Retro News
June2022
Feature How The Quintessential Essence Of Pokémon Games Inspires Gen After Gen
Insight from Pokémon World Champions and Temtem’s Director
In 1998 my Canadian elementary school banned everything to do with Pokémon. The games, the trading cards, and discussions about the anime – all of it was off-limits as Pocket Monster fever swept through North America like a swarm of Rattata, distracting us from our in-class reading of...
May2022
Random The Power Glove Is An Inventive Way To Play Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit
Even more hands-on
The Power Glove wasn't great. We know it, you know it, everyone knows it. It's infamous for being one of the worst controllers ever. Yet that doesn't stop people from being fascinated with it and trying new things out with the peripheral. Further reading: Feature: Uncovering The Unlikely Story Of The World's Worst Controller In...
News 'Memory Limits' Showcases Amazing Art Created On The Game Boy
"The Game Boy becomes the medium for individual ideas, stories and visions"
The Game Boy was hugely influential in the game industry, playing its part in bringing video games into the mainstream. It's still very much loved despite its limitations, from its basic specifications that restricted the scope of its games, down to the modest screen. Those...
News Embracer Games Archive Is Striving To Preserve And Celebrate Gaming Culture
"We want to archive and save as much of the video games industry as possible"
The Embracer Group is a significant gaming company that is still somewhat under the radar in comparison to other major brands. Previously known as THQ Nordic and operating out of Sweden, it's become the parent organisation for a number of major gaming companies - familiar...
Rumour Datamine Reveals Six More Neo Geo Pocket Games Potentially Coming To Switch
Including two never-before-localised titles
Last week, we got the surprise Switch release of the Neo Geo Pocket Color's Biomotor Unitron — the system's first RPG. Biomotor Unitron joins the likes of Big Bang Pro Wrestling, SNK Gals' Fighters, and Samurai Shodown! 2 (among many others) on the system in representing the classic handheld console. And...
Soapbox Help, I Can't Stop Buying Japanese Games I Don't Understand And Will Never Play
Nintendo sixty-moarrr
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've got on their minds. Today, Gavin ponders why he's spending time and money importing Nintendo curios from the East that he's not even sure he'll play... It all started with Morita Shogi 64. If you're...
Review Rival Turf! - Jaleco's Brawler Is No Match For Final Fight, Two-Player Or Not
Two isn't always better than one
This review originally went live in 2015, and we're updating and republishing it to mark the game's arrival on Switch as part of the Super NES library of games included with a Nintendo Switch Online subscription. When approaching Jaleco's Rival Turf! (known as Rushing Beat in Japan), it's important to understand...
News SNES Platforming Shooter 'Jim Power: The Lost Dimension' Returns On Switch
With multiple physical releases
In another obscure retro rerelease, publisher QUByte Interactive and developer PIKO Interactive have announced the return of the SNES platformer Jim Power: The Lost Dimension in 3-D in the form of a brand new release — Jim Power: The Lost Dimension. Released in 1993 on the Super Nintendo, Jim Power is an action...
News Playable Build Of Cancelled N64 Game 'SimCopter 64' Discovered
History takes flight
In a huge discovery for video game history, a playable version of a long-lost cancelled N64 game has been found. SimCopter 64 was meant to be a port of the Maxis and EA title on PC and was last seen at E3 in — wait for it — 1997. We were made aware of this by Twitter user and gaming history preservationist @dangentemp, who...
Random Popular Flash Game 'IndestructoTank!' To Get A Physical Release On Game Boy
Digital, too!
With the death of Adobe Flash Player on 1st January 2021, many creators have gone to great lengths to preserve the projects they created over the years. If you were around at the peak of this era, then the name Newgrounds will be familiar to you, and I'm sure everyone has something they spent hours upon hours of mouse clicking and on...
News The Neo Geo Pocket Color's First RPG, Biomotor Unitron, Launches On Switch Tomorrow
Surprise!
In a surprise announcement, SNK has announced the next game in its Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection series, Biomotor Unitron. Released on the handheld back in 1999, this was the very first RPG for the system. The game mixes sci-fi elements with dungeon crawling. You control a robot through these dungeons — which are semi-random a selected...
News Valis: The Fantasm Soldier Collection II Launches On Switch This September
Japan only, for now...
Remember back in March when Edia announced it had plans to release a second collection of Valis titles on the Nintendo Switch? Well, it's now locked in a release date...at least for Japan, confirming this three-in-one classic collection will be released on 22nd September. This second collection, known officially as Valis: The...
News Rare Footage From Nintendo's 1976 16mm Film Arcade Game 'Sky Hawk' Emerges
A blast from the past
Nintendo's fascinating history continues to be unearthed by fans across the world. Just last year, 16mm film from Nintendo's Wild Gunman — originally a 1974 arcade cabinet before jumping onto the NES in the '80s — was discovered. 16mm film games use film reels and projectors to project photos and footage onto the screen...
Review Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards - Kirby's First Brush With 3D Is Still A Charmer
Kirby Sixty-phwoar
Like many of Nintendo's properties during the transition from the SNES to the N64, Kirby underwent a shift from a flat 2D sprite to a fully rendered polygon rendition of himself. Rather than taking Kirby down the route of Mario and Link, however, the pink mascot stuck closer to his origins — mechanically, Kirby 64: The Crystal...
News Ys And Trails Developer Plans To Release More Retro Titles On Switch
Update: Other Trails ports are being looked at
Update [Thu 19th May, 2022 10:00 BST] RPG Site has fully translated the Switch port questions from the Famitsu interview from yesterday. Kondo's answers clearly highlight that the company not only want to bring retro titles to the system, but also future titles. The interview focused on the upcoming The...
Random 2021 NES Game 'Slow Mole' Is Getting A Bizarre Claymation Movie
And there's a trailer
Last year didn't bring us the Switch 2, but it certainly brought us something very interesting and unexpected. 2021 saw the release of, not Breath of the Wild 2, but a brand new NES game called Slow Mole. Slow Mole is known for anything but slowness, as the game has garnered a reputation among the speedrunning community for...
News SEGA Launches New Streets Of Rage Merch In Europe
Streets of Range
While all the trendy kids talk about Streets of Rage 4 and (accurately) discuss how awesome it is, those of us that prefer the soft glow of nostalgia look back to the original. In truth it doesn't hold up as well as its outstanding sequel, but it's an iconic game among retro enthusiasts and some of us that had our young minds blown...
News This Important Piece Of Star Fox History Was Almost Thrown Away
I can't let you do that, Fox
Star Fox might not be one of Nintendo's biggest-selling franchises, but it certainly has a passionate following; the first SNES game was revolutionary in that it harnessed the Super FX chip to create a convincing 3D world, while subsequent titles both refined the format and took it in new directions. However, since...
Video We Take A Look At Limited Run Games' Brand New Store
Update: The full video is out now!
Update [Tue 17th May, 2022 20:00 BST] Well, the update came a lot sooner than we expected! Zion's full trip to Limited Run Games' physical game store — and it's here to stay. Featuring merchandise, cut-outs, playable games, and neon lighting, it's a glorious nostalgia trip. The video is a 26-minute love letter...
News Newly-Translated Article Reveals Sega And Nintendo's Worries Of A '90s Atari-Style Crash
“It’s almost like a return of the 1982 Atari Shock"
Many of us think of the '90s as the golden age of video games. The Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis / Mega Drive were brimming with a huge variety of games. But when Sony's PlayStation hit in 1995, it was an indication of another huge shake-up in the video game industry — though even then,...
Random Sorry GameCube, LeBron James Likes The Nintendo 64 More
The King has spoken
King James, otherwise known as the Los Angeles Lakers' player LeBron James, recently held a Q&A on Twitter, and unsurprisingly there were a number of video game questions thrown at the basketball superstar. One, in particular, that's already received quite a bit of attention on social media is a question from the technology...
News You Can Play Mario Kart 64 In Glorious HD Thanks To This Fan-Made Texture Pack
Yippee!
The Nintendo 64 fan scene has been pretty darn busy lately, with the Zelda: Ocarina of Time PC port finally launching — and getting a shed-load of fun and unusual mods — and even more games rumoured to be made available through reverse engineering. Next on the list, however, is a very smooth and shiny update to a pa
Random Indie Horror Dev Launches Kickstarter To Create A Game For Pokémon Mini
Pokémon Silver Falls
Hands up — who had a Pokémon Mini back in the day? The microconsole launched in 2001 in Japan and North America — right before the GameCube came out — and the following year in Europe. it came in three colours, had ten games released for it (only 4 made it to America, with an additional game coming to Europe), and is...
Random Portal 64 Demake Shows Portal Running On "Real N64 Hardware"
GLaDOS would be pleased
Valve's Portal: Companion Collection will see the release of Portal and Portal 2 on a Nintendo system for the first time ever, but have you ever wondered what the original 2007 game might have looked like if it got a release during the N64 era? Well, there's now a 'Portal 64' demake in the works. It's still in development,...
News Lawsuit Brought Against Game Grading Firm, WATA, Alleging Market Manipulation
Class-action also alleges false statements and false advertising
In August last year WATA generated plenty of headlines, as criticism started to mount over the boom of retro game prices amid allegations of wrongdoing from the game grading firm. Claims surfaced alleging that the company was artificially driving high prices, along with claims of...
Random Here's Why Wolfenstein 3D On SNES Replaced Dogs With Rats
"You can't shoot dogs!"
We love a good documentary here at Nintendo Life, and CREATORVC's upcoming film, First Person Shooter, looks like it will fill a big gap in our lives. Shooting for a Q4 2022 release, this 3+ hour documentary is all about the genre's rise. Ahead of its release later this year, CREATORVC has shared a six-minute snippet with IGN...
Review The King Of Fighters: The Ultimate History
Bitmap Books' latest epic packs a punch
Capcom's Street Fighter has had many rivals over the years, including the likes of Virtua Fighter, Mortal Kombat and Guilty Gear. However, one franchise stands out as the true competitor: SNK's King of Fighters. Since its inception in 1994, the series has offered what many fans consider to be the only...
News Alwa's Awakening Gets A NES Physical Release And Unique 'Digical' Version
Update: We unbox the NES version
Update: Retro-Bit has been kind enough to send us samples of Alwa's Awakening physical NES release and its 'Digical' version, so feast your eyes on them below: Original Story [Wed 15th Sep, 2021 16:30 BST]: Retro-Bit is producing a physical version of Elden Pixels' Alwa's Awakening and will be making the game...
News David Ward, Co-Founder Of UK Game Developer Ocean Software, Has Passed Away
A "legend of the UK games industry"
Co-founder of Ocean Software, David Ward, has sadly passed away. A titan of the UK games industry, Ward's Ocean Software was one of the biggest European game developers and publishers in the '80s and '90s. This news was revealed by Just Flight founder Andy Payne on Twitter, and there has been an outpouring of...
News After The Game Boy-Like GameShell, Clockwork Pi's Next Trick Is A Computer You Build Yourself
1983 called, and it wants its consumer tech back
Remember the Clockwork Pi GameShell? We covered this open source DIY handheld in 2018, mainly because it resembled a Game Boy and could run MAME, Game Boy Advance and NES titles. It raised $290,429 on Kickstarter and we really enjoyed tinkering around with it – so the news that
Guide 50 Best GameCube Games Of All Time
As ranked by you lovely people
The Nintendo GameCube launched in Japan in September 2001 and a couple of months later on 18th November in North America. Unlucky Europeans wouldn't get their hands on it until the following year, but the wait was worth it for one of the best-looking video game consoles of all time. The NGC (sorry, GCN) is a beautiful,...
April2022
Soapbox Please, Please, Please Release Sonic Advance Trilogy On Nintendo Switch Online
Don't make us blue
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've got on their minds. Today, Stuart pleads with the powers that be to get a certain trilogy on Nintendo Switch Online... Game Boy Advance is coming to Switch Online! Maybe! Almost certainly, anyway!...
News Fans Have Created Their Own Metroid 64, And It Looks Incredible
What could have been
The Metroid series famously skipped the Nintendo 64 back in the '90s. The "lost game" Metroid 64 was never in development, with Super Metroid director Yoshio Sakamoto saying that he "couldn't imagine" how Samus would move around a 3D environment with the N64 controller. We only ever got to see and play as Samus in the very first...
News Kickstarter DIY Kit Transforms GBA Into Console-Like HDMI System
No soldering required
A new Kickstarter campaign by IntecGaming aims to convert the Game Boy Advance into a console-like experience. Its 'GBA HDMI Kit' has so far raised just over $10,000 USD (with a goal of $49,697) and promises to be highly portable, easy to operate and a fun DIY device. It also comes with built-in Bluetooth receiver, allowing it...
Talking Point WATA And The Grey Areas Of Game Preservation - Is There Any Better Way?
WATAAARGH
The game industry is youthful compared to other areas of entertainment and recorded culture - younger than film and TV, and of course a baby compared to printed works. Yet we're now decades into the history of gaming, especially if you go back to the systems of the 1970s, perhaps even a little earlier. Even if you choose to focus on the...
Rumour Here Are The Supposed GBA Games "Tested" For Switch Online So Far
Take a look
In case you missed it, the Nintendo Switch could possibly be adding Game Boy titles to its online service in the near future. Following on from the initial "leak", a list of games apparently tested for the service has now been shared online by Twitter user and dataminer MondoMega. The games highlighted in yellow in the list below have...
News It Looks Like Nintendo's Game Boy Emulator For Switch Online Just Leaked
Announcement incoming?
Last year there were whispers that Nintendo was planning to bring Game Boy games to its Nintendo Switch Online subscription service to join the existing libraries of NES and SNES titles, plus the Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis catalogues available as part of the Expansion pack subscription tier. Now, a leak seems
Feature How Limited Run's New Engine Respects The Legacy Of Classic Games
"If we’re going to make a change that sweeping, the original needs to be there as well"
The world of physical media in brick-and-mortar stores has dwindled in recent years due to the proliferation of digital storefronts readily and conveniently available on modern platforms. While some would never think to pay the same (or more) on a digital game...
Review Mario Golf - Strait-Laced Fun On The Fairway
Mario hits the links
This review originally went live in 2008, and we're updating and republishing it to mark the game's arrival on Switch as part of the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack. After Mario's forays into non-platforming genres — you know, the Karting, the Picross-ing, the Dr. Mario...ing — Nintendo realised something: put Mario...
Random Here's Why Nintendo Doesn’t Want You Using The Word "Nintendo" To Describe Video Games
"There's no such thing as a Nintendo"
If you’ve trundled around the internet for as long as we have, you may have come across a 1990 store poster from Nintendo, correcting its users on how to use the word "Nintendo". While this ad may come across as Mario lecturing your grandmother with a lesson in grammar, when this image first hit the internets...
Random You Can Play SNES Games On A Toaster With This DIY Kit
ToastBound
When we think of custom consoles, the first thing that comes to mind is custom plates, portable versions of home consoles - like this portable GameCube, which, in the absence of GameCube games on the Switch, we need. Yes, need. We're going a bit beyond these examples today, though! Japanese manufacturer Columbus Circle, who creates parts...
Feature Nintendo Reigns Supreme At The Science Museum's 'Power UP' Exhibition
Play some of gaming's most iconic consoles and games
Walking into the Basement Gallery of the London Science Museum, you're greeted by an uncomfortable warmth that often comes with gaming events, but this is soon forgotten when you cast your eyes over the sea of consoles lying in wait. We're all so used to seeing old gaming systems locked away...
Video Check Out This Japan-Only Club Nintendo Game You Likely Never Heard Of
Reclaim Mario's hat in 'Nintendoji'
We Nintendo fans often pride ourselves on our vast and intimate knowledge of the company's back catalogue. Even when a piece of hardware or software isn't released in our territory, we'll either import it or sit there poring over details and videos of obscure releases we'll never get our hands on. Knowledge is...
Gallery This Incredible Axelay Art Proves We Need A Modern Remake
Created by Housemarque's Tomi Väisänen
While the end credits of Konami's stunning SNES shmup Axelay promised a sequel, we sadly never got one – and the game remains a true one-of-a-kind thanks to its gorgeous visuals, fantastic level design and brilliant music. Someone else who is clearly a huge fan is Housemarque's Tomi Väisänen. When he's...
News As 'Power Instinct' Approaches 30, The Chances Of A Re-Release Seem Slim
Character designs not "politically correct"
While it might not be quite as well-known as Street Fighter or King of Fighters, Atlus' zany Power Instinct (Gōketsuji Ichizoku in Japan) still has many fans – and those same fans might be expecting some kind of celebration to mark the series' 30th birthday in 2023. However, according to one source in...
News You Can Get Lost In This Hand-Drawn Zelda Map From 1986
"Never-seen-in-full-online before"
When the original Zelda launched in 1986, it captivated players with its massive, sprawling map and an incredible level of detail. While subsequent Zelda games have improved on this foundation dramatically, it's still easy to appreciate the level of complexity present in the NES original – and nothing captures...
Random Metal Gear 35th Anniversary Site Confirmed As A Fan Joke, Now 'Konami Memorial NFT'
"We are currently considering how to deal with this site" - Konami
Update [Mon 4th Apr, 2022 09:40 BST]: Konami has confirmed to TechRadar that the metalgear35th site that appeared just before April Fools' Day is indeed a fake. In fact, it has now been transformed into the 'Konami Memorial NFT' site with an explanation posted by the site's creator...
March2022
News We're Getting A Second Valis Collection On Switch
Includes three classic games from the series
Edia has announced that it plans to release a second collection of Valis titles on the Switch. Valis: The Fantasm Soldier Collection arrived last year, and included the PC Engine (AKA: TurboGrafx-16) versions of Valis: The Fantasm Soldier, Valis II, and Valis III. The second collection – which doesn't...
News SNK Has Released Another Neo Geo Pocket Color Game On Switch eShop
The return of Big Bang Pro Wrestling
Well, here's a surprise - the Neo Geo Pocket Color title Big Bang Pro Wrestling is now available on the Switch eShop. This title was originally released in 2000 exclusively in Japan. Here's the rundown, courtesy of SNK's official website: It's about to pop off! Muscle-bound wrestlers take the stage for a...
Random We Can't Stop Thinking About This Stunning GameCube Mockup
Vaporwave hello
Via Reddit You know how it is. You're scrolling through Twitter of an evening, admiring beautiful retro game box art and hardware and intricately detailed scale starship models (everyone does that, right?), and suddenly see an image so jaw-droppingly amazing that it stops you dead in your tracks. The image above had just this...
News Modder Creates 'Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 DX' For Game Boy Color
Not just the colour of money
While nowadays the talk is always "what other Wii U games can we get on Switch", perhaps in an earlier age kids on the playground talked about "what Game Boy games can we get ports of for the Color?". Ok, maybe not, but it's an interesting thought; of course, online communities of enthusiasts and modders do more than...
News Nintendo Issues Copyright Strike Against Scanned Super Mario 64 Guide From 1996
A fruitless endeavour?
Update [Fri 25th Mar, 2022 10:00 GMT] - Well, that didn't last long. Last week, we reported on a stunning collection of online scans from the 1996 Super Mario 64 guide; a true relic that would likely cost a hefty sum if you wanted a physical copy today. Thanks to an update from Kotaku, we can now report that the scans have...
Hands On WaterField's Analogue Pocket Pouch Perfectly Protects Your Precious Portable
(Sorry.)
Given how hard it is to come by, it's little surprise that the Analogue Pocket has become a treasured object for those lucky enough to own one. With that in mind, it goes without saying that some form of protection is in order – especially if you're going to be, you know, carrying this thing around with you, so thank goodness for the...
Random Want To Turn Your Game Boy Into A Megazord? Just Attach Every Accessory
Go go, Game Boy rangerrrrrs
Want to know how to acquire the ultimate Game Boy or Game Boy Color? Well, you just need some spare cash and all of the accessories! In ye olden days, handheld consoles came with a plethora of add-ons and peripherals that would help enhance your gaming experience. Remember, the backlight didn't always exist. - you had to...
Random A Rare Zelda: The Wind Waker Promo Scroll Gets An Airing
A hero lost in time
One of the most memorable moments of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker was undoubtedly its incredibly stylish prologue sequence. Against a backdrop of beautiful rendered images and Hylian script (and who can forget the wonderful accompanying music), the sequence told the basic narrative of Ocarina of Time and gave vital...
News My Nintendo Offers Some Sweet N64-Themed Keychains In The US
Don't lose them!
My Nintendo is offering up some Nintendo 64 themed keychains soon, based on original NA box art for games featured in the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack. There are two sets available from My Nintendo in the region, each with a pair that'll set you back 500 Platinum Points. The lineup currently consists of Star Fox 64 and...
Rumour Buster No, The Original DOOM Doesn't Take Place In March 2022
"that date did not come from anyone at id"
At the start of this year, a rumour was apparently doing the rounds online that the original 1993 DOOM video game (released on the Super Nintendo in the same year) was set during March 2022. This "rumour" comes from the game's SNES manual. FPS specialist magazine E1M1 (via PCGamesN) previously confirmed...
Random 'Zelda Meets Bomberman' In Nobelia, A New Philips CD-i Game
Probably better than those 'Zelda' games on CD-I
Nintendo has been incredibly protective of its IPs throughout its history, largely retaining control and maintaining exclusivity on its platforms, aside from the occasional arcade machine. That makes the 'Zelda' trilogy on the Philips CD-i particularly fascinating (the system had Mario titles as...
News Nintendo Renews Zelda, Metroid, And Donkey Kong Trademarks
Remember to keep your expectations low
Nintendo has swept in with another round of trademark renewals, including some big-hitting franchises. And Mach Rider. While this is probably business as usual for the big N, these freshly-filed games have a couple of things in common. So, like any sensible humans, let's have fun and speculate! Spotted by one...
Random Discover How Mode 7 Works On Super NES, In Just 10 Minutes
Who needs blast processing?
Mode 7 is definitely one of the coolest features of many SNES games. Remember hopping into your first go-kart in Super Mario Kart and seeing your favourite characters drive around "fully-3D" courses? Or playing Secret of Mana and getting on Flammie's back for the first time, and looking down at the world map? Don't forget...
News 'In The Dark' Is A New Puzzler Releasing For The Game Boy
Sales go live this week
The humble Game Boy simply refuses to die, and we couldn't be happier about that. A brand new game for the portable console is coming soon courtesy of retro publisher Bitmap Soft, with sales due to go live later this week. In the Dark is a puzzle game in which the primary goal is simple: turn off all the lights. Presented in...
Random Sonic 2 Movie Poster Gives Fans The Major 'Sonic 2sday' Feels
2 Fast, 2 Furious
Marketing for the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 2 movie has been exceptionally strong, with Paramount leaning heavily on iconic imagery and nostalgia. The latest poster goes above and beyond, tapping into those nostalgic feels like nothing else we've seen up till now, especially for anyone who was around for the launch of the...
Random Phil Spencer Did A "Crash Course" In N64 And PlayStation When He Joined Microsoft's Xbox Team
"it was really my first foray into console gaming"
We've heard on a number of occasions how Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has been a lifelong fan of video games, and during an appearance on an Xbox podcast earlier this weekend, he briefly touched on his history with the Nintendo 64. After reflecting on gaming during his childhood with the Xbox...
Random Console Modder Makes "Fake Portable GameCube" Mock-Up A Reality
"It's real now"
Reflect on previous Nintendo generations, and you might remember mock-ups of portable GameCube handhelds inspired by the Game Boy Advance SP. If you've ever wanted a real version of something like this, well...that's exactly what console modder and YouTuber 'GingerOfOz' has created. The modder has been able to shrink this mock-up...
News Glory Hunters Looks Like A Game Boy Zelda, And Plays Like Nothing Else
Well, it plays a bit like Zelda too
The year is 2022, and there's another physical Game Boy release on the way! And it's Analogue Pocket compatible! It's called Glory Hunters, and it pulls from the looks of A Link to the Past, plus that iconic green-on-green monochrome Game Boy colour palette. But there's a twist: You progress through the game by...
Review F-Zero X - The Best The Series Has To Offer
X gonna give it to ya
This review originally went live in 2016, and we're updating and republishing it to mark the release of F-Zero X on Switch, available as part of the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack N64 library. The original F-Zero on the Super Nintendo really blew gamers away with its stunning use of Mode 7 visuals, colourful graphics,...
Video This Fan-Made Banjo-Kazooie Remaster Trailer Looks Absolutely Stunning
Unfortunately, you can't actually play it...
Even if Banjo-Kazooie is now Microsoft-owned, the bear and bird duo will always have a special place in the hearts of Nintendo gamers around the world. And although Rare re-released an improved version of the original title during the Xbox 360 generation, many fans are still left wondering what a proper...
Video We Can't Stop Buying Weird Nintendo Games
Game swaps bring hidden delights
One of the most joyful things about the retro video game community is the conventions and meet-ups that are put on to celebrate the classics and bask in the glory of those hidden gems. In-person events are slowly starting to make a comeback, so leave it to the indomitable Zion Grassl, king of collectibles and...
Anniversary The Father Of Video Games Would've Been 100 Years Old Today
So let's celebrate Ralph Baer today
As noted by our friends over at Retronauts (and many others), today marks what would have been the 100th birthday of the man many call the father of video games, Ralph Baer. It's hard to say, but without Baer's work as an inventor and pioneer that developed the first video game console for the home with the...
Random Blindfolded Speedrunner Sets New Record On Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!
It's a knockout
We've seen some pretty impressive speedruns in our time, but this is one for the history books. While a lot of speedrunners utilise glitches and generally try to break the game in order to achieve their goals, YouTuber and Twitch streamer 'Summoning Salt' has opted for pure skill to nail the world record for completing
News Nintendo 64 Platformer 'Glover' Returns, Just Not On Switch
It should fit like a glove, though!
Who remembers Interactive Studios' Glover? If you had an N64, you likely snagged a handful of 3D platformers from Super Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie and its sequel, to Goemon's Great Adventure and Chameleon Twist. There was a glut of them on the system, but not many have been ported to other systems. Glover,...
Random Man Who Just Wanted To Play Duck Hunt With His Kids Built His Own Light Gun
"I thought Duck Hunt on a 50-inch TV would be amazing"
For many of us, the light gun was a part of our childhood. Whether it was grabbing your NES Zapper only to be mocked by a dog in Duck Hunt, or heading to the arcade and spending those few pennies of pocket money you saved up every week for a quick blast of Time Crisis, it captured the...
News A Long Lost N64 Video Game Prototype Has Been Released
See this 1999 build of Carnivalé: Cenzo's Adventure
It's always nice when a long lost game is unearthed and today is one of those days. Reintroducing the cancelled Nintendo 64 title, Carnivalé: Cenzo's Adventure. This obscure 3D platformer, developed by Terrraglyph Interactive Studios and published by Vatical Entertainment, was shown to the...
News Unofficial F-Zero 'World Championship' Aims To Celebrate The 30th Anniversary Of The Series
(That's 30 years in Europe, by the way)
F-Zero burst onto the scene over 30 years ago now as a launch title for the Super Famicom. Since then, Captain Falcon and his pals have enthralled millions of players – but even so, there hasn't been a new entry in the franchise since 2004's F-Zero Climax. For shame, Nintendo. Pop culture publication Cool...
Random The NES-SY37 Is A Custom-Built Synthesiser That Pays Tribute To The NES
You wait for one NES synthesiser to show up...
Just yesterday, we reported on an app that you can download to turn your NES into a synthesiser (if you have the right tools, of course). But Swedish craftsman Love Hultén, known for creating bespoke technology fused with traditional woodcraft, has paid tribute to the classic console by building a...
Random Turn Your NES Into A Synthesiser With This App
We built this city on bleeps and bloops
If, when you first played Super Mario Bros. 3 or the original Metroid, you wanted to make music that rivalled Koji Kondo or Hirokazu Tanaka but also sounded just like it, well in 2022 you're finally in luck. Available on itch.io and developed by user Avicr, SynthNes is a ROM that runs on an Everdrive N8 Pro...
Random Portal 2's Intro Was Apparently Inspired By Super Metroid's Opening
Game's project lead reveals all
The 1994 action-adventure Super Metroid is arguably the best entry in the mainline Metroid series and as a result, it's inspired many other games over the years. One game that you may not have realised took a little bit of inspiration is Valve's 2011 puzzle-platform game is Portal 2. Speaking to YouTube channel Kiwi...
February2022
News My Famicase Exhibition 2022 Is Now Accepting Entries For Fictional Famicom Cartridges
Fantastic fan-made fideo games
The My Famicase Exhibition is a long-standing tradition for artists who love retro games. Every year, Meteor — a Japanese retro game and goods shop — opens up applications for anyone who wants to be a part of the art, and all you have to do is design a cover for a Famicom cartridge. They're now accepting...
Review Taito Milestones (Switch) - An Oddly Meagre Collection Of Coin-Op Classics
A muted celebration of an important developer
A small "Powered by Arcade Archives" message sits in the corner of Taito Milestones' dual-purpose title/game select screen, a subdued seal of quality there to let players know the emulation within is of the same standard we've come to expect from Hamster's prolific series, with all the usual features...
News Retro-Bit's GameCube Component Cable Will Save You Some Pennies
No need to sell a kidney!
Remember the GameCube's official component cable? Once upon a time, it was the best way to get a picture out of Nintendo's boxy-but-good home console, and its price reflected that – it cost around £60/$70 at launch but can fetch upwards of £200 these days. Thankfully, there are other options in 2022. We've got HDMI...
News Nintendo's "Inhumane" Virtual Boy Testing Process Likened To 'A Clockwork Orange'
"They put us under the most bizarre tests"
Earlier today, we reported on a new video from Did You Know Gaming that shines a light on the Virtual Boy F-Zero spin-off Zero Racers, which was once believed to be little more than a series of screenshots but appears to be have been totally finished. The source is former Nintendo of America associate...
News Mythical Virtual Boy F-Zero Spin-Off Was 100% Complete, According To Former NOA Staffer
"Zero Racers was done"
The Virtual Boy might have gone down as one of Nintendo's most costly failures, but a dedicated and passionate fanbase has grown up around the system, and this group spends a lot of time looking into unreleased projects which could have potentially boosted the console's fortunes – one of which is F-Zero spin-off Zero Racers...
Review The Legend Of Zelda: Majora's Mask - Magnificent, Unique, And Worth Revisiting
Okay, campers, rise and shine
This review originally went live in 2016, and we're updating and republishing it to mark the release of Majora's Mask on Switch, available as part of the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack N64 library. The Zelda games have a lot of fans and there's also been plenty of opportunities over the years to revisit...
News 'Gex' The Forgotten '90s Video Game Mascot Might Be Making A Comeback
Update: Square Enix has now filed a trademark in Japan, too
Update [Thu 24th Feb, 2022 15:55 GMT]: Square Enix has now filed a trademark for Gex in Japan: Original Story [Fri 17th Dec, 2021 02:05 GMT]: Gex - one of the many forgotten video game mascots of the '90s - could potentially be making a comeback. Following on from Square Enix...
Retro How A Remarkable Street Fighter Port Soured The Relationship Between Capcom And Nintendo
"You're sitting on $4 million to $5 million in inventory cost"
Much has been written about how the N64, for all of its amazing games and technological advancements, was something of a misstep for Nintendo – especially after a decade of amazing success with the NES, Game Boy and SNES. Nintendo famously decided to go with expensive cartridges...
News Bitmap Books Celebrates The Legacy Of Final Fight, Streets Of Rage And More With 'Go Straight'
"The ulimate guide to side-scrolling beat 'em ups"
Once upon a time, the belt-scrolling beat 'em up was the king of the gaming world. Titles like Double Dragon, Final Fight, Golden Axe and Streets of Rage were some of the most successful and popular of the period; arcade titles would generate incredible revenue while home ports (and exclusives, in...
Random 22 Years Ago Today The Nintendo 64DD Had More Online Features Than Switch
Randnet Disk offered an impressive range of options
The Nintendo 64DD remains an intriguing part of the company's history, with the expansion ultimately being short-lived and limited to the Japanese market. Though it wasn't a commercial success after frequent delays and an arrival that fell too close to the GameCube, it nevertheless helped to pave...
Feature Is It Worth Importing A Japanese 3DS For These Virtual Console Games?
Save money on import classics before it's too late
As we all know the 3DS and Wii U eShops are closing down, taking with them countless classics in all genres. It's a decision that's understandably left many of us scrambling to find our old passwords and make those last minute purchases, finally turning those 'Maybe next time' purchases into a...
News Thousands Of Dollars Of Rare Factory-Sealed SNES Games Unearthed After 27 Years In Storage
TMNT! Evermore! Chrono Trigger! Sunset Riders!
When a video game store in Nebraska closed its doors for the final time in 1994, its entire stock was packed away and placed in storage, waiting for a new owner. Now, almost 30 years later, the stock has been unearthed and documented – and YouTube channel THISISGAMEROOM was there to record it. As you...
Review EarthBound Beginnings - A Charming Curio That Mother Fans Will Cherish
Everybody's gotta start somewhere
This review originally went live in 2015, and we're updating and republishing it to mark the arrival of EarthBound Beginnings in the Nintendo Switch Online NES library. If you were an early adopter of EarthBound fanaticism in the West, you likely caught wind of a previous title made for the Famicom. Translated...
Review EarthBound - A Quirky, Cosmic Adventure Bound To Warm Your Heart
Mother!
This review originally went live in 2016, and we're updating and republishing it to mark the arrival of Earthbound in the Nintendo Switch Online Super NES library. Fuzzy pickles! Back in 1995, this second instalment of Shigesato Itoi's much-loved Mother series (as it's known in Japan) only received a western release in North America, where...
News Did You Know The Game Boy Advance Could Make Video Calls Back In 2004?
With a rather expensive accessory, of course
Back in 2004, the idea of making a video call with your mobile phone felt like the future. 3G was just taking off and several phones were sold on this feature alone – even though the image quality was often terrible and it was impossible to get a signal strong enough to use it often. Although it...
Random Undertale's 'Megalovania' Was Inspired By Square's Super Famicom RPG 'Live A Live'
Yep, the one getting the HD2D remake treatment
Toby Fox has more talents than his name has syllables, and one of those talents is composing for video games — including his own, Undertale. And if you've heard any of the Undertale soundtrack, it's likely you'll have heard Megalovania, the bombastic retro-flavoured background music to a very...
News The Arcade Emulator MAME Is Now 25 Years Old
MVG takes a look
Video game emulators aren't always seen in the best light, but they actually play an important role when it comes to video game preservation and the revival of classics on modern hardware. With this in mind, MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) has just turned 25 years old, after making its debut on 5th February 1997. If you're...
Random Who Needs 3DS? You Can Now Play Super Mario In Holographic Form
...it's just nowhere near as convenient
Remember the first time you saw a Nintendo 3DS running? The glass-free 3D effect was truly mind-blowing, and there's still a part of us that is deeply sad that the technology proved to be something of a dead-end. Still, if you've got a hankering for something along the same lines and you have exceptionally...
Random Wordle Is Now Playable On The Game Boy
Portable power
Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few weeks, you'll know about Wordle. It's a web-based word game created by Josh Wardle in which players are given six attempts to guess a five-letter word. Coloured tiles tell you if your guesses are correct or not. It has taken the world by a storm, so much so that The New York...
Memory Pak Star Fox 64, My Incredible Introduction To The World Of Nintendo
Not Mario or Zelda, and my affection for the series will never end
Soapbox articles give our team a chance to share some personal perspectives; today it's the turn of Tom Whitehead to talk about the 64-bit game that sparked his love affair with Nintendo... I'm old enough to say my first gaming system was a ZX Spectrum, which is a big yikes. We had...
Random Check Out This Adorable 'Coat' For Your SNES
It's cold outside
If there's one video game accessory that's been unfairly ignored over the decades, it's console clothing. We live in a world where people will happily dress up their pets without any fear of rebuke, so why not their beloved gaming systems, too? It would seem that, once upon a time in Japan, someone thought this might catch on...
Video Remember When You Needed A Cable To Trade Pokémon?
Cable tied
Trading has always been a key component of the Pokémon franchise, right the way back to the launch of the original Game Boy games. Nowadays, of course, trading is handled wirelessly, but back in the '90s we had to use cables to link up consoles and share 'mon – and it's that period of time that this recent My Retro Life video focuses...
Video Ex-Rare Staffers Kev Bayliss And David Wise Are Sharing Their Secrets On YouTube
Music and art combine
Not so long ago, we reported on the news that former Rare staffers Kev Bayliss and David Wise had formed 'Salmandos', an "exciting new project" that celebrates their careers in the industry. As part of this, the pair have created DK Creations, a YouTube channel that sees them sharing their secrets and generally looking back on...
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