Retro Blog 🕰️

Hollywood’s Recycling Racket: The Babysitter’s Dead, But the Cash Grab Lives On In the land of Hollywood, where originality goes to die and reboots reign supreme, the latest victim of the unoriginal machine is the 1991 cult classic “Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead.” Yes, you read that right – a reboot of a movie that wasn’t even a massive hit in the first place. But hey, why come up …

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 …

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 …

This is a post at request of a friend. NES themed enamel pins coming to Kickstarter on March 30th If you grew up in the 80’s and 90’s, you probably have some of the iconic game art from the NES era burned into your memory banks. The art varied from pixel representations of the actual game to fantastical imagery that set your imagination in motion. Dave Andersen, the streamer behind …

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 …

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. …

Hollywood’s Misrepresentation of Jocks: Perpetuating a Harmful Stereotype Hollywood has a long-standing tradition of portraying jocks as the villains in their TV shows and movies. From the stereotypical high school bully to the arrogant college athlete, these characters are often depicted as one-dimensional, mean-spirited, and lacking in depth. However, this representation is far from reality and perpetuates a harmful stereotype that can have lasting effects on how society perceives athletes …

** 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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

The Uncanny Use of a Racial Slur in X-Men Before you go any further, please understand In recent years, Chris Claremont has been pushing to change the name of the X-Men to X-People or X-Group. Some people believe that this is his way of trying to make amends for his past racist remarks. A recent discussion online in the Facebook Retro Gaming Group brought to light a troubling exchange from Uncanny X-Men #196, published in 1985 …

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 …

X-Men Name Change Debate: Chris Claremont and Victoria Alonso Weigh In Renowned X-Men writer Chris Claremont has shared his perspective on the current discussion surrounding the potential renaming of Marvel’s mutant heroes, the X-Men. Claremont, celebrated for his extensive and influential 16-year tenure on The X-Men comic book series, has been a pivotal figure in the development of the franchise, introducing beloved characters such as Rogue, Psylocke, Kitty Pryde (Shadowcat), Phoenix, Sabretooth, …

YouTube’s War on GamerGate The ongoing controversy surrounding Sweet Baby Inc. has taken a new turn, with reports that YouTube is demonetizing videos that discuss the company. This move has raised concerns about censorship on YouTube and the growing influence of woke consulting firms in the tech industry. Sweet Baby Inc. is a consulting firm that has been accused of influencing the development of video games in order to promote diversity. This has led to …

Iman Vellani, the star who brought Ms. Marvel to life in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), has recently shared her aspirations for her character to join the ranks of the X-Men. The actress, celebrated for her role as Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel, spoke about her character’s future and her own wishes for the next big leap in the MCU. Vellani’s Ms. Marvel first appeared in the Disney Plus Hotstar series and later made …

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 …

PlayStation 1 Blockbuster Variants: A Treasure Trove for Collectors? Among your PlayStation 1 titles, there lies a potential goldmine that has yet to be fully explored: the Blockbuster variants. These unique editions, born out of a partnership between game developers and the rental giant Blockbuster, might just be the next big thing in the retro gaming market. Blockbuster variants are special editions of PlayStation 1 games that were exclusively distributed …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …