Retro - News
March2022
News Modder Creates 'Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 DX' For Game Boy Color
Not just the colour of money
While nowadays the talk is always "what other Wii U games can we get on Switch", perhaps in an earlier age kids on the playground talked about "what Game Boy games can we get ports of for the Color?". Ok, maybe not, but it's an interesting thought; of course, online communities of enthusiasts and modders do more than...
News Nintendo Issues Copyright Strike Against Scanned Super Mario 64 Guide From 1996
A fruitless endeavour?
Update [Fri 25th Mar, 2022 10:00 GMT] - Well, that didn't last long. Last week, we reported on a stunning collection of online scans from the 1996 Super Mario 64 guide; a true relic that would likely cost a hefty sum if you wanted a physical copy today. Thanks to an update from Kotaku, we can now report that the scans have...
Hands On WaterField's Analogue Pocket Pouch Perfectly Protects Your Precious Portable
(Sorry.)
Given how hard it is to come by, it's little surprise that the Analogue Pocket has become a treasured object for those lucky enough to own one. With that in mind, it goes without saying that some form of protection is in order – especially if you're going to be, you know, carrying this thing around with you, so thank goodness for the...
Random Want To Turn Your Game Boy Into A Megazord? Just Attach Every Accessory
Go go, Game Boy rangerrrrrs
Want to know how to acquire the ultimate Game Boy or Game Boy Color? Well, you just need some spare cash and all of the accessories! In ye olden days, handheld consoles came with a plethora of add-ons and peripherals that would help enhance your gaming experience. Remember, the backlight didn't always exist. - you had to...
Random A Rare Zelda: The Wind Waker Promo Scroll Gets An Airing
A hero lost in time
One of the most memorable moments of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker was undoubtedly its incredibly stylish prologue sequence. Against a backdrop of beautiful rendered images and Hylian script (and who can forget the wonderful accompanying music), the sequence told the basic narrative of Ocarina of Time and gave vital...
News My Nintendo Offers Some Sweet N64-Themed Keychains In The US
Don't lose them!
My Nintendo is offering up some Nintendo 64 themed keychains soon, based on original NA box art for games featured in the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack. There are two sets available from My Nintendo in the region, each with a pair that'll set you back 500 Platinum Points. The lineup currently consists of Star Fox 64 and...
Rumour Buster No, The Original DOOM Doesn't Take Place In March 2022
"that date did not come from anyone at id"
At the start of this year, a rumour was apparently doing the rounds online that the original 1993 DOOM video game (released on the Super Nintendo in the same year) was set during March 2022. This "rumour" comes from the game's SNES manual. FPS specialist magazine E1M1 (via PCGamesN) previously confirmed...
Random 'Zelda Meets Bomberman' In Nobelia, A New Philips CD-i Game
Probably better than those 'Zelda' games on CD-I
Nintendo has been incredibly protective of its IPs throughout its history, largely retaining control and maintaining exclusivity on its platforms, aside from the occasional arcade machine. That makes the 'Zelda' trilogy on the Philips CD-i particularly fascinating (the system had Mario titles as...
News Nintendo Renews Zelda, Metroid, And Donkey Kong Trademarks
Remember to keep your expectations low
Nintendo has swept in with another round of trademark renewals, including some big-hitting franchises. And Mach Rider. While this is probably business as usual for the big N, these freshly-filed games have a couple of things in common. So, like any sensible humans, let's have fun and speculate! Spotted by one...
Random Discover How Mode 7 Works On Super NES, In Just 10 Minutes
Who needs blast processing?
Mode 7 is definitely one of the coolest features of many SNES games. Remember hopping into your first go-kart in Super Mario Kart and seeing your favourite characters drive around "fully-3D" courses? Or playing Secret of Mana and getting on Flammie's back for the first time, and looking down at the world map? Don't forget...
News 'In The Dark' Is A New Puzzler Releasing For The Game Boy
Sales go live this week
The humble Game Boy simply refuses to die, and we couldn't be happier about that. A brand new game for the portable console is coming soon courtesy of retro publisher Bitmap Soft, with sales due to go live later this week. In the Dark is a puzzle game in which the primary goal is simple: turn off all the lights. Presented in...
Random Sonic 2 Movie Poster Gives Fans The Major 'Sonic 2sday' Feels
2 Fast, 2 Furious
Marketing for the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 2 movie has been exceptionally strong, with Paramount leaning heavily on iconic imagery and nostalgia. The latest poster goes above and beyond, tapping into those nostalgic feels like nothing else we've seen up till now, especially for anyone who was around for the launch of the...
Random Phil Spencer Did A "Crash Course" In N64 And PlayStation When He Joined Microsoft's Xbox Team
"it was really my first foray into console gaming"
We've heard on a number of occasions how Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has been a lifelong fan of video games, and during an appearance on an Xbox podcast earlier this weekend, he briefly touched on his history with the Nintendo 64. After reflecting on gaming during his childhood with the Xbox...
Random Console Modder Makes "Fake Portable GameCube" Mock-Up A Reality
"It's real now"
Reflect on previous Nintendo generations, and you might remember mock-ups of portable GameCube handhelds inspired by the Game Boy Advance SP. If you've ever wanted a real version of something like this, well...that's exactly what console modder and YouTuber 'GingerOfOz' has created. The modder has been able to shrink this mock-up...
News Glory Hunters Looks Like A Game Boy Zelda, And Plays Like Nothing Else
Well, it plays a bit like Zelda too
The year is 2022, and there's another physical Game Boy release on the way! And it's Analogue Pocket compatible! It's called Glory Hunters, and it pulls from the looks of A Link to the Past, plus that iconic green-on-green monochrome Game Boy colour palette. But there's a twist: You progress through the game by...
Review F-Zero X - The Best The Series Has To Offer
X gonna give it to ya
This review originally went live in 2016, and we're updating and republishing it to mark the release of F-Zero X on Switch, available as part of the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack N64 library. The original F-Zero on the Super Nintendo really blew gamers away with its stunning use of Mode 7 visuals, colourful graphics,...
Video This Fan-Made Banjo-Kazooie Remaster Trailer Looks Absolutely Stunning
Unfortunately, you can't actually play it...
Even if Banjo-Kazooie is now Microsoft-owned, the bear and bird duo will always have a special place in the hearts of Nintendo gamers around the world. And although Rare re-released an improved version of the original title during the Xbox 360 generation, many fans are still left wondering what a proper...
Video We Can't Stop Buying Weird Nintendo Games
Game swaps bring hidden delights
One of the most joyful things about the retro video game community is the conventions and meet-ups that are put on to celebrate the classics and bask in the glory of those hidden gems. In-person events are slowly starting to make a comeback, so leave it to the indomitable Zion Grassl, king of collectibles and...
Anniversary The Father Of Video Games Would've Been 100 Years Old Today
So let's celebrate Ralph Baer today
As noted by our friends over at Retronauts (and many others), today marks what would have been the 100th birthday of the man many call the father of video games, Ralph Baer. It's hard to say, but without Baer's work as an inventor and pioneer that developed the first video game console for the home with the...
Random Blindfolded Speedrunner Sets New Record On Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!
It's a knockout
We've seen some pretty impressive speedruns in our time, but this is one for the history books. While a lot of speedrunners utilise glitches and generally try to break the game in order to achieve their goals, YouTuber and Twitch streamer 'Summoning Salt' has opted for pure skill to nail the world record for completing
News Nintendo 64 Platformer 'Glover' Returns, Just Not On Switch
It should fit like a glove, though!
Who remembers Interactive Studios' Glover? If you had an N64, you likely snagged a handful of 3D platformers from Super Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie and its sequel, to Goemon's Great Adventure and Chameleon Twist. There was a glut of them on the system, but not many have been ported to other systems. Glover,...
Random Man Who Just Wanted To Play Duck Hunt With His Kids Built His Own Light Gun
"I thought Duck Hunt on a 50-inch TV would be amazing"
For many of us, the light gun was a part of our childhood. Whether it was grabbing your NES Zapper only to be mocked by a dog in Duck Hunt, or heading to the arcade and spending those few pennies of pocket money you saved up every week for a quick blast of Time Crisis, it captured the...
News A Long Lost N64 Video Game Prototype Has Been Released
See this 1999 build of Carnivalé: Cenzo's Adventure
It's always nice when a long lost game is unearthed and today is one of those days. Reintroducing the cancelled Nintendo 64 title, Carnivalé: Cenzo's Adventure. This obscure 3D platformer, developed by Terrraglyph Interactive Studios and published by Vatical Entertainment, was shown to the...
News Unofficial F-Zero 'World Championship' Aims To Celebrate The 30th Anniversary Of The Series
(That's 30 years in Europe, by the way)
F-Zero burst onto the scene over 30 years ago now as a launch title for the Super Famicom. Since then, Captain Falcon and his pals have enthralled millions of players – but even so, there hasn't been a new entry in the franchise since 2004's F-Zero Climax. For shame, Nintendo. Pop culture publication Cool...
Random The NES-SY37 Is A Custom-Built Synthesiser That Pays Tribute To The NES
You wait for one NES synthesiser to show up...
Just yesterday, we reported on an app that you can download to turn your NES into a synthesiser (if you have the right tools, of course). But Swedish craftsman Love Hultén, known for creating bespoke technology fused with traditional woodcraft, has paid tribute to the classic console by building a...
Random Turn Your NES Into A Synthesiser With This App
We built this city on bleeps and bloops
If, when you first played Super Mario Bros. 3 or the original Metroid, you wanted to make music that rivalled Koji Kondo or Hirokazu Tanaka but also sounded just like it, well in 2022 you're finally in luck. Available on itch.io and developed by user Avicr, SynthNes is a ROM that runs on an Everdrive N8 Pro...
Random Portal 2's Intro Was Apparently Inspired By Super Metroid's Opening
Game's project lead reveals all
The 1994 action-adventure Super Metroid is arguably the best entry in the mainline Metroid series and as a result, it's inspired many other games over the years. One game that you may not have realised took a little bit of inspiration is Valve's 2011 puzzle-platform game is Portal 2. Speaking to YouTube channel Kiwi...
February2022
News My Famicase Exhibition 2022 Is Now Accepting Entries For Fictional Famicom Cartridges
Fantastic fan-made fideo games
The My Famicase Exhibition is a long-standing tradition for artists who love retro games. Every year, Meteor — a Japanese retro game and goods shop — opens up applications for anyone who wants to be a part of the art, and all you have to do is design a cover for a Famicom cartridge. They're now accepting...
Review Taito Milestones - An Oddly Meagre Collection Of Coin-Op Classics
A muted celebration of an important developer
A small "Powered by Arcade Archives" message sits in the corner of Taito Milestones' dual-purpose title/game select screen, a subdued seal of quality there to let players know the emulation within is of the same standard we've come to expect from Hamster's prolific series, with all the usual features...
News Retro-Bit's GameCube Component Cable Will Save You Some Pennies
No need to sell a kidney!
Remember the GameCube's official component cable? Once upon a time, it was the best way to get a picture out of Nintendo's boxy-but-good home console, and its price reflected that – it cost around £60/$70 at launch but can fetch upwards of £200 these days. Thankfully, there are other options in 2022. We've got HDMI...
News Nintendo's "Inhumane" Virtual Boy Testing Process Likened To 'A Clockwork Orange'
"They put us under the most bizarre tests"
Earlier today, we reported on a new video from Did You Know Gaming that shines a light on the Virtual Boy F-Zero spin-off Zero Racers, which was once believed to be little more than a series of screenshots but appears to be have been totally finished. The source is former Nintendo of America associate...
News Mythical Virtual Boy F-Zero Spin-Off Was 100% Complete, According To Former NOA Staffer
"Zero Racers was done"
The Virtual Boy might have gone down as one of Nintendo's most costly failures, but a dedicated and passionate fanbase has grown up around the system, and this group spends a lot of time looking into unreleased projects which could have potentially boosted the console's fortunes – one of which is F-Zero spin-off Zero Racers...
Review The Legend Of Zelda: Majora's Mask - Magnificent, Unique, And Worth Revisiting
Okay, campers, rise and shine
This review originally went live in 2016, and we're updating and republishing it to mark the release of Majora's Mask on Switch, available as part of the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack N64 library. The Zelda games have a lot of fans and there's also been plenty of opportunities over the years to revisit...
News 'Gex' The Forgotten '90s Video Game Mascot Might Be Making A Comeback
Update: Square Enix has now filed a trademark in Japan, too
Update [Thu 24th Feb, 2022 15:55 GMT]: Square Enix has now filed a trademark for Gex in Japan: Original Story [Fri 17th Dec, 2021 02:05 GMT]: Gex - one of the many forgotten video game mascots of the '90s - could potentially be making a comeback. Following on from Square Enix...
Retro How A Remarkable Street Fighter Port Soured The Relationship Between Capcom And Nintendo
"You're sitting on $4 million to $5 million in inventory cost"
Much has been written about how the N64, for all of its amazing games and technological advancements, was something of a misstep for Nintendo – especially after a decade of amazing success with the NES, Game Boy and SNES. Nintendo famously decided to go with expensive cartridges...
News Bitmap Books Celebrates The Legacy Of Final Fight, Streets Of Rage And More With 'Go Straight'
"The ulimate guide to side-scrolling beat 'em ups"
Once upon a time, the belt-scrolling beat 'em up was the king of the gaming world. Titles like Double Dragon, Final Fight, Golden Axe and Streets of Rage were some of the most successful and popular of the period; arcade titles would generate incredible revenue while home ports (and exclusives, in...
Random 22 Years Ago Today The Nintendo 64DD Had More Online Features Than Switch
Randnet Disk offered an impressive range of options
The Nintendo 64DD remains an intriguing part of the company's history, with the expansion ultimately being short-lived and limited to the Japanese market. Though it wasn't a commercial success after frequent delays and an arrival that fell too close to the GameCube, it nevertheless helped to pave...
Feature Is It Worth Importing A Japanese 3DS For These Virtual Console Games?
Save money on import classics before it's too late
As we all know the 3DS and Wii U eShops are closing down, taking with them countless classics in all genres. It's a decision that's understandably left many of us scrambling to find our old passwords and make those last minute purchases, finally turning those 'Maybe next time' purchases into a...
News Thousands Of Dollars Of Rare Factory-Sealed SNES Games Unearthed After 27 Years In Storage
TMNT! Evermore! Chrono Trigger! Sunset Riders!
When a video game store in Nebraska closed its doors for the final time in 1994, its entire stock was packed away and placed in storage, waiting for a new owner. Now, almost 30 years later, the stock has been unearthed and documented – and YouTube channel THISISGAMEROOM was there to record it. As you...
Review EarthBound - A Quirky, Cosmic Adventure Bound To Warm Your Heart
Mother!
This review originally went live in 2016, and we're updating and republishing it to mark the arrival of Earthbound in the Nintendo Switch Online Super NES library. Fuzzy pickles! Back in 1995, this second instalment of Shigesato Itoi's much-loved Mother series (as it's known in Japan) only received a western release in North America, where...
News Did You Know The Game Boy Advance Could Make Video Calls Back In 2004?
With a rather expensive accessory, of course
Back in 2004, the idea of making a video call with your mobile phone felt like the future. 3G was just taking off and several phones were sold on this feature alone – even though the image quality was often terrible and it was impossible to get a signal strong enough to use it often. Although it...
Random Undertale's 'Megalovania' Was Inspired By Square's Super Famicom RPG 'Live A Live'
Yep, the one getting the HD2D remake treatment
Toby Fox has more talents than his name has syllables, and one of those talents is composing for video games — including his own, Undertale. And if you've heard any of the Undertale soundtrack, it's likely you'll have heard Megalovania, the bombastic retro-flavoured background music to a very...
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...
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...
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...
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:...
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...
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...
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...
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