retro games

A streamer running a retro gaming broadcast has introduced his puppy, Titus, to viewers, saying the dog is joining in the fun with a dedicated gift wheel that fans can activate using the !spin command. The lighthearted mix of gaming and pet content has drawn a small but amused response from the streaming community.

The open-source Aleph One engine, which lets players run the classic Marathon games on modern systems, has received a new 1.11.1 release. The update is being shared among Linux gaming communities, where the project remains popular as a way to preserve Bungie's 1990s first-person shooters on modern hardware.

A 2008 blog post parodying the cover art of classic Atari 2600 video game boxes is circulating again, drawing nostalgic amusement. The original Atari 2600 box covers, known for their dramatic and often absurd illustrated scenes, have long been a source of affectionate mockery among retro gaming fans, and the parodies riff on that over-the-top style.

Reports suggest Westwood's classic real-time strategy game Dune II could receive an Amiga enhancement, reviving interest in the 1992 title among retro computing fans. The Amiga never officially received a port of the landmark game, so a fan-made or unofficial enhancement would fill a long-standing gap for enthusiasts of the platform. Retro gaming communities are discussing the news with enthusiasm.

Game developer Alfred Baudisch shared a project connected to Pardall Games, a website offering a library aimed at retro and retrogaming fans. Other users on Mastodon praised it as a cool tool and said they were adding its feed to their RSS readers to follow new content.

UK publisher Bitmap Books has opened pre-orders for 'The Arcade 1971–1999: The Stories Behind Classic Coin-Ops, Told by Their Creators', a retrospective of classic arcade machines featuring accounts from the people who built them. Pre-orders went live at 17:00 BST, with shipping scheduled to begin the following week. Retro gaming fans are sharing the announcement online.

A new music tool called Drum Machina Go! turns the Nintendo Game Boy into a drum machine, adding fresh hardware to the console's chiptune and homebrew music scene. The project has caught attention among retro gaming and DIY electronics hobbyists, who keep finding new creative uses for the decades-old handheld.

German tech outlet heise has published a review of "Monster Boy" on Apple devices, calling it a contemporary love letter to classic 2D platformers. The piece describes the game as a nostalgic adventure and reports on how it plays on iPhone, iPad and Mac, drawing attention to retro-style titles arriving on Apple's platforms.

Attendees at OpenAI's DevDay are receiving limited-edition transparent, Game Boy-style handheld devices as event merchandise. The giveaways have drawn attention online, with developers sharing photos of the retro-inspired gadget. The devices are described as limited in quantity, making them a sought-after keepsake from the conference, though OpenAI has not detailed whether the hardware has any function beyond novelty.

Fans are revisiting the 2004 fighting game Def Jam: Fight for NY, pairing its soundtrack with TY's 2003 track Wait A Minute in a retro gaming music clip. The PS2, Xbox and GameCube-era title remains a cult favourite, and its hip-hop-heavy soundtrack still draws attention from retrogaming communities.

Publisher Bitmap Books opens pre-orders on 1st October at 17:00 BST for a new title, 'The Arcade 1971–1999: The Stories Behind Classic Coin-Ops, Told by Their Creators', with shipping the following week. Reprints of 'ARTCADE – The Book of Classic Arcade Game Art (Extended Edition)' will also be available at the same time.

This month marks 35 years since the release of Populous on Sega's Master System. The god-game strategy classic, originally created by Peter Molyneux and Bullfrog, reached Sega's console as one of the more unusual ports of the era. Retro gaming communities are marking the anniversary, remembering the title as an early landmark of the simulation and strategy genres on home consoles.

An artist has shared a digital sketch blending Nintendo and Sega characters, drawing Kirby and Chao in the graffiti style of Jet Set Radio. The post notes the artwork was made while gaming, joking that drawing with a controller is not fun. The crossover of Dreamcast-era nostalgia and classic characters is drawing attention from art and gaming fans.

Publisher Bitmap Books has opened pre-orders for a new title, The Arcade 1971–1999: The Stories Behind Classic Coin-Ops, Told by Their Creators, with shipping to begin the week after purchase. The announcement also promotes reprints of ARTCADE - The Book of Classic Arcade Game Art (Extended Edition) and Go Straight: The Ultimate Guide to Side-Scrolling Beat 'Em Ups. Retro gaming fans are discussing the releases as retro game art books grow in popularity.

Silver Spook Games is developing a new title and has shared an early prototype featuring a queer warrior character. The developer highlighted the character's design, noting her hair color matches the sky in the scene, and is asking players for feedback on the retro-inspired art style. The studio positions the project as an indie, human-made game.

A new roundup highlights LEGO IDEAS sets based on classic video games, including Metroid, Final Fantasy and The Oregon Trail. The LEGO IDEAS programme lets fan-designed concepts become official retail products if they gather enough community support and pass review, and several gaming-themed builds have made that jump. Coverage is drawing attention from fans of retro gaming franchises who enjoy seeing their favourite series turned into brick-built display pieces.

A new homebrew music tool called Drum Machina Go! turns the classic Game Boy into a drum machine, letting musicians program beats on the handheld's original hardware. The project has drawn attention in the chiptune and hardware-hacking community, where enthusiasts continue to push vintage Nintendo consoles into modern music production setups.

Developer Cuphog Games has announced that its role-playing game Alveron - Withering Roots will be released on October 15. The studio says the game took eight years to develop and describes it as a JRPG featuring pixel art. Fans of indie and retro-style role-playing games are sharing the announcement as the launch date approaches.

Retro gaming fans are marking 30 years since DragonHeart, the hack-and-slash game based on the 1996 fantasy film, arrived on Nintendo's Game Boy. Nostalgia posts recall the handheld adaptation and its place among classic Game Boy titles, with players sharing memories of the era when film tie-ins were common on portable consoles.

Bitmap Books has released The Art of Point-and-Click Adventure Games, featuring over 50 extensive and exclusive interviews with key developers, designers and artists including Al Lowe, Éric Chahi, Ron Gilbert and Tim Schafer. The book documents the history and craft of the classic adventure game genre through the words of the people who made it, and is now available from the publisher.

Fans of classic Spanish adventure games are marking the 25th anniversary of Mortadelo y Filemón: El Escarabajo de Cleopatra, the Windows game released this month in 2000. Based on Francisco Ibáñez's beloved comic characters, the title is remembered with nostalgia among retro gaming circles in Spain.

Unshine Arcade is being highlighted as a standout pixel-art roguelite shooter, praised for its crunchy retro visuals and dense layer of hidden secrets. Gaming outlet Kotaku gave the game an enthusiastic write-up, drawing attention to its replayable roguelite structure and rewarding exploration. Coverage suggests the indie shooter is finding an audience among players who enjoy fast-paced action games packed with discoverable content.

The Mac port of No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.'s Way has been updated to version 0.4.3. The project brings the 2002 spy first-person shooter to modern Apple Silicon Macs, including M1, M2 and M3 machines, where it was previously difficult to run. Retro gaming fans on Apple platforms welcomed the update, as the cult classic series has long been trapped in licensing limbo and unavailable on official digital storefronts.

Retro gaming fans are sharing footage of Mad Stalker: Full Metal Forth, the 1994 side-scrolling mech action game, running on the MiSTer FPGA through the Fujitsu FM Towns Marty core. The gameplay video shows the obscure Japanese console title recreated in hardware-accurate FPGA form, drawing attention from enthusiasts of niche consoles and open-source retro computing.

A retro gaming enthusiast reports finishing Soul Blazer on the SNES with every RetroAchievement earned, and starting Illusion of Gaia next as part of playing through the Quintet catalog. The run is timed ahead of Terranigma's arrival in January, which fans see as a rare moment of attention for the cult Japanese RPG developer's classics.

A new 2D Rewind Collection game bundle is available, bringing together the Freedom Planet series, the River City Girls series and additional indie titles in one package for PC players. Bundle deals like this are a popular way to pick up well-regarded retro-styled games at a discount, and the Freedom Planet and River City Girls franchises are both fan favourites in the 2D action genre.

Retro gaming fans are marking 35 years since the release of The Flash, the platform game based on the DC Comics superhero, for Nintendo's Game Boy. Posts in Catalan and Spanish celebrate the handheld classic, with nostalgia-driven commemorative messages circulating among retro gaming and classic gaming communities.

This month marks 20 years since the release of Yoomurjak's Ring on Windows, a point-and-click adventure remembered by retro gaming fans. Gamers are marking the anniversary with nostalgic posts recalling the classic title, highlighting its place among older adventure games and celebrating its endurance as a cult favourite.

A new 2D Rewind Collection game bundle has launched, bringing together the Freedom Planet and River City Girls series alongside other 2D titles in one package. Gamers are being offered a way to pick up multiple retro-inspired games at a discount, and the bundle is being shared across gaming communities as a notable deal for PC players.