Retro Blog 🕰️

Sonic the Hedgehog Vol. 2: The Blue Blur Races onto the NES Introduction In the realm of retro gaming, few ROM hacks have generated as much buzz as Sonic the Hedgehog Vol. 2 for the NES. This impressive modification, based on the notorious Somari the Adventurer, replaces the Mario-Sonic hybrid protagonist with Sega’s true Blue Blur. Released in 2023, this hack breathes new life into a curious piece of gaming history, offering a …

Retro Review: Bonk’s Adventure for the TurboGrafx-16 Bonk’s Adventure for the TurboGrafx-16 is a 2D side-scrolling platformer that has cemented its place in gaming history. Developed by Red Company and published by Hudson Soft, this game was a standout title for the TurboGrafx-16, a console that struggled against the dominance of the NES and later the SNES and Sega Genesis. It was released in Japan as PC Genjin in 1989 and came to North America in …

Retro Review: Guerrilla War for the NES Introduction Released in 1987, Guerrilla War (known as Guevara in Japan) is a top-down run-and-gun arcade game developed and published by SNK. The game quickly found its way to the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), where it became a beloved title among action game enthusiasts. Set against the backdrop of a revolutionary struggle, Guerrilla War offered intense gameplay, cooperative multiplayer action, and a captivating story that resonated with many players. In this …

One Of The Web’s Oldest ROM Sites Removes Games By Nintendo, Sega, And Lego Emulation site Vimm’s Lair – which has been running since 1997 – has announced that it has been asked to remove many games from its archive. God speed, old king. Takedown Requests In a statement on the site’s main page, Vimm’s Lair said: “Vimm’s Lair has been asked to remove many games from The Vault on behalf …

Retro Review: Spider-Man: Web of Fire for the Sega 32X Spider-Man: Web of Fire, released for the Sega 32X in 1996, stands as one of the last titles for this ill-fated add-on to the Sega Genesis. Developed by BlueSky Software, the game attempted to leverage the enhanced graphical capabilities of the 32X to deliver a more immersive Spider-Man experience. Despite the developers’ efforts and the anticipation surrounding the game, my …

Limited Run Games, a company known for its collector editions of games, is currently facing backlash for its decision to use low-quality CD-R disks for its releases on the 3DO console, rather than the standard high-quality pressed disks. Pressed disks, which are produced from a glass master copy, are typically employed in software distribution because of their durability and reliability. However, critics have pointed out that the CD-R disks used by Limited Run …

Kabrutus, the creator of the controversial “Sweet Baby Inc. Detected” Steam curator, has launched a new site called “DEIDetected”.   DEI, which stands for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, is an organizational framework that proponents claim is meant to encourage the participation of historically underrepresented groups in society. However, in recent months DEI has become a catchall term for progressive policies and in the context of media has come to refer to censorship and …

Tim Kitzrow is an American voice actor, comedian, and TV host best known for his energetic and iconic commentary in the classic video game series, NBA Jam. Born on August 17, 1960, in Illinois, Kitzrow discovered his passion for entertainment at a young age. In a panel at the 2023 Retro Game Con, Tim Kitzrow discussed his early career and the video game industry. In the video, Tim Kitzrow discusses his early career and experiences …

Game Informer is back with physical copies shipped directly to your mailbox! As fellow gaming enthusiasts, we know the joy of flipping through the pages of a gaming magazine, and we’re counting on your support to ensure the survival of this beloved publication. Subscribe for Just $19.91 and Receive a Full Year of Gaming Goodness For only $19.91 (a tribute to the year of GI’s founding), you can subscribe to a full …

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 …