Tag: Nes - Page 7
News retroUSB's HDMI NES, the AVS, is Heading for a Summer Release
Priced at $185 and touting support for all current and future carts
There's still a sizeable group of gamers that derive great pleasure from playing retro games on their original systems. Getting the best out of these old titles, though, is always a challenge. Systems driven by emulation and impressive HDMI mods are available to give the NES a...
News Turns Out The Guy Behind Final Fantasy Loves Fire Emblem Too
Check out this vintage interview with Hironobu Sakaguchi
Fire Emblem may have taken its sweet time finding fame in the west, but it's been a popular franchise in its native Japan since the days of the Famicom. In fact, it's such an influential series that Hironobu Sakaguchi - the creator of Final Fantasy - claims that he had to resist playing it...
Video This Unpronounceable NES Title Was Pretty Tough For Kids Back In 1990
"Swing, jump, jump and swing"
If you're a long-time follower of the site then you'll already be aware of the work of Tyler Esposito, the brains behind the excellent iRetroGamer.com YouTube channel. A seasoned gamer with a love of both Nintendo and Sega, Esposito is in the unique position of having many of his childhood gaming habits recorded for...
News The Retro Receiver Allows You to Use Modern Bluetooth Controllers With the NES
Now you're playing with current-gen power
Quite often nowadays talk of playing retro games drifts to emulators - and arguments over them - and services like the Virtual Console. Plenty still dust off their original (and surprisingly functional) systems, however, and there's a sub-industry of gadgets to help these retro gamers get the most out of...
Random How to Turn Your Old NES Into an Electric Guitar
Turn it up to 8-bit
We suspect that many reading these pages have a good-old NES in their house, perhaps gathering dust as a treasured heirloom for future generations. Of course, some might still play their 8-bit system on a regular basis, or perhaps find another use for the iconic hardware. YouTuber Scotland Symons, who has shared a handful of...
Weirdness A New Animation is Found in Super Mario Bros. 3
It's only taken 28 years
It's amazing that still to this day, quirks and hidden information in the video games of yesteryear are still being surfaced from players around the world. The latest addition to this is NES classic Super Mario Bros. 3. For those accustomed with this title, you'll know that when our heroic plumber becomes Hammer Mario, he...
News A 24-karat gold-plated NES-playing system can be yours for $4,999
If you need something to play Wall Street Kid on
Watches. Roses. Silver medals. Things just rise to a new level of opulent superiority when they're plated in gold. And if you prefer your NES and Famicom games to be played among the top 1 percent of ways, there's a limited edition gold-plated system for you. Analogue, the company that previously...
News Here's A 3D Classics Version Of Zelda You Can Play In Your Web Browser
The stuff of legends
The Legend of Zelda turns 30 this year, and Nintendo has its own plans in place to celebrate this momentous milestone. However, some fans have the same idea, such as "Scott" and "Mike", the mysterious guys behind an amazing browser-based replication of the title that started it all on the Famicom / NES. Visiting...
Random Here's Every Level In Super Mario 3 Played Simultaneously
Because why not?
One of the biggest selling points of Super Mario Bros. 3 when it originally launched was its sheer size; compared to other platformers of the period, this was a seriously epic experience with a multitude of stages to discover - many of which required multiple playthroughs to find. YouTuber Viktor Bohush has decided to show off the...
Feature Batman V Superman In The Battle Of The Nintendo Games
Which superhero comes out on top? Find out within...
This article was originally published on 25th November 2014, and has been re-posted to celebrate the cinematic release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Things are really heating up in the world of superhero movies, thanks to both Marvel and DC revealing their cinematic hands like two Texan...
Missed Connection
If you don't remember City Connection, we wouldn't blame you. In 1985, arcades in the U.S. and elsewhere were booming in popularity, and as a result that particular industry was rather strong. This title came to NES owners a little later, however, releasing in the middle of 1988. It looks and feels like a relic of a bygone era, and...
News Meet The Famicom Machine Gun Peripheral That Never Made It Out Of Japan
Complete with realistic recoil system
It's easy to forget just how massive the NES was back in its glory days, but even that system paled in comparison to the near-domination that its Japanese counterpart - the Famicom - enjoyed in its homeland. Simply put, the Nintendo "Family Computer" was the only real game in town if you were a Japanese player,...
Weirdness You Can Now Play 3D NES Games In Your Web Browser
Wonders never cease
Next time you're bored at work you might want to try out this pretty incredible piece of programming which runs NES games via your browser in - wait for it - 3D. 3DNES only runs in Firefox and isn't operating at full speed at present, but as a technical feat it's pretty impressive. It takes original NES games and presents them...
Video The Incredible Tale Of The $50 Nintendo World Championships Cartridge
Stranger than fiction
Last year Nintendo resurrected the Nintendo World Championships, an event it first held back in 1990. As a result, interest in the special competition cartridges - handed out to winners
News Super Russian Roulette Is The Deer Hunter Video Game You Never Knew You Wanted
"I gotta get more bullets in the gun"
Michael Cimino's seminal 1978 drama The Deer Hunter may feature mesmerising performances from the likes of Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken and the late (and criminally underrated) John Cazale, but perhaps its most famous contribution to modern cinema is that scene where De Niro, Walken and John Savage's...
Chipping away
In the world of music vinyl is currently enjoying something of a resurgence, with the antiquated audio format coming back from the dead to take pride of place in any self-respecting hipster's living room. While it's unlikely that this trend has anything to do with the release of RIKI's 8Bit Music Power, parallels can nevertheless be...
Video Travel Back To 1990 For This Nintendo-Filled Birthday Event
Batman! DuckTales! Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom?!
Close friend and occasional Nintendo Life contributor Tyler Esposito is at it again - he's followed up on the Christmas video which saw him tearing off the wrapping to his shiny new NES back in 1989 with a birthday clip which shows just how popular Tim Burton's Batman movie wa
News New NES Game "Germ Squashers" Aims to Benefit Children's Miracle Network
Making everyone feel better
It's not every day that you see a new game release for an old console, but it does happen from time to time. Though these releases will typically launch on a modern digital storefront simultaneously with the physical cartridge, it's still a great way to make a new game as retro as it can possibly get. The next new NES...
News Get Ready for Light Gun Action in This Week's North American Nintendo Download Update
The Adventures of Bayou Billy! Wild Gunman! Hogan's Alley!
Starting with Duck Hunt in late 2014, Nintendo has been retrofitting and re-releasing - along with third-party partners - some iconic NES light gun / Zapper games for the Wii U eShop. They naturally utilise the Wii Remote pointer to recreate that old-fashioned practice of zapping pixels on...
Video Ghostbusters, Batman, Police Academy Toys And Nintendo - Say Hello To Christmas, 1989 Style
iretrogamer.com's Tyler Esposito shares another home movie
1989 was a vintage year. Not only did it give the world Tim Burton's Batman and Ghostbusters II, it saw the release of the Sega Genesis and Game Boy in North America. It was also a big year for iretrogamer.com founder and occassional Nintendo Life contributor Tyler Esposito - then a...
Review Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom
Nice videogame, shame about the plot
After dealing with that dark sword business Ryu Hayabusa might have hoped to put his feet up, but more evil schemes are in motion and so he must do his ninja thing once more. The powerup from the previous game that could provide duplicates to help in his quest has gone, but it turns out there is still another Ryu...
Video Your Washed-Up Parent Can't Handle Modern Games So Get Them A NES This Christmas, Says eBay
"THIS is a video game!"
eBay may primarily be about the buying and selling of second hand goods, but that doesn't mean the company is going to sit back and miss out on the retailing frenzy that is Christmas. With that in mind, the firm has published a commercial which focuses on how it can enliven the festive period of gamers, but in our eyes it's a...
Review Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos
Tough but fun Ninja action - Part 2
For the first NES Ninja Gaiden game, Tecmo created a tough but fun action platformer. It was very different to the scrolling beat 'em up action of the arcade game, but people liked it; sales must have been good too, because Ryu Hayabusa returned for a second NES outing. Gameplay in Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword...
Video Take A Trip Through The Magical Kingdom In Capcom's Most Underrated NES Disney Outing
But what's Donald Duck's middle name?
Capcom produced plenty of amazing games for the NES, and many of those were based on popular Disney properties such as DuckTales, Chip 'n Dale and TaleSpin. However, one such game never seems to get much attention, despite the fact that it offers a pretty unique concept which sets it apart from its licenced...
Random Disney Engineers Play NES Classics In Innovative Fashion
8-bit, 8-player, 8-projector madness!
Disney has always been known for its innovative flare, including within the videogame industry through its licenses and Disney Infinity titles. However, Disney Infinity is not the topic of discussion here, for the Disney Research team has revolutionised a way of revisiting NES classics in the form of...
Review Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stones
A tough but enjoyable adventure for Bimmy and friends
Bimmy. If there's one thing people know about Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stones, it's Bimmy – a typo during the game's (multiplayer) intro that humorously renames the main protagonist. There's more to this third NES entry in the Double Dragon series than a small chuckle however. There's a...
Review The Adventures of Bayou Billy
Billy's swampland slog
In 2014 Nintendo suddenly realised that it could recreate the experience of a light gun game by using the pointer controls of the Wii Remote. Duck Hunt arrived on the Wii U eShop that Christmas and a few other NES Zapper games have followed since. Now we have Konami's The Adventures of Bayou Billy, although it should be noted...
News 8 Bit Music Power is a New Famicom Release, Due Out 31st January
The first release in 21 years
The Famicom was a trailblazing console in many ways, virtually paving the way for a successful game industry after many thought it would fade away. Nonetheless, the console is a product of the early 80's and has since been succeeded by numerous consoles that have gone on to achieve bigger and better things. Although the...
News Fangamer Launches Legends Of Localization Book 1: The Legend Of Zelda
It's dangerous to read alone
Fangamer is publishing a book all about the localisation (or localization, if you prefer) of the very first Legend of Zelda title on the NES, and it looks set to be an essential purchase for truly hardcore fans of the series. Written by professional translator Clyde "Tomato" Mandelin, whose credits include Attack on...
News Chief NES Designer Describes Nintendo as an Indie Studio
"Nintendo has always been like that, we are like indies"
In a game industry that's increasingly becoming larger and more monetized, Nintendo arguably stands as an oasis. While it may be that the company plays it safe a fair amount, it's nonetheless notable for its implementation of creative or innovative ideas. After all, how many other AAA...
News The NES Joins The High Definition Era With This Awesome HDMI Mod
Back to the future
A HDMI mod is already in the works for the N64, and allows you to get the best possible picture out of the vintage system. However, that's not the only modification which brings retro hardware bang up to date - there's a similar mod available for the older NES which performs the same trick. Available via Game-Tech, the Hi-Def NES...
"Oh, what, Mega Man 3's out? Yeah, we don't have that one yet."
Before the internet came along and made sure that every possible hint, tip and cheat was just a Google search away, players relied on magazines and telephone lines for their gaming wisdom. In North America, Nintendo's Powerline game play counselors became almost God-like thanks to...
Retro Classic NES, SNES And N64 Controllers Get Stripped Down For Inspection
The evolution of play
Nintendo's story could be seen as the story of the games industry as a whole, certainly from an interface perspective. The company's NES console introduced domestic players to the D-Pad (first used on the 1982 Game & Watch Donkey Kong) and more than one action button, while the SNES a
Cute, creative and cruel
Most shmups ask you to shoot your way through hordes of enemy ships while dodging gunfire. Stinger asks you to do this while juggling. The cute, goofy exterior of the game hides just how challenging it can be, as while it may be hard to take smiling shoes, flying phones and whirling donuts seriously, they're all highly...
News 1993 Kirby's Adventure Interview Reveals Cut Content, Alternative Names And Why Kirby Is Pink
"Normally a character like Kirby would have been yellow"
Kirby is now a firmly-established member in Nintendo's vast catalogue of intellectual properties, but back in 1993 he was very much a newcomer looking to prove himself - as this fascinating interview from the period attests. Freshly translated by Shumplations.com, the feature originally...
Review Zoda's Revenge: StarTropics II
Time for Mike to make his return
For banana fans and island hoppers alike, the original StarTropics stands to this day as an under-appreciated classic of the NES library. It's the kind of imperfect gem that sadly went a little under the radar at the time of its release, but has endured as a cult favourite thanks in large part to its distinctive...
News Lost NES Title Wonderland Dizzy Made Available For Free
My head is spinning
Famous games dev siblings The Oliver Twins have just released a NES title which was assumed lost many years ago. Wonderland Dizzy - an entry in the beloved platforming series the brothers originally created for the likes of the ZX Spectrum and C64 - was produced during the early '90s but never saw the light of day on Nintendo's...
Dig in
The original Dig Dug was fairly popular, so naturally a sequel had to follow eventually. Dig Dug II ended up being not nearly as widespread as its predecessor, only seeing release in arcades and on the NES, so you'd be forgiven for not even knowing it existed! Dig Dug II takes a massive departure from the first game. True to its title that...
News Nintendo Marks Back To The Future's 30th By Releasing Wild Gunman On The Virtual Console
"You mean you have to use your hands? That's like a baby's toy"
The NES isn't the only thing that hits the big Three-O this year - the legendary Hollywood movie series Back to the Future also began 30 years ago, and in a neat bit of anniversary fusion, Nintendo is acknowledging the fact by releasing Wild Gunman on the Wii U Virtual Console. As any...
News Sony Wishes The NES A Happy 30th Via Twitter
"Thanks for paving the way"
As we reported yesterday, the NES is now 30 years old. Nintendo's 8-bit console is arguably one of the most important video game hardware releases of all time, as it laid down the third party software licensing framework that still exists today and resorted consumer faith in a console market which had been all but...
News The NES is Now 30 Years Old
The game changer
The NES is 30 years old today, at least based on its widely agreed - albeit historically debatable - North American release date. Not to be mistaken with the Famicom release - which is way back in 1983 - it was nevertheless the Nintendo Entertainment System rebranding and a certain Super Mario Bros. that catapulted Nintendo further...
News NES Designer Explains the History of the Console's Release in North America
The one that started it all
The game industry was a very different place back in the early 80's, teetering just on the edge of extinction. Market saturation and poor quality games were major contributing factors to this, leading many to believe that video games were just another passing fad that would vanish as quickly as they appeared. It got to...
News These Limited Edition Analogue Nt Consoles Will Make Your Bank Account Weep
Gold LE and Famicom LE limited to 50 units each
We've been keeping a keen eye on the Analogue Nt since it was first announced as we're massive fans of the Analogue Interactive CMVS systems released in the past. By the sound of things this highly-refined NES system has been a real hit with fans, as the first production run is totally sold out...
Move over Madden 16, Tecmo Bowl is back and stealing the NFL spotlight
1989 wasn't just an amazing year because that's when this writer was born. It's an also amazing year because that's when Tecmo Bowl received its home console release on the Nintendo Entertainment System. Boasting an impressive roster from the 1988 NFL season, players could now...
Weirdness Japanese Company Wants To Bring NES Games To Smartphones Via A Tiny Cartridge
Small device plugs into into your headphone socket
Modern gaming is becoming increasingly focused on digital distribution, with publishers making use of online stores such as the Wii U and 3DS eShops to deliver games directly to consumers without having to produce physical media. With rumours that Nintendo's next console could abandon physical...
Video Watch Miyamoto And Tezuka Pick Apart The Iconic Opening Level Of Super Mario Bros.
World 1-1 walkthrough by the guys who made it happen
As you may well have seen, Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka recently visited the UK and were kind enough to spend some time not only with us, but also with our friends over at Eurogamer. While we decided to have a good old-fashioned music session with the two legends, Eurogamer spent its time...
Retro Float Back In Time With This Gallery Of Nostalgic NES Packaging
Cardboard cool
Old-school game packaging was pretty incredible. Sure, some 8-bit releases have terrible box art and were clearly designed in the space of a single evening, but there's a charm to their rough and ready nature - they hark back to a more primitive, innocent age. Engadget's Sean Buckley knows this all too well, and has kindly posted a...
News Quest Forge: By Order Of Kings Mixes Zelda And Secret Of Mana, But You'll Need A NES To Play It
A brand new old RPG
Homebrew developer Ludocity has just released a new RPG, but there's a catch - you'll have to take a trip up to the loft and dust off your old NES in order to play it. Quest Forge: By Order Of Kings is a top-down role-player which, according to the developer, combines elements of The Legend of Zelda and Secret of Mana. The game...
Weirdness Blizzard's Heroes Of The Storm Features A Nintendo-Themed Easter Egg
Duck and cover
Blizzard's popular MOBA Heroes of the Storm recently got a substantial update which updated existing characters and introduced the Dialbo III's Monk, who naturally has his own menu screen to reside in outside of the game itself. It's in this menu screen that Blizzard has chosen to hide a special Duck Hunt Easter Egg. Spotted by...
Gallery This NES Console Mod Is The Ultimate Metroid Tribute
Worth hunting for
This year marks 29 years since Metroid was released in North America, and to celebrate the occasion fans are paying tribute to the NES classic in a wide range of ways. Modder Platinumfungi has collaborated with airbrush artist Noel McEwen to craft a one-of-a-kind NES console complete with a Samus sprite which lights up when the...
