History Main / RetroUpgrade

* In the second half of ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'', the Gunmen are dropped in favor of the new Grapearls. It turns out that the Gunmen are still more useful against the Anti-Spiral proxies because they were designed specifically to fight them, as although Grapearls were based in Gurren Lagann's specifications, their pilots are unable to channel Spiral Energy through them.

* Most home video game consoles stopped using cartridges in the mid-nineties in favor of [=CD=]s (although they stayed more popular in the hand-held market, as spinning optical media wasn't as compact and uses more power). The sole holdout, Creator/{{Nintendo}}, proceed to demonstrate why the others had moved on as cartridges' advantages such as faster load times and no need for separate memory cards were vastly outstripped by how much data [=CDs=] could hold and at a much cheaper manufacturing price; most N64 games retailed for $50-60 on cartridges packing 4-64 MB capacity, while its prime competitor the UsefulNotes/PlayStation gained the edge with $40-50 games on 650 MB compact discs (granted, most of the space was for soundtrack audio, but even then developers still had a lot more space to work with and even if they didn't use much of the disc space for game data, they could put on much higher-quality soundtracks). Since then, games have gotten larger and now take a significant time to read from the disk, while cartridges have become smaller and cheaper with the advent of flash memory. Nintendo, after three generations of disk-based systems, returned to cartridges for the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch with much fanfare and success.

* In ''Manhwa/{{Veritas}}'', after spending long periods training to purify his Ki flow, Gangryong discovers that he gets much better results if he deliberately clogs the flow until it bursts and washes out his system. Overlaps with DangerousForbiddenTechnique, since timing it wrong could kill him.

* UsefulNotes/{{Arcade game}}s were once the trailblazers of the gaming industry, until advancements in console technology and a paradigm shift towards long-form cinematic titles led to arcades becoming unprofitable and closing ''en masse'' in most non-Asian countries. However, starting in the late 2010s, Western arcades started to make something of a comeback, often using the "barcade" (bar + arcade) business model to capitalize on the social aspect of arcade games, one that isn't as easy to replicate with same-console or online multiplayer (i.e. get some friends together for an evening of drinks and grub on a weekend or after a day of work, and also enjoy some arcade games together while you're at it). They're still not as big as they were in the 70s through 90s, but between refurbished retro cabs and the development of new arcade games designed as {{Genre Throwback}}s, they've managed to hit a stable stride once again.

* UsefulNotes/{{Arcade game}}s were once the trailblazers of the gaming industry, until advancements in console technology and a paradigm shift towards long-form cinematic titles led to arcades becoming unprofitable and closing ''en masse'' in most non-Asian countries. However, starting in the late 2010s, Western arcades started to make something of a comeback, often using the "barcade" (bar + arcade) business model to capitalize on the social aspect of arcade games, one that isn't as easy to replicate with same-console or online multiplayer. They're still not as big as they were in the 70s through 90s, but between refurbished retro cabs and the development of new arcade games designed as {{Genre Throwback}}s, they've managed to hit a stable stride once again.

* In the old days of television, shows intended for rebroadcast were mastered on film since there was no way to record a video signal. These would then be rebroadcast through a device called a Kinescope, essentially a TV camera positioned in a tiny movie theater that would watch the film and broadcast what it saw [[note]]A full kinescope also had the reverse arrangement though, a film camera set to watch a tv screen so that programs could be rebroadcast in other time zones.[[/note]]. Then videotape came along. With component systems like Betacam, it became possible to store a TV signal as good as (and honestly much better), than any TV could receive them. So TV shows only used film on outdoor locations (the cameras were lighter) and began to master everything else in tape. Only then HD came out and TVs could suddenly display much higher than Betacam. TV shows mastered on the older film process could easily be re scanned for HD broadcasting (and Blue Ray), while the newer video taped shows simply were never created in a higher resolution.

-->-- '''[[DropTheHammer Shattering Justice]] description''', a weapon meant to be used with PowerArmor, ''Videogame/RiskOfRain''

* The T-X from ''Film/Terminator3RiseOfTheMachines'' has a liquid metal outer layer like the T-1000 from ''Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay'' and a metallic skeleton like the T-800 series from [[Film/TheTerminator the original]]; while it is theoretically more vulnerable because of the skeleton, it has the ability to carry onboard weaponry and isn't vulnerable to things that can damage a T-1000 specifically. For instance, near the end of the film the heroes activate a supercollider that acts like a powerful electromagnet, peeling the liquid metal off of T-X and short circuiting it, which would have killed a T-1000, but the T-X uses its skeleton to pry itself off the supercollider and disable it.

** Internet distribution has also sparked a similar resurgence of self-publication in literature and film, which was long ago common in both fields but had fallen by the wayside in the interim. In film in particular it had become synonymous with TrueArtIsIncomprehensible, but now is taken up in earnest by everybody from fanfic writes to aspiring directors.

* One might be forgiven that ''Anime/MazingerZ'' is a completely outdated scrapheap by the time of ''Anime/MazingerZInfinity''. However, when Kouji finally takes Mazinger out into battle, it's revealed that while Mazinger Z was indeed on display in a museum, it was also constantly being quietly upgraded since it was used as a testbed for new technology.

** Starsiege: 2845 also planned for a more-recent example of the trope. The Emancipator light HERC of the Martian Rebellion would return as part of the Colonial arsenal, [[hhttp://web.archive.org/web/20150914003533/legacy.the-junkyard.net/vehicles-ss2845.php?action=viewvehicle&game=ss2845&id=111 but now as a purpose-built war machine]] with three hardpoints instead of two as was the case on the original [[TechnicallyATransport refitted cargo loader]].

** A sanctioned FanSequel for ''Starsiege''--''Starsiege: 2845''--planned for Colonial forces [[https://legacy.the-junkyard.net/vehicles-ss2845.php?action=viewvehicle&game=ss2845&id=121 to receive the Apocalypse Mk. V,]] while the Earth-centric Great Human Empire would roll out a new, heavier model: [[https://legacy.the-junkyard.net/vehicles-ss2845.php?action=viewvehicle&game=ss2845&id=105 the Apocalypse Mk. VI.]]
** Starsiege: 2845 also planned for a more-recent example of the trope. The Emancipator light HERC of the Martian Rebellion would return as part of the Colonial arsenal, [[https://legacy.the-junkyard.net/vehicles-ss2845.php?action=viewvehicle&game=ss2845&id=111 but now as a purpose-built war machine]] with three hardpoints instead of two as was the case on the original [[TechnicallyATransport refitted cargo loader]].

* In ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'', Pikachu, despite being pretty much the official mascot for the franchise, was never very useful in-game due to its low stats. Later generations, however, included a special item called the Light Ball, which could be equipped by Pikachu (and only Pikachu) to double its attack power and also allow it to pass down the Volt Tackle move to its offspring, thus giving it a viable role as a GlassCannon.

* Both sides in the war in Ukraine have used old Cold War, or even WWII, manually aimed AA guns to counter drones.

* In ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'', Pikachu, despite being pretty much the official mascot for the franchise, was never very useful in-game due to its low stats. Later generations, however, included a special item called the Light Ball, which could be equipped by Pikachu (and only Pikachu) to double its attack power and also allow it to pass down the Volt Tackle move to its offspring, thus giving it a viable role as a GlassCannon.

* In the ''Franchise/MassEffect'' series, you get the omniblade, which is a "disposable silicarbonate blade almost as hard as diamond, build by an omnitool micro-factory". In short, it is a trusty old knife, except it's an AbsurdlySharpBlade able to cut through most things. Must useful if used in tandem with a [[InvisibilityCloak Tactical Camouflage]] to stab an enemy InTheBack (like [[PhantomThief Kasumi Goto]] does), or used against [[OurZombiesAreDifferent Husks]].

* ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquer'':
** In ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberianSun'', GDI forces had no answer to Nod artillery until the Juggernaut was developed. The Juggernaut was essentially a triple-barreled naval gun, taken off of a regular battleship (since Tiberium infestation has choked the seas too much for a conventional navy to be of any use) and mounted them on a mecha walker frame to make it mobile. The Juggernaut is so useful that it was retained into ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberiumWars'', even when other GDI mechs had been scrapped.
** For ''Tiberium Wars'', GDI found their mechs were vulnerable to sabotage from elite enemy infantry (who could just sneak up, plant explosives on one leg, and send the whole thing off-balance), so they reverted back to conventional tanks which were previously obsolete. Instead of merely digging up museum pieces, the next-generation Predator tank was improved with a larger cannon than previous tanks and the new Mammoth tank had two sets of tracks to help carry a better missile rack and more armour. Both tanks could later be modified to get rail guns for more firepower.

* Normally the artificially intelligent UCS of ''VideoGame/Earth2150'' are the HigherTechSpecies to the human factions as of Earth 2160 (they've overtaken the previous hi-tech faction of the LC), however for their basic infantry they have them outfitted with [[ArmCannon built-in]] [[GatlingGood gatling guns]]. Even the in-game description notes that these machine guns are obsolete compared to the humans' energy rifles, so the UCS have them equipped with depleted uranium ammo. But even with this, those gatling guns are still kinda puny. Luckily the UCS troops are all [[MadeOfIron battle]] [[RobotSoldier robots]] that can be mass-produced and they can increase their survival rate by sheltering in the faction-specific bunker.
* ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden'' have made the humble bow and kunai knife relevant to modern times by turning them into explosive weapons. The bow can be outfitted with arrows tipped with tank shells while the kunai becomes the Incendiary Shuriken by having an incendiary grenade for a handle. Now these weapons are fantastic at taking out armoured vehicles and mook mobs respectively.