Retro - News
February2022
News The Arcade Emulator MAME Is Now 25 Years Old
MVG takes a look
Video game emulators aren't always seen in the best light, but they actually play an important role when it comes to video game preservation and the revival of classics on modern hardware. With this in mind, MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) has just turned 25 years old, after making its debut on 5th February 1997. If you're...
Random Who Needs 3DS? You Can Now Play Super Mario In Holographic Form
...it's just nowhere near as convenient
Remember the first time you saw a Nintendo 3DS running? The glass-free 3D effect was truly mind-blowing, and there's still a part of us that is deeply sad that the technology proved to be something of a dead-end. Still, if you've got a hankering for something along the same lines and you have exceptionally...
Random Wordle Is Now Playable On The Game Boy
Portable power
Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few weeks, you'll know about Wordle. It's a web-based word game created by Josh Wardle in which players are given six attempts to guess a five-letter word. Coloured tiles tell you if your guesses are correct or not. It has taken the world by a storm, so much so that The New York...
Memory Pak Star Fox 64, My Incredible Introduction To The World Of Nintendo
Not Mario or Zelda, and my affection for the series will never end
Soapbox articles give our team a chance to share some personal perspectives; today it's the turn of Tom Whitehead to talk about the 64-bit game that sparked his love affair with Nintendo... I'm old enough to say my first gaming system was a ZX Spectrum, which is a big yikes. We had...
Gallery Unpacking Retro-Bit's Mega Man: The Wily Wars Collector's Edition
It's mega, man!
Not so long ago, we reported on the news that Retro-Bit was reproducing the Sega Mega Drive / Genesis version of Mega Man: The Wily Wars, a collection of the first three NES Mega Man games that originally launched way back in 1994. It was a Japanese and European exclusive at the time and is quite rare – which is why Retro-Bit's...
Random Check Out This Adorable 'Coat' For Your SNES
It's cold outside
If there's one video game accessory that's been unfairly ignored over the decades, it's console clothing. We live in a world where people will happily dress up their pets without any fear of rebuke, so why not their beloved gaming systems, too? It would seem that, once upon a time in Japan, someone thought this might catch on...
News This Device Could End Up Being Essential For All Retro Gamers
Save the hero! Save the saves!
If you've got a large collection of physical retro games, then there's a good chance you've come across the issue of internal batteries failing over time. Systems such as the NES, SNES, N64 Mega Drive / Genesis and the entire Game Boy line made use of internal batteries to keep save data alive, and once those...
Video Remember When You Needed A Cable To Trade Pokémon?
Cable tied
Trading has always been a key component of the Pokémon franchise, right the way back to the launch of the original Game Boy games. Nowadays, of course, trading is handled wirelessly, but back in the '90s we had to use cables to link up consoles and share 'mon – and it's that period of time that this recent My Retro Life video focuses...
Video Ex-Rare Staffers Kev Bayliss And David Wise Are Sharing Their Secrets On YouTube
Music and art combine
Not so long ago, we reported on the news that former Rare staffers Kev Bayliss and David Wise had formed 'Salmandos', an "exciting new project" that celebrates their careers in the industry. As part of this, the pair have created DK Creations, a YouTube channel that sees them sharing their secrets and generally looking back on...
News This Man Needs Your Help To Create The Best 24kb Game For The NES, Ever
"Really important, spoiled people are counting on you"
Langel Bookbinder is a man with a vision. He's looking to bring his low-fi shooter GunTner to the NES in the form of a physical, 24kb cartridge – and he's trying to do it via a crowdfunding campaign. GunTner's a shmup, but one that's filled with wild and wacky enemies. Here's a brief...
News Buy This New Game Boy Advance Title And You'll Be Supporting A Worthy Cause
"If each of us helped one other, then that would make a difference"
Luma is a new GBA puzzle title that's coming out this year – and if you purchase a copy, you'll be bringing a little bit of light to this dark and uncertain world. How? Well, Mark Watkin, who has ported the C64 original to the GBA, is donating a portion of the sales to the Mid...
January2022
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...
News Can't Get An Analogue Pocket? This Cheap And Dinky Handheld Might Plug The Gap
...if you're willing to put up with some issues, that is
Everyone seems to be talking about retro gaming handhelds these days, thanks in no small part to the long-awaited release of the gorgeous Analogue Pocket. Boasting FPGA power, a sleek design and fantastic screen, it's little wonder that this portable gem is in high demand – and some people...
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 One Of The Rarest SNES Games Ever Is Making A Comeback
Ziggurat hoovers up "more than 80" Rainbow Arts titles
Ziggurat Interactive has just announced that it has inked a deal that gives it the rights to "more than 80 titles" originally owned by famed '80s and '90s developer and publisher Rainbow Arts. Founded in Germany in 1984 by Marc Ullrich and Thomas Meiertoberens, Rainbow Arts produced several...
News RetroArch Is Working On Hardware That Allows You To Run N64 Carts On Your PC
And wants feedback on what systems you want to see next
RetroArch – one of the leading retro gaming emulation solutions on the market right now – is creating a hardware solution that will allow you to run your N64 cartridges on your PC. The 'RetroArch Open-Hardware' project will eventually include other systems, too, making it a rival to the...
News Save Yourself The Bother Of Completing NES Games With This New Book
(We're joking, of course)
While some people might consider the technology behind the NES to be rather crude these days, there's no denying that some of its games were absolutely brutal. Anyone who has successfully bested the likes of Ghosts 'n Goblins or Castlevania II: Simon's Quest will know that the NES is home to some seriously tough video...
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 Hidehiro Funauchi Mastered The Game Boy's Sound Chip, Then Seemingly Disappeared
The man behind the music for Castlevania, Contra, Parodius and more
They say that you create some of your best work when you're put in a difficult situation, and for the many composers who had to make the Game Boy's crude audio hardware sing, that does seem to have been the case. Despite its humble nature, the console is home to some truly memorable...
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:...
December2021
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...
News Polymega's Latest Update Adds Game Boy And Virtual Boy Screen Filters
Plus some other much-requested features
Polymega's latest firmware update arrives today and brings with it some much-requested features – as well as some unexpected ones. System Update v1.1.18 finally allows users to install games that are not currently part of the console's internal database, which is huge news. The update will also allow users...
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 The Story Of The Game Genie, The Cheat Device Nintendo Tried (And Failed) To Kill
The cheat cartridge that cost Nintendo millions
Much has been written about cheating in games. The history of which is so old and entwined it's difficult to find its origins. Developers included cheats to aid development, from Manic Miner to Gradius. In computer games, it was possible for players to 'POKE' data values and change things, with old...
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...
Feature The Real Story Behind Rare's Cancelled GoldenEye 007 Remaster
"We were all told as a team that everyone had approved it"
GoldenEye 007 has been back in the news lately. We've known for a long time that Rare planned an Xbox Live Arcade remake of the acclaimed shooter and, courtesy of Youtuber Graslu00, we recently got a full look at what that could have looked like. Since then, sever
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...
News This Gamer Is "No Death" Completing Some Of Video Gaming's Hardest Titles With His Chin
"The chin always wins"
We don't know about you, but we find it fantastic that we live in a world where having a disability doesn't mean you can't truly excel – and in HanDcapableSean's case, it's playing brutally difficult video games really well using his chin. Sean's focus is retro gaming, and he's completed some seriously difficult titles –...
Random Vanilla Ice Never Looked Sharper Than In 8-Bit Form On Analogue Pocket
Aim for the flat top
Connoisseurs of both gaming and rap music will no doubt be aware of Rap Quest, an ill-fated Game Boy title with the working title 'Rap City' that originally featured '90s rapper Vanilla Ice before rights issues meant his music couldn't be used. As we've reported before, Equilibrium Software completed work on the game and...
Random Game Boy WiFi Cartridge Lets You Browse Wikipedia On A Pea-Soup Screen
Those 160×144 pixels weren't really made for the internet
With its monochrome display and doorbell-style sound, the Game Boy could hardly have been described as cutting edge even back in 1989, so the idea of bringing it up to speed with WiFi connectivity sounds like the stuff of a madman's dreams – but that's exactly what hacker Sebastian Staacks...
News Yuji Naka Killed "Dreamcast's Star Fox", Says Former Sega Producer
"I'm going to tell the truth, and if it comes back to bite me, so be it"
Yuji Naka was responsible for the cancellation of one of the Sega Dreamcast's most promising exclusives, it has been revealed. The claim comes from Mark Subotnick, who worked as a producer at Sega of America during this period and has been speaking about his career with The...
Random An Unused Alternate Version Of Mega Man 3's Box Art Has Sold On Ebay
The NA version, that is
Early Mega Man box art — specifically the North American versions of Mega Man box art — are infamous for being a bit, well, off. And we're being exceptionally generous when we say 'a bit'; the NA cover used for the original game is renowned for being one of the worst examples of video game box art ever created and even C
News Sega's Astro City Mini Is Getting A 'TATE' Version Packed With Shmup Goodness
Batsugun! Battle Bakraid! Armed Police Batrider!
Sega's Astro City Mini is getting a new version that features a vertically-oriented screen, it has been revealed. The Astro City Mini V looks much like the original, but its screen is tilted 90 degrees to accommodate 'TATE' games. Taito is taking a similar route with its similar Egret II Mini, which...
News Scalpers Are Already Reselling Analogue Pocket Systems For Insane Prices Online
Colour us surprised
After a painful delay related to the ongoing global pandemic, the Analogue Pocket finally launched this week, with those who pre-ordered many moons ago getting the chance to sample the company's latest FPGA-powered creation. Pre-orders for the console also re-opened this week too, but buyers are being told that they might have...
News Commodore 64 Games Are Being Teased For Nintendo Switch
"We listened"
If you have fond memories of the Commodore 64 generation, oh boy - have we got some news for you! The retro-focused indie developer and publisher Thalamus Digital is teasing C64 games for Nintendo's Switch hardware. According to a vague tweet, the team has apparently "listened" and more will be revealed at some point in 2022. There's...
Random In An Alternate Reality, Sega Published Pokémon
And the seeds were sown 40 years ago this month...
Satoshi Tajiri, as we all know, is one of the key figures behind the incredibly successful Pokémon series. However, it's important to remember that Tajiri's interest in game development began long before he had the idea of linking two Game Boy consoles together in order to share fictional monsters...
News Almost 30 Years Later, This Super Mario Kart Player Has Achieved An "Impossible" Record
From legend to Myth+
Super Mario Kart may have launched way back in 1993 and spawned several sequels since then, but it has lost none of its power when it comes to attracting record-breaking attempts. We've covered the likes of Sami Cetin on Nintendo Life in the past, as well as Guillaume "Antistar" Leviach – two of the world's best Super Mario...
News Yes, This Is Stunt Race FX Running On The Game Boy
Seriously impressive stuff
Stunt Race FX (known in Japan as Wild Trax) was quite an impressive feat when it launched. Sure, it looks hopelessly crude by modern standards, but back in the early '90s when 3D visuals were still in their infancy, it really turned heads – lest we forget, consoles like the SNES simply were not designed for this kind of...
News Out Of Bounds Discovery In Super Mario Bros. 3 Lets You Tag In Luigi
Now that's winning
Super Mario Bros. 3 is an all-time classic, and particularly impressive when you consider the technology it relied upon. The 16-bit SEGA Genesis was right around the corner in Japan by the time the Famicom version launched in Japan, for example, yet Nintendo delivered what was a huge step up for its flagship series. The overworld...
Review Analogue Pocket - Potent FPGA Power In Portable Form
Monster in your pocket
With systems like the Nt Mini, Super Nt and Mega Sg under its belt, Analogue has developed an enviable reputation in the world of retro gaming hardware.
News Toki Tori For Game Boy Color Is Being Re-Released, 20 Years Later
Super cheep for a Game Boy Color game
When Toki Tori was released back in 2001, the adorable puzzle-platforming game was well-received, becoming a cult classic among its fans — but, being released towards the end of the Game Boy Color's lifecycle, it only had one run of physical copies. Until now! Limited Run Games and Two Tribes have teamed up...
News 2021's Game Boy RPG 'Dragonborne' Is Getting A Fancy DX Version For Game Boy Color
Here's your first look at Dragonborne DX
Retro fans may well remember Dragonborne, a new RPG that was released for the good old Game Boy earlier this year. From indie studio Spacebot Interactive, the game features a turn-based combat system, upgrades to collect, and plenty of enemies to defeat – and the best part for collectors was that it came on...
As ranked by you
It's been many years now since Nintendo changed the game with Wii, the little motion-controlled console which broke away from the competition and started a revolution. Its brilliantly compact design (the size of three DVD boxes, remember?) and approachable and accessible controller helped it open up gaming to a whole new audience,...
Mini Review WinBack: Covert Operations - Omega Force's Overlooked And Influential Cover Shooter
WinBack, baby WinBack, that's where it's at
It’d be easy to dismiss Winback without a second thought. Developed by Omega Force — nowadays famous for the long-running Dynasty Warriors series and associated Musou spin-offs/crossovers — and released for N64 back in 1999, it’s probably the least well-known of the Switch Online service’s...
Video The GameCube Is Over 20 Years Old, And Blimey Do We Have Memories Of It
It's not even a cube
2021 marks the GameCube's 20th anniversary, which means it's already been hitting pubs in the UK for two years by now, but being the old group of sods on the video team that we are, we remember it when it was merely a proverbial babe in Nintendo's proverbial (thankfully) arms. At 20 Nintendo's cuboid console hasn't even been...
Random Performing Combos In The Worst Version Of Street Fighter II Is Pretty Hard, But Possible
"It's possible that some of these combos have never actually been done before now"
Street Fighter II, as we know, got ported to a lot of machines – even ones which perhaps weren't up to the task of actually playing the game properly, like the Game Boy. With its monochrome display, feeble processor and two (count 'em) buttons, it was far from the...
November2021
News Gamers Vote Nintendo DS As The Console They'd Most Like To See Make A Modern Comeback
Do you agree?
If you could see the return of any classic video games console, what would you choose? That was the question put to 1,000 UK gamers in a recent study by Hyperoptic, all in a bid to see which system holds the highest nostalgia value. Sitting right at the very top of the votes is Nintendo's own DS, closely followed by both the...
News NES Classic Battletoads Is Getting A Physical Re-Release, But Only In Japan
Columbus Circle is launching a new version today
Battletoads is one of Rare's most beloved games from the NES era. An attempt to create a media brand that could rival the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Battletoads mixed platforming with side-scrolling combat, and is famous for its unforgiving difficulty level. It spawned several sequels (including a...
Exclusive Polymega's Next Module Brings Nintendo 64 Support
Along with the 'RC05 Ultra Retro Controller' from Retro-Bit
Playmaji's modular retro-gaming platform Polymega will be getting N64 support, we can exclusively reveal. The all-in-one console – which has finally found its way into the hands of customers this year after a prolonged delay – will
News Fans Have Created A Playable Ocarina of Time - Space World '97 Experience
Attempts to recreate the three 'tours' of the original demo
Nintendo's history is full of moments that have taken on a near mythological status, ranging from stories of game and hardware development to various demos and builds that are either rare or long lost. One such example is a demo for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time that appeared at...
News Square Enix Is Releasing A Jazz Album For The Incredible Chrono Trigger Soundtrack
Nice
Chrono Trigger is held up as a truly iconic RPG, critically acclaimed and with an ardent fanbase even today. Its soundtrack is held in equally high regard, so an announcement out of Square Enix Japan has certainly got our attention. As reported by Siliconera, Square Enix is releasing a Chrono Trigger jazz arrangement album, the fifth in that...
News Analogue Confirms Pocket Pre-Orders Will Begin Shipping Mid-December
Update: Confirmation emails are being deployed
Update: Good news! Analogue Pocket pre-orders will begin shipping on December 13th: Original Story [Sat 11th Sep, 2021 16:55 BST]: The Analogue Pocket - a portable FPGA-based device compatible with the entire Game Boy library and other systems via adapters - has been delayed yet again. Following...
Mini Review Dr. Mario 64 - Diagnosis: A Bit Rubbish
One to strike from the Medical Register
There's a sort of... B-tier of Nintendo puzzlers, isn't there? Stuff like Yoshi's Cookie and Wario's Woods. We'd argue, perhaps fruitlessly, that Dr. Mario slots into this little group rather better than the truly A-grade stuff. On Switch, in particular, there's an embarrassment of puzzling riches that we'd...
Random Forget Sealed Retro Games, It's Empty Boxes That Are The Hot Ticket Item Now
"Flat GoldenEye boxes could be the next form of currency"
There's been a lot of drama surrounding graded retro game sales recently, with many people claiming the whole thing is an elaborate scam. However, it would seem th
Talking Point Is There A Better-Looking 20-Year-Old Game Than Star Wars: Rogue Squadron II?
Rogue Leader standing by
Feel old, everyone — Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader is now two decades old. The GameCube-exclusive title launched alongside the console itself in the US and was something of a show-stopper in the visuals department. Developer Factor 5 had turned in an excellent arcade-style X-Wing action game with the original...
News There's A $5,000 Reward For Anyone Who Can Find These 'Lost' F-Zero Tracks
"More like a lottery at this point"
Long before DLC become a regular part of our gaming lives, Nintendo broke new ground with its Satellaview service for the Super Famicom. Using satellite broadcasts, this system allowed players to download and store games on special rewritable BS-X memory packs – and preserving these titles has become a serious...
News Another Taito Game Joins Hamster's Arcade Archives Collection On Switch
A blast from the past
If you're looking for some more retro action on your Switch, then why not check out Raimais when it arrives on the Switch eShop later this week. It's the latest addition to Hamster's Arcade Archives collection and is an action game released by Taito back in 1988. Here's a brief rundown, along with some screenshots:...
News The GBA's Unreleased 'Dune' Game Is Being Revived On Kickstarter, Minus The IP Rights
A little less spice
Update: The Kickstarter campaign is now live here, and strong early momentum means it's not far off its target with 59 days still to go. Original Article: If you happen to have Nintendo's retro handhelds in your collection, there are still multiple interesting releases and projects emerging. The latest to pop up is Elland: The...
Retro - Features
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