retro
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Pre-orders for Atari's retro VCS console start at $249
If you're tired of hearing about delays and revisions to the Atari VCS and just want to know when you can buy the damned thing as an everyday customer, you're in luck. The retro console will be available for general pre-order today from both the company site as well as GameStop and Walmart, with orders from the last two expected to ship in March 2020 (crowdfunding backers may get theirs in December 2019). How much you'll pay will depend on just how nostalgic you are, though.
Jon Fingas06.11.2019
AZIO’s gorgeous Iris keyboard is inspired by vintage cameras
AZIO is a company that makes keyboards that look as good as they feel when you type on them, and at Computex it was showing off the prototype for its next device. The AZIO Iris draws inspiration from the design of old-fashioned rangefinder cameras, from Leica and Fujica / Fujifilm, with unashamedly analog dials and switches. It may not be going on sale until the end of the year at the earliest, but I'm already in love.
Daniel Cooper05.29.2019
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.
Kris Holt04.16.2019
Finished Atari VCS design pays homage to its 2600 roots
Now that the Atari VCS team has once again delayed its retro console to give it more powerful innards, it's ready to show what that redesign looks like. The developers have unveiled what they say is the "production-ready" system design, and it pays even more of an ode to the Atari 2600 than before. The main body now floats above the base like the 2600 did, and addresses multiple "practical considerations" in the process. To start, two of the USB ports are now front-facing -- it's much easier to plug in a controller or keyboard.
Jon Fingas03.31.2019
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.
Zach Hines03.27.2019
Konami is bringing 'Castlevania' and 'Contra' to modern consoles
Konami is celebrating its 50th birthday with three new compilations based on Castlevania, Contra and its early arcade games, each available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows PC (via Steam).
Rachel England03.20.2019
Atari VCS gets a spec boost and another delay
The nostalgic Atari VCS console has been delayed yet again, but at least this time you're getting more for your money. The creators have pushed back the system's launch to the end of 2019 in return for an upgrade to an as yet unannounced embedded AMD Ryzen chip, complete with Vega-based graphics. It'll offer more power for games, of course, but it'll also pull off feats you might not expect in a retro box, like native 4K video playback and support for protected streaming video services like Netflix.
Jon Fingas03.18.2019
Logitech resurrects its classic MX518 gaming mouse
Long-time PC gamers have fond memories of the MX518 for a reason: the 2005-era mouse combined a comfortable shape, convenient buttons and brisk performance at a fairly reasonable price. Even its 2011 replacement was ultimately a spin on a successful formula. If you miss that original design, though, you'll be glad to hear that it's coming back. Logitech has revived the mouse as the G MX518, preserving that egg-like body while giving it 2019-era innards built for modern gamers.
Jon Fingas02.19.2019
Speak & Spell is B-A-C-K
If you're a techie of a certain age (cough), you probably have fond memories of the Speak & Spell. The Texas Instruments toy's quirky speech synthesis may be quaint by modern standards, but it sounded like magic at a time when getting any computer to talk was a big deal. You'll be glad to hear it's back, then. Basic Fun is introducing a revived Speak & Spell that includes all the familiar games, that simple segmented display (albeit one based on modern LCDs) and, of course, that signature orange-and-yellow design. However, there is one important change you'll have to consider: the voice.
Jon Fingas02.08.2019
8BitDo made a wireless controller for Sega Genesis fans
The latest retro-inspired controller from 8BitDo should bring a smile to the face of many Genesis fans. The M30 takes its cue from the Sega console's controllers and it works with PC, macOS and Android as well as Nintendo Switch. A single charge will give you up to 20 hours of play time, while there are screenshot and home buttons along with a turbo function. The M30 will set you back $30.
Kris Holt01.28.2019
Nintendo warns it won't make more retro NES and SNES consoles
Just because Nintendo revived the NES Classic doesn't mean you'll have the luxury of buying a retro console whenever you'd like. In a chat with the Hollywood Reporter, the company's Reggie Fils-Aime warned that the NES Classic and SNES Classic will sell in the Americas through the holidays, but will be "gone" once they sell out. If you want to walk down memory lane after that, you'll have to take advantage of the games that come with Switch Online.
Jon Fingas12.14.2018
We'll never agree which games should be included with retro consoles
Nostalgia is a hell of a drug. Comforting yet tantalizingly short-lived, nostalgia has an insidious allure that has long been weaponized by marketers to drive consumers toward purchases that they'd otherwise shun (or often regret immediately after). But, the impact of these associative memories may end up backfiring for Sony and the upcoming release of its PlayStation Classic retro console. Because for nostalgia to actually work, it usually helps if people remember the included titles.
Andrew Tarantola10.30.2018
Sony reveals the complete list of PlayStation Classic games
Sony has finally revealed the full game list for the PlayStation Classic, and it looks like it'll please fans looking for a nostalgia hit... mostly. In addition to previously announced games like Final Fantasy VII and Ridge Racer Type 4, you'll find definitive titles like Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil Director's Cut and Twisted Metal. Simultaneously, though, there are a few curious choices and conspicuous omissions.
Jon Fingas10.29.2018
Analogue's Mega Sg sounds like the ultimate Sega Genesis
Analogue, the retro console manufacturer behind the Nt Mini and Super Nt, excellent modern NES and SNES reproductions, is now bringing back a seminal '90s rival. The company has announced the Mega Sg, a Sega Genesis, Mega Drive and Master System recreation that can play over 2,180 classic cartridges. Unlike other retro console clones, Analogue, as its name suggests, doesn't use emulation methods. Rather, the company opts to use an Altera Cyclone V FPGA chip to ensure 100 percent compatibility -- and so that games can be played exactly how they were intended. It's not the exact chip used in the Genesis, but using an FPGA chip that runs off HDL (hardware description language), it can essentially be any other chip. It's a solution that bypasses emulation through an operating system, to connect and speak directly between game cartridge and motherboard.
Imad Khan10.16.2018
Nintendo could make a playable Game Boy phone case
Now that Nintendo has a couple of nostalgia-inducing consoles under its belt, there's a common question: how would it tackle the Game Boy and other handhelds of yesteryear? We might have an idea. The USPTO recently published a Nintendo patent application for a folio case that would turn a smartphone into a functioning Game Boy replica, complete with physical buttons that translate presses into touchscreen input. It's more than a little familiar if you've tried a device like Hyperkin's Smart Boy, only here you wouldn't need to plug in cartridges to play officially sanctioned game copies.
Jon Fingas10.05.2018
Casio's see-through G-Shock watches are an icy blast of nostalgia
Casio's G-Shock watch line is enjoying a bit of a renaissance on its 35th anniversary (you can even get a full metal model if you like), and the company is making the most of it with some particularly eye-catching wristwear. It just introduced a Glacier Gold collection of G-Shocks that are virtually guaranteed to stand out while scratching that nostalgic itch. Each model has a semi-transparent resin casing and band, with a gold-colored watch sitting at their heart, recreating both the look of classic G-Shock models and the clear style of 1996's stand-out DW-6900K.
Jon Fingas09.24.2018
PlayStation Classic jumps on the retro trend December 3rd for $100
With "Classic" game systems occasionally outselling modern ones, Sony is bringing back its own old school system. The PlayStation Classic will launch in December, loaded with 20 "generation-defining" games in their original format for $100 (€99.99 RRP). It's 45 percent smaller than the original system and uses a virtual memory card for saves. It will arrive with two PS1-era replica controllers from the time before analog sticks for local multiplayer and connect to modern TVs via HDMI-out, but you'll have to bring your own USB power adapter.
Richard Lawler09.19.2018
Nintendo Switch gets SNK's arcade games this November
SNK is celebrating its 40th birthday with a triumphant return to the golden age of arcade games -- with a modern twist. On November 13, the creator is launching a bevy of retro games for Nintendo Switch, including Alpha Mission, Ikari Warriors, Athena, Guerrilla War and Vanguard, among others. There's more to be announced, too, although the titles already confirmed can be pre-ordered now as part of the Switch-exclusive pack.
Rachel England07.04.2018
The humble music box gets a 21st century update
Outside horror movies, music boxes are pretty cool, but their big flaw is that they can only play a few bars of one song. This inflexibility wasn't so much of an issue a century ago, but in the era of Spotify, it's not great. That's why Taiwanese company Tevofy Technology has sought to update the music box for the modern age, in the form of the Music Robot Box, or Muro Box.
Daniel Cooper06.06.2018
Intellivision plans a revival with a new game console
Add Intellivision to the list of vintage console brands hoping for another shot at glory. Intellivision Entertainment has revealed that it's in the early stages of creating a new video game system. Details are scarce (there isn't even a name), but the emphasis is on making a system that "all age groups and levels of gamers and non-gamers" can enjoy. There's familiar talent involved, too. Soundtrack impresario and Video Games Live host Tommy Tallarico has been named the President of the fledgling company, while numerous original Intellivision designers and executives are taking on leadership roles. Mattel is about the only absentee at this stage, but that's not surprising.
Jon Fingas05.30.2018