Retro News (Page 10)
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
News GoldenEye 007 Is Getting A Digital Release On Xbox
Could a Switch release be happening soon?
It looks like Rare's seminal N64 shooter GoldenEye 007 is finally getting a digital re-release - but sadly not on a Nintendo system. True Achievements has picked up a new achievement list for the game, with 55 achievements adding up to a 1000 gamerscore. Some of the achievement images have leaked, too:...
Soapbox Wave Race 64 Is Now 25 Years Old, And It Still Rules
Maximum Power!
Let's get the controversial early opinion out of the way, just so any pitchfork wielders can start sharpening their implements right away: a lot of Nintendo 64 games haven't aged very well. Of course they haven't, because it was a console in which Nintendo was at the bleeding edge of 3D graphical technology, a bold move that seized it...
Random Get Nostalgic For The Wii Days With Nintendo's E3 2006 Conference, Upscaled
Excite Truck ftw
While the last couple of E3s haven't been quite what we're used to for obvious reasons, it's the memories of glorious summers past which keep our enthusiasm for the event alive. Earlier this year we took a look at a handful of Nintendo's most iconic E3 moments, but researching for that article and rewatching Nintendo's conferences...
Feature Artist Kamui Fujiwara Talks Terranigma Amid Drive To Resurrect Classic SNES RPG
"It means the quest is not over, right?"
Terranigma is a SNES title that holds a special place in the heart of many an RPG fan, which is remarkable when you consider that it was only released in Japan and Europe, and bypassed North America entirely. Part of Quintet's loose RPG trilogy (which also includes Soul Blazer and Illusion of Gaia),...
Random Logan Paul Made A Table Out Of Game Boys, And The Internet Isn't Happy
It lights up, too!
YouTuber Logan Paul is a man who has his fingers in many pies, but his latest venture has riled up Nintendo fandom quite spectacularly. Paul took a selection of Game Boy Color consoles (some of which are quite collectible) and poured epoxy resin over the top of them to create a table - which also lights up: The reaction online...
Feature Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix, Or That Time Mario Got Movin’ To Mozart
The funky rhythm comin’ at ya!
On the surface Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix appears to be the ordinary and obvious by-product of Konami and Nintendo continuing to operate in the same creative space. After all, by the time of the game’s 2005 release, Mario had already been doing non-Mario things for a very long time — he could paint, ride...
Feature Ex-Nintendo Employee On 'Holy Grails', Meeting Heroes, And Preserving A $10K Kirby Card
"As a fan, I was mortified at the thought of destroying any of it"
Over the holidays we're republishing some of our best features, interviews, opinion pieces and talking points from the previous 12 months from staff and contributors alike — articles that we feel represent our best of 2021. In them you'll find our usual mix of thoughtfulness,...
Feature Treasure Games That Need Switch Ports Or Sequels
We’re going on a Treasure hunt
The aptly-named Japanese studio Treasure — in spite of its fondness for focusing on less popular formats and its infrequent and occasionally Japan-only releases — has long been a developer famed throughout all of game-dom for the consistent originality and sheer quality that runs through its work. Formed in 1992...
Feature A Look Back At Nintendo's Long History Of Art, Music And Game Making Software
Over 35 years of programmin', paintin' and makin'
Between the Super Mario Maker games, Miitopia, and now the soon to be released Game Builder Garage, the last decade has seen Nintendo embrace the creativity of its players to produce fun content for all to experience. It’s amazing to see the creativity of the communities that form around these...
News This "Lost" Game Boy Add-On Could Have Pre-Dated The Smartphone
Say hello to the Page Boy
Last year, esteemed video game historian and occasional Nintendo Life contributor Liam Robertson uncovered the story of the Work Boy, an unreleased accessory that had the potential to turn the humble Game Boy into a powerful productivity tool. Now, a year later, Robertson is back with another investigation – this time...
Feature From Famicom Disk System To Switch - The Evolution Of Nintendo's Miis
Love Mii do
Ah, the Mii. We remember when we first made our own Miis back in 2006. Back then the most character customisation we had experienced was probably with The Sims, so making Miis of our friends, family and favourite video game characters was a fun pastime. It's a real shame, then, that Nintendo stepped away from their Miis, presumably in an...
Feature 'Arcade Perfect' Be Damned: R-Type DX Is Still Portable Perfection
Bydo To The Future
R-Type may be 34 years old but the beyond-enthusiastic reception for R-Type Final 2's Kickstarter proved Irem’s long-running series is much more than a nostalgic memory held close by a few greying fans, or vintage shmup still hazily respected from a great distance. R-Type can still generate hype and open up wallets; the thought...
Talking Point Nintendo And The Industry Needs To Get Serious About Game Preservation
Lots of catching up to do
For those following the general chat around video games, one topic that has generated debate recently has been Sony’s announcement of the upcoming closures of digital stores on PlayStation 3, PS Vita and PSP. As news, it wasn’t necessarily surprising, for reasons we’ll expand upon, but it did bring the whole subject...
Soapbox Retro Nintendo Games Cost Too Much, But Nostalgia Is Expensive
Second-hand Nintendo games are notoriously pricey, but why?
The year is 1999. I'm in a GAME, in Loughborough town centre. The grey carpet is sticky, the awful fluorescent lights are so dim I can barely see, and everything sort of smells like stale sweat. I'm standing in the N64 section with my brother, both of us clutching a small fortune in pocket...
Feature Clammy Consoles, Humid Horrors, And Retro Regrets
Don't try this at home
A few years ago a clever, witty, and shockingly beautiful Nintendo Life writer had to spend a few boring days trawling numerous websites searching for a brand new and eye-wateringly expensive wafer-thin HDTV with which to replace their ageing and sadly then only semi-functional slightly less wafer-thin HDTV. This new triumph...
Feature How Takara Brought SNK's Arcade Fighters To The Humble Game Boy
Battery-powered brawlers
Between 1994 and 1998 Takara Co., Ltd. brought some of SNK's most successful Neo Geo arcade hits — Samurai Shodown, The King of Fighters, and Fatal Fury 2 — to the humble Game Boy via a series of 'demakes'; streamlined and simplified releases of the infinitely more powerful arcade originals rebuilt from the ground up...
News NES Action Shooter 'Copper Jacket' Hits Funding Goal On Kickstarter
It's not coming until early 2023, however
Indie game developer Monsoon Studios has revealed that the crowdfunding campaign for its NES action title Cooper Jacket has been a success. The game – which offers a simultaneous 2-player mode and takes inspiration from the likes of Contra and Commando – had a very modest funding goal of just $9,000...
Retro Back In 1996, Nintendo 64 Was The Must-Have Christmas Gift - Alongside 'Tickle Me Elmo'
"Maybe Santa can write your little darlings an I.O.U."
In 2021, getting hold of a Switch, PS5 or Xbox Series X for Christmas might be a struggle, but back in 1996, it was the Nintendo 64 that was the must-have festive gift in North America. The Indianapolis Star's Rory Appleton has been digging through newspaper reports from the period to shed a...
Retro Remember When Acclaimed Novelist Martin Amis Rubbished Donkey Kong?
"Donkey, your days are numbered. The knackers’ yard awaits you"
One of the most influential and acclaimed novelists of his generation, award-winning writer Martin Amis – famous for books such as Money, London Fields and The Information – isn't the kind of name you'd perhaps expect to see on a site about video games, but in the early '80s, Amis...
News The Taito Egret II Mini Is Getting A Western Release
Thanks to United Games Entertainment
United Games Entertainment, the umbrella company for Strictly Limited Games/ININ Games, has revealed that it will be distributing the Taito Egret II Mini in the West. This arcade-focused micro system features a rotating 5-inch screen and is set for release in the New Year. Its Japanese release is scheduled for...
