retro-gaming
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Konami's TurboGrafx-16 mini is ready to ride the retro-gaming wave
Need a sign that the retro gaming console market just won't come to an end? At E3 Konami just announced the TurboGrafx-16 mini, marking a return for the console that debuted in the US alongside the Sega Genesis in 1989, but never quite enjoyed the support or sales of its competitors. There's no price or release date yet for this bit of late 80s / early 90s nostalgia, but when it is released it will include the requisite suite of throwback games including: R-Type New Adventure Island Ninja Spirit Ys Book I & II Dungeon Explorer Alien Crush Other titles have yet to be revealed (where's Bonk's Revenge?) , and outside of North America the box will have different names just like it did way back when. In Europe it's called the PC Engine Core Grafx Mini, and in Japan, where the system originally launched in 1987, it's just the PC Engine Mini. It's unlikely we'll see anything as groundbreaking as the original TurboGrafx-16's CD-ROM add-on -- a first for consoles at the time -- but it's good to see the name in circulation again all the same.
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.
Sega Genesis Mini will launch on September 19th with 40 games
Last year Sega showed off its own miniaturized retro console to join Nintendo and Sony, but unfortunately it was delayed. Now the company announced during this year's Sega Fest that the Genesis Mini / Mega Drive Mini will launch in the US and Japan on September 19th. It appears this console will feature different localized versions of certain games. Among the 40 games it will have, the company confirmed (at least in Japan) classics like Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Shining Force, Gunstar Heroes and Comix Zone, Space Harrier II, Puyo Puyo 2, Rent-a-Hero, Castlevania Bloodlines and Powerball.
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.
iam8bit's Entertainment System to feature in retro art exhibit
Los Angeles gallery iam8bit is hosting an art exhibit in celebration of 1980s games, called "iam8bit Entertainment System." Here's where it gets a tad confusing: It also has a physical console designed specifically for retro gaming, called "iam8bit Entertainment System." So, the iam8bit Entertainment System will be at iam8bit Entertainment System from June 7 to June 20, and the console will be available to order online at iam8bit. Sometimes we just don't understand art. Iam8bit Entertainment System – the exhibit – hosts a ton of work from prominent artists around the globe, including the ones whose installments are shown in the gallery below: Olly Moss, Dadu Shin, DKNG Studios, Hine Mizushima, JC Richard, Jophen Stein, Mark Englert and Steve Courtney. The show will include a treat for DuckTales: Remastered fans, with a 10 foot x 10 foot recreation of Uncle Scrooge McDuck's money bin, complete with giant gold coins and gems, and the Green Cheese of Longevity. It's like a ball pit for kids that's really for adults. Now that we understand.%Gallery-190608%%Gallery-190606%
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.
Gamestop pondering a move into vintage games
GameStop CEO Paul Raines is planning on adding a vintage games store to the company's online offerings. The outlet has been amassing warehouses full of classic titles that were traded in over the years, and the chief sees a "sales opportunity" in going toe-to-toe with sites like eBay. There are still several problems to overcome, including conditioning, sourcing and refurbishing the hardware abused by our younger selves -- but at least we might be able to replace our busted SNES controllers without worrying about getting outbid at the last minute.
15 indie developers re-imagine Pong for iOS, hope to win Atari contract
As far as video games go, it doesn't get much simpler than Pong -- two paddles, one ball, no complications. A classic, to be sure, but definitely not the flashiest game when pitted against the average smartphone title -- maybe that's why Atari is asking indie developers to jazz it up. Yes, the Pong Indie Developer Challenge is in full swing, and Atari has pared down some 90-odd submissions to mere 15. Not familiar with the contest? Here's a quick refresh: Atari is looking for indie developers to re-imagine Pong for iOS as a fun, original, visually interesting and overtly marketable title. The stakes? Winners can score up to $100,000 and a publishing contract with Atari. Many of the semi-finalists' redesigns are as simple as adding multitouch gestures or bending the traditionally square playing field into a more circular court, but a few ambitious developers mixed it up with 3D playing fields, anthropomorphic paddles or augmented reality multiplayer. Check out Mashable's collection of contestant trailers at the link below for a look at the Pong of tomorrow. As for us? We're still pretty pleased with yesterday's model.
Prince of Persia source code freed from floppies, posted online
You wouldn't think it would take more than two weeks to extract some source code from a pile of 3.5-inch floppies and post it online, but getting files from 1989 to play nice with a MacBook Air is no simple feat. That's why we're so appreciative of Jordan Mechner, who put the time and effort into freeing his creation, Prince of Persia, from its magnetic prison. If you want to try and build the platforming classic for your own system, hit up the source link. Or, just wait for someone else to do it for you -- we're sure it wont take long for some friendly binary formats to hit the web.
Atari Pong review (1976)
Multiplayer gaming today has become an inherently and bewilderingly antisocial affair. You grab a controller, take up as much space as possible on your couch at home, then connect to some random game hosted by some random server filled with some random people with whom you do your damnedest to fill with some collection of lead thrown from some assortment of futuristic weaponry. Along the way, you'll be taunted, insulted and, if you're playing a Halo game, quite possibly physically shamed.Back in 1976, of course, things were a bit different. Pong was the height of at-home multiplayer gaming. Two dials, one button and one switch is all you had, and with your opponent sitting in extremely close proximity to you, chances are most of the heckling would be the good-natured variety. It is a vastly simplified experience versus what we have today, but in some ways a vastly superior one. Click on through to see why.
Atari's Pong Indie Developer Challenge is a real coin opportunity
Atari's legendary Pong has captured plenty of hearts and minds over the years. Now, to celebrate its fortieth birthday, the gaming stalwart is offering up $100,000 for you to re-invent it for iOS as part of its Indie Developer Challenge. To be in with a chance of winning the cash, developers are being asked to recreate the time-honored classic in a new and original way. Then, simply submit your idea, or playable demo and keep your paddles crossed. Those creations that make it to the final will get published under the Atari brand as an official release, and you get eternal bragging rights (and the cash). The competition is open now, and you've got until March 31st to be in the game. Feel like a winner? Then bat your eyes down to that source link for the full deets.
Midway Arcade brings Joust, Defender, Spy Hunter to iOS without the associated coin-loss
Warner Bros. has busted out an iOS flavored compilation of Midway's classic arcade games. For 99 cents you can re-live the experience of pumping coin after coin in the cabinets of your childhood. The app comes with emulated versions of Spy Hunter, Rampage, Joust, Root Beer Tapper, Defender, Arch Rivals, Air Hockey, Arcade Basketball, Pool and Roll Ball. Once you've finished reacquiring your square-eyes from all that gaming action, two expansions are available as an in-app purchase. One includes NARC, Total Carnage and APB, whilst the other packs both Gauntlet games and Wizard of War. All the company needs to do now is make sure it works in perfect harmony with the iCade and we may never leave the house again.
Retrobit RetroDuo portable and RetroPort hands-on
Inspired, perhaps, by the fruits of Ben Heck's dual-console handheld dreams, Retrobit has retrofit their Retroduo NES / SNES hybrid game console to fit in your hand. The Retroduo Portable, a handheld SNES console shown for the first time at CES 2012, hopes to one-up Hyperkin's SupaBoy by adding support for classic NES games. We dropped by their booth to get a closer look.
Love Hulten shows off R-Kaid-6 game console, resurrects Octorok from 'Zelda'
In a perfect world, you could have a cool, original retro gaming peripheral and impress the sort-of-snooty steampunk nerds at the same time. That day has arrived to do just that, as Love Hultén has created a new wooden video game console called the R-Kaid-6. Inspired by various retro game consoles, the R-Kaid-6 features a custom version of the Maximus Arcade front-end for emulators and runs on PC innards from 2001. The unit also sports customized cables and two arcade joysticks that can be stored in the top of the base unit when not in use. So far, there's no set price for the R-Kaid-6, though the website states that the creator can be contacted if you're interested in purchasing the works displayed. Take a look, and remember that even the most annoying Modern Warfare 3 opponent screaming epithets at you over Xbox Live has to respect retro gaming goodness in its purest form.
SupaBoy portable SNES, the most fun you can have without a soldering iron
We previewed Hyperkin's SupaBoy back in the summer and loved the idea of toting 'round original SNES games without resorting to Ben Heck-style crafting. The handheld takes full-size cartridges, packs a 3.5-inch screen and a battery that's disappointingly rated for just two point five hours (best keep a power cable handy). It'll also double as a home console: there's an AV-out port and slots for two classic controllers for when you wanna kick it old-school. It's reportedly compatible with titles like Mario World, A Link to the Past and Starwing Starfox, but who needs them when we've got a mint condition copy of Tetris Attack at home? It'll cost you $80 and is available from Amazon as of yesterday -- we suggest you get to practicing blowing the dirt from the connectors, since you'll be doing a lot of it soon.
Analogue Interactive outs ebony ash encased Neo Geo CMVS Slim, pre-order yours for $649
If your interest was piqued by Analogue Interactive's walnut shelled Neo Geo MVS arcade system, you may want to take a peek at the outfit's refreshed CMVS slim console. Keeping with the MVS' hand-crafted theme, the CMVS Slim encases the rig in 100 percent ebonized ash. Or, if you preferred the walnut facade, you can still grab the console in that shade as well (pictured after the break). Unlike the model we saw earlier this year, this kit condenses all of the outputs to a single DIN jack -- offering S-video and composite connections via an included cable. Should you be so inclined, you can opt for a cable upgrade to make use of component or SCART connectivity for "the ultimate retro videophile experience." These classy consoles still bear the same $649 price tag as their plastic predecessor. Want a matching arcade stick? Toss in another two Benjamins. If you're ready to pull the trigger and pre-order, hit the source link below, and yours will ship in 5-7 weeks.
Giant wall console lets you Game & Watch while you wait
Before there was a 3DS and DS -- heck, before there was a Game Boy, there was Game & Watch, Nintendo's portable, sometimes dual-screened gaming line from the '80s. But while the gaming giant has long since moved on, nostalgia for their platform-based frustration lives on in the form of this large piece of interactive wall art, a case that uses an Arduino and Python script to bring folks with a little spare time the sort of retro gaming that will make them long from the graphical power of the original NES. Check out more images of the device in the Source link below.
NaClBox brings DOS-based gaming to Chrome along with sweet, sweet nostalgia
Now that Angry Birds has come to Chrome, none of us have any reason to leave the house. But if you like your games closer to 1fps, NaClBox may be more your speed. The Chrome-only emulator revives such DOS-based classics as The Secret of Monkey Island , Falcon 3.0, and Alone In the Dark. Most are demos, meant to show off the browser's Native Client potential and tug the heartstrings of retro-gamers. And we'll admit getting a little misty at stepping back into the blocky shoes of Guybrush Threepwood -- but maybe even more so at the bleepy-bloopy Soundblaster-era soundtrack.
Pica-Pic brings retro handheld games back to life, purpose to the internet
Brace yourself. You're about to be guided to the best website in the history of the universe, and if you dare doubt it, your universe may very well be ripped to shreds. Every so often, a new and improved reason for surviving emerges on the world wide web, and it's safe to say that Pica-Pic fits the bill. For all intents and purposes, it's a drop-dead gorgeous portal for accessing retro handheld games -- the very vessels that carried you through your childhood. Simply toggle through the myriad options with your left / right arrow keys, and then mouse over each game to learn of the keyboard controls. Venture on down to the source link if you're looking to occupy yourself for the next week month. Now, if only they'd build an app for porting this to the mobile side...