Retro

Long-lost NES puzzle game Xcavator, initially developed in 1991 by Chris Oberth and never released, is being resurrected as a fully polished cartridge edition through a collaboration between iam8bit and the Video Game History Foundation. Priced at $100, the 2025 release includes an authentic NES cart and a detailed manual that chronicles the game’s troubled past, Oberth’s career, and the broader challenges of preserving 8-bit history, with profits supporting VGHF’s archival efforts.

Limited Run Games is reviving the 1987 NES cult classic Jaws with Jaws: Retro Edition for PS5 and Nintendo Switch, combining the original game, now enhanced with save-anywhere, rewind, and bonus features in addition to a newly expanded multi-chapter mode drawing from all four films. Offered in Standard and deluxe “Bigger Boat” physical editions, the release targets both retro enthusiasts and collectors ahead of the movie’s 50th anniversary in 2025.

The EX5 is a 5-inch gaming handheld quite clearly modelled after the PS Vita. Equipped with a reasonably powerful MediaTek processor, the GameMT EX5 will surpass many of its rivals visually thanks to its 1080p IPS display.

A leak has shared a first look at TrimUI's next handheld release. A return to vertical handhelds, the new TrimUI Brick is said to surpass the current model with at least two key upgrades.

PS5 gamers without streaming access have been unable to revisit any of their favorite PS3 games. RedoEngine’s PS3 emulator has succeeded where other alternatives have failed. While the 2013 platformer Cloudberry Kingdom is releasing on the PS Store, more demanding games are problematic.

New Blood Interactive has unveiled Dungeons of Dusk, a turn-based dungeon-crawling RPG spin-off of its acclaimed retro shooter Dusk, drawing heavily from cult mobile titles DOOM RPG and Wolfenstein RPG. Slated for 2026 with 30 campaign levels, full platform support, and a built-in level editor, the game canonically fills the gaps between Dusk’s episodes while trading twitch shooting for grid-based, bite-sized role-playing.

A decade-long experiment by retro tech YouTuber Tech Tangents reveals that “retrobrighting” yellowed consoles with hydrogen peroxide and UV light can actually accelerate plastic degradation, leaving treated systems more discolored than untouched ones. His findings challenge a popular restoration practice and are pushing collectors toward gentler, less chemically aggressive methods or acceptance of inevitable aging.

Higround has announced a new line of gaming hardware in collaboration with Sega. The retro-inspired mechanical keyboards come with classic Sonic themes.

The R36H Pro Max is a new retro gaming handheld equipped with a 768p IPS display and dual joysticks. Offered in multiple colours including a translucent variant, the R36H Pro Max also supports Wi-Fi connectivity for under $50.

Backward compatibility is a major advantage of owning Microsoft’s gaming systems. Unfortunately, the ROG Xbox Ally handhelds and other new Xbox consoles may struggle with Windows limitations. A respected leaker claims that Microsoft is exploring ways to ensure more Xbox 360 games are playable.

Anbernic has teased the gaming performance of its next retro gaming handheld release. A replacement for the RG406V, the RG477V combines a 120 Hz display with a powerful chipset to deliver 4x resolution scaling in PS2 games and 3x scaling in popular GameCube and Wii titles.

A long-rumored 1993 Famicom JRPG spin-off, Splatterworld: Rick to Kyofu no Daiou, has finally become fully playable after a prototype ROM surfaced and fan group Aeon Genesis released an English translation patch. The game’s unexpected resurrection sheds light on its bizarre mechanics, including the ability to summon infamous real-world dictators while offering retro enthusiasts a rare look at a once-lost chapter of the Splatterhouse franchise.

Lego has opened pre-orders for its wacky-looking Retro Gaming Console set. Featuring over 250 pieces, the new Creator can also be transformed into a mini arcade machine and an old school desktop PC, all for under $20.

My Arcade has officially launched two Pac-Man retro gaming devices to mark the game’s 45th anniversary. The Pocket Player Max and Mighty Player come with classic titles pre-installed.

Anbernic has now confirmed initial details about its next retro gaming release. A return to vertical handhelds, the Anbernic RG477V is the spiritual successor to last year's RG406V but is rumoured to have enough under the hood to handle even Nintendo Wii U games.

Sidephone’s new compact QWERTY keypad packs a 5×5 grid of predictive keys into the same footprint as its existing tiles, promising faster typing without bloating the phone. It slots into the modular bay, costs US$29, and is slated to ship in March 2026.

SEGA of America and My Arcade have officially released a new line of retro gaming devices featuring Sonic the Hedgehog. The collaboration is bringing classic gaming vibes to modern collectors.

Veteran voice actor Tim Kitzrow revealed he was paid just $800 for his work on NBA Jam, despite the 1993 arcade hit generating an estimated $1–2 billion in revenue, in a recent interview.

After weeks of teasers and speculation, Qwertykeys has officially opened pre-orders for the new QK65 Mk3 mechanical keyboard. The company has now revealed all specifications, pricing, and design details for its retro-inspired wireless model.

A new report suggests that Game Kiddy is on the verge of returning to the world of horizontal retro gaming handhelds. Allegedly building on the classic GKD 350H, the new handheld is rumoured to contain a 1440p display designed to emulate Game Boy games with up to 10x integer scaling, just like the upcoming Ayaneo Pocket Vert.

It seems that Anbernic is preparing to unleash a new vertical retro gaming handheld. A successor to the RG406V, the RG477V is said to build on the recent RG477M but with a plastic housing that should reduce its cost relative to the RG477M and its CNC shell.

The Anbernic RG DS is the latest attempt at recreating the Nintendo DS and its various offshoots. While early impressions are positive, YouTubers have voiced concerns with some aspects of the device before it starts shipping in time for the holiday season.

Despite setbacks, the dream of playing PS3 games on the PS5 without streaming is alive. The console’s unique architecture has excluded the titles from Sony’s PlayStation Plus Premium service. Implicit Conversions remains committed to developing a working PS3 emulator, but it could be years away.

The popular BrickBoy Kickstarter campaign has added a new Arcade Edition option for fans of classic arcade gaming. Repurposing the Lego Game Boy as an arcade cabinet, the BrickBoy Arcade Edition can be connected to a TV or used as a local multiplayer emulation device.

CheckMag The Neo Geo offered a home experience that most could only find at the local diner, eatery or arcade, and few could afford. Here are the best games for it you may have missed in every genre.

The Wand Co., in an official partnership with Bethesda, has unveiled a wearable 1:1 Pip-Boy 3000 replica that runs the full Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas interfaces. It is effectively a functioning prop that, the company says, left Bethesda "with their mouths open" when shown the prototype.

Former Rare developer Chris Sutherland told Retro Gamer that years of lunchtime four‑player GoldenEye 007 deathmatches directly shaped Banjo‑Tooie's design, inspiring the game's split‑character mechanic, first‑person sections, and shooting‑based multiplayer mini‑games as a deliberate evolution championed by director Gregg Mayles.

The classic Namco arcade racing game Ridge Racer has been unofficially ported to the Game Boy Advance. Despite the GBA's relatively weak hardware, the port is fairly faithful to the original, uses rudimentary 3D polygons, and plays at a locked 30 frames per second.

Early details about a new retro gaming handheld with a physical cartridge slot. Aimed at playing Game Boy Advance games, the GameMT E3 can also output to an external display unlike Nintendo's classic handheld.

Though it is not the first Warhammer game the developers have made, this latest title adds a ‘Vampire Survivors’ touch to the game and uses the same engine to boot.

Xbox’s Retro Classics has grown to 95 titles with the addition of seven 1990s Activision Blizzard games, including Blackthorne (Genesis and SNES ports), The Lost Vikings and The Lost Vikings 2 (SNES and PlayStation versions), RPM Racing and Rock n’ Roll Racing — now available to all Game Pass tiers, including Essential.

Limited Run Games, working with Headless Chicken Games, has announced Snow Bros. Classic Collection for Nintendo Switch, PS5, and PC: a compilation of the NES, Sega Genesis (Snow Bros.: Nick and Tom), and Game Boy ports that excludes the original arcade release and Snow Bros. 2, with pre-orders briefly selling out (before restocking) despite no official release date.

JoeScotto, a YouTuber and mechanical keyboard enthusiast known for some outlandish keyboard designs, has revived T9 typing with a fully 3D-printed, hand-wired mechanical keyboard. The tiny project has been published online for anyone to build the project for free, and it uses free, open-source firmware to achieve the T9 dialling features.

The TrimUI Smart Pro S is now official after a series of recent rumours regarding the handheld. While the new model closely resembles its predecessor, the Smart Pro S contain upgrades in several areas like a new chipset, an active cooling solution and a refined joystick experience.

TrimUI has updated its Brick gaming handheld again. Now available in two new finishes to rival the upcoming Ayaneo Pocket Vert, the TrimUI Brick 'Hammer' can be picked up for less than $100 with a CNC shell that can emulate up to PlayStation 1, Dreamcast and Nintendo 64 games.

Bitmap Bureau and Reef Entertainment have pushed their 16-bit retro platformer Terminator 2D: No Fate to December 12, 2025, marking the 3rd delay for the title, citing production hurdles related to tariff uncertainty for the physical edition, even as digital copies are also pushed back.

ZSKnight discussed ZSNES with Zophar of Zophar’s Domain, a popular site that hosts game emulators in a 90-minute session that covered multiple aspects of his emulation-related contributions.

UK MPs held a Westminster Hall debate on November 3 in response to an e-petition calling for publishers to be prohibited from permanently disabling games they have already sold, with members urging clearer ownership rights and mandatory disclosure for server-dependent "live service" titles.

NuPhy is planning to launch a new wireless gaming keyboard that combines wireless connectivity, a full metal body, and ultra-low latency Hall effect tech into an 80% form factor. The WH80 also features a couple of interesting retro-futures design touches that set it apart from the crowd of black and grey slabs out there.

APT is set to gain Rust code in 2026 as Debian modernises its package manager. The coding language's presence in open-source projects keep growing.

Digital Eclipse's Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection, released on Steam, Xbox Series S|X and Nintendo Switch for $50, has drawn mixed reviews, with only 45% of them being positive on Steam, after players reported high input lag, restrictive quick-play-only matchmaking, weak netcode, and audio and cutscene issues.

The Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection is causing feelings of frustration more than nostalgia. Input lag is one reason why players are requesting PlayStation Store refunds. The classic Mortal Kombat games suffer from high latency, audio snafus, and dysfunctional matchmaking.

MagicX has lifted the lid on another gaming handheld focused on emulating one or two specific systems. This time, the company has presented the Two DS 46 in two designs aimed at being powerful enough to emulate up to 90% of Nintendo 3DS games at a 2x resolution scale and higher.

The ultra-light Windows 7 build is an impressive technical feat, though it offers little in the way of practical functionality as it can not even run most applications on its own.

Danny Russell, the former Senior Global Community Manager for Sega of America and the architect of the Sega Forever initiative, confirmed on LinkedIn that he left Sega after 7 years. He was a key figure in Sega's launch of the 2017 program, which evolved from mobile re-releases into a full-blown preservation and archival effort for titles.

Global pricing and complete specifications have now emerged for the Anbernic RG DS. Disappointingly, it seems that Anbernic's next retro gaming handheld is less powerful and potentially even more expensive than it previously suggested.

TrimUI is finally set to replace the Smart Pro with a more powerful alternative. Dubbed the Smart Pro S, the gaming handheld is said to expand upon TrimUI's PlayStation Portable lookalike in various areas.

Peter Molyneux, the famed designer behind Black and White, Fable, and Dungeon Keeper, says his upcoming game, Masters of Albion, is his final redemption story.

MagicX has presented its first clamshell gaming handheld. Launching for less than $100, the MagicX One Flip 50 will compete with the existing Retroid Pocket Flip 2 but at a much lower price point.