Retro Blog 🕰️

SEGA's nostalgic gem, Vay, initially released in 1993 for the SEGA CD and subsequently earning its place as a JRPG cult classic, particularly in the West, is poised for a resurgence. Fans can look forward to an "entirely new, fully reimagined port" specifically tailored for iPhone devices, set to launch later this year. The original game, developed by Hertz and released by SIMS in Japan, saw its North American debut thanks to the… Read more

Lunar: Silver Star Story Touch Launches for Android Fans of classic RPGs, get ready! The beloved Lunar: Silver Star Story Touch, previously available on iOS, is set to make its way to Android devices on January 26th. This news comes via Pocket Gamer, and it's sure to excite those who have been waiting to experience the game on their Android phones and tablets. The journey of Lunar: Silver Star Story began on the Sega CD in… Read more

The Sega CD: An Ambitious Leap into CD-ROM Gaming The Sega CD, known as Mega-CD outside North America, was Sega's ambitious foray into the world of CD-ROM technology in gaming. From the moment I tore open the wrapping paper one Christmas morning to reveal a Sega CD, the year it was released, my gaming experiences were forever transformed. That moment marked the beginning of a new chapter, one filled with richer soundtracks… Read more

The video game sector continues to face a challenging period marked by ongoing layoffs. Sony has joined the ranks of companies reducing their workforce, announcing on Tuesday the dismissal of approximately 900 employees from its PlayStation division, which accounts for 8% of its global headcount. The impact of the layoffs will be felt across several high-profile development teams within the Sony family. Notable studios that will be affected include Naughty Dog, creators… Read more

22-Year-Old Finds 'Holy Grail' Copy of 1987 Zelda Game Worth Over $700,000 A sealed copy of the 1987 Nintendo classic 'The Legend of Zelda' is expected to sell for over $700,000 at auction this week, thanks to a chance discovery by a 22-year-old. The owner, who goes by Kiro online, originally purchased the game for just $30 back in 1987. Stored for decades in his family's home, Kiro decided on a whim… Read more

 Watch the video presentation above, or read below. The Top 10 Konami Games of All Time: A Legacy Unveiled Konami, a titan in the gaming industry, has given us some of the most unforgettable gaming experiences. With a vast and varied catalog, pinning down their top 10 games is no easy task. Yet, some titles have left an indelible mark on the hearts of gamers and the annals of gaming history.… Read more

he Return of Optical Media? New Disc Can Store 200TB Optical discs like CDs and DVDs may be making a comeback for long-term data storage, if new technology developed by researchers pans out. Scientists at the [University of Shanghai for Science and Technology] have created an ultra high-capacity optical disc using advanced 3D recording techniques. Their new disc can hold a whopping 1.6 petabits or approximately 200 terabytes (TB) of data -… Read more

Retro Review: Sonic the Hedgehog Megamix – A Sega Genesis Triumph "Sonic the Hedgehog Megamix" is not just a game; it's a homage to the golden age of 16-bit gaming, a symphony of speed and nostalgia that resonates with every jump and spin-dash. As a ROM hack of the iconic Sega Genesis title, it takes players on a familiar yet fresh journey through the world of Sonic, showcasing the extraordinary talents of… Read more

The National Museum of Play has recently added an exceptional item to its collection: a rare PC port demo of "Super Mario Bros. 3," developed by id Software in the early days before the company became synonymous with the first-person shooter genre through titles like "Doom" and "Wolfenstein 3D." This MS-DOS adaptation, crafted in 1990, is notable for its advanced scrolling technology that closely mimicked the smoothness of the original NES game.… Read more

Crisis Force: A Deep Dive into NES Excellence Crisis Force is not just a game; it's an exemplar of the technical marvels that were possible on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), despite being released in the twilight years of the console's life. This shoot 'em up, released exclusively in Japan in 1991 by Konami, has since garnered a dedicated following among retro gaming enthusiasts around the globe. Technical Mastery by Konami Konami,… Read more

Stan Lee Dispels Myth That X-Men Were Originally Envisioned as LGBTQ Allegory In a 2007 radio interview that has recently resurfaced, comic book icon Stan Lee directly refuted a widespread assumption that his X-Men characters were conceived as an allegory for the LGBTQ+ community. Speaking on Coast to Coast AM with guest host Ian Punnett, Lee stated unambiguously that the analogy was not his intention when creating the X-Men in the 1960s.… Read more

Disclaimer: My father, disconnected from the internet in many ways, will most likely never read this. And that is OK. On a frost-touched morning in December 1987, nestled beneath the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree, a gift unwrapped would forge an unbreakable bond between a father and his child, a Nintendo NES. This is the tale of that bond, a story woven through the fabric of fantasy, adventure, and the shared… Read more

The Sega Genesis: A Historical Overview and System Review Enjoy our comprehensive retrospective as we showcase each and every one of the classic games developed for the Sega Genesis in this captivating video journey, or read up on the system and review below! The Sega Genesis: An In-depth Look at the Console That Defined an Era The Sega Genesis, known as the Mega Drive outside North America, is a 16-bit home video… Read more

Sega has revealed that the upcoming reboot of the classic arcade racing game Crazy Taxi will be a big-budget, triple-A release. This news came from Takaya Segawa, president of Sega's Sapporo Studio, in an interview with the Japan Times. Sapporo Studio is one of the developers working on the new Crazy Taxi game. When discussing the studio's current projects, Segawa said "We are also participating in the development of triple-A titles, including… Read more

In The Hunt: A Deep Dive into the Underwater Classic on PS1 "In The Hunt," a title often overshadowed by its terrestrial counterparts, is a gem of the PlayStation 1 era that deserves more recognition. Developed by Irem, a company known for creating the legendary "R-Type" series, "In The Hunt" was released on the PS1 in 1995. The game, which I affectionately refer to as the "Metal Slug of the sea," offers… Read more

Galloping Ghost Arcade - The Massive Retro Gaming Wonderland Near Chicago Just 15 miles outside Chicago in Brookfield, Illinois sits the largest classic arcade in the United States - the sprawling paradise known as Galloping Ghost. As a life-long arcade enthusiast, I recently made a pilgrimage to this retro gaming mecca and spent hours exploring its jaw-dropping collection of over 600 cabinets. Read on for a tour through this digitally preserved slice… Read more

A Heartbreaking Farewell to the Tangible: Best Buy's Betrayal with Digital Transition It's with a heavy heart and a sense of betrayal that I must report a devastating blow to collectors, nostalgists, and anyone who cherishes the physical touch of media: Best Buy has ruthlessly cleared its shelves of all physical media. This isn’t just a business decision; it's a knife in the back to those of us who have supported the… Read more

Blowing the Dust Off: The Truth Behind the Nintendo Cartridge Ritual   For decades, gamers around the world have sworn by a seemingly magical fix for glitchy Nintendo game cartridges: blowing into them. Despite Nintendo's own warnings that this practice could actually harm the delicate circuitry, many have felt the satisfying click of a cartridge that only started working post-puff. But what is the truth? Did blowing into those cartridges really make… Read more

Watch the video above or read below. "Super Mario 64," a gem in the gaming world, celebrated for its vibrant landscapes and pioneering 3D gameplay, holds an eerie secret within its first level—a secret that evaded the eyes of millions, until now. Danni from the Retro Replay Message Boards has peeled back the cheerful exterior of "Bob-omb Battlefield," exposing a grim reality that casts a shadow over the Mushroom Kingdom and the… Read more

The Ultimate Showdown: Top 10 Most Popular Fighting Games Ranked The evolution of fighting games has been a spectacle of the gaming world, showcasing the adrenaline-fueled drama that only this genre can provide. Each title on this list has contributed to the genre's legacy, creating a competitive and vibrant community. Here's a look at the top 10 most popular fighting games that have defined the genre, each a specific title that stands… Read more

Retro Review: "The Adventures of Little Ralph" – A Hidden Gem on the PS1 It's not every day that one stumbles upon an obscure classic that should have been a household name. "The Adventures of Little Ralph," a 2D platformer released exclusively in Japan for the PlayStation in 1999, is one such title. I had the pleasure of discovering this game only in 2024, and it's a damn shame it wasn't released… Read more

Remembering Jennell Jaquays: A Beacon of Creativity and Inclusivity in Gaming It is with a heavy heart that we reflect on the life of Jennell Jaquays, an iconic figure in the gaming industry whose influence shaped the way we play and design games today. Jennell passed away on January 10th, 2024, but her legacy endures in the countless worlds she crafted and the barriers she broke down throughout her illustrious career. A… Read more

Retro Review: Global Gladiators – The Sega Genesis Classic that Championed Environmentalism In the year 1992, nestled beneath the Christmas tree, lay a gift from my parents that I hadn't asked for—Global Gladiators for the Sega Genesis. Little did I know, this game would become a significant part of my childhood, its graphics etched into my memory, even though I wouldn’t conquer its challenges until many years later. Developer's Vision and Technical… Read more

The Rise and Fall of the INDREMA L600: The Console That Never Was In the 1990s, video game enthusiast John Gildred envisioned an open source console that would democratize game development. The technology wasn't there yet, but the idea lingered. By 1999, after witnessing firsthand the modding potential of PC games like Quake, Gildred was inspired. What if anyone could be a developer? In early 2000, he made that vision a reality… Read more

The Overhyped Debacle: Dissecting "Rise of the Robots" In the annals of video game history, few titles have managed to garner as much pre-release hype and post-release disappointment as "Rise of the Robots." This was a game that promised the moon but delivered a handful of space dust. Let's dive into the gritty details of how this high-budget, low-return venture became a cautionary tale for the industry. "Rise of the Robots" was… Read more