WEEKLY DOSE OF GAMING NEWS: Pharaoh, Retroid, Maria Renard's Revenge
February is chock full of surprises, whether it be new retro games, updates on upcoming retro consoles, or some sweet modern ports for classics from the past. Best believe we've got you covered for all things retro. This time, we’re looking at a fan favorite finally coming back right on time. A modern handheld console with a few new bells and whistles. And lastly, a spiritual successor to a timeless franchise that keeps improving. Stick around. You’re in for a ride.
First, we got classic city builder Pharaoh, making it surprising yet very welcome come back to the PC. This is all in line with its much-awaited remake Pharaoh: A New Era, brought to us by indie developers Triskell Interactive. Overall, we can’t expect a quality title from the people who brought us Lethis: Path of Progress and Lethis: Daring Discoveries, so get hyped.
The original game came out on PC way back in 1998. Developers’ Impressions Games collaborated with Publishers Sierra Studios to ensure that gamers back then had a solid title that encapsulated Egyptian themes with RTS action. It’s a great nostalgia trip for anyone looking to unwind and relive the simpler times of ancient Egypt.
Pharaoh: New Era was set for release in 2020, but we all know what happened back then. Thankfully, come February 15th, we’ll finally get that sweet title. If you want to check this out, it’s currently on pre-order for PC via Steam.
RETROID POCKET VERTICAL
Do you miss the Game Boy Color? Do you also wish it had a few more knobs and buttons? Well, it’s good that Go Retroid is working on a console that seems to fit that specific description. It’s almost like they were able to read your mind. Now the Retro Handheld Discord channel is always a buzz, and a certain user named Roland just dropped what looks to be some leaked images of the latest retro pocket, handheld, The Vertical. All things considered. Take this with a bit of hype and a huge grain of salt.
The Retro Pocket Vertical shares the same overall shape as a GBC, save for a few added features. Upfront, it’s nearly identical, with a start select buttons and DPad aligned similarly. The differences come in the form of additional action buttons, two conspicuous joysticks up front, and four triggers at the back to accommodate modern titles.
The design isn’t for everyone, but it’s an interesting concept, nonetheless. In addition to the modern GBC overhaul, we peeped a micro HDMI port one, an SD card slot, and two USB C. If this does turn out to be a legitimate go-retro console, then we’ll be seeing some interesting reviews on the horizon. Until then, keep those classic Game Boy colors handy.
Last but not least, for taking a trip into some vampire-slain territory. We’re getting a scorpion engine-powered Castlevania game for the Amiga, and it follows a younger Maria Renard who made her much Adultier appearance in Symphony of the Night.
The fan-made titled Maria Renard’s Revenge just dropped some sweet new gameplay recently, and it’s something worth getting hyped about, given how much of a classic Castlevania Symphony of the Night was.
The game is still in its early stages, so we’ve still yet to have a release date. We’re looking for charming graphics, a lovely soundtrack, smooth scrolling, multiple parallax layers, and different detailed areas that tug on our nostalgic heartstrings. The same way Simon, Trevor, and Ricktor did with a massive vampire-killing whip. The Beta is out now and runs on the Amiga 1200 with Fast Ram and the A500 Mini.
Check the video here:
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