RetroGaming
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‘Kid Icarus’ and ‘StarTropics’ come to the Nintendo Switch next week
Nintendo is adding a pair of vintage NES games to its Switch Online library next Wednesday. Starting on March 13th, you'll be able to play Kid Icarus and StarTropics on the online service. Kid Icarus, which was released in North America in 1987, has assembled a sizeable cult following over the years and fans have called for a sequel. Nintendo, for its part, hasn't totally put the platformer to bed, though updates have been rare. Kid Icarus: Uprising for 3DS, released in 2012, received a warm reception from critics who welcomed the revival of the franchise.
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.
What we're buying: RetroStone's smart take on retro handheld gaming
The recent spate of retro "classic" consoles might be switching a new audience on to vintage games, but some of us never left them. For most, a $60 - $100 machine with a few flagship titles on it is probably enough to scratch the itch, but Managing Editor James Trew has a much deeper itch: to play retro games on the go without someone choosing the library for him.
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.
Intellivision’s Amico is the latest retro console revival
Intellivision, the video game maker that didn't survive the '80s, is back and ready to build something new on top of gaming nostalgia. After teasing the idea earlier this year, the company has announced plans for a new console called the Amico -- one part retro console and one part family-friendly modern gaming system. Intellivision plans to release it with a mix of classic titles and new originals in 2020.
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.
Capcom releases 'Mega Man' classics cartridges
As promised, Capcom's Mega Man 2 and Mega Man X playable game cartridges are available now from iam8bit's online store for $100 each. Meaning if you put in a pre-order for either -- or both -- back in May, they'll be making their way to you stat.
Sega's Mega Drive Mini won't arrive until 2019
The retro console craze kicked off by Nintendo's NES and SNES classic systems, with Sony's miniature PS1 inbound, has proven bountiful for nostalgic gamers keen to relive their 8- to 32-bit glory days. But Sega's plans to join the rose-tinted celebrations with its own Mega Drive Mini has hit a speed bump. Slated for release in Japan this year, the iconic console is now being delayed until 2019, the company announced on Twitter.
8Bitdo's wireless SNES controller is perfect for Switch retro gaming
The Nintendo Switch's controllers shouldn't work as well as they do. That might be why options beyond a Joy-Con in each hand (or the Switch's own Pro controller) are few and far between. 8Bitdo's latest wireless peripheral, the SN30 Pro, might be worth considering for your secondary controller needs. Beside that allure of nostalgia, the SN30 Pro particularly shines with older games and tries to balance a classic design with modern controls. I picked up the (obviously prettier) European / Japanese model, the otherwise identical SF30 Pro, and had a play.
Bring your own SNES cartridges for the Supa RetroN HD
The upcoming launch of Nintendo's SNES Classic has turned up the hype on 16-bit nostalgia, and Hyperkin is ready to seize the moment. The company already builds several consoles built for retro gaming, and now product designer Chris Gallizzi tweeted this image of the Supa RetroN HD. Hyperkin's $160 RetroN 5 already plays SNES games (as well as other classic systems), but a pared-down clone will probably be simpler, might not need to run Android and may be cheaper, just like the $40 RetroN 1 HD for NES games.
Nintendo's next hit console could be the SNES Mini
Nintendo's decision to retire the NES Classic left many fans disgruntled. The system, a reimagined version of the iconic 80s console, was a hit last Christmas -- for those that could find one, that is. Stock problems meant it was notoriously difficult to acquire, and rather than solve these supply issues, Nintendo simply killed the product completely. While frustrating, there could be a silver lining: Eurogamer reports that a SNES Mini is in the works. Citing anonymous sources, it says the new hardware is scheduled to launch this holiday season, and that development is already underway.
Nintendo's mini NES is out today
You may want to ready your wallets and your mouse-clicking fingers for the NES Classic's launch today. Some fans who attended the midnight event at Nintendo's New York offices were already able to get one, but don't worry: you can grab your own from several retailers. Amazon, for one, has sent out emails informing customers that it'll start selling the retro-console in "very limited quantities" starting at 2PM PT/5PM ET later. The online shopping giant warns that it expects demands to be high and that "there's no guarantee that it will remain in stock for long." If you're looking to buy from Amazon, make sure to bookmark the device's page and set an alarm.
Sega to support modded Genesis games on Steam
Sega's Mega Drive console (or the Genesis, depending on where you lived at the time) still boasts an impressive library of 16-bit games. Many of those are now available on Steam and Sega, hoping to attract some new collectors, has developed a virtual playground for them called the Mega Drive Classics Hub. Notably, this also comes with Steam Workshop support, allowing PC players to share "modified versions" of their favorite games from the early 90s. That's pretty unusual, given most developers and publishers are opposed to fan-driven emulation and modification of classic games -- no doubt because of its relationship with piracy.
Help these 30-year-old Intellivision games live again on PC
One of the biggest problems facing video games as an artistic medium is one of preservation. Thanks to HD remasters, digital distribution and the Internet Archive that's becoming less of an issue. But we still need to do more to keep a record and constant catalog of gaming's past moments. That's the idea behind the awkwardly named "Intellivision Gen2 Video Games for PC & Mac" on Kickstarter. As you might imagine, it's modernized versions of Intellivision titles. Astrosmash, Nightstalker and Shark! Shark! will get the new pixel art, expanded levels and scope should the project reach its $100,000 goal.
NES makeover proves that punk is dead
Are the anti-authority stylings of Sunset Overdrive a little too hi-fi for your gaming tastes? Well friends, maybe the 8-bit aesthetic of Punktendo might be more up your alley. As the name implies, it's classic NES games by way of NOFX and more. If you're curious what type of Flash-based goodies await once you get home from work, Milo Fu is Kung Fu with The Descendents' mascot, Super Mikey Erg! is Super Mario Bros. starring The Ergs' frontman and Fat Mike's Golf, appropriately, is the Fat Wreck Chords' owner inserted into Golf. It's the latest project from Jeff Hong, a Brooklyn-based storyboard artist who's previous work includes stuff for Nickelodeon, Fox and Disney. As Vice points out, though, you might know him better from Grumpy Punk Cat or Unhappily Ever After.
Retro? Modern? This home-brew NES game is both
Retro gaming projects on Kickstarter are pretty common, but here's one that's a bit different: a game cartridge that, when plugged into the original Nintendo Entertainment System, plays an 8-bit game, and when plugged into a Mac or PC (via USB) plays a modern version of the same game. Perhaps the coolest aspect is that the two versions will interact with each other; an ability or weapon unlocked in one is available to futz with in its cousin. That is, if the project's Kickstarter is funded, of course. As Mystic Searches' project lead Joe Granato IV tells it, the concept comes from a design document he drew up, quite literally, as a seven year-old back in the '80s.
Build your own Game Boy with a Raspberry Pi, SNES pad and 3D printer
What's a maker to do when they don't have access to a classic Game Boy, but happen to have a 3D printer and a few other parts lying around? Craft their own, no Legos required, of course. With some patience, you too can build a copy of Nintendo's 25-year-old handheld using a Raspberry Pi, Super NES controller (for its buttons and circuit board) and a few other bits and bobs. Adafruit has print files for the iconic portable's case as well as step-by-step instructions for how it all goes together, but, as 3DPrint points out, it likely won't be easy and the project requires a decent grasp on soldering and circuitry. Emulated games run off of an SD card, and the DIY-Game Boy can even play any classic Nintendo ROMs you might find online too. We'll leave wading through the legalities of that whole process up to you, though.
This stackable media hub plays your old 16-bit game cartridges
The set-top box market is currently flooded with many cheap Android boxes, but they tend to offer limited remote access plus expansion capability, so it's about time that something more exciting popped up. One such candidate is the EzeeCube, which aims to be an idiot-proof media hub with three main selling points: Auto-sync content across multiple platforms (Android, iOS, Windows and OS X); simple initial setup for accessing hub content from anywhere; and cable-free expansion that lets you stack up to four modules. We're talking about slapping on an extra hard drive, a Blu-ray drive, a TV tuner and even a retro gaming module that will bring your dusty SNES and Sega Mega Drive / Genesis cartridges back to life. No messy cables here.
Faulty connectors push Retron 5 game console into early 2014 launch
Everyone who wants to snag Hyperkin's Retron 5 this holiday season may want to look elsewhere for now, because the retro gaming console won't arrive in time for Santa's visit. Unfortunately, Hyperkin scrubbed the (already delayed) December 10th launch date after discovering faulty cartridge connectors in units already packed for shipping. The Retron 5, which we took for a spin at E3 this year, magically combines compatibility with several ancient gaming system cartridges, including those for the NES, SNES, Sega Genesis (plus Master System with a converter) and Game Boy Advance. While we bet this news breaks a lot of retro gamers' hearts, we hope they don't throw out those vintage games just yet. Sure, it'll take time to ensure all units are in working order, but the firm aims to ship out the first consoles within the first quarter of 2014.
Double Dragon Trilogy returns on smartphones, along with your wasted youth
Retro gaming maven DotEMu is putting a street brawl triple-threat in your pocket later this year, releasing Double Dragon Trilogy for Android and iOS. The mobile-optimized godfather of arcade beat 'em ups is packing a handful of modern accoutrements like a new difficulty mode, (unspecified) Bluetooth controller support and leaderboard implementation for each OS' multiplayer services. It's possible that the titles themselves may not have aged all that well, but, nonetheless, we're happy to see DotEmu keeping the classics available for anyone who wants a nostalgia fix.
