It seems games are getting easier, which might be why I found R-Type Dimensions III so goddamn difficult.

Then again, I know people who can’t play Turrican, so maybe it’s not that. Either way, I was heartened in some way this week to learn that the game is going to be receiving some patches following its release. This at least justifies my inability to produce a review — I can barely play the game to the end of the first stage — but I hope it means one can come soon.

Elsewhere in the past week, Commodore’s Christian Simpson has hinted at an upcoming new hardware product reveal.

Based on what the video says, my money is on a Commodore 65, probably an improved version of the Mega 65. Commodore wasn’t working on much when it went bankrupt, but we know the Commodore 65 fits the bill for this perfectly.

Last week on Gaming Retro

As ever, I delivered a pair of in-depth articles to paid subscribers over the past few days:

You can get these by upgrading to a paid subscription. Alternatively, share Gaming Retro and get 3 signups and you get a month’s access to the premium articles and archive.

Share Gaming Retro

I also published some reviews, guides, and a deep-dive into the ModRetro M64 pricing.

Retro gaming news round up

Okay, the bit you’ve been looking forward to. Incidentally, this first game looks amazing, like a remake of the game Hunter on the Amiga, and having watched the trailer a few times, I really fancy it.

• Developer Tim Wheatley has released Blue Fury on Steam for $9.99 USD. Inspired by the creator's 1994 roots tinkering with AMOS on the Commodore Amiga, the project is a retro-inspired helicopter combat game developed by a self-taught programmer with a deep background in racing simulations.

• Limited Run Games has opened pre-orders for physical PlayStation 5 editions of Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain and Blood Omen 2: Legacy of Kain. Available until July 5, 2026, the emulated classic titles can be purchased individually as Standard Editions ($34.99 each) or together in a $99.99 Deluxe Edition bundle.

• My Arcade has launched the Ms. PAC-MAN Pocket Player Pro, a $44.99 officially licensed retro handheld. The portable console features a high-resolution 2.75-inch full-color display, adjustable brightness, a front-facing speaker, and a headphone jack, running on either four AA batteries or a USB-C connection.

• Solo developer Simsang Yoon and publisher LINE Games have released a localized Steam demo for Come to my Party!. Handcrafted without AI assets, this 90s-set pixel-art visual novel features 12 narrative endings as players navigate family dynamics and classroom politics to throw a 10-year-old middle child her first birthday party.

• Clear River Games is releasing Cotton Reboot! and Cotton Reboot! High Tension! on October 22, 2026. Reboot! brings the Sharp X68000 cute 'em up classic to PS5 and Nintendo Switch 2. High Tension! adds intense scoring mechanics and "Willow Fever" to PS4, PS5, and Switch.

• Rhino Rock Studios has released Outblast, a retro-inspired sci-fi arcade shmup playable in both standard flatscreen and VR modes. Piloting interceptor C11-28 using a controller, players battle through five distinct, virus-corrupted districts and face unique boss encounters to save the planet Perseon-6.

• Clear River Games, City Connection, and Omiya Soft have released a Steam demo for Culdcept The First, the localized 1997 SEGA Saturn tactical card-board game classic ahead of its July 30, 2026 launch. The demo features one Story and one Battle map, with earned cards carrying over to the full PC release.

• Whetstone Games and publisher Pantaloon have launched a Steam demo for OFFBEAT, a pixel-art music-tycoon game that doubles as a real audio production tool. Players compose tracks for eccentric clients using odd instruments like singing gnomes, exporting their final creations locally as WAV files.

• Sisters of Solitude is an isometric, pixel-art detective horror game based on a chilling true story. Inspired by late-80s and early-90s 8-bit classics and set to a haunting chiptune soundtrack, players investigate an abandoned convent where four nuns mysteriously died after murdering their Mother Superior.

• Amazon Game Studios, Crystal Dynamics, and Flying Wild Hog have opened pre-orders for Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, a cinematic reimagining of the 1996 classic launching February 12, 2027, for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2. Editions range from a £49.99 Standard to a £159.99 Collector's version.

• Mega Cat Studios has launched a Kickstarter campaign for Lethal Wedding, a 16-bit top-down grindhouse action RPG for the Sega Genesis and modern platforms. The game follows a bride and her mother-in-law rescuing a kidnapped groom from a clown cartel, offering physical cartridge rewards and a chiptune soundtrack.

• Fear of Sleep debuted a weapons trailer at Midsummer Night’s Scream, showcasing its unforgiving combat. Developed by AAA veteran Konrad Honey for a 2026 Steam release, the horror game rejects hand-holding. Players guide an android through a subterranean bunker using multi-purpose tools and physics manipulation to survive.

• Saber Interactive and IO Interactive have announced Hitman Classic Trilogy Remastered, a collection featuring remastered versions of the original stealth classics Hitman: Codename 47, Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, and Hitman: Contracts. Launching in 2027 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, it adds updated visuals, an instant graphics toggle, and a Photo Mode.

• Cuphead Sequel & Master System Spin-Off are officially on the way from Studio MDHR. Alongside confirming a full sequel, the team surprised retro fans by announcing a custom, official 8-bit spin-off designed to run on the classic SEGA Master System hardware.

• Arcade Archives: Cameltry continues Hamster Corporation’s dedication to preserving classic coin-op history for modern digital platforms. This week’s release faithfully reproduces the original arcade gameplay, complete with modern online leaderboards and custom display settings.

• The Underserved “Grey Gamers” Market highlights how the industry is ignoring retired players. This expanding demographic prefers accessible, traditional design over predatory monetization, yet few developers build projects tailored to seniors.

• Streets of Rage Movie Adaptation is moving forward at SEGA and Lionsgate. The live-action film based on the iconic beat-’em-up franchise has secured its creative team, bringing on writers and directors associated with the successful Sonic the Hedgehog movies. (Popverse)

• Rumour: SEGA 2D Handheld Device suggests the company might be gearing up to launch a budget-friendly console focused on classic 2D gaming. The device would target retro enthusiasts by offering an affordable hardware option for 8-bit and 16-bit titles.

• Duke Nukem 3D Path Tracing Mod Voxel Support introduces a massive update that replaces original 2D enemy and item sprites with 3D pixel models. This milestone adds true physical depth to the classic shooter’s ray-traced lighting. (DSOGaming)

• 33 Games has announced a new SNES physical release of Utopia, which brings Gremlin Graphics’ classic strategy game to a premium physical Super Nintendo cartridge. Publishers emphasize that the project is a dedicated effort toward genuine historical software preservation, not just a nice box. (TimeExtension)

• ShadPS4 Emulator Major Update marks the project’s most substantial update to date. This latest version significantly increases compatibility and boosts performance across various titles, moving eighth-generation console emulation forward on PC hardware. (DSOGaming)

• ArsTechica has explained why DOOM on Neo Geo is impossible, providing a technical analysis of why a native port cannot work. Despite the console’s massive 2D sprite power, its architecture lacks the processing functions required to render the game’s pseudo-3D environments.

• Harbour Masters Expanding to GameCube reveals that the group famous for native N64 PC ports is expanding its reverse-engineering scope. The team will now apply their decompilation tools to bring classic Nintendo GameCube titles to modern PCs. (SteamDeckHQ)

• Forgotten Mobile Metal Slug Port Rescued celebrates preservationists who saved an obscure mobile phone version of the series from digital oblivion. Featuring unique, small pixel sprites, the rare title has been successfully extracted and archived.

• Gravity Circuit Free on Steam highlights that Domestic Distortion’s acclaimed 2D indie platformer is currently free to keep forever. Drawing heavy inspiration from retro 8-bit and 16-bit classics, players can permanently claim the side-scroller.

• Arcade Archives: Tatakae! Big Fighter! was originally released in 2025, but jas just been added to the Arcade Archives 2 line for Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC.

• Super ZSNES Emulator Update v0.200b introduces highly anticipated MSU-1 high-quality audio integration. This update adds advanced audio scaling modes, allowing retro enthusiasts to experience enhanced CD-quality soundtracks alongside optimized SNES emulation. (RetroRGB)

• Freefall '95 is a fast-paced arcade falling simulator from S-Bend Games that launched on Steam on June 1, 2026. Chaining extreme sports-inspired mid-air tricks, players plummet through a time loop from a doomed airliner while dodging bullet-hell style debris to chase high scores.

• LEGO Pokémon SMART Play sets have been unveiled by The LEGO Group and The Pokémon Company. Launching August 1, 2026, the 12-set lineup uses screen-free "SMART Brick" technology to let kids build, nurture, and battle interactive, responsive creatures. Pre-orders are open now, split between All-in-One and hardware-compatible expansion sets.

• Daytona USA PC Port is a native PC conversion of the Xbox Live Arcade version, courtesy of a dedicated modding project. While the port offers widescreen gameplay and high frame rates, users must do manual legwork with original assets.

• Toy Story 3 Remaster Announcement has been officially revealed with Digital Eclipse leading development. The classic title is being remastered for a modern collection, featuring a collaborative effort to bring the beloved gameplay to PC and current consoles on October 15.

And finally…

The Vectrex Mini Official Lineup has been unveiled with the blessing of original system creator Jay Smith, who is joining the project as a consultant. The micro-console features 14 built-in games including Mine Storm, Berzerk, and the homebrew Zombie Apocalypse, complete with physical screen overlays.

That’s it for this week!

We’ve got more exclusive features and an interview with a pretty interesting video game writer in the coming week, for supporters of Gaming Retro. Backing this publication gives you two features a week, unlocks the full archive, and allows you to comment on articles.

Subscribe now

Look out for those landing in your inbox, and I’ll be back with another roundup next weekend.

Cheers,
Christian

Despite being an unknown game to many, I have seen a fair few nostalgia-driven gamers reminisce about a cutesome game where you play as adorable ninjas while saving cute animals from being turned into evil Samurai.

For those familiar with this game, give yourselves a gold star, because I am indeed talking about Mini Ninjas. This 2009 title was developed by IO Interactive, responsible for the Hitman series and currently working on Project 007. It launched on platforms including the Wii, PS3, Xbox 360, Android, iOS and PC (it’s currently on Steam). It later received a spin-off game, Mini Ninjas: Adventures and its very own animated series on Amazon Video.

Quite the sweet adventure this little game had!

Subscribe now

What is Mini Ninjas?

First and foremost, let’s provide some context. The game’s story starts with a detailed cutscene that explain the Samurai Warlord’s rise to power in Japan once again. The Ninja Master was responsible for adopting and training six ninjas.

However, with four of them missing, it’s up to main protagonist Hiro to start the journey to rid Japan of the wrath of the merciless Samurai Warlord. Some heartwarming cutscenes cover Hiro’s adoption, training as a ninja, and learning the ways of Kuji magic. As you rescue your friends, you get to learn about the history of each one. They all hone unique characteristics that make the team dynamic and well-rounded.

Your default character is Hiro, who starts the game off in the Master’s dojo. He must seek guidance and advice from masters along the way as well as build up his skill level to unlock different bonuses. The game works in stages; however, a single stage can leave a lot to explore.

It’s almost an open-world style game where you’re able to collect hidden materials and items and also go fishing. I do love a quiet moment of fishing in games! That is the reason I often refer to this game as “my Breath of the Wild, before Breath of the Wild“. Material collection is used for food to heal your health, creating potions and unlocking spells at shrines.

Nintendo Wiimote action, with nunchuk!

On the Wii you can simply shake the WiiMote to gather fruits from trees and bushes, which is a fun mechanic, but fairly tiring ten trees and bushes later.

Once you find your buddies, who are either stranded or captured by enemies, you can then switch between them as you play. Each character has their own combat, special abilities and weapons. Hiro’s is his use of his Ninjato sword; Suzume uses the flute to trance enemies (my personal favourite character); Futo destroys with his hammer; Shun unleashes distant attacks with his bow; Tora tears enemies with his claws; Kunoichi is skilful with the naginata.

The ability to switch is a well-crafted feature in this game as it allows you to approach different situations in strategic ways. Hiro’s Kuji magic spells can do many things from possessing nearby animals to causing meteor showers. It really feels OP at times and in the best way possible.

Enemies can vary from Samurai to ghosts, monks and spear men to name a few. There are some bosses I will never forget such as Boss Lumbering Fool, the Samurai Warlord himself and probably the best of the best (in the least serious manner) Boss Windy Pants.

As you can probably tell by the name, yes, the game includes fart jokes. Outdated? Maybe. Still funny in the most ridiculous way? I think so! Enemies turn back into the animals they originally were and drop orbs for XP, special abilities and speed bar recovery.

You’re shuriken to like Mini Ninjas

One thing I remember about this game from when I was a kid was the beautiful, scenic landscapes you travel through with a stunning soundtrack by Peter Svarre which I still blast on my chill vibes playlist today.

There is a lovely balance of comedy, with small details such as Hiro shaking his head in disagreement when you can’t do something to the hilarious Samurai shouts of “Min-ni-ni-ni-ni Ninja!”. I hold this game in such high regard as it was one of those very few games that me alongside some of my family members enjoyed playing.

Playing it again recently did not change my opinion of Mini Ninjas. I still enjoyed it just as much as I did then, if not more. I would highly recommend this game to even the most casual gamers, it’s just that friendly and approachable. I’m eager for this game’s interest to stay alive for years to come and as it’s one that I feel should never be forgotten.

Share Gaming Retro

Bhav Soor

The company scattered its development studios, shepherding them into new teams with exciting names like Hitmaker and Smilebit. They weren’t messing about. But just how quickly could SEGA order their little elves to produce the games that would save them?

It took a little while for those premier games to arrive. That didn’t stop me from paying inflated import prices for the privilege of playing what would come down the line for the better part of the year that the machine was available through Japan only.

Subscribe now

In that first year of importing, even the worst Dreamcast games looked ahead of the pack. And the good ones? They were the envy of the rest of the world—and your mates who didn’t have one.

Probably. I was living in an old coastguard house a few feet off the Suffolk coast at the time and didn’t have any friends nearby. There was no one to hold my swanky, orange-swirled machine up to and tell them it cost me nearly a grand, and a new television, before laughing my head off.

These were my favourite, pre-PAL expenditures. We’ll start with the launch game. The launch game.

5. Virtua Fighter 3tb

The one SEGA had to get right. The arcade machine was the daddy of coin-op gaming and the technology standard that Dreamcast would be matched against. They had to get this one right. But SEGA doesn’t think like you or me. See, you or I would have got an internal team within SEGA to convert this, and we’d have given them plenty of time to work on it. Not so for the interests of SEGA collectively, or even Virtua Fighter producer, Yu Suzuki. He was already too busy making the defining game for the machine and spending all the boss’s money along the way.

Instead, SEGA outsourced the conversion to local developers Genki and gave them about eight months to get it done. Not genius, but here was the thing; Dreamcast was powerful, and even with that release window to hit, Genki got nine-tenths of the arcade into a television. It was stunning. Pre-rendered cut scenes? Not where we’re going, son.

But Virtua Fighter on Dreamcast wasn’t just a tech demo of a conversion. It was pique fighting mechanics at high speed. It was also probably beyond the layout of the Dreamcast controller to master it that way, so when I ordered my machine I had an arcade stick thrown in.

But that launch game and that peripheral… SEGA had delivered. Everything would be right in the world.

And Sonic hadn’t even arrived yet. It wouldn’t take long.

Read more

I’ve lost count of the number of retro consoles I own. Sure, I have a nice selection of original hardware, but it is what we now call retro consoles - things like THEA500 Mini (an Amiga system), or an Evercade - that tend to get played more. Otherwise, emulation is operation, either hosted on my PC, or running automatically in the background with a game purchased on GOG.com.

Now, these platforms like the SEGA Mega Drive Mini 2, or THEC64 (and it’s smaller Mini counterpart) come with games preinstalled. For example THE400 Mini (the Atari 400 Mini) has 25 games built in, plus an extra two if you connect a specific controller.

They’re legal, because they ship with games licensed by the current rights holders, and run in an emulated environment. In terms of playing these machines as they are intended to be used, there is no chance of a copyright breach or any illegality.

But, there is a curveball: all of these mini consoles (the Evercade range aside) support the addition of other games via USB. But where you find these games throws the whole legality of these devices into confusion.

Legality of retro consoles

It might seem a grey area, but it really isn’t. If you have bought a retro console from SEGA, Nintendo, Retro Games Ltd (THEC64 Mini, THEC64, THEA500 Mini, THE400 Mini), or any Atari, TAITO, CAPCOM, or similar classic console produced under license, then owning and using these retro consoles and arcade machines is legal.

There might be some regional restrictions on specific consoles, but if the device has been bought legally, you shouldn’t need to worry about this.

Is retro gaming legal or not?

Retro games themselves are a bit different. If you’re buying original games on the original media (disk, cartridge, cassette, CD-ROM, etc.) then you’re staying within the law. But if you’re relying on ROMs (files made from the original media) that have been produced by the third party, you’re in risk of breaching the license for use.

In some territories (such as the UK) it is legal to make a backup of any media for personal use. But this exception (under fair use terms) is based on your continued ownership of the original media, whether it stops working or not.

So, buying physical retro games and reissues is legal, whereas downloading ROMs is usually illegal. Exceptions do exist - perhaps the ROM has been made available by the original rights holder, or the game has been released as open source. (For example, a recent release of Recalbox included 150 open source and free, legal ROMs).

Legality of emulation

What about emulation? Well, most modern retro systems, such as those mentioned above, rely on emulation. The ones that don’t - such as the Analogue devices - use FPGA (field-programmable gate array - a way of programming a chip to act like a different piece of hardware).

Emulation is legal, as long as any necessary ROMs or binaries (BIN) have been legally acquired. Unsurprisingly, using illegally downloaded ROMs with any emulation software or retro console is an infringement of copyright. legal.

What can you do instead of illegally downloading ROMs?

My personal recommendation would be to rely on games released through the Nintendo Switch Online service. Here, you can enjoy NES, SNES, and SEGA Mega Drive/Genesis titles for the cost of the annual membership. Better still, these titles are added to regularly. If you want Game Boy Advance or Nintendo 64 titles, the + Expansion Pack option gives you titles from these libraries, including GoldenEye 007.

Nintendo has made a success of virtual console services, which was a particular strength of the Wii U. If you’re trying to keep your retro gaming legal, Nintendo is your best option.

If you prefer PC titles, there is abandonware. This is software that has been “abandoned” by the rights’ holder. Unfortunately, this is another grey area; titles declared “abandonware” do not retain that status if the rights’ holder suddenly deems otherwise. For example, various games once described as “abandonware” have since appeared back under the auspices of their original owners (or another rights’ holder) and available to buy on GOG.com.

However, while games exist under the descriptor, they can be accessed without concern for copyright.

Either way, it is better to proceed with caution, or avoid completely.

Pre-loaded retro consoles

You’ve seen those Facebook ads for retro consoles with 1000s of games preinstalled. But are these devices legal, or are you breaching copyright law when you buy one?

If you’re lucky, you’ll buy one that features copyright-taunting (but not actually breaching) clones of games. They’ll feature just enough differences from the original to remain safe from breaching copyright and upsetting Nintendo or TAITO or whoever.

But if you’re looking at one of these Facebook ads for affordable, pre-loaded retro consoles with USB controllers and 1000s of games ready to play, there is a chance you could end up with one that does breach copyright. Classic game publishers, as described above, are still around, whether the game rights are owned by a giant publisher or not.

Of course, if you just want to play old games, you’re probably thinking that it doesn’t matter, as you’ve paid for the retro console. But it does matter. While you might have paid, the people who compiled the console have not. They’ve downloaded illegally-sourced ROMs and distributed them on these devices. They have committed software theft, and you are supporting their piracy.

Avoid Facebook Marketplace

Given that many games can be acquired cheaply or even for free (e.g. with current gaming platforms), this seems unnecessary. You will typically also find that pre-loaded retro gaming consoles on Facebook play really poorly. This is due to the devices being shipped with little or no testing. Tweaking the emulation is rarely a priority for the people selling these units.

Compare that with Evercade, or the projects from Retro Games Ltd, or the classic NES and SNES games on Nintendo Switch Online. These have all been optimized for play with modern controllers, through the latest displays.

Optimizing emulators is a time-consuming task that some random guy in a shed selling cheap HDMI sticks with an SD card full of ROMs doesn’t have the time for.

Please game responsibly

By this point you should be clear that:

• Owning a retro gaming console is totally legal

• Illegality starts when you add games sourced from the internet

• To keep things legal, use original hardware and games

• In some territories (but not all) you can make legal backups of cartridges and disks for use on retro consoles

• Pre-loaded consoles with 1000s of retro games (such as those advertised on Facebook) are almost certainly illegal

Gaming responsibly means respecting the creators of the games you love.

Share Gaming Retro

…so naturally, I’m always very interested when a new video game — based on perhaps my favourite literary character — is in development. 007 First Light is the latest in a long line of titles that goes all the way back to the early 1980s, but which I’m more familiar with from The Living Daylights onwards.

In those days, video game-movie tie-ins were only just beginning to become “a thing” and so while A View to a Kill had a companion game, it was just the latest in an already established run of digital cash-ins for Ian Fleming’s compelling spy.

This isn’t meant to be an exhaustive list of James Bond games. I’m not particularly interested in listicles, as a rule, as it means playing every single game for any authenticity to be achieved. Given we’ve had Bond games on everything from the ORIC 1 to the PlayStation 5, it’s almost impossible to give an accurate appreciation of every title. Given that the 8-bit and 16-bit titles are inevitably going to differ across each platform, that’s not a job I want to embark upon just yet…!

Instead, I’m looking at the games I’ve played in the Bond series (and only on the platforms I owned them on), which is not an insignificant total, and kicks off with Timothy Dalton’s pixel likeness.

The Living Daylights (Commodore 64, 1987)

A cassette loader on the Commodore 64, The Living Daylights was my very first James Bond game (although I discovered the existence of the James Bond RPG a few weeks earlier). As such, I have an unfeasibly generous affection towards it.

Read more

For retro gamers on the go, the quest for a truly satisfying mobile control solution can often feel like a never-ending search. Enter the ACER Nitro NGR400 mobile gaming controller, a new piece of hardware promising to bridge the gap between the tactile experience I crave and the convenience of mobile gaming. Having been less than impressed with similar clip-on controllers in the past, I was eager to put the NGR400 through its paces.

To truly gauge its mettle, I didn’t opt for a casual mobile title. Instead, I plunged headfirst into the demanding pixelated world of Super Soccer Champs Classic. For those who remember the glory days of the Amiga, you’ll instantly recognize this as a spiritual successor to the legendary “joystick killer,” Kick Off 2 (a precursor to Sensible Soccer and Sensible World of Soccer).

If a controller can handle the intense, button-mashing action of this classic, it can likely handle anything. ACER claims console-like precision and comfort – can the NGR400 deliver under pressure?

First impressions: Compact and surprisingly solid

Unboxing the NGR400, the first thing that strikes you is its compact size. It’s undeniably lightweight, a definite plus for portability. The controller folds neatly, making it easy to slip into a bag. Despite its small form factor, the NGR400 feels surprisingly solid in hand. The textured grips provide a comfortable hold, and the button layout adheres to a familiar console design. You get dual analog sticks, a responsive D-pad (essential for those precise movements in games like Super Soccer Champs Classic), and a full set of shoulder buttons and triggers (L1, L2, R1, R2), totaling 15 buttons.

Compatibility and connectivity

ACER boasts compatibility with Android and iOS devices equipped with a USB-C port and screens up to 8.3 inches. I tested the NGR400 with both an iPhone 15 Plus and a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4. The controller fit both devices securely, with adjustable rubber pads ensuring a snug fit even on the wider, partially unfolded Z Fold 4 – a significant advantage for those seeking a more immersive visual experience.

Connection is straightforward via USB-C, offering a true plug-and-play experience. A standout feature is the inclusion of 18W pass-through charging. This allows you to keep your device powered up during extended gaming sessions, a crucial element for serious mobile gamers.

In action: Precision and responsiveness

So, how does the NGR400 perform where it truly matters? The analog sticks offer responsive control, allowing for precise player movement. The D-pad provides satisfyingly clicky and accurate input, vital for quick directional changes, although in Super Soccer Champs Classic I defaulted to the thumbstick, which held up well. The triggers, while digital, offer a tactile feel and proved responsive for quick actions across various games.

Testing across both the iPhone and the Z Fold yielded a consistent and secure gaming experience. There were no accidental disconnections or wobbling, even during the most intense button-mashing moments that Super Soccer Champs Classic often demands.

Durability test: Survived the digital onslaught

After numerous intense matches in the digital arena, we’re happy to report that the ACER Nitro NGR400 emerged unscathed. The buttons remain responsive, the sticks stayed tight, and there are no signs of cracking or wear. It proved to be surprisingly resilient.

Final verdict: A strong contender for mobile retro gaming

The ACER Nitro NGR400 has proven to be a capable and versatile mobile gaming controller. It not only survived the rigorous Super Soccer Champs Classic test but significantly enhanced the mobile retro gaming experience. The console-like controls offer a distinct advantage over touchscreen inputs, and the broad device compatibility is a major selling point.

While its lighter build might not be for everyone, its responsiveness and surprising durability make it a strong contender in the mobile gaming controller market, especially if you’re looking for portability and solid performance.

Share Gaming Retro

The ModRetro M64 has its release date: July 28th. At that point, the console, the Nintendo 64 clone, its M64 Pro Controller, and the launch day titles will be available for purchase, with those who signed up for updates early on getting a tasty discount.

ModRetro already has a good reputation for delivering good quality retro gear, and with the M64 once again finds itself in direct competition with Analogue, which has already released its own Nintendo 64 clone, the Analogue 3D. Both rely on FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) rather than software emulation, which should deliver games that are closer to the original hardware without messing around with configuration files.

But ModRetro has a bad reputation, too, thanks to its owner’s other business interests. That’s a topic I dived into previously:

If you can put all of that aside, the M64 is a tantalizing alternative to the 3D, not least for its apparent ability to deliver a more accurate and authentic experience. We’ve seen superior comparisons from ModRetro in its handheld, the Chromatic, versus the Analogue Pocket, as well as with early M64 testing versus the 3D.

(These are also explored in the link above.)

Share

The ModRetro announcement

Subscribers for updates on the M64’s progress received a mailout today, which featured this key in formation about the release:

The M64 console, M64 Pro Controller, and our first 4 launch titles are all available for purchase on July 28th. We start shipping the same day. We’re kicking off our games roster with 4 titles: Extreme-G: Turbo Fusion, Xeno Crisis, Xibalba 64, and Buck Bumble.

Price

$199.99 USD for you, $229.99 USD for everyone else. A discount code will be sent to your inbox at launch. The controller price is $89.99, and games prices will vary.

Compatibility

The M64 is compatible with original Nintendo 64® controllers and cartridges, the NSO N64 controller, the 8Bit-Do controller, new Hyperkin Premium Captain Controllers* and Retro Fighters Controllers (both releasing Summer 2026), and of course, our own M64 Pro Controller.

So, in short, you can get the console for $199.99, but only as an early bird subscriber. It seems you also need to pay extra for the controller, and the price of the carts isn’t listed. However, they’re good choices, including Xeno Crisis, which came out on various platforms in 2019, including the Mega Drive/Genesis and Dreamcast, as well as — obviously — the Nintendo 64.

I’m not hugely surprised by this given the price of what seems to be a well-engineered piece of replica hardware. But given the options for hardware in 2026, and the fact that the 3D has already shipped, I think this will need a supreme amount of promotion and a solid supply chain to really do the numbers.

I don’t think the reputation of ModRetro’s owner will turn away a significant chunk of its potential market, and I really hope the M64 does well. The Nintendo 64 is the oldest console in my collection (everything older is a computer) and it deserves a solid revival. Two companies fighting it out just shows how significant the system is.

You can learn more about the M64 on the ModRetro website.

Browsing through my newsfeed today, I saw mention of Retro Ping Pong, and at first I wasn’t completely sure what it was. Pong is one of the first video games I played (perhaps THE first) thanks to an Ingersoll console, but I was playing the original - in emulated form - on the Atari 50 collection just last week.

Retro Ping Pong appears to be something new, and takes a new approach to the original title. So, I’ve taken a look at Retro Ping Pong, along with a few more revised, revisited, and reinvented versions of classic Pong.

Retro Ping Pong

A game that is growing in popularity at the moment, Retro Ping Pong is a browser-based game that draws on the retro Pong game from Atari.

Providing a multiplayer experience and incorporating various gameplay tweaks (such as a breakout mode), Retro Ping Pong is currently one of the top online games in schools, colleges and (whisper it) workplaces. An evolution of Pong in many ways, this game features various power-ups and obstacles:

• Secret Wall: A temporary wall blocks part of the court.

• Fireball: The ball ignites and speeds up.

• Multiball: Multiple balls are in play simultaneously.

• Big Ball, Little Paddles: The ball is larger, paddles smaller.

• Fog Zone: A fog bank obscures the ball’s path.

• Gravity Well: Gravity is distorted in certain areas.

• Bumper Ball: Bumpers deflect the ball’s trajectory.

• Don’t Hit the Kitty: A cat is on the court, and hitting it incurs a penalty.

• Blaster: Players can shoot each other with blasters.

The new modes make it increasingly competitive, but a classic mode is also available if you prefer more traditional game play.

Check out Retro Ping Pong in your browser now, and invite some friends over to play. The game is also available on the Apple App Store.

Retro Ping-pong game

A JavaScript version of the Pong retro game that runs in your browser, this offers a more authentic experience. Unlike Retro Pong Pong, this game is controlled by your mouse, rather than the keyboard.

This game also has the option to make tweaks as you play. Using the View Source code button, you can alter elements like the paddle thickness and length, and even the speed the computer moves its paddle. It’s a helpful insight into the parameters of a basic game like Pong.

Learn more and play the game on the Retro ping-pong project’s CodePen page.

Ping Pong Space - Retro Tennis

Prefer something a bit more spacey? With a look that isn’t a million miles from Space Invaders 95, Ping Pong Space - Retro Tennis has a two-player mode, 60 challenging levels, 9 colorful arenas, and laser power ups.

If the basic monochrome look of Pong leaves your eyes bleeding, this might be a smart alternative.

You can find Ping Ping Space - Retro Tennis on Steam.

qomp and qomp2

First released in 2021, qomp was presented as a “small game about freedom” which clearly draws on the original Pong for inspiration. However, it includes various enhancements, such as level bosses. A relatively short game, you can find qomp on Steam.

Meanwhile, qomp2 expands on the ideas of qomp, taking things “Beyond” the court. Having liked qomp so much, Atari came on board for qomp2, which sees the ball escape a “life stuck between two paddles.” This is essentially an arcade adventure game, and is also available on Steam.

Play original Pong on the Atari 50 collection

If you simply hanker the original Pong, it is available in the Atari 50 collection, where it is presented as the first playable title.

You can get the entire Atari 50 collection for Switch, PS4/5, and Xbox One/Series X on Amazon US and Amazon UK.1

Let me know if you have your own favourite Pong clone.

Leave a comment

So much to get through this week, so I’ll keep it brief, but look out for my thoughts on James Bond video games, coming in a few days’ time.

Thanks as ever for subscribing. We’ve had a lot of activity with new subscribers recently, and today is the last day of our lifetime discount for a paid subscription.

Get 20% Off Forever!

Supporting Gaming Retro gives you exclusive articles, early access to podcasts and new videos, and you can read every feature and interview and review in the archive, too. I have plans for more perks in this area too.

Your existing support is appreciated, and if you’re able to treat this publication like a monthly magazine, I can produce it like one.

What you missed this week

Some nostalgic deep-dives entertained our paid subscribers this week, with John Bowe’s examination of 3D fighting games and my own recollections of the original Star Wars arcade machine.

You can read these by upgrading your membership, which unlocks 2 exclusive articles each week and the entire archive of Gaming Retro.

Subscribe now

This week’s retro gaming news roundup

It’s another big one!

• An enthusiast is developing a physical, mechanical recreation of Space Cadet Pinball. The project translates the iconic Windows 95 digital table into a real-world, full-sized arcade cabinet, complete with physical bumpers, ramps, and custom-programmed dot-matrix display animations. (ArsTechnica)

• Media Molecule’s beloved platformer is getting a musical celebration with the LittleBigPlanet soundtrack coming to vinyl and CD. The release bundles the game’s whimsical, licensed electronic and indie tracks alongside its original orchestral score on premium, collectible physical audio media. (NME)

• PopCap’s classic tower defense hit is transitioning to tabletop with a new Plants vs. Zombies board game adaptation. Designed for casual and competitive family play, it replicates the lane-defense strategy of the original mobile and PC title using physical miniatures, lane cards, and resource-drafting tokens, and launches on Kickstarter soon.

• MOOD Publishing and IO Interactive have launched a Gamefound crowdfunding campaign for HITMAN: The Board Game. This 1–4 player competitive tabletop adaptation features a modular sandbox setup with four locations and eight targets from the World of Assassination trilogy, challenging rival agents to use disguises, stealth, and accidental kills to secure a payout within an hour.

• Atari has surprise-released RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic on Nintendo Switch 2. Combining features from Chris Sawyer’s original two isometric masterpieces, this version is fully optimized for the new hardware with enhanced touch controls, crisp high-resolution UI scaling, and bundled expansion packs.

• A new video showcase for Joan of Arc: Deus Contra Machinam (above) highlights Griffonsoft’s upcoming C64 title, slated for publication via Psytronik Software later this year. The puzzle-platformer trades medieval history for a robotic factory setting centered on a steerable electro-boomerang weapon mechanic.

• The mobile port of the 1983 home computer classic Chuckie Egg is available for iOS, preserving the frantic platforming action of Hen-House Harry. This release replicates the exact item-collecting, elevator-riding gameplay that captivated ZX Spectrum and BBC Micro gamers.

• Former Nintendo of America executive Reggie Fils-Aimé confirmed that the NES and SNES Classic mini-consoles were purely tactical corporate stopgaps. Produced to sustain business revenue during the barren transition period between the commercial failure of the Wii U and the delayed launch of the Switch. (NintendoEverything)

• A new Handheld MiSTer FPGA system is in development, thanks to the Multisystem team. They’re looking for help and feedback.

• Namco’s high-speed 1994 formula racing hit Ace Driver is joining the Arcade Archives roster. This release brings the game’s breathtaking 3D tracks, multi-tier difficulty classes, and authentic, drift-heavy handling to modern systems, complete with competitive global leaderboard support.

• Nightdive Studios has announced that the System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster is now available on the Nintendo Switch 2. This version leverages the upgraded hardware to deliver enhanced atmospheric lighting, smoother framerates, and modernized controls for the seminal sci-fi survival horror masterpiece.

• The 16-bit platforming mascot is back, as the Soccer Kid Collection is headed to Nintendo Switch. This package bundles the original Amiga and Super Nintendo versions of Krisalis Software’s unique puzzle-platformer, allowing a new generation to guide the ball-juggling hero.

• After a dedicated 20-year fan effort, the English translation for Real Robots Final Attack is complete. This 1998 PlayStation 1 mecha action-fighter, featuring iconic mobile suits from Gundam and Evangelion, is now fully playable in English via a newly released patch.

• Indie developer and publisher A_G has launched a Steam page for Silent Planet: Elegy of a Dying World, a striking 2D cinematic sci-fi platformer. Drawing clear inspiration from 16-bit cinematic classics, the atmospheric title follows an astronaut navigating a desolate, hand-drawn alien landscape.

• Hyperkin has teased revealed that the SupaBoy Pocket Portable Hyper Beach colorway1 is being retired.

• A newly developed palm-sized hardware device claims to solve the Commodore 64’s notorious power brick vulnerability. Acting as an intelligent inline surge protector, the tiny unit monitors voltage rails, preventing the catastrophic motherboard failures caused by degrading original PSUs.

• Sentinel has opened pre-orders for a new line of Mega Man, Proto Man, and Snake Man figures releasing in 2026. Part of the high-end 4inch-nel articulation series, these poseable figures feature interchangeable parts reflecting Capcom’s iconic 8-bit character designs. (SiliconEra)

• The Crankboy emulator brings full-speed Game Boy games to Playdate for a $10 entry fee. This custom software utilizes the hand-held’s hardware profile to deliver smooth emulation, even creatively binding the system’s mechanical crank to specific retro gameplay functions.

• Developer Project Shunya has announced that a PC demo for Killflow will launch on June 6, 2026, as part of the Summer Game Fest and the India Games Showcase. This stylish isometric retro-inspired cyber-noir action game blends tactical gunplay with quick-dash bullet-dodging mechanics, challenging players to dismantle an underground syndicate across gritty neon landscapes.

• Nintendo has officially announced that Rare's 1999 3D collect-a-thon platforming classic Donkey Kong 64 is joining the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack catalog on June 4, 2026. The star-studded simian adventure features all five playable Kongs, the infamous multi-colored banana hunt, and four-player local split-screen battle arenas

• Lenovo has abruptly pulled the controversial G02 retro handheld from sale on AliExpress. The sudden removal has sent shockwaves through the community, sparking legal speculation and threats of a broader marketplace crackdown on unlicenced, mass-market emulation devices. (T3)

• Ambernic has been quietly trimming RAM specs on retro handhelds as global component supply dries up. Budget emulation vendors are aggressively swapping internal memory modules for smaller capacities to maintain profitability without raising retail prices. (Tom’s Hardware)

• In a massive reverse-engineering milestone, Paper Mario has received a native PC port without using an emulator. Decompiled directly from original Nintendo 64 code, this native executable allows for ultra-widescreen rendering, unlocked framerates, and seamless graphical modding. (TechSpot)

• Insiders have revealed that Ubisoft Montpellier is preparing Rayman Legends Retold, a modernized version of the acclaimed 2D platformer launching on October 1, 2026. Set for an official reveal by June 2, the game will feature a $39.99 physical Launch Edition for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2 alongside full four-player online co-op multiplayer.

• A developer has released a playable N64-style demake of Elden Ring. Built to run within the technical limitations of Nintendo’s 64-bit hardware, this fan project translates the vast Lands Between into charmingly low-poly 3D environments, complete with authentic fog rendering and classic controller mapping.

• Developer tedzogh has released a playable demo of The Adventure of Node, an upcoming native action-adventure game for AGA Amigas. Requiring 4MB of Fast RAM (or emulation equivalents), the top-down quest blends sword combat and logic puzzles as players investigate a monster-infested mine.

• Bitmap Books has released Fatal Fury/Garou Densetsu: The Ultimate History, a 460-page retrospective on SNK’s iconic fighting franchise. Available in Standard (£34.99) and Collector’s (£54.99) editions, the book features rare archival concept sketches and exclusive interviews with key series developers and pixel artists.

• Bandai Namco has surprise-released a remastered port of Time Crisis on PlayStation 5. Rather than requiring an old-school CRT television and a lightgun, the 1995 arcade rail-shooter utilizes the DualSense controller’s internal gyro-aiming sensors to replicate the high-stakes, duck-and-cover shooting action on modern flatscreens.

And finally…

• Veteran developer Kevin Toms has launched physical cassette pre-orders for ZX Football Manager - The Legacy Collection for £36. Expected to ship by July, this premium slipcased box set bundles the original 1982 classic with two modern updates (Revisited and International Edition), a 24-page historical booklet, and a hand-signed replica business card.

“So long"

Thanks for reading, and being a support of an increasingly fast-growing retro gaming publication and community. We’ve gained almost 200 subscribers in a matter of weeks, and using the share button below, you can get complimentary access to the premium posts with just 3 referrals.

Share Gaming Retro

I’ll be back with more retro gaming news next Sunday, and look out for updates throughout the week.

Cheers,
Christian

Let’s set aside any thoughts modern movie dislike, and return to those original movies, none of which could have happened without the original.

Accompanying the movies was a whole host of merchandise, mostly toys. But the one thing that stood out for me the most was the Star Wars arcade game - a machine where I spent (and lost - read on) a lot of money over the years.

Now 43 years old, it hit arcades in 1983, not long before Return of the Jedi hit cinemas.

While I can’t be certain, Star Wars was the first arcade game I remember playing. There may have been others, but they wouldn’t have had the same impact, would they? After all, no other game had the voice of Sir Alec Guinness, or green TIE fighters or a crosshair that could be mistaken for an enemy craft on first play (come on, I wasn’t the only one!)

None of those other games had the Star Wars theme tune, or a cabinet you could sit inside, like being in an X-Wing fighter making a trench run and hoping to deposit a pair of torpedos into the Death Star’s reactor. With three phases of play (approaching the Death Star, the surface, and the trench), the game grew in difficulty as you progressed. For example, the easiest level took you straight from the approach to the trench.

Watch this, and use full-screen mode. You won’t regret it.

The biggest game changer since Space Invaders

It might be hard to appreciate 40 years on, but before this, there were no (significant) movie-arcade game tie-ins. There was simply nothing like the Star Wars arcade game, a machine that generated queues like no other.

The first time I remember playing it was at the George Carls’s (a name that already looked sci-fi to my 8-year-oldd eyes thanks to an abbreviated similarity with Star Wars character “Calrissian”) arcades on Redcar seafront. Somehow I had persuaded my dad - rushing around as usual between two or three jobs at the time - to stop off there and try the Star Wars arcade machine I’d seen through the doors.

Surprisingly he agreed, probably keen to see the game himself (or just have a cigarette). He gave me 50p for a game (quite a lot back then, even for a new machine), and I set forth on my mission from Yavin 4. Baffled at first by the X-Wing-like shape of the crosshairs, I eventually got the hang of it and made it to the trench on my first go.

Then I died, my dad appeared and we left.

Read more

I first became aware of Manfred Trenz in 1990, when Zzap! magazine reviewed Turrican for the Commodore 64. The incredible feat of creating a game that looked like it could have been developed on a higher spec system was only surpassed by the fact that the Amiga version looked like it was running on an arcade machine.

Oh, and of course, there was the music.

Trenz’s work on the Turrican series is, in my opinion, one of the single most important contributions to gaming. So, you won’t be surprised to learn that when I first heard about Rendering Ranger R², I was intrigued. While released in 1995, it only enjoyed a limited release on the SNES, and that was in Japan. Although a US version, Targa, was planned, that was eventually canned.

Instead, the game was delayed to have the graphics reworked, and overlooked by the launch of the Sony PlayStation.

Subscribe now

But it’s like Turrican

While a fan of Turrican and Turrican 2, I never really took to Turrican 3/Mega Turrican (depending on platform). The most important thing to note about Rendering Ranger R² is that while it looks and feels like Turrican in many ways, it’s a different game. To start off, it’s a lot tougher.

Graphically, a larger main character sprite for the landscape levels and a different way of using weapons stands the game apart from Trenz’s magnum opus. But you keep playing with the feeling that you’re kind of playing the same sort of game... and the dramatic score -- here by Jesper Olsen and Stefan Kramer -- does little to dissuade you of the notion.

As if the comparison with Turrican wasn’t sitting in every pixel and note, the composition of the game (side scrolling Metroid-style levels and spaceship shmup levels) leaves you feeling the urge to cast a lightning arc or turn into a gyroscope.

So, what is Rendering Ranger R²?

Kicking off with a sort of post-apocalyptic world that wouldn’t look out of place in a Terminator 2 flashback, Rendering Ranger R² pits you against flying robots with cannons and annoying metallic flying skulls with power ups. It is when you start playing the game properly that you start to see the divergence from Turrican.

While the earlier series was pretty non-linear in terms of allowing exploration, Rendering Ranger R², with the run-and-gun ethos of the character levels, rewards only blasting the hell out of everything and avoiding flames and fireballs.

It’s a heavy-duty shooter, with multiple weapons to collect, each with a secondary (super) function, but these need to recharge. Positioning and timing are more important than continual progress, however, all of which makes the game seem more like Turrican‘s dumber, angrier brother, perhaps drunk, perhaps with a hangover.

And while Turrican 2‘s gameplay disrupting shoot-em-up level married tactics with maneuverability, here, it’s all about flipping the ship to face left or right, depending on the direction of the attacks. It’s a nice game mechanic, albeit one that seems somewhat familiar from other shmups of the time.

But, this is a welcome addition to the game, something that refreshes the experience. Unfortunately, I was left feeling somewhat deflated when the run-and-gun sections returned.

The Rendering Ranger R² Rewind edition

This edition of the game is bundled with its unreleased sibling, Targa, which is essentially the same title, but the character prefers to fight semi-naked. Various quality of life improvements, such as the rewind function and save states, are included. These are welcome, as this is not an easy game, especially in the shmup segments.

CRT filter, widescreen, and a collection of scans of the original box art and manual are also included. They’re pleasing additions, although the CRT could be... more subtle.

I like R², but that’s probably because of its graphical closeness to Turrican. It has sparks of the earlier games, but some of the bosses are slightly bland and, in many ways, Rendering Ranger R² is a dumbed-down Turrican. But it looks superb, and the fact the original game played on unmodified SNES hardware… well, it’s a crime it was overlooked, really.

I’ve reviewed the Nintendo Switch release, but Rendering Ranger R² is also available on Steam Deck and PS4/5, along with a physical release for Super Nintendo.

Share

YKGGG! Side-scrolling shooters are enjoying a renaissance under the retro gaming revival, and rightly so. But one title, completely new and developed for SEGA 16-bit consoles and modern hardware, is injecting some much-needed energy into the genre without falling into the trap of “bullet hell.”

That game is Earthion.

Developed by Ancient Corporation the studio of the remarkably creative Yuzo Koshiro, Earthion has eight stages of arcade shoot-em-up and pits you (as Azusa Takahashi) against alien aggressors as Earth’s last hope. Sounds nice, but is it good?

Tough, but playable

I know people who haven’t completed Turrican. That seems incredible to me, as I’ve always felt the game was an excellent example of a perfectly balanced title, between difficulty and playability. If a game is too hard, you don’t go back. Earthion has that same quality -- it’s challenging, you might get further next time around... or you might not. It’s not punching you in the face for having the temerity to believe -- it encourages you to try again.

Sometimes it comes off. You might end up with a level code, or you might wind up back at the start. Either way, when a game looks and sounds as good as this, you’re going to go back for the 16-bit graphical eye candy, you know?

Graphics, sounds, and the phwoar of the engine

From the moment the game loads, Earthion looks superb.

When the game starts, you’re launched from a ship, and your fighter, with vibes of Battlestar Galactica‘s Vipers, begins to engage the enemy. But while this is a left-right 2D scroller with a standard shoot/collect/power-up dynamic, things are given a new dimension with exploding craft shedding debris, and background elements being brought into the campaign.

The weapons are kind of standard shmup fare, if attractively presented, and although selecting the correct weapon can be tricky when some are so much prettier than others! Oh, there’s an interesting rechargeable shield, too, which means you can avoid losing a life just as long as you can avoid being hit until it is back at full strength.

If you can, play the game with earphones or at least a decent audio system connected to your console. Koshiro’s soundtrack to the game -- an original score of 27 tracks -- is one of the best shoot-em-up soundtracks ever.

Level bosses

Unfortunately, as I’ve found the game a bit of a challenge, I haven’t encountered more than two bosses. But I can tell you they look superb and require very different strategies for attack and destruction. That is a philosophy that I think is necessary throughout the game, even within individual attack waves. What worked for one enemy isn’t going to work for the next, whether a small attack ship or one of the larger mid-level bosses.

Every opponent in Earthion needs its own strategy. Multiple weapons help, and you can even line up a third if you have the room to “push” a power up along (because you’re limited to two weapons, repeatedly switching between one and the new power up moves it) and make the decision to use it in time.

Earthion: Everything you want it to be

I’ve reviewed Earthion on the Steam Deck, where it plays perfectly. I expect the game runs in the same way across all platforms (it’s set to come out on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and is due on Nintendo Switch on September 18th, 2025, with a Genesis/Mega Drive version coming in 2026), but I can only tell you about my experience.

...and it’s absolutely superb!

This is the sort of traditional sideways scrolling space shooter that you might have found in the arcades back in the day. It has the ethos of the coin-op world, complete with continues (and for the console vibe, level codes), and voices to accompany power-ups and other events.

While this challenging game looks and sounds amazing, the most incredible thing about it is that it is going to be coming to SEGA’s 16-bit systems on a physical cart. I’m not usually minded to make physical purchases for new games on old platforms, but for Earthion, I just might...

PSA: Don’t pirate Earthion

After the game’s launch, it became apparent that Earthion was being pirated (it’s available on dodgy piracy site SteamUnlocked). I find the idea of game piracy in an age of instant delivery to be unforgivable, and give how good the game is, this is a title you should be buying. Given the digital version is under $20 (£14.99 in the UK) there is no reason to pay -- it’s superb.

Physical editions of Earthion are still available from Limited Run Games. If you’re more interested in the SEGA Mega Drive/Genesis cartridge, keep an eye on earthiongame.com for news on that -- it’s due out in 2026.

Share

Subscribe now

You could see it was.

Virtua Fighter led the way in popularity, but it isn’t top in this serviceable recollection of my favourite 3-D fighters. This is a wholly personal list concerned with the joy these games offered over what (if any) technical showstopping they brought. So no complaining.

Fifth place…

#5 Tekken 3

Serious was the atmosphere about this game on the run-up to its arcade release in early 1997. Sega had released Virtua Fighter 3 months before and thrown the technical rulebook away with it. It was stunning. When Tekken 3 debuted, still running on more than half PlayStation power alone, it was hard to see how this could go well for Namco. It looked old, at least in the arcade. But in converting it over to PlayStation a year later, it looked superb and was the catalyst to get my PlayStation chipped and grab a copy on Japanese import.

I’d put decent hours in on the previous Tekken’s, but this third game… all those great character designs that had never before shifted so smooth. Light sourcing and polygon shading! Crunching and graunching sound effects! And more 90s Japanese style than being sliced in two with a katana.

Now it wasn’t Virtua Fighter. No Tekken was, or is. But Tekken 3 was as fluid to play as we had seen of the series and had a killer sense of its place amongst the PlayStation competition. That is to say that there wasn’t any. Tekken 3 was a fitting end to a sequence of first generation 3-D fighters for the machine, and a frenzy of two-player gaming.

And speaking of frenzies. Fourth Place...

#4 Power Stone

A game full of curiosities, from its fascia to fight mechanics. Was Power Stone a fighting game? A brawler? Was it something very clever or very dumb? Should it have made this list or shouldn’t it?

I have considered all of these things and the answer is that it was most of those things, as well as being a furious collect-em-up. It was released for the Dreamcast in 1999 and its maker Capcom was clearly in the mood. And a good mood at that.

Capcom had been switching up the colour faders on their games for some time already and those faders held fast in Power Stone. Plus it ran on Dreamcast which came with all faders already glued to maximum. All told the relatively simple art direction arrived in an already classical state. Incorruptible.

And the high-pressure, scuttle, collect and attack gameplay matched it for design. Power Stone was simple to get your head around, apparently revelling in its counter-intuitive accessibility against the tide of ever more technical-at-both-ends competition.

Here, each of the effervescent characters bounced about just for the apparent joy of doing so. Yes they were kicking each other in, and firing off the odd collectable rocket launcher, but the execution was more like the exuberance you get from an out-of-hand game of swing ball; simple, chaotic and always worth another slam.

Now for something a little more serious. None more serious. Third Place…

#3 Virtua Fighter 3tb

Read more

It’s the year 20XX and Mega Man is back! Continuing from its predecessor Mega Man, Japanese video game company Capcom released Mega Man 2, the second game in the series, with no real expectation (the first game had not been a commercial hit by Capcom standards.)

But in doing so, they didn’t just create one of the best platformers on the Nintendo Entertainment System, but created one of the best platformer video games in history and helped Mega Man on his journey in becoming a video game character legend.

Mega Man 2 starts with a clever introduction sequence that’s scrolls up a building to meet the hero Mega Man at the top. While doing this, a text box tells the story of Dr Wily returning to defeat Mega Man with a new set of robot masters. After the player has decided whether to chooses normal or difficult mode, (a difference only in how many hits it takes to kill enemies in the game) at the title screen, they are placed into the stage selection.
The stage selection allows the player to select a stage by selecting any of the eight new robot masters in any order.

Like Mega Man, but different

This is much like the first Mega Man game, giving the player a nonlinear way to play, but with a slight difference. There are advantages in picking Flashman, Airman and Heatman early because in defeating these robot masters Mega Man is given an extra support item. These items are designed to help the player in any of the game’s stages. The items are an example of Mega Man 2’s intentional design to be easier than the first game.

This design strategy continues with added energy tanks throughout stages, allowing Mega Man to pick these tanks up and store them in his inventory until the player needs to refill Mega Man health to full at any point in a stage.

The energy tanks are a great new feature and continue throughout the games that follow Mega Man 2. For the casual player, they are needed because of the comparative difficulty level. The stages are what makes Mega Man 2 so rememberable, they have some of the best-looking graphics on the NES and have some brilliantly constructed elements.

Woodman’s cyber jungle is fast-paced with stunning colours and pixel art, with tricky robotic animal enemies throughout the stage, whether it’s the perfectly animated huge robotic fire breathing dogs called Frienders waiting for Mega Man in underground caves, or a robot mecha monkey waiting to swing into Mega Man’s path, the stage is dazzling.

Bubble Man stage is another stand out stage, starting with a vivid waterfall animated in the background, Mega Man must make his way across platforms guarded by giant robotic frogs only then to plummet into the water and battle huge robotic fish that flood the screen with robotic shrimps.

Mega Man 2 mood music

Each of the robot master stages try to build around the theme of the master robots and the player feels drawn into the stages not only by the richness of each stylish scheme but more so with the aid of the impressive soundtrack. Mega Man 2 has some of the best music to come from a video game, composed by Takashi Tateishi. Each stage has its own unique feel and energy shaped from its music.

Share Gaming Retro

Bubble Man, for example, has a tranquil mood, the music is kind of haunting, and a transparent something that would easily fit into the modern atmospheric trance genre. Whereas Heat Man’s stage encases the player into a more techno vibe, fast-paced with catchy synth patterns to create tension. The music from this game is so popular, it’s not hard to find remixes and cover versions by fan of the game on numerous websites.

Once the player has made their way through the eight robot stages, they must then fight through the Dr Wily stages. There are four Wily stages, and they are full of difficult obstacles and traps. The support items and energy tanks gained in the robot master levels will serve Mega Man well at this stage of the game, the game becomes very unforgiving with these stages.

God in the (Wily) machine

Each Wily stage has its own boss; the infamous Mecha Dragon is a fan favourite in Wily stage 1, a wonderfully animated pixel sprite that Mega Man must beat by navigating small blocks while firing at the dragon. It’s such a memorable part of Mega Man 2, and it might be said that the fight in the platformer game Cuphead’s against a large green dragon called Grim Matchstick closely impersonates this Mega Man 2 special moment.

After the four Wily stages have been completed, the player must defeat all the master robots again in any order, known as the “boss rematches,” before facing Dr Wily in his Wily machine 2. A two-phase fight where the machine changes its appearance after taking damage from Mega Man. Once the Wily machine is destroyed, Mega Man is dropped into a music less stage, a cave that only has the sound of red droplets hitting the ground before the player must take on Dr Wily as an alien form in a room that is near to complete darkness other from the green glowing alien form of Dr Wily and parallax scrolling stars.

Does Mega Man 2 deserve the praise?

Mega Man 2 is on so many ‘best’ charts, and it deserves this praise. The game stands out as a platformer against a genre full of so many classic games. Considering the game is 8-bit and built to run on the Nintendo Entertainment System, you wouldn’t think so. Memory, sound, and graphic limitations seem to have been ignored!

Unfortunately, it is a game that suffers from its time period. When originally built for a machine using analogue controls, the input was sharp and responsive when playing Mega Man 2 on the NES. The conversions over the years onto different platforms, specially on the Nintendo Classic Mini: NES1 and the Nintendo Switch re-release2 struggle with input lag from the emulation running the game and make the game in some parts very difficult to play.

Share

Nick Hawkins

This weekly newsletter-type communiqué is really a way for me to reach out to you directly, and offers a more personal interaction than premium articles and reg…

Read more

You already know all of this, though, I’m sure. Well, what about the shoot-em-up? Whilst not typically lauded for its jump to 3D, even its earliest forays into the new dimension brought something special. Case in point, Taito’s G-Darius.

If you’re not familiar with this series, let me quickly bring you up to speed. The Darius name has always been something of an iconic enigma in shoot-em-up lore, from its very early beginnings in 1987. You might recognise it due to its recent remastering on the Switch in the form of the Cozmic Collection bundling together multiple versions of its original games.

Originally utilising an innovative three-screen arcade setup to allow for its epic ambition, the series’ inaugural entry set the tone for its huge depth of immersion, creativity and off-beat identity. Assuming the role of pilot to the stylish “Silver Hawk,” Darius sees you travel through levels to mow down scores of mechanical vessels known as the Belsar. What makes these enemies so unique is that they’re exclusively maritime themed, taking the shape of various kinds of sea-life.

Branching levels, a different game every time

Whilst this might sound daft, the designs and concepts of these aquatic adversaries often make for engaging battles and clever designs, pushing the limits of the idea to its fullest. Branching choice levels means encourage replayability, building a fuller experience, each level home to a new environment and boss fight. Typically, your weapons will consist of rockets, bullets and bombs, all of which can be constantly upgraded barring a lost life.

Whilst the first game had planted the seeds for greatness, for many players, the second game was where the series found its footing. Introducing the branching level feature and a more unorthodox OST, it was the series’ first step into establishing its identity.

In 1994, the game Darius Gaiden would hit arcades with a renewed emphasis on creative enemy encounters, brooding backdrops and an eclectic soundtrack that polished groovy synth-pop with lashings of experimental nuance. It was an iconic effort that illustrated the series’ development and maturity from its earlier, technically limited days. The ability to recruit mini-bosses along the way and have them fight for you debuted in this game, though it would stick around in subsequent sequels. A devastating, screen filling power-up completed the package. All in all, it’s often remembered fondly as the apex of Darius’ 2D era, for good reason.

The G-Darius game adds a new dimension

Read more

Before I get into the review, I have to address the controls. I’m using a keyboard and mouse, and traditionally, you move with…

Read more

That said, I would like to share my Top 10 list of my favourite video game OSTs between 2005-2010. Note that this list is not in any specific order or rank.

1) Sonic Rush (2005)

I have hyped extensively about the OST to this game, including in my review of it a few months back. Now, I can get into the real crux of why I love this soundtrack so much. Firstly, a little context is needed. The soundtrack was composed by Hideki Naganuma, who was also responsible for the OST in 2000s Jet Set Radio.

Naganuma brings this Electronic amalgamation of multiple genres to Sonic Rush which gives it an energetic and youthful edge that slots nicely into the realm of Sonic the Hedgehog. It provides a sense of urgency while staying captivatingly upbeat.Some of my personal favourites include ‘Back 2 Back’, “What U Need is Remix”, “A New Day” and “Right There, Ride On”.

I also have to address the ‘Blazy’ mixes that really encapsulate the idea that Sonic and Blaze are the simultaneously the same and different in their own respects.

2) Mini Ninjas (2009)

The Mini Ninjas soundtrack was probably one of the first atmospheric OSTs I was introduced to as a kid. Peter Svarre, composer for Square Enix’s Gameglobe (2012), took the helm on this project. With a meditative and enchanting start to the game, Svarre captured the journey of a young ninja through its East Asian inspired chimes and flute-based pieces.

The music itself reflects the the story, starting with more tame and tranquil qualities and eventually transitioning into suspense and drama as Hiro encounters increasingly vicious foes. There is something so simple and charming about the music in Mini Ninjas.

My personal favourite pieces are Parts 1 and 4 with their steadiness of adventure and Part 8 picking up the pace as Hiro has to face vigorous rapids. I have yet to find a video game soundtrack quite like the structure of this one.

Read more

Dropping the player into a World War II Nazi Germany stalag, Return To Castle Wolfenstein is a blast. The game demands combat and tactical elements to ach…

Read more

I never owned a PlayStation 1, so my knowledge of games released on the platform is scant. However, I was aware that the R-Type (which of course I knew about via arcade machines and home computer ports) was revived on the PS1... but by that time I was more interested in various forms of strategy gaming while at home, and saved the shmups for the arcades.

Read more