Earthion is a new side-scrolling shmup for SEGA Mega Drive/Genesis and modern consoles, and might just be one of the best retro games of 2025. YKGGG! Side-scrolling shooters are enjoying a renaissance under the retro gaming revival, and rightly so. But one title, completely new and developed for SEGA 16-bitRead More →
Rendering Ranger R² is a side-scrolling run-and-gun with shoot-em-up levels from Turrican designer Manfred Trenz, released originally in 1995 on SNES. I first became aware of Manfred Trenz in 1990, when Zzap! magazine reviewed Turrican for the Commodore 64. The incredible feat of creating a game that looked like itRead More →
A couple of summers ago, I went on holiday with a Retroid Pocket 3+. While these handhelds are not as common as they were, you can still get one on eBay – but should you? Let’s cut through the noise: “Retro gaming hype” is a myth. Retro gaming has alwaysRead More →
It seems like nowadays, any game can get a remake. In the last few years, we’ve had bangers like Streets of Rage 4 and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. We’ve also had stinkers like Contra: Rogue Corps, proving that classic IPs don’t always guarantee a great game. One title I didn’tRead More →
Can you trust those emulator adverts on social media channels? Philip Bates bought the R36MAX to find out… Okay, I caved. The temptation of playing games from my childhood was too great. Like many, I saw those ads on Instagram promoting an emulator that boasted thousands of games, and thoseRead More →
The towny grandson of a farmer takes a look at Farming Simulator 16-bit Edition and wonders where the race mode is. My grandad fought in WW2. He was also a farmer. Few trades get into the blood. You never hear of anyone saying “my dad was a uPVC salesman, soRead More →
When you find a retro game store, you really have to check it out, so I popped into Sore Thumb Games in York… Last week I took the time to drive down to York, for only the second time since lockdown ended, to check out Sore Thumb Games. It’s aRead More →
iPhone and iPad owners can now play 24 classic games from Toaplan. But is the Amusement Arcade Toaplan collection worth the money? While it might be a name that passed by 8-bit home computer owners, Toaplan was instrumental in the development of a massive collection of arcade games in theRead More →
I take a look at the Super Pocket TAITO edition, one of the first mini portable retro handhelds from Blaze Entertainment’s Evercade spin-off line. Console retro gaming on the go has evolved. Are you an Evercade fan exploring the range of portable options, or maybe you’re new to retro gamingRead More →
