classicgames
Latest
'Pac-Man Championship Edition 2' looks chaotic, wonderful
A few years ago, Bandai Namco figured out the key to reviving the Pac-Man: just make the original top down dot-chomper faster, brighter and more competitive. Pac-Man Championship Edition and Championship Edition DX+ changed just enough of the classic game to make it fresh and exciting. Now, the company is going to try it one more time. Today Bandai Namco announced Pac-man Championship Edition 2, a remix that promises new rules, bigger ghosts and new direction in level design
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.
Internet Archive brings bygone games and programs to the browser
One of the inherent downsides of technology's rapid advancement is how much of its history gets left behind with each new plateau we reach. However, the great minds at the Internet Archive (IA) have come up with a way to not only preserve our past, but make it accessible via the Javascript MESS emulator that can run a slew of classic games and programs in your browser. Next time you have a hankering to futz with WordStar or play E.T. The Extraterrestrial at work, you won't have to go blow the cobwebs off the relics sitting in the office supply closet, you can just check out the IA's Historical Software Collection. From there, you're but a few clicks away from reliving a curated swath of computing's best (and worst) moments. Now if you'll excuse us, we're going to be playing The Hobbit for the the foreseeable future. [Image credit: wizzer2801/Flickr]
Nokia and Namco Bandai bring arcade classics to Asha Touch line
Whoever said low-cost phones have to miss out on the portable perks? Nokia's throwing an old school bone to buyers of its budget-minded Asha Touch line, linking up with Namco Bandai to make 22 classic hits available for download. The titles, accessible now on the Nokia Store in over 52 countries, range from $0.99 to $2.99 apiece and include oldies-but-goodies like SoulCalibur, Galaga and Ace Combat. So, if you take your pared-down, 3-inch devices with a dash of retro-gaming and feel like an on-the-go session with PAC-MAN is long overdue, then you'll be well sated by this partnership nod to coin-operated gaming's past. Official PR after the break.
iFixit continues its retro gaming rampage, reduces an innocent Atari 2600 to bare components
iFixit, is no device safe from the scars of your screwdriver? These eyes have been scarred, forced to witness the destruction of yet another childhood icon. Previously it was the RCA Studio II and the Magnavox Odyssey 100 before that. Now it's the rather more memorable Atari 2600 going under the scalpel, four simple screws removed to reveal an eight-bit, 1.19MHz processor featuring 128 bytes of RAM (yes, a massive 1,024 bits) and a graphics adapter capable of 192 x 160 resolution with 128 colors -- though only four could be used on any given line. Through these humble beginnings the cartridge-based console was born... and now here it rests.
Sony plays catch up with hackers, mulling over PSP 'virtual console'
We're pretty sure a good lot of you with PSPs have used them for, shall we say, less than reputable means -- like playing 16-bit era games using emulators. Soon, there might be a more legit outlet for that fix, as Sony's head of US marketing for PlayStation hardware John Koller tells MTV Multiplayer it's looking to bring classics from before Sony entered the arena to the handheld, à la Nintendo Wii's Virtual Console. The company's also expanding North America's library of PSOne downloads to eventually match the plethora of titles available to the Japanese market. It's all part of a greater initiative to make more digitally-distributed, download-only titles, which we wholeheartedly support -- now, about those pesky UMD-less PSP2 rumors...[Via Joystiq]
PAX 07: A 'retroasis' in the midst of newness
Feeling pretty exhausted from all of the modern gaming happening on the show floor, I was very pleased to discover the Northwest Classic Games Enthusiasts hidden in a corner room on another floor. They had tons of systems set up in the space, with each TV doing double or triple duty. When I went in, there was a game of SNES Street Fighter II Turbo going next to GoldenEye and Vectrex Rip-Off.Happy to sit for a moment in what I consider my element (old junk) I took a turn at Rip-Off, promptly lost, and got right back up again. I checked out the display table, and tried to buy the display copy of Night Trap off of the NWCGE people. No luck! But, then, isn't not buying Night Trap considered the luckier outcome? Check out our gallery of the overabundance of classic games that were available for free play.%Gallery-6391%
