Gaming News — new retro pc games

We're back for some Weekly Gaming News! 

It's about time we wrapped up the month and a lot has happened, and we mean a lot. While the Retroverse still manages to churn out some interesting news stories from the past, it somehow managed to catch up with 2022. What do we mean by this? Well, stick around, and I'll tell you. Let's go! 

Legend of Mana: Tear Drop Crystal

First, we're taking a look at Square Enix and their epic collab with Warner Brothers Japan. This time it’s for a nostalgia trip for the ages, the release of Legend of Mana: Teardrop Crystal. A new anime based on the popular Legend of Mana action-RPG video game. Now, that definitely brings back memories. The show is slated to drop this 2022, and as part of the announcement, Square Enix and Warner Brothers dropped the key visual for the show, plus a teaser trailer. Everything looks updated, but you can't deny that old-school 90s-feel it brings. This special anime project is part of the Mana/Seiken Densetsu 30th Anniversary Celebrations. It features a young boy named Shiloh who hears a mysterious voice in his dreams that sets him out on an epic adventure.

Dandy and Randy DX

Now, for some adulting! Yes, you heard me! Brazilian indie developers Asteristic Game Studio have created an action-adventure puzzle game that's cute, fun, and somehow very realistic. Okay, it's pretty terrifying. Dandy and Randy DX is a game based on the very adult concept of bankruptcy. Now, tell me that isn't the least bit scary. Dandy, a pink duck, and his partner Randy a blue-plane-flying rabbit are a couple of go-getting archaeologists who owe a heck of a lot of money to a big bank. What follows is a single-player or co-op adventure where you solve puzzles and explore underground caverns to find valuable treasures that go straight to the Tax Man.  It ain't much, but it's honest work. 

The game features an array of equipment and items that help you on your journey. Think Legend of Zelda and Stardew Valley, but you could end up in jail if you don't farm hard enough. I think that's a pretty good way to motivate. Despite the premise, it's a gorgeous pixel art game packed with a banging chiptune soundtrack that'll bring back memories from summer days, and it gives us a dose of reality at the same time. Dandy and Randy DX is currently available on PS4, PS5, Microsoft Xbox One and Xbox Series XS Steam PC, and Nintendo Switch. So, if you're looking to go on a grand adventure that involves action, excitement, and adulting, then this game might be worth checking out. Just make sure to check your credit score.

Elden Ring Unofficial Demake

Now, on to something a bit more recent. So, we all know that Elden Ring has been around for a while now and that being the case, it's also brought along its fair share of mods from the community. Some of which are, well, let's just call them strange, for lack of a better term. However, you can't deny how wild and creative the community is when it comes to their imagination. Think of a mod; they got it. 

But what about hardware? Well, apparently, they got that covered too. Enter Twitch streamer shintendoTV, a game streamer who also happens to specialize in a bit of retro game development. If you're not a fan of Elden Ring's AAA graphics and beautiful sprawling landscapes, you're in luck because, thanks to good old Shin, we might have an actual working Game Boy remake on our hands. Or, as he likes to call it, a demake. Man, Game Boy studio is awesome. He's since streamed a series of videos showing us the project's scope, and it's looking pretty good. A lot of the actual game details are baked right into the Game Boy remake, down to the “You Died” screen. So far, it's the cutest “Game Over” ever! ShintendoTV looks to get things wrapped up by the end of May and plans to make the actual game available for download both for emulators and actual Game Boy hardware. You can check out his Twitch channel for any updates. So next time you see a few people ranting about how Elden Ring doesn't meet their expectations, remember that they'll have a Game Boy version to check out pretty soon. And maybe that's what they wanted all along. Maybe. 

This is more of a stream of consciousness that came from a team meeting, but something worthy of sharing.

Many titles have featured the classic "ping-pong" gameplay since, well, Pong itself. A constant back and forth motions, hurling the pixilated point from one side of the screen to the next is as addicting as it is casual. But there are tons of other elements in these style of games that leave many with their mark on the video game community. From the 80s classic NES Tennis title to the arcade volley release - Wind Jammers, games today still bring back that old approach to providing excellent competition with pick-up and play game style.

Hurling flying discs at competitors, fighting for the accomplishment of overall victory found its way onto consoles relatively early in the gaming market. The easy-to-learn approach of gliding across the screen, playing goalie, and sinking that match-winning shot became an addiction created from smooth gameplay mechanics, most notably found in the Neo-Geo title, Windjammers.

• Easy shifting from one side of the goal to the next.
• A clear view of the entire goal, both on your end and the competitors.
• A large enough arena to give the player time to react.
• A small enough arena to still provide a vibrant and turbulent competition.
• An easy learning curve to keep players hooked and coming back for more.

Other titles have tried to mimic this casual competitive mechanic -i.e... Gyrodisc: Super League, Power Disc Slam, and Disc Jam - but few have touched with the retro style of their predecessor. The touchy controls that seamlessly glide your challenger, stretching from one side of your goal to the next to provide a tenacious and precise structure only found in the simple arcade sporting titles of yesteryear. The 2D arena gives fewer worries for the player, leaving them to focus entirely on the core of the gameplay itself.

Strong features that occur in popular arcade-style sports games are the game-changing powerups. These little gems harness powerful, tricky, and many times absurd enhancements to the sport at hand. Real-life re-imagined sports with an added dabble of arcade fury gives the player a true sense of a fantasy environment. 3 on 3 NHL Arcade, Mutant League Football, and Mario Power Tennis are a few prime examples of over-the-top arcade mayhem. Using various items to powerup your player, increase your defense, or perhaps just make your offense that much easier is a light example of how unique powerups can change the pace of the game.

• Add occasional powerups and upgrades at crucial points in the match.
• Randomly generated enhancements to keep diversity and challenge to a maximum.
• Giving the ability to freeze shots
• Increase the speed of the ball or player
• Slow downtime, the ball or the other characters for a true shift of challenge
• Hazardous powerups to make things difficult during the heat of competition
• Leave a true arcade feel to the overall play of the game with outlandish opportunities and crafty abilities

The arcade features give players a new way to end the match victorious. Tons of different "Power Shots" is included in the Gamecube classic - Mario Power Tennis - are capable of throwing the game in any given direction. Mutant League Football provided game-changers with every hike of the post-apocalyptic football. Musically inducing shots, freezing enemies with fear (or ice), crumbling opponents with strengthened hits, or even turning yourself (or the ball) invisible to help give you a greater advantage - all huge in helping to bring the entire genre to life.

The art portrayed in the hottest arcade sports titles help give the title a sense of individuality. Quirky Mario characters shucking a soccer ball back and forth, undead monsters playing "professional" backyard style football or eccentric athletes with looks so over-the-top it hurts, provide a perfect mold of the developers own vision on the fantasy athletic world.

• Leave a memorable theme in the game's creative direction.
• Different characters each with their unique style and/or gameplay.
• Various arenas and levels with distinct assets setting them apart from others.
• The more abstract and illogical the characters, the better.

The world of Log Jammers combines these creative and compelling features found in the diverse world of arcade sports. The carefully crafted casual gameplay of the shooter/goalie position is a world away from most titles in this modern era but still manages to sit next to the most prominent competitive titles that release today. It's own roster of original characters, from Otter refs and different themed arenas to the colorful cast of athletic competitors.

The vibrant world of arcade sports is still very much alive and ever-so refreshing today. The classic features of fantasy characters, match-turning enhancements, powerful upgrades, and, of course, the addictive and simple playstyle of lobbing, chucking and heaving sports balls, discs of winds or axes remains a culture of spontaneous competition. Whether solo, two-player, or running an in-house tournament, otherwise simple features in arcade sports are sure to keep the competition growing.