Retro News, Tips, Tricks & Ideas

We're long overdue for another Tomb Raider game. But if the rumour mill is to be believed, we'll finally get one soon. A recent update to the Tomb Raider website only ignited these hopes, and now a Call of Duty crossover event might have proven us all right - only if quite an unexpected way.

Over the past few years, Digital Eclipse has cemented its status as the leading developer and publisher of retro compilations.

The Analogue Pocket is a nifty little device that can play Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance cartridges without the use of emulation. And while some buyers are still waiting to receive their Pockets (Analogue says all orders will be shipped by the end of this week), the company today tipped a new, glow-in-the-dark variant.

Many attempts have been made to recapture the JRPG's glory days. In Tokyo RPG Factory, Square Enix founded a whole studio dedicated to the craft, and more recently Squeenix's "HD-2D" style has come to define both their own retro work and that of others. But it's arguably the RPGs from outside Japan that have been doing a better job of propping up the SNES nostalgia tent. Last year's Jack Move and Chained Echoes were both infinitely more refreshing to me than the slightly tired Bravely Default and Octopath Traveler sequels, for example, and now we have The Messenger studio's latest, Sea Of Stars, which is probably one of the few Japanese-inspired RPGs I've played in the last decade that's even come close to bottling the mighty Chrono Trigger and lived to tell the tale. If you're the sort to cry, 'They just don't make 'em like they used to anymore', well, you can dry your tears, because Sea Of Stars is the one that is.

The retro FPS genre has seen a resurgence as of late, and it’s been beyond glorious for anyone wanting to dabble in some good ol’ “boom shoot” action. With the likes of Dusk, Amid Evil, and Dread Templar (to name a few), gamers have been eating well for years now. Then Boltgun was announced, and the hairs on the back of our nerdy neck started to stand. 

Talk about a glow-up.

The Magic: The Gathering Secret Lair Fall Superdrop has just started, reprinting older cards with new designs for a limited time. The sale will continue for 35 days, with bundles ranging in price from $29.99 to $419.99. There's a whole lot of variety in what you can pick up too, with a bunch of uniquely themed redesigns.

By Andrew Webster, an entertainment editor covering streaming, virtual worlds, and every single Pokémon video game. Andrew joined The Verge in 2012, writing over 4,000 stories.

The iconic noughties first-person shooter Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion will roar to PS5 and PS4 later this year, on 14th November, as part of an ongoing preservation effort from retro remaster specialists Nightdive Studios. The game – which first launched on Nintendo 64 almost 23 years ago – will use the latest version of the developer’s proprietary KEX Engine, meaning it’ll run in 4K at up to 120 frames-per-second, with a “higher tier of visual fidelity across 3D models, textures, and graphical effects”.

As part of its big TennoCon 2023 fan convention news blowout, developer Digital Extremes has pulled back the veil on Warframe's next big expansion, Whisper in the Walls, as well as detailing the free-to-play sci-fi shooter's mid-term future as its celebrates the big one-oh — including perhaps its wildest expansion yet, in next year's Warframe: 1999.

The future that we’re set to experience in Bethesda’s Starfield won’t be all shiny and new, according to art director Istvan Pely. Despite being set more than 300 years from now, the RPG game‘s world feels distinctly retro, with Pely describing the people that populate Starfield‘s vast expanses as “messy.”

One trailer at this week's Future Games Show (embedded above, or on YouTube) was not like the others. Outside of some obvious throwbacks to classic game genres, particularly retro RPGs, Dome-King Cabbage bears little resemblance to the other games we've seen at Gamescom so far. It's described on its Steam page as «a visual novel set in the world of a monster-collecting RPG,» but that phrase does little to indicate the surreal mixed media variety show the trailer makes it out to be.

The future that we’re set to experience in Bethesda’s Starfield won’t be all shiny and new, according to art director Istvan Pely. Despite being set more than 300 years from now, the RPG game‘s world feels distinctly retro, with Pely describing the people that populate Starfield‘s vast expanses as “messy.”

Doom is iconic for thousands of reasons. Between the blood and metal level design, expansive, great-feeling arsenal, and always fun-to-kill demons, it’s clear why Doom 1993 remains the greatest and most influential of all classic FPS games. But one thing stands out above all – the speed. Other shooters might be quick, and demand a lot of motion, but rarely are they ‘Doom fast,’ able to find that immensely sweet spot between balletic motion and perpetual, bullet-churning offense. Enter Forgive Me Father 2, a new boomer shooter, built in Unreal Engine 5, that mixes the Lovecraftian world and special abilities of Dishonored with Doom’s pitch-perfect blend of dancing and destroying. Blood, Quake, Half-Life, and the other monoliths of the ‘90s are strong here, but there are also shades of Borderlands, BioShock, and XIII. This is, by any measure, an FPS for FPS fanatics.

Atari will be joining the ranks of Sony and Nintendo in the world of dedicated retro consoles.

Six years after it gave Turok 2 the remaster treatment and eight since it did the same to part one, retro specialist Nightdive Studios is back to finish what it started, and is concluding the trilogy with a Turok 3 remaster for PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch on 14th November.

Old-school gamers have a reason to be excited, as Atari unveils the upcoming Atari 2600+.

Retro remaster developer Nightdive Studios has announced that it will be releasing a remaster of Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion.

Atari is teaming up with Plaion on a new retro home console after finally taking a mulligan on its last one. The Atari 2600+ pays homage to the original Atari 2600, which delighted children of the disco era starting in 1977, although this remake is based on the four-switch model from 1980. It plays both Atari 2600 and 7800 games. However, most buyers will want to track down physical cartridges as the retro system, which requires them to play, is only bundled with a collection of 10 titles that lacks system standouts like Pac-Man, Frogger, Space Invaders and Pitfall!

Gaming history is something that is still being made, but the origins of the video game market can be traced back to certain people and companies. One of those companies was Atari. They were one of the originals when it came to making a video game system that you could plug in and play at home, which was quite an innovation at the time. While Atari would eventually die out of the hardware-making business, they’re still alive today. Just as important, they know that many people crave their original consoles, which is where the Atari 2600+ comes into play.

Before the 1983 video game crash and Nintendo’s subsequent takeover of the industry with the NES, the Atari 2600 reigned supreme. The popular console was pretty much the poster child for ‘late 70s/early ‘80s gaming, boasting a vast library of titles that have since inspired a multitude of games for decades to come. Over 30 years after the 2600 was discontinued, it’s making a contemporary comeback. 

Atari has partnered with Plaion to recreate its classic entry in the console landscape. The Atari 2600+ will play games from both the 2600 and 7800 consoles.

Atari and Plaion have announced the Atari 2600+, a new version of the original Atari 2600 / VCS hardware that plays original cartridges.

A PC demo has been released for Berserk Boy, an upcoming retro-inspired action platformer.

Here are the games leaving PlayStation Plus in September 2023. While August has been a fantastic month for subscribers – packed with loads of new games to try – next month will see a handful of titles quietly depart, including several Ubisoft favourites.

Sega has reportedly considered releasing a Dreamcast Mini version but decided against it due to concerns over quality and cost.

Due to release in just over a week on PS5, Blasphemous 2 appears to be a pretty straightforward sequel to the already fantastic Blasphemous — and we're perfectly okay with that. The 2D action adventure just got 16 minutes of raw gameplay footage (thanks IGN), and it looks damn good.

In case you weren't aware, the majority of retro games on PS Plus Premium are available for individual purchase. This means that, if you buy them, you won't need to remain a Premium member in order to play them. Playing them at no extra cost is great of course, but if you want the extra security, it's nice that most games offer the option to buy them. Unfortunately, there are a few outliers, but a bunch of them have recently made the switch, and can now be bought.

As revealed last week, PS Plus Extra and PS Plus Premium have both received another meaty update to their respective catalogues. With the exception of Sea of Stars, which releases into PS Plus Extra on the 29th August, the new lineup is available to download right now on PS5 and PS4.

PS Plus Premium’s growing selection of emulated classics looks set to expand yet again in the near-future, with the Taiwanese ratings board classifying two retro PSP titles for PS5 and PS4. Listings for both Tekken 6 and SoulCalibur: Broken Destiny appeared overnight, with the latter obviously being a handheld exclusive. The former also released on the PS3, but it’s almost certain we’ll be getting the surprisingly strong portable port in this particular instance.

Here are the games leaving PlayStation Plus in September 2023. While August has been a fantastic month for subscribers – packed with loads of new games to try – next month will see a handful of titles quietly depart, including several Ubisoft favourites.

For sports fans, one of the most important days of the year before the new season begins is when they find out their team schedule. It might sound like a basic thing, but it’s a big deal for sports fans. Your team’s schedule is the “preview” that can help you know just how well your squad will do and, potentially, what games you might want to shoot for ticket-wise. Due to the “ambiance” of the moment, many teams like to do some “fun things” to announce the schedule, and the Chicago Bulls are no different. They went really retro with their schedule announcement and have laid out a challenge that many teams will have to step up to.

As an appreciator of comically tinypieces of PC hardware, 8BitDo's new Micro Bluetooth Controller puts a smile on my face. The Micro is perfect for anyone who always needs to have a retro game controller at the ready—assuming they don't mind that it's clearly made for squirrels.

Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak has been revealed as the next free Epic Games Store title.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World always seemed destined for an animated series, rather than the live-action adaptation we got—don't get me wrong, I like Michael Cera's awkward mien as much as the next guy, but the comic's bombastic video-gamey style and expressive art always seemed like a natural fit for a cartoon. 

By Umar Shakir, a news writer fond of the electric vehicle lifestyle and things that plug in via USB-C. He spent over 15 years in IT support before joining The Verge.

By Sheena Vasaniand Brandon Widder

Another handheld console is gearing up to join the fold, and the Ayn Odin 2 will offer exceptional Android specs for less than the Steam Deck. Sure, the portable might not pack as much of a punch as handheld gaming PCs, but its chip of choice and Game Boy inspired aesthetics are definitely designed to lure into modern retro gamers. Plus, it'll probably have an easy time trumping similar devices like the Razer Edge and Logitech G Cloud. 

It's a good day for PlayStation fans, as a handful of delightful PS1 classics just landed on PS5 for standalone purchase.

The 90s American mystery drama series, Twin Peaks, is getting an all-new PS1-style video game thanks to a pair of fans, Jean Manzoni and Lucas Guibert (who together form Blue Rose Team).

Papers, Please was a singular experience when it released in 2013: A subdued narrative game in which you check the papers of immigrants to a fictional eastern bloc country and determine whether or not to let them in, leading to hard decisions and heart wrenching consequences. The influential game has sold over five million copies in the last 10 years, and in celebration of that anniversary, developer Lucas Pope has released some cool stuff for fans and made a contribution to those suffering in real life.

If it's quick you want then it's quick you'll get this weekend, as Flame Fatales — the summer all-women charity speedrunning event from the Games Done Quick team — returns for another seven days of impressively speedy gaming feats.

With QuakeCon 2023 now underway, id Software's much-rumoured Quake 2 remaster has finally been made official — and it's out now for Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, PC, and Game Pass.

Diane, it's 10:30am, August 10, and I've just made the most incredible discovery. You remember the Laura Palmer case, dramatized in the 1990 television series Twin Peaks? Fans of the program are creating - excuse me - a damn fine-looking PS1 demake.

If you’ve still got your original PS1 console stored away, chances are its accompanying gamepad has seen better days. I’ve had to restore old DualShock controllers for friends on more than one occasion, but if you’ve not got a weirdo like me who finds cleaning old pads relaxing nearby, it could stop you revisiting your classic PlayStation library, Thankfully, 8bitdo seems to understand this pain, as the controller maker just announced a Retro Receiver that’ll let you hook up modern controllers to the 30 year old system.

Final Fantasy 7 Ever Crisis is set to release on iOS and Android on 7th September.

Nintendo has dropped a pair of classic Pokémon spin-offs into the Nintendo Switch Online retro game libraries, with Pokémon Stadium 2 and Pokémon Trading Card Game now available to play.

8BitDo has announced that they’ve finally gotten around to creating a wireless Bluetooth receiver for PS1 and PS2. The timing couldn’t be better since I just bought a PSone the other week.

For several years, 8BitDo has offered a dongle that lets folks connect modern controllers to the NES Classic Edition, SNES Classic and Sega Genesis Mini. The latest version of the Retro Receiver brings support for the likes of the Switch Pro Controller, Xbox Elite Series 2 and the DualSense Edge to older hardware in the form of the PlayStation 1 and the PlayStation 2. The $25 dongle includes Windows 10 and 11 support as well.

Sony has announced the latest lineup of games coming to their PS Plus Extra and Premium tiers in August. This month, subscribers can jump into the Destiny 2: The Witch Queen Expansion, Yakuza spinoff Lost Judgment, new-release retro RPG Sea of Stars, and more. Meanwhile, Classic-tier subscribers get another dose of Ape Escape and MediEvil: Resurrection.

If you want to play a digital game of American Football, your choices in 2023 are generally between this year’s Madden and last year’s Madden. While EA’s top-tier franchise gets a lot right, it’s clear that there’s plenty of room for improvement, and indie developers have turned to the football greats of yesteryear for inspiration to help fill that nostalgic niche. Legend Bowl will look familiar to anyone that played 8-Bit Tecmo Bowl or early Madden games, bringing a lovingly pixelated version of America’s favourite sport back to our screens, but with a smorgasbord of modern features included.

Nintendo has dropped a pair of classic Pokémon spin-offs into the Nintendo Switch Online retro game libraries, with Pokémon Stadium 2 and Pokémon Trading Card Game now available to play.

NatsumeAtari and ININ have announced that the next retro revival from Tengo Project will be Shadow of the Ninja – Reborn. This is described as a “completely new production” but is based on the 1990 NES game, Shadow of the Ninja, also known as Blue Shadow in Europe and Yami no Shigotonin Kage in Japan. It’s set for release in Spring 2024.

Who doesn't love special edition gaming accessories featuring their favourite video game characters? It's a neat little tribute to your favourite video game characters, and also makes your accessories stand out from the standard colour options. With that in mind, Sega has partnered with video game accessories brand, PowerA, to launch a line of Sonic the Hedgehog branded gaming accessories.

Responsible for leaving a lasting impression on the gaming world, Tomb Raider is still going strong, even if it’s not as paradigm-shifting as it once was. That said, there’s still love for Lara Croft and her adventures, and one creator has been tweaking the original 1996 release.

Pokemon fans rejoice; two more classic Pokemon games are making their way out into the Nintendo Switch platform. If you enjoyed Pokemon over the years when it first gained its massive momentum, you’ve likely played these games. Announced today, both Pokemon Stadium 2 and Pokemon Trading Card Game are launching on the Nintendo Switch Online service. However, it’s still leaving some fans yearning for those original classic installments we enjoyed all those years ago.

I don’t know if there’s something in the water causing developers to dust off franchises that were around when I was still in diapers and start developing sequels, but if last year’s Return to Monkey Island is anything to go by, I’m thankful for whatever mysterious powers are at work. And just like Ron Gilbert’s return to the helm of his old brainchild, Paul Cuisset, creator of the original Flashback, has also come back to head up the upcoming sequel to a retro classic. From the hour-long section I was able to play, it’s shocking just how much Flashback 2 seems like it will stick to its roots. That comes with all the potential pros and cons you might imagine.

We're thrilled to announce the return of GamesBeat Summit Next, hosted in San Francisco this October, where we will explore the theme of «Playing the Edge.» Apply to speak  here  and learn more about sponsorship opportunities  here . 

Issue 249 of Retro Gamer looks at the creation of Sonic The Hedgehog 3 and its Lock-On cartridge sequel, Sonic & Knuckles. Sonic Team’s Takashi Iizuki recalls the creation of the classic game, why they didn’t use text to explain the game’s story and what it was like witnessing the Lock-On Technology at the time. It’s an essential read for any Sonic fan and we even look at the mythology around Michael Jackson’s music being in the game.

WrestleQuest has all the right tools to pique a pro-wrestling fan's interest, but it fails to deliver when it matters.

PlatinumGames co-founder, Bayonetta director and celebrated Twitter shoutyman Hideki Kamiya would like the "retro" game label to go out of fashion. His argument is that calling something "retro" is inherently condescending - each game has its own particular achievements and qualities that deserve to be understood in terms of more than just nostalgia cultivated by a novelty-driven industry. After all, Johnny 90s Developer didn't spend months knocking together a bespoke cover system or fancy artstyle so that you could badge it "quaint", "old school" and so on, 30 years later. Assuming you can still access the game at all.

Street Fighter 6 will be getting Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossover content this week.

We have an exciting new rumor about the long awaited Nintendo sequel, Metroid Prime 4.

Midnight Club, Rockstar's series of street racing games from the 2000s, is an unlikely candidate for a remaster. Look, if Red Dead Redemption isn't getting one, the odds are practically zero for Midnight Club.

I have to wonder if the fighting game boom of the ‘90s would have lasted longer if companies didn’t pump out sequels at such a dizzying pace. When you have Street Fighter Alpha 2 and X-Men vs. Street Fighter alongside Street Fighter III: New Generation and Street Fighter EX, what do you choose? These all came out in a roughly two-year span. The arcade mentality generally meant you dedicated yourself to a particular cabinet so you could dominate all competitors. A lot of people still weren’t willing to move away from Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo.

When the Nintendo Switch came out in 2017, many considered it the “swan song” of The Big N. If you will, this was to be their “Dreamcast moment,” where they would make one last console and then go off into the sunset and become a software company. But that didn’t happen, and it was pretty clear early on that they were going all in on this system to stay relevant. They had one of the best gaming years ever in 2017 with their lineup and promised more for the future, including Metroid Prime 4, which we’re still waiting for.

PlatinumGames vice president Hideki Kamiya has said he thinks Japan should be proud of the term ‘JRPG’, amid fresh claims it could be considered discriminatory to Japanese developers.

QuakeCon 2023 is all set to go and will be kicking off next week. In the meantime, you can pick up some modern and retro Bethesda and id Software games as an early celebration for the event through Quakecon 2023 sale discounts.

Toyota's next-gen Land Cruiser is a hybrid set to launch in spring 2024 with a much lower price.

What lies behind the Green Door? That’s what people are queueing up along Rainbow Drive to find out, and it’s up to you to decide who gets to see. OK, so Techno Banter isn’t really as mysterious as I’ve just made it sound. In fact, it’s much more grimy, casting you as a bouncer for an underground rave club in the heart of a dystopian city’s night life.

The Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters have gone down pretty well with fans, reigniting interest in the six classics that got the series going before Final Fantasy 7 changed everything. Now, it seems that Square Enix wanted to take things even further, getting its MMO players to try out the retro RPGs.

There's something really satisfying about a keyboard with retro inspiration, especially when it comes with heaps of modern features hidden under that off-white, 8-bit facade.

Retro fans are being treated to 8BitDo's first gaming keyboard today, and she's a beauty. Featuring those classic gray and red NES tones (a burgundy Famicom colorway is also available), hot-swappable switches, and wireless connectivity, this is a TKL keyboard for true Ninty fans but also those after a suite of controls at their fingertips. 

Purveyor of fine retro-pop interface devices, 8BitDo, has announced their latest creation, a retro-styled mechanical keyboard. It comes in two flavors, NES or Famicom.

It can be difficult to differentiate oneself in the crowded mechanical keyboard market. The variety of providers and customization options means there’s something for everybody. But retro gaming controller outfit 8BitDo has created something original, and highly alluring to nostalgia fiends like yours truly.

Warhammer 40k: Boltgun is one of the long-standing series’ most unique games, bringing with it an old-school charm reminiscent of the 90s. While it’s still an FPS game at its core, Boltgun stands out with its vibrant pixel art and frenetic gameplay. If you haven’t yet experienced Warhammer 40k: Boltgun since it was only released a couple of months ago, then this could be your chance to traverse its chaotic world as the game is currently marked down by 20% on Steam during a limited-time sale.