Retro News (Page 5)
Review Excitebike 64 - An Underrated Racer That Deserves To Ride With Its N64 Stablemates
Hold onto your handlebars
This review originally went live in 2016, and we're updating and republishing it to mark the game's arrival on Switch as part of the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack. Of the sports games in the N64 era, Excitebike 64 feels left out of conversation more often than siblings such as Wave Race 64 and 1080° Snowboarding...
News Prototype For Unreleased GameCube Platformer 'Pickles' Has Been Discovered
"The game about monkeys riding unicycles"
A Nintendo collector and YouTuber has discovered a lost prototype for an unreleased game developed by Santa Cruz Games for the GameCube. cake bought a dev GameCube but inside he discovered a disc for a unreleased GameCube game. Testing out the prototype, he discovered it was for Pickles, a...
News Sunsoft's Game Boy Platformer Trip World Launches On Switch eShop Next Week
As a remastered DX release
Following a physical announcement back in April, it's now been discovered Trip World DX for the Switch eShop will be arriving on 31st August. If you missed the initial announcement, this is a remaster of the 8-bit Sunsoft Game Boy title that was original
News Don't Panic, The Making Of Karateka Will Arrive On Switch This Month After All
In North America, at least
Update [Fri 25th Aug 10:00 BST]: Digital Eclipse has now confirmed that The Making of Karateka will arrive on the Switch eShop on August 29th, 2023 in North America. In Europe and Australia, meanwhile, it'll be made available on September 5th, 2023. The company also confirmed that a physical release will be made...
News Edia Crowdfunding Cosmic Fantasy Collection 2 For Nintendo Switch
Here's what's included
After a number of successful crowdfunding campaigns, publisher Edia has now announced a new one - Cosmic Fantasy Collection 2. This latest crowdfunded effort for Switch will be handled via another Makuake campaign. This latest one is seeking three million Yen (about $20k USD). At the time of writing, it's almost reached the...
Guide Best First-Party N64 Games
Nintendo's N64 games, as ranked by you
Nintendo 64 hosts a bunch of absolute, all-time classic games — archetypal entries in classic series which set the template for their respective genres from that point onwards, not to mention 3D gaming in general. Sony might have stolen mindshare in the gaming space in the mid-'90s, but the seminal games...
Guide Best First-Party Wii Games
Nintendo's Wii games, as ranked by you
Nintendo's Wii opened up the door to millions of people who had never tried a video game before, and its software library boasts some of the most varied and approachable gaming experiences of any of Nintendo's consoles, including many stone-cold classics in both the 'casual' and 'hardcore' categories from both...
Guide Best First-Party Wii U Games
Nintendo's Wii U games, as ranked by you
Nintendo's Wii U might not have been the commercial hit many Nintendo fans — and Nintendo itself — hoped for, but it had a winning catalogue of first-party software, as evidenced by the fact that many of its games went on to find new life on Switch in 'Deluxe' and upgraded forms where they got the...
Guide Best First-Party GameCube Games
Nintendo's GameCube games, as ranked by you
The GameCube marked Nintendo's switch to disc-based media form the work of cartridges and some of the company's finest output ever came on a cute little disc that you put into a cute little cube. The GameCube library features classics from Nintendo itself and a bunch of third-party companies, but in this...
Mini Review Xtreme Sports - A Switch Return For Some Gnarly But Limited GBC Minigames
California dreaming
2D sports titles have had their place since Konami’s Track & Field rattled arcade screws loose with its fiercely competitive button rapping. WayForward’s Xtreme Sports draws influence from California Games, a summery seaside boardwalk of hip events and addictive tap-a-thons. You have two characters to choose from, dude or...
Talking Point The Games We Got Rid Of - What Were We Thinking?
Give it away, give it away now
We've all done it. Whether through necessity to fund a new purchase or streamlining our collection during a spring clean, we've all sold, traded, donated, or just given away a game or console at some point and then wished we hadn’t. Sometimes cold hard cash was required, other times we were just in a different...
Review 'The Art Of The Box' Celebrates A Time When Cover Art Could Sell A Game
Judge a book by its cover?
When you're looking to make a video game purchase these days, chances are there are many factors which contribute to your ultimate decision. Pre-release hype and online opinion will almost certainly influence your choice, but the image on the cover on the box is unlikely to carry quite as much weight. We're not saying that...
Video The 'Fake Game Boy' That Costs $10 And Contains 200 Games
The bargain bin
Pre-loaded consoles are a dime a dozen, and it's easy to get caught out by the many "fake" versions of consoles. The Nanica Smitch is one such example — a Switch-looking device with 800 games pre-loaded onto it. Today, we're looking at a pre-loaded console that will set you back just under $10 — Merkury Inventions Arcade Fun...
Random Former Rare Dev Shares First-Ever Drawing Of Conker
No, he still doesn't have a neck
Former developer at Rare Chris Seavor has been sharing video game history on Twitter. And today's little tidbit is a pretty fun one — Seavor has found the first-ever drawing of Conker the Squirrel. Seavor teased his followers earlier today about "some 'curious' old scribbles" that he found, and as promised, he...
Review Pokémon Stadium 2 - A Sequel Of Gold (& Silver) Standard
Second gen magic
This review originally went live in 2016, and we're updating and republishing it to mark the game's arrival in the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack N64 library. After all the groundbreaking success that Pokémon's first generation had, it would've only been wise for the powers that be to capitalise on the franchise. How was...
Review Pokémon Trading Card Game - A Cracking Adaptation That Still Holds Up
A rare source of fun or just an uncommon?
This review originally went live in 2014, and we're updating and republishing it to mark the game's arrival in the Nintendo Switch Online Game Boy / Game Boy Color library. It’s almost surreal nowadays to think that there was ever a time when portable gaming didn’t have Pokémon. When Red and Blue...
Talking Point How Do You Store Your Games Collection?
Shoebox showcase
Call us sentimental, call us paranoid, call us what you will, but around these parts we still love the physical article when it comes to our media, especially video games. While many of us have gone at least part-digital for the sake of saving space and sheer convenience, especially with the portable Switch, even the eShop-only...
Review The Legend Of Zelda: Oracle Of Ages - An Engrossing Tale And True Series Classic
A song for the ages
This review originally went live in 2013, and we're updating and republishing it to mark the game's arrival in the Nintendo Switch Online Game Boy / Game Boy Color library. Ever since The Legend of Zelda released on the NES, Nintendo has played the franchise relatively close to its chest. Series creator Shigeru Miyamoto has had...
Review The Legend Of Zelda: Oracle Of Seasons - An Underappreciated Old-School Adventure
Battle seasoned
This review originally went live in 2013, and we're updating and republishing it to mark the game's arrival in the Nintendo Switch Online Game Boy / Game Boy Color library. The combat of The Legend of Zelda series has seen several iterations over the decades. The classic top-down gameplay of the original was morphed into a faster,...
News Final Fantasy Developers Reminisce On IV, V, And VI In Anniversary Chat
The Super Famicom trilogy
The second part of the Final Fantasy 35th Anniversary Special Interview has been shared today on the official Final Fantasy YouTube, and this nostalgia-filled interview focuses on the Super Famicom / SNES trilogy that was recently rereleased in the Pixel Remaster series on Switch — Final Fantasy IV, V, and VI. Hosted...
Random Fan Reimagines Resident Evil 4 As A 2D Side-Scroller
2Demake
We have seen Resident Evil 4 reimagined in a variety of ways over the years. Aside from the recent swanky remake, fans of the series have regularly taken the 2005 GameCube game in new and creative directions, but now we have seen it in a new dimension too (thanks, PCGamesN). Yes, one fan by the name of DooMero is working on a complete...
Soapbox Catching Legendary Pokémon The Old-Fashioned Way Was So Much Better
Mewsings
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Kevin remembers a time when getting your hands on a legendary involved going on a real-life journey... The '90s were a fun time, weren’t they? AOL was brand new, The Simpsons was still...
Poll How Many Of You Have Actually Visited 'Minus World' In Super Mario Bros.?
Minus points
In terms of video game legends, it's up there with the best of them. A secret world accessible in Super Mario Bros.! A gateway to an underwater stage you can never leave! A hidden, secret zone that only the most elite Mario Bros. enthusiasts will ever find!... It was the stuff of playground hearsay back in the '80s and '90s, but...
Guide Top 100 Best Nintendo Games Of All Time
Over 40 years of Nintendo games, as ranked by you
The Famicom launched in 1983. Time, huh? That's four whole decades of 8-bit Nintendo games, many of which defined entire genres and birthed enduring characters and series that would go forth and flourish in future console generations. In honour of 40 years of quality from our video game purveyors of...
Anniversary Nintendo Famicom, The NES' Japanese Sibling, Is 40 Years Old
History was made
40 years ago today, video game history changed for the better. That might sound a bit hyperbolic, but there's no denying that Nintendo's first home console — or at least the first one with interchangeable cartridges in a form we still recognise as a 'console' today — made a huge impact. Video games would not be where they would...
Feature 21 Vintage Nintendo Games You Can Now Only Buy For Original Hardware
'80s and '90s Nintendo games on the 'endangered' list
You may have read a recent study by the Video Games History Foundation that suggests an eye-watering 87% of video games are "critically endangered". The organisation, which is devoted to video game preservation and archiving, found that just 13% of games released prior to 2010 were still 'in...
Round Up Every Switch Game Announced At Limited Run's 2023 Showcase
More than 20 announcements!
Limited Run today aired another major showcase announcing all sorts of new, old and returning games. It was a pretty packed-out show in all honesty, so we've put together this round up highlighting not only the major announcements but also the ones we didn't get to spotlight. In the coming months Switch owners can look...
News Disney Remastering Sega Genesis Platformer Gargoyles, Switch Release Confirmed
Update: LRG physical release coming "this fall"
Update [Thu 13th Jul, 2023 04:55 BST]: A Switch release of the Gargoyles Remastered has now been officially confirmed. Additionally, Limited Run Games will be handling the physical release. It's due this fall, and a proper reveal is coming "later this year". Original article [Sat 10th Sep, 2022...
News Shantae's Cancelled Game Boy Advance Project 'Risky Revolution' Is Being Revived
But there's no mention of a Switch release right now
WayForward's Shantae director Matt Bozon has today announced the revival of Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution - a previously cancelled Game Boy Advance project. This game was meant to come out in 2004/05 and covers an "entire missing chapter" of the series. Risky Boots has found a "secret...
News Brand-New Game Boy Color ARPG 'Far After' Is Now Up For Pre-Order
Bitmap Soft back at it again
It's easy to forget that there are still new games being made for Nintendo's classic handhelds today, with developers pushing the platforms to their limits and publishers getting on board with some sweet physical releases. Bitmap Soft is one of these very publishers (you might remember its two Game Boy releases from...
News Sonic Chronicles Sequel Details Revealed By Former BioWare Lead Designer
The Dark Brotherhood ended on an unresolved cliffhanger
BioWare's DS RPG Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood was always intended to be the first entry in a series, however, the sequel never came to light due to a number of reasons, including BioWare being purchased by Electronic Arts. Now, however, Did You Know Gaming has uncovered some...
News Nintendo Has Apparently Retired Its Gulf War Game Boy
It's going back to Redmond
Nintendo was known in its earlier years of video game development for its durable and long-lasting hardware, but one system that trumped all was the legendary Game Boy. In fact, there's one famous Game Boy as you might recall that was damaged in a bombing during the Gulf War and still works! In an update, the Game Boy has...
Guide Best Nintendo 64 Platformers - Every N64 3D Platformer, Ranked By You
Golden years
The launch of Super Mario 64 ushered in what is now commonly referred to as the Golden Age of 3D platformers. In the years before the arrival of online gaming when first-person shooters came to dominate the console landscape for a period, these colourful solo experiences represented the medium's adventures into a new frontier, with...
Guide Best Game Gear Sonic Games, Ranked By You
Drop dashing into Origins
With the release of Sonic Origins Plus on the Switch, Sonic fans can now not only play as the severely underutilised Amy in all four mainline titles, but there are now 12 Game Gear Sonic games to peruse and play at your leisure from the compilation's 'Missions' menu. Now, we're probably never going to recommend playing the...
Review Fire Emblem - The Blazing Blade Is Still As Sharp As Ever
So much to love Lyndis game
This review originally went live in 2015, and we're updating and republishing it to mark the game's arrival in the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack GBA library. Before Fire Emblem: Awakening kicked off 2013 (the Year of Luigi, you'll recall) with a bang, there was a great deal of concern at Nintendo regarding its...
Random Some Square Enix Staff Really Want A Final Fantasy VI Remake
But it would be "difficult", says Square Enix VP
We've already got Final Fantasy VI on modern consoles thanks to the Pixel Remaster, but what if Square Enix decided to remake its beloved 1994 RPG? Apparently, some staff at the studio want to see it, according to vice president and Final Fantasy VII Remake producer Yoshinori Kitase (via @Genki_JPN)...
Feature The Mysterious Absence Of A Famicom Gem On Switch
Castle's in the air
Update [31st Oct 2023]: Well, would you believe it? Nintendo only went and dropped the game on Switch Online as a Halloween treat. Enjoy! Something very mysterious is going on with a sadly obscure but fondly remembered gem from the Famicom era. It was built on the same game engine as the original Legend of Zelda, but unlike...
News Atari's Neo-Retro Platformer, Mr. Run And Jump, Hops Onto Switch Next Month
Stick (man) the landing
Atari has today announced that its upcoming neon adventure-platformer Mr. Run and Jump will be coming to Switch on 25th July. Revealed just last month, the game is a frantic platformer set in a neon-drenched world that immediately had us thinking of VVVVVV with its tight, spike-dodging gameplay. Mr. Run and Jump is developed...
Feature A Kou Shibusawa Production - Changing History With Koei Tecmo's OG Strategy Studio
“The more we learn…the more it fuels our creativity”
History fans love to ask a good 'what if?' question. A completely hypothetical situation to explore how small changes could impact the course of world events. Video games that explore these kinds of questions usually fall into the grand strategy genre, putting players at the head of a...
News GB Studio Central Launches Gorgeous Magazine That Evokes Nintendo Power
Studio Central in your hands
GB Studio Central — the online community-led publication that focuses on games created in the popular GB Studio — has announced that it's releasing a magazine. Yes, an actual magazine! And it's absolutely gorgeous. Announced last week, GB Studio Magazine aims to curate articles from the GB Studio Central site and...
News Capcom's 40th Anniversary Site Is An Incredible Digital Museum With Playable Retro Games
A beautiful nostalgia trip in Capcom Town
Capcom has launched a beautiful 40th-anniversary website which celebrates the company's history, as well as shares artwork and design docs, and acts as a hub for some of the developer's biggest titles. Capcom Town is bursting with colour, characters, and chiptune music, which will get anyone who's ever...
Feature Nintendo's Satellaview Blazed A Trail For Today's Season-Based, Ephemeral Games
Total BS-X
The most considerable game industry development in the last decade has been the rise of live-service games. When MMOs first launched, the idea of an always-online game was considered a novelty, but today most AAA studios are making live-service titles, and most non-live-service games from those companies have online features. The modern...
Soapbox Obstinate And Addictive - Playing Final Fantasy For The First Time In 2023
OG fantasy
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Henry experiences his very first Fantasy... I admit it – I’ve never played Final Fantasy. It wasn’t on my radar as a kid, and by the time I was paying attention, it had jumped to...
Anniversary LostWinds First Launched 15 Years Ago Today
Let's Toku 'bout it
Today marks the 15th anniversary of LostWinds in North America, a launch title for WiiWare and (in this writer's opinion) one of the console's finest bite-sized games. The title was developed and published by Frontier Developments out West, though Square Enix took care of publishing duties for LostWinds' Japan release in...
Soapbox Game & Watch Still Scratches A Very Particular Itch, And I Need More
An itch the Switch can’t fix
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Nile is pining for something a little smaller and simpler on his commute... Not too long ago, my niece taught me something heartening about the staying power of old...
Random Nintendo Apparently Wasn't A Fan Of Tiger & Hasbro's Pokédex Toy
"They didn’t like us very much"
Remember the original Pokémon Pokédex toy released by Tiger Electronics and Hasbro Toys back in the day? Well, apparently Nintendo's Japanese team made it an absolute nightmare to bring to market. Speaking to Johto Times recently, former Tiger & Hasbro senior game producer Chris Nicolella (between 1997 -...
News The Jurassic Park Games Are Getting A 30th Anniversary Retro Collection
"Hold on to your butts"
If you're eager to sink your teeth into some more retro game collections, you'll be pleased to know physical distributor Limited Run Games has announced a Jurassic Park 30th Anniversary Collection. This collection will be released at some point later this year. No platforms have been announced just yet. Attached to this...
Anniversary Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade First Launched 20 Years Ago Today
The West's first Fire Emblem game
Today marks the 20th anniversary of Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade, the seventh entry in the Fire Emblem series, in Japan. But what makes this title extra special is that this was the game that brought the tactical RPG series to the West. A North American release followed in November 2003, with Australia and Europe...
News This Kirby's Dream Land 2 ROM Hack Adds Colour To The Game Boy Classic
Includes other features "enhancing the overall experience"
Although Nintendo has officially called time on Kirby's 30th anniversary, fans of the pink puff are seemingly still going with all sorts of creations. One, in particular, that's caught the attention of the wider Nintendo community is a new ROM hack for the 1995 release Kirby's Dream Land 2 -...
Random Fan Collects Over 1 Thousand Copies Of The Original Dragon Quest
Technically 'Dragon Warrior'
One person's quest (get it?) to accumulate a 'Mega Collection' of NES games has finally been achieved. FerrisonNA — who also goes by the username Ferris Bueller — is the proud owner of one thousand copies of the original Dragon Quest on the NES. Or, Dragon Warrior as it was known in the west back in 1989. FerrisonNA...
