retro
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Evercade’s cartridge-based retro handheld makes more sense than you think
Retro gaming has arguably existed ever since there was a second generation of consoles. Today’s gamer seeking a shot of nostalgia has almost as many ways to play vintage titles as there are platforms to collect for. Evercade adds one more to that list.
Sega's Genesis Mini is just $45 today
Following years of shoddy third-party consoles, Sega took matters into its own hands and produced a replica console worthy of the Genesis name. The Genesis Mini has everything we look for in a miniature: a faithful design, a great collection of games and solid performance. It scored 89 in our review back in September, with praise for its large selection of titles, faithful emulation, high build quality and intelligent interface. The only negatives we found were the controllers (they're fine, but we would've liked to see the six-button rather than the three-button controllers) and that some games don't quite hit the mark.
The legendary Nintendo PlayStation prototype is up for auction
For years it was the stuff of legend -- a games console that incorporated both a CD drive and SNES cartridge slot made with the official backing of PlayStation and Nintendo? But back in 2015 we saw the magical prototype for ourselves and even had a play with it. Now, after years of touring the world to show off the system to classic gaming fans, the owner of what is believed to be the only remaining Nintendo PlayStation system is putting the console up for sale.
16-bit 'Aladdin' and 'Lion King' cartridges are returning in 2020
Are the modern ports of Aladdin and The Lion King not sufficiently nostalgic for you? You're about to get your retro fix, and then some. Nighthawk Interactive and iam8bit are planning physical releases of the classic Disney games, including limited "Legacy" cartridges for Aladdin on the Genesis/Mega Drive, and Lion King on SNES -- about as authentic as it gets short of finding an original copy on eBay. They'll cost $100 each, won't ship until early 2020 and will only have 4,500 available units each, but you don't get many opportunities like this. Pre-orders start October 24th at 1PM Eastern on iam8bit.
Atari's VCS will offer 'thousands' of retro games through a subscription
The Atari VCS is still months off (barring more delays), but it should at least have a healthy selection of retro games when it does arrive. Atari has forged a deal that will offer an optimized and expanded version of Antstream's Arcade game subscription service exclusively on the VCS when it launches. You'll have access to Atari's full library of 300-plus games, plus "thousands" more titles from other vintage platforms -- you could be playing a Nintendo 64 or Neo Geo game if Asteroids is no longer scratching your itch.
Sega Genesis Mini review: The best mini console out there
If you're suffering from gaming nostalgia fatigue, you're not alone. But you might want to make some extra room in your media center because the latest retro console, the Sega Genesis Mini, might also be the greatest. First, let's take stock of where we are in the golden age of mini consoles. Nintendo has two hugely popular minis under its belt and Sony's stepped up to the plate with a Playstation Classic that was mostly a swing and a miss. Coming up on the horizon, there's a TurboGrafx-16 mini and this arcade emulator playable logo thing from Capcom. Not to mention Analogue's superb FPGA hardware clones, the Mega SG and Super NT. Into this crowded space comes the Sega Genesis Mini, and it comes in hot -- making a strong stab at owning the casual 16-bit space.
Nintendo won't deliver NES and SNES games to Switch on a regular schedule
Nintendo's addition of SNES games to the Switch Online catalog comes with a gotcha: they won't necessarily arrive at a steady pace. In sync with a mention on its Japanese website, Nintendo has confirmed to Engadget that its NES and SNES releases "will not adhere to a regular schedule" going forward. That doesn't necessarily mean you'll go without new games for long periods, to be clear -- you just shouldn't expect retro titles to appear like clockwork.
The Atari Lynx’s 30th birthday gift is a bunch of new games
1989 was a year of revolutions. The Berlin wall fell, protesters rallied in Tiananmen Square and Neneh Cherry was taking a Buffalo Stance. This was also the year that portable gaming had its own revolution. The Game Boy launched in the spring, and, 30 years ago this weekend, we were introduced to the world's first true color hand-held console -- the Atari Lynx.
RPG ‘Hyper Light Drifter’ brings its pixelated dreamscapes to iOS
Hyper Light Drifter has arrived on iOS. The retro 2D RPG -- which is set to become an animated series -- has seen major acclaim since its release in 2016 thanks to its beautiful pixel art, dreamy soundscapes and fun combat. The release supports 120 fps on the iPad Pro (and 60 fps on other Apple devices), which is double the framerate of the Switch version, and it comes with the extra weapons, enemies and areas previously only available on the Switch special edition, so even more people get to enjoy this atmospheric adventure to its fullest. Get it from the App Store now, or on Linux, Mac, Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4 and Xbox One.
TurboGrafx-16 mini arrives next March with nearly 50 games
Konami's attempt to ride the retro console bandwagon, the TurboGrafx-16 mini, now has a release date and a rather hefty game list. The company has revealed that the mini will be available exclusively through Amazon on March 19th, 2020, with pre-orders starting July 15th. While the designs will vary depending on which region you hail from, you'll have access to just shy of 50 games (there are a few duplicates, despite Konami's claims) split between the US' TurboGrafx lineup and Japan's PC Engine catalog.
Relive the sound of the '80s with a Bluetooth cassette player
If you find that having your music in good quality, being able to skip tracks with fast forwarding and fitting all your media onto one device is just too convenient, then we've got good news: Cassette tapes are making a comeback.
PlayStation Classic price drops to $25 at Best Buy, Amazon
We get it -- you really don't like the PlayStation Classic. You've told us, over and over again. We weren't huge fans when we reviewed it, but that was when it cost $100. The price quickly dropped over the next few months, to $60, $40, and even $30. Now, as Wario64 points out on Twitter, it's easily available at both Best Buy and Amazon for just $25 -- a 75 percent discount from the starting price. Sure, the controllers might feel a little cheap, but at least there's two of them. The 20 pre-loaded games may not be the strongest list ever and includes PAL versions with poor performance but again -- there's 20 of them, which include titles like Metal Gear Solid, Twisted Metal and Final Fantasy VII. And people have even modded the system for successful sideloading. Whatever the issues of this attempt to cash in on the mini-retro-console craze, at some point it's cheap enough for nostalgia to win out. The real problem with buying one now -- other than finding it unopened in six months once you've forgotten you even purchased it -- is feeling like a sucker when they start giving them away on Black Friday. We'll see you back here next year for the Genesis Mini and TurboGrafx-16 mini.
Pre-orders for Atari's retro VCS console start at $249
If you're tired of hearing about delays and revisions to the Atari VCS and just want to know when you can buy the damned thing as an everyday customer, you're in luck. The retro console will be available for general pre-order today from both the company site as well as GameStop and Walmart, with orders from the last two expected to ship in March 2020 (crowdfunding backers may get theirs in December 2019). How much you'll pay will depend on just how nostalgic you are, though.
AZIO’s gorgeous Iris keyboard is inspired by vintage cameras
AZIO is a company that makes keyboards that look as good as they feel when you type on them, and at Computex it was showing off the prototype for its next device. The AZIO Iris draws inspiration from the design of old-fashioned rangefinder cameras, from Leica and Fujica / Fujifilm, with unashamedly analog dials and switches. It may not be going on sale until the end of the year at the earliest, but I'm already in love.
Capcom Home Arcade includes 16 retro games and dual joysticks
Following the likes of Nintendo, Sega and PlayStation, a retro console featuring Capcom games is on the way. The Capcom Home Arcade packs in 16 titles, including Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting, Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, Alien vs. Predator, Final Fight and Ghouls 'n Ghosts, using original arcade ROM files.
Finished Atari VCS design pays homage to its 2600 roots
Now that the Atari VCS team has once again delayed its retro console to give it more powerful innards, it's ready to show what that redesign looks like. The developers have unveiled what they say is the "production-ready" system design, and it pays even more of an ode to the Atari 2600 than before. The main body now floats above the base like the 2600 did, and addresses multiple "practical considerations" in the process. To start, two of the USB ports are now front-facing -- it's much easier to plug in a controller or keyboard.
The Analogue Mega SG wins the retro gaming console war
There's never been a better time to be a retro video game enthusiast. Playing old video games on modern screens used to require elaborate cabling and detailed electronics knowledge, or you would have to wade into dodgy ROM sites and tinker with confusing emulators. Today, however, we are blessed with a panoply of options, led by Nintendo's "classic" mini-consoles. But the premium, top-of-the-line retro console maker remains the hipsterish British-American company, Analogue. Analogue's Super NT, a Super Nintendo (SNES) hardware emulator released last year, was a revitalization of the SNES library ready to plug and play (and upscale) to modern HD televisions with a graphical fidelity unmatched by even Nintendo's own offerings. But the Super NT was just the tip of the retro spear, because, as any '90s kid will tell you, some console wars never die. And sure enough, Analogue has just released their take on the other dominant console of the 16-bit era: the Sega Genesis. Analogue's Mega SG is a beautiful little piece of hardware that does for the Genesis/Sega CD/Master System library what the Super NT did for the Super Nintendo -- and is the better value proposition of the two.
Konami is bringing 'Castlevania' and 'Contra' to modern consoles
Konami is celebrating its 50th birthday with three new compilations based on Castlevania, Contra and its early arcade games, each available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows PC (via Steam).
Atari VCS gets a spec boost and another delay
The nostalgic Atari VCS console has been delayed yet again, but at least this time you're getting more for your money. The creators have pushed back the system's launch to the end of 2019 in return for an upgrade to an as yet unannounced embedded AMD Ryzen chip, complete with Vega-based graphics. It'll offer more power for games, of course, but it'll also pull off feats you might not expect in a retro box, like native 4K video playback and support for protected streaming video services like Netflix.
Logitech resurrects its classic MX518 gaming mouse
Long-time PC gamers have fond memories of the MX518 for a reason: the 2005-era mouse combined a comfortable shape, convenient buttons and brisk performance at a fairly reasonable price. Even its 2011 replacement was ultimately a spin on a successful formula. If you miss that original design, though, you'll be glad to hear that it's coming back. Logitech has revived the mouse as the G MX518, preserving that egg-like body while giving it 2019-era innards built for modern gamers.
