Retro - News
October2019
Poll Box Art Brawl #14 - Flashback
Look into my eyes
And we're back once again for a Box Art Brawl! This is the series where we look deeply at three video game cover variants (yep, games used to always come in physical boxes, kids!) and use some good old fashioned democracy to decide which one is best. Last week we looked at three versions of Goemon's Great Adventure on Nintendo 64...
Video The Original Luigi's Mansion Might Have Been Spookier On The NES
Just in time for Halloween
Unless you've been living under a rock, you have probably heard by now a new entry in the Luigi's Mansion series is on the way to the Switch later this month. Nintendo's even gone as far as making October 2019 the month of Luigi. Also lining up with the arrival of Luigi's Mansion 3 is the release of the above video by the...
News Unreleased Super NES Prototype Tarzan: Lord Of The Jungle Emerges After 25 Years
Me Tarzan, you game
A playable prototype for a planned Super Nintendo game called Tarzan: Lord of the Jungle has been unearthed by Gaming Alexandria and a collection of assets and documents have also been made available on the site alongside an article detailing the game's history. The side-scrolling platformer was originally scheduled for release...
News Retro And Legacy Editions Announced For Aladdin And The Lion King
Pre-orders open later today
Retro video game lovers are in for a treat later this month when Aladdin and The Lion King arrives on the Switch. As part of this launch, multiple physical editions have been announced. The first two are Switch-exclusive Retro Editions for $49.99 each. Both of these come with an exclusive poster, a retro-style manual and...
News Dentist Snaps Up Collection Of Ultra Rare Retro Video Games For US$1.02 Million
A "watershed moment"
A video game fan named Eric Naierman, who also happens to be a dentist, recently forked out $US1.02 million for a bunch of first-edition sticker-sealed video games. While he's not the first person to do something like this, it's a reminder of the inflating retro market prices. So, what do you get for parting with this amount of...
News Earthbound Creator Shigesato Itoi Felt 'Indebted' To Nintendo When Pitching Mother
"I owe a lot to Mario"
In a wide-ranging interview with GameCenter CX the creator of the Mother series, known as Earthbound in the west, has shared a trove of gaming memories and tidbits about the series' development with the show's presenter 'Arino Kacho'. As you may well already know, the Japanese show features comedian Shinya Arino in the role...
Feature How Switch Brings Back Game Boy Multiplayer Memories
A link (cable) to the past
Quite apart from the huge number of great games coming to the system every week, one result of Switch’s success that we’ve really enjoyed is how it has brought back a focus on local multiplayer gaming not seen since the N64 days. Online is still king, of course, but we’d argue there’s nothing quite like the rush of...
Anniversary The Game Boy Color Turns 21 Today
They grow up so fast
Nintendo's Game Boy Color was first released in Japan 21 years ago today on 21st October 1998. A successor to the original beast that was the Game Boy, the Game Boy Color unsurprisingly featured a colour screen, giving Nintendo's handheld games a whole new lease of life. While we sadly don't have exact figures for each of the...
Poll Box Art Brawl #13 - Goemon's Great Adventure
Mystical Ninja 2, x3
Smell that? Yes, that aroma of blood, sweat and tears can only mean one thing: it's time for Box Art Brawl, the series where we lock box art variants of the same game in a cage and see which one survives to the bitter end according to votes from you bloodthirsty lot. Last week North American Trevor Belmont triumphed over his...
Feature Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Rescue-Palooza! Is The Turtles Game You've Always Wanted
"I’ve wanted to see every NES and Game Boy game get a SNES do-over"
From the silver screen to the small screen to the even smaller screen on your Game Boy, the world’s favourite comic book pizza-lovers have featured on displays of all dimensions. But, while the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles originated in pen and ink, many people remember them...
News Who Needs A Game Boy Classic Edition When You've Got The Analogue Pocket?
The maker of the Super Nt and Mega Sg is back
Hardware specialist Analogue is famous for its reference-quality clones of retro systems and has already made a name for itself with products like the Super Nt and Mega Sg, both of which harness FPGA technology to replicate the performance of classic systems on a hardware level. The company has today...
News Castlevania's Harder Arcade Version Is Coming To Nintendo Switch Tomorrow
VS. Castlevania
Hamster has revealed that the next Arcade Archives release to launch on Switch is none other than VS. Castlevania. You'll be able to get your hands on it starting from tomorrow, 17th October. The game was originally released as an arcade title back in 1986 and is very similar to the NES game which launched the year after. Retro...
News Relive The Glory Days Of Podracing With This Re-Release Of Star Wars Episode 1: Racer For N64
Available later this week
Limited Run Games is at it again, re-releasing old Star Wars games on classic systems. This time around it's the Nintendo 64 version of Star Wars Episode 1: Racer getting the special treatment. It'll be available from the LRG website on 18th October for $89.99. Here's what you can expect: Star Wars™: Episode 1 Racer...
News Classic Nintendo Mini Game Released In 1974 Found After 20-Year Search
49 down, one to go
Before becoming a juggernaut in the video game industry, Nintendo got its start manufacturing and distributing hanafuda cards. There was also a period between 1971 - 1976 when the company created a mini game toy series, comprised of 50 different games in total. One of these is supposedly called "Driving Shot"...
Poll Box Art Brawl #12 - Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse
Another crack of the whip from Konami
And we're back with Box Art Brawl, the series where box art variants from other sides of the planet meet up and fail to work out their differences without resorting to physical violence. Last week was a particularly bloodthirsty bout with Final Fight taking itself down to Chinatown. Despite flaws in each of the...
Feature "Nintendo Killed My Son!" - Pulling Apart A Tragic Headline More Than Two Decades On
How a single story rocked the games industry
Video games have often been blamed for many of society's ills, and only this week has the news broken that a Canadian family intends to take Epic Games to court over the addictive nature of Fortnite, which, they claim, has "ruined" the lives of their children. The case cites the classification of 'video...
Poll Box Art Brawl #11 - Final Fight
Almost certainly NOT the final fight
Welcome to this week's Box Art Brawl, the ongoing series where box art variants from around the world face off against one another to find out which is the fairest of them all. Who wins? You decide. Last week we featured GoldenEye 007 and the world's best known (and therefore presumably worst) secret agent...
Video This Stunning Trailer Turns The Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Sequel Into A N64 Game
"Not in development"
When Nintendo revealed a sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was officially in development at this year's E3, the darker tone was immediately noticeable. In fact, we sort of got Majora's Mask vibes, as there was so much doom and gloom present within the teaser trailer. With this in mind, a modeler and animator...
Guide Where To Buy Sega Genesis / Mega Drive Mini
Get your retro Sega fix
It feels like it has taken an eternity for Sega to get around to releasing its own answer to the NES and Super NES Classic Editions. While the much-disliked AtGames has plopped out wonky Genesis / Mega Drive clones for years now, this new venture promised to be something different – and
News Train Up And Compete In Hamster's Latest Arcade Archives Release Karate Champ
Or wrestle cows on the beach
After being announced much earlier this year, Karate Champ is now finally being added to Hamster's Arcade Archives series this week on the Nintendo Switch. This is an action game that was originally released by Data East in 1984. Here's some additional information about it, courtesy of the official press release:...
Random Game Freak Had Plans For A Virtual Boy Title But Never Got Around To Making It
Pokémon Red?
Whenever the developer Game Freak is mentioned, you probably think about the mainline Pokémon video game series. That's not the only series it has worked on over the years, though. Little Town Hero is coming to the Switch later this month and there was a point in the Japanese company's history when it had an idea for a Virtual Boy...
Video Ever Wondered What An 8-Bit Ni no Kuni Would Look Like?
New trailer gives Level-5's JRPG a retro makeover
With software coming thick and fast to Switch these days, it's never been easier for a game - even a damn fine one - to get lost in the crowd. Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch released on Switch way back on 20th September, but we wouldn't be surprised if it passed you by in the rush of great...
News Cripes, That SNES PlayStation Prototype Is Up For Sale Now
Time to remortgage the house, then
A few years back, a pretty incredible event occurred: a SNES PlayStation prototype was discovered in the wild. Owned by Terry Diebold (and discovered by his son in a box of junk that was about to be thrown out) the unit is the only known example outside of Sony's archives and dates back to the time when
September2019
News This Super Mario Bros. Fan Game Will Fire Up Your Super Show Nostalgia
Do the Mario again
We seem to be riding a fashionable wave of '90s nostalgia at the moment and when you combine that with Nintendo nostalgia (which we'd argue is always in vogue), you get a wistful blast so potent that it's sure to turn your Hypercolor t-shirt entirely orange or green or whatever colour your underarms went when it got a bit toasty...
Poll Box Art Brawl #10 - GoldenEye 007
You can never unsee it
Welcome, one and all, to Box Art Brawl! We’ve reached the tenth round in the series where we present a bunch of box art variants and then put it to you lovely people to see which one prevails in the ensuing bout. In an effort to showcase some of the dross that will never make it to this hallowed arena, we took a midweek look...
News Australia's National Film And Sound Archive To Preserve Locally Made Games
Game saver
Now that the digital age has arrived, video game preservation is arguably more important than ever. Fortunately, steps are slowly being taken around the world to ensure this industry's rich history lives on for the benefit of future generations. Down under, the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia has announced it will begin to...
Feature The Worst Box Art Of All Time - 10 Terrible Game Covers
Our picks for the lowest of the low
You may be familiar with our weekend Box Art Brawl series where we pit regional versions of the same game against each other in a gladiatorial poll to find out which has the best cover art. That's all well and good, but there are a great many terrible examples that will never experience the glory of combat in our...
Hardware Review Should You Import The Japanese Mega Drive Mini?
Better pads and the Tower of Power, but is that enough?
The Sega Genesis / Mega Drive Mini is pretty special – as you'll know if you've already consulted our exhaustive review. Packed full of retro goodness and blessed with a lineup that contains some of the system's most desirable titles, it's proof that Sega is finally taking the 'micro-console'...
News Just How Much Can Your Sealed Retro Games Sell For?
UK research uncovers some shocking prices
If you're a passionate collector of retro games, and particularly of retro Nintendo games, you'll probably be painfully aware of just how costly old sealed copies can be. It isn't unusual to see sealed NES and SNES games be listed for hundreds of pounds, whether potential buyers are willing to spend quite...
Poll Box Art Brawl #9 - The Legend Of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX
A remake on Switch, you say?
Welcome to round number 9 of Box Art Brawl, the series where box art variants from different regions go through a rigorous training montage before cracking their knuckles and duking it out under the watchful eyes of you lovely people. Last week Michael Biehn made a very much uncredited appearance on the three covers of...
Video How The CPU Used To Cheat In Street Fighter II
You lose!
Sometimes in fighting games, CPU opponents reach God-like levels. They get to a point where they are seemingly unstoppable - executing combos flawless and taking absolutely no damage, while the player struggles to register a single hit. Although there are a number of retro fighting games that behave like this, one of the biggest offenders...
Fancy listening?
Reflect on the glory days of Rare and a few names you might remember include graphic designer Kevin Bayliss and composer David Wise. Both of these talented individuals helped shape a number of the developer's titles over the years. While they've both moved on, it appears they'll be collaborating on an "exciting new project" that...
Feature 10 Strangest Moments In Captain N: The Game Master
Celebrating the cult Saturday morning Nintendo cartoon’s 30th birthday
Super Smash Bros.? Pffft, garbage. The Marvel Cinematic Universe? Complete trash. Project X Zone? Hmmm, we appreciate your thinking but even so, nope. The greatest crossover of all time turned 30 years old this month and none of you selfish sods even noticed. We’re talking,...
News SNK's New Neo Geo Might Not Be What You Were Expecting
Update: All pre-loaded games revealed!
Update (20th Sep, 16:15 BST): SNK has now revealed the 20 games that will be pre-loaded on the Neo Geo Arcade Stick Pro. Here's the full list: The King of Fighters '95 The King of Fighters '97 The King of Fighters '98 The King of Fighters '99 The King of Fighters 2000 The King of Fighters 2002 Fatal Fury...
Feature Getting Reacquainted With Zelda: Link's Awakening, An Irreverent And Silly Classic
"It was like we were making a parody of Zelda"
We originally published this piece back in February, and have decided to give it another push now, to mark the launch of Link's Awakening on Switch. The Switch is getting its second Zelda game, but it perhaps wasn't one that people were expecting. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening was the...
News The Wizard Is Getting A 30th Anniversary Blu-Ray Release
Thanks "to every fan who kept screaming"
When The Wizard made its original debut in-cinemas, it was widely panned by critics for being nothing more than a lengthy commercial for Nintendo and Universal Studios. Despite this, it still managed to develop a cult following over the years. Now, as we near the film's 30th anniversary, the movie's director...
Feature Uncovering The Unlikely Story Of The World's Worst Controller In The Power Of Glove
"It's so bad"
To a complete outsider, the notion of creating a documentary about a failed video game peripheral from 30 years ago might seem pointless, if not downright silly. But the Power Glove is so much more than a device which simply struggled to find its audience and meekly withdrew into the night; it has become an iconic piece of gaming...
Feature Nintendo Hardware Refreshes Through The Ages
Switch Lite is just the latest in a long line of updates
Mid-cycle hardware refreshes may sometimes feel like a relatively recent development, but console manufacturers have been releasing revised versions of their consoles since video gaming first entered the home. You might associate Nintendo hardware refreshes mostly with handheld consoles thanks...
Video Sega's Genesis Mini Gets The Tower Of Power Treatment
Super stack
Back in June, when Sega revealed the Sega Genesis Mini / Mega Drive Mini and its library of games during a Famitsu live stream in Japan, it continued to surprise viewers by showing off additional non-functioning components for the device. This included miniature-sized versions of the Sega CD / Mega CD, 32X add-on, a Sonic &...
Poll Box Art Brawl #8 - Metal Gear
Not yet on Solids
Welcome to the eighth round of Box Art Brawl, the series where we throw a trio of regional retro box arts into a weapon-filled pit to see which one scrambles out victorious, though covered in blood and spittle. This chap looks familiar... Last time we saw three Star Foxes dogfighting over Corneria and a week later we can confirm...
Hardware Classics Nintendo GameCube
Indigo, Spice and all things nice
To celebrate its 18th birthday, we take a look back at Nintendo’s little box of tricks... In many ways, the GameCube was a console out of time, arguably arriving too late (or perhaps too early) to realise its true potential. We can look back now and appreciate its quirks, admire its design and excellent software...
Hardware Review The Genesis / Mega Drive Mini Finally Does Sega's History Justice
Mega Drive me to the store
Miniaturized consoles are nothing new to Sega as it was releasing them long before Nintendo’s Classic NES and SNES consoles took the spotlight. The plug-and-play systems it produced in collaboration with AtGames usually car
Feature 20 Dreamcast Games We'd Love To See On Nintendo Switch
20 games to mark 20 years
The Dreamcast turns 20 in North America today - yes, 9/9/99 was now two decades ago - and in honour of the occasion we're republishing this article from last November when the console reached the same milestone in its homeland. Enjoy! The Sega Dreamcast turns 20 today – it launched on November 27th, 1998 in Japan – and...
Poll Box Art Brawl #7 - Star Fox
Barrel roll with the punches
Oh, hello there! We were so involved with the freshly released Super NES games on Switch we almost forgot about the big bout. Of course it's time for Box Art Brawl, the weekly showdown where three regional retro boxes battle to find out which was the fairest of them all. Last week Mega Man 3 gave itself a sound...
Reminder Rate Your Favourite GameCube Games
The Dolphin turns 18 in September, and we need your help
Update: Thanks to everyone who's rated their favourites so far. This is just a wee reminder if you missed this last week. Remember, you're scoring games - as many as you like - out of 10, not picking a top 10. Very good. Carry on! The Nintendo GameCube launched in Japan in September 2001 and...
News Pre-Orders Go Live For The Evercade Retro Handheld System
More than 100 games already confirmed
As promised, pre-orders for the upcoming Evercade console have now gone live. If you're looking to get your hands on one, keep reading! With an expanding library of cartridges that already includes the likes of Namco Museum (Pac-Man, Dig-Dug and Galaxian), Atari (Asteroids, Centipede and Pong), Interplay...
News Bethesda Brings Hell To Switch This November With The Release Of DOOM 64
Suprise, surprise
After being listed on multiple classification boards around the world over the past few months, Bethesda has now confirmed DOOM 64 for will be coming to the Nintendo Switch on 22nd November. If the title itself wasn't already enough of an indication, this classic first-person shooter started out life way back in 1997 on the...
Poll Box Art Brawl #6 - Mega Man 3
Blue on blue
Ding ding! Round 6! Welcome once again to Box Art Brawl, the series where regional retro box art variations duke it out to discover which one rules the roost. Last week we saw Super Mario Kart race itself ragged until just one version took the chequered flag. The winner? Super Mario Kart, followed closely by Super Mario Kart, with poor...
August2019
News DOOM 64 Rated By The Australian Classification Board
The armies of Hell are returning
It seems like DOOM 64 really is making a comeback in some way or form. During the weekend of QuakeCon, a PEGI rating for the game surfaced online and now – roughly a month later – one has popped up on the Australian Classification Board
News This Exclusive Evercade Console Is Looking Pretty In Black
Pre-orders go live next week
UK-based online retailer Funstock is selling an exclusive black edition of the upcoming Evercade console - perfect for any dark mode fans out there. Releasing on the same day as the standard model (20th March, 2020), the black edition will be available in a Premium Edition bundle or in an All-In Edition bundle. The...
News Retro Beat 'Em Up Jay And Silent Bob: Mall Brawl Gets A Limited Run For NES
Oldschool
Jay and Silent Bob fans are in for a treat next week, with Limited Run Games announcing the 8-bit companion brawler Jay and Silent Bob: Mall Brawl is receiving a Limited Run for the NES, on 6th September. Snooch to the nooch! Jay and Silent Bob: Mall Brawl, the 8-bit companion brawler to Jay and Silent Bob: Chronic Blunt Punch from the...
Feature Has A Decades-Old Super Mario 64 Mystery Finally Been Cleared Up?
L is NOT and was never real, according to new sources
There's something about the very best video games which inspires obsession over the smallest details. Whether it involves (over)analysing a blurry texture, trying to decipher a muffled audio clip or simply experim
Poll Box Art Brawl #5 - Super Mario Kart
Before the big blue shell
Welcome to Round 5 of Box Art Brawl, where we take a gander at the box art of a certain retro game and crown one regional variant as champion. Last week the classic NES brawler River City Ransom duked it out with its counterparts until the Japanese version emerged bloody-nosed but victorious, beating down the North American...
Random Reimagining The Famicom As An Apple-Style Home Computer
Introducing the Family Computer PVM System
The classic Nintendo Famicom was a design masterpiece compared to the boxier version which regions outside of Japan got in the form of the NES. Around the time of its release, there was a bit of a trend for having combined CRT monitors incorporated into a gaming device, such as the Vectrex from 1982. Later,...
News SEGA's Yu Suzuki Would Like To Revisit Out Run And Virtua Fighter
Splash wave
Good old Yu Suzuki, the legendary SEGA designer has been responsible for some of the great arcade franchises of all time such as Out Run, After Burner, Space Harrier and Virtua Fighter. Suzuki-san is currently putting the final touches on to Shenmue III, but this hasn't stopped him dreaming of revisiting some of the classics which he...
Poll Box Art Brawl #4 - River City Ransom / Street Gangs
Vote for your favourite box art
Welcome to the fourth round of Box Art Brawl, the series where a classic retro game takes on its doppelgängers from other territories to see which has the greatest cover art. Last week we saw GameCube titan Resident Evil 4 knock itself sideways as its moody European self won a very comfortable victory over its North...
Feature Super Nintendo Games We’d Like To See On Nintendo Switch Online
You can never have enough ways to play SNES games
The discovery of an FCC filing showing a SNES controller with the model number ‘HAC-042’ (indicating it’s part of the Switch’s library of peripherals) has all but confirmed that Super Nintendo games are finally on their way to the Nintendo Switch Online service alongside their NES-based...
Poll Box Art Brawl #3 - Resident Evil 4
What'll it be, stranger?
And we're back! Welcome to the third edition of Box Art Brawl, the series where we ask you lovely people to decide which lucky territory got the best box art of a certain retro classic. Last week we looked at Contra (or Probotector as it was known in Europe) and it was decided that the North American muscle-bound variant was...
News Collector Uncovers Nearly 200 Animation Cels From Classic Super Mario Bros. Cartoons
Jackpot!
A self-proclaimed collector who goes by the Twitter handle @max6464646464 has acquired a box of nearly 200 animation cels from the original Super Mario Bros. Super Show and Super Mario Bros. 3 cartoon. Here's what this individual had to say about his lucky finding, along with some photos: The secrets out. I have aquired a box close to...
News Trademarks Hint At A Game Boy Clone From The Aces At Analogue
FPGA or bust?
Analogue is responsible for some of the most accurate hardware clones money can buy, having already released systems that emulate the performance of the NES, SNES and Mega Drive at a hardware level, bringing ref
News The Evercade Handheld's Latest Cartridge Features Several Rare SNES Games
More retro delights
Yet another wave of games set to be released on Evercade have been shared - the upcoming cartridge-based handheld system which can connect to your TV. You can read all about the new system here if you're not familiar, but for those of you who have seen our previous coverage, let's dive into the good stuff. This latest set of...
Reminder Vote For Your Favourite Nintendo DS Games
We need your help to rate the finest Dual Screen games
Update: A big thank you to everybody who has already voted when this went live over the weekend - to anyone who missed it, feel free to dive in below and help us rank the top 50 Nintendo DS games ever. Carry on! Later this year we'll be celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Nintendo DS, a...
Poll Box Art Brawl #2 - Contra / Probotector
I Think Ur A Probotector
Welcome back for round two of the series where we throw the regional box art variants of a particular retro game into a pit and see which one scrambles out victorious. Last time we kicked things off with Super Metroid for the Super Nintendo. After a week of voting, the Japanese art has emerged with a very comfortable win,...
Talking Point Are Retro Repro Firms Exploiting Demand With Shoddy Products?
Gleylancer is the latest to disappoint
Given that many of retro gaming's most collectable items now sell for hundreds (and occasionally thousands) of dollars, it's unsurprisingly that enterprising companies are turning their hand to officially-licenced reprints to satisfy demand and make a quick buck in the process. The latest example of this is...
Hardware Review You Don't Need The SNK Neo Geo Samurai Shodown Mini, But You'll Want It Anyway
Less a console, more an objet d'art
You might think that Nintendo has embraced the 'Classic Mini' craze with gusto thanks to its NES and SNES Classic Editions, but the company's efforts in this field pale in comparison to that of SNK, which has been pumping out miniature hardware with extreme prejudice for the past year or so. First, we had the Neo...
News A 1987 NES Game Just Sold For $9,000 After Sitting In An Attic For 30 Years
Wowzers
If you happen to have any old Nintendo games stored away in your attic, you might want to dig them out and check what their value might be today. You might just end up being $9,000 better off. Scott Amos of Reno, Nevada recently found an old, 1987 NES game in his attic after looking through his childhood possessions. The game in question...
News SNK's Action Game Victory Road Is The Latest Arcade Archives Release
And it's out today
Hamster's latest Arcade Archives release for the Switch eShop is this time the 1986 SNK action game, Victory Road. It's a sequel to Ikari Warriors, which was released on the Switch eShop earlier this year. This story continues on from the first game. After Ralf and Clark finish their mission, they suddenly find themselves dragged...
July2019
Anniversary Game Boy Turns 30 Years Old In North America
Three decades of playing with portable power
Back in April we celebrated the 30th anniversary of the one handheld to rule them all - the humble Nintendo Game Boy. We ran a series of features on the all-conquering lump of grey plastic and had fun reminiscing about green screens, AA batteries and some incredible games. Well, that was in celebration...
Random GoldenEye N64 Can Be Beaten With Just One Bullet
Slappers only!
Ah, GoldenEye 007. If you owned a copy of this N64 classic during your youth, you probably also have an ample supply of nostalgic memories to go alongside it, as well as a few angry ones aimed at your friends who chose to play as Oddjob. What you probably don't have, though, is the ability to say that you've completed the game firing...
Poll Box Art Brawl #1 - Super Metroid
Vote for your favourite retro box art variant
Welcome one and all to the first in a series where we pit regional retro releases against each other to decide once and for all which territory got the very best box art! And no, it's not always Japan. Over the years, the art on your video game box has increasingly taken a backseat as digital purchases...
News PEGI Rating Suggests DOOM 64 Is Making A Comeback
Return to 64-bit Hell
This weekend QuakeCon is celebrating DOOM's 25th anniversary. Adding to the announcement of DOOM, DOOM II and DOOM 3 for Switch, a
News Two More Classic Star Wars Games Get A Limited Run Later This Week
LRG Hyperkin accessories also announced
The major surprise during the Limited Run E3 2019 presentation was when the physical video game specialist announced it was partnering with Lucasfilm to re-release classic Star Wars games. This began with the re-release of the original Star Wars game in June and now the company will be following this up with...
Random Beating GoldenEye 007's First Level Using Only A Piano Looks Surprisingly Easy
This might be the best controller ever
Have you ever considered playing through N64 classic GoldenEye 007 using only a piano? No? Of course you haven't. Luckily, though, YouTube user Jackson Parodi has done just that and it's strangely satisfying to watch. Now, we know that beating a game with a weird controller isn't all that special these days -...
Hardware Review The EON Super 64 Gives Your N64 HDMI Output, But Is It Really Worth $150?
Plug-and-play HD for your Nintendo 64
We're big fans of EON here at Nintendo Life. The company has already produced some amazing GameCube HDMI adapters in the form of the GCHD and GCHD Mk II, both of which harness the console's digital output to give a crisp picture without the need for pesky internal modification. However, for its next trick, EON...
Gallery Gorge Your Face On These Images Of The First Evercade Prototype
Retro ridiculous
The Evercade is promising that ever-so niche but ever-so dedicated market of retro-leaning types who want more and more ways to play their old games rather than just firing up the consoles for which they were made something rather special. Unique multi-carts of games from proper publishers, which is certainly a bold idea, and one...
News Polymega TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine Module Includes Five Pack-In Games
Moto Roader! Double Dungeons! Shockman!
It's been announced that the TurboGrafx-16/PC-Engine module (or the EM04 “Turbo” Element Module Set to give its full title) for the upcoming modular retro console Polymega will include five licensed pack-in games playable from the module itself. The five bonus titles are Moto Roader (NA and JP versions),...
News Two More Ways To Play Contra Arrive This Holiday Season
Can you ever have enough ways to play Contra?
Fans of Konami's seminal run-and-gun series Contra have no shortage of ways to play the classic game, whether you're a fan of the arcade original, the NES port or the numerous sequels we've seen over the years. The recent Contra Anniversary Collection brought together a bunch of them in a package that we...
News Give Your Game Boy Advance Library An Airing With GBA Consolizer
Play GBA games where they weren't meant to be - on the telly
The Game Boy Advance was a wonderful handheld with a huge library of brilliant games, many of which still stand up today. Although they were designed for the non-backlit successor to Nintendo's all-conquering Game Boy, many of its classic titles look and feel fantastic when played on a TV...
Random Valve Supposedly Made Changes To Half-Life After Playing GoldenEye 007
Inspiring a generation
Reflect on the Nintendo 64 era and one game that will probably come to mind is Rare’s GoldenEye 007. It was considered to be a revolutionary take on the first-person genre in more ways than one. In fact, even the developer and publisher Valve Corporation took inspiration from Bond’s 64-bit outing at the time. As explained...
News Old-School Platformer Phantom Gear Hoping For A Sega Mega Drive Release
What year is it?
Retro indie publisher Mega Cat Studios and Bits Rule Games are hoping to launch a new, but very old-school platformer called Phantom Gear on the Sega Mega Drive. New games for old consoles sure are popular at the minute. The game is made up of a mix of elements from your favourite classic action platformers - you'll find multiple...
Feature The Legacy Of Nintendo 64's Transfer Pak
Marrying console and handheld hardware long before Switch
Following the 16-bit glories of the Super Nintendo, its successor often gets short shrift from gamers these days. Of course, it’s adored by Nintendo fans of a certain age who doubled down on it during the PlayStation generation, but it’s a wilfully ‘odd’ system and arguably tough to...
News Nike Is Releasing Air Max Inspired By The Nintendo 64 Generation
Get some fresh kicks
According to House of Heat, Nike is releasing Air Max 97 inspired by Nintendo's beloved 64-bit system. Both the shoes and the system were released months apart back in 1996/97, so it's fitting to see these generational icons honoring the era together. The grey on the shoe symbolises the system's controller and the splash of...
News The Evercade Handheld System Will Get New Retro-Style Indie Games, As Well As Old Classics
Update: Its first trailer has landed
Update: The first trailer for the system has now arrived, giving us our first look at its packaging and showing off some of the games you'll be able to play. Original Article: If you've been following our stories on the upcoming Evercade handheld system, you'll likely know that it's set to feature a whole...
Hands On This $50 Handheld Plays Pretty Much Every Game From Your Misspent Youth
The BittBoy Pocket Go really is something
We've covered previously BittBoy handhelds on the site before, so you guys should know the drill by now. These are super-cheap emulation-focused portables that feature off-the-shelf SoC tech and cost peanuts, and the latest addition – the BittBoy Pocket Go – is no different. Where this new version...
News The Evercade Handheld's First Collection Of Retro-Style Indie Games Has Been Revealed
10 games from Mega Cat Studios
Yet another cartridge full of retro-flavoured games has been revealed for the upcoming Evercade handheld system, this time featuring newer titles from an indie developer. The ‘Mega Cat Studios Collection 1' cartridge contains ten original games from - you guessed it - Mega Cat Studios, an indie developer known for...
June2019
News Nintendo Thinking About Extending Switch Online Retro Library Beyond NES Software
Are more legacy platforms on the way?
At Nintendo's 79th annual general meeting of shareholders yesterday, company president Shuntaro Furukawa was asked about the possibility of retro software from platforms such as the Nintendo 64 and GameCube era appearing on the Switch in future. In response, Furukawa said he had no "new information" to share,...
Random Banjo-Kazooie Meets The Wind Waker In This N64-Compatible Mod
A delightful crossover
Ever wondered what a mash-up of Banjo-Kazooie and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker might look like? Yes, no, maybe? Well, this mod – The Legend of Banjo-Kazooie: The Bear Waker – by Mark Kurko shows us a location from Wind Waker inside Banjo's game. The demo (see the video below) takes place on Outset Island – the...
News Clu Clu Land Joins Hamster's Arcade Archives Range On Switch
Arcade and NES now both available
Hamster's latest Arcade Archives release on Switch has been revealed, and this time we're being treated to 1984 arcade title, Clu Clu Land. The game released both as an arcade game and on the NES in the same year, and has actually recently joined the Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online line-up of...
News Play Your Nintendo 64 On Modern Displays With The Super 64 HDMI Adaptor
Just plug in and play
Depending on your setup at home, getting your beloved Nintendo 64 to work on a modern display isn't as easy as it once was. Some fancy monitors just aren't expecting you to plug in a 23-year-old machine (we can't relate) but this little adaptor should sort out any issues wonderfully. The EON Super 64 is a plug-and-play...
News Japanese Mega Drive Mini Collector's Edition Comes With 22 Tiny Cartridges
A framed set of cute (mock) carts
The Mega Drive Mini is shaping up to be an excellent tribute to Sega's classic 16-bit console, and it's taken many years of sub-standard efforts (and, arguably, the huge success of Nintendo's HDMI-friendly Mini Classic consoles) to get to this point. With M2 taking charge of emulation on this one, Mega Drive /...
News Sega Not Worried About Overwhelming Audiences With Retro Content
"We're never going to saturate the audience"
Sega is quite happy to re-release its retro library of games on each and every system. If you're like us, you've probably played the original Sonic the Hedgehog on a dozen different devices over the years. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz at E3 2019, Sega Europe's John Clark defended the...
News Limited Run Games To Release Physical NES And Game Boy Star Wars Cartridges
Get your orders in this week
During E3, physical indie publisher Limited Run Games teased what appeared to be a huge Star Wars announcement. The reveal showed that the company would be teaming up with Lucasfilm Games for some physical releases, but it wasn't 100% clear how this would actually work. Today, Limited Run has shared the news that...
Gallery Flicking Through Sega Master System: A Visual Compendium
Bitmap Books' latest epic is up for pre-order now
UK publisher Bitmap Books' latest Visual Compendium is now available to buy, following its successful crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. The next in the company's long-running series of books which focus on a single format (past entries include the NES and
News This FPGA-Powered Mega Drive / Genesis Flash Cart Can Play CD Games
A world first
Spanish company Terraonion – the same team responsible for the excellent Super SD System 3 for the PC Engine – has lifted the lid on its next project in a special ‘Terraonion Direct’ broadcast. (Wonder where it got that idea from?) The big news is the firm has created the world’s first Mega CD / Sega CD FPGA optical disc...
News A Forgotten (And Kirby-Free) HAL SNES Title Has Been Preserved For The Ages
Anyone for golf?
Some great news for retro gaming enthusiasts as the year of noteworthy Super Nintendo efforts continues unhinged. Reports of successful preservation of HAL Laboratory's Special Tee Shot prototype and subsequent public release means that we can all now enjoy the isometric mini-golf game that was meant to show up as a regular SNES...
Video The Making Of SNES Classic Star Fox And The Super FX Chip
And so, the Lylat System was born
Whether you're a diehard fan of the series, or even just familiar with the team thanks to the Super Smash Bros. games, Fox, Falco, Slippy, and Peppy hold a special place in the hearts of many Nintendo fans (yes, we're including Slippy here). The series' Lylat System was born in 1993, when Star Fox (known as Starwing...
Feature The Making Of The PC Engine, The 8-Bit Wonder That Took On Nintendo
With new 'Mini' hardware on the way, we look back at this 8-bit wonder
This piece was originally published in 2012. With the news that Konami is producing a PC Engine Mini, we thought you might like a fresh look. Enjoy! Western gamers tend to consider Nintendo and Sega as the two major players in the 16-bit war. On European and American soil this...
Random Have We Been Missing A Zelda Easter Egg In Mario 64 All These Years?
Amazing planning, or sheer coincidence?
Easter eggs in video games aren’t a new thing, but it’s rare to spot one decades after the event – but that’s what Twitter user Hitei he’s found in Super Mario 64. There’s a picture in Peach’s castle which we’ll all have dashed past many, many times over the years, and Hitei thinks this image...
Video Cadence Of Hyrule Guitarist And Grant Kirkhope Combine For Epic Banjo-Kazooie Collab
Turn it up to 64
In what is quite possibly one of the best videos of all time, and amazingly relevant considering what's been going on in the world of Nintendo this week, you're about to see Cadence of Hyrule guitarist FamilyJules rock out to a classic Banjo-Kazooie track with none other than the game's original composer, Grant Kirkhope. Unless...
Random God Of War Artist Shows Us How The Battletoads Reboot Should Have Looked
Can you imagine?
Beloved Rare franchise Battletoads made an appearance at this year's E3, albeit sadly not for a Nintendo platform, in the form of a new three-player beat 'em up. It all looks pretty fun and all, but just imagine if it looked like this. The artwork comes from Raf Grassetti, Art Director at God of War studio Sony Santa Monica. We've...
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