Retro - Timeline
Tuesday22nd Oct 2019
News Earthbound Creator Shigesato Itoi Felt 'Indebted' To Nintendo When Pitching Mother
"I owe a lot to Mario"
In a wide-ranging interview with GameCenter CX the creator of the Mother series, known as Earthbound in the west, has shared a trove of gaming memories and tidbits about the series' development with the show's presenter 'Arino Kacho'. As you may well already know, the Japanese show features comedian Shinya Arino in the role...
Monday21st Oct 2019
Feature How Switch Brings Back Game Boy Multiplayer Memories
A link (cable) to the past
Quite apart from the huge number of great games coming to the system every week, one result of Switch’s success that we’ve really enjoyed is how it has brought back a focus on local multiplayer gaming not seen since the N64 days. Online is still king, of course, but we’d argue there’s nothing quite like the rush of...
Anniversary The Game Boy Color Turns 21 Today
They grow up so fast
Nintendo's Game Boy Color was first released in Japan 21 years ago today on 21st October 1998. A successor to the original beast that was the Game Boy, the Game Boy Color unsurprisingly featured a colour screen, giving Nintendo's handheld games a whole new lease of life. While we sadly don't have exact figures for each of the...
Sunday20th Oct 2019
Poll Box Art Brawl #13 - Goemon's Great Adventure
Mystical Ninja 2, x3
Smell that? Yes, that aroma of blood, sweat and tears can only mean one thing: it's time for Box Art Brawl, the series where we lock box art variants of the same game in a cage and see which one survives to the bitter end according to votes from you bloodthirsty lot. Last week North American Trevor Belmont triumphed over his...
Saturday19th Oct 2019
Feature Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Rescue-Palooza! Is The Turtles Game You've Always Wanted
"I’ve wanted to see every NES and Game Boy game get a SNES do-over"
From the silver screen to the small screen to the even smaller screen on your Game Boy, the world’s favourite comic book pizza-lovers have featured on displays of all dimensions. But, while the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles originated in pen and ink, many people remember them...
Wednesday16th Oct 2019
News Who Needs A Game Boy Classic Edition When You've Got The Analogue Pocket?
The maker of the Super Nt and Mega Sg is back
Hardware specialist Analogue is famous for its reference-quality clones of retro systems and has already made a name for itself with products like the Super Nt and Mega Sg, both of which harness FPGA technology to replicate the performance of classic systems on a hardware level. The company has today...
News Castlevania's Harder Arcade Version Is Coming To Nintendo Switch Tomorrow
VS. Castlevania
Hamster has revealed that the next Arcade Archives release to launch on Switch is none other than VS. Castlevania. You'll be able to get your hands on it starting from tomorrow, 17th October. The game was originally released as an arcade title back in 1986 and is very similar to the NES game which launched the year after. Retro...
News Relive The Glory Days Of Podracing With This Re-Release Of Star Wars Episode 1: Racer For N64
Available later this week
Limited Run Games is at it again, re-releasing old Star Wars games on classic systems. This time around it's the Nintendo 64 version of Star Wars Episode 1: Racer getting the special treatment. It'll be available from the LRG website on 18th October for $89.99. Here's what you can expect: Star Wars™: Episode 1 Racer...
Tuesday15th Oct 2019
News Classic Nintendo Mini Game Released In 1974 Found After 20-Year Search
49 down, one to go
Before becoming a juggernaut in the video game industry, Nintendo got its start manufacturing and distributing hanafuda cards. There was also a period between 1971 - 1976 when the company created a mini game toy series, comprised of 50 different games in total. One of these is supposedly called "Driving Shot"...
Sunday13th Oct 2019
Poll Box Art Brawl #12 - Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse
Another crack of the whip from Konami
And we're back with Box Art Brawl, the series where box art variants from other sides of the planet meet up and fail to work out their differences without resorting to physical violence. Last week was a particularly bloodthirsty bout with Final Fight taking itself down to Chinatown. Despite flaws in each of the...
Tuesday8th Oct 2019
Feature "Nintendo Killed My Son!" - Pulling Apart A Tragic Headline More Than Two Decades On
How a single story rocked the games industry
Video games have often been blamed for many of society's ills, and only this week has the news broken that a Canadian family intends to take Epic Games to court over the addictive nature of Fortnite, which, they claim, has "ruined" the lives of their children. The case cites the classification of 'video...
Sunday6th Oct 2019
Poll Box Art Brawl #11 - Final Fight
Almost certainly NOT the final fight
Welcome to this week's Box Art Brawl, the ongoing series where box art variants from around the world face off against one another to find out which is the fairest of them all. Who wins? You decide. Last week we featured GoldenEye 007 and the world's best known (and therefore presumably worst) secret agent...
Saturday5th Oct 2019
Video This Stunning Trailer Turns The Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Sequel Into A N64 Game
"Not in development"
When Nintendo revealed a sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was officially in development at this year's E3, the darker tone was immediately noticeable. In fact, we sort of got Majora's Mask vibes, as there was so much doom and gloom present within the teaser trailer. With this in mind, a modeler and animator...
Thursday3rd Oct 2019
News Train Up And Compete In Hamster's Latest Arcade Archives Release Karate Champ
Or wrestle cows on the beach
After being announced much earlier this year, Karate Champ is now finally being added to Hamster's Arcade Archives series this week on the Nintendo Switch. This is an action game that was originally released by Data East in 1984. Here's some additional information about it, courtesy of the official press release:...
Random Game Freak Had Plans For A Virtual Boy Title But Never Got Around To Making It
Pokémon Red?
Whenever the developer Game Freak is mentioned, you probably think about the mainline Pokémon video game series. That's not the only series it has worked on over the years, though. Little Town Hero is coming to the Switch later this month and there was a point in the Japanese company's history when it had an idea for a Virtual Boy...
Wednesday2nd Oct 2019
Video Ever Wondered What An 8-Bit Ni no Kuni Would Look Like?
New trailer gives Level-5's JRPG a retro makeover
With software coming thick and fast to Switch these days, it's never been easier for a game - even a damn fine one - to get lost in the crowd. Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch released on Switch way back on 20th September, but we wouldn't be surprised if it passed you by in the rush of great...
News Cripes, That SNES PlayStation Prototype Is Up For Sale Now
Time to remortgage the house, then
A few years back, a pretty incredible event occurred: a SNES PlayStation prototype was discovered in the wild. Owned by Terry Diebold (and discovered by his son in a box of junk that was about to be thrown out) the unit is the only known example outside of Sony's archives and dates back to the time when
Monday30th Sep 2019
News This Super Mario Bros. Fan Game Will Fire Up Your Super Show Nostalgia
Do the Mario again
We seem to be riding a fashionable wave of '90s nostalgia at the moment and when you combine that with Nintendo nostalgia (which we'd argue is always in vogue), you get a wistful blast so potent that it's sure to turn your Hypercolor t-shirt entirely orange or green or whatever colour your underarms went when it got a bit toasty...
Sunday29th Sep 2019
Poll Box Art Brawl #10 - GoldenEye 007
You can never unsee it
Welcome, one and all, to Box Art Brawl! We’ve reached the tenth round in the series where we present a bunch of box art variants and then put it to you lovely people to see which one prevails in the ensuing bout. In an effort to showcase some of the dross that will never make it to this hallowed arena, we took a midweek look...
Friday27th Sep 2019
News Australia's National Film And Sound Archive To Preserve Locally Made Games
Game saver
Now that the digital age has arrived, video game preservation is arguably more important than ever. Fortunately, steps are slowly being taken around the world to ensure this industry's rich history lives on for the benefit of future generations. Down under, the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia has announced it will begin to...
Wednesday25th Sep 2019
Feature 10 Of The Worst Nintendo Game Covers Ever
Our picks for the lowest of the low
You may be familiar with our weekend Box Art Brawl series where we pit regional versions of the same game against each other in a gladiatorial poll to find out which has the best cover art. That's all well and good, but there are a great many terrible examples that will never experience the glory of combat in our...
Hardware Review Should You Import The Japanese Mega Drive Mini?
Better pads and the Tower of Power, but is that enough?
The Sega Genesis / Mega Drive Mini is pretty special – as you'll know if you've already consulted our exhaustive review. Packed full of retro goodness and blessed with a lineup that contains some of the system's most desirable titles, it's proof that Sega is finally taking the 'micro-console'...
Monday23rd Sep 2019
News Just How Much Can Your Sealed Retro Games Sell For?
UK research uncovers some shocking prices
If you're a passionate collector of retro games, and particularly of retro Nintendo games, you'll probably be painfully aware of just how costly old sealed copies can be. It isn't unusual to see sealed NES and SNES games be listed for hundreds of pounds, whether potential buyers are willing to spend quite...
Sunday22nd Sep 2019
Poll Box Art Brawl #9 - The Legend Of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX
A remake on Switch, you say?
Welcome to round number 9 of Box Art Brawl, the series where box art variants from different regions go through a rigorous training montage before cracking their knuckles and duking it out under the watchful eyes of you lovely people. Last week Michael Biehn made a very much uncredited appearance on the three covers of...
Video How The CPU Used To Cheat In Street Fighter II
You lose!
Sometimes in fighting games, CPU opponents reach God-like levels. They get to a point where they are seemingly unstoppable - executing combos flawless and taking absolutely no damage, while the player struggles to register a single hit. Although there are a number of retro fighting games that behave like this, one of the biggest offenders...
Fancy listening?
Reflect on the glory days of Rare and a few names you might remember include graphic designer Kevin Bayliss and composer David Wise. Both of these talented individuals helped shape a number of the developer's titles over the years. While they've both moved on, it appears they'll be collaborating on an "exciting new project" that...
Saturday21st Sep 2019
Feature 10 Strangest Moments In Captain N: The Game Master
Celebrating the cult Saturday morning Nintendo cartoon’s 30th birthday
Super Smash Bros.? Pffft, garbage. The Marvel Cinematic Universe? Complete trash. Project X Zone? Hmmm, we appreciate your thinking but even so, nope. The greatest crossover of all time turned 30 years old this month and none of you selfish sods even noticed. We’re talking,...
Friday20th Sep 2019
News SNK's New Neo Geo Might Not Be What You Were Expecting
Update: All pre-loaded games revealed!
Update (20th Sep, 16:15 BST): SNK has now revealed the 20 games that will be pre-loaded on the Neo Geo Arcade Stick Pro. Here's the full list: The King of Fighters '95 The King of Fighters '97 The King of Fighters '98 The King of Fighters '99 The King of Fighters 2000 The King of Fighters 2002 Fatal Fury...
Feature Getting Reacquainted With Zelda: Link's Awakening, An Irreverent And Silly Classic
"It was like we were making a parody of Zelda"
We originally published this piece back in February, and have decided to give it another push now, to mark the launch of Link's Awakening on Switch. The Switch is getting its second Zelda game, but it perhaps wasn't one that people were expecting. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening was the...
News The Wizard Is Getting A 30th Anniversary Blu-Ray Release
Thanks "to every fan who kept screaming"
When The Wizard made its original debut in-cinemas, it was widely panned by critics for being nothing more than a lengthy commercial for Nintendo and Universal Studios. Despite this, it still managed to develop a cult following over the years. Now, as we near the film's 30th anniversary, the movie's director...
