Retro - Timeline
Saturday30th Apr 2022
Soapbox Please, Please, Please Release Sonic Advance Trilogy On Nintendo Switch Online
Don't make us blue
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've got on their minds. Today, Stuart pleads with the powers that be to get a certain trilogy on Nintendo Switch Online... Game Boy Advance is coming to Switch Online! Maybe! Almost certainly, anyway!...
Friday29th Apr 2022
News Fans Have Created Their Own Metroid 64, And It Looks Incredible
What could have been
The Metroid series famously skipped the Nintendo 64 back in the '90s. The "lost game" Metroid 64 was never in development, with Super Metroid director Yoshio Sakamoto saying that he "couldn't imagine" how Samus would move around a 3D environment with the N64 controller. We only ever got to see and play as Samus in the very first...
News Kickstarter DIY Kit Transforms GBA Into Console-Like HDMI System
No soldering required
A new Kickstarter campaign by IntecGaming aims to convert the Game Boy Advance into a console-like experience. Its 'GBA HDMI Kit' has so far raised just over $10,000 USD (with a goal of $49,697) and promises to be highly portable, easy to operate and a fun DIY device. It also comes with built-in Bluetooth receiver, allowing it...
Sunday24th Apr 2022
Talking Point WATA And The Grey Areas Of Game Preservation - Is There Any Better Way?
WATAAARGH
The game industry is youthful compared to other areas of entertainment and recorded culture - younger than film and TV, and of course a baby compared to printed works. Yet we're now decades into the history of gaming, especially if you go back to the systems of the 1970s, perhaps even a little earlier. Even if you choose to focus on the...
Thursday21st Apr 2022
Black and white brilliance
Friday 21st April 1989 — the day that the Game Boy launched in Japan. 33 years ago the video gaming landscape would be forever changed as Nintendo opened up the new frontier of portable gaming to the masses. The company’s Game & Watch line let you take limited gaming experiences on-the-go, but the Game Boy was a...
Tuesday19th Apr 2022
Feature 24 Game Boy Advance Games We'd Love To See Added To Nintendo Switch Online
GBA gems we'd dig on Switch
Rumours that Nintendo is planning to release Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games on its Nintendo Switch Online subscription service have returned with a vengeance after an apparent leak of a Nintendo-developed emulator surfaced online. It's a system we lovely dearly in Nintendo Life Towers, and while we looked at the...
Rumour Here Are The Supposed GBA Games "Tested" For Switch Online So Far
Take a look
In case you missed it, the Nintendo Switch could possibly be adding Game Boy titles to its online service in the near future. Following on from the initial "leak", a list of games apparently tested for the service has now been shared online by Twitter user and dataminer MondoMega. The games highlighted in yellow in the list below have...
Monday18th Apr 2022
News It Looks Like Nintendo's Game Boy Emulator For Switch Online Just Leaked
Announcement incoming?
Last year there were whispers that Nintendo was planning to bring Game Boy games to its Nintendo Switch Online subscription service to join the existing libraries of NES and SNES titles, plus the Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis catalogues available as part of the Expansion pack subscription tier. Now, a leak seems
Sunday17th Apr 2022
Feature How Limited Run's New Engine Respects The Legacy Of Classic Games
"If we’re going to make a change that sweeping, the original needs to be there as well"
The world of physical media in brick-and-mortar stores has dwindled in recent years due to the proliferation of digital storefronts readily and conveniently available on modern platforms. While some would never think to pay the same (or more) on a digital game...
Friday15th Apr 2022
Review Mario Golf - Strait-Laced Fun On The Fairway
Mario hits the links
This review originally went live in 2008, and we're updating and republishing it to mark the game's arrival on Switch as part of the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack. After Mario's forays into non-platforming genres — you know, the Karting, the Picross-ing, the Dr. Mario...ing — Nintendo realised something: put Mario...
Wednesday13th Apr 2022
Feature Hot Zelda: Link To The Past Takes From '90s Game Mags, 30 Years Later
A link to the Link to the Past past
Let us set the scene: The year is 1992. You are sitting in your living room, wearing something with massive shoulder pads, probably. Guns N' Roses is playing on the radio. Social media does not yet exist. Raise your sword if you miss the '90s It is into this peaceful scene that we can add a sprinkling of video...
Sunday10th Apr 2022
Review A500 Mini - A Refreshing Alternative To The NES And SNES Classic Editions
A true "home micro"
When you're discussing video game history, it's often the case that memories will be dominated by consoles like the NES, SNES, Mega Drive / Genesis, N64, GameCube and so on – but those old enough to have lived through the '80s will remember that for a period of time, home computers like the C64, Atari ST, ZX Spectrum and...
Random Here's Why Nintendo Doesn’t Want You Using The Word "Nintendo" To Describe Video Games
"There's no such thing as a Nintendo"
If you’ve trundled around the internet for as long as we have, you may have come across a 1990 store poster from Nintendo, correcting its users on how to use the word "Nintendo". While this ad may come across as Mario lecturing your grandmother with a lesson in grammar, when this image first hit the internets...
Friday8th Apr 2022
Random You Can Play SNES Games On A Toaster With This DIY Kit
ToastBound
When we think of custom consoles, the first thing that comes to mind is custom plates, portable versions of home consoles - like this portable GameCube, which, in the absence of GameCube games on the Switch, we need. Yes, need. We're going a bit beyond these examples today, though! Japanese manufacturer Columbus Circle, who creates parts...
Thursday7th Apr 2022
Feature Nintendo Reigns Supreme At The Science Museum's 'Power UP' Exhibition
Play some of gaming's most iconic consoles and games
Walking into the Basement Gallery of the London Science Museum, you're greeted by an uncomfortable warmth that often comes with gaming events, but this is soon forgotten when you cast your eyes over the sea of consoles lying in wait. We're all so used to seeing old gaming systems locked away...
Video Check Out This Japan-Only Club Nintendo Game You Likely Never Heard Of
Reclaim Mario's hat in 'Nintendoji'
We Nintendo fans often pride ourselves on our vast and intimate knowledge of the company's back catalogue. Even when a piece of hardware or software isn't released in our territory, we'll either import it or sit there poring over details and videos of obscure releases we'll never get our hands on. Knowledge is...
Wednesday6th Apr 2022
Gallery This Incredible Axelay Art Proves We Need A Modern Remake
Created by Housemarque's Tomi Väisänen
While the end credits of Konami's stunning SNES shmup Axelay promised a sequel, we sadly never got one – and the game remains a true one-of-a-kind thanks to its gorgeous visuals, fantastic level design and brilliant music. Someone else who is clearly a huge fan is Housemarque's Tomi Väisänen. When he's...
Tuesday5th Apr 2022
News As 'Power Instinct' Approaches 30, The Chances Of A Re-Release Seem Slim
Character designs not "politically correct"
While it might not be quite as well-known as Street Fighter or King of Fighters, Atlus' zany Power Instinct (Gōketsuji Ichizoku in Japan) still has many fans – and those same fans might be expecting some kind of celebration to mark the series' 30th birthday in 2023. However, according to one source in...
News You Can Get Lost In This Hand-Drawn Zelda Map From 1986
"Never-seen-in-full-online before"
When the original Zelda launched in 1986, it captivated players with its massive, sprawling map and an incredible level of detail. While subsequent Zelda games have improved on this foundation dramatically, it's still easy to appreciate the level of complexity present in the NES original – and nothing captures...
Monday4th Apr 2022
Random Metal Gear 35th Anniversary Site Confirmed As A Fan Joke, Now 'Konami Memorial NFT'
"We are currently considering how to deal with this site" - Konami
Update [Mon 4th Apr, 2022 09:40 BST]: Konami has confirmed to TechRadar that the metalgear35th site that appeared just before April Fools' Day is indeed a fake. In fact, it has now been transformed into the 'Konami Memorial NFT' site with an explanation posted by the site's creator...
Friday1st Apr 2022
Review Retroid Pocket 2+ - A Vast Improvement Over Its Forerunner
Even more power in your pocket
You may well look at images of the shiny new Retroid Pocket 2+ and think you've seen it somewhere else before – that's because this is an iteration on the original Retroid Pocket 2, which we covered last year. As before, it's an Android-powered device with a focus on gaming and emulation, but the team at GoRetroid...
Thursday31st Mar 2022
News We're Getting A Second Valis Collection On Switch
Includes three classic games from the series
Edia has announced that it plans to release a second collection of Valis titles on the Switch. Valis: The Fantasm Soldier Collection arrived last year, and included the PC Engine (AKA: TurboGrafx-16) versions of Valis: The Fantasm Soldier, Valis II, and Valis III. The second collection – which doesn't...
News SNK Has Released Another Neo Geo Pocket Color Game On Switch eShop
The return of Big Bang Pro Wrestling
Well, here's a surprise - the Neo Geo Pocket Color title Big Bang Pro Wrestling is now available on the Switch eShop. This title was originally released in 2000 exclusively in Japan. Here's the rundown, courtesy of SNK's official website: It's about to pop off! Muscle-bound wrestlers take the stage for a...
Wednesday30th Mar 2022
Random We Can't Stop Thinking About This Stunning GameCube Mockup
Vaporwave hello
Via Reddit You know how it is. You're scrolling through Twitter of an evening, admiring beautiful retro game box art and hardware and intricately detailed scale starship models (everyone does that, right?), and suddenly see an image so jaw-droppingly amazing that it stops you dead in your tracks. The image above had just this...
Monday28th Mar 2022
News Modder Creates 'Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 DX' For Game Boy Color
Not just the colour of money
While nowadays the talk is always "what other Wii U games can we get on Switch", perhaps in an earlier age kids on the playground talked about "what Game Boy games can we get ports of for the Color?". Ok, maybe not, but it's an interesting thought; of course, online communities of enthusiasts and modders do more than...
Friday25th Mar 2022
News Nintendo Issues Copyright Strike Against Scanned Super Mario 64 Guide From 1996
A fruitless endeavour?
Update [Fri 25th Mar, 2022 10:00 GMT] - Well, that didn't last long. Last week, we reported on a stunning collection of online scans from the 1996 Super Mario 64 guide; a true relic that would likely cost a hefty sum if you wanted a physical copy today. Thanks to an update from Kotaku, we can now report that the scans have...
Wednesday23rd Mar 2022
Hands On WaterField's Analogue Pocket Pouch Perfectly Protects Your Precious Portable
(Sorry.)
Given how hard it is to come by, it's little surprise that the Analogue Pocket has become a treasured object for those lucky enough to own one. With that in mind, it goes without saying that some form of protection is in order – especially if you're going to be, you know, carrying this thing around with you, so thank goodness for the...
Tuesday22nd Mar 2022
Random Want To Turn Your Game Boy Into A Megazord? Just Attach Every Accessory
Go go, Game Boy rangerrrrrs
Want to know how to acquire the ultimate Game Boy or Game Boy Color? Well, you just need some spare cash and all of the accessories! In ye olden days, handheld consoles came with a plethora of add-ons and peripherals that would help enhance your gaming experience. Remember, the backlight didn't always exist. - you had to...
Friday18th Mar 2022
Random A Rare Zelda: The Wind Waker Promo Scroll Gets An Airing
A hero lost in time
One of the most memorable moments of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker was undoubtedly its incredibly stylish prologue sequence. Against a backdrop of beautiful rendered images and Hylian script (and who can forget the wonderful accompanying music), the sequence told the basic narrative of Ocarina of Time and gave vital...
News Evercade's Latest Carts Offer Inexpensive Access To Yet More Retro Classics
Renovation and Gremlin titles galore!
We've been keeping a keen eye on the Evercade project ever since it was announced, and continue to be impressed with its expanding range of physical carts showcasing many previously hard-to-obtain retro titles. The two latest carts cover the work of North American publisher Renovation and UK studio Gremlin...
