Retro games vs. Indie games on Steam

An individual game's value is determined by how much enjoyment you get out of it, not by the genre it is in.

You have to take each game on an individual basis. I think you mean specifically "AAA retro games" vs. "high quality new Indie games", they could both have their merits especially if they are both "new to you". Some gamers may prefer the graphical style of newer indie games aver retro classics however - even though they often have a similar visual aesthetic quality. In the end you just have to judge each game individually.

From title to title, in general "retro">indie. Steam is kind of newcomer when talking about old games distribution, so games which are actually placed here are usually best ones you can get. Since it's probably good idea (money grab) for IP holders, we will see a lot more really bad old games released in future days of Steam. Anyway you should be warned, that majority of these releases are nowhere near the compatibility of GoG releases.

By the way, retro is defined as something modern made in the vein of a classic game. So when you say "retro game," it means something like 8-bit Commando, Retro City Rampage, etc. These are all relatively newer indie games.

Hit up GOG.com right now and get some classics games for free.

Personally, I prefer a lot of the older classics. It takes a lot for a new indie game to get my attention. But when it does, it is one helluva good game. Terraria is a great case in point.

But, the classics are just that for a reason. They have stood the test of time and proven themselves - enough so that newer games are based on the classics.

Indie and classic are such broad terms. You can't really compare groups as broad as that.

What's better value? A platformer or a real-time strategy?

The commanding hundreds of units is cool and all, but how does it compare to bitching jumping skillz? Which one is best?

Do you see the issue with what you asked?

Nothing beats reto Super Mario.