Retro - News
October2018
Video This Personal Video Game Collection Is The Greatest Of All-Time
A world record holder
If you're a fan of video game history, it might be worth checking out the above video posted by Australian super-collector Joel "Last Gamer" Hopkins. He's got an entire house dedicated to games - with a total of five rooms covering every aspect of his beloved hobby. We previously posted about this world record holder last year...
Savage Reign and Alpha Mission!
Good old HAMSTER. This Japanese company has become quite reliable when it comes to bringing retro classics to the Switch eShop, and this week is no exception with Neo Geo brawler Savage Reign and arcade shmup Arcade Archives: Alpha Mission being offered for your consideration. Both of these SNK classics will be...
News Sega AGES Devs Discuss Possibility Of Dreamcast Games On Switch Again, Emulation The Way To Go?
Only a matter of time?
The first entries into Sega's AGES range on Nintendo Switch have finally arrived, with plenty more games still lined up to follow suit, but there's one question still hanging in the air. That question revolves around Dreamcast games and, in particular, whether or not the Switch will receive any games from the long-discontinued...
News AtGames Disappoints Again With The Bandai Namco Flashback Blast
Bait and switch
With Christmas on the way, lots of folks will be tempted to pick up something like the AtGames' Bandai Namco Flashback Blast for their loved ones who enjoy retro gaming. At only $20 with classic Namco arcade titles packed on to a retro style 6 button joypad with an HDMI dongle, this seems like a bargain too good to be true. For the...
Anniversary Super Mario Bros. 3 Turns 30 Years Old Today
Feel old yet?
Thirty years ago today, on 23rd October 1988, Super Mario Bros. 3 launched in Japan. Following the traditions already put in place by previous Mario games, Super Mario Bros. 3 had players controlling either Mario or Luigi as they went on a quest to save Princess Toadstool from the dastardly claws of Bowser. There were enemies to stomp...
News 16-Year-Old Joseph Saelee Beats Seven-Time Tetris World Champion For The Ultimate Crown
The hard work pays off
Joseph Saelee, a 16-year-old Tetris prodigy, has just emerged victorious at the Classic Tetris World Championship, defeating a seven-time world champion in the process. The event took place at Portland, Oregon this weekend, ending yesterday on 21st October, with Joseph taking on Jonas Neubauer in the grand final. The...
With new content and images
Back in 2013, video game journalist and historian John Szczepaniak embarked on a crowdfunded adventure to chart the hitherto untold stories of the Japanese game development community. He flew out to Japan and spoke to some of the unsung heroes of the gaming world - as well as few true legends, such as Henk Rogers and Yuzo...
Video The Nintendo 64 Classic Mini "Leak" is Completely Fake
"I would bet money that this isn't real"
If you keep up to date with the latest happenings in the world of Nintendo, you might have seen a few photos doing the rounds over the weekend of a supposed Nintendo 64 Classic Mini. It's the device that is expected to succeed the incredibly popular mini versions of the NES and Super Nintendo. After a closer...
Feature The Console Wars Are Back With The Analogue Mega Sg, The First FPGA Sega Console
"We've got no interest in nostalgia gimmicks or making toys"
In the field of 'new' retro hardware, one name arguably stands out. Analogue started its life with the gloriously insane (and incredibly expensive) wooden Neo Geo MVS, but it was the Analogue Nt that really took the firm to the big leagues. Authentic NES hardware contained in an a
Random This Unreal Version Of GoldenEye 007 Aims To Recreate Rare's Iconic FPS
Releasing in 2022
Rare's beloved 1997 Nintendo 64 classic GoldenEye 007 might be stuck in licensing limbo, but that won't stop the modding community from trying to revitalise the iconic first-person shooter. For years now, GoldenEye: Source - a fan mod available through Valve's Steam service - has allowed players to live out their old-school...
News Rare Is Set To Open Its Own Online Store, Banjo-Kazooie Plush Toy Among The Products Available
And there goes all our money once again
British game developer Rare has announced that it is "making plans" for its very own online store which looks set to feature merchandise based on its popular creations. The news comes from the tweet below, with the company also taking the opportunity to show off an adorable Banjo-Kazooie plush that has us...
Hardware Review EON GCHD GameCube HDMI Adapter
Another mod-free HD option for Nintendo's famous box
While the world waits for Nintendo do something - anything - constructive with its enviable back catalogue of games on its latest console beyond giving us a few dusty old NES titles, there's a burgeoning community which aims to harness the power of vintage hardware to experience the best titles...
News Sega Says Its Retro Release Strategies "Can Be Opportunistic As Well As Strategic"
"There is a thought process that goes behind it"
Wherever you look, and whichever current gaming platform you own, there's a wealth of retro Sega content to sink your teeth into at the click of a button. From the recent launch of the Sega AGES line on Switch and the Sega Mega Drive Classics collection on all major consoles (Switch coming soon), to...
News The Power Glove Was "Way Ahead Of Its Time" According To One Of The Men Behind It
"It was pretty cooly designed, for that time"
Ah, the Power Glove. It may have sold a million units but it has become something of a joke among Nintendo gamers; a product which arguably looked much better than it played. The device was supposed to immerse players like no other controller, but the reality was rather less appealing; the glove was a...
Random Banjo-Kazooie And Conker Are Being Added To The Totaku Collection
Retro-inspired
If you were around during the years of the Nintendo 64, you'll no doubt remember Rare's foul-mouthed squirrel Conker and the beloved bear and bird duo, Banjo-Kazooie. To help you remember the glory days of these iconic characters, the Totaku Collection is adding the characters to its officially licensed figurine line. Both the...
Feature Remembering Super Mario 128, The Groundbreaking Masterpiece That Never Really Existed
When is a game not a game?
The Super Mario series has been responsible for some pretty amazing forward strides in the video game industry; the NES original arguably triggered a 2D platforming goldrush which would dominate the ‘80s and early ‘90s, while Super Mario 64 did the same for 3D gaming in general. Later, Super Mario Galaxy would allow...
News Liquid Media Acquires Acclaim Entertainment Video Game Properties
Retro revival
Candian Studio, Liquid Media Group, has reportedly acquired the rights to 65 Acclaim Entertainment video game properties for $1 million. The fellow Canadian company, Throwback Entertainment, originally bought the collection of titles from Acclaim after its collapse in 2004. Website Geekwire has published the full list of properties...
September2018
News David Wise And More Set To Appear On Video Game Soundtrack Radio Series Diggin' In The Carts
A special eight-part series
Red Bull Radio has today announced the return of Diggin' in the Carts - a show which examines the music, creators, legacy and global impact of video game music. Several well-established guests are set to make an appearance, including none other than Donkey Kong Country composer, David Wise. Hosted by Nick Dwyer, this...
News The Man Behind SNES Star Fox Talks About The Nintendo VR Console That Never Was
"VR gaming could have happened 20 years ago"
No images of the Super Visor exist online, but we'd like to imagine it would have looked like this Argonaut Software founder Jez San has been speaking about a hardware project he worked on with Nintendo that could have given the games industry affordable and effective home VR decades before the Oculus...
Exclusive Polymega Creator Playmaji On FPGA, Sega Saturn And Dealing With 'Healthy' Scepticism
"There are things we definitely could have done better"
Like a great many retro gamers out there, we've been following developments surrounding the Polymega console closely for quite some time now. Originally announced as RetroBlox, this modular system is built on a single goal: to offer modern-day players access to the original, physical-media...
Random Fans Ask For A Philips CD-i Classic, Philips Says "We Will Try Our Best"
Is this actually happening?
Philips, the electronics company behind the ill-fated Philips CD-i, has responded to fan requests for a classic, miniature version of the console. Amazingly, it looks like it could actually happen. A system easily forgotten about by fans, and possibly even more so by Nintendo, the Philips CD-i was initially released as a...
News Polymega Answers Critics With 25 Minutes Of Sega Saturn Gameplay Footage
Sega Rally! Guardian Heroes! Panzer Dragoon!
It's fair to say that the launch of the Polymega pre-order campaign didn't exactly go according to plan. The Polymega site was subjected to an attack just as the campaign went live which sent it down for a few days and meant many people weren't able to place their orders, and when the dust had settled...
News Sega Mega Drive Mini Release Has Been Delayed Until 2019
Now aiming for simultaneous worldwide launch
Gematsu reports Sega has now delayed the Mega Drive Mini originally scheduled to arrive in Japan this year. According to Sega, the response to the announcement in the west was bigger than it expected. There are now plans to give the system a simultaneous release worldwide in 2019. This covers the Genesis...
Random Canadian Actor And Comedian Seth Rogen Shares Mind-Blowing Duck Hunt Secret
Did you know?
The 1984 NES game Duck Hunt might not have been announced for the Nintendo Switch digital service just yet, but that doesn't mean fans of the NES Zapper title have forgotten about it. Out of the blue, Candian actor and comedian Seth Rogen has shared a "hot tip" about the original Duck Hunt game that appears to have surprised many...
Soapbox Why I'm Not Excited About Playing NES Games On The Nintendo Switch
All NES'ed out
Soapbox features enable our individual writers to voice their own opinions on hot topics, opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. In this piece, Nintendo Life Operations Director Darren Calvert admits that he's not in the least bit excited about the prospect of playing NES games again in 2018... They say that...
Hardware Review The Retro-Bit Go Retro! Portable Is A Rose-Tinted Disappointment
Even Capcom and Data East can't save this one
We've seen plenty of home console revivals recently, like the NES Classic, SNES Classic, Neo Geo Mini and – coming later this year – the
Hardware Classics Exploring Luigi's Debut, The Mario Bros. Game & Watch
Everyone has to start somewhere
Luigi may not be quite as famous as his illustrious sibling, but there's a fair chance that you could stop a random person on the street and they'd still be able to identify him or at the very least acknowledge his association with the Super Mario Bros. series. Keeping this in mind, it's an odd sensation to play the...
Feature As Team17 Launches Its 100th Game, We Look Back On Its First Nintendo Outing
"My monitor did go zipping across the office in a moment of rage"
Recently, UK publisher Team17 passed a significant milestone - it released its 100th game. Since the company was founded in 1990, the firm has gone from being a developer to a fully-fledged publisher and has been behind classic titles such as Alien Breed, Superfrog, Body Blows and -...
"We didn't have time"
The recent release of Marvel's Spider-Man on the PlayStation 4 has ignited many conversations about the video game history of the web-slinger. Gadgets 360 recently spoke to Indiagames alumni Hrishi Oberoi, Srinivasan Veeraraghavan, and Vishal Gondal to discuss the first ever mobile phone Spider-Man game made in Mumbai...
News Polymega's Grand Vision For The Ultimate Retro System Includes A Virtual Console Successor
Plans in place to sell cartridge and CD games digitally
We've had our eyes on Polymega for quite some time, and even got the chance to go hands-on recently, which only made the wait for this amazing retro system even harder. The unit was supposed to go up for pre-order this week, but there have been teething issues - one of which invol
News Pre-Orders For The International Edition SNK Neo Geo Mini Go Live Next Week
First come, first served
We really liked the SNK Neo Geo Mini when we took a look at it recently. This miniature retro arcade packs in 40 classic Neo Geo games and has a lovely 3.5-inch display; it's like a SNES Classic with the added bonus of portability, and it looks super cute on your desk as well. We've just got word from UK retailer...
News Polymega Launch Trailer Reveals Sega Saturn Support
Pre-order now
Touted as the world's "most compatible" games console, the Polymega is now available to pre-order from the official website (note: the site is currently down due to the sheer demand for the device). To coincide with the system's availability, the team behind it has released a launch trailer, which also reveals Sega Saturn...
Video It's The Perfect Time To Remember How Amazing Streets Of Rage Was, And Still Is
Knuckles laid bare
The news that Streets of Rage 4 is happening came rather out of the blue, but the response has been an overwhelmingly positive one. Sega's side-scrolling fighting franchise has gone down as one of its most beloved series, thanks solely to three solid entries on the 16-bit Mega Drive / Genesis. Our friend Tyler over at iRetrogam
August2018
Hardware Review The Sega Saturn Bluetooth Pad Doesn't Live Up To Its Inspiration
So near, and yet so far
Despite this being a Nintendo site, we've never made any secret of the fact that we hold a tremendous amount of affection for the Kyoto company's erstwhile rival, Sega. Here in Europe – where Nintendo Life is headquartered – Sega was the dominant force during the late '80s and early '90s. While the NES, SNES and Game Boy...
Random Talented Individual Finishes Super Mario 64 With Nintendo 64 Mouse
Crazy as well
If you're not familiar with the Nintendo 64 mouse, after this video you certainly will be. YouTube channel Critbox has managed to complete Super Mario 64 - collecting 70 stars and defeating Bowser - using this rare and official peripheral. Exclusive to Japan, the old-school ball mouse was bundled with the 1999 Nintendo...
News Nintendo Classic Mini Double Pack Releasing In Japan On 15th September
Double the fun!
The NES Classic Mini and SNES Classic Mini have been a roaring success, with sales for both devices temporarily outperforming modern generation video game systems during certain mo
News Use Original Cartridges On Your SNES Mini With This Classic 2 Magic Attachment
Also plays ROMs
One less favourable aspect of Nintendo’s mini line of retro systems is the fixed library of games. As fantastic as the collection is on the SNES Classic Mini, some fans are admittedly disappointed by the closed state of the console - with no ability to update the device or download more nostalgic hits. The Classic 2 Magic...
Random Ever Wondered What's Inside A SNES Controller? Here's A Look
Helpful instructions
If you think back to the glory days of the Super Nintendo, you might recall how there were two versions of the system available. Even now, the unique controllers are still used to debate which one is the best. A recent post on Reddit has brought attention to the fact SNES controllers include assembly instructions on the inside...
Gallery A Closer Look At The Nintendo Snack Pack, The Portable Solution For Retro Gaming
All the old favourites
Earlier this month, we shared the progress of Marcel J. de Haan's 'Snack Pack' - a fan-made portable TV that had been fully customised to play a whole host of NES, SNES, and Sega titles. Since then, more images have been shared online, showing the final result in a little more detail; as you wonderful bunch seemed to fall...
Random Perfect Dark Speedrunner Matches Air Force One World Record
Less than a minute
The speedrunning community is known for supporting classic games over a prolonged period of time. To this day, there are still many people worldwide actively playing older games in a competitive fashion on a daily basis. Twitch speedrunner, Kevin “KevinDDR” Birrell is one of them. Kotaku UK reports h
Feature The Unlikely Story Of Sega And Nintendo's Early Coin-Op Alliance
Before they were enemies...
They didn't call it a 'console war' for nothing; the titanic struggle for domination of the living room that took place between Sega and Nintendo in the 1990s has gone down as the stuff of video gaming legend. The two companies fought tooth and nail during the 16-bit era, with the SNES and Mega Drive (Genesis if you're in...
Random A 1990 TV Interview With Shigeru Miyamoto Talks About Nintendo's Work Culture
A resurfaced treasure
We've seen Shigeru Miyamoto's ever-beaming self quite a lot over recent years, often during big events such as E3 where he's essentially presented as the face of Nintendo and an all-round gaming icon, but we don't often get the chance to see him in his younger days. Thanks to this rediscovered interview with the BBC,...
Video Exploring The Process Behind Mickey Mania's 'Into-The-Screen' Chase
A gaming first
If you cast your minds back to 1994, or allow yourself to simply imagine that time if you weren't born yet, you may remember Mickey Mania on the SNES. Developed by Traveller's Tales, this platformer also arrived on Sega Genesis and Sega CD, with one noteworthy element being its 3D, 'into-the-screen' chase - seemingly a first in...
"It's not worth it for us to risk potentially disastrous consequences"
Recently, we heard the news that Nintendo had filed a lawsuit in the US state of Arizona, calling out two ROM and emulator websites for unfair competition and copyright and trademark infringement. It appears that this has helped spark a new level of fear among such...
Feature What Does Nintendo's Shutdown Of ROM-Sharing Sites Mean For Video Game Preservation?
Is gaming history in danger of being lost?
The recent news that Nintendo is taking legal action against two sites which illegally distributed ROMs has been met with an overwhelmingly positive response, and rightly so. The individuals sharing these files online care little for the intellectual property rights of the developers who slave away to make...
News Meet The Nintendo Snack Pack, A Fan-Made Portable TV With Built-In Retro Games
NES, SNES and Sega titles
For most of us, having dreams of creating an ideal gaming setup is easy - you can probably picture how it would look, and even the various items you'd need - but the dream ends right there and then. There's no way you could actually make it happen, right? Well, that's not the case for everyone as you're about to find out...
Gallery Unboxing Retro-Bit's Incredible R-Type And Holy Diver Limited Editions
Limited to 2,900 copies each
Retro-Bit is doing an excellent job when it comes to keeping the past alive, and has already released a couple of welcome compilations for the NES and SNES. However, the company has really outdone itself with its latest project, which features limited edition versions of Irem's R-Type and Holy Diver, for the SNES and...
Feature Take A Peek Behind The Curtain At Rare With This New Exhibit
"That’s what gaming has gone through to get to where it is now"
You're probably sick to death of us mentioning Rare on Nintendo Life – especially since the company has long since parted ways with Nintendo itself and is now firmly ensconced as a Microsoft studio. Still, we have our reasons – Nintendo Life Towers is located in the English...
News These Are The Most Insanely Gorgeous NES Cartridges You'll Ever See
Hand-made goodness, and they actually work!
Remember Mega Cat Studios? Well, they've joined forces with another major name working in the 'new-retro' biz - Rose Colored Gaming - to create some pretty unique NES cartridges which will no doubt have hardcore collectors reaching for their wallets (or mulling the sale of a kidney). Carts emblazoned with...
Hardware Review Does The SNK Neo Geo Mini Outclass Nintendo's Classic Editions?
The Rolls Royce of micro-consoles is here
Nintendo may not have been the first company to come up with the ingenious idea of leveraging the unbridled nostalgia of your average gamer to sell bucketloads of ROM-filled micro-consoles, but the arrival of the NES Classic a few years ago certainly gave this previously niche sector of the market a swift...
News NES Classic Mini Outsold Modern Video Game Hardware In The Month Of June
Retro power
The idea of Nintendo selling miniaturised versions of its classic gaming hardware is still too good to be true. While there’s been plenty of discussion in recent times about how there should be better support for digital retro libraries on modern devices, clearly there is a huge demand for standalone legacy systems. According to the...
July2018
Gallery This Super Mario Board Game From China Looks Too Good To Be True
Because it’s fake
Nintendo struck a deal with Nvidia recently to release its games in China. While this is yet another step in the right direction within the growing market, local operations haven’t always been quite as upfront. As publicised by Chinese Nintendo, back in the day there were unlicensed Mario board games available featuring art...
Feature Meet The Man Who Gave Nintendo Tetris And Got Hiroshi Yamauchi Gaming
"Let me put it this way: we were banned from a Nagoya hotel"
Everyone will know Henk Rogers as the businessman who brokered the Tetris deal for the Nintendo Game Boy. But what you may not realise is how he helped define the RPG genre in Japan; gave a start to Squaresoft's president; battled against sabotage by Koei; fought piracy and smashed...
Random Mexican Speedrunner Completes Turbo Tunnel In Battletoads With Bag Over His Head
Superhuman
The NES classic, Battletoads, is notorious for being a tough game. Despite this, that hasn’t stopped Piotr Delgado “The Mexican Runner” Kusielczuk from becoming an expert at it. He’s previously completed the game with one hand, and for this particular run, his goal was to complete the legendary turbo tunnel with a bag over his...
Hardware Classics Uncovering The Tragic Tale Of The Philips CD-i
Jack of all trades, master of none?
Compared to the relatively conservative video game hardware market of the modern era, the '90s seems like a wasteland of failed systems and also-rans. The 3DO, Atari Jaguar, Commodore CD32, NEC PC-FX and Sega 32X were all pieces of hardware which, at launch, found themselves positioned as the next big thing in...
Random Return To The '90s With This Super Mario All-Stars VHS Released By Nintendo UK
Old school cool
In 1993, Nintendo UK gave out a Super Mario All-Stars promotional video in the form of a VHS. Despite how odd this might sound by modern standards, at the time it was a relatively normal way of marketing video games and various other forms of entertainment to younger audiences. The low-budget and incredibly '90s...
News Drugs, Military Coups And Reshoots: The Amazing Story Of Street Fighter: The Movie
"How can you see that movie and think it’s funny by accident?"
The 1994 Hollywood adaptation of Capcom's million-selling Street Fighter series has gone down as something of a cult classic, which is movie code for saying "it was terrible". Released to almost universally scathing reviews, it nevertheless turned a profit and today is viewed with...
News Nintendo’s Virtual Boy Gets A Revival Thanks To Emulator For Oculus Rift VR Headset
The wonders of today
The Virtual Boy has been predominantly inaccessible to the majority of Nintendo fans since its original release. It was hardware arguably ahead of its time, but also technology that was unable to compete with modern standards of the era. The Nintendo 64 was after all released a year later in 1996 and blew the console industry...
Hardware Review The Shōnen Jump 50th Anniversary Famicom Classic Mini Is Gorgeous, But Pointless
Nintendo loves gold, only gold
Nintendo may have fixed the supply issues which plagued the launches of the NES and SNES Classic Editions, but many will still be haunted by the devilish degree of difficulty they exper
Feature This Unreleased SNES Super FX Racer Could Be Getting A Physical Rebirth
Elite's PowerSlide might be coming back from the dead
1994 was the year that 3D gaming truly came of age in the console arena. While both Nintendo and Sega had dabbled in the three-dimensional realm prior to this – with titles such as Star Fox and Virtua Racing – '94 marked the point where real-time 3D visuals were the expected norm, rather than...
Random Admit It, You Need This Sega Pop-Up Book In Your Life
Hang-On! Space Harrier! After Burner! Cardboard!
Sega's classic '80s arcade machines are works of art; they were designed to attract your attention and tempt you to part with your spare change, and as a result were brightly-coloured, exotic creations that even today possess an undeniable aesthetic charm. Sadly, unless you're like Nintendo Life...
News Super Battletoads Is A Cancelled Game Boy Game That Was 100% Finished And Ready To Go
The game that never was
Hearing the name 'Rare' likely makes you instinctively jump towards nostalgic thoughts of games like Banjo-Kazooie, GoldenEye 007, and Donkey Kong 64; the studio's partnership with Nintendo throughout the '90s generated some truly classic titles that are still adored today. Another iconic franchise from this era is...
News How Sharp Accidentally Copyright Trolled Nintendo Almost 40 Years Ago
Famicom Wars
First, let us kick off this article by saying happy birthday to the Family Computer! Released in July 1983, (July 15th, to be exact) the 8-bit warhorse is turning 35 years old this year. That's quite a milestone for even long forgotten hardware, but Famicom/NES games still live on today, either as part of the Classic Mini line or as...
Video How Ingenious British Teens Helped Nintendo Fly With Star Fox
The dawn of the Lylat Wars
The story of how a group of ambitious young British programmers gave Nintendo the courage to enter the 3D arena is hardly new; we've covered it on this very site, for example. However, the tale behind the development of Star Fox is one that bears repeating, making this new video from People Make Games well worth a...
Random Remember That Time Sega Almost Put Mario In One Of Its Games?
We're talking pre-Olympic Games here, too
Sega and Nintendo may be firm friends these days, but once upon a time they were the bitterest of enemies, fighting tooth and nail for dominance of the burgeoning home console market. In the 8-bit era it was the NES which achieved the most success globally, but Sega's rival Master System - with its...
News Kickstarter For The Sega Master System Visual Compendium Is Now Live
And it's got Sega's blessing, too
Our pals over at Bitmap Books are at it again, this time focusing their attention on the Sega Master System, the 8-bit console that took on the NES and failed (unless you were in Brazil or Europe, in which case it emerged victorious). The latest entry in the popular Visual Compendium series - which has already...
June2018
Rumour Was Monster Games Working On A Sequel To Diddy Kong Racing?
Even in 2018, the rumour persists
Diddy Kong Racing remains one of the most beloved kart racers of all time - no mean feat considering it shared a platform with Mario Kart 64 - so there's always been rumours and unfounded whispers that the title has a long-gestating sequel in development. One of the most infamous has only just come to our attention...
News New Trademarks Suggest Nintendo Has GameCube On The Brain
GameCube Mini, anyone?
Ah, the humble trademark. Few things get the brain buzzing as fast as a company registering a name or title linked to your favourite game or console. Of course, when it's tied to the GameCube - a console that's very much back in vogue thanks to the arrival of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate in December and the announcement that GC...
News This Metroid Space Pirate Cosplay Takes a Different, Retro Approach
*Those noises Space Pirates make in Metroid Prime*
We love a good cosplay here at NL Towers, but it's rare any one cosplay will make us say 'phwoar' in written form. This cosplay of a Space Pirate from Metroid by Dan Cattell shows that you can take a costume idea in any direction you see fit. We're not sure how it all looks from the front, but...
Feature A Look Back At the SG-1000, Sega's First Ever Home Console
Console War I
A red letter date is fast approaching! 15th July, 1983 basically marks the beginning of the established order of gaming. That was the day that Nintendo released the Family Computer. Soon after, it was the clear market leader in its homeland; every trace of competition that come before, like the Epoch Cassette Vision, was...
News August Sees Triple Flavoured Kunio Super Famicom Release
Baseball, dodgeball and puzzle variety on a single cartridge
Great news if you're a fan of Kunio and happen to be looking to expand your Super Famicom cartridge collection. A recent Amazon Japan listing has revealed what can be roughly translated as 'Kunio's Triple Play Replica Package', a complete Super Famicom boxed cartridge that brings...
Hands On Exploring The Future Of Retro Gaming With Polymega
Hello, lovely
If you’ve been keeping your eyes on these pages, you know that we’re keenly interested in Polymega, the new retro console by Playmaji, Inc. We tracked down Bryan, the company’s founder on the E3 show floor last week to talk about, and more importantly, actually play the thing. The Polymega is a sight to behold in the flesh; it...
News Atari Comes Under Fire For Seemingly Knowing Very Little About Its Crowdfunded VCS Console
"We've got a lot of work to do"
Atari - not the Atari of your dad's generation but the new Atari which is basically a company that owns the brand - has been in the press a lot of late. The 'new' company is doing everything it can to profit from the cachet which surrounds gaming's first major player, from licencing the logo for
Random This 'Joy Boy' Hardware Concept Could Be The Virtual Console Solution We Need
Shame it's just an idea at the moment
Nintendo has been very clear that the concept of the Virtual Console is a relic of the past; on Switch, it seems that the company has other ideas about how to distribute retro games on its latest console. However, that hasn't stopped Nintendo fan and indie developer JayH from dreaming up this
Feature What Makes A Person Sell Their Entire Retro Games Collection?
"I'm just hoarding and not even appreciating them"
Even if you're a digital-only gamer and seek to reduce clutter in your household at every available opportunity, it's easy to see the appeal of retro game collecting. The intrinsic allure of physical items continues to drive sales on modern systems with a seemingly endless procession of collector's...
Feature Freedom Fighter: Paul Cuisset On The Making Of Flashback
As the 16-bit classic comes to Switch, its director reflects
This month sees some potentially special games come out for the Nintendo Switch. From Wolfenstein II to Lumines Remastered via the arcade sports action of Mario Tennis Aces, the console’s not wanting for attractive offerings. Yet perhaps the most interesting of the month’s new releases...
Video Sit Back And Enjoy The Complete History Of F-Zero
A deep look back through the series
F-Zero is one of those poor franchises that can sometimes feel forgotten about; alongside the likes of Star Fox, Wave Race, and Earthbound, fans are left desperately screaming for a return to the series every time a new console is announced. Sometimes dreams are answered - her
Feature The Past, Present And Future of Geek Chic with iam8bit
"It's about making beautiful things"
Stemming from a love of art, video games and popular culture, Californian video games merchandising company iam8bit are continually collaborating with artists and developers to produce items that are beyond just physical software releases. Embracing both legacy titles in cartridge form - such as Mega Man and...
News Splatoon Producer Reveals How The Art Style In Yoshi’s Island Was Conceived
“It took quite a bit of time”
Not every game has aged as gracefully as the 1995 Super Nintendo title, Yoshi’s Island. Even by modern standards, the distinctive hand-drawn aesthetics present from start to finish within this release have withstood the test of time. So, how exactly did the art style for one of Yoshi’s earliest outings come...
News The Next Johnny Turbo Game Is Wizard Fire, And You Can Pre-Order It Now
A multiplayer RPG from yesteryear
FTE Games has unveiled the next game coming through its Johnny Turbo's Arcade revival line - the multiplayer action-RPG, Wizard Fire. The sequel to 1990's Gate of Doom - which also received the Switch revival treatment earlier this year - Wizard Fire follows the same formula as its predecessor with all manner of...
News Shoji Mizuno, The Character Artist For Bomberman's Classic Look, Has Passed Away
He was a longtime staffer at Hudson Soft
According to a number of reports, Shoji Mizuno - the man who gave Bomberman the iconic look he sports today - has died. One such report is a blog post written by former Hudson Soft executive and frontman Toshiyuki Takahashi, which memorialises Mizuno's contribution to the company. Mizuno has a decades-long...
News SNK’s Official Neo Geo Mini Pad Will Be Available In Black And White
Inspired by a classic
SNK’s Neo Geo Mini online presentation has finally provided a glimpse of the official controller for the system. Available in black and white, the Neo Geo Mini Pad recreates the classic design of the Neo Geo CD, featuring the same button layout as the Neo Geo Mini system, and a modified stick design. Connecting it...
News These Are The Games Included In SNK’s Neo Geo Mini And Neo Geo Mini International
That’s quite the collection
If you’ve managed to refrain from purchasing classic SNK titles on the Nintendo Switch, your decision may have been a wise one if you plan on picking up the Neo Geo Mini or Neo Geo Mini International. Included are series like King of Fighters, Samurai Showdown, Metal Slug and The Last Blade as well as plenty of...
Video Let's Revel in Nintendo's Best E3 Moments from History
It's mostly 2004, we're not going to lie
Nintendo has had a mixed bag of E3 moments. High and low points are to be expected, and as we've already looked at some of the more embarrassing instances, we thought in the run up to E3 2018 it was time to take a more positive look at things, to bring balance to the universe in an arguably more constructive...
There’s no strict policy in place
When Masato Maegawa departed Konami in 1993, he co-founded Treasure – a Japanese company that became known for its classic action-style and shoot ‘em up games. Starting out with Gunstar Heroes and eventually moving onto projects like Sin and Punishment years later, the newest arrival is the re-release of...
News Modern Mega Drive Platformer Tanglewood Has Finally Gone Gold
We're one step close to the cartridge-based throwback
We're big fans of modern Mega Drive/Genesis title Tanglewood - in fact, we went hands-on with a preview build at the Revival Retro convention in Birmingham a couple of weeks ago and we were really impressed with how it's coming together - so we're pleased to hear the game has finally gone gold...
News SNK's Legacy Lives On With A Special Neo Geo Mini Presentation On 9th June
Retro revival
E3 2018 is only a few days away, and every developer and publisher worth its salt is attempting to get eyes on its respective wares before all the big announcements start crippling the internet. SNK is following a similar train of thought, with an online presentation planned for its upcoming Neo Geo Mini retro console on 9th June at...
Random Rebalance The Universe With This Super Mario 64 Infinity Gauntlet Mod
It's a me, a Thanos
As you know, we're partial to a good mod here at Nintendo Life, just take the recent Link re-skin for Breath of the Wild that makes the Hyrulian hero look like none other than Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy VII. So when we heard someone had modded an infinity gauntlet into Super Mario 64, well, we just had
News Polymega's 'Element Modules' Will Come With Wired Classic Controllers
NES! Genesis! TurboGrafx! SNES!
Polymega - the console formerly known as RetroBlox - is one of the most exciting pieces of retro hardware on the horizon. Unlike other examples, it uses special modules which enable it to play a wide range of vintage games. The catch is that each of these modules has to be purchased separately, but the selection...
May2018
News Never-Before-Seen Pokémon Designs Show How Gold And Silver Could Have Been Very Different
Different starters, babies and more
The Pokémon hype is wild and overflowing at the moment with the recent reveals of Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, but forgive us for just a moment as we take a quick look back to Pokémon Gold and Silver - and how they could have been very different. Fans at The
Deals Nintendo UK Store Offer Another Chance To Pick Up a NES Mini
Avoid the scalpers!
The NES Classic Mini: Nintendo Entertainment System (or NES Mini to it's closest friends) was quite the treat when it launched in November 2016. We loved it in our hardware review, with 30 classic games on board rendered in pixel perfect HD, what's not to like? Well, maybe the controller cord length if we are nitpicking! One...
News Two Classic Super Famicom Games Are Set For A Special Reprint In Japan
SNES who?
There's been a spate of retro re-releases as of late in Japan, with publishers reissuing classic titles (and a few obscure gems) on their original platform. Japanese firm Tommo is the latest publisher to leap aboard the bandwagon, with two Super Famicom titles getting a reprint. It's been confirmed that Shodai Nekketsu Kpuha Kunio-kun...
Random Childish Gambino Sampled Donkey Kong Country And David Wise Definitely Approves
Aquatic Ambiance is still relevant
Childish Gambino's latest track might have captured the zeitgeist in 2018, but back in 2012 the man otherwise known as Donald Glover took inspiration from a very different source. Much to the delight of veteran VGM composer David Wise, who recently discovered the track 'Eat your Vegetables' uses a looped sample...
Video Relive The Amazing Story Behind One Of Sonic's Most Beloved Outings
Gotta recap fast
The release of Sonic the Hedgehog in the early '90s was one of the key moments in the famous 'console war' between Sega and Nintendo, and would enable the former to challenge the latter's dominance of the global games market. Given the success of that first game, you would have imagined that a sequel was put into production without...
Soapbox Why A Nintendo 64 Classic Edition Might Not Be Such A Good Idea
Not so 'Ultra' this time round?
Soapbox features enable our individual writers to voice their own opinions on hot topics, opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. In this piece, our 'Man in Japan' Jon explains why Nintendo continuing the ‘classic mini’ line of retro consoles with the N64 may be one step too far... First...
News Nintendo Applies For New N64 Trademark - Is Another Classic Edition On The Way?
It's only a matter of time, right?
With the NES and SNES Classic Editions proving to be commercially successful, it's almost inevitable that Nintendo will produce another 'recooked' version of one of its vintage platforms. Given that Nintendo Co., Ltd. has just applied for an N64 trademark in Japan, one might assume that the 64-bit console...
Feature How One Man Is Turning Dead DS Lites Into Gorgeous Game Boy Advance Systems
Say hello to the Neon Advance
Humanity has been troubled by many great questions during its time on Earth. Why are we here? What is the meaning of life? Where do all those bloody odd socks go? However, none of these perplexing quandaries is more troubling than the ultimate question: which is the best Nintendo handheld for playing Game Boy Advance...
Feature Some Mario Games Just Can't Be Played Properly Anymore
At least five, anyway
Video games are a funny medium; one's released, and about a year afterwards you're not likely to be able to buy a brand new copy of it unless you're very lucky or it gets a second run. As such they age, and in a time of online patches and internet servers being so integral it's likely only going to get harder to play games...
News See The Origins Of The Pokémon You Know (And Some You Don't) In A New Manga
Gotta sketch 'em all
In a series of tweets yesterday, Game Freak employee James Turner revealed a sneak preview of a new educational manga recently released in Japan, detailing the history of Pokémon creator Satoshi Tajiri, and information from the early days at Game Freak. The book, called 'Satoshi Tajiri: The Man Who Created Pokémon', was...
Exclusive The Artist Behind Troubled Sega Mega Drive Fighter Paprium Speaks Out
"I have been upset for some time"
Remember Paprium? An incredible-looking Sega Genesis / Mega Drive scrolling fighter from the team behind the Wii U eShop RPG Pier Solar (which, incidentally, also began life on Sega's 16-bit system), it was announced over a y
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