Retro Blog 🕰️

Introduction to a Cult Classic "Keio Flying Squadron" emerged on the Sega CD in 1993 to the delight of gamers looking for a fresh, vibrant take on the shoot 'em up genre. At a time when the gaming market was saturated with titles, this game managed to stand out with its stunning anime-style graphics, captivating music, and a storyline that was as charming as it was quirky. Developed by Victor Entertainment, a… Read more

Former Senator Joe Lieberman Passed Away Former Senator Joe Lieberman passed away on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, at the age of 82. His family announced that he died in New York after suffering complications from a fall, with his wife Hadassah and other loved ones by his side. Joe Lieberman: The Senator Who Waged War on Video Games As a passionate video game enthusiast, I can't help but feel a mix of emotions upon learning about the… Read more

Popful Mail: A Delightful and Overlooked Gem on the Sega CD As a fan of Working Designs, known for their excellent localization of Lunar: The Silver Star Story, I was thrilled to discover Popful Mail, a charming action-platformer developed by Falcom and published by Working Designs for the Sega CD in 1994. Despite being overshadowed by other high-profile releases of its time, Popful Mail is an amazing game that deserves recognition for its… Read more

A Retro Review of Chuck Rock for the Sega CD: A Prehistoric Platformer Past Its Prime Introduction Released in 1991 for the Sega Genesis and later ported to the Sega CD in 1993, Chuck Rock is a side-scrolling platformer developed by Core Design and published by Virgin Games. The game follows the adventures of a prehistoric caveman named Chuck, who must rescue his wife, Ophelia, from the clutches of a rival caveman named Gary Gritter. Gameplay Chuck… Read more

** I had to mute so many portions of this game because of copyright issues.** Hook for the Sega CD: A Retro Review The Sega CD, known for its ambition to bring the power of CD-ROM to the gaming industry, hosted a variety of titles that sought to exploit its enhanced audio and visual capabilities. Among these games was "Hook," a title based on the 1991 film directed by Steven Spielberg. The… Read more

The NES Expansion Port, a 15-pin connector located on the bottom of the console, has remained largely unused since the system's release in the '80s. While it was presumably intended for add-ons like the Japan-exclusive Famicom Disk System, no official accessories ever utilized this port in the NES's lifespan. Introducing the NES Hub Fast forward to 2024, and hacker/modder RetroTime is looking to change that with the NES Hub, a homebrew accessory… Read more

The Sega Genesis, also known as the Mega Drive outside North America, was a 16-bit home video game console that left an indelible mark on the gaming industry during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Boasting a library of nearly 1000 games, the Genesis played host to numerous iconic titles such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Streets of Rage, and Phantasy Star. However, amidst the console's many triumphs lie some of the most notoriously bad video… Read more

Amazon's Fallout TV Series Releases Hilariously Entertaining First Clip The highly-anticipated Fallout TV series, set to debut on Amazon Prime Video on April 11, has just released its first official clip, and it's a delightful mix of humor and post-apocalyptic tension. The scene features a standoff between Vault Dweller Lucy (Ella Purnell), the eccentric Ghoul (Walton Goggins), and a member of the Brotherhood of Steel. As Lucy attempts to defuse the situation… Read more

Exploring the Legacy of the Panasonic 3DO: Innovation Ahead of Its Time In the early 1990s, the gaming industry witnessed the arrival of a console that promised to revolutionize the home entertainment experience: the Panasonic 3DO Interactive Multiplayer, commonly known as the 3DO. Developed by The 3DO Company, a conglomerate that included tech giants like Panasonic, the 3DO was a cutting-edge platform that aimed to set a new standard for interactive gaming.… Read more

Nintendo Switch Emulator Suyu Picks Up Where Yuzu Left Off After the shut down of the popular Nintendo Switch emulator Yuzu by Nintendo, a new open-source project has emerged to continue its legacy. Suyu, a fork of Yuzu, has released its first version, offering Switch emulation for PC gamers. Unlike Yuzu, which had a Patreon campaign and accepted donations, Suyu is strictly non-profit. This approach may help shield the project from legal… Read more

In the early 1990s, while American gamers were enjoying their Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis consoles, a revolutionary gaming system was making waves in Japan: the FM Towns Marty. Developed by Fujitsu, this cutting-edge console never made its way to the United States, leaving American gamers oblivious to the incredible gaming experiences they were missing out on. The FM Towns computer system was first released by Fujitsu in Japan on February 28, 1989. It was designed as a… Read more

GameInformer has recently unveiled the much-anticipated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles video game titled "Mutants Unleashed". The announcement follows a collaboration between Nickelodeon, Paramount, game publisher Outright Games, and the development studio A Heartful of Games. This exciting new release is a sequel to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem movie that graced screens in August 2023. GameInformer shares that "Mutants Unleashed" is a 3D brawler/platformer that continues the narrative post Mutant Mayhem, with the Turtles enjoying social acceptance after their victory over Superfly and… Read more

The Sega Master System: A 8-Bit Contender In an era largely dominated by Nintendo's NES, the Sega Master System (SMS) stood as Sega's valiant effort in the 8-bit console market. Released in 1985 in Japan and two years later in North America, the Master System aimed to capture the hearts of gamers with more powerful hardware and an ambitious game library. While I never had the opportunity to own a Master System… Read more

PlayStation 1 Blockbuster Variants: A Treasure Trove for Collectors? Among your PlayStation 1 games, there may be a potentially valuable variant hiding in plain sight: Blockbuster-specific editions. These unusual releases appear to have come from a partnership between game publishers and the rental giant Blockbuster Video, and they could represent an overlooked corner of the retro gaming market that collectors have barely begun to explore. Blockbuster variants are special versions of certain… Read more

The Top 20 NES Games of All Time: A Nostalgic Journey The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) revolutionized the gaming industry and left an indelible mark on the hearts of gamers worldwide. With its vast library of groundbreaking titles, the NES introduced us to iconic characters and franchises that continue to captivate players to this day. Join us on a nostalgic journey as we count down the top 20 NES games of all… Read more

As I look back on my childhood, there are certain memories that stand out like shining beacons of love and joy. One of the most vivid is the image of my beautiful mama, her face alight with happiness as she watched me unwrap my Christmas presents. This past Christmas was the first without her, and her absence was deeply felt. My mom always went above and beyond to ensure that I had… Read more

The Strong Museum, known for its dedication to preserving and celebrating the history of video games, has recently announced the 12 finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame Class of 2024. The museum selected these titles from thousands of nominations, considering factors such as the game's iconic status, longevity, geographical reach, and influence on the gaming industry and popular culture. A Diverse Range of Finalists The list of finalists spans several decades and genres, showcasing the evolution of… Read more

Indie developers Broke Studio and GGS Studio Creation are set to release a new game for the Sega Genesis / Mega Drive called 'The Cursed Legacy'. This upcoming title is a sequel to their previous action platformer, 'The Cursed Knight'. A Unique Blend of Run-and-Gun and Innovative 2D Gameplay 'The Cursed Legacy' promises to deliver a fresh take on the classic run-and-gun genre by incorporating unique gameplay elements. One of the most notable features is the ability to… Read more

Dedicated Fan Amasses 1000 Copies of Dragon Warrior on NES, and the Quest Continues In a remarkable display of passion and commitment, a devoted fan of the classic Enix JRPG, Dragon Warrior (known as Dragon Quest in Japan), has achieved an incredible milestone by collecting 1000 copies of the game for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The individual behind this extraordinary feat, known as Ferris Bueller, is the current owner of The Unorthadox Dragon Warrior Collection. The Origins of the Collection… Read more

Keio Flying Squadron 2: A Retro Review for the Sega Saturn Many Sega Saturn titles have garnered cult followings and are lauded for their unique contributions to gaming, but not all games hit the mark for every player. "Keio Flying Squadron 2" (Kyuukyoku Tiger II Plus in Japan) is one such title that, despite its charm and technical achievements, left players with mixed feelings, particularly concerning its controls and gameplay mechanics. Developer… Read more

Konami's beloved compilation, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection, is set to be delisted from Steam in Japan later this month. The news comes as a shock to fans, as the collection was released less than two years ago on August 30, 2022, across multiple platforms, including PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, and PC. According to a recent "Notice of End of Sales" post on the game's Steam page, Japanese players will no longer be able to purchase the collection from Friday, March 29, 2024, onward. However, there… Read more

Ex-Sega Staffer Confirms "Secret" Dragon Quest Demo For Saturn Yuji Naka, a former Sega employee, mentioned some time ago that Sega had created a demo of Enix's Dragon Quest for the Sega Saturn console. Now, another former Sega staffer, Yumiko Miyabe, who served as art director on the Space Channel 5 series and worked on games like NiGHTS, Clockwork Knight, and Panzer Dragoon Saga, has confirmed its existence on social media. https://twitter.com/gosokkyu/status/1766329365552635930 According to Google Translate, Miyabe said: "At the time, it was said… Read more

Disney CEO Bob Iger Discusses Marvel Course Correction, Hinting at Cancelled Projects According to insider DanielRPK, 'Captain Marvel 3' and 'Ant-Man 4' will not move forward with Marvel. The studio is reportedly choosing to focus on guaranteed hits and take less risks with unsuccessful franchises. This news comes as Disney CEO Bob Iger has recently provided more insight into the new direction he envisions for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). https://twitter.com/HollywoodHandle/status/1768056360753611166?s=20 In… Read more

In exciting news for retro gaming enthusiasts, the highly-anticipated SNES port of the classic NES game Punch-Out!! is now available for download. The port, created by the talented ROM hacker and porting expert Infidelity, promises to bring the beloved boxing game to the Super Nintendo with a host of quality-of-life improvements and enhanced audio. Infidelity has made a name for himself in the retro gaming community by porting several iconic NES titles… Read more

I failed to pick the harder difficulty level, and the game cut off without letting me play the final few levels. So that's that. I do not want to play through a 2nd time, perhaps I will revisit this one later in life. Demolition Man on Sega CD: A Retro Review The Sega CD, an ambitious add-on to the Sega Genesis, sought to revolutionize the gaming industry with its CD-ROM capabilities in… Read more