Retro News
January2022
Feature Nintendo Life's Biggest Gaming Regrets
Forgive us, Reggie, for we have sinned
Here's some news: We are not infallible human beings here at Nintendo Life. Hard to believe, but true. We don't all sit on a throne of priceless Spice Orange GameCubes and rare SNES games, although a fair few of us have been known to collect a few
News Metroid Prime Dev Confirms That Nintendo Blocked The Addition Of Super Metroid To The Game
...but it paved the way to the inclusion of the original Metroid
A few years back, it was reported that Super Metroid almost made it into Metroid Prime but Nintendo decided against it because the emulator used was an unofficial third-party one. In a conversation with Kiwi Talkz, Metroid Prime developer
Video We Have A Lot Of Feelings About Banjo-Kazooie On Switch
Good ones, too!
Banjo-Kazooie on a Nintendo console in 2022. It's mind-blowing! Not just because Rare and Nintendo parted ways long ago, or because we still haven't got our hands on Rare Replay, or because there will most likely never be another Banjo-Kazooie game, but because it actually looks really good. There were a few concerns, especially...
Feature Japan's 'G-Mode Archives' - The Retrogame Series You've Never Heard Of
A great way to play some more old games on Switch
If you're a retro game enthusiast, you're likely aware of Hamster's excellent Arcade Archives and ACA NEO GEO lines which both boast sizeable catalogues on Switch eShop. There is, however, another predominantly Japanese set of retro releases that might have passed you by completely: the G-Mode...
Review Banjo-Kazooie - Peerless Platforming Perfection, And Now Available On Switch
"Kazooie, we're home"
This review originally went live in 2009, and we're updating and republishing it to mark the long-awaited return of Banjo-Kazooie to a Nintendo console, available as part of the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack N64 library. Back in the days of the N64’s prime, there was one firm that managed to stand out from the rest:...
With "high stability and low latency"
Taiwanese accessory maker Brook has made a name for itself via its innovative 'Wingman' series of adapters, and the company's latest product will be of particular interest to Nintendo fans. The 'Wingman SNES' makes it possible for retro gamers to use modern controllers on their classic systems. The adapter will...
News Retro-Styled Shooter 'Thunder Striker' Blasts Onto Switch This Week
A blast from the past
Gotcha Gotcha Games is bringing its retro-styled vertical shooter, Thunder Striker, to Switch on 20th January and it looks like some absolutely sweet 8-bit Game Boy-esque action if these screenshots are anything to go by. Described as "The fourth installment in the fictional "GAME BUDDY" portable game series", the game —...
News The Inside Of WaterField's $49 Analogue Pocket Pouch Is "As Soft As A Puppy’s Ear"
"Designed incorporating valuable input from over 1,000 customers"
Accessory maker WaterField Designs has a solid reputation for high-quality carry cases, and the company has just announced that it's producing a case for the Analogue Pocket. The Analogue Pocket Pouch has been des
Video MVG Takes A Closer Look At Tomb Raider's "Impossible Port" For GBA
"probably the most fascinating and interesting port I've ever seen"
Last week, new footage of the original 1996 Tomb Raider game running on Nintendo's Game Boy Advance was shared online. As you might already know, it's part of 'OpenLara' - a classic Tomb Raider open-source engine that's seen the game ported across to all sorts of platforms. The...
News Konami Sold This Castlevania Pixel Art For Over $26K In Its 'Memorial' NFT Auction
What a bargain...
Whether you love or hate NFTs in gaming, it seems some companies are intent on monopolising on this new trend. One, in particular, is Konami, who decided to celebrate Castlevania's 35th anniversary with a special 'Konami NFT Memorial Collection' auction. It's now sold off all '14 unique artworks" which consisted of game scenes,...
Feature These Incredible Game Boy Mods Are All By The Same Guy
He is the 'Game Boy' Boy
Some people are blessed with all the talent, and one of those people is Andy Sexton, who's not only content with being the Creative Director at Hi-Rez Studios (Smite, Paladins) — he's also a very good Game Boy modder in his free time. We can't be too mad, though, because he also takes wonderful photos of those mods and...
Random The OG Tomb Raider Looks Amazing On Game Boy Advance
"what sort of wizardry is this?"
The Game Boy Advance - a 32-bit handheld system released in 2001 - managed to get some 3D-like games up and running, but we don't think we ever saw one that looked this amazing during its lifetime. Presenting 'OpenLara' - aka the original Tomb Raider game running on the Game Boy Advance. It's currently in alpha, but...
Random Logan Paul Got Scammed To The Tune Of $3.5 Million On Fake Pokémon Trading Cards
"It's just so sad"
If you follow the Pokémon Trading Card scene, you might have heard recently how the YouTuber Logan Paul managed to get his hands on what was apparently the "only known sealed box of first-edition base set Pokémon cards". He forked out a whopping $3.5 million for the lot and well it turned out he got scammed. After concerns were...
News Ex-Nintendo Staffers To Share Behind-The-Scenes Stories In Nintendo Power Reunion Livestream
"An incredible afternoon of stories"
For many of our friends in the US, Nintendo Power magazine was the way to get all the latest news, guides and more relating to the latest Nintendo games. Kicking off in 1988 and running for 24 years, the magazine was known for its official ties to Nintendo – it was originally designed and created in-house,...
Random Pokémon Whips Were Once Considered, But Game Freak Thought It Was "Too Cruel"
Trainers could have been collecting belts instead of badges
Collecting Gym badges in the Pokémon series is just what you do, but it wasn't always planned to be this way. 'Did You Know Gaming?' has gone to great lengths to dig up some new information about the popular RPG series - translating 100 pages of the "Japan-only" book 'Game Freak: The...
Random Introducing The Tiger Boy Advance - A GBA Inside A Tiger Electronics Handheld System
"A Tiger handheld that doesn't suck"
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to jam the full power of the Game Boy Advance into a Tiger Electronics handheld gaming system from the '80s? Probably not, but one guy who always wanted to make his dreams come true was hardware modder and creator Chris Downing. Downing admits it's technically nothing...
Random 'R64' Is The First Music Album On A Nintendo 64 Cart
Remute returns with a new album
German musician Remute is creating the first 'album on a cart' for the Nintendo 64, it has been revealed. Remute has previously released similar carts for the Genesis / Mega Drive, SNES, PC Engine and Game Boy, but states that 'R64' will be the most "diverse and playful album" so far. It will showcase 15 new songs,...
Exclusive Former Sega President Wanted Virtua Fighter 3 And Crazy Taxi On The Nintendo 64
With Acclaim handling the publishing duties
Want to kick off 2022 with an amazing revelation? How about this? Virtua Fighter 3 might have made its way to the Nintendo 64, had former Sega of America boss Bernie Stolar gotten his way. This particular bombshell comes from former games journalist James Mielke, who is now a producer at Limited Run...
News The Arcade1Up Mortal Kombat Cabinet Will Support Online Multiplayer
Game Konnected
The original Mortal Kombat and its successors will always have a key role in video game history, with the gore and violence of the arcade original famously being toned down in its Super Nintendo port. The early arcades and assorted ports are classics, and an upcoming Arcade1Up release looks like it'll be a fun way to play them (albeit...
Feature 10 Overlooked GameCube Gems You Must Play
Small(ish) library, BIG surprises!
The North American 20th anniversary of Nintendo's cube-y console is upon us and we’ve come to realise that two entire decades is long enough for people to either forget the GameCube’s charming boxy shape or even grow to adulthood without ever handling Nintendo’s handled hardware. "0 years is also plenty of...
Feature Nintendo Hotliner Life 1990–93: Manning The Phones During The Console Wars
The curious tale of a Nintendo UK Hotliner
“Video Game Enthusiasts Wanted!” teased the advert in the Portsmouth Evening News. Other than a phone number, this mysterious call to arms offered no further information. But as a gaming obsessed 18-year-old looking for a job after finishing a BTEC in Computer Studies, I was mesmerised by the...
Feature The Man Making Brand New NES Games In 2021
Alastair Low explains 8-bit love and how he's making games more dyslexia-friendly
Alastair Low hadn’t even been born when the NES was originally released in the UK. But he spent much of his childhood joyously playing on Nintendo’s 8-bit wonder machine after picking one up for a pittance at a car boot sale in the mid-1990s. “I remember getting...
News GoldenEye 007 Is Getting A Digital Release On Xbox
Could a Switch release be happening soon?
It looks like Rare's seminal N64 shooter GoldenEye 007 is finally getting a digital re-release - but sadly not on a Nintendo system. True Achievements has picked up a new achievement list for the game, with 55 achievements adding up to a 1000 gamerscore. Some of the achievement images have leaked, too:...
December2021
Soapbox Wave Race 64 Is Now 25 Years Old, And It Still Rules
Maximum Power!
Let's get the controversial early opinion out of the way, just so any pitchfork wielders can start sharpening their implements right away: a lot of Nintendo 64 games haven't aged very well. Of course they haven't, because it was a console in which Nintendo was at the bleeding edge of 3D graphical technology, a bold move that seized it...
Random Get Nostalgic For The Wii Days With Nintendo's E3 2006 Conference, Upscaled
Excite Truck ftw
While the last couple of E3s haven't been quite what we're used to for obvious reasons, it's the memories of glorious summers past which keep our enthusiasm for the event alive. Earlier this year we took a look at a handful of Nintendo's most iconic E3 moments, but researching for that article and rewatching Nintendo's conferences...
Feature Artist Kamui Fujiwara Talks Terranigma Amid Drive To Resurrect Classic SNES RPG
"It means the quest is not over, right?"
Terranigma is a SNES title that holds a special place in the heart of many an RPG fan, which is remarkable when you consider that it was only released in Japan and Europe, and bypassed North America entirely. Part of Quintet's loose RPG trilogy (which also includes Soul Blazer and Illusion of Gaia),...
Random Logan Paul Made A Table Out Of Game Boys, And The Internet Isn't Happy
It lights up, too!
YouTuber Logan Paul is a man who has his fingers in many pies, but his latest venture has riled up Nintendo fandom quite spectacularly. Paul took a selection of Game Boy Color consoles (some of which are quite collectible) and poured epoxy resin over the top of them to create a table - which also lights up: The reaction online...
Feature Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix, Or That Time Mario Got Movin’ To Mozart
The funky rhythm comin’ at ya!
On the surface Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix appears to be the ordinary and obvious by-product of Konami and Nintendo continuing to operate in the same creative space. After all, by the time of the game’s 2005 release, Mario had already been doing non-Mario things for a very long time — he could paint, ride...
Feature Ex-Nintendo Employee On 'Holy Grails', Meeting Heroes, And Preserving A $10K Kirby Card
"As a fan, I was mortified at the thought of destroying any of it"
Over the holidays we're republishing some of our best features, interviews, opinion pieces and talking points from the previous 12 months from staff and contributors alike — articles that we feel represent our best of 2021. In them you'll find our usual mix of thoughtfulness,...
Feature Treasure Games That Need Switch Ports Or Sequels
We’re going on a Treasure hunt
The aptly-named Japanese studio Treasure — in spite of its fondness for focusing on less popular formats and its infrequent and occasionally Japan-only releases — has long been a developer famed throughout all of game-dom for the consistent originality and sheer quality that runs through its work. Formed in 1992...
Feature A Look Back At Nintendo's Long History Of Art, Music And Game Making Software
Over 35 years of programmin', paintin' and makin'
Between the Super Mario Maker games, Miitopia, and now the soon to be released Game Builder Garage, the last decade has seen Nintendo embrace the creativity of its players to produce fun content for all to experience. It’s amazing to see the creativity of the communities that form around these...
News This "Lost" Game Boy Add-On Could Have Pre-Dated The Smartphone
Say hello to the Page Boy
Last year, esteemed video game historian and occasional Nintendo Life contributor Liam Robertson uncovered the story of the Work Boy, an unreleased accessory that had the potential to turn the humble Game Boy into a powerful productivity tool. Now, a year later, Robertson is back with another investigation – this time...
Feature From Famicom Disk System To Switch - The Evolution Of Nintendo's Miis
Love Mii do
Ah, the Mii. We remember when we first made our own Miis back in 2006. Back then the most character customisation we had experienced was probably with The Sims, so making Miis of our friends, family and favourite video game characters was a fun pastime. It's a real shame, then, that Nintendo stepped away from their Miis, presumably in an...
Feature 'Arcade Perfect' Be Damned: R-Type DX Is Still Portable Perfection
Bydo To The Future
R-Type may be 34 years old but the beyond-enthusiastic reception for R-Type Final 2's Kickstarter proved Irem’s long-running series is much more than a nostalgic memory held close by a few greying fans, or vintage shmup still hazily respected from a great distance. R-Type can still generate hype and open up wallets; the thought...
Talking Point Nintendo And The Industry Needs To Get Serious About Game Preservation
Lots of catching up to do
For those following the general chat around video games, one topic that has generated debate recently has been Sony’s announcement of the upcoming closures of digital stores on PlayStation 3, PS Vita and PSP. As news, it wasn’t necessarily surprising, for reasons we’ll expand upon, but it did bring the whole subject...
Soapbox Retro Nintendo Games Cost Too Much, But Nostalgia Is Expensive
Second-hand Nintendo games are notoriously pricey, but why?
The year is 1999. I'm in a GAME, in Loughborough town centre. The grey carpet is sticky, the awful fluorescent lights are so dim I can barely see, and everything sort of smells like stale sweat. I'm standing in the N64 section with my brother, both of us clutching a small fortune in pocket...
Feature Clammy Consoles, Humid Horrors, And Retro Regrets
Don't try this at home
A few years ago a clever, witty, and shockingly beautiful Nintendo Life writer had to spend a few boring days trawling numerous websites searching for a brand new and eye-wateringly expensive wafer-thin HDTV with which to replace their ageing and sadly then only semi-functional slightly less wafer-thin HDTV. This new triumph...
Feature How Takara Brought SNK's Arcade Fighters To The Humble Game Boy
Battery-powered brawlers
Between 1994 and 1998 Takara Co., Ltd. brought some of SNK's most successful Neo Geo arcade hits — Samurai Shodown, The King of Fighters, and Fatal Fury 2 — to the humble Game Boy via a series of 'demakes'; streamlined and simplified releases of the infinitely more powerful arcade originals rebuilt from the ground up...
News NES Action Shooter 'Copper Jacket' Hits Funding Goal On Kickstarter
It's not coming until early 2023, however
Indie game developer Monsoon Studios has revealed that the crowdfunding campaign for its NES action title Cooper Jacket has been a success. The game – which offers a simultaneous 2-player mode and takes inspiration from the likes of Contra and Commando – had a very modest funding goal of just $9,000...
Retro Back In 1996, Nintendo 64 Was The Must-Have Christmas Gift - Alongside 'Tickle Me Elmo'
"Maybe Santa can write your little darlings an I.O.U."
In 2021, getting hold of a Switch, PS5 or Xbox Series X for Christmas might be a struggle, but back in 1996, it was the Nintendo 64 that was the must-have festive gift in North America. The Indianapolis Star's Rory Appleton has been digging through newspaper reports from the period to shed a...
Retro Remember When Acclaimed Novelist Martin Amis Rubbished Donkey Kong?
"Donkey, your days are numbered. The knackers’ yard awaits you"
One of the most influential and acclaimed novelists of his generation, award-winning writer Martin Amis – famous for books such as Money, London Fields and The Information – isn't the kind of name you'd perhaps expect to see on a site about video games, but in the early '80s, Amis...
News The Taito Egret II Mini Is Getting A Western Release
Thanks to United Games Entertainment
United Games Entertainment, the umbrella company for Strictly Limited Games/ININ Games, has revealed that it will be distributing the Taito Egret II Mini in the West. This arcade-focused micro system features a rotating 5-inch screen and is set for release in the New Year. Its Japanese release is scheduled for...
News This Gamer Is "No Death" Completing Some Of Video Gaming's Hardest Titles With His Chin
"The chin always wins"
We don't know about you, but we find it fantastic that we live in a world where having a disability doesn't mean you can't truly excel – and in HanDcapableSean's case, it's playing brutally difficult video games really well using his chin. Sean's focus is retro gaming, and he's completed some seriously difficult titles –...
Random Vanilla Ice Never Looked Sharper Than In 8-Bit Form On Analogue Pocket
Aim for the flat top
Connoisseurs of both gaming and rap music will no doubt be aware of Rap Quest, an ill-fated Game Boy title with the working title 'Rap City' that originally featured '90s rapper Vanilla Ice before rights issues meant his music couldn't be used. As we've reported before, Equilibrium Software completed work on the game and...
Random An Unused Alternate Version Of Mega Man 3's Box Art Has Sold On Ebay
The NA version, that is
Early Mega Man box art — specifically the North American versions of Mega Man box art — are infamous for being a bit, well, off. And we're being exceptionally generous when we say 'a bit'; the NA cover used for the original game is renowned for being one of the worst examples of video game box art ever created and even C
News Sega's Astro City Mini Is Getting A 'TATE' Version Packed With Shmup Goodness
Batsugun! Battle Bakraid! Armed Police Batrider!
Sega's Astro City Mini is getting a new version that features a vertically-oriented screen, it has been revealed. The Astro City Mini V looks much like the original, but its screen is tilted 90 degrees to accommodate 'TATE' games. Taito is taking a similar route with its similar Egret II Mini, which...
News Scalpers Are Already Reselling Analogue Pocket Systems For Insane Prices Online
Colour us surprised
After a painful delay related to the ongoing global pandemic, the Analogue Pocket finally launched this week, with those who pre-ordered many moons ago getting the chance to sample the company's latest FPGA-powered creation. Pre-orders for the console also re-opened this week too, but buyers are being told that they might have...
News Commodore 64 Games Are Being Teased For Nintendo Switch
"We listened"
If you have fond memories of the Commodore 64 generation, oh boy - have we got some news for you! The retro-focused indie developer and publisher Thalamus Digital is teasing C64 games for Nintendo's Switch hardware. According to a vague tweet, the team has apparently "listened" and more will be revealed at some point in 2022. There's...
Random In An Alternate Reality, Sega Published Pokémon
And the seeds were sown 40 years ago this month...
Satoshi Tajiri, as we all know, is one of the key figures behind the incredibly successful Pokémon series. However, it's important to remember that Tajiri's interest in game development began long before he had the idea of linking two Game Boy consoles together in order to share fictional monsters...
News Almost 30 Years Later, This Super Mario Kart Player Has Achieved An "Impossible" Record
From legend to Myth+
Super Mario Kart may have launched way back in 1993 and spawned several sequels since then, but it has lost none of its power when it comes to attracting record-breaking attempts. We've covered the likes of Sami Cetin on Nintendo Life in the past, as well as Guillaume "Antistar" Leviach – two of the world's best Super Mario...
News Yes, This Is Stunt Race FX Running On The Game Boy
Seriously impressive stuff
Stunt Race FX (known in Japan as Wild Trax) was quite an impressive feat when it launched. Sure, it looks hopelessly crude by modern standards, but back in the early '90s when 3D visuals were still in their infancy, it really turned heads – lest we forget, consoles like the SNES simply were not designed for this kind of...
News Out Of Bounds Discovery In Super Mario Bros. 3 Lets You Tag In Luigi
Now that's winning
Super Mario Bros. 3 is an all-time classic, and particularly impressive when you consider the technology it relied upon. The 16-bit SEGA Genesis was right around the corner in Japan by the time the Famicom version launched in Japan, for example, yet Nintendo delivered what was a huge step up for its flagship series. The overworld...
News Toki Tori For Game Boy Color Is Being Re-Released, 20 Years Later
Super cheep for a Game Boy Color game
When Toki Tori was released back in 2001, the adorable puzzle-platforming game was well-received, becoming a cult classic among its fans — but, being released towards the end of the Game Boy Color's lifecycle, it only had one run of physical copies. Until now! Limited Run Games and Two Tribes have teamed up...
News 2021's Game Boy RPG 'Dragonborne' Is Getting A Fancy DX Version For Game Boy Color
Here's your first look at Dragonborne DX
Retro fans may well remember Dragonborne, a new RPG that was released for the good old Game Boy earlier this year. From indie studio Spacebot Interactive, the game features a turn-based combat system, upgrades to collect, and plenty of enemies to defeat – and the best part for collectors was that it came on...
Review Paper Mario (N64) - A Well-Crafted Creation That Stands Up Beautifully
Historical document
This review originally went live in 2017, and we're updating and republishing it to mark the addition of Paper Mario to the other N64 games on Nintendo Switch Online. Can we take a moment to appreciate just how gloriously wacky it is that a game like Paper Mario exists in the first place? This is an idea that followed in the...
Guide 50 Best Wii Games Of All Time
As ranked by you
It's been many years now since Nintendo changed the game with Wii, the little motion-controlled console which broke away from the competition and started a revolution. Its brilliantly compact design (the size of three DVD boxes, remember?) and approachable and accessible controller helped it open up gaming to a whole new audience,...
WinBack, baby WinBack, that's where it's at
It’d be easy to dismiss Winback without a second thought. Developed by Omega Force — nowadays famous for the long-running Dynasty Warriors series and associated Musou spin-offs/crossovers — and released for N64 back in 1999, it’s probably the least well-known of the Switch Online service’s...
Video The GameCube Is Over 20 Years Old, And Blimey Do We Have Memories Of It
It's not even a cube
2021 marks the GameCube's 20th anniversary, which means it's already been hitting pubs in the UK for two years by now, but being the old group of sods on the video team that we are, we remember it when it was merely a proverbial babe in Nintendo's proverbial (thankfully) arms. At 20 Nintendo's cuboid console hasn't even been...
November2021
News Gamers Vote Nintendo DS As The Console They'd Most Like To See Make A Modern Comeback
Do you agree?
If you could see the return of any classic video games console, what would you choose? That was the question put to 1,000 UK gamers in a recent study by Hyperoptic, all in a bid to see which system holds the highest nostalgia value. Sitting right at the very top of the votes is Nintendo's own DS, closely followed by both the...
News NES Classic Battletoads Is Getting A Physical Re-Release, But Only In Japan
Columbus Circle is launching a new version today
Battletoads is one of Rare's most beloved games from the NES era. An attempt to create a media brand that could rival the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Battletoads mixed platforming with side-scrolling combat, and is famous for its unforgiving difficulty level. It spawned several sequels (including a...
News Fans Have Created A Playable Ocarina of Time - Space World '97 Experience
Attempts to recreate the three 'tours' of the original demo
Nintendo's history is full of moments that have taken on a near mythological status, ranging from stories of game and hardware development to various demos and builds that are either rare or long lost. One such example is a demo for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time that appeared at...
News Square Enix Is Releasing A Jazz Album For The Incredible Chrono Trigger Soundtrack
Nice
Chrono Trigger is held up as a truly iconic RPG, critically acclaimed and with an ardent fanbase even today. Its soundtrack is held in equally high regard, so an announcement out of Square Enix Japan has certainly got our attention. As reported by Siliconera, Square Enix is releasing a Chrono Trigger jazz arrangement album, the fifth in that...
News Analogue Confirms Pocket Pre-Orders Will Begin Shipping Mid-December
Update: Confirmation emails are being deployed
Update: Good news! Analogue Pocket pre-orders will begin shipping on December 13th: Original Story [Sat 11th Sep, 2021 16:55 BST]: The Analogue Pocket - a portable FPGA-based device compatible with the entire Game Boy library and other systems via adapters - has been delayed yet again. Following...
Mini Review Dr. Mario 64 (N64) - Diagnosis: A Bit Rubbish
One to strike from the Medical Register
There's a sort of... B-tier of Nintendo puzzlers, isn't there? Stuff like Yoshi's Cookie and Wario's Woods. We'd argue, perhaps fruitlessly, that Dr. Mario slots into this little group rather better than the truly A-grade stuff. On Switch, in particular, there's an embarrassment of puzzling riches that we'd...
Random Forget Sealed Retro Games, It's Empty Boxes That Are The Hot Ticket Item Now
"Flat GoldenEye boxes could be the next form of currency"
There's been a lot of drama surrounding graded retro game sales recently, with many people claiming the whole thing is an elaborate scam. However, it would seem th
Talking Point Is There A Better-Looking 20-Year-Old Game Than Star Wars: Rogue Squadron II?
Rogue Leader standing by
Feel old, everyone — Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader is now two decades old. The GameCube-exclusive title launched alongside the console itself in the US and was something of a show-stopper in the visuals department. Developer Factor 5 had turned in an excellent arcade-style X-Wing action game with the original...
News There's A $5,000 Reward For Anyone Who Can Find These 'Lost' F-Zero Tracks
"More like a lottery at this point"
Long before DLC become a regular part of our gaming lives, Nintendo broke new ground with its Satellaview service for the Super Famicom. Using satellite broadcasts, this system allowed players to download and store games on special rewritable BS-X memory packs – and preserving these titles has become a serious...
News Another Taito Game Joins Hamster's Arcade Archives Collection On Switch
A blast from the past
If you're looking for some more retro action on your Switch, then why not check out Raimais when it arrives on the Switch eShop later this week. It's the latest addition to Hamster's Arcade Archives collection and is an action game released by Taito back in 1988. Here's a brief rundown, along with some screenshots:...
News The GBA's Unreleased 'Dune' Game Is Being Revived On Kickstarter, Minus The IP Rights
A little less spice
Update: The Kickstarter campaign is now live here, and strong early momentum means it's not far off its target with 59 days still to go. Original Article: If you happen to have Nintendo's retro handhelds in your collection, there are still multiple interesting releases and projects emerging. The latest to pop up is Elland: The...
Random Fancy Some 'Sew-per' Mario? Marvel At The Game Boy Sewing Machine
It was actually quite clever
We live in an age of quirky Nintendo peripherals; Ring Fit Adventure is an example where Nintendo took a relatively standard Yoga ring and cleverly turned it into a huge sales success. Third-parties join in too, of course, and let's not forget Nintendo's own Labo range that made cardboard cool. For those with a retro...
Random Good Lord, This 3-Screened Mutant Game Boy Is Utterly Cursed
Plays GB, GBC, GBA and DS games
Retrofitting Game Boys with better screens and superior batteries isn't a new thing, but prolific modder HaihaiSB isn't content with simply making these vintage systems better – he wants to take things to extremes, as is evidenced by his latest, twisted creation: the DMG-105Z. Using the o
Random Want A Live Band In Zelda: A Link To The Past? The Game Brass Has You Covered
Yes, it's called A Link to the Brass
It's a big anniversary year with The Legend of Zelda turning 35, but it's also notable that 21st November brings us the 30th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past arriving in Japan. It's one of the greatest games in the series, and indeed gaming history, and of course fans will be celebrating in...
News Hamster Adds Another Namco Title To Arcade Archives On Nintendo Switch
More retro goodness
Hamster has been slowly bolstering the Namco Arcade Archives offerings and the latest game to be added to the collection is the 1983 action-puzzle game, Libble Rabble. Here's a bit about it and some screenshots: “LIBBLE RABBLE” is an action puzzle game released by NAMCO in 1983. Control Libble and Rabble to “bashishi”...
"We just talked about music as we shared some beers together"
Shigeru Miyamoto might be famous to anyone who knows their Mario from their Sonic, but it's easy to forget this wasn't always the case – and even today, there are people who might not be aware of the great man's legacy. So, when non-gamer Tony LeCroix had a chance meeting with the...
Video Everyone Should Play Sin & Punishment
The Wii sequel is darn good, too
Sin & Punishment is a Nintendo 64 game well known among Nintendo enthusiasts, but there are also likely to be a number of Switch owners that see the logo for the game in the N64 app (for those that opt to get the Expansion Pass) and won't have that flash of familiarity. It's no wonder, too, as despite Nintendo...
News HBO's '8-Bit Christmas' Is Giving The NES Power Glove Another Shot At Movie Glory
"How far would you go to score the ultimate gift?"
Remember the Power Glove? It was a mostly awkward means of interacting with games back during the NES era, and was immortalised in the 1989 Hollywood flick The Wizard. It's since become something of a cult object in the world of gaming, inspiring adoration with older gamers (
News The Machine Is A New Dystopian Game Boy Title
With multiple endings promised
The Game Boy is getting quite a few new releases, though admittedly some are re-releases / reskins of retro games. Some are brand new projects, though, and another on the way is The Machine. Published by Incube8 Games, it seems to be the result of a development partnership between Spacebot Interactive and solo...
Random "Roadkill NES" Found By The Side Of Texas Freeway Restored To Working Condition
Impressive work
They sure don't make 'em like they used to, right? Well, that's certainly the case when it comes to this poor, unloved NES that was rescued from the side of a freeway in Texas. Spotted by Rob Ivy (AKA: The Obsolete Geek), the NES had seemingly been abandoned, and despite Ivy's helpful pinpointing of the location of the console on...
Random Check Out Emora Kart, A Macintosh-Exclusive Super Mario Kart Clone From 1994
Complete with mouse controls!
We're all used to seeing kart racers copying the tried and trusted Mario Kart formula these days, but here's a quick blast to the past that proves game developers were busy mimicking Nintendo's style right from the off. Emora Kart is a mouse-controlled Super Mario Kart clone that was developed exclusively for Macintosh...
News This Crazy Mod Turns The Game Boy Advance SP Into 2003's Nintendo Switch
Joy-Con support! A dock! TV-out!
We've covered the incredible work of Macho Nacho Productions before on this site, but the channel's latest project is one of its most ambitious yet. This new mod turns the Game Boy Advance SP into a Switch-style system complete with Joy-Con support, a 3D-printed dock and even the ability to play on your TV. Using a...
PSA Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda Will Let You Enjoy Both Japanese And 'Western' Versions
Spot the differences
Though it's been right there on the official website for Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda, a few of us in the NL team hadn't clocked the fact that the nifty little device will give us access to multiple versions of each game. In terms of the three mainline games -
Review Blazing Rangers (NES) - A New NES Game In 2021? Youbetcha, And It's A Good 'Un
Toasty!
Gaming is not short of NES-like experiences these days; titles filled with 8-bit-style blocky pixels, beepy music, and some controllable character for you to take from the left side of the screen to the right. These games tend to chase the past from a comfortable distance, the harsh technical restrictions of almost 40 years ago something to...
October2021
Review Mario Tennis (N64) - The Game That Gave Us Waluigi
Ace
This review originally went live in 2010, and we're updating and republishing it to mark the arrival of N64 games on Nintendo Switch Online. When Mario Golf was released back in 1999, it was already known that Camelot was working on another Mario sports title for the N64, and following a decent title released for the sadly ill-fated Virtual...
Review Sin And Punishment (N64) - A Genuine Treasure And No Mistake
Run-and-gun fun
This review originally went live in 2007, and we're updating and republishing it to mark the arrival of N64 games on Nintendo Switch Online. Tiny Japanese developer Treasure has a back catalogue packed with classic titles, but one that sticks out more than most is Sin & Punishment. Released in the twilight days of the N64...
Review Mario Kart 64 (N64) - Frantic, Formative Four-Player Karting Chaos
Welcome to Mario Kart
This review originally went live in 2016, and we're updating and republishing it to mark the arrival of N64 games on Nintendo Switch Online. Taking a bunch of Mario characters and having them speed around race circuits using a range of special items to rush or smash past each other is something that has worked very well since...
Review Yoshi's Story (N64) - Pleasant, But Not A Patch On The Dinosaur's Best
A pretty but short story
This review originally went live in 2016, and we're updating and republishing it to mark the arrival of N64 games on Nintendo Switch Online. There's a lot to love about Yoshi's Story. The presentation is gorgeous, the mechanics are solid, the music is fantastic, and seeing a bunch of Yoshis wandering about remains adorable...
News F-Zero Climax For GBA Now Has A "Complete" Fan-Made Translation Patch
The Japan exclusive with "everything" localised in English
You might remember F-Zero Climax, hmm...perhaps not! It was a game released on Nintendo's Game Boy Advance way back in 2004 and has never been localised outside of Japan. It also happens to be the most recent entry in the series, which is now over 17 years ago. While an official...
Review Star Fox 64 (N64) - A Cinematic Series High Point
Do another barrel roll
This review originally went live in 2016, and we're updating and republishing it to mark the arrival of N64 games on Nintendo Switch Online. Despite Star Fox 64 (or Lylat Wars in Europe) being only the second (released) game in the series, Nintendo decided it was time for a reboot and so, similarly to the SNES original, this...
Review Super Mario 64 (N64) - The Best Launch Game Ever Made
Mario steps into a whole new dimension
Mario's first foray into the world of 3D is regarded by many — most, even — as one of the greatest video games of all time, and with good reason. It ranks as the first really convincing realisation of a 3D world in a platform game and it introduced the concept of analogue control to a generation of console...
News N64 Classic GoldenEye 007 No Longer "Banned" In Germany, Could A Re-Release Be Coming?
Review process actively requested by "one of Nintendo's European partners"
Rare's legendary Nintendo 64 shooter GoldenEye 007 is believed to be stuck in licensing hell, but there's been a very exciting development in Germany that has now got fans wondering if it could finally be making a return. According to a number of sources, the game is no...
Video Learn More About Sonic The Hedgehog's 8-Bit History
It's not all about the Mega Drive / Genesis classics
It's been a notable anniversary year for Sonic the Hedgehog, giving plenty of opportunities to look back nostalgically at the classic - and not-so-classic - games in the series. Yet an aspect of Sonic that gets little attention is the 8-bit era, which funnily enough happened alongside the 16-bit...
News This Zelda II ROM Hack Removes All The Annoying Stuff To Present A Totally New Adventure
"The game has been rebuilt from the ground up"
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is beloved by many – so much so that it's often mentioned whenever 'Zelda remakes' are discussed – but only the most diehard fan would try to argue that it doesn't have its fair share of problems. There's a lot of (sometimes tedious) side-scrolling combat and the
Update: Now available in the UK!
Update: Our friends over at Games Connection now have these shells in stock: Original Story [Mon 15th Mar, 2021 09:35 GMT]: Back in the '80s and '90s, demand for "see-through" technology arguably hit its peak. While the '70s had been about attaching bits of wood to consumer electronics to make them fit more...
Random Game Boy That Was Snapped Clean In Two Comes Back From The Dead
A perfect Halloween story
Halloween is this weekend, so what better time to report on a piece of gaming hardware rising from the grave? The man responsible for this amazing resurrection is Solderking (AKA: Taylor Burley), who you might recall from a story we ran a while back about dunking Zelda carts in orange juice (basically, don't do it)...
Poll N64 And Sega Genesis Nintendo Switch Online Games Launch Today - Which Will You Play First?
Will you be grabbing the Expansion Pack?
Today sees the launch of the Expansion Pack for Nintendo Switch Online, an extension of the current subscription service that adds a library of Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis / Mega Drive titles, as well as the upcoming Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Happy Home Paradise DLC. Op
News The Mega Drive Mini Is Getting Another Accessory Which Does Absolutely Nothing
Well, apart from look nice, that is
Update: Well, our Mega Drive Tower Mini Zero unit has arrived from Japan, and guess what? Yup, it does nothing. But gosh darn it, it sure looks gorgeous at the same time. The Mega Drive Tower Mini Zero comes with a bunch of plastic cartridges (that do nothing) as well as a Sega Card (that does nothing, too). It...
News Hamster Adds Another Namco Classic To Arcade Archives On Nintendo Switch
Mappy is back
In recent times, Hamster has been releasing Bandai Namco games for its Arcade Archives collection on the Nintendo Switch. This week, the trend continues with the release of the 1983 action title, Mappy. "Players control MAPPY, an enthusiastic, committed police officer on a mission to reclaim stolen goods from a mansion. Avoid getting...
"It's all for the love of video games"
The creators of the Analogue Pocket - a portable FPGA-based device compatible with the entire Game library and other systems via adapters - have announced Analogue OS. It's designed to be the "definitive scholarly operating system" for playing and experiencing the entire video game medium. With Analogue OS...
News Arcade Archives Publisher Hamster Has Filed A Trademark For 'Console Archives'
Is even more retro goodness on the way?
Hamster Corporation has been pumping out enhanced arcade releases since the Nintendo Switch arrived on the scene in 2017, but it might finally be time for it to take the next big step in retro preservation. According to a story over on Gematsu, the Japanese company filed a trademark for "Console Archives" in...
News Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda Gets A Snazzy New Trailer
Hoping for one in your stocking?
After its Super Mario Bros. Game & Watch proved to be a bit of a must-have festive gift, Nintendo is hoping to hit the mark again when it releases Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda to celebrate the IP's anniversary. Now Nintendo has released a snazzy new trailer to showcase its charms ahead of the 12th...
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