBA.

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Old techs aren’t only used as a memento from one’s childhood but some gadgets offer more convenience in terms of battery life and handiness like the Sony Walkman that Jade Miralpes, an AB Communication firstyear student uses.

In her daily commute from her home to school, she never forgets to bring her blue brick of a Walkman which houses her favorite songs and bands. However, the one she presently uses is not the original 80’s Walkman but the 2009 edition of Walkman. It looks more like a Nokia 3310 where the keyboard is instead replaced with a circular button to play, pause, or pick the next song. It is the MP3 player released by Sony which carried the brand name.

Nonetheless, whenever people see her using the device, they are astonished by its mere existence saying, ‘Wow! Mayroon pa palang ganyan’.

She got her Walkman as a gift from her parents during the 9th grade when they were working abroad and it has been home to the different genres of music that she’s grown to love over the years.

Every time she finds a new song from her favorite bands, The Japanese House or Ang Bandang Shirley, she downloads it from the internet and imports it to her device.

Although tedious, this was one of the features that made her fall in love with the walkman. Importing songs means going through a series of steps which might be the same feature why other people prefer to stream using online applications. Downloading the song then having to import it in the walkman using a cord takes more work rather than just typing the song and then listening to the music.

Jade feels more connected with the process as it allows her to personalize the gadget to her liking. She said that “Feeling ko mas malapit - mas homey. Mas nostalgic siya kaysa yung i-download mo lang [sa phone] or mag-Spotify ka”.

She does so by dividing the songs into folders, similar to creating playlists in Spotify or Youtube. It aids her to listen to the type of music that she wants to start and end her day with. On days when she feels like playing it on shuffle, an element of surprise awakes her when the device could almost guess what she feels and play the song that perfectly fits her mood.

She also emphasized the functionality of the device because it doesn’t use up too much battery unlike the phone that she has, and it’s significantly cheaper compared to apps that have a monthly subscription plan.

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Experimenting and immersing with outdated technologies, Simon Abarentos, a first-year Biology student, can be described as a retro junkie for using Nintendo GameCube, a PSP, and his most recent obsession: disposable cameras.

Film cameras are making a comeback as famous Youtubers like David Dobrik devote one Instagram account to post the photos from his film rolls. Inspired by him, Simon got his first disposable from his cousin’s friend from Manila.

Beyond its aesthetic appeal, film cameras are becoming popular as more people use it to capture moments in its true form, free from manipulation. Limited only to the number of shots the camera holds, it is important that the photographer count the clicks and shots they take before the film roll runs out.

The authenticity being developed in film rolls —with the film grains formed from the chemicals used to print the photo captured his interest in the gadget. There is also the thrill in the uncertainty on whether the photo will come out good or just be an overexposed image.

Before trying film cameras, Simon already uses a digital camera to capture moments and his favorite subjects are people—especially the ones close to his heart.

He did not deny the power digital cameras hold. Especially in ensuring that the photo gets the right amount of light that comes in fiddling with the aperture, or by tinkering with the ISO and shutter speed to get the perfect photo. The viewfinder and monitor also allow him to see the photo immediately and even though these features are not found in film cam, he still prefers the latter.

He feels more connected to the places and memories whenever he grabs his camera to take photos, after which he travels to Recto or Ermita in Manila where they still have shops that can develop the film.

There is the instant gratification from smartphones, but nothing compares to the feeling of reliving the past using these old techs with its power of bringing memories back and making the emotional connection with their users compared to the one click away and all-in-one package that contemporary gadgets offer.

Stashed in cabinet drawers and dusty boxes in the attic are the remnants of our past selves. They need not be used daily, but to be browsed upon once in a while. As technology relentlessly floods the market with newer and newer gadgets that get upgraded all the time, there is still the assurance and comfort from something familiar as retro techs survive even in the age of Wifi.