Gaming News — Atari

New year, new games and consoles. 2024 hasn't been the fastest of years to jumpstart, and it really feels like we're stuck in January for a while. And we were. All things considered, we're always quick to find some sweet recommendations when it comes to new releases, both in retro titles and gaming gear.

If you're searching for something shiny and new but vintage at the same time, you've come to the right place. We're starting the year right by delivering some much-needed action, just like we always do. 

Let's go! 

MIRACLE BOY IN DRAGON LAND

This year, Atari 520ST users can celebrate as you all will be getting an official sequel to an absolute classic. It's a work in progress, but hey, we all gotta start somewhere. When it comes to classic retro titles, we remember the arcade-like experience we got from Wonder Boy on the Amiga or even newer games like Monster Boy and The Cursed Kingdom.

Since good old Wonder Boy's been around for a while, we're getting something new from Samuel Blanchard, who just released a first public demo for the unofficial sequel, Miracle Boy in Dragon Land. And yes, it's coming out on the Atari 520ST. So far, the demo covers the first level, but we can get a clear idea of how it's gonna pan out.

Miracle Boy in Dragon Land is, in essence, a Japanese-style RPG made with a 68,000 assembler. Thankfully, if you have an Atari ST emulator like Steam, SSE, Hatari, or Saint, you're good to go. It's also worth noting that it'll be compatible with all Atari ST consoles, with at least 1 MB of memory. So, if you wish to recreate those Wonder Boy memories, we'll keep you posted on this game's development. 

CYBORG WARRIORS

Moving on to the Atari XL/XE because we're taking things to space. Vega, Kaz and Miker have just dropped their newest polished version of a 90s game called Cyborg Warriors, a cool extraterrestrial side-scrolling shooter originally released in 1991 by Superior Software for the BBC Micro. While simple in mechanics, you can't deny the old-school action that this title brings to the modern gaming space, which happens in space.

Cyborg Warrior sees players shooting and flying to the right, dodging or shooting just about everything. Gameplay takes place on strange planets featuring a variety of alien lifeforms, both big and small. Of course, you'll be thoroughly equipped with several weapons that you and a fellow player can choose from. Two-player action in space? Sounds like a party. Especially on an Atari. So, if space shooting is more your speed, cyber wars just might be up your alley.  

ANBERNIC RG556

Now, when it comes to news about the newest and potentially best retro gaming consoles, we can never dismiss rumors. After all, we want to get all the info we can to fuel the hype in our old-school hearts.

So, since Anbernic's latest creation is making rounds on the internet, it's about time we chimed in. Anbernic's upcoming ergonomic RG556 console has yet to hit your local markets, but a few photos have been circulating online, and we gotta say, we're just a bit excited about it. With what looks to be one of their most comfortable and powerful handhelds, the retro console competition of 2024 has officially begun.

So far, we see a 5.5-inch screen, which is rumored to be an OLED panel, a Unisoc T820 chipset running on Android, some full-size triggers, and comfy ergonomic grips. Pretty sweet, to be honest. Given its new chipset, we can expect a power boost that can run more modern retro titles from the likes of the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo's GameCube and Wii.

Yes, they're actually considered retro at this point. As for the usual fan-favorite titles from the 90s and earlier, you shouldn't expect any problems. Still, it's best to take this early news with a grain of salt. A lot could happen in the following months. As for its potential release, it's anyone's guess. Mid-2024 or Q4 would be our best bet. So don't expect this comfy console to come out any time soon. But still, it's best to keep the Anbernic hype going.

As the month of September comes rolling in, so does a slew of retro gaming news and updates for everyone to enjoy. Now, towards the end of Q3 of 2023, the number of retro titles and retro-ready consoles keeps getting higher, and we know you're all excited for what we're bringing. From old-school story-driven games to action-packed shoot 'em ups, to super-powered pocket PCs, best believe we got a scoop this week, so sit tight and enjoy the ride. Let's go!

CHALUUL’S CURSE

To all the Commodore 64 havers who want a great retro PC game from the 90s, you're in luck. This week, BrocantyGames PC remake of Chaluul's Curse is available to download and play on the C64 thanks to Sönke Wolfgramm. While this may not be the most action-packed game you'll come across, the text-driven story mechanics will hook you right in.

You follow the exploits of Howard Carter, an archaeologist and Hobby Detective, who finds himself tasked by an old friend to uncover the secret of an ancient sword of the Knights Templar. What's so special about it? It comes packed with a good old ancient fatal curse, just like any old relic. Chaluul's Curse was written in Adventure Game Studio as freeware for Windows, Linux, and Mac back in 1995. The game itself featured several puzzles, which have since been remade to be more logical and more challenging to solve.

Newer versions, like this one, include extra responses and dialogue to player actions, different mouse controls, and new music and sound design for newcomers to enjoy. It's something to pick up in 2023 if mysteries, storytelling, and decision-making are a big part in your gaming experience. So, if taking on archaeological mysteries and ancient curses is up your alley, then maybe Chaluul's Curse will be worth your time.

COMMANDO

Now, for a little something that retro action gamers and Atari XL owners can get hyped for. We got news that Shanti77 just announced that the previous Commodore 64 conversion of Commando had received a small fix update for the Atari XL. While this has nothing to do with the old-school Arnold Schwarzenegger movie, you do kind of feel the same way John Matrix does in the movie.

Commando is a one-man army shoot 'em up where your mission is to kill anything that moves to progress through the game. Sounds easy enough, right? You might think otherwise, as the baddies keep coming, and the difficulty gets cranked up to the maximum. This port has a few differences compared to the arcade conversion from a while back, but this time, you're guaranteed extra sprites, some very smooth scrolling, and brand-new level changes, which is great!

The music and sound design still need a bit of work, but Shanti77 is on the job to ensure that this commando will be worth playing if you have an Atari XL/XE with VBXE. 

AYANEO

Console time. We've covered our fair share of handhelds, but we're kicking things up with something that packs more power. Our good friends over at Ayaneo just unveiled the first few clear and confirmed images of one highly anticipated handheld device. We're talking about the Ayaneo Flip. Just a few months after announcing the Ayaneo Kun, revealing the new Ayaneo Pocket S, and an upgrade for the Ayaneo Pocket Air, we're getting yet another banger from the popular brand. And from the look of things, we're in for quite the surprise. 

So far, we only have a sneak peek of the aesthetics and no specs just yet. It's also worth noting that this could be a Windows-powered device, given its design. So, the chipset packing is still up in the air. Ryzen 7 processor? Maybe. Hopefully, the flip features two joysticks, a compact keyboard, a D-pad, ABXY buttons and what looks like a massive OLED screen.

Given Ayaneo's track record of premium gadgets, we can only expect top-shelf quality. While having a long list of announcements over the year is nice, we feel the INEO flip won't be coming out anytime soon. The best bet would be early to mid-2024. Still knowing it's in the pipeline gives all of us something to be excited about. We personally can't wait. 

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We're now starting a new month, and while we did slow things down a bit in the past few weeks, we need to kick things up a notch to make up for last time. We never forgot about the fast-paced nature of retro gaming friends, so don't worry. 

From Atari to MS-DOS to Commodore 64, we're going coast to coast with three different titles that'll pique a variety of interests. It's always great to have options when choosing a game to keep you company over a busy week. It's time to make a choice, so watch on to see what you're working with.

TRAX

The year was 1993, and the Bitmap Brothers dropped one of the hottest games of that year. The original Chaos Engine initially made for the Amiga. It pits one or two players against horrible demonic entities in an intense top-down shooter. Fast forward to 2023. We have a very sweet love letter from Shanti77, to the OG Chaos Engine called Trax.

This time around, It'll come out on the Atari XL/XE. It's still too early to say if it'll be turned into a full game, but we're getting some development notes from the developer. So far, Trax features a variety of enemies, items to pick up, keys to collect, sound effects, three new levels, improved AI and some graphical improvements. So far so good. It looks like Atari XL and XE owners have a great game to look forward to. 

GOLD MINE RUN

It's quite a special occasion as we don't get that many MS-DOS releases, especially on GOG. This retro title comes from Juan J. Martinez, an absolute Chad who's released other great games like Hyperdrive for the CPC and Night Knight for the MSX.

This time we're getting a sweet MS-DOS game called Gold Mine Run, a high-quality platformer inspired by the classics, but with a twist. You have to collect all the gold throughout each of the 30 stages to progress. Now that's intense. So far, we know that Gold Mine Run is a single-screen arcade platformer that totally channels that old-school nostalgic vibe of eighties arcade classics.

The game's design was strongly influenced by Night Knight for the MSX, and Juan J. Martinez made sure of that. As for the requirements, of course, you’ll need MS-DOS to run it, plus a 386 DX at 33 megahertz, VJ Graphics, a sound blaster, and at least 4 megabytes of RAM. So to anyone on GOG who runs with the MS-DOS crowd, it's high time you checked out or took part in the Gold Mine Run.

BILL & TED'S EXCELLENT GAME BOY ADVENTURE

Last but not least, we get a very hip and cool blast from the past on the Commodore 64. If you're a fan of the nineties and, at the very least, own an old school Game Boy, then you'll be psyched to know that this latest release by Roman Werner is a wonderful Port of Bill and Ted's excellent Game Boy adventure for the C64. 

This title will definitely rekindle some of those very late eighties and early nineties memories because Keanu Reeves, even if it's just tiny pixels of him. Yes, LJN and Beam Software's legendary game has finally made its way to the Commodore 64 more than 30 years later.

Currently available on itch.io., this is a very accurate conversion of the legendary Bill and Ted Game Boy game for modern C64 sensibilities. It's remained from scratch, optimized for the C64 and features SID Music by Nordischsound. Did we mention that Pixel Keanu Reeves is in it? Yes, of course. What's more is, it's absolutely free on itch.io. So, if you wanna relive the glory days of the early nineties, best to download Bill and Ted's excellent Game Boy Adventure for the C64. 

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Another week, another trifecta of Action Pack games. Yes, we've had a bit of variety for the month of April. So to cap things off, we're featuring a more intense selection of titles for any retro gamer who prefers something a bit more high-octane. We got what you want, from old-school martial arts to modern spycraft, a futuristic cybernetics shooting! Let’s go!

INTERNATIONAL KARATE RCX/RC 2023 by Homesoft

We got a special treat for anyone who uses their bare hands to bring the action. And this time, we're looking at an Atari XL karate remake called International Karate RCX/RC 2023. A mouthful of a title by Homesoft and a game where you duke it out against the computer or another player in badass karate tournaments.

There isn't much info on this upcoming remake, but we can expect a few changes to streamline this old-school game for more modern sensibilities. If you're unfamiliar. International karate was developed and published by System 3 for the ZX Spectrum in 1985. And then poured into various consoles over the following years.

In the US, it was published by EPYX in 1986 as World Karate Championship, gained a following, and became a crucial part of fighting history. It was also the first European game to become a major hit in the US, selling 1.5 million copies. Given its popularity and legacy, you can say we're all hyped to see where this story goes.

SLY SPY by Ocean 

Now we're hopping over to the Amstrad CPC and catching wind of a new release. After quite a bit of time, It looks like we're getting an enhanced version of Ocean's Classic Game, Sly Spy, also known as Secret Agent. This remaster has a few improvements in the works, including brand-new in-game music, which is great.

The old-school Sly Spy was a fun and challenging game for its time, bringing players across different stages and switching things up every time. From dodging enemy gunfire in the sky to battling baddies in ancient ruins, there's quite a bit of action in spite of the game's title. It's safe to say we're pretty stoked about any development that'll come our way, so stay tuned.

CYBERPUNKS 2 by Mutation Software

We've had our fair share of Amiga releases, and Mutation Software has been on a roll for the past few years, especially for the Amiga CD 32. We're discussing remasters of classics like Doodlebug, Tommy Gunn, Castle Kingdom, and Cyberpunks. Now speaking of the latter, Mutation Software announced an official release date for a cyberpunk sequel set to drop on May 5th, 2023. Yes, boys and girls, we're getting Cyberpunks 2. 

If it's your first time hearing about this classic, Cyberpunks is a top-down isometric shooter game for the Amiga created by mutation software and published by Core Design way back in 1993. 30 years ago. However, this new game release is not only a direct sequel to Cyberpunks but also brings some cool new features.

Get ready for some two-player fun, three playable characters, and a variety of playable levels with high-quality detail and kick-ass gameplay. You'll be battling deadly enemies and big bosses across some atmospheric retro maps, all to a kick-ass soundtrack. Honestly, we wouldn't have it any other way. Cyberpunk 2 will get a big box edition and a digital download. So if this is right up your neon vaporwave alley, it's best to check it out once it launches in May.

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