News — #gaming news

To keep things consistent every week, we'll mix things up more often than usual. This means bringing you the latest retro gaming news from across the board and also giving you the 4-1-1 on some of the newest retro consoles. After all, these go hand in hand. More consoles, more action-packed games to play. No matter how strange these consoles may be. 2 new Amiga ports and an interesting console coming up. So if you’re curious, stick around!

DEATH RALLY

First up, we got a new Amiga port of a car crashing, high-octane classic, brought to us by BSzili. It's a brand new 1.0 version of Death Rally, a top-down racing game originally developed by the ever-popular Remedy Entertainment. While you'd assume it's a run-of-the-mill racing game with an edgy title, it's way more intense than you think.

Death Rally takes players to a world where you not only have to win the race, but you also have to annihilate your opponents. With both driving skills and the racetrack itself, you'll take down the competition one by one before facing the undefeated master, the adversary. It's not all about the race, as you'll find yourself making deals with the shadiest individuals to get the cash necessary to build the ultimate death rally machine.

It's all about playing the game and not just driving headfirst into your enemy. If you're interested, all you need is a working Amiga with the proper specs to give everyone at the death rally a run for their money. So happy trails, and don't get totalled.

DARK FORCES

BSzili strikes again with yet another awesome Amiga port. This time we go from death race to outer space in a galaxy far, far away. We are looking at an Amiga port of the Star Wars FPS game Dark Forces, a game developed and published by Lucas Arts, originally released in 1995 for MS DOS and Macintosh. So talk about a classic.

Regarding development, BSzili based this Native Port of Dark Forces on the Force Engine. And while there was already a 68K Mac version of Dark Forces, there wasn't much info to go around. For the Amiga port, Bszili had to strip away most of the forest engine's new features but didn't have much trouble later on. Just like before, this Amiga port is readily available on any working console. So if you want to be that stormtrooper that never misses, it is best to check out the Star Wars retro classic. 

TJD T101

Last but not least console time! Now we've had some nice retro console releases in the INAO and some modern releases in the ASUS ROG Ally. Well, it looks like a certain meteor won't be denied as they release their own quirky console. The TJD T101.

Given its rather strange shape, a lot of people on Discord thought it was a prank. Meteor Rich quickly debunked this by dropping their entire showcase. The very chunky TJDT 101 features a huge 10.1 inch, 1920 by 1200, full HD display with a 60-hertz refresh rate. So by today's standards, we're looking at an iPad with buttons. That's wild. 

Well, it does look kind of weird. We can't deny its specs on paper, its sports an AMD Phoenix Ryzen 7 7480U, which is pretty impressive for a handheld. Still, we need more info to drop before we consider it a worthy opponent to the consoles in the current market. But that design, though, really, that's wild.

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Another week, another set of badass retro games to satisfy your action-packed cravings. It’s like a routine we have here. Going hard or going home when it comes to anything that gets your blood pumping. Best believe no one’s going home just yet.

On today’s news desk, we’re showing the many versions of the Commodore some love, all in the form of epic fantasy, space-age technology, and something in between. Just because it’s old-school gaming doesn’t mean the concepts have to be. It’s all about striking that balance like we always do.

SPACE CAVERN BLASTER

First, we got a potential title for the Amiga 500, Atari SD, C64, Dos, and Sega Mega Drive. Yes, that’s a lot of consoles. Now the game in question is the latest tech demo of Space Cavern Blaster by Dotmos, and it’s pretty badass. The tech demo was an entry for Retro Platform Jam number six and has all the bells and whistles you can ask for in a gritty space-themed platformer.

While it’s still basically a tech demo, we’re looking at some promising mechanics and a nice Chiptune soundtrack to boot. There are plenty of colors to go around in spite of it taking place in space cavern, and that kind of contrast is always nice to see.

The plans for cross-platforming are still underway, and Dotmos is still working on a few bugs, like some music bugs. No sound effects on the C64 and other audio-related glitches one could come across. Still, it’s definitely an action platformer to look out for, especially if you’re into some sci-fi. But enjoy staying on earth like deep inside the Earth.

THE LAST DEFENDER

Now, a little something for the Commodore 64 that involves saving the world just the way you like it. LC Games is bringing out The Last Defender, a game where you not only need to blast away a hostile alien race with a laser rifle but you can also get blasted just as easily. As the player, you’re out to defend what remains of humanity while also keeping an eye on your energy supply. To stay alive, you’ll be avoiding everything from missiles and minds to shots from enemies looking to take you down. Not so easy to shoot everything when you’re the one getting targeted by, well, everything.

While there aren’t too many details about The Last Defender, we do get a bit of plot. Set in the distant year 2073, humanity’s last resistance is on the verge of collapse while in combat with a vastly superior alien force. You assume the rule of Earth’s last great hero tasked with destroying the invaders and saving the human race with a badass laser rifle.

SWORD AND SORCERER

Now let’s take a look at a brand new game for the Commodore Amiga. Think Legend of Zelda meets Dynasty Warriors, but it’s in the eighties. If this sounds like music to your ears, then maybe Sword and Sorcerer, a new Zelda-like by Pixelplop might just tickle your fancy. While it’s a Zelda like it has its own charm.

Instead of sprawling interconnected maps, we get a smaller action-packed stage where we swing our sword and blast a few dozen enemies with magic. Yes, I did say a few dozen because the game won’t wait for you to take a breather. The game is still in its early stages, so we’re bound to get new arenas where we can continue being badasses who like to bring the action.

So far, the number of enemies and verticality of the gameplay makes for an interesting time, no matter how chaotic it can get. We’ll be keeping our eyes on Sword and Sorcerer, so if you’re just as interested as we are, make sure to stay tuned.

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The holidays are just around the corner—and that begs the question: have you been naughty or nice? Either way, it’s only right to treat yourself, especially when there’s a whole lot of retro goodness going around.

That being said, we’re switching things up this week. We’re taking a break from games because we got a few gift-worthy gaming consoles that you might want to give away—or maybe keep for yourself.

Definitely for yourself. 

Anbernic RG35XX

The Anbernic RG35XX has been getting a bit of hype over the past few months and is looking to be one of the smaller, yet reliable handheld consoles released this year. Going up against the Miyoo Mini that came out in May, it’s quite the last-minute competitor.

The perfect portable companion for anyone who digs Game Boy and SNES emulation on the go.

It rocks a quad-core ARM Cortex-A9, a PowerVR SGX544MP GPU, 256MB of DDR3 RAM, a very nice 3.5-inch IPS display, and a 2100 mAh battery that gets up to 5 hours of playtime.

It runs exclusively on Linux, but we might be getting other options in the future. As for connectivity, it comes with a sweet HDMI output, so you can go big and just slap it onto your TV. A very nice way to spend the next few weeks of downtime. If you actually have any downtime.

As of now, the Anbernic RG35XX is priced at $55.99 USD, which isn’t bad. Definitely worth slapping onto your wishlist…after you see what else we have today.

GKD Plus Classic

GKD is a mainstay handheld brand to look out for in the console gaming sphere. Sure, they’re not as popular as their contemporaries, but that’s because they take time to produce neat-o stuff. Enter the GKD Plus Classic.

It’s a compelling flanker for any Game Boy-Esque console, and it’s slowly picking up steam on Kickstarter.

As for specs, it also sports a 3.5-inch IPS Display with tempered Glass, a 1.8 gigahertz RK3566 CPU, 1GB of RAM, and an excellent and big 3000MAH Battery. It will support WiFi and Bluetooth as all handhelds should, and connects via-USB C—as well, as all handhelds should.

This looks to be a more premium version of the GKD Mini launched way back last year, and they’ve since given it a bigger chassis. In terms of emulation, the 1GB of RAM makes sure everything runs smoothly. While it MIGHT struggle on more high-end PSP games, it’s adequate enough if you wish to delve into anything else that’s retro, like the Sega Dreamcast.

While it’s only $159 on Kickstarter, it might be shipping out at $279, which, let’s admit, is a pretty hefty price. But it’s still pretty early into the campaign, and a lot could change. For what it’s worth, this could make for a great “Merry Christmas IOU” gift.

Gundam Wing x Higround

We step away from consoles altogether, but not from retro itself. Last, but not least, we have a little something that could check all those old-school geeky boxes—gamers, hobbyists, and even anime enthusiasts.

Lifestyle and gaming accessory brand Higround (high ground) have a sweet collab with Bandai Namco America that’ll tug on those nostalgic heartstrings. Remember Gundam Wing? They got keyboards now. Not just caps, but the entire fricking board.

We’re getting nice 65% keebs decked out with iconic Gundam Wing artwork for both the Basecamp 65 lineup and the ever-popular Summit 65 flagship.

They come with premium dual-silicone dampening foam, a hot-swappable PCB, as well as pre-lubed linear TTC White Flame switches. A nice touch for retro gamers who also mind the aesthetics.

The Higround Gundam Wing collection is now available on their official website. They’re available for 60 USD. As for the Basecamp, it goes for 145 USD, with the Summit priced at 300 USD.

No better way to clickity-clack your way through the holiday.

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We've got another round of titles comin' at you and there's no better way for all the good boys and girls to celebrate the holidays than with some good retro gaming Just like the items under anyone's decked-out holiday decorations, it's all about variety. From beat-em-ups to straight-up old-school horror, we got you covered as always. Sit back, grab some hot cocoa, and boot up the trusty old console as we add a few more toys to that wishlist of yours.

Wrong Way Back by Locked Door Puzzle

Yes, we know it's already December, but horror and suspense are timeless-at least for some people. If that's the kind of vibe that tickles your fancy, then make sure to check out the latest Amiga CD32 release of Wrong Way Back by Locked Door Puzzle. A brand new game brings out the best "retro escape room" feels you can ask for. 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 

Nothing like spending the holidays with a bit of green-the badass kind. It's another beat 'em up update for none other than the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The absolute classic is coming to the Sega Master System as a port of the original arcade version of TMNT.

However, as of now it's still a work in progress, and whatever you see online will be part of the game's early version, it uses Devkit SMS, and a variety of other tools to guarantee that we can get that familiar, satisfying, and classic beat em' up experience that we all know and love. While we won't be screaming Turtle Power anytime this month, it's good enough of a present just to know that we have something to look forward to in 2023

Duck Hunt by Manha Manha

Last but not least, a classic that either brought you satisfaction or total frustration. So if you’ve been lucky enough to own a NES or Famicom and a light gun, Then we’re happy to report that Mahna Mahna just dropped the perfect nostalgia classic for you. The classic NES Game Duck Hunt is now on the Commodore 64. The game made its surprising return at the Transmission 64 third edition event this year, and everyone's been. Fast forward to today. You can now download it, enjoy it, and maybe even rage quickly when the dog laughs at you for missing some easy shots.

No light gun, no problem. This game version has both gun and mouse support, so you don't have to worry just in case you left that plastic firearm back in your childhood. So if you don't feel like you're spending your downtime just sitting around and maybe wanna practice those old-school shooting skills, then pick up duck hunt for the holidays.

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