Because Retro Victories Deserve Recognition

We’re a group of retro gamers who remember beating legendary games as kids… but having nothing to show for it.

I still remember finally beating Super Mario Bros. as a kid. The next day at school I proudly told my friends:

“Guys, I did it. I finally beat it. I saved the princess—and she was actually in the castle!”

No more Toad telling me to keep looking somewhere else.

Their response?

“Wow… really?”

That was it.

No screenshot. No trophy. No gamer profile badge.

Just a memory.

That changes now.

Remember When Games Were Just… Games?

Think back to a simpler time—the age of 8-bit and 16-bit gaming.

There were no online servers. No downloads. No day-one patches. If you wanted to play against someone, they had to be sitting in the same room with you.

Games lived entirely on a single cartridge. You slid it into the console, powered on the system, and that was it. The console itself was little more than a vessel for the game. There were no hard drives, no updates, and nothing extra to install.

Everything the game was going to be… was already there.

Sure, the graphics weren’t always impressive by today’s standards. Sometimes you had to fill in the gaps with your imagination. But those games still delivered something many modern titles struggle to replicate:

Challenge.

Controllers had only a handful of buttons and a directional pad. Your character could only do what the game allowed, and every action mattered. Those limitations kept games focused and linear, guiding you through the adventure step by step.

Games weren’t 60-hour cinematic experiences. They were concise, tightly designed, and endlessly replayable.

Don’t believe they were fun?

Just look at the retro gaming community thriving today.

Why do companies like Nintendo continue to include classic libraries like the Nintendo Switch Online retro collections? Because players still love revisiting the games they grew up with—without needing to dig an original Nintendo Entertainment System out of the attic, hunt down a cartridge on eBay, and somehow connect it to a modern television.

Retro gaming never really disappeared.

It just evolved.

Modern gaming does have one major advantage.

Proof.

Today you have leaderboards, achievements, and trophies permanently tied to your online gaming profile. When you add someone as a friend, you can instantly see what they’ve accomplished — their wins, their stats, their completed games. But what did we have back in the day?

Just stories.

“I beat Super Mario Bros. without using any continues.” 

“I knocked out Tyson in the first round.”

“Dr. Wily never stood a chance against my Mega Man.” 

“Jake and Billy beat Contra without the code.”

Great accomplishments… nothing to show for them. 

Did you take a picture of the screen when you finally beat the final boss? 

Did you sit and watch the credits scroll by like the opening crawl of Star Wars? 

Did you mail in your score to Nintendo Power hoping to see your name printed in the magazine? 

Or did you wish you had something tangible—something that proved you conquered that game?

We did too. 

Retro Completion Challenge gives retro gamers something they never had before:

A physical symbol of their victory.

We produce 1.75-inch collectible challenge coins crafted from high-quality nickel-plated brass.

Each coin features:

• The game title
• The original U.S. release year
• A game-themed graphic
• A high-mirror reverse side displaying the console the game was originally released on

For many of us, that console is the one we grew up playing on—the system where the victory first happened.

These coins are designed to feel substantial and collectible, not like a cheap medallion or printed certificate.

Because beating these games deserves something better.

To launch the project, Series 1 will feature five legendary titles:

• Super Mario Bros.
• The Legend of Zelda
• Punch‑Out!!
• Contra
• Metroid

These Open Edition coins feature:

• Nickel-plated brass with a high-shine silver finish
• High-definition die-struck details
• Colorized raised elements with 3-D depth

They will also be available individually on our website after the Kickstarter campaign concludes.

For collectors who want the entire lineup, complete series sets will also be available.

Each coin ships individually protected in a plastic coin flip holder.

For collectors looking for something truly special, we’re also producing Limited Edition sets.

These coins include several exclusive upgrades.

Limited editions are struck in gold-finished brass with completely different artwork featuring deeper game elements that represent true mastery of the game.

Instead of a standard rim, these coins feature a custom edge finish that frames the artwork on both sides.

The reverse side displays the system logo in full color against a textured background, highlighting the console that defined the era.

Every Limited Edition coin is individually serialized, and each set contains matching serial numbers across all coins.

For example:

• Super Mario Bros. #0001
• The Legend of Zelda #0001
• Contra #0001
• Metroid #0001
• Punch-Out!! #0001

True collector sets.

Only 1,985 Limited Edition sets will ever be produced.

Once they are gone, they are gone.

Limited Edition sets will also include a sixth exclusive bonus coin that will never be produced again as a limited edition.

It may appear later in an open edition version — but this original release will remain exclusive to early backers.

And as a commitment to our supporters:

Limited Edition sets will never be reproduced.

For decades, retro gamers have had incredible accomplishments… but nothing tangible to show for them.

No trophies.

No achievement badges.

No gamer profile.

Just memories.

Retro Completion Challenge changes that.

Because conquering the classics deserves more than just a story.

It deserves proof.