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A Super Famicom-themed Nintendo 3DS is headed to Japan
If you were watching the Japan-specific Nintendo Direct yesterday, you would have noticed a little hardware treat for classic console fans. A special edition New 3DS XL is coming to Nintendo's home turf with a Super Famicom design, complete with classic colors and nostalgic "buttons" on the outer shell. It'll launch in April for 21,600 yen (about $190) but sadly, there's no word on a wider international release. Of course, to make the jump to North America, it would need a little splash of SNES purple...
Nintendo makes SNES games exclusive to 'New' Nintendo 3DS
Want to play classic, Super Nintendo games on the go? Hope you updated to Nintendo's vaguely named "New" Nintendo 3DS last year, then -- the company just announced that the latest additions to its virtual console library are exclusive to the revised handheld. Starting later today, NN3DS owners will be able to download Super Mario World, F-Zero and Pilotwings from the Nintendo E-Shop.
Coleco Chameleon Kickstarter over before it even begins (update)
Last month RetroVGS's Coleco Chameleon made a big splash at Toy Fair, promising retro-gaming goodness from such storied systems as the SNES, the Intellivision and the Atari 2600. The Kickstarter was set to begin on February 26, but instead the company made an announcement that evening via Facebook stating that the crowdfunding process would be put on an indefinite delay. RetroVGS says the Kickstarter campaign was put on hold in order to finalize the prototype and lock down additional content for the system. However, an accompanying image was removed from the Facebook post after criticism that the Chameleon may not work as advertised.
Coleco Chameleon will resurrect your favorite Atari 2600 games (update)
The Coleco Chameleon from Retro Video Game Systems won't land on Kickstarter until the end of the month. However, it did hit Toy Fair earlier this week to give the public a little taste of its retro-gaming goodness and score a few deals. And score it did, landing the rights to the Atari 2600 library. That's over 300 games, as well an option for the company to develop new games based on all that classic IP. (Update: We've gotten in touch with Atari; see comments at the end of this post.)
We turned on the Nintendo PlayStation: It's real and it works
The "Nintendo PlayStation" is now the stuff of gaming legend, with reportedly only about 200 prototypes ever produced.
Gaming legend Sid Meier auctions his SNES kit for charity (update: not him)
Want a rare piece of video gaming history? We hope you're a quick-draw bidder. Legendary game developer Sid Meier is holding a charity auction for a Super NES developer kit (which is hard to find by itself) used during his MicroProse days. Yes, there's a real chance that you could be using a system that helped build an early console version of Civilization. Don't think that you can just take on some credit card debt to get that nostalgia kick, though. Meier is only selling the kit to trustworthy eBay users with verified PayPal accounts, and bidding starts at $5,999 -- it's worthwhile if you want to help St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, but you're paying for a lot more than someone's second-hand console. Update 5/7: 2K tells us that it's not Meier selling this system. That doesn't mean this is bogus gear, but it certainly loses some of its luster.
Nintendo backs off of bringing Super Nintendo games to Wii U
Bad news for Super Nintendo fans: your Wii U fix is about to dry up. Nintendo's Virtual Console, the download service offering older games on its consoles and handhelds, has never had the most robust selection. With Nintendo turning its eye towards N64 games, though, SNES releases are being left behind. According to Natsume, a publisher with a plethora of SNES games primed for re-release, Nintendo is done with 16-bit for now.
Mega Man channels Cut Man to deal with Virtual Console prices
Capcom kicked off a sale on games in its Mega Man series through the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U eShops today. The sale coincides with the 27th anniversary of the iconic blue hero as well as the debut of another game on Nintendo's Virtual Console: Mega Man Zero. The Game Boy Advance classic is now available on the Wii U eShop for $7.99. The "Mega Manniversary" sale hacks 50 percent off the price of six Mega Man games until Monday, December 22 at 11:59 a.m. ET (8:59 a.m. PT). On sale are the Game Boy versions of Mega Man 2, Mega Man 3 and Mega Man 4 for 3DS, each down to $1.49. As for Wii U, players can download NES games Mega Man 5 and Mega Man 6 for $2.49 each as well as Mega Man 7 for $3.99. Of course, kids these days may have troubles with these difficult retro platformers. [Image: Capcom]
Demon's Crest, Gargoyle's Quest 2 invade eShop on October 30
Capcom will resurrect a pair of demonic platformers from its back catalog next week with the launch of Demon's Crest and Gargoyle's Quest 2 for the Nintendo eShop. Both games star Ghosts 'n Goblins series antagonist Firebrand, and both feature side-scrolling action bolstered by action-RPG elements. Firebrand navigates an RPG-like overworld in between difficult platforming sequences in 1992's Gargoyle's Quest 2 for the NES, while the 1994 SNES series finale Demon's Crest takes a more open-ended approach, challenging players to return to previously-explored levels as they uncover hidden items and pursue multiple endings. Capcom's upcoming eShop re-releases will premiere at a significant discount compared to their current aftermarket prices. Cartridge-only copies of Demon's Crest are hovering around $100 on eBay these days, and Gargoyle's Quest 2 is approaching $70. 3DS and Wii U owners get Gargoyle's Quest 2 for $4.99 next week, and Demon's Crest will hit the Wii U eShop exclusively for $7.99. (For the record, I sold my cartridge of Gargoyle's Quest 2 for $10 and complete-in-box (sob) copy of Demon's Crest for around $20 years ago. I regret my mistakes.) [Image: Capcom / VG Museum]
Joystiq Streams: The Sailor Moon Super Nintendo RPG time forgot [UPDATE: Relive the stream!]
Back in the long, long ago of 1995, well before the armies of deviantARTists and international cosplayers rose to power, anime and manga-inflected goods were rare commodities in the Western world. Sailor Moon was on TV, albeit in mangled form, and we got the creme-de-la-creme of RPGs like Chrono Trigger, but that was it. Everything else was out of reach. Why, if you were the sort that harbored dreams of mixing that Sailor Moon melodrama with the steady stream of turn-based battles from Final Fantasy VI, all you could do was order a wall scroll and draw in your Trapper Keeper. Little did you know that such a game actually existed in Sailor Moon: Another Story. Joystiq Streams is realizing all of our fantasies today at 4PM EST when we stream Sailor Moon: Another Story at Joystiq.com/Twitch. What's it going to be like? We have no idea, since we've never played it. Rest assured, though, it will be aggressively '90s. Joystiq Streams broadcasts at 4PM EST at Joystiq.com/Twitch every Tuesday and Thursday, but we regularly stream throughout the week so make sure to follow us on Twitch to know when we go live. [Images: Angel/Sailor Moon Wiki]
This stackable media hub plays your old 16-bit game cartridges
The set-top box market is currently flooded with many cheap Android boxes, but they tend to offer limited remote access plus expansion capability, so it's about time that something more exciting popped up. One such candidate is the EzeeCube, which aims to be an idiot-proof media hub with three main selling points: Auto-sync content across multiple platforms (Android, iOS, Windows and OS X); simple initial setup for accessing hub content from anywhere; and cable-free expansion that lets you stack up to four modules. We're talking about slapping on an extra hard drive, a Blu-ray drive, a TV tuner and even a retro gaming module that will bring your dusty SNES and Sega Mega Drive / Genesis cartridges back to life. No messy cables here.
Fan support could lead to SNES, GBA Remix
"If you build it, they will come" doesn't always apply to game development, as NES Remix director Koichi Hayashida recently illustrated. When asked about the possible inclusion of Super Nintendo, Game Boy or Game Boy Advance games in a future Remix game, Hayashida told IGN that "if there's a big enough outpouring of support for these titles, it's something I'd like to take a look at." Nintendo just launched NES Remix 2, which fared much better than the first game in our review. The first NES Remix arrived in December, though its selection of games was lackluster. Both games approach a collection of classic NES titles in a novel way: by issuing brief mini-game-style challenges. While other Virtual Console platforms like SNES and GBA sound like natural fits for future Remix installments, Hayashida said it still boils down to the question, "Does the marketplace want it or need it?" "If we get a big enough cry for that, with a lot of people saying, 'Hey, we'd love to see more of these perhaps for the SNES, Game Boy or Game Boy Advance,' then it would be something we can take a look at," he added. [Image: Nintendo]
Dragon Fin Soup brings retro RPG flair to a dragon-turtle's back
Indie developer Grimm Bros opted for a retro, SNES-inspired style for its debut game, Dragon Fin Soup. The developer recently achieved its $24,000 goal on Kickstarter to bring the RPG to PC, Mac, Linux, PS4, PS3 and Vita. Sporting turn-based movement and a classic 2D top-down visual style, Dragon Fin Soup is an action RPG with roguelike qualities set in the world of Asura, which rests on the back of a giant "dragon-turtle." Players can learn more about the world through a blend of scripted events and quests as well as procedurally-generated content in the game's story mode, led by Dragon Fin Soup's first playable character, Red Robin. It also features a survival mode marked by permanent death in which players are dropped into a dangerous forest with limited supplies, fighting their way through generated dungeons that increase in difficulty. Dragon Fin Soup still has roughly three weeks to go before its crowdfunding campaign ends, and is seeking stretch goals to fund expansions and port the game to the Sony platforms. It was among the 75 games recently approved for Steam distribution via Greenlight. Grimm Bros was founded by former Human Head COO Ash Monif and artist Randis Albion in March 2013. [Image: Grimm Bros]
Christian-themed shooter Super Noah's Ark 3D returns to SNES
Twenty years after it earned notoriety as the sole unlicensed game on the Super Nintendo (not to mention a Christian-themed, first-person shooter), Super Noah's Ark 3D has returned to the console. For those unaware, Super Noah's Ark 3D isn't a very good game, but it is rare and collectors view it as an interesting piece of trivia given that the game was built on top of id Software's Wolfenstein 3D engine. Creator Wisdom Tree was refused a license for SNES development due to the game's overt religious imagery, so after relying on a special pass-through cartridge designed to circumvent the anti-piracy measures of the SNES, the game was released via mail order and in certain specialty stores. Nintendo's restrictions against religious imagery no longer apply to the SNES, allowing retro developer Piko Interactive to license and re-release the game on a proper SNES cartridge. If you visit Piko Interactive's site, you'll find the game listed at $40. That price is for the cartridge by itself, though if you'd like a box and manual to go along with your new old game, the price jumps to $70.
Fist of Awesome's lumberjack joining indie racer Super World Karts GP
Super World Karts GP, a 16-bit-style kart racing game from One Legged Seagull, will include a cameo from Tim Burr, the time-traveling lumberjack that stars in another indie game, Fist of Awesome. The news comes from an update on Super World Karts GP's Kickstarter page, which announced the crossover with Fist of Awesome developer I Fight Bears. The game boasts SNES-like, mode 7-style kart racing, bearing strong resemblance to Nintendo's Super Mario Kart, down to its name. Super World Karts GP is in development for PC, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android and Ouya, and is a part of Ouya's revised Free the Games Fund. As for Tim Burr, the lumberjack-turned-kart racer will be an unlockable character, available to use "once you've gotten a few tournament cups under your belt." Tim Burr joins three other unlockable crossover characters: Dr. Boom from Tuesday Knight Games, Turing from Read Only Memories and Lobodestroyo's Mutt. Read Only Memories recently found success on Kickstarter, and also participated in Ouya's Free the Games Fund. Super World Karts GP is seeking $16,000 AUS ($14,348.80 USD) by Monday, December 23 on Kickstarter to bring its brand of retro-style kart racing to players, of which the project has currently raised $7,536 AUS ($6758.28 USD).
Mega Man X, Game Boy Mega Man $2 each on eShop through Wednesday
Starting today and ending December 18, players can pick up downloadable copies of Capcom's landmark SNES platformer Mega Man X and bite-sized Game Boy series entry Mega Man for $2 each from Nintendo's eShop. The sale discounts the Wii U Virtual Console version of Mega Man X (regularly $7.99) and the 3DS VC port of the Game Boy Mega Man (regularly $3.99). Note that these limited-time sale prices are only available via their respective platforms, as Nintendo does not offer the ability to purchase eShop content via PCs. This week's sale is apparently the first of several "2 Games, 2 Dollars each, 2 Days" deals planned for the eShop, though details regarding future sales have not been revealed. The sale price for both games will remain in effect through 8:59 a.m. PST on December 18.
Blizzard revives Blackthorne, offers it free on Battle.net
Those itching to relive the mid-90s will be happy to hear that Blizzard has re-released its cult classic action-platformer Blackthorne. Even better? It's absolutely free. Having been developed before Blizzard decided to focus exclusively on the Warcraft, Starcraft and Diablo franchises, Blackthorne is unlike anything else from the developer. It drops you into the boots of Kyle, a denim-clad cliché of everything teenaged boys imagined to be "cool" circa 1994, as he traverses an alien planet hoping to rescue hostages and look especially rad while blasting enemies to bits. While the story only exists to support the action, most won't care once they discover the "no look, behind the back" shotgun attack. If any of this piqued your interest, why not download the game? Anyone with a Battle.net account is now able to pick up Blackthorne from Blizzard for the very attractive price of totally free. There are no caveats here; once you've downloaded the game, it's yours to keep.
Blizzard classic Blackthorne now available for free download
Have you ever heard of Blackthorne? Originally released in 1994 for the SNES, this classic platformer was the one of the first titles to be released under the name Blizzard Entertainment. And now, it appears as though the game can be had for free. Head to your Battle.net account, and hit the Download Game Clients page, under the Games & Codes tab. At the bottom is a new section titled Classic Games, and Blackthorne can be downloaded for Windows absolutely free. So what is Blackthorne? Long ago on the planet Tuul, the people of the world were divided into two kingdoms -- the good Androth, and the not-so-good Ka'dra'suul. To make a long story short, the Ka'dra'suul were eventually transformed into monsters, and one of them decided to seize power and try to take over Androth. Enter Kyle -- the son of King Vlaros, ruler of Androth. King Vlaros decides to send Kyle to Earth in order to save his life. Twenty years later, Kyle is all grown up, a military mercenary, and discovers his unusual heritage through a series of strange dreams. And then Kyle happily returns to Tuul to kick some butt and save his people while working his way through a series of typical platform levels and puzzles and blowing away his enemies with a giant pump-action shotgun. Look, it may not be the most elegant of stories, but it was a really fun SNES title back in the day. The free download version has not been updated, and lives on in its raw pixel and MIDI glory, just in time for a bit of Halloween nostalgia. If you've ever wanted to get your hands on this title, go grab the free download and immerse yourself in the 90's for a few hours. I'll be over here, playing my childhood and keeping an eye out just in case Lost Vikings happens to pop up, too.
Hyperkin Retron 5 combines ten consoles into one on December 10 for $99 (updated)
We love what the Hyperkin Retron 5 brings to the table, namely compatibility with ten classic gaming system cartridges: NES, Famicom, Super NES and Famicom, Sega Master System, Genesis and Mega Drive, and Game Boy original, Color and Advance. The problem is, Hyperkin's played coy about it's price and availability... until now. It'll be available on December 10th, and it'll be on sale in both Europe (for €89.99) and in the US ($99.99). And, it turns out that the Retron 5 that'll go on sale will have a few more tricks up its sleeve than the prototype we played with back at E3. The exterior's been modified to better cool the internal components, and it'll pack a work with the Sega Power Base Converter that lets you play Sega's Master System games in the Genesis slot on top. So, now you can officially start carving out space in your entertainment center for the Retron 5 -- which shouldn't be difficult once you've cleared out all the elder consoles it replaces. Less is more, people. Update: We mistakenly wrote previously that the Retron 5 comes with a Power Base converter, in fact, you'll need to bring your own converter to the party.
All-in-one retrogaming console RetroN 5 now available for pre-order
Hyperkin's five-slot retrogaming solution RetroN 5 is now up for pre-order at Amazon ahead of an October 31 release date. The RetroN 5 is compatible with original Nintendo Entertainment System, Super NES, Sega Genesis, and Game Boy Advance cartridges, and also supports the Famicom, Mega Drive, Game Boy and Game Boy Color cart formats. The package includes a wireless Bluetooth controller, and the console itself features an array of controller ports, supporting original NES, SNES, and Genesis peripherals. While 8-bit and 16-bit consoles maxed their video output capabilities at S-Video (or worse, composite), the RetroN 5 features HDMI output for all supported games. The platform also offers a number of features common to emulation software, allowing players to speed up and slow down gameplay at will and enabling the use of savestates. Joystiq's JC Fletcher previously weighed in on the console, praising its space-saving form but admitting that it fills a small niche "between pawn shops and Virtual Console." The RetroN 5 is available in black and grey, and is priced at $99.99.
