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Relive Winamp's glory days with a retro Spotify music app
Winamp may be riding into the sunset today, but that doesn't mean you'll have to go without its classic interface in the future. Ludde is paying tribute to the jukebox software by releasing Spotiamp, a tiny Windows app that streams your Spotify playlists with Winamp's 1990s-era flair. The connection to the AOL-owned player isn't just skin-deep, though -- Spotiamp includes its own Shoutcast server, so you can send tunes to a Sonos speaker or anything else with native Shoutcast support. As long as you have a Spotify Premium subscription, you can take a musical trip down memory lane through the source link.
The 12 Days of iMas, Day 11: The undisputed classiest iPhone dock you'll ever see
Today is the 11th day of a 12-day feature where we'll show you the strangest Apple-flavored gifts we can find. Check out the previous days here: Day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 Day 11: Give your iPhone a touch of oh-my-god is that brushed copper? Most iPhone docks try to match the modern look of the phone itself, with black plastic and clean lines dominating the market. The Pyle Retro Home Telephone Charger takes things back in time, letting you plug your Apple smartphone into an elegant work of stained wood and brushed copper. But this dock is just as much about function as it is about flash, as the old-school handset station is also a fully functional chatting device that can be used with either a separate landline or as a stand-in for your iPhone. If you've got someone on your gift list who begrudgingly entered the age of smartphones against their will, this might be the perfect gift. You can give them a trip back to early 20th century telephony while also providing them a useful accessory for their less wood-adorned communication device. Oh, and it's downright gorgeous, too, all for an Amazon sale price of US$79.09.
R2Games goes retro with Magic Barrage
If smooth graphics have lost their luster and you yearn for the days of yore with pronounced pixels, you should take a look at Magic Barrage, developed by Gameguyz. The new free-to-play browser game will open its beta doors tomorrow, December 17th at 10:00 a.m EST, and invites all those who want to re-experience the 8-bit, early 90s console game feel of classic dungeon crawlers merged with bullet hell games to jump in. Though retro, Magic Barrage still offers plenty of standard MMO features like guilds, crafting, PvP, and pets. To play, simply sign up on the official site. [Source: R2Games press release]
Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z's classic side-scrolling mode spotted in new trailer, screens
Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z will receive a special Ninja Gaiden Z mode, Team Ninja announced. The retro-inspired mode offers side-scrolling action similar to past games in the series along with 8-bit-style cut scenes and menus. In addition to the trailer and screens showing off the classic game mode, the developer issued an additional quirky parody trailer, seen after the break. What's more, Team Ninja noted that the game's main character Yaiba will receive a downloadable alternate costume thanks to a collaboration with Comcept. Players will have the ability to dress their ninja warrior up like Beck, the lead character of Keiji Inafune's Mighty No. 9. Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z is slated to launch on March 4, 2014 for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3.
The Game Archaeologist: Going forward by looking back at the past
Have you noticed? I'm sure you've noticed. It seems as though ever since this Kickstarter fad flared up, the avalanche of retro-themed game projects has exploded. And it's not just on Kickstarter, either. One of Guild Wars 2's most popular content additions over the past year was a tongue-in-cheek recreation of 8-bit games. And now we've got Trove, which above its controversy is definitely appealing to the glory days of gaming past. The Game Archaeologist has always advocated that the past can influence our present and future in surprising ways. It sometimes irks me that current developers have shown a lot of ignorance for past ideas when coming up with new content, although that irritation has lessened recently now that I'm seeing a growing movement to embrace and incorporate what's come before, both ideologically and aesthetically. So what does the past have to offer the future of MMOs and how can game developers capitalize on it? As usual, I have all of the answers.
Hunter S. Thompson's '90s Macintosh ad is exactly what you'd expect it would be
The '90s were a wonderfully odd time for advertising. We had beer-shilling frogs, parents who couldn't understand Bubble Tape and hoards of gangs armed with Nerf weapons prowling screens everywhere. But most importantly, subversive icons of the counterculture could be used to sell cutting-edge technology.
Old G.I. Joes get reassembled to create action figures for classic Activision titles
What's the best way to celebrate classic games? Well, Chicago artist and writer Dan Polydoris decided to build a collection of action figures based on Activision games for the Atari 2600. To do so, Polydoris employed parts from his library of old G.I. Joe action figures. The results? Pitfall Harry, Roderick Hero, Frostbite Bailey, Officer Kelly and Short-Order Sam from the titles Pitfall!, H.E.R.O., Frostbite, Keystone Kapers and Pressure Cooker now reside in stellar retro-styled packaging. "I specifically chose Activision games due to their particularly memorable characters and recognizable box aesthetic" Polydoris said, mentioning that he only took "minor liberties" with items like boots, gloves and belts. Jump down to the source for a breakdown of what pieces from the fallen Joes were used in each and a look at the individual packaging.
Atari strategy classic M.U.L.E. coming to iOS next week
It's been three decades since M.U.L.E. was first released on the Atari 800, but we've got no time for wistful memories as the classic strategy game is slated to return on iOS in mere days, appropriately as M.U.L.E. Returns. For those to whom the acronym means nothing, M.U.L.E. is something of a cross between Settlers of Catan and Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri. The goal of M.U.L.E. is to thrive among the stars as a colonist on the planet Irata (that's "Atari" spelled backwards). Other colonists will be competing with you for resources, though they just as often can become valuable trading partners. At launch (and even today) M.U.L.E. was revered for its easy to learn, but difficult to master mechanics and near-infinite replayability - no mean feat for an Atari game released in 1983. M.U.L.E. Returns makes its iOS debut on November 25. An Android version of M.U.L.E. Returns is scheduled to appear at some point in 2014. M.U.L.E. Returns is said to feature new, HD graphics, online leaderboards, and a faithful reproduction of the rules of the Atari original.
Final Fantasy 7 unofficial NES port restored, improved by modders
ROM hackers have overhauled an unofficial 8-bit version of Square Enix's Final Fantasy 7, turning what was once a barely-playable bootleg into a demake that's surprisingly faithful to its source material. Released as an unlicensed Famicom cartridge in China, Shenzhen Nanjing's unsanctioned port of Final Fantasy 7 featured familiar characters and settings from Square Enix's PSOne classic, but removed many key story elements while upping the difficulty dramatically, rendering it an impressive but flawed curiosity. After the subsequent release of a fan-made translation patch, a team led by modder Lugia2009 set out to address the game's many issues. The final product features redrawn graphics, improved music, and an actual ending, among many other bugfixes and improvements. Speaking to Destructoid, Lugia2009 revealed that his next project is a translation patch for Shenzhen Nanjing's unlicensed NES port of Pokemon Yellow.
For the truth about Street Fighter 2, ask director Akira Nishitani
Akira Nishitani recently started a Twitter account, though instead of heavily-filtered brunch photos and duck-faced mirror portraits, the Street Fighter 2 director has been doling out little-known details on the seminal fighter's creation. For instance, did you know that the periodic red hadoukens in Street Fighter 2 were not glitches, but instead easter eggs that became wildly popular among fans? Or that each pugilist was originally supposed to feature positional damaging - kicking someone in the head would do more damage than kicking them in the leg - but that the feature was cut because the game just refused to recognize hitboxes properly? My favorite bit of trivia is the controversy over Chun Li's leggings. The development team was okay with Chun Li's borderline-equine thighs, but the tights covering them were a massive point of contention. According to Nishitani, they had to be redrawn from scratch three times before Capcom finally agreed to the outfit. More insider information on the creation of the world's most influential fighting game can be found on Akira Nishitani's Twitter account. If you don't read Japanese however, Eventhubs offers an extensive roundup.
Nikon teases retro full-frame DSLR in new ad campaign
Nikon could be the latest camera company to turn out a retro-style DSLR in what appears to be a new "Pure Photography" ad campaign. In the first of five teaser videos, a photographer is seen snapping pics of the Scottish countryside. Though the camera is never seen, the audience can clearly hear the sound of that iconic shutter clicking, indicating that Nikon's latest might follow the footsteps of Fujifilm and Panasonic in going the retro route. Speculations abound that it'll be in the style of the old F3 film cameras, feature a full-frame FX sensor, an EVF/OVF hybrid viewfinder and will be one of a few Nikon cameras to not have video capabilities on board. Nikon Rumors goes a step further, stating that it'll be called the Nikon DF, and that the DF stands for "Digital Fusion." It also spotted what appears to be Nikon's 50mm f/1.8G lens in the video, which lends credence to the rumors. While we can't confirm such theories, camera buffs can take a peek at the teaser after the break to suss out any additional clues.
SNK terminates Neo Geo X Gold licensing, Tommo required to cease production
Not even a year after the Neo Geo X's rocky road to market, creator SNK is pulling the plug. The firm has severed ties with manufacturer / distributor Tommo, ordering it to "immediately cease any and all manufacturing, distribution, marketing and promotion and selling of the Licensed Products." Affected items include the handheld console, the SNK NeGeo X arcade stick and all applicable software. This isn't really a surprise for a system that was plagued with delays and pricing issues from the word "go," but it's sad to see nonetheless. A handful of retailers have the console marked down from its $200 price, so if you were on the fence about buying one new, now would be the time to get off of it. Or, you could always go the wooden route.
SNK orders Neo Geo X Gold manufacturer to stop producing, selling units and games
The License and Distribution Agreement between TOMMO Inc. and SNK Playmore involving production of the Neo Geo X Gold line of products was "terminated" on October 2, a statement on SNK's site revealed this week. The post describes SNK's demand that TOMMO "immediately cease any and all manufacturing, distribution, marketing and promotion" of the Neo Geo X Gold and its line of Neo Geo X Classic games. SNK has also demanded that TOMMO cease sales of the SNK Neo Geo X Arcade Stick and that they remove it from the shelves of both physical and digital shopfronts. Despite SNK's statement, the Neo Geo X Gold line of products is still available for purchase at some retailers at the time of this writing.
Apple's homepage circa 2001 shows us how far we've come
It's always fun to take a look back at the websites of yesteryear just to get a bit of perspective, and there may be no better example of this than Apple's homepage from 2001. The highlight of the site is a fancy graphic showing off the then-new iBook. The laptop was capable of interfacing with a whole bunch of state-of-the-art devices such as CD players, digital cameras and camcorders, PDAs and Apple's own UFO-shaped AirPort. Of course, today, all the tasks performed by those specialized devices can be accomplished with the iPhone in your pocket. Hell, even the iBook itself pales in comparison to your handy smartphone, but that doesn't mean we wouldn't want to still have one around, just for nostalgia's sake.
Remember Mutant League Football? An all-new iOS/Mac version needs your Kickstarter pledges
If you played sports games during the Sega Genesis era, you're likely already familiar with the over-the-top action of the Mutant League titles. Both Mutant League Football and Mutant League Hockey hold fond memories for many gaming veterans, and now an all-new spiritual successor could be headed to a wide range of platforms including iOS and Mac, via a new Kickstarter campaign. The game, called Mutant Football League, features HD graphics and all the brutality of its older brother. If the campaign reaches its US$750,000 base goal, it'll be made available for mobile platforms including iOS, while a $1,250,000 stretch goal is in place that would allow it to be ported to Mac. The Kickstarter just began today, so not much progress has been made, but with all the nostalgia this title conjures up it, would be surprising if it didn't skyrocket in a hurry.
Help us decide who deserves free tickets to Expand NY
Last week, we flipped the switch on our #ExpandThrowback contest from the submission phase to the voting phase, meaning the winners of our contest are in your capable hands. What is this contest about again, you ask? Simply put, we wanted to see what old technology our readers could dig up in their garages, attics, closets, glove compartments, et cetera, thus paying homage to the old as we prepare to celebrate the new at this November's Expand NY event. One lucky winner gets an all-expense paid trip to the event and four runner-ups get a $250 gift card to update their old technology.* What are some of the old gizmos found in the top 20? Here's the list, complete with WikiLinks (not WikiLeaks) to fill your thirst for knowledge on tech before we could : 16/35MM Recorder 8-Track Tape Apple Lisa Atari Video Gaming System AT&T EO Blickensderfer #5 Coleco Telstar Commodore VIC-20 Datapoint 2200 Motorola Bag Phone MS-DOS DIskette Original IBM PC Original Microsoft Mouse Polaroid Model 150 Portico Miracle PC Sega Game Gear Studer 3/4 Tape Machine Teddy Ruxpin Timex Sinclair 1000 Toshiba T3100 We'll let you hop on over to the contest and vote for your favorite, and make sure to do so by September 19th. Then, on the 20th, we'll announce the winners. You also can see the whole smattering of #ExpandThrowback submissions that didn't make it to the final round here. *Prizes mentioned in this article are bound by the official rules of the contest.
All-in-one retrogaming console RetroN 5 now available for pre-order
Hyperkin's five-slot retrogaming solution RetroN 5 is now up for pre-order at Amazon ahead of an October 31 release date. The RetroN 5 is compatible with original Nintendo Entertainment System, Super NES, Sega Genesis, and Game Boy Advance cartridges, and also supports the Famicom, Mega Drive, Game Boy and Game Boy Color cart formats. The package includes a wireless Bluetooth controller, and the console itself features an array of controller ports, supporting original NES, SNES, and Genesis peripherals. While 8-bit and 16-bit consoles maxed their video output capabilities at S-Video (or worse, composite), the RetroN 5 features HDMI output for all supported games. The platform also offers a number of features common to emulation software, allowing players to speed up and slow down gameplay at will and enabling the use of savestates. Joystiq's JC Fletcher previously weighed in on the console, praising its space-saving form but admitting that it fills a small niche "between pawn shops and Virtual Console." The RetroN 5 is available in black and grey, and is priced at $99.99.
Help pick the best retro tech for our #ExpandThrowback contest
We've received hundreds of thousands (of kilobytes) worth of submissions for our #ExpandThrowback contest and we want to thank those who valiantly opened up their closets, garages, attics, or just pivoted to the other side of their desk and snapped photos of their best in retro tech. We've gathered as a team at Engadget HQ and winnowed the pickins' down to our top 20 favorites. Now it's time to turn the decision on who wins over to you. Here's how it works. Click here to jump right to our contest page on Facebook. Peek through the pics and vote for your favorite. To keep it fair, we're only allowing one vote per Facebook account. On September 20th, come back to see who won. What will the winners get? First Prize Winner: All-expenses paid passage for you plus one to Engadget Expand in New York, including airfare, hotel room, transportation and food (ARV $3,000)* (4) Second Prize Winners: We'll give you a $250 gift card so you can finally ditch that StarTAC and pick up a shiny new phone (they even have touchscreens now!). Don't forget, if you're not already connected to all things Expand, stay tuned to our Expand hub for the latest news. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google+. *Prizes mentioned in this article are bound by the official rules of the contest.
The Cross Plane brings Wii U GamePad-like mirroring to any game system with HDMI (video)
A handheld gaming console that plays Conker's Bad Fur Day, Halo, Uncharted 3 and Day Z ? We're intrigued. The Cross Plane resembles a Wii U GamePad and the two have something more in common than just a launch price: both mirror video and audio output to their respective controllers. The difference is that unlike Nintendo's faltering console, the Cross Plane uses wireless HDMI to do so and (as demonstrated in the video after the break) can basically stream content from any device with an HDMI port -- including Ouya, PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. Whatever it's plugged into bears the processing load, meaning that if your PC can't run Crysis 3, neither can the Cross Plane. Designer Advanced Gaming Innovations (AGI) also implemented swappable cartridges (the red bit sticking out in the above picture) containing system-specific hardware support. This serves two functions: One, it cuts down on "interference and issues" between the analog and digital layouts of certain architectures. Next is that it ensures you only have to buy carts for the systems you want, presumably cutting down on price. Speaking of which, a $349 pledge snags you a unit with one system cartridge and $410 nets you a handset with two. Both of these help push AGI closer to a $350,000 Kickstarter goal that even the company admits is lofty. It's not like more expensive ideas haven't been crowdfunded before...
Mini classic Macintosh created with Raspberry Pi, runs System 6 (video)
Apple may please fans of diminutive hardware with the Mac Mini, but John Leake of the RetroMacCast has created something that can satisfy fans of miniature and classic hardware: a tiny replica of the original Macintosh. The aptly-dubbed Mini Mac sits at 1/3 the size of the original, is crafted from a PVC board and crams a Raspberry Pi inside. In order for the board to fit however, Leake had to solder wires instead of relying on connectors, trim the SD card and snip part of the USB cable. When it comes to visuals, the box packs a 3.5-inch display, which receives 512 x 384 output from the Pi. As for connectivity, the package supports a wireless keyboards and mice via Bluetooth, plus it exposes two USB ports, an HDMI slot and an ethernet jack. Not only does this slice of the 1980s have the looks to match the era, but it also features some of the old-fashioned functionality. Sure, floppies won't fit into its faux drive slot, but it runs System 6 via the open source Mini vMac emulator. Head past the break to catch a video of the model or visit the source for build shots.
