Sure, anyone can download classic games on the Virtual Console and Live Arcade, or buy compilations of classic arcade and console games. However, nothing compares to playing original, first-generation games the way they were meant to be played, the way they were originally played, on the actual console itself and not some emulator.

The most hardcore of retro gamers take it one step further. They know that a real classic gaming experience can't be duplicated with plasma screen TVs and 22.2 channel surround sound. They want to play games the way they did when they were young, with the greatest technological breakthroughs that the Cold War era had to offer.

How can you enjoy a nostalgic trip back to the golden age of gaming? Just follow this easy step-by-step guide!

This is the perfect specimen of an early 80's TV. Not only does this monster of technological prowess have spinning dials for both VHF and UHF channels, but it also has built in rabbit ears and an AutoColor switch in case you want to change from color TV to black-and-white.

(Special note for our younger readers: Many of these terms might seem foreign and confusing to you. We would explain how TV was experienced back during the days of the Carter Administration, but we're afraid that the frightening tales of adjusting the rabbit ears and gently nudging the tuning dial into place for a watchable signal would crush your gentle spirits. We will say that television was a difficult adventure in those days, and certainly not for the faint of heart.)

Now that we've got the TV, we need a proper gaming console to go along with it.

The Magnavox Odyssey2 was one of the very first cartridge based home console systems. It was originally released in 1978 and was an early market leader until it was crushed by Atari and its VCS. The Odyssey2 is a perfect console for our retro gaming experiment.

Now that we've got all of our equipment. Let's transform this mess of components into a lean, mean, 80's gaming machine!

Whoa! That looks pretty weird. The helpful diagram on the back of the TV tells us where the flat twin-lead wire should plug into the VHF dipole. However, we don't really know what a VHF dipole is so we just start screwing wires together until we get a signal. Amazingly, this TV, which hasn't been turned on since the Berlin Wall fell, still works.

Now it's time to connect the console to the TV. First we consult the Odyssey2 owner's manual...

Now turn to page 4 of your manual where you will learn how to plug your Odyssey2 into the TV.

Once you've read the manual, take the little white box with the wires sticking out. You'll want to unscrew the wires from the TV and replace them with the wires from the box. Then screw the wires that were on the TV onto the white box. Confused yet? It's a wonder that more people didn't blow themselves up with all those wires. If you did everything correctly, the back of your TV will look like a tangled clutter of wires with random pieces of metal sticking out.

Now that your console is securely attached to the TV. Plug the power cord in and get ready to flip the switch. Don't forget to turn your channel dial to 3 (every old-school gamer knows that channel 3 is the Video Game Network).

Step 3: The moment of truth!

If everything has been connected correctly (and the console even works in the first place) you will be transported into a magical world of nostalgic gaming goodness.

There you have it, the ultimate retro gaming setup. Be sure to set up a special retro console corner in your game room to add a touch of class to your home entertainment system. Visit your local thrift store or Goodwill to grab an authentic 80's TV and then stop by your favorite retro gaming store to get an Atari 2600, Intellivision, or any other classic game console.