Retro Games
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Retro Games is making a mini version of the Amiga 500
In Europe, where the Amiga 500 was one of the biggest-selling computers of its day, it'll be a very big deal.
How to set up your Raspberry Pi to play Atari 2600 games
So after your brain hurts a bit and you're tired of learning computer science on the Raspberry Pi, you might want to relax with a bit of nostalgia and exercise your thumbs with some retro gaming. Want to revisit your childhood memories of Pong? Ping away. Maybe your kids have been hounding you for a video game console but you don't have the $300 to spring for a PS3. The Pi can help you with this and help teach your kids something, to boot. After some slight software configurations and a hardware purchase or two, you can relive the days of the almighty Atari 2600. Catch us after the break and we'll show you how to get your Pi to play all your totally legal cartridge backups.
Atari 2600s get PC innards, 22,857 times more processing power
Atari games redesigned in HTML 5 may bring back a flood of nostalgia, but they leave out a key part of the gaming experience: the classic hardware. Hard Drives Northwest filled that void by gutting a limited number of authentic Atari 2600s and stuffing them with modern PC components. Packing a Core i7 3.4GHz processor, the retro console now boasts 22,857 times more processing power than it did in its heyday, according to Microsoft's calculations -- more than enough oomph to handle the recent remakes. Other internals include 8GB of RAM, a 120GB SSD and a Radeon HD 6570 graphics card with 1GB of video memory. With support for USB 3.0 and 2.0, eSATA, DisplayPort, DVI and HDMI, the system is well stocked on the connectivity front. Finally, the signature of Atari founder Nolan Bushnell acts as the cherry atop the faux wood grain-toting package. While the souped-up machines aren't up for sale, a pair of them are slated for a giveaway. Glamour shots and the full set of specs await you at the source.
University of Michigan's Computer and Video Game Archive houses over 3,000 different games, roughly 35 unique consoles (video)
Systems such as the ColecoVision, TurboGrafx-16 and 3DO may have been ousted from most home entertainment centers long ago, but they still have shelf space at the University of Michigan's Computer and Video Game Archive. Slashdot caught up with Engineering Librarian and Video Game Archivist Dave Carter and took a look inside the repository, which has curated around 35 classic and current-gen platforms and more than 3,000 different games. Having "one of everything" is the project's ultimate goal, but the logistics of acquiring every new game make achieving that feat a stretch. "Our realistic goal is to be sort of representative of the history of video games, what was important -- what was interesting," Carter said. "And then, not only to preserve the games, but also to preserve the game playing experience." As a "useable archive," patrons of UM's library can dig in and play at different stations with era-appropriate monitors and displays. While many visit for leisure, students have used the resource to research topics ranging from music composition to the effects of texting while driving (using an Xbox 360 racing title and steering wheel peripheral, of course). You can catch a glimpse of the collection in the video below or visit the archive's blog at the more coverage link.
SLG 3000 scanline generator brings grimy gaming to modern displays (video)
As diligent as we are about keeping you abreast of absolutely every awesome new gadget that hits the market, every once in a while even we miss a real gem. Case in point: Arcade Forge's SLG 3000 scanline generator, which gives your seemingly flawless HD display a throwback makeover. As the name suggests, the rather diminutive board acts as a middle man between your VGA compatible device and your TV, bringing back the sweet imperfections that marked early console gaming. The thing enlists a series of DIP switches and a potentiometer for setting scanlines and resolution to your specifications. You can land one of your own at the source link for €50. In the meantime, though, we suggest you check out the video after the break to see why we couldn't bear to let this one get away -- even if it is a few months old.
The 7th Guest coming to iPhone in December
Retro games continue to make their way to the iOS platform. One of the latest early-'90s games about to make its way to iOS is Trilobyte's FMV adventure/puzzle game, The 7th Guest. The company says it is due to come out sometime early next month. When it debuted in 1993, The 7th Guest was one the first computer games to come out on CD (CD!) and was originally priced at US$79.95. For the iOS version, you'll only have to fork over $3.99. It seems this won't be a universal app, as it's labeled as an "iPhone" game. Perhaps an HD version will be in the works if the iPhone version is a winner. Are you a newcomer to The 7th Guest and interested in picking this one up? Or are you an old 7th Guest veteran who wants to try the app out on your iPhone next? Give us your thoughts in the comments. [via Joystiq]
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]
Mega-huge video game & console collection for sale on eBay
There's something to be said for collectors and their obsessive nature. Case in point, this eBay seller. He's parting with his incredibly massive collection of consoles, including everything from the Fairchild video game system to a Nintendo Wii in it's original box. Why is he selling it all? In his own words, "Hello, My name is Jesse and this is my video game collection. I am selling it. Not because I am getting married. Not because I need a lung transplant. Not because my kids are starving. There is no sob story here. The only reason I am finally selling my collection is because I want a nice down payment on this."Points for honesty! Check out the massive list of consoles available after the jump, and his listing for the incredible amount of games for sale. We just wonder why he's not offering up the Super Mario monopoly or the Super Mario Bros. 2 lunchbox. Them's some quality items.
