Retro News
January2018
News It's Been A Bumper Month For Super Nintendo MSU-1 Audio Enhancement Patches
Pump up the volume
Love them or hate them, the MSU-1 audio enhancement patches are here to stay and the effervescent, passionate community of hobbyist hackers and music producers at Zeldix have been on a non-stop roll of releases during this month. We've rounded up most of those projects on this news post and who knows, one of your old...
Art These Fantasy Nintendo Hardware Breakdowns Are Just Magical
NES, SNES, Game Boy, DS and more get opened up (kind of)
Consoles like the NES, SNES and Game Boy may just be fashioned from circuit boards, chips and plastic, but they're a portal to a seemingly limitless world of possibilities and will, for many players, have provided a wondrous backdrop for entire childhoods. London-based artist Jing Zhang was...
Review Power Spikes II (Switch eShop / Neo Geo)
Underpowered volleyball action
In among the Neo Geo library of games there are a number of titles (some already on Switch) that take a sport and rework it into a simple, quick-to-play arcade experience. The latest arrival on the eShop is Video System’s Power Spikes II, a volleyball game that gives you a choice of eight four-person teams and then...
News Check Out Nintendo's Original Headquarters
Back when they were still paying loans to Tom Nook
Though Nintendo has existed as a game company since the 80’s—still one of the longest standing institutions in the game industry—it’s actually been around in various other forms since 1889. In the nearly 100 years between then and its start as a game company, dabbled with taxis, love hotels,...
News Which Is Better - Sonic Mania Or Sonic CD? Iretrogamer's Power Team Debates It Out
Old vs new
We love Sonic Mania here at Nintendo Life - so much so former editor Thomas Whitehead gave the triumphant retro revival a glowing 9/10 back in 2017 - but did you much of its innovation follows in the footsteps of the equally ingenious Sonic CD? The Power Team over on the iretrogamer channel have had that very thought on the brain,...
Movie Review King Of Kong Meets Spinal Tap In Going For Golden Eye
"Rule no. 1: Absolutely no use of Oddjob"
Video games and movies often make uncomfortable bedfellows; just look at the Super Mario Bros. movie from 1993 and Jean-Claude Van Damme's equally risible Street Fighter flick. However, sometimes the combining of these two mediums can yield positive results; King of Kong is one notable example. Jim...
News This Year's Genesis 5 Smash Bros Tournament To Officially Partner With Nintendo
No, we don't mean that Genesis
Genesis? No we're not talking about the North American alter ego of SEGA Mega Drive or the first book of The Bible, we're talking about something even holier: Smash Bros! Based in the United States, Genesis is a semi-regular tournament that brings some of the best players from around the country (and the world) to...
Random GoldenEye 007 Mockumentary Aims To Be The Spinal Tap Of Video Games
Focuses on "deluded, cringe-inducing elite GoldenEye players"
An indie British film company is aiming to create the video game equivalent of Spinal Tap with Going For Golden Eye, which is described as "a love letter to the heyday of the N64 and the rivalries of couch multiplayer". Created by Woodhouse Pictures, the film focuses on the...
Random Counting The Screws In NES Cartridges Is A Big Deal For Collectors
Not all NES cartriges were screwed alike
Hardware revisions are a common practice in all manufacture industry, and video games are no exception; to either augment the original design with new features before a new unit replaces the existing one or to simply cut manufacturing costs by streamlining the production process. What no one might have...
Review Art Of Fighting 2 (Switch eShop / Neo Geo)
Like before, but a bit better
After bringing the first Art Of Fighting game to Switch, HAMSTER made the typically HAMSTER move of skipping ahead to Art Of Fighting 3: The Path Of The Warrior. That instalment offered a different, but more accomplished fighting experience and now the gap between those two is plugged with Art Of Fighting 2 which...
News Unreal Engine Powered F-Zero X Concept Astonishes, Goes Fast
"YOU GOT UNREAL ENGINE POWA!"
CryZENx is back with another impressive Unreal Engine concept remake of yet another well loved Nintendo 64 franchise. Feast your eyes on the following footage of the Captain's old faithful Blue Falcon speeding at over 1,000 miles per hour around Mute City. Would you like to have a new F-Zero on the Nintendo Switch?...
News Build Your Own Game, Flash It To A Cartridge And Play It On Your NES With NESMaker
No assembly required
Coding remains the biggest barrier between day time dreaming video game producers and the real deal. So when products such as Super Mario Maker bridge over that barrier and let the common gamer creativity take over it usually results in something quite special. Currently already fully funded in a mere 48 hours
Rumour SEGA And Retro-Bit Might Actually Be Working On A Secret Retro Console
Dreamcast Mini anyone?
It wasn't so long ago that we reported on the exciting collaboration between SEGA and retro hardware maker Retro-Bit. Sadly, that partnership only extends to accessories for classic SEGA machines, but now the rumour mill has fired up yet again with murmurings that the two really are working on a secret project and said secret...
News GoldenEye 007 With Mario Characters Is The Crossover We Never Knew We Wanted
It's-a-me, a-Bond!
Official development for Nintendo 64 may have ended over 15 years ago, but that hasn't stopped the impassioned modding community from keeping its library of memorable 64-bit hits alive with new updates and improvements. Rare's influential shooter, GoldenEye 007, remains a huge fan favourite, so of course one talented user has...
News Nintendo's Employees Once Went On Hunger Strike In Protest To Factory Closures
Back in 1955, that is
We'd all probably love to have a job at Nintendo these days, but back in the 1950s - when Ninty was a manufacturer of playing cards (specifically, a popular Japanese game called 'hanafuda') - things were a little different. Decades before its move towards video games, the firm was going through some internal struggles, which...
News This Portable Console Has Over 350 Built-In Games So You'll Never Be Bored Again
Retro-Bit's new Go Retro Portable arrives in September
While it's had to place its Super Retro Boy project on hold following an unfortunate trademark renewal earlier this month, throwback gaming hardware firm Retro-Bit continues to delve into the virtual vaults with its latest creation - the equally handheld Go Retro Portable. While the Super Retro...
Feature Rare's Local Game Shop Faces An Uncertain Future, Like Many Indie Retailers
"It can only continue with local support"
Those of you with long memories will recall that we ran a feature some time ago about Extreme Gamez, a small UK indie video game store. This particular shop might not seem especially noteworthy at first glance, until you realise that it is situated in one of the most historically important towns in the UK,...
News Hyperkin is Planning to Bring Back The Game Boy
The 'Ultra Game Boy', actually
With the incredible success of the NES and SNES Mini consoles over the last year or so, offering a modern and easy way to play classic games from those historic systems, many are now wondering whether or not we'll be seeing more consoles receive the same treatment. Potentially pipping Nintendo to the post, however,...
News It Appears That Nintendo Has Unfinished Business With The 1080° Snowboarding Series
Shreddin’ the gnar
1080° Snowboarding on the N64 and its sequel 1080° Avalanche on the GameCube are both fondly remembered arcade style snowboarding games, which were overshadowed a bit by EA's SSX series back in the day. Still it seems that Nintendo has a fond spot for the series as it's recently trademarked the name "1080° Ten Eighty"...
Soapbox Why You Should Consider Catching Big Air With Wii's Excite Truck
If you still have access to a Wii or Wii U, that is
Soapbox features enable our individual writers to voice their own opinions on a wide range of topics, opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. In this edition, Dave Letcavage discusses his somewhat recent introduction to the divisive Wii launch game Excite Truck, and makes a case...
Random This Woman Loves Tetris So Much She's Going To Marry Her Copy
Some things you just can't make up
It's not often we're surprised by the internet anymore, but then it goes and throws a curve ball of truly epic proportions. Meet 20-year-old Noorul Mahjabeen Hassan from Florida. She prefers to go by the name Fractal Tetris Huracan, and her adopted moniker might give you an idea of the game she loves above all...
Video The 21 Best GameCube Games Money Can Buy
Here's hoping they 'switch' to Virtual Console
The Nintendo GameCube was woefully underrated in its time, failing to compete commercially with its rivals. Where it excelled however was in its quality of games, of which there are countless. That's why we wanted to show off just what this cuboid console can do, and show you the 21 best games for the...
Review King Of The Monsters (Switch eShop / Neo Geo)
Fun for a few rounds
Thanks to HAMSTER’s ACA Neo Geo series there are plenty of options for Switch owners looking to engage in some virtual fisticuffs. SNK’s King Of The Monsters offers something a bit different to the other choices however, as it is essentially a wrestling game, albeit a wrestling game with giant monsters duking it out and...
Random The Creator Of Black Mirror Got The BBC To Play A Game Boy Tune To Millions
Picks Nintendo Switch as is his luxury item, too
Charlie Brooker's superb Black Mirror series may have catapulted him to global fame, but what viewers of the twisted yet utterly compelling science fiction show might not know is that he started his career as a games journalist in the UK before making the leap into comedy and TV writing. Brooker was...
Review The King Of Fighters '96 (Switch eShop / Neo Geo)
Or, the one with Geese Howard
Much like the first two instalments, The King Of Fighters '96 gives you a diverse roster of 2D fighters to pick from as you assemble a team of three to punch, kick, throw and brag your way to victory. The third instalment in the series also sees the sprites of old discarded for an instantly familiar hand-drawn...
News Kickstarter Retro Sensation Xeno Crisis Targeting Switch
Switch blast processing
Back in December we covered an up and coming Sega Mega Drive/Genesis game from Bitmap Bureau (yes, an actual old school cartridge that really works with Sega's old 16-bit beast). Xeno Crisis immediately caught our attention as well as piquing the interest of retro gamers everywhere. So much so that's it's smashed its...
Review Pulstar (Switch eShop / Neo Geo)
Not just a pretty face
The lush pre-rendered visuals of Donkey Kong Country certainly impressed in 1994, so it seemed inevitable that other companies would employ the technique in an attempt to draw admiring glances. So it was that Aicom released Pulstar the following year on Neo Geo. The end results was both visually impressive and lots of fun...
News Creator Of The Starforce Pi Is Working On Something Nintendo-Related
But it's a one-off, sadly
The Starforce Pi is one of the most exciting developments in the world of retro hardware, but it's still not yet available to buy. Marcel J. de Haan - the man behind the project - has experienced issues in finding a suitable manufacturer for mass production and has recently declared that he's going to do everything...
Random Twitch Streamer Accidentally Sets New Tetris World Record
As you do
You know those times when you turn on your favourite classic NES title, casually play about with it for a while, and then accidentally set a world record in one of the most intense, concentration-centric video games of all time? Nope, neither do we. Amazingly, though, this very thing just happened to a Twitch streamer and it is rather...
News Retro-Bit Puts Super Retro Boy On Hold Following Game Boy Trademark Renewal
Oh boy
Remember the Super Retro Boy? It was one of the products Retro-Bit was supposed to launch during 2017, and would have accepted Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance carts. Equipped with a TFT HD scratch and shatter-resistant screen, a 2,500mAh battery and bundled with a 10-in-1 game cartridge, it was slated for an August release...
Random Here's What Star Wars: The Last Jedi Would Have Looked Like On The SNES
Spoilers contained within, young Jedi...
Star Wars has a long and proud history in the realm of video games (as well as a few bum notes), but one of the most memorable interactive adaptations has to be the excellent trilogy of titles on the SNES. We'd dearly love to see some of the modern movies recreated in this 16-bit style on Switch, but that's...
News 8Bitdo Firmware Update Fixes Controller Power Issues
Updated to Version 1.23
If you are the proud owner of one of 8Bitdo's SN30/SF30 Pro Controllers, you may be pleased to know that the peripheral maker has released a firmware update to address a known bug and to add extra features. The firmware has been updated to Version 1.23 and can be downloaded directly from 8Bitdo's support page. You can check...
News How DOOM On The SNES Pushed The Hardware To Its Technical Limits
Sound familiar?
DOOM recently launched on the Nintendo Switch and while technical compromises had to be made in order to get it to run on Nintendo's portable platform, we nevertheless praised it in our review for being a quality port that had enough of a flavour of the full-fat version of the game to be worthwhile. It's amazing to think that more...
December2017
Review The Last Blade (Switch eShop / Neo Geo)
The king of fighters?
Kaede is fighting Yuki and weapons slash quickly as the two leap about the screen. Quick strikes from both, the action is fast as each looks to string together a series of moves to end the battle. Another day, another fight between Kaede and Yuki, but this time things are playing out differently. This time the combatants have...
News Retro-Bit Announces R-Type Returns For Super Nintendo
Irem's Holy Diver also making a comeback on NES
Looks like Retro-Bit is once again targeting retro gamer's wallets in early 2018 with a couple of exclusive physical re-releases. R-Typepe Returns will bring both excellent entries of the series exclusive to the Super Nintendo (Super R-Type and R-Type III: The Third Lightning) in a single...
News Super Mario Land 2 Gets a Fan-Made Colour Treatment
Now with added plumber
We are still catching up with all the fan retro projects released during the Holidays. Often cited as the very best platform game on the original Game Boy (sorry Kirby Dreamland fans), Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins not only seemed to defy what was possible with the humble portable, but was also responsible for...
News 'Super Famicom Wars' And 'Princess Minerva' Translated to English
Plus ' U.N. Squadron' gets a spiffy MSU1 audio patch
Once again the Super Nintendo community made sure that this was yet another Christmas to remember if you are still playing around with Nintendo's 16-bit wonder. Three major projects were completed and released in time for the Holidays, including a complete English translation for one major...
Review Top Hunter: Roddy & Cathy (Switch eShop / Neo Geo)
An action-packed multi-plane adventure
Travelling to different planets, the stretchy-armed Roddy and Cathy move left to right employing a variety of skills as they bash the bad guys. Available to tackle alone or co-operatively with a friend, Top Hunter: Roddy & Cathy includes some neat features that add to the fun of the action across nine...
Feature Homebrew Experts Mega Cat Studios On Surviving A Coffee Crisis And Coming Out Stronger
"We're really, really excited to be part of this retro renaissance"
Mega Cat Studios might not be a household name at present, but the company has been doing some incredible work in the realm of homebrew games development and has produced multiple physical NES carts over the past few years. We say down with Zack Manko, Mega Cat co-founder, to...
News Data East Arcade Titles Are Coming To Switch, Courtesy Of One Of Gaming's Worst Mascots
It's Turbo time!
Flying Tiger Entertainment has announced that it is bringing some of Data East's most beloved arcade titles to the Switch. Over 20 titles are coming to Switch, PS4, Xbox One and Steam, with the only confirmed game so far being the 1990 fantasy action release Gate of Doom (also known as Dark Seal). Games are expected to sell...
News The Donkey Kong World High Score Record Just Got Smashed To Bits (Again)
Robbie Lakeman wins back his title with a score of 1,230,100
In video games, there are high scores and then there are high scores. The long battle for Donkey Kong's biggest score definitely falls into the latter category; it's the holy grail of arcade scores and it's played host to some of the most competitive rivalries in history. Well, the arcade...
Random These N64 Box Art Covers Have Not Aged Well
In fact, most of them looked terrible at the time
We've all got plenty of fond memories of Nintendo 64 - which is why we're excited for the inevitable N64 Mini and its third-party friends - but that doesn't mean we look back on every game with a smile. In fact, just thinking about some those box art covers makes us a little queasy. Over on N64...
Video The Complete History of Phantasy Star
The other “Fantasy”
Though it happened a long time ago, the last month of 1987 has gone down in history as one of the most influential times in gaming. This week three long running, ground-breaking franchises were first released in Japan. Mega Man and Final Fantasy had already had their day earlier in the week. Now we turn to Phantasy Star...
News Sega Dreamcast, Saturn And Mega Drive Hardware Coming From Retro-Bit in 2018
The retro gods have smiled upon us
It's safe to say we're big fans of the retro-focused wonders coming out of Retro-Bit - including the brilliant Retro-Bit RES Plus and the wealth of classic titles on its Super Retro-Bit micro-console - so you can imagine how excited we are following the announcement that it's teaming up with Sega to bring a...
Gallery Cracking Open Retro-Bit's "New" Old NES And SNES Games
Data East and Jaleco classics are back!
Remember those terrible cardboard boxes that Nintendo games used to come in, way back when? The company thankfully moved onto more civilised plastic cases in the GameCube era, but NES, SNES, N64, Virtual Boy, Game Boy and Game Boy Advance titles all came in easily-crushed cardboard packaging which, for modern...
Video This SNES Classic Mini Teardown Explores the Similarities to the NES Model
One small difference, but it leaves plenty of questions
It's been known for a good while that the innards of the SNES Classic Mini are pretty much the same as the NES Classic Mini. It makes perfect logistical sense for Nintendo and no doubt means solid profits on each unit, but it also raises questions around supply issues and what Nintendo may need...
News Unofficial Nintendo GameCube Anthology Book Hits Kickstarter
By the book
Remember the superb N64 Anthology we covered a while back? Well the team behind that excellent tome are now producing a sequel in the shape of the GameCube Anthology. A crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter has gone live, and currently sits at just shy of 29,000 Euros - the target goal is 40,000 Euros. The final book will be 360...
Feature Testing The Best RGB SCART Cables Known To Humanity
These ones pack-a-punch
Not all retro gaming AV cables are created equal, despite what you may have read or heard. Unlike HDMI – which is a digital signal – the analogue realm is subject to wild variances when it comes to quality, and the pursuit of the perfect audio visual setup has become the lifelong objective of many a retro gamer. Some will...
News Hyperkin Has Created A Prototype Portable Nintendo 64 Mini
But it may not enter production, before you get too excited
Accessories maker Hyperkin is apparently working on a portable Nintendo 64 system. The news comes from Hyperkin Senior Account Manager Ramon Navos-Moral, who (rather foolishly, it should be said) posted the following images of a functioning prototype system on his Facebook page: The...
Gallery Checking Out 8Bitdo's New SNES Classic Edition Wireless Gamepad
New look, same quality
While the biggest news to come out of 8Bitdo recently is the launch of the excellent SN30 Pro controller, the company has also released another notable product: the SNES Classic Edition Wireless Gamepad. As the title suggests, this is a controller aimed at those who have purchased a SNES Classic Edition and are looking for a...
Review World Heroes (Switch eShop / Neo Geo)
Joan of Arc VS. Hulk Hogan. Round 1. Fight!
Many, many fighting games were released on the Neo Geo and these are slowly but surely filling up the Switch’s eShop. Compared to most of the options available World Heroes and its sequels offer a simpler experience with less depth, but the series can still entertain when its varied cast of fighters...
Hardware Review Retro-Bit Super Retro-Cade: A Treasure Trove Of Vintage Gaming Goodness
Finally, a legal way to play Boogie Wings in your home
It's fair to say they we weren't all that impressed by the Retro-Bit Generations, 2016's attempt to bring a selection of classic Data East, Capcom and Jaleco titles to the home. An odd library, terrible emulation and general sloppiness made it a product to avoid, despite the tantalising promise...
Random Check Out This Japanese Guide to Classic LCD Games
Yes, that includes Game & Watch
There are lots of gamers out there who seem to love physical media. Whenever a digital-only game gets a sudden print run on card or disc, people go crazy! Also, plenty of gamers love books - especially books on games. There have been countless tomes released over the last few years; practically every topic has been...
News Resident Evil Nearly Got its Start on the SNES
Whaaa?
Resident Evil is arguably the most prominent horror franchise in existence, spanning several consoles over a few generations, starting on the PlayStation. Though the series has taken some very different directions with all its spin-offs and sequels, the original still stands as a classic that is revered by many, even if it hasn’t aged all...
Random Check Out Tobu Tobu Girl, a New Game Boy Release
There's even a physical edition
Above is a teaser trailer from last year for Tobu Tobu Girl by Tangram Games, a game in which you try to continually go higher by bouncing off enemies and flapping your arms. It's pretty darn charming, and it's out now. Yep, it's a freshly released Game Boy title, which can be downloaded for free via its official...
Review Soccer Brawl (Switch eShop / Neo Geo)
Super violent kicks
Playing SNK’s Soccer Brawl feels a lot like playing SNK’s Super Sidekicks (also available on the eShop). Both take the game of football (soccer, if you prefer) and tweak it into a simple quick pick-up-and-play arcade experience that ditches the likes of formations, squad selections, half time and injury time. Soccer Brawl...
Random An In-Depth Look at Kato-chan & Ken-chan, Another Strange Classic Game From Japan
They’re still kicking
Time again for a look back at some retro gaming! There was a TurboGrafx-16 game that graced the Wii Virtual Console back in 2007 called J.J. & Jeff. That game was originally known as Kato-chan & Ken-chan, and was quite well-known back in Japan. The game was changed in a few key areas when brought to the West - namely...
November2017
News ActRaiser and Wolfchild Get The MSU1 Digital Audio Enhancement Treatment
Of Gods and human-wolf hybrids...
A couple of rather interesting MSU-1 audio enhancement patches released this week. The first is one of the most often requested patches ever since byuu released the chip itself, while the second will surely bring fond memories to Commodore Amiga and Atari ST owners. ActRaiser remains a unique work of art; it...
Random You've Seen The NES Classic, Now Check Out The CoolBaby HDMI HD Video Game
Cool, baby!
While Nintendo's U-turn on discontinuing the NES Classic Edition means that the thousands of people who missed out last year will now get a better chance of owning one, for a time it seemed like the Japanese company really was going to walk away from a profitable revenue stream. In that void came the clones; cheap knock-off replicas of...
News It's Going To Be Hard To Resist These Super Mario 3 Pin Badges
Pixel perfection
Super Mario Bros. 3 was, for a time, regarded as the best video game ever to emerge from Nintendo's development studios, and it arguably remains one of the finest 2D platformers in existence. All of which naturally means that any piece of official merchandise related to this esteemed NES classic is going to catch our attention and...
Hardware Review 8Bitdo SN30 Pro Gamepad: The Best Switch Pro Controller?
One pad to rule them all
If you take your video game controllers seriously, then chances are you won't need any introduction to 8bitdo. This peripheral maker has been crafting superb pads and accessories for some time now, many of which take more than a little inspiration from Nintendo's own controllers. Over the years we've seen excellent...
Hardware Review Hamy NES And SNES HD Classic
The best of both worlds?
Love them or loathe them, clones of retro systems are here to stay. Over the past few years we've seen numerous unofficial attempts to replicate the performance of vintage systems, some more successful than others. In recent years the arrival of authentic takes on this concept – such as the NES and SNES Classic Editions...
Review Karnov's Revenge (Switch eShop / Neo Geo)
Yes it's another Neo Geo one-on-one fighter...
Hamster has done a good job of providing a variety of genres with its ACA Neo Geo series, but SNK's machine had a lot of one-on-one brawlers and consequently Switch owners are not exactly short of options when browsing the eShop. Here's another one, this time from the Fighter's History series...
Buyers Guide Nintendo SNES Classic Mini
A Link To The Past
Hot on the heals of 2016's excellent NES Classic Mini is the obvious SNES Classic Mini, or Nintendo Classic Mini: Super Nintendo Entertainment System if you want the full name. Fully loaded with 21 games (including never before seen Star Fox 2), the Super Nintendo Entertainment System Classic Edition system has the original...
News Hideki Kamiya Would Love To Remake Viewtiful Joe
Henshin A Go Go Baby!
Viewtiful Joe and its sequel were among some of the best games released on the GameCube. This side scrolling beat 'em up had impressive cel-shaded graphics for its time and unique slo-mo fighting mechanics which made it lots of fun to replay time and time again. PlatinumGames' Hideki Kamiya often likes to...
Anniversary The Super Famicom Is Now 27 Years Old
It's got a mortgage and two kids as well
To many retro gamers it doesn't get much better than the Super Nintendo, otherwise known as the Super Famicom in its native Japan. This year Nintendo celebrated this 16-bit wonder with the release of the SNES Classic Mini, which was a timely reminder of how great the console was. It was on this console that...
Video This Could Be The Most Awesome Gaming Room Ever
We're still waiting for our invite
If you're keen on following YouTube-based retro gamers then chances are you're already familiar with Aussie super-collector Joel "Last Gamer" Hopkins. This guy literally has everything, from the rarest games to the most desirable vintage systems. His collection - and the building it's housed in - has undergone...
News Nintendo Promises More SNES Classic Edition Stock Is On The Way
A second chance
Did you miss your chance to pick up a SNES Classic Edition the first time around? You had to be quick on the pre-orders as they sold out almost immediately and mostly ended up on a certain well known auction site, but such is life. Thankfully, Nintendo of America has promised that more stock of the Super NES Classic (and indeed the...
Review Street Hoop (Switch eShop / Neo Geo)
Short on options, big on fun
While some of the games have not been strictly necessary (being outclassed by later updates/instalments in their series) and there’s been the odd dud, but HAMSTER’s ACA Neo Geo series has been a continued source of classic arcade thrills on the Switch, almost making up for the lack of a Virtual Console on the system...
News GameShell Looks Like A Game Boy, But Offers So Much More
Modular console is coming to Kickstarter
Every now and then a cool Kickstarter campaign comes along which catches our attention, and GameShell certainly fits into that category. On the surface it looks like a humble Nintendo Game Boy, but this modular system has the potential to be a really interesting entry in the handheld arena. While the...
News Gradius III Gets the MSU1 Digital Audio Enhancement Treatment
Option!
Shmups! We love them and we are not shy to admit it.The Super Nintendo always fell short to the lush number of shmup offerings present on the PC Engine, Mega Drive and even the NES / Famicom. Yet whisper Axelay in the wind and a wave of awe will overcome everyone. However, today's news is in regard to another classic Konami shmup, the early...
News Super Famicom Exclusive Sutte Hakkun Gets Translated Into English
Ink in, ink out, scratch head, restart level
It is quite amazing to see the number of Super Famicom exclusives that not only would have probably done well in the West if released during the console's peak years, but also still mix it up with current generation offerings. For your consideration, Sutte Hakkun (gesundheit) by Nintendo and the very...
Feature Diggin' In The Carts Host Nick Dwyer On How Video Game Music Has Come Of Age
"Cool things have been happening within the sphere of video game music"
While video game music has always had its fans, the appreciation for game soundtracks and the people who create them has arguably never been higher. Part of this is due to the incredible nostalgia attached to some of gaming's most iconic tunes, but it's also because video game...
News Nintendo Isn't Ready To Talk About Any More "Classic" Console Releases
"We recognise that our consumers love all of this great legacy content"
The NES Classic Mini and SNES Classic Mini have been enormous successes for Nintendo, and have opened up another valuable revenue stream for the firm in what has been a bumper period for profits. Given that the first two "Classic Edition" systems followed quickly after one...
News R-Type And Other Irem Arcade Hits Are Coming To Switch
Thanks to Hamster
Japanese conversion specialist Hamster - famous for its superb line of Neo Geo ports on the Switch eShop - has just revealed that it has gained the licence to bring some of Irem's most beloved coin-op titles to Nintendo's console. The first game is Arcade Archives Zippy Race, which is due for release this year in Japan...
Random Bask in the Nostalgia of Nintendo's Old Flash Games and Websites
The curse and wonder of Flash
The internet has evolved a great deal over the last 20 years, to put it mildly. There was a time in the early-to-mid noughties, for example, when Flash was a big part of online browsing. Sometimes it was used extremely poorly, but it was also a useful tool for making websites more interactive and interesting; naturally...
Random Here's Why SNES Shooter Phalanx Had That Weird Banjo Guy On Its Cover
"Today it might be called a WTF moment"
Kemco's Phalanx may not be one of the greatest 16-bit shooters ever made - heck, it's not even close to being one of the best shooters on the SNES - but it has become famous for having one of the strangest western covers in gaming history. Even at the time of release, people simply couldn't fathom what an old...
Review Art of Fighting 3: The Path of the Warrior (Switch eShop / Neo Geo)
Impressive fighting finale
HAMSTER’s ACA Neo Geo series has brought a number of one-on-one brawlers to the Switch, and now here’s another one. The first Art of Fighting game may have been visually impressive for its time, but it was lacking in the gameplay department meaning there was little reason to pick it up on Switch. Laughing in the face...
News Retro-Bit's Super Retro-Cade Adds Technos Classics To Its Lineup
Double Dragon! Renegade! Combatribes!
Retro-Bit has revealed that select Technos titles will be featured on its forthcoming Super Retro-Bit micro-console. The company lifted the lid on the new system a short time ago, and announced that it would come pre-loaded with Capcom and Data East titles such as Strider, Final Fight, Joe & Mac and many...
News Captain Rainbow's Fan-Made Translation Patch Is Now Available For Testing
A rocky rainbow road to English text
Captain Rainbow was one of the Wii's most original titles but sadly it never got localised for western release. While it's certainly possible to fight your way through the game without any knowledge of Kanji, a western translation is something fans have been holding out for for years - and it's now a reality...
Review Mutation Nation (Switch eShop / Neo Geo)
Rad dudes
The Neo Geo was not exactly short on choice for fighting games, with many-a-series of one-on-one brawlers available; though they were not as numerous, there were also some sidescrolling beat ‘em ups to pick from too. Several have already arrived on the Switch’s eShop and now HAMSTER brings another in the form of Mutation Nation. Like...
Book Review Neo Geo: A Visual History
The future is now
We'll spare you the traditional spiel about how the Neo Geo was the pinnacle of gaming back in the '90s – if you own a Switch then chances are you're already intimately familiar with the amazing library of this beast, thanks to the fact that Japanese firm Hamster has been pumping out a stream of Neo Geo titles on the Switch eShop...
October2017
News The SNES Classic Mini Has Already Hit Two Million Sales Worldwide
More units promised
It's only been out around a month worldwide (29th September in NA / PAL, 5th October in Japan) but the Super NES Classic / Mini has already clocked up impressive sales. As part of his investor presentation Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima stated that the tiny system has had a global sell-through of two million units...
News Treasure's Masato Maegawa Wants Sega To Make A Mega Drive Mini
It's time to give the SNES Mini some competition
It's fair to say that the NES Mini and SNES Mini have been very successful ventures for Nintendo, selling millions of units and creating a new awareness of the company's glorious past. However, when the NES Mini was announced it felt very much like Nintendo was playing catch-up; we'd already seen...
Video It's Time To Celebrate Some Of Video Gaming's Most Haunted Houses
Just in time for Halloween
It's almost Halloween, a time of year where lots of candy is consumed and people dress up terribly in the hope of scaring / amusing others. ] If you're wisely choosing to stay indoors this year then you may wish to indulge in a spooky game, and our friends over at iRetrogamer have put together a video which highlights...
News Trio Of SNES Classics Get MSU1 Digital Audio Soundtracks
Street sweeping, alien blasting, intergalactic racing triple combo
The community of Super Nintendo enthusiasts has been truly pushing the envelope above and beyond this year. There has never been such a great number of MSU1 audio enhancement patches released in such a short amount of time ever since byuu developed the chip back in 2012. Let us take...
News Mega Cat Studios Unleashes Spooky NES Treats In Time For Halloween
Do the monster mash!
Mega Cat Studios is getting in the Halloween spirit with a trio of NES-themed offerings. Creepin It Reel ($39.99) is a NES chiptune album with "officially licensed Dancing Pumpkin Man dance moves" and a fully playable pachinko game, while Creepy Brawlers (from $59.99) "marries monster movies and boxing" with...
News Retro-Bit Lifts The Lid On Its Multi-Cart Collections For The NES And SNES
Data East and Jaleco classics repackaged
Retro-Bit is releasing a series of multi-carts for the NES and SNES which come packed with classic Data East and Jaleco games. Launching this December, each cartridge is compatible with the original SNES and NES hardware. They ship with an exclusive button and sticker set along with a collectible retail box,...
Random Mario Inadvertently Exposed Himself In An Officially Licensed '80s Comic
And to think we got all worked up about nipples
The world may have lost its mind about seeing Mario's nipples in Super Mario Odyssey, but it turns out that Nintendo's mascot has shown off a lot more in the past. Kotaku has unearthed a Japanese manga from the late '80s in which Mario shows off his Crown Jewels.
Video A New Theory on How Pauline Got Her Name
And some notable similarities to Odyssey's style
With just days to go until Super Mario Odyssey hits the shelves, there’s a lot of excitement and buzz in the air. While most of the game will be kept under lock and key until 27 October, Nintendo has made a few things public. One of the bigger revelations made earlier this year, when Odyssey was...
News Super Turrican: Director's Cut Comes With With Every Analogue Super Nt Console
A new level! New enemies! Better sound! Improved graphics!
If you cast your mind back a short while you'll remember we reported on a story relating to the SNES run-and-gun classic Super Turrican, originally released in 1993. While the game was critically acclaimed at the time, it wasn't the version that developer Factor 5 wanted to release...
Video Here's a Look at Some Intriguing Failed Nintendo Game Pitches
Including Art Academy, Super Mario Bros. 3 on PC and more
Sometimes the history around games that never made it out of the door can be fascinating, as we look back at what might have been if different decisions had been made. Rejected or failed projects often come back in different forms, but occasionally they're lost forever. Unseen64 has teamed...
Review Robo Army (Switch eShop / Neo Geo)
Little known, but lots of fun
Neo-Detroit has been invaded by a legion of robots; their leader instructs them to seize the population and use their brains to clone themselves. Wait, what? Use their knowledge to build more of their number perhaps? Maybe the human brains are being scooped out for use in the robots? Whatever’s going on, it isn’t...
News Super Famicom Exclusive, Far East of Eden Zero, Translated Into English
Major JRPG's "impossible" language barrier conquered at last
"Impossible!" is the word used to describe something that can't be done... until someone does it for the first time. Tengai Makyō Zero (full title Far East of Eden: Tengai Makyō Zero) was one the major Super Famicom games with seemingly impossible translation; this late generation 1995...
Hardware Review The Super Famicom Mini Is For Hardcore Collectors Only
Turning Japanese?
Not all micro-consoles are created equal, the SNES Classic Mini being the perfect example of this (not-so-universal) truth. The western versions may have the same game selection but the North American and European editions showcase radically different case designs, which has led to some particularly dedicated Nintendo fans buying...
News The Analogue Super Nt Is The Ultimate SNES Clone, And You Can Pre-Order Now
FPGA, 1080p, zero lag, total accuracy, complete compatibility, $189.99
Retro hardware specialist Analogue has lifted the lid on its next major project, the Analogue Super Nt. Like the Analogue Nt and Analogue Nt Mini before it, the Super Nt uses Field Programmable Gate Arra
News Mystery World Dizzy NES Kickstarter Passes Goal In Double-Quick Time
Limited to 500 copies
The Oliver Twins will be well-know to any British gamer who grew up during the Spectrum era, but the duo also produced games for the NES. Dizzy remains by far their most famous creation, and a lost NES title will be hitting the market early next year thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign. Mystery World Dizzy, as we've al
Review The King of Fighters '95 (Switch eShop / Neo Geo)
Unneeded fighter?
Having already given us the ‘98, ’94, ‘99 and 2000 editions (in that order), HAMSTER now jumps back in time to give us The King of Fighters ‘95. As only the second entry in the series it lacks some of the features of later games, but the aim remains the same: pick a team and defeat a bunch of others on your way to a...
News Super Famicom Mini Greatly Outsold Famicom Mini In Japan
It prints money!
It's clear that the SNES Classic Mini has been a great success so far, with pre-orders selling out despite an appropriate volume of stock being shipped by Nintendo to supply demand this time - unlike the NES Mini which was notoriously difficult to pick up. The picture in Japan appears to be much the same, with Famitsu reporting...
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