Retro Blog 🕰️

How a Bug Created Grand Theft Auto Today, Grand Theft Auto is one of the most recognizable franchises in gaming history. Known for its open worlds, crime filled stories, and freedom to cause absolute chaos, it has defined generations of players. But what if I told you the entire series only exists because of a programming mistake? Back in the mid 1990s, developer DMA Design (later renamed Rockstar North) was …

When Mortal Kombat hit arcades in 1992, it shocked the world with its brutal fighting, over the top violence, and those unforgettable Fatalities. It was the game every kid wanted to play and the game every parent wanted to ban. So when the time came to bring it home to consoles, Nintendo and Sega faced a tough decision on how much of the blood would make it into living rooms. …

Before Resident Evil, There Was Sweet Home When you think of survival horror, chances are your mind jumps straight to Resident Evil. Released in 1996 on the PlayStation, it defined the genre with its tense atmosphere, limited resources, and unforgettable scares. But what many fans do not know is that Resident Evil owes its existence to a little-known NES game from Japan called Sweet Home. Released in 1989, Sweet Home …

Lara Croft’s Iconic Look Was No Accident When Tomb Raider launched in 1996, Lara Croft quickly became one of the most recognizable characters in gaming. But while a popular myth claims her famous proportions came from a “programming mistake,” the truth is a little different. Lara’s design was carefully planned by Core Design artist Toby Gard. He originally envisioned her as a tough, adventurous woman inspired by comic book heroines …

The Accidental Horror of Silent Hill’s Fog When players think of Silent Hill, the first image that often comes to mind is its thick, suffocating fog. It is one of the most haunting visuals in all of gaming, setting the tone for fear, dread, and the unknown. But here is the twist: that fog was never meant to be scary at all. The original Silent Hill was released on the …

When Street Fighter II first hit arcades in the early 1990s, it changed fighting games forever. The roster of colorful warriors, each with their own style and special moves, became instant legends. But one character almost missed out on a now-iconic attack. Chun-Li, the first female fighter in the Street Fighter series, was introduced without a projectile move. While she had incredible speed and powerful kicks, her lack of a …

When people talk about Nintendo’s Game Boy, the usual memories are of Tetris marathons, trading Pokémon with a link cable, or sneaking in one more round under the covers with a flashlight. But there is one Game Boy out there with a history so wild that it belongs in a museum, and it actually does. During the Gulf War in the early 1990s, a soldier’s Game Boy was caught in …

Developer Jnmartin84 has pulled off another jaw-dropping feat: Star Fox 64 is now running on Sega’s Dreamcast. Best known in Europe as Lylat Wars, the 1997 Nintendo 64 classic is one of the defining rail shooters of its era, remembered for its cinematic action, tight controls, and unforgettable voice lines. Seeing it running on Sega’s final console is something few fans could have ever imagined, but thanks to the Dreamcast’s …

Hideo Kojima is known for pushing the boundaries of video games, but during the development of Snatcher he almost took things into a whole new dimension — smell. Kojima wanted the game’s floppy disks coated in a special chemical that, when heated by the computer, would release the scent of blood. His vision? To fill the room with the “stench of a murder scene” during key moments in the game. …

Vintage gamers know that sometimes the most interesting titles are the ones that almost never made it into their hands. These games haunted store shelves for a few fleeting days or sometimes even just hours before being yanked. Behind the recalls were controversies ranging from legal missteps to violent content oversights and public backlash. Collectors these days pay top dollar for the rarest survivors of these wipeouts. Here are ten …

NES Punch Out: Mike Tyson – The Game That Defined an Era The Unstoppable Game In 1987, Nintendo released Punch Out! NES Punch Out, a game that didn’t just raise the bar for boxing titles, it completely redefined what a sports game could be. Players took control of Little Mac, a scrappy 17-year-old from the Bronx, fighting his way up through a roster of colorful and often bizarre opponents. Every …

🎮 Week 1 Giveaway – Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 (PS1) I’m giving away just about ALL of my duplicate gamesEvery last one. No catch, no strings attached. I’m moving to an area where I simply cannot house them, and I have a lot, easily hundreds upon hundreds if I had to guess. They’re all going to new homes, one at a time, until they’re gone. I can try to …

There is something truly magical about NES retro games. For many of us, the Nintendo Entertainment System was more than just a piece of hardware. It was a portal into new worlds, an after-school escape, and the center of countless family gatherings and late-night sleepovers. NES retro games were the spark that fueled a lifelong passion for gaming. That gray box beneath the television was a gateway to adventures filled …

The Top 5 Retro Video Game Emulators for Every Classic Gaming Fan If you are ready to relive your childhood favorites and unlock the full world of classic gaming, these are the best retro video game emulators you need to try. Here is our countdown from five to one—with each emulator, you will find download links, the systems they cover, and reasons they stand out in the retro gaming scene. …

In the world of retro gaming, few titles carry the cultural weight of Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! Released in 1987 for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), the game exploded in popularity thanks to the inclusion of boxing legend Mike Tyson. As the unbeatable final boss, Tyson brought credibility and star power that few games could match. What began as a $40 cartridge eventually became one of the most iconic and valuable …

The dark halls of Dracula’s castle have opened once again but this time on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Thanks to the hard work of developer Rumbleminze the original Castlevania has been fully ported to SNES hardware offering a native 16 bit experience that combines classic gameplay with modern enhancements. Happy to release my SNES port of Castlevania! This native SNES port features:3 Difficulty Levels14 palette options6 MSU-1 Soundtrack optionsUse …

GungHo has released a new story trailer for the upcoming Lunar Remastered Collection ahead of its April 18th launch. This collection brings together two beloved classic RPGs – Lunar Silver Star Story Complete and Lunar 2 Eternal Blue Complete – to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam. The newly released trailer showcases the narratives of both games, giving fans and newcomers alike a glimpse of the …

Ken Kutaragi, PlayStation’s creator, revealed to fan Julian Domanski that he personally owns a rare Nintendo PlayStation prototype. Domanski, who reports for Tokyo Retro Gamer, shared this discovery on his X account along with photos of the coveted console. The last known prototype reportedly sold at auction for approximately $300,000. I never thought I'd see something so rare, but today I actually got to fondle a Nintendo PlayStation!The last one …

Ah, the Nintendo Power Glove. The pinnacle of 80s gaming technology, or so we thought. Let me regale you with my personal tale of anticipation, delusion, and crushing disappointment. Picture this: Christmas morning, circa late 80s. Yours truly, a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed kid, tearing into a suspiciously glove-shaped package. Lo and behold, the Power Glove in all its gray, plasticky glory. Dreams do come true, right? Wrong. I wonder what my …

Still Arguing After All These Pixels Remember the 1990s console wars? Those glorious days when choosing between Sega and Nintendo was a life-altering decision. Fast forward 30 years, and here we are—middle-aged gamers still duking it out online like knights in shining armor, except the armor is sweatpants and the battlefield is a Reddit thread. Back in the day, these battles were fought in living rooms. Now, they’re waged on …

What are your favorite consoles? To me six consoles stand out as true icons, each contributing uniquely to the evolution of interactive entertainment and leaving an indelible mark on the hearts of players. Here they are!!   6. Nintendo GameCube While I didn’t explore much of the GameCube’s library, it earns its place primarily due to one exceptional title: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. This game alone, which I …

Ubisoft is proud to announce its most ambitious and inclusive Assassin’s Creed title yet: Rising Sun. Set in 1800s feudal Japan, players will embark on an epic quest for equality and justice as Amara, a trailblazing assassin unlike any before. Amara is a plus-sized, Black, transgender woman who refuses to let her disability hold her back. From her customized wheelchair, she’ll navigate the complex social and political landscape of 19th …

In a shocking turn of events that has left the gaming community stunned, Nintendo has filed a lawsuit against the Johnson family of Bakersfield Indiana, for selling Mario-themed cancer awareness bracelets to raise money for charity. The Johnson family, whose 8-year-old daughter Emma is currently battling leukemia, had been making and selling colorful silicone bracelets featuring Mario’s iconic mushrooms and stars to help offset their mounting medical bills and donate …

Copyright Strikes Hit Popular Retro Gaming Channel In a controversial move, Nintendo has begun targeting YouTube channels that demonstrate its games being emulated on third-party hardware. The latest victim of this crackdown is the popular channel Retro Game Corps, which recently received a copyright strike for a video showcasing Wii U games running on emulation devices. Retro Game Corps, a channel with over 500,000 subscribers, specializes in reviewing modern handheld devices capable of emulating classic games. These reviews often include footage of Nintendo titles …

3DO vs Dreamcast: Exploring the Technological Leaps of Two Revolutionary Consoles Certain consoles stand out as true pioneers, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in interactive entertainment. Two such systems that left indelible marks on the gaming landscape are the 3DO and the Dreamcast. Both were ahead of their time, introducing features and capabilities that would shape the future of gaming. But which one truly made the biggest technological leap? …