nostalgia
Latest
Two classic RPGs are being ported to a 1980s Sharp PC
'Ys I' and 'Ys II' are getting their ultimate ports: to a PC platform from 1987, complete with 3.5-inch floppies.
Apple resurrects its iPod 'Music Quiz' game for iOS 14
Apple has brought back its classic 'Music Quiz' iPod game with iOS 14, and it didn't even need an app to do it.
The last Blockbuster is hosting an Airbnb sleepover in September
Stay the night in a bunker of '90s nostalgia.
Nintendo 'gigaleak' reveals the classic games that never were
An apparent leak of Nintendo art and source code has revealed prototypes for legions of classic games, including 'Yoshi's Island' and 'Star Fox 2.'
Sega classic 'Alex Kidd' is coming to modern consoles and PCs
'Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX' will revive the Sega Master System classic for modern gaming systems and PCs.
You can finally play Maxis' long-lost 'SimRefinery' oil simulator
Thanks to an article published by Ars Technica reporter Sam Machkovech, a piece of video game history has been recovered for all to play.
Long-lost 'Days of Thunder' NES game recreated from 30-year-old floppies
Archivists have recreated a long-lost 'Days of Thunder' NES game using 30-year-old floppies with the source code.
The first Atari VCS units should be ready by mid-June
The first production Atari VCS units are leaving the factory in mid-June, or close to two years after the crowdfunded project began.
Virtual PC game box collection helps relive the heyday of floppies and CDs
A virtual game box collection recalls the days when giant physical packaging (and tons of floppies) ruled the gaming landscape.
Konami's delayed TurboGrafx-16 mini arrives in the US May 22nd
After missing its initial release date, the TurboGrafx-16 mini will launch in North America on May 22nd.
Atari classic 'Missile Command' is coming back as a mobile game
Atari has been milking Missile Command nostalgia for a while with re-released games and even plans for a movie (not that it has materialized), but its latest may be appealing for its relatively straightforward appeal. It's developing Missile Command: Recharged, a slightly modernized version of the classic base defense game for Android and iOS. The touch input is the most obvious update, but you'll also see an upgrade system, power-ups, achievements and online leaderboards to keep things fresh. There's even an augmented reality mode -- you can play on a virtual cabinet in your room if you have memories of spending all your quarters at the arcade.
Hasbro is relaunching classic Tiger Electronics gaming handhelds (updated)
A few years ago, Bandai revived its line of Tamagotchi virtual pets. The new versions of the toy were smaller than the originals from the '90s and had fewer features. They must have sold pretty well, though, since the company followed those up with full-sized reissues of both first- and second-generation Tamagotchis. According to The Verge, Hasbro is banking on '90s nostalgia, too, and will reintroduce the then-ubiquitous Tiger Electronics LCD handhelds. The affordable games took cues from Nintendo's Game & Watch portables, featuring one title per device and a simple form of gameplay. The big reason for their success -- and what Hasbro is likely hoping to still be a selling point -- was that they were based on popular console and arcade games like Mega Man and Ninja Gaiden, as well as movies and TV shows like 101 Dalmations and Beavis and Butthead.
What do you love most about the Genesis Mini?
Over the past few years, several companies have released throwback gaming systems intended to tug at gamer's heartstrings over the consoles (and games) of years gone by. Nintendo released the NES and Super NES Classic Editions, Sony botched the PlayStation Classic and more serious retro gamers will find a lot to like about Analogue's Mega SG and Super NT. Of all these contenders for the nostalgic crown, the one that scored best with Engadget editors was Sega's Genesis Mini. Thanks to its solid build quality, faithfully recreated controllers and strong game library, the Genesis Mini earned a well-deserved score of 89.
NBC may revive 'Quantum Leap' for its Peacock streaming service
NBC's Peacock is already set to rely heavily on nostalgia with planned Punky Brewster and Saved By the Bell shows, but it might not stop there. Program strategy head Jeff Bader told SlashFilm that the broadcaster is considering a revival of Quantum Leap, the series that saw scientist Dr. Sam Beckett travel through time to right historical wrongs. While Bader didn't say how likely the show was, he noted that "everyone is discussing" it.
'Stranger Things' pinball machine melds two forms of '80s nostalgia
If watching Stranger Things has inspired you to look for '80s-era gaming, your search might be over. Stern Pinball has introduced a Stranger Things pinball table that, like the Netflix show, blends nostalgia with 21st century technology. Your quest is to unravel the supernatural mysteries of Hawkins and defeat the Demogorgon (complete with a model on the field), but it's how you get there that matters -- the table has a modern feature or two that helps it stand out from the crowd.
Quibi is remaking ‘Legends of the Hidden Temple’ for adults
Clearly, nostalgia can be profitable. Disney used it to create hype around its Disney+ streaming service, and within a day of launch, Disney+ had more than 10 million subscribers. Now, Quibi is using nostalgia to its benefit. According to a tweet, Quibi is rebooting the once-popular Nickelodeon show Legends of the Hidden Temple.
Comcast revives 'E.T.' to hawk cable and internet service
Tech companies often like to mine nostalgia for a few quick bucks, but Comcast is probably pushing that emotional exploitation a little too far. The telecom has posted a short film that reunites E.T.'s namesake alien with human pal Elliott to pitch Xfinity internet and TV service. Yes, it's exactly as cheesy and manipulative as it sounds -- it shows E.T.'s comic struggle to adapt to tablets, voice remotes and VR (complete with that music), and basically rehashes major themes of the 1982 movie in the space of four minutes.
Apple Music Replay highlights your favorite tunes of the year
Apple Music has been around for long enough that you can start reminiscing about years past, and Apple is banking on that nostalgia for its latest addition. It's debuting an Apple Music Replay feature that highlights your favorite tunes not just from the past year, but every year you've been a subscriber. It creates custom, shareable playlists for each year and tells you which artists, albums and songs dominated your ears. In my case, that's a whole lot of trance, jazz and ambient.
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.
Internet Archive adds 2,500 more DOS games to playable database
Since 2013, the underappreciated heroes at Internet Archive have been working diligently to preserve old and abandoned PC games. In 2015, the organization started hosting 2,400 DOS games, allowing you to play cult classics like Gods and Tongue of the Fatman in your browser. This week, the organization added another 2,500 DOS games to its database.
