The Retro Gaming Fragrance Collection Is Far Better Than It Has Any Right To Be

Retro computing has been reissued, remastered, emulated, and monetised in just about every conceivable way — but perfume wasn’t on the bingo card. And yet here I am, analysing a range of fragrances named after machines that once required loading times measurable in tea breaks. What a time to be alive.

The sense of smell is one of the most powerful triggers for memory, and growing up gaming at an early age is no different. Remember the unique smell of those big box home computer games, and the “feelies” that accompanied them? I can still distinctly recall easing open my copy of Silicon Dreams and the scent that lingered over the manual. 

But sometimes nostalgia smells like warm plastic and carpeted arcades, and sometimes it smells like a bloke who’s overdone it on Sauvage. This, thankfully, is neither. Coming to you from Retro Games Ltd. and SL London Design, TheC64 Pour Homme, The Spectrum Fragrance Pour Homme, ZX81 For Men and ZX80 For Women are what happens when someone looks at a shelf of beloved 8‑bit machines and decides the logical next step is, “What if these smelled oddly attractive?” 

It’s ridiculous in concept and yet, somehow, it works: four surprisingly wearable bottles that sit halfway between in‑joke and genuinely decent perfume. Believe me, I was as shocked as you. Also, they look hella premium. Let the spritzing commence.

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ZX80 For Women

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ZX80 For Women is the softest and most traditionally “pretty” of the line‑up. It avoids the usual pitfalls of novelty “female” fragrances. Instead of defaulting to overpowering florals or syrupy sweetness, it offers something gentler and more composed. My partner described it as "a timeless scent". But she also said the vanilla base doesn’t hold the floral top notes for long at all, and as soon as it’s sprayed it almost seems to reduce to a faint shadow of an aroma. This is a parfum (usually stronger than an eau de toilette, which the other three are), but strength does not always equal long-lasting scent — and that’s the case here.

For my money, though, I would rather smell this than something that makes you gag from across the room, costs four times the price, and is plugged by a movie star. I’d consider the ZX80 a subtle but still attractive fragrance which I’d be happy to breathe in, however low-key. Sometimes, less is more. Your grandma would not approve, though.

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TheC64 Fragrance Pour Homme

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There’s an immediate temptation to treat TheC64 Fragrance Pour Homme as a joke — the sort of thing you spray once, laugh, and leave on a shelf propping up your boxed copy of Creatures II. The blue bottle and ostentatious lid suggest it could be the kind of thing you find in the airport duty free bargain bin, next to something from Tommy Hilfiger. But against expectations, this is a surprisingly attractive fragrance, and probably my favourite of the male-coded scents in the bunch. It’s also the one which received the most positive comments when I wore it. 

What really works here is a combination of punch and restraint. It opens with bright citrus and blackcurrant over a more classic aromatic–floral heart, then dries down to a warm, slightly mossy patchouli–musk base. It smells a bit like Calvin Klein’s Contradiction, but far less overpowering and much nicer to wear in general. The Commodore 64 was always treated like the top-end contender in the 8-bit home computer wars. A bit fancier. A bit more exclusive. It feels like TheC64 fragrance nails that brief. This is an all-rounder, and one which I would be happy to wear in any context.

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ZX81 For Men

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ZX81 For Men is the brashest of the bunch. It pushes hard into classic barbershop territory with a nerdy twist, like an old‑school aftershave wired through a loading screen. Lavender is the star here, dialled up to near overdose and woven through a mix of aromatic freshness and leather. The result is a sharp, structured, masculine scent which absolutely makes itself known. 

The leather gives it a subtle “desk‑worn satchel” vibe. You know, the kind of thing Jack Bauer's man-bag would reek of after a very long day saving the world and yelling into flip phones. The overall impression is confident, slightly nostalgic, and easy to wear in cooler weather or at night. It’s not sweet, it’s pretty strong, and your uncle would absolutely love it — probably whilst explaining why modern music peaked in 1987. 

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The Spectrum Fragrance Pour Homme

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I can’t imagine this one being too divisive. It’s bright, fizzy, and heavy on the bergamot. It’s the upgrade to the ZX series in perfume form. Imagine the excitement of having rubber keys instead of a crappy membrane. Gasp at the colour graphics. Be blown away by actual sound. Convert all of that into a fragrance, and you have The Spectrum Fragrance Pour Homme. 

Essentially, if the ZX81 is the closest thing you’ll get to a “distinguished older man” scent, this goes in the other direction. It’s got the vibe of an enthusiastic 20s art graduate, yet feels like it would be just as at home on anyone under 50. There’s nothing super challenging here – no rogue spices, no animalic weirdness – just that familiar blend of bergamot, generic “fresh” notes and a soft, musky base that smells reassuringly like a bloke who owns more than one towel and occasionally irons his shirts. It’s safe, but not in a depressing way; more in the “everyone will think you smell nice” sense. I wouldn’t wear it to a formal event, but as a summer spritz, it is supremely likeable.

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                                                                                                            *****

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Coming into this with a high level of scepticism about a cash-in and a suspicious eye on the timing for Christmas, I fully expected these to be throwaway fragrances destined for regifting, or banishment to the back of the cupboard. I’m happy to declare I was wrong. Will TheC64 or The Spectrum replace Boss Bottled as my favourite cologne? No. But — and whisper this quietly — they’re still bloody good, and I'm going to continue wearing them. 

Andrews UK are currently selling them individually at £24.99 or a bundle deal with all four for £80, which seems like an absolute steal if you’re struggling for Christmas presents for your gaming friends or family. Or, to be honest, anyone who wants a decent fragrance. If this is what gaming tie-ins look like now, I’ll happily keep my nose open.