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Valis III for Sega Genesis: A Mixed Port with Limited Appeal Valis III, originally a hallmark of the TurboGrafx-CD's library, made its way to the Sega Genesis with the promise of bringing its action-packed adventure to a wider audience. This port, however, comes with a fair share of caveats, and my experience with it has been less than satisfactory. Porting Challenges The transition from the TurboGrafx-CD to the cartridge-based Sega Genesis is… Read more

MUSHA: Metallic Uniframe Super Hybrid Armor for Sega Genesis - A 1990 Visual Marvel In the pantheon of Sega Genesis titles, MUSHA (Metallic Uniframe Super Hybrid Armor) holds a special place, especially for those who were savvy enough to experience it upon release or who have since been guided to its glory by fellow retro enthusiasts. Recommended to me by David Medina, a fellow retro game guru on Facebook, MUSHA stands out… Read more

Blazing Lazers on TurboGrafx-16: A Time-Honored Classic Revisited During the height of the console wars of the early '90s, the TurboGrafx-16 carved out its place in the hearts of gamers as the underdog. One of its crowning jewels was "Blazing Lazers," a game I vividly remember playing in the '90s after my friend Chris introduced me to the system by lending it to me. This classic shoot 'em up has not only… Read more

What an amazing playthrough. Rocket Knight Adventures (1993) - A Genesis Classic In the realm of 16-bit platformers, few games can match the charm, challenge, and sheer awesomeness of Rocket Knight Adventures. Released in 1993 for the Sega Genesis, this Konami masterpiece tells the tale of Sparkster, a brave opossum knight on a quest to save his kingdom from the evil King Zygmunt. I never had the chance to play Rocket Knight… Read more

This game is a lot of fun. I played through it with my son Derek. I did try and record commentary but unfortunately I had the game audio up too loud in the dueling audios make things too difficult to hear at times. I would say out of all the 1990s beat em ups this game is by far the greatest of all time. Man, I just got off this wild ride… Read more

This game was a lot of fun. I played through it with my son Derek, and then David jumped in the last 3 levels or so and helped us beat Shredder. I guess this has up to 6 players, so I am going to try and do another run-through with 4 local and 2 online if that is possible. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge - A Retro Review for PS5 Nostalgia… Read more

This was our first time doing a game in a while. it was recommended by a friend and lots of fun. LifeForce Review: A Classic NES Shmup That Still Thrills The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) has a legendary lineup of games that helped define the tastes and gaming sensibilities of a generation. Among those classics, we find LifeForce, known in Japan as Salamander, a side-scrolling shooter that's both a spin-off and a standalone title… Read more

This was a fun Sonic 2 hack to play through. Kirby is naturally over powered. Kirby Superstar 2 Genesis Hack Review (2016) - A Sonic Spin on Kirby's Powers In the world of fan-made content, few things are as intriguing as seeing a beloved character reimagined in an entirely different gaming universe. The 2016 Genesis hack known as Kirby Superstar 2 brings everyone's favorite pink puffball into the fast-paced world of Sonic… Read more

When it comes to video game bands, The OneUps have been doing this longer than most. Their official site says they have been performing since their first show in 2002, and over the years they have played events like PAX, MAGFest, and GDC while building one of the most recognizable sounds in live VGM. Their catalog on Bandcamp stretches from Volume 1 all the way to later releases like Volume 4, Arkadia… Read more

Super Mario Kart Horizons is one of the most ambitious ROM hacks in recent years, reimagining the classic SNES racer with twenty brand new tracks, four custom battle maps, an original soundtrack, and presentation elements like a custom manual and box art. The project, available at RomHacking.net and RomHackPlaza, represents the culmination of over a decade of tinkering, iteration, and dedication from its creator, Gridattack. Horizons has also been the subject of… Read more

The Arkadian was born in 2015 as the brainchild of Jon O’Neal, a musician with a passion for both heavy rock and the timeless soundtracks of video games. Influenced by artists like Stemage, Viking Guitar, Mega Beardo, and Master Sword, he began crafting arrangements that fused 70s and 80s-inspired metal with the melodies gamers grew up with. What started as solo experiments in a basement studio quickly grew into something bigger... a… Read more

When people talk about the greatest ROM hacks ever made, Super Mario Bros. 3Mix almost always comes up. Created by Southbird, this hack was more than just a simple remix of Nintendo’s NES classic... it became a sprawling tribute to Mario’s entire history. 3Mix included new mechanics like gravity flips, Yoshi integration, secret star coins, alternate exits, and even bosses and themes inspired by later entries such as Super Mario World and… Read more

When it comes to fusing heavy metal with the 8-bit sounds of classic gaming, few names resonate louder than VomitroN. The project is the brainchild a Massachusetts-based musician, producer, and lifelong gamer whose work has turned the nostalgic bleeps of the Nintendo Entertainment System into sprawling metal epics. What started as an experiment in the late nineties while playing Contra in a college dorm became a full-blown passion project, and by the… Read more

The Super Mario World hacking scene is filled with passion projects, but few creators have managed to balance accessibility, creativity, and ambition quite like xMANGRAVYx, the driving force behind LetsTalkGames. I first came across his work through Castlemania II, a gothic and atmospheric sequel that brought Castlevania inspired storytelling into the Mario universe. That game opened my eyes to how far a ROM hack could push the SMW engine. The final boss… Read more

Goliath v0.32.12 Preview has been released as a C++20 and Qt 6 desktop frontend for Neo Geo MVS/AES and Neo Geo CD. It organizes game libraries and integrates media launches through the Jolly Good Reference Frontend (JGRF) and Geolith core. Key features include support for multiple file types, game grouping, local metadata verification, and personalized game settings. Enhancements in this update include a visual command companion, improved library layout, and an adjustable… Read more

Xenia Manager v5.0.0 has been released to enhance the Xenia Emulator experience for Xbox 360 games. Key features include a new Game Files Explorer for easier navigation of game data, improved achievement handling, and an artwork pipeline for better visuals. The Big Screen Mode offers a console-style interface accessible via a gamepad. The update also introduces streamlined library management, enhanced file format support, and various bug fixes. Documentation is now available on… Read more

Sandopolis v0.1.0-alpha.9 has been released as a portable multi-system Sega emulator supporting Genesis, Master System, Game Gear, and SG-1000. This pre-release includes numerous bug fixes, performance enhancements, and improved accuracy. Notably, it also adds support for Sega CD emulation. You can download the latest version of Sandopolis from the provided source. Sandopolis v0.1.0-alpha.9 has been released. It is a versatile multi-system Sega emulator compatible with Genesis, Master System, Game Gear, and SG-1000.Sandopolis… Read more

FB Neo Git (2026/09/23) is a newly compiled emulator for arcade games and select consoles, based on FinalBurn and older MAME versions. The latest changelog includes preliminary support for the game "After the War" and an update for the Speccy from gab75. You can download it from the provided source link. FB Neo Git (2026/09/23) has been compiled. FinalBurn Neo is an emulator for arcade games and some consoles, drawing from the… Read more

VisualBoyAdvance-M Git (2026/09/22) is a Super Game Boy Color/Advance emulator available for Windows, Linux, and Mac. This release includes updates such as dropping _Float16 support on riscv64, ceasing the build of the DLSS NR Vulkan layer, and linking static MoltenVK dependencies. New additions include shaderc, glslang, and Vulkan to the dependency lists, and Metal DLSS NR support for macOS. Linux DLSS NR has also been fixed. Users can find information on the… Read more

Ymir Git (2026/09/22) is a work-in-progress Sega Saturn emulator featuring support for various game file formats (BIN+CUE, IMG+CCD, MDF+MDS, ISO), automatic BIOS detection, automatic region switching, and support for up to two players. It offers customizable keybindings, backup RAM management, save state functionality, and capabilities for rewinding, turbo speed, and frame stepping. The latest changelog includes fixes for color gradation, VDP hardware issues, graphic documentation, and enhancements for screenshot downloading and GPU… Read more

What if Super Mario Kart got the sequel we always dreamed of on the SNES? Horizons delivers 20 new tracks, new music, and pure nostalgia. From grassy plains to abandoned mines, Super Mario Kart – Horizons takes the SNES classic to new places. It feels like Mario Kart 2.0… and you can play it today! Super Mario Kart – Horizons: The Romhack That Feels Like a True Sequel. Watch the video or… Read more

The Super Mario World hacking community has produced everything from sprawling cinematic adventures to bite sized experimental projects. Smoked Fish and Cabbage, created by LetsTalkGames and the coder known as xMANGRAVYx, stands out as a compact yet polished introduction to the Kaizo style. Released in July 2023, the hack is short by design with seven carefully crafted levels, but within that small footprint it manages to deliver challenge, variety, and accessibility in… Read more

The Super Mario World hacking scene has always thrived on experimentation, but few projects push the envelope as boldly as Castlemania II, created by LetsTalkGames and coder xMANGRAVYx. Released in July 2025, this sequel builds upon last year’s Castlemania with even more ambition, blending Super Mario World’s platforming with Castlevania’s gothic spirit. The result is a hack that feels familiar in its controls but completely fresh in its tone and structure. From… Read more

When it comes to ambitious ROM hacks, few projects can match the scale and polish of Super Mario Bros. 3Mix, created by the talented developer Southbird. Released more than a decade ago (2014), 3Mix is not simply a reworking of Super Mario Bros. 3 but a complete overhaul that pays tribute to Mario’s past, present, and even future. The hack introduces new mechanics, new worlds, and a staggering amount of secrets while… Read more

Pacnsac Games, the prolific ROM hacker known as pacnsacdave, has built a name for transforming beloved NES titles into something wholly new while staying true to the spirit of retro gaming. In March 2020 he released The Crow, a complete hack of Sunsoft’s Batman: The Video Game. Rather than a simple cosmetic swap, this project reimagines the 1994 cult film starring Brandon Lee as if it had received its own 8 bit… Read more

When you talk about hidden treasures on the Nintendo Entertainment System, few games are as respected and mysterious as Mr. Gimmick. Released in 1992 by Sunsoft, this platformer was known for its stunning physics, demanding level design, and a soundtrack that pushed the NES sound chip to its limits. While it never reached wide audiences outside Japan and Scandinavia, it has become a cult favorite among retro enthusiasts. Fans have been asking… Read more

Nintendo has announced the boldest, most innovative move in gaming history: charging you up to two hundred dollars for the privilege of replaying a pair of Wii games you already own. Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 are officially coming to the Switch 2, and the bundle clocks in at a cool $150, edging toward $200 once you factor in collector’s editions, amiibo, and whatever random plastic accessory they force… Read more

An Innocent Gesture with a Dark Twist For more than two decades, fans of Super Mario World believed Mario was simply pointing forward when Yoshi stuck out his tongue. It looked playful and harmless. Mario gave the signal, Yoshi obeyed, and the duo worked together as partners. That illusion shattered in 2017, when Nintendo veteran Shigefumi Hino, the designer who created Yoshi, revealed that the original concept was very different. According to… Read more

Every Controller I Have Smashed In Rage, Ranked By The Quality Of The Meltdown There are difficult games, and then there are the ones that melt your brain until the only solution is to weaponize the nearest controller. We tell ourselves it’s just a game, but anyone who has stared down Alma in Ninja Gaiden Black, crawled across spikes in Celeste, or been betrayed by the blue shell in Mario Kart Wii… Read more

A Consistent Cutoff Leonardo DiCaprio has built a reputation for consistency in his personal life, and it appears that this rule now extends to his gaming habits. According to sources close to the Hollywood actor, he has officially stopped playing Final Fantasy IX after the game reached its 25th anniversary. Released in 2000 for the original PlayStation, Final Fantasy IX is widely regarded as one of the greatest entries in Square Enix’s… Read more

A Garage Sale Becomes a Legal Battlefield What began as a quiet Saturday morning in Saratoga, New York quickly escalated into what some neighbors now refer to as “the day Nintendo declared war on suburbia.” Local resident Robby Thompson held a simple garage sale in his driveway, offering old household items, clothing, and a box of retro video games. One of those games happened to be a sealed copy of Super Mario… Read more

A Feature Masquerading as a Flaw Since its release in 2017, the Nintendo Switch has been celebrated as one of the most successful consoles of all time. It blended handheld convenience with home-console performance, revitalized franchises like Zelda and Mario, and sold over 140 million units. But along with this success came something else: the infamous Joy-Con drift. What began as a flood of user complaints, characters walking off cliffs without input,… Read more

The best result from a living-room fighting game night is simple: someone who lost wants another turn. That takes more than a familiar character-select screen. It takes a group that makes room for rusty thumbs, new players and the friend who still remembers every trick. Street Fighter II is a fitting centerpiece. In its 2017 anniversary retrospective, Capcom traces the series' breakthrough to the 1991 arcade game and emphasizes the appeal of… Read more

You are moving comfortably through a level, a jump goes wrong, and suddenly the Kong following behind becomes the one you need to keep alive. Donkey Kong Country makes that small change surprisingly effective. A mistake has a face, and so does the chance to recover. Rare's 1994 SNES platformer is easy to remember for its distinctive graphics. Nintendo's official retrospective description emphasizes the pre-rendered visuals, animation and music that helped establish… Read more

You know the room. You have walked through it three times, checked the map twice, and become convinced that the next doorway is hiding out of spite. Then you remember a narrow passage you could not use earlier. Suddenly, being lost in Super Metroid turns into having a plan. That change of feeling is one of the best things about Nintendo's SNES adventure. The game gives you places to remember, reasons to… Read more

There is a particular kind of confidence to putting a banana peel on a corner and assuming your friend will drive straight into it. There is an even more particular kind of embarrassment when you come around again and hit it yourself. Super Mario Kart understands both. That is a good reason to return to Nintendo's original kart racer. The spectacle is small enough to follow, the rivalry is personal, and a… Read more