retro
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Speak & Spell is B-A-C-K
If you're a techie of a certain age (cough), you probably have fond memories of the Speak & Spell. The Texas Instruments toy's quirky speech synthesis may be quaint by modern standards, but it sounded like magic at a time when getting any computer to talk was a big deal. You'll be glad to hear it's back, then. Basic Fun is introducing a revived Speak & Spell that includes all the familiar games, that simple segmented display (albeit one based on modern LCDs) and, of course, that signature orange-and-yellow design. However, there is one important change you'll have to consider: the voice.
8BitDo made a wireless controller for Sega Genesis fans
The latest retro-inspired controller from 8BitDo should bring a smile to the face of many Genesis fans. The M30 takes its cue from the Sega console's controllers and it works with PC, macOS and Android as well as Nintendo Switch. A single charge will give you up to 20 hours of play time, while there are screenshot and home buttons along with a turbo function. The M30 will set you back $30.
Nintendo warns it won't make more retro NES and SNES consoles
Just because Nintendo revived the NES Classic doesn't mean you'll have the luxury of buying a retro console whenever you'd like. In a chat with the Hollywood Reporter, the company's Reggie Fils-Aime warned that the NES Classic and SNES Classic will sell in the Americas through the holidays, but will be "gone" once they sell out. If you want to walk down memory lane after that, you'll have to take advantage of the games that come with Switch Online.
We'll never agree which games should be included with retro consoles
Nostalgia is a hell of a drug. Comforting yet tantalizingly short-lived, nostalgia has an insidious allure that has long been weaponized by marketers to drive consumers toward purchases that they'd otherwise shun (or often regret immediately after). But, the impact of these associative memories may end up backfiring for Sony and the upcoming release of its PlayStation Classic retro console. Because for nostalgia to actually work, it usually helps if people remember the included titles.
Sony reveals the complete list of PlayStation Classic games
Sony has finally revealed the full game list for the PlayStation Classic, and it looks like it'll please fans looking for a nostalgia hit... mostly. In addition to previously announced games like Final Fantasy VII and Ridge Racer Type 4, you'll find definitive titles like Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil Director's Cut and Twisted Metal. Simultaneously, though, there are a few curious choices and conspicuous omissions.
Analogue's Mega Sg sounds like the ultimate Sega Genesis
Analogue, the retro console manufacturer behind the Nt Mini and Super Nt, excellent modern NES and SNES reproductions, is now bringing back a seminal '90s rival. The company has announced the Mega Sg, a Sega Genesis, Mega Drive and Master System recreation that can play over 2,180 classic cartridges. Unlike other retro console clones, Analogue, as its name suggests, doesn't use emulation methods. Rather, the company opts to use an Altera Cyclone V FPGA chip to ensure 100 percent compatibility -- and so that games can be played exactly how they were intended. It's not the exact chip used in the Genesis, but using an FPGA chip that runs off HDL (hardware description language), it can essentially be any other chip. It's a solution that bypasses emulation through an operating system, to connect and speak directly between game cartridge and motherboard.
Nintendo could make a playable Game Boy phone case
Now that Nintendo has a couple of nostalgia-inducing consoles under its belt, there's a common question: how would it tackle the Game Boy and other handhelds of yesteryear? We might have an idea. The USPTO recently published a Nintendo patent application for a folio case that would turn a smartphone into a functioning Game Boy replica, complete with physical buttons that translate presses into touchscreen input. It's more than a little familiar if you've tried a device like Hyperkin's Smart Boy, only here you wouldn't need to plug in cartridges to play officially sanctioned game copies.
Casio's see-through G-Shock watches are an icy blast of nostalgia
Casio's G-Shock watch line is enjoying a bit of a renaissance on its 35th anniversary (you can even get a full metal model if you like), and the company is making the most of it with some particularly eye-catching wristwear. It just introduced a Glacier Gold collection of G-Shocks that are virtually guaranteed to stand out while scratching that nostalgic itch. Each model has a semi-transparent resin casing and band, with a gold-colored watch sitting at their heart, recreating both the look of classic G-Shock models and the clear style of 1996's stand-out DW-6900K.
PlayStation Classic jumps on the retro trend December 3rd for $100
With "Classic" game systems occasionally outselling modern ones, Sony is bringing back its own old school system. The PlayStation Classic will launch in December, loaded with 20 "generation-defining" games in their original format for $100 (€99.99 RRP). It's 45 percent smaller than the original system and uses a virtual memory card for saves. It will arrive with two PS1-era replica controllers from the time before analog sticks for local multiplayer and connect to modern TVs via HDMI-out, but you'll have to bring your own USB power adapter.
Nintendo Switch gets SNK's arcade games this November
SNK is celebrating its 40th birthday with a triumphant return to the golden age of arcade games -- with a modern twist. On November 13, the creator is launching a bevy of retro games for Nintendo Switch, including Alpha Mission, Ikari Warriors, Athena, Guerrilla War and Vanguard, among others. There's more to be announced, too, although the titles already confirmed can be pre-ordered now as part of the Switch-exclusive pack.
The humble music box gets a 21st century update
Outside horror movies, music boxes are pretty cool, but their big flaw is that they can only play a few bars of one song. This inflexibility wasn't so much of an issue a century ago, but in the era of Spotify, it's not great. That's why Taiwanese company Tevofy Technology has sought to update the music box for the modern age, in the form of the Music Robot Box, or Muro Box.
Intellivision plans a revival with a new game console
Add Intellivision to the list of vintage console brands hoping for another shot at glory. Intellivision Entertainment has revealed that it's in the early stages of creating a new video game system. Details are scarce (there isn't even a name), but the emphasis is on making a system that "all age groups and levels of gamers and non-gamers" can enjoy. There's familiar talent involved, too. Soundtrack impresario and Video Games Live host Tommy Tallarico has been named the President of the fledgling company, while numerous original Intellivision designers and executives are taking on leadership roles. Mattel is about the only absentee at this stage, but that's not surprising.
Nintendo's NES Classic Edition returns on June 29th
About a year ago, Nintendo announced that it was effectively killing the popular NES Classic Edition. Several months later, however, fans rejoiced when the company reversed itself, saying the product would once again ship in 2018. Now we know exactly when: The retro 8-bit console will arrive on June 29th, and should be available through the end of the year, according to a Nintendo tweet.
'Pac-Man' on Amazon's Alexa isn't at all like 'Pac-Man'
Pac-Man might never have left the public eye, but with Wreck-it Ralph, Pixels and Ready Player One, the iconic elder statesman of gaming is now in front of people that may have never touched an arcade joystick. To that extent, Pac-Man's latest 'game' makes sense — it's arriving on Amazon's Alexa as a skill today.
Atari VCS pre-orders start May 30th, but it won't ship until 2019
Nearly a year after it was first revealed, retro gaming enthusiasts will finally be able to order the Atari VCS beginning May 30th via an IndieGoGo crowdfunding campaign.
Arcade classic '10-Yard Fight' is the Switch's first football game
Nintendo has been keen to capitalize on nostalgia, however, its latest attempt has us scratching our heads. Next week the Switch will have a football game to call its own, but rather than, say, a classic Madden, Mutant League Football from EA or Tecmo Bowl, we're getting 10-Yard Fight for $7.99. The game originally appeared on the NES back in 1985, a two-year delay after its arcade debut.
Internet Archive is saving all your favorite handheld LCD games
The Internet Archive has been saving gaming history for a while now. It's archived Amiga games (and apps), Macintosh stuff from the '80s (including Space Invaders) and a ton of other retro games you can play for free. Now the group has started collecting handheld games like Pac-Man, Donkey Kong and Space Jam while also making them available to play in your web browser via MAME emulation.
Atari's retro console has a new name, but remains a tease
Atari's retro Ataribox console has been more sizzle than steak since it was first unveiled last summer, with delays and a distinct lack of game announcements dampening the enthusiasm. And unfortunately, that trend is mostly continuing today. The company has announced that it's rebranding the Ataribox as the Atari VCS in a nod to the 2600's little-used full name and plans to show prototypes of the system, the Classic Joystick and the Modern Controller at the Game Developers Conference this week. However, that's about all it's showing.
Casio revives its musical, game-playing calculator from the '80s
Back in 1980, Casio released a musical, game-playing calculator cleverly named the MG-880. Apparently, kids went wild for the thing, playing a mini Space Invaders-inspired game with just numbers on the LCD screen. Now, Casio is releasing a revival of the calculator -- the SL-880 -- in Japan on March 23rd.
'Mega Man Legacy Collection' is headed to Nintendo Switch May 22
Mega Man fans were likely excited to hear that the next chapter in the venerable video game franchise, Mega Man 11, is slated for a release sometime this year. At the same time, Capcom announced plans to release two new Mega Man Legacy Collection compilations. Now we've got a date for their release on Nintendo Switch: May 22, 2018.
