Retro News

September2015

August2015

  • Mario History Super Mario Sunshine - 2002

    Trippin' on sunshine

    In this series of articles we'll write about one or more Mario game per day, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. It was a bold move from Nintendo to launch the GameCube in 2001 without a Mario game. The tables were turned so that Mario's link to the launch was through...

  • Feature Handheld LCD Gaming Past And Present

    For those times when an original Game Boy just isn’t retro-chic enough

    Nintendo first hit the LCD game scene all the way back in 1980 with Ball, a simple but thoroughly playable affair at the time that may be familiar to fans of the Game Boy Camera or those brave souls who ventured onto the DSi shop. From these humble beginnings Nintendo's LCD...

  • Mario History Super Smash Bros. Melee - 2001

    A new generation

    In this series of articles we'll write about one or more Mario game per day, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. It wasn't so long ago that we were writing about the original Super Smash Bros. on Nintendo 64, a 1999 release that achieved success on the Nintendo 64 and...

  • Video Here's What Rare's Final GameCube Title Should Have Looked Like

    Very early prototype for Kameo unearthed

    As we all know, Rare was once a second-party Nintendo studio but was purchased by Microsoft over a decade ago. When the acquisition took place, the UK company was working on several GameCube projects, including Donkey Kong Racing and Kameo, the latter of which would eventually appear as a launch title for the...

  • Mario Memories Basking in the Glow of Super Mario Sunshine

    "It introduced me to a passion I still hold to this very day"

    In this series articles celebrating the upcoming 30th Anniversary of Super Mario, various members of the Nintendo Life extended family will share their memories and thoughts on the iconic franchise. This time we have Pokémon expert Andrew Karklins. When I was younger, my first home...

  • Mario History Mario Tennis - 2000

    Two match points

    In this series of articles we'll write about one or more Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. Our original plan for our 2000 entry in this series was to write about Paper Mario, yet just recently we shared an editorial to celebrate its 15th...

  • Feature A Pokémon Retrospective: Generation 1 - 1996 To 1999

    The start of something beautiful

    As we build up to the 20th anniversary of Pokémon in February 2016 and look hotly ahead towards brand new things such as the green blob Pokémon, we're going to take you back on a monthly journey through each of the generations of Pokémon, starting with the first Generation. The build-up to launch: It all began...

  • Mario History Super Smash Bros. - 1999

    The start of a long fight

    In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. In our final entry for Mario in the 20th Century we reach the beginnings of one of Nintendo's most vital franchises. While not strictly a 'Mario'...

  • Review G.G Series VECTOR (DSiWare)

    Low magnitude

    The last title in the G.G Series has come to pass at last, and it concludes the series in a rather anticlimactic and slightly disappointing manner. G.G Series VECTOR attempts to yet again take a crack at the falling block puzzler and it does so with mixed results. While there's an interesting original idea that's executed in a...

  • Review G.G Series ENERGY CHAIN (DSiWare)

    Off the chain

    The next title in the G.G series takes us back to the puzzler genre with yet another take on the tried and true block puzzler. Amazingly enough, this is pulled off with a surprising amount of success and is as enjoyable as it is original. If there's any complaint to be levelled against G.G Series ENERGY CHAIN, it's that the overall...

  • Review Runbow (Wii U eShop)

    Colourtastic! Colourrific! Colourawesome!

    In the words of the late Satoru Iwata - "Above all, video games are meant to just be one thing: Fun for everyone". Runbow embraces this philosophy and runs away with it. The result is a game that is simple in concept and execution, yet it radiates personality from every shade of its palette. In short, Runbow...

  • Mario History Mario Party - 1998

    Let's get it started

    In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. We'll admit it, we're cheating a little with this entry. All entries in this series of articles have - until now - taken their release dates from the...

  • News MOTHER 2 Vinyl Soundtrack Heading West

    North America bound

    Back in March we reported on a Kickstarter campaign aimed at bringing the original arranged Mother soundtrack to vinyl for the first time in North America. The campaign smashed its target funding goal and the project is now well on its way to completion. In a surprise announcement made earlier today, it was revealed that Ship to...

  • Video How Star Wars: Rogue Squadron Dev Factor 5 Gave Sonic His Home Video Game Début

    A tale that gets even more unlikely with each telling

    Sonic may be one of the most famous video game characters on the face of the planet, but first appearance in a domestic video game is actually relatively unknown. Sonic's actual début occurred in the arcade racer Rad Mobile (later ported to the Sega Saturn under the title Gale Racer) where he...

  • Mario History Mario Kart 64 - 1997

    A new kind of racing

    In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. In our last entry for this series we covered Super Mario 64, a title that utilised the capabilities of the Nintendo 64 to revolutionise Mario...

  • Review G.G Series SCORE ATTACKER (DSiWare)

    The name says it all

    The next title in the G.G series opts to return to the bullet hell genre with generally positive results. Due to the fact it makes little to no effort at creating its own identity, G.G Series SCORE ATTACKER is rather forgettable. That being said the controls are solid, the visuals and sound are suitably old-school, and the...

  • Mario History Super Mario 64 - 1996

    A gaming revolution

    In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. The Nintendo 64 was a revolutionary system in multiple respects. Its unique controller introduced an analogue stick to Nintendo gamers, for one thing,...

  • Review G.G Series NYOKKI (DSiWare)

    Snake charmer

    The next title in the G.G series aims to remix a classic arcade game, and it mostly succeeds in achieving that goal. While there are some issues with the way that the main character responds to your controls, there really isn't much else to complain about. G.G Series NYOKKI is a good example of how to pull off a budget arcade game; it...

  • Mario History Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island and Mario's Tennis - 1995

    A new look and new beginnings

    In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. It's easy to forget, in this period of fresh Mario 'main' series platformers every 12 to 24 months, that the mid-'90s brought a notable gap...

  • Mario Memories A Portable Warp Pipe To Lost Adventures

    Catching up on history

    In this series of not-quite-daily articles celebrating the upcoming 30th Anniversary of Super Mario, various members of the Nintendo Life extended family will share their memories and thoughts on the iconic franchise. This time we have reviewer and contributor Conor McMahon. SEGA's dominance over the UK and Irish market meant...

  • Mario History Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 and Hotel Mario - 1994

    Wait, this isn't Mario...

    In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. In this daily series most entries have been 'main' Mario titles across portables and home consoles, with just a couple of spin-offs and cameos...

  • Mario Memories Conquering the First Level in Super Mario Bros.

    "I had a sense of fear about progressing further into the first level"

    In this series of 30 daily articles celebrating the upcoming 30th Anniversary of Super Mario, various members of the Nintendo Life extended family will share their memories and thoughts on the iconic franchise. This time we have news writer, reviewer and Australian Correspondent...

  • Review G.G Series AIR PINBALL HOCKEY (DSiWare)

    A missed opportunity

    Thought the G.G Series was done, did you? Well it's not, and – after a brief hiatus – we're back to giving you our two cents as to which of these numerous mini games are worth your time. This time around, G.G Series AIR PINBALL HOCKEY is in the hotseat and it manages to provide a beautifully divisive experience that manages...

  • Mario History Super Mario All-Stars - 1993

    Remastering NES classics

    In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. As part of the inevitable circle of life in gaming, we come to a compilation of remasters. In some respects Nintendo was a trailblazer, as...

  • News This iBookGuy Video Explaining How "Oldschool" Graphics Work Has Deservedly Gone Viral

    Simple and detailed at once

    In a reminder of how curiosity in retro gaming, programming and technology can combine to dramatic affect online, a video exploring 'How "oldschool" graphics worked' has gone viral this week. Published by The iBookGuy on 17th August, it's already amassed over one million views at the time of writing. It's a great watch,...

  • Mario History Super Mario Kart - 1992

    The start of something beautiful

    In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. With the exception of our 1987 entry, this series of articles on Mario titles for each year since 1985 has been all about main-series...

  • Mario History Super Mario World - 1991

    A new generation of Mario

    In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. In our 1990 entry we covered Super Mario Bros. 3, so rapidly moving onto Super Mario World is an indication of h

  • Mario History Super Mario Bros. 3 - 1990

    Platforming wizardry

    In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. Though it landed in Japan in late 1988, it would be February 1990 before Super Mario Bros. 3 would grace the NES in North America - painfully, it...

  • Gallery This NES Console Mod Is The Ultimate Metroid Tribute 

    Worth hunting for

    This year marks 29 years since Metroid was released in North America, and to celebrate the occasion fans are paying tribute to the NES classic in a wide range of ways. Modder Platinumfungi has collaborated with airbrush artist Noel McEwen to craft a one-of-a-kind NES console complete with a Samus sprite which lights up when the...

  • Ninterview Dave Higgins And The Quest For A Complete European Game Boy Library

    Collecting at a rate of 1.064 games per day

    Nintendo is responsible for some of the most iconic gaming systems of all time, but one of its most technically humble seems to be undergoing something of a resurgence at present. The monochrome Game Boy may not have the visual impact of the SNES or N64, but its portable nature arguably lends a more...

  • Mario History Super Mario Land - 1989

    Portable platforming

    In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. It's a reflection of the technological times that it was 1989 before Nintendo produced a profitable portable - its grey and green screen was far from...

  • News This Mario Kart XXL Game Boy Advance Prototype Looks... Interesting

    Best left on the cutting room floor

    If any company is currently the leading light in prioritising enjoyable gameplay over pushing technology it's Nintendo. A look at the current and upcoming sleight of games re-affirms that clever ideas, established gameplay and colourful visuals are the priority - in most cases - above pushing boundaries. Of...

  • Mario History Super Mario Bros. 2 - 1988

    Like a dream

    In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. In our 1986 entry of this series we covered Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, which forms the other half of this particular tale. Both that and what would...

  • Event Super Mario Kart SNES World Championships 2015 - 18th to 22nd August

    Champion racers are back

    The worldwide Mario Kart community is huge, especially since the success of Mario Kart 8; yet let's not forget that the older versions are still heavily competitive. Super Mario Kart has Official World Championships held annually in France every August run by the French Federation of SMK team ( Nintendo of France have been a...

  • Mario Memories Pre-Internet Timeline Confusion and the Joys of Computer Club

    The first rule of Computer Club...

    In this series of 30 daily articles celebrating the upcoming 30th Anniversary of Super Mario, various members of the Nintendo Life extended family will share their memories and thoughts on the iconic franchise. Next up is reviewer Jonathan Town. Looking back now, I realise that growing up in Wakefield (West...

  • Mario History Punch-Out!! and Famicom Grand Prix: F1 Race - 1987

    The master of cameos

    In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game (or more!) every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. 1987 was a rather quiet year for Mario. Nintendo was somewhat occupied with conquering the video game world and popularising a range of...

  • Review Onimusha Tactics (Wii U eShop / GBA)

    The Oni put the feud in feudal Japan

    Onimusha Tactics was originally released 12 years ago, in 2003, for the Game Boy Advance. Developed and produced by Capcom, the same company that made the Onimusha series on the PS2, Tactics's gameplay and individual story deviates from the originals but retains a similar plot (involving the Onimusha and battling...

  • Video Iron Maiden's New Music Video Pays Tribute To Donkey Kong, Of All Things

    A heavy trip through gaming history

    Legendary British heavy metal band Iron Maiden are preparing to release their first single in half a decade and have put together a video game-inspired music video to mark the occasion. Speed of Light's official video sees the band's iconic mascot Eddie getting sucked into an arcade machine which then forces him...

  • Mario History Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels - 1986

    Or just Super Mario Bros. 2 in Japan

    In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. We kicked off this series with a look at Super Mario Bros., and it's pleasing that it only took one year for Mario's history to get...

  • Mario History Super Mario Bros. - 1985

    Changing the gaming industry forever

    In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. To paraphrase the great poet Dylan Thomas, for this run of articles celebrating the Super Mario franchise we will begin at the...

  • News This SquidKid Splatoon Game Boy Mod Aims to Make a Splash

    Pre-order details due this week

    Nintendo wasn't shy of releasing a whole load of Game Boy designs and variations in the '90s, and in the modern day enthusiasts and modders are more than happy to keep the trend going. There are a lot of cool mods out there - if you can think of a cool design you'd like to see, the odds are reasonable that someone,...

  • Editorial Paper Mario is 15 Years Old Today, and Provides a Reminder of Nintendo's Wonderful Whimsy

    Silly and brilliant, what a combination

    Paper Mario is 15 years old today, 11th August, in terms of its Japanese release in 2000. Intelligent Systems, a development company typically associated with Fire Emblem and Advance Wars, took a step back from serious strategising to produce what was, at the time, a bit of a revelation. Actually originally...

  • Video Say Hello To The SNES Game Which Ships Inside A Game Boy Cartridge

    Invading a 16-bit home console near you

    One of the really cool things about the Super Game Boy adapter - besides the fact that it allowed you to play your portable titles on SNES - was that it added embellishments to certain titles, like two-player modes, additional colours and even attractive borders around the screen. However, there's one title...