New IREM collections announced, five volumes due

Tozai Games and ININ Games have partnered to release a new line of IREM retro collections for PS4/PS5, Xbox One, and Switch. Five volumes are due in total, and many games never seen before in the West are promised. The first of these (IREM Collection VOL.1) is due out “soon” and will feature shooters Image …

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Zool Redimensioned comes to PS4 in May

After a positive reception on Steam, retro revival Zool Redimensioned is spreading its wings (some ants fly, right?) and heading to PS4 on May 16th. The original PC remaster from 2021 was created by Sumo Digital Academy apprentices as a pet project (people keep ants as pets, right?) This PS4 version will feature all-new local …

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Cannon Dancer – Osman review

Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be. No, really, it isn’t. This latest release from ININ Games is a little-known 2D arcade game from 1996; one that few will have heard of and even fewer will have played, never gaining a home conversion. By 1996 the Mega Drive and SNES were showing their age, while …

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The evolution of Nintendo’s Game & Watch series

After observing a Japanese salaryman playing with a calculator while travelling, Nintendo’s R&D director Gunpei Yokoi was left feeling inspired. An idea for a handheld toy sprung to mind, not for children but rather for adults to play discreetly in the palm of their hand to pass time. Nintendo’s president Hiroshi Yamauchi realised the potential …

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Pioneering PC-CD ROM adventure The 7th Guest is heading to Switch

When CD-ROM technology launched in the early ‘90s, it was up to developers and publishers to showcase what the new medium could bring to the world of gaming. SEGA stumbled slightly with the Mega CD, releasing little more than FMV titles and enhanced Mega Drive games. Over on PC, meanwhile, major milestones were being hit …

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Kvark is a retro-inspired FPS powered by Unreal Engine 5

If Kvark isn’t the first retro-inspired shooter powered by Unreal Engine 5, then it’s certainly one of the first. It pays homage to DOOM, Quake, Duke Nukem, and Wolfenstein 3D, and is clearly born out of a passion for those classics. Set in an alt ‘80s Czech Republic, the story involves a nuclear energy corporation …

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The Toxic Crusaders are making a scrolling beat’em up comeback

Ahead of PAX East, publisher and developer Retroware – best known for their Angry Video Game Nerd tie-ins – has revealed a scrolling brawler based on Toxic Crusaders, the ‘90s environmental-themed cartoon series; itself an offshoot of the cult 1984 movie The Toxic Avenger. Some obvious similarities can be made with the excellent TMNT: Shredder’s …

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Terminal Velocity: Boosted Edition lands on PC and Switch

360-degree sci-fi shooter Terminal Velocity is back in a new Boosted Edition for PC and Switch, with PS4 and Xbox One versions to follow. This low inertia flight sim was originally developed by BloodRayne creators Terminal Reality and published by 3D Realms in 1995. It falls under the Ziggurat Interactive umbrella nowadays. Taking place across over …

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The first Evercade Amiga cart is Team17 dedicated

Blaze’s first Amiga Evercade cartridge will be a ten-game Team17 collection. This also marks the first time a handheld format has received legal Amiga emulation. The full games list reads as: The absence of a Worms game is a pity but understandable – a dedicated Worms collection was released for the Evercade a few years …

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Konami Krazy Racers was king of the GBA kart racers

The recent arrival of GBA games on Nintendo Switch Online was a cause for celebration. The first wave includes some of the handheld’s finest, and Nintendo has already confirmed that Golden Sun, Fire Emblem, F-Zero, and more are coming. But there was one title within the launch line-up met with disdain – Mario Kart: Super …

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Dreamcast hidden-gem Cosmic Smash gains a PSVR2 follow-up

If you stuck with the SEGA Dreamcast until its twilight years, you may recall Cosmic Smash – the 2001 Naomi-powered arcade game that saw a DC release in Japan. It wasn’t exactly one of SEGA’s biggest hits, which may be why we’ve had to wait over twenty years for a follow-up. It certainly has its …

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BATSUGUN Saturn Tribute Boosted due out in May

City Connection will be giving us a boost in May, with BATSUGUN Saturn Tribute Boosted due on all formats at the end of the month. May 25th, to be exact. This is the latest of the developer’s SEGA Saturn ports, following on from Elevator Action Returns, Puzzle Bobble, and Cleopatra Fortune. Toaplan’s vertical scrolling shooter hit …

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THEC64 Collection 2 and Toaplan Arcade 2 revealed for Evercade

Blaze’s 2023 Evercade roadmap is starting to take shape, with confirmation of two new cartridges. THEC64 Collection 2 and Toaplan Arcade 2 are both set to launch on April 28th, with pre-orders going live on February 17th. They’ll set you back £17.99 each, and will work on any Evercade. You may have to update the …

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