Retro - Timeline
Saturday29th Jan 2022
Feature Game Boy's Perfect Pixel Art And Our Obsession With Reclaiming It
Grey and green never looked better
The Game Boy is an iconic piece of gaming hardware, but the quest to elevate and celebrate its games has continued over the course of more than 30 years. Backwards compatibility with the later Game Boy line enabled us all to replay the OG library on updated, improved screens and the quest to present 8-bit retro...
Friday28th Jan 2022
News N64 Classic 'Blast Corps' Finally Gets The Official Merch It Deserves
Clear a path to the Fangamer store!
Those of you old enough to recall the early days of the N64 may well remember Blast Corps, a unique action title by Rare that sees you clearing a path in front of a runaway nuclear missile carrier. It's one of the more unique offerings in the N64 library, but it's also a game that seems to have been cruelly...
Random An AI Broke Tetris On NES, And It’s Compelling Viewing
Tetromi-woah
There are a lot of talented programmers that devote their efforts to showcasing and taking retro games to new heights, and Tetris is about as iconic as it gets. In a video posted last Summer - that we cam across this week courtesy of Gizmodo - programmer Greg Cannon shared a playthrough of the NES version in which his AI plays so well,...
Thursday27th Jan 2022
Random Unearthed 1998 TV Report Blames Nintendo 64 For "Gaming Addiction"
"I refer to him as a Nintendo junkie"
Ever since video games became a thing, we've seen parents worry about their offspring becoming hopelessly addicted. However, in a world where screentime is possible literally anywhere in the world thanks to the rise of the smartphone, it seems quaint to recall that, way back in 1998, the media was losing its...
Random Now This Is What You Call A 'Super' Game Boy
9 screens, and it's still blurry
Back in the days before massive LCD displays, mankind had to settle with the idea of linking up banks of CRT TVs to create that 'big screen' vibe – and now, a hacker has achieved the same kind of effect using Game Boy displays. In his efforts to reverse engineer the Game Boy's crude greyscale LCD display, kgsws...
News This Cancelled N64 Title Is Giving Us Serious 'Akira' Vibes
...mixed with a dash of 'Tron' for good measure
One of the great tragedies of all time is that Akira – one of the most influential anime and manga series – has never received a decent video game adaptation. Sure, people have tried, but the resultant efforts always seemed to fall short of the greatness of Katsuhiro Otomo's masterpiece. It turns...
Tuesday25th Jan 2022
News WaterField Is Back With An Analogue Pocket Carry Case That Costs A Cool $129
Space for your console, dock and much more besides
Remember when we reported last week that WaterField Designs was creating the Analogue Pocket Pouch? Well, the bag maker is back a week later with the Analogue Pocket Pack, "a folio-style case that organizes and protects the Analogue Pocket console, dock, power brick, cords, cartridge adapters, and...
Monday24th Jan 2022
News Dystopian Game Boy Adventure 'The Machine' Gets A New Demo
Give it a try in your browser
You can't keep the Game Boy down, with the humble handheld still getting used for various projects while its game library also grows. A small number of dedicated developers and publishers embrace the challenge of working with the system, and now you can sample one particular upcoming release - The Machine. Announced...
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
Friday21st Jan 2022
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...
Thursday20th Jan 2022
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...
Tuesday18th Jan 2022
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...
Sunday16th Jan 2022
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,...
Saturday15th Jan 2022
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...
Friday14th Jan 2022
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...
Wednesday12th Jan 2022
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,...
Sunday9th Jan 2022
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...
Friday7th Jan 2022
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,...
Thursday6th Jan 2022
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...
Tuesday4th Jan 2022
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...
Monday3rd Jan 2022
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...
Sunday2nd Jan 2022
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...
Saturday1st Jan 2022
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...
