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Thu Jan 09 2025
A few hours after unveiling their partnership with SEGA, My Arcade has announced a new range and a collaboration with Bandai Namco and Capcom.
This range, called Gamestation Retro, includes three distinct game stations:
A portable console with an 8-inch screen in 4:3 format, respecting the original resolution of the games on offer.
💵 Advertised price: $199
A home console dedicated to retrogaming.
💵 Advertised price: $149
A miniaturised wooden arcade cabinet, slightly larger than the other My Arcade cabinets.
💵 Advertised price: $299.99
My Arcade is promising around a hundred games across these three devices, without specifying whether some will be exclusive to one platform or available on all.
Warning**: these devices are not compatible with Recalbox.
My Arcade is offering two accessories with this new range:
The entire Gamestation Retro range is expected to be available in third quarter 2025.
Photos: My Arcade / Bandai Namco / Capcom
Tue Jan 07 2025
The CES show in Las Vegas, which opened on 7 January, is a chance to plunge into the future with a host of innovations designed to transform the homes of tomorrow. But it's also an opportunity to take a look in the rear-view mirror, with a few objects riding the wave of retrogaming. Among them, My Arcade, in partnership with SEGA, has unveiled four mini kiosks paying tribute to iconic titles.
My Arcade, a company known for its mini kiosks (really mini), is collaborating with SEGA (though more of a fan of mini consoles) to produce six models celebrating cult games. Four of them were unveiled at CES 2025: two featuring Sonic, one dedicated to Golden Axe, and another to Shinobi.
The Sonic kiosks are distinguished by their design: the first is a traditional kiosk with a joystick and three buttons, while the second is a simpler kiosk with a joystick and a single button for jumping. As for the Golden Axe and Shinobi terminals, each has a joystick and three buttons, arranged differently depending on the title.
Each terminal should include ROMs for the games it represents. However, it is not yet known whether these will be arcade or console versions. Likewise, no information has been released on the possible presence of other playable games. As such, we would point out that Recalbox is not compatible with these systems and if you wish to play these games, you will have to turn to the platforms we support.
Those familiar with the My Arcade brand will know what to expect. While these mini kiosks have an attractive retro look, they are still very small and fragile, offering limited comfort for prolonged gaming sessions.
The last two terminals, already announced but not yet presented, will pay tribute to Streets of Rage and Out Run. The teasing surrounding the Out Run edition is particularly exciting, and we'll leave you to discover the photo that has been unveiled for it.
Photos: My Arcade / SEGA
Tue Jan 07 2025
An amateur LEGO designer has just passed the 10,000-vote mark on the LEGO Ideas website, a decisive step that will allow his project to be studied by LEGO teams with a view to possible commercialisation.
And if this project is of interest to us retrogaming enthusiasts, it's because it's an almost 1:1 scale reproduction of the legendary PlayStation 2.
RippleDrive, the Finnish company behind this creation, didn't just reproduce the console's exterior. They have taken their attention to detail to an impressive level, transforming a simple LEGO construction into a veritable object of admiration. The DualShock 2 is accurately reproduced, as are the memory cards. The disc drive is functional and removable, with a movable lens. The inside of the console reveals the electronic circuits, right down to the lithium battery that powers the internal clock.
One of the reasons I decided to build a PS2 is because I have so many fond memories of playing with it as a child and as an adult, as it's my favourite video games console of all time. I also decided to build this model because LEGO sets related to video games have been very successful, ‘* explains RippleDrive on the project page.
The Finn has indeed hit the nail on the head, as LEGO has already made a name for itself with nostalgic sets dedicated to gamers, such as the Pac-Man arcade terminal, the NES accompanied by its television set and the Atari 2600, with its iconic joystick and game cartridges.
RippleDrive has also thought of fans of hidden details: *The controller can be plugged into the console, and its interior hides the 7 orbs from the PS2 menu as an easter egg. The top of the console can be removed, revealing removable components.
It remains to be seen whether these arguments will be enough to convince the LEGO teams to choose this 2111-pieces set from among forty or so equally remarkable projects.
Photos: LEGO Ideas / RippleDrive
Mon Jan 06 2025
A few days ago we told you about the premium reissue of a book dedicated to Japanese arcades, by Victor Alonso. The Spaniard takes us on a journey through 25 Japanese arcades in The Last Game Centers, with a series of photographs paying tribute to the very special atmosphere of these arcades.
This reissue has already had to replace one arcade with another due to closure. Today, a sad and symbolic news has been added to this phenomenon, accentuated by the health crisis:
This time it's the a-cho arcade in Kyoto, which will close its doors on 31 January 2025. A veritable institution in an iconic city that is home to Nintendo's head office, its closure is a major blow for the arcade in Japan. But this announcement is accompanied by other news that is just as worrying for fans of the arcade and the games it used to showcase.
Three YouTube channels linked to the arcade (a-cho GAME, a-cho battle movie and a-cho staff) are also intended to disappear. The current owners of the venue will lose their rights to these channels, which will most likely lead to their closure. This situation was announced on X (formerly Twitter):
"Regarding the YouTube channel, a-cho will be shutting down and the staff responsible for managing it will no longer have any authority over it. In addition, the rights to manage the video material owned by the manufacturers cannot be transferred to a third party."
These channels bring together thousands of hours of broadcasts and replays of matches played in the hall on iconic franchises such as Street Fighter or The King of Fighters. They also featured shoot'em ups, puzzle games like Tetris, and many other genres.
Beyond simple gameplay sessions, it's a real intangible heritage that risks disappearing. The a-cho room regularly hosted tournaments and famous guests from the Japanese arcade world.
As the tweet points out, the main reason for the decision lies in rights issues, which are extremely strict in Japan. As games are the property of their publishers, the distribution of their video content is protected. With the closure of the venue, the tolerance accorded to these videos will also cease to exist.
In the world of retrogaming, the right to remember is paramount. While a few closures of rooms, sites or channels may seem anecdotal, they reveal a much more alarming reality: rigid intellectual property rights and non-existent archiving often prevent the preservation of this heritage.
Source: Time Extension
Mon Jan 06 2025
Announced barely a month ago on the networks, the unofficial port of Shinobi to Neo-Geo has been available since last Friday.
This “homebrew” port is the work of the talented Hoffman, known for his contributions to other ports. He has made the game available free of charge on itch.io.
Originally developed by SEGA for arcade terminals, Shinobi was released in 1987, marking the start of a series of a dozen games, and soon a film produced by Universal.
The arcade title was renowned for its quality, but above all for its difficulty. To make the experience more accessible, Hoffman has integrated dip switches for various settings and cheat options.
This port remains faithful to the original while exploiting the hardware capabilities of the Neo-Geo, offering better fluidity and more colorful visuals.
This project highlights the richness of homebrew productions, which continue to honor retrogaming to the delight of fans of retro franchises.
If you're a fan of Shinobi, you may know that a remake is currently in development by Lizardcube, the studio already behind Streets of Rage 4 to name but one.
If you own the games, many Shinobi titles are playable on Recalbox, opuses having been released from 1987 to 2002 on emulated consoles (Arcade, Mega Drive, Amstard, Atari, Game Gear, Game Boy Advance ...).
Sat Jan 04 2025
If you're a PlayStation Plus Premium subscriber, you'll know that this subscription gives you access to a selection of classic games from previous PlayStation generations.
Resident Evil, G-Police, Ridge Racer Type 4, MediEvil, Jak and Daxter, Sly Cooper, PaRappa the Rapper 2 and many more invite you to dive back into the hits that have marked the history of the SONY brand.
These titles can be played on PS5 and PS4 thanks to emulators built into the consoles. The only exception is the PS3 games, which can only be streamed via the cloud. There are two reasons for this.
The first is that the PS3 is not so old as to require the resources and energy to emulate it, as long as the streaming works.
The second reason is more technical: the PlayStation 3 is notoriously difficult to emulate. The high-performance emulators available today require a top-of-the-range PC, a level of power that was once beyond the reach of the PS4, but is now more accessible on the PS5.
Remember: the complex architecture of the PS3, and in particular its Cell processor, caused quite a stir when it was released. This processor requires considerable computing power and meticulous software optimisation. Developers at the time complained about it, and today it represents a major challenge for emulation.
However, the studio Implicit Conversions could well change all that. Little known to the general public, this studio is behind the ports of classic games available on PlayStation Plus Premium.
Their website makes a promising statement in their roadmap: "Researching and prototyping the possibility of a PlayStation 3 emulator package for Syrup ’. This initiative could lead to an official emulator for PS3 games.
All that remains is to wait for a response from SONY to find out whether this project will receive their support.
Sat Jan 04 2025
Many websites regularly ask you to prove that you are not a robot by means of a CAPTCHA. This system is used to distinguish humans from bots before a connection is made, using visual and behavioural recognition (mouse movements) or logical resolution.
If these tests seem boring, the company Vercel, run by Guillermo Rauch, offers an original alternative: a CAPTCHA that invites you to... play DOOM.
This ‘DOOM CAPTCHA’ works using a WebAssembly version, which means that no downloading is required. The game runs directly in your browser and asks you to eliminate three enemies by using the arrow keys to move and the space bar to shoot.
However, what might seem fun at first quickly turns out to be frustrating for some Internet users, including retrogamers. The reason? You start with a simple pistol and have to face some particularly punishing enemies. The game seems to be set on the Ultra-Violence, or even Nightmare difficulty level, which requires bots' reflexes to prove that you are indeed flesh and blood.
The concept quickly gained in popularity. The link has been shared in many retrogaming communities, and you've probably come across it on the Recalbox Discord.
If you want to die to give it a go, head over to this address!
Fri Jan 03 2025
Fans united under the name Starteam have just released the demo for Sonic Galactic, an unofficial Sonic title of disconcerting fidelity and quality.
Lasting around 40 minutes, the demo lets you play as Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Fang the bounty hunter and Tunnel, a mole. The protagonists will have to traverse fast-paced platform levels, take on bosses and explore 2D worlds faithful to the series' heritage, all in beautiful pixel art.
But the developers haven't taken the easy way out: in addition to the platform phases, they've included 3D sections and broken new ground with enemies, mechanics and level design never before seen in the series.
On their website, the developers point out that this is not an official Sonic or SEGA product (an important clarification given the quality) and explain:
"Sonic Galactic is a fan-made interpretation of what a 2D side-scrolling game in the Sonic series might have looked like on 5th generation 32-bit hardware. With its clean backgrounds and fluid animations, the game aims for an aesthetic that pays homage to the best of the era.
Think of this game as a what-if scenario: an imagining of what Sonic Team could have produced on the SEGA Saturn!
Although the hardware limitations of the time have been taken into account, Sonic Galactic draws on many inspirations, not limiting itself to what the systems of the time could do, nor to what SEGA would necessarily have achieved.
With new areas, new concepts, new characters, a new setting and many other additions, Galactic aims to offer a unique take on the classic 2D Sonic formula, while continuing the story and gameplay of the classic Genesis/Mega Drive games".
As Time Extension points out, this production follows in the footsteps of fan-made Sonic games. It's all the more pleasing to note that SEGA is ‘letting it ride’, adopting a radically different policy to Nintendo, which is very keen on protecting its intellectual property.
If you're interested in the demo, it's available for free at this address.
Fri Jan 03 2025
At CES 2024, Atari briefly presented a handheld console without giving many details. Since then, there has been no news from the retrogaming community, leading to speculation that the project might be abandoned.
But that's not the case! Atari has just posted a video on its X account unveiling the Gamestation Go, a handheld console that, at first glance, looks familiar in its design, while displaying some intriguing features.
The first surprise is the absence of a joystick on the right-hand side of the console, an unusual choice for a modern handheld console. Instead, there is a 12-key numeric keypad. Just above this are the four classic action buttons, backlit like all the buttons on the console.
The left-hand side features a joystick, a D-Pad and a trak-ball. The latter is nothing new for Atari, who had already offered this feature on the Atari 2600.
Photo: Digital Game Museum
These design choices seem to indicate that the console is partly dedicated to iconic Atari titles. The numeric keypad could be used for games such as Star Raiders, Defender, Codebreaker or Total Carnage. The trak-ball is reminiscent of classics such as Centipede and Missile Command, which already used this accessory back in the day.
What's more, Atari could enhance this offering with its vast library of retro games, recently augmented by the acquisition of Intellivision. This acquisition includes over 200 titles from Intellivision Entertainment LLC, which could make the Gamestation Go even more relevant.
In terms of connectivity, Atari is sticking to the classic: an HDMI output (suggesting that it will be used as a controller connected to a TV set), a mini-jack headphone socket, a microSD card slot, and two USB-C ports for controllers 1 and 2.
For the moment, it's difficult to say more about the exact nature of this console. Atari did not provide any additional details in its presentation video. However, the wait shouldn't be long: the Gamestation Go will be presented in greater detail at CES 2025, which starts on 7 January.
Thu Jan 02 2025
You may already be familiar with the project we're going to talk about here, for the simple reason that it started eight years ago. Led by independent developer CryZENx, the unofficial remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time continues to dazzle fans, and the video released on 31 December will only add to that enthusiasm.
This is not the first time CryZENx has done this. The developer has already worked on unofficial remakes of Super Mario 64 and Diddy Kong Racing, two other major titles from the Nintendo 64.
The developer has now released a 30-minute video of his remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, which runs on Unreal Engine 5.5. This version of the graphics engine displays more detail, uses Lumen technology (for fully dynamic global illumination and reflections) and incorporates DLSS upscaling.
The video highlights the village of Kakariko in particular, with never-before-seen detail in both indoor and outdoor environments. CryZENx has also announced that it is currently working on the next update to the project, which will focus on the domain of Zora.
It's important to stress that this is not just a technical demo, but a playable version with exploration, combat, interaction with NPCs, inventory management and cinematics animated by the game engine.
If you would like to support the project, you can become a member of Patreon via this page. Please note that you will need a PC Gamer to play this remake, as the project is particularly resource-hungry.
Thu Jan 02 2025
A new year brings new anniversaries, and SEGA confirms by announcing plans to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Jet Set Radio (Jet Grind Radio in the US).
Whether you've owned the Dreamcast or not, Jet Set Radio is firmly rooted in pop culture, thanks to its cel-shaded graphics, acclaimed soundtrack, and original concept featuring a bunch of rollerblading kids marking their territory with graffiti.
Firstly, Masayoshi Kikuchi, the original creator of Jet Set Radio, confirmed that he was still actively working on a new Jet Set Radio game, which was revealed at the Game Awards 2023. He expressed his desire to honour the legacy of the game while bringing something new to modern audiences.
SEGA has hinted that more information on the title will be released in 2025. However, no release window has yet been revealed. In what form will this news arrive? It remains unclear: trailer, gameplay, release date?
SEGA could also capitalise on the remasters trend. Many gamers are calling for a remaster or a simple port of Jet Set Radio Future (the sequel to Jet Set Radio, released exclusively on Xbox).
The Japanese company has already stated its intention to exploit its old franchises. Masayoshi Kikuchi has indicated that he is considering ideas for celebrating this 25th anniversary. Events, digital content, musical products? For now, the mystery remains.
We should have news before the middle of the year, as Jet Set Radio was launched in June 2000. In the meantime, if you own the game, it is perfectly playable on Recalbox. However, we recommend using a Raspberry Pi 5 for the best experience.
Wed Jan 01 2025
Here we are, 365 days together: 2024 is behind us, and what a year it's been!
The Recalbox project continues to move forward with you, and this year we brought you versions 9.2 and 9.2.3 of Recalbox, versions developed thanks to your feedback and suggestions.
2024 also marked the launch of RGB JAMMA, a hardware solution that has given new life to hundreds of arcade terminals thanks to a Plug and Play system. We had the honour of installing this solution on around twenty PCB terminals at the National Video Game Museum in the Netherlands!
It was also a year in which we had the pleasure of meeting you at trade fairs, notably in Saint-Martin-de-Crau, Mouans-Sartoux and Avion. These meetings are essential for us: they give us a chance to talk face-to-face and to thank you for your unfailing support. Your feedback, your sharing on the networks, your activity on Discord, and your support via Patreon encourage us to go from strength to strength.
On Patreon, we've tried to offer you a variety of benefits this year, including exclusive playlists (notably with the arrival of Cartridge 1987 titles), optimised scraping, new partnerships with online shops, etc.
The retrogaming community remains our greatest reward. Your generosity during our live event hosted by Fabrice at ZEvent 2024, which raised €11,500 for charities, was further proof of this.
But now that this page has been turned, it's time to look to the future: 2025 will be an exceptional year for Recalbox! And why is that? Because Recalbox is celebrating its 10th anniversary!
To celebrate this anniversary, we've got lots of projects in the pipeline, version 10, which will be arriving soon for our Patrons, the All in One, which will continue to be developed, and lots and lots of surprises... but it's still a bit early to reveal more. Stay tuned 😉
Finally, and most importantly, what would a New Year's article be without the wishes, so while of course our top priority is to wish you good health, we wish you hours and hours of retrogaming in our company, success in unlocking your RetroAchievements achievements, finishing the 174 games you started in 2024 and discovering at least as many.
Excellente Année 2025 !
National Videogame Museum
Mon Dec 30 2024
We're delighted to be able to announce the completion of a project by Recalbox user and active member of our Discord, Frogbull. Frogbull is a member of the development team known as ‘The Gang’, led by SKMP, well known to Dreamcast fans for having developed nullDC and Reicast, two emulators dedicated to SEGA's latest console.
Frogbull has announced the availability of the Dreamcast port of GTA 3, an unofficial fan project called DCA3. To guarantee the legitimacy and legality of this port, you need to own a PC copy of GTA 3. You can also purchase a digital version of the game from Rockstar's official website, which offers a ‘Trilogy’ bundle including GTA 3, Vice City and San Andreas.
Once you have the game, you can create an image in .CDI format and follow the compilation instructions available on the project site. This will allow you to play the game on your Dreamcast, provided it can read burned CDs or is equipped with an optical drive emulator. Note that this port is not compatible with Recalbox.
The game is fully playable, allowing you to rediscover the streets of Liberty City, just as you did in 2001. The Dreamcast controller is fully supported, and saves work seamlessly on the VMU memory card. However, given that this is an alpha version, it is possible to encounter a few bugs, although early feedback on the internet suggests that they are infrequent.
The project even attracted the attention of Obbe Vermeij, original developer of GTA 3, last September:
"The first months of GTA 3 development (in 1999/2000) were done on the Dreamcast. For commercial reasons, we switched to the PS2. At the time, we thought it was technically possible to do it on the Dreamcast, and these guys are doing it right now."
This port is a vibrant tribute to the Dreamcast and to the development history of GTA 3. Rockstar's title was originally designed for SEGA's console, with a planned release on that platform. However, the worldwide success of the PlayStation 2 led Rockstar to redirect its plans to develop the game for the black monolith, which was distributed en masse across the globe. GTA 3 will sell 12 million copies** (18 million including ports).
If you own a Dreamcast (models VA0 or VA1) and want to relive the adventures of Claude, go to this address.
Sun Dec 29 2024
We were saddened to learn yesterday of the death of Martyn Brown, co-founder of Team17, at the age of 57.
Martyn Brown founded Team17 in 1990 alongside Debbie Bestwick, following the merger of 17-Bit Software and Team 7. He left the company in 2011 to join the studio Double Eleven.
During his 21 years at the helm of Team17, Martyn Brown greatly contributed to the studio's success with iconic titles such as Alien Breed, Body Blows, Superfrog, Project X, and of course Worms. The latter remains the studio's most famous franchise, a veritable icon that has marked generations of gamers, with its quirky humour, unlikely weapons and endearing warrior worms.
A turn-based multiplayer game, Worms won over players with its unique blend of strategy and humour. The series now has more than twenty installments, most of them in 2D, before a transition to 3D for some recent episodes.
Last November, Martyn Brown received the prestigious Game Legend award for lifetime achievement. Unfortunately, he was unable to attend the ceremony.
A big thank you to this iconic figure in video games, who leaves us far too soon but whose creations will continue to entertain and inspire us.
Sat Dec 28 2024
Released in 1986, Out Run is a legendary game from the golden age of arcade terminals. It remains an essential reference and is often considered to be one of the best racing games of its generation.
Developed by SEGA, Out Run stood out for its innovations:
graphics with a distinctive style, music that you could choose before each ‘run’ and a system for selecting courses as you went along (except for the first race).
The game's atmosphere also made a big impression. While other developers favoured a competitive and sporting approach, SEGA opted for a more ‘chill’ experience, where the player took the wheel of a Ferrari Testarossa, accompanied by a passenger, in a wind-in-the-hair atmosphere. A bold choice, often imitated but never equalled.
Out Run wasn't just a game, it was also an object. The arcade terminal offered a real driving station, complete with seat, steering wheel, gear lever and pedals. An alternative version was even released with an F1-inspired aesthetic, with some versions equipped with a hydraulic system simulating the car's movements.
Today, it's precisely this ‘object’ aspect that interests us. Although it's nothing new, we wanted to tell you about a fascinating project being carried out in 2021 by the talented creators of Game Makers: an Out Run mini-horn.
But be warned, this isn't just any miniature terminal. It's a complete reinterpretation in the spirit of the legendary 1986 terminal.
Inspired by an earlier creation by CircuitBeard, Game Makers has designed a miniature version that is faithful to the original, while retaining the authentic feel of the game.
Miniaturising such an object without sacrificing its proportions or ergonomics was a challenge. Yet the model includes a steering wheel, gearbox and two pedals. The modders didn't stop there and added several improvements.
Firstly, a small built-in motor generates vibrations when braking. But the real icing on the cake is the ‘Breeze’ mode: a built-in fan blows a stream of air over the player's face and hands, recreating the wind-in-the-hair effect during driving sessions.
The project is entirely open source. Game Makers provides all the necessary instructions for building this kiosk: list of materials, 3D printing diagrams, assembly guides, stickers, etc.
But be warned: this is not a conventional project. 3D printing, for example, is particularly time-consuming for this type of object, and you'll need special equipment, patience and attention to detail.
If you're motivated, Game Makers will take you step by step through a detailed inventory, down to the smallest screw, and a precise assembly guide.
The terminal is powered by Recalbox, installed on a Raspberry Pi 3.
For your viewing pleasure, here are two other Game Makers creations: a Mini Aero City and a Mini New Astro City.
They're just as gorgeous and are detailed on their website if you're in the mood for some extra DIY.
Thu Dec 26 2024
Initially released on the NES, the first three Ninja Gaiden games were a huge success, boosted in particular by the arcade version of the first opus, which greatly helped to popularise the licence. This success propelled the series, which continued to release titles until 2014.
And the licence has not said its last word! It is about to be reborn with Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, a new opus developed by The Game Kitchen (Blasphemous) and published by Dotemu (Streets of Rage 4, TMNT: Shredder's Revenge). Scheduled for release in summer 2025, this title marks a long-awaited comeback for fans.
Let's focus on the origins of the saga with its first three instalments, released in 1988, 1990 and 1991 respectively. Building on the success of these episodes, Tecmo decided to compile them for the SNES, but the latter was a disappointment. Few improvements had been made to exploit the console's power, and a number of questionable choices had left their mark on gamers.
We had to wait 25 years to see these shortcomings corrected thanks to a fan project.
Infidelity's NES-SNES conversion combines the three iconic titles - Ninja Gaiden, Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos and Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom - into a single playable ROM for the SNES. Unlike the official 1995 compilation, this port faithfully recreates the original experience while exploiting the capabilities of the SNES to offer notable improvements:
All this has been achieved while respecting the legendary spirit and difficulty of the NES opuses.
The ROM for this trilogy, developed by Infidelity, is available free online. Fans can use it with emulators or devices such as the EverDrive to play on an original SNES.
If you're a fan of the saga, you should know that the Ninja Gaiden games can also be played on numerous platforms via Recalbox, including the NES, SNES, Game Boy, Game Gear, Master System and many others.
Wed Dec 25 2024
If you're looking for a laugh, you've come to the right place. It looks like the SuperSega affair is coming to an end. A quick reminder if you haven't been following the story of the so-called FPGA console that could read all the SEGA console cartridges.
Demonstration videos that failed to convince Internet users (with major doubts about the authenticity of the hardware tested), pre-orders debited for a total of €400 without prior notice, more than dubious overall communication, refusal to send prototypes to journalists on the pretext that there was too great a risk of theft of the project's intellectual property... And, most recently, a letter threatening legal action by SEGA for copyright infringement.
Things have accelerated in recent days: SuperSega project leader Alejandro Martin has put his Lamborghini (bought during the project) up for sale to cover damages, losses and legal costs. This was followed by a statement from the person concerned:
"To be clear, we didn't rip anyone off. Soon we'll be releasing a video to thank you for your unconditional support and to let you know what we're up to. Stay tuned between now and early January 2025. ‘
Alejandro Martin / Photo iainlee
Contacted by Time Extension, Alejandro Martin confirms that this is essentially a problem with the name of the console, and not with the device itself. The company had even proposed the name Super SPGA, which was also rejected by SEGA:
"Why can't we call it SuperSPGA according to SEGA? Why can't we mention the word SEGA on our website, even when showing the TM (trademark)?
SEGA is not friendly to us. We have processed all refunds. We have to wait and see what happens. Nothing more to say at this stage, we'll see what happens in 2025.
So it would seem that the project is on the rocks, but that was without counting on another last-minute turn of events! Alejandro Martin has sent Time Extension a ‘copy and paste’ of an email he received from SEGA (with no official attachment, of course).
We'll leave it to you to read it:
‘Greetings to anyone who may be affected by the SuperSega-SuperSPGA group.
We apologise for interfering with your game console project without providing any evidence of your wrongdoing in relation to these ongoing matters.
We actually approve of your plans and appreciate your contributions to gaming communities/industries worldwide.
Please understand that some of the employees/associates of our legal team behind the false takedown requests have intentionally made false reports in order to commit crimes on behalf of your group members for no reason whatsoever.
We invite you to continue your projects by keeping all the units you have manufactured. Do not hesitate to contact Sega's offices if you need help with the development of your SuperSega-SuperSPGA console.
Please feel free to report certain employees/associates of our legal team who are behind these illegal attacks for misconduct, harassment, etc.
Yours sincerely
Sega Europe Legal Department
The Time Extension team will of course be contacting SEGA to verify the authenticity of this e-mail, which seems somewhat... unexpected...
Wed Dec 25 2024
When Tim Burton released Batman Returns in 1992, the rights to the associated video games were split between several platforms, including the SEGA Mega Drive and the Super Nintendo.
These two versions were radically different. The Mega Drive offered a platform game with stages in the Batmobile, in addition to the classic walking sections. The SNES, on the other hand, offered a game that was more oriented towards side-scrolling combat, which - without fuelling the traditional SNES/Mega Drive war - was a critical success compared to the Mega Drive version, which didn't disappoint.
But Mega Drive owners can take some consolation over 30 years later! A group of developers has released a technical demo of a Mega Drive port of the SNES game, called Batman Returns MD.
This project, led by Pyron (graphics), TiagoSC (code), Inglebard and vectororbitex7866 (music), corrects one of the main faults of the SNES game developed by Konami: the absence of a multiplayer mode. The game will also benefit from a higher resolution and a 60 fps display, while having a larger number of enemies on screen (up to nine).
Our aim was to bring back the essence of the original, taking advantage of the graphics and processing power of the Mega Drive to deliver an arcade-like experience. This project is still in development, so bugs may occur’, explain the developers.
They add:
We made this technical demo to test different concepts and fulfil a teenage dream: to see Batman Returns ported to my favourite console. We have no intention of completing the game, but the results obtained here will be used for future projects.
Finally, the release concludes:
The demo was not created to ridicule the SNES version, but to show that the Mega Drive can handle a beat'em all with impressive technical and graphical qualities. While it has its limitations in some areas, it excels in others, making it an ideal platform for this type of game.
As you can see, the aim is not to develop a complete version of the game, but to test concepts for future projects. When you see the quality of the work, it looks very promising.
The demo is available free of charge in .bin format here.
Mon Dec 23 2024
You may already be familiar with Victor Alonso's Los Ultimos Game Center, a Spanish book that catalogues some 25 arcades in Japan (and their terminals) through more than 200 photographs carefully chosen by the author.
This first book was a huge success, both commercially and critically, to the point of being distributed all over the world even though it was only published in Spanish. Victor Alonso has therefore decided to go one step further by offering a new edition in English and Japanese.
This ‘Black Label’ edition is more than just a ‘simple translation’: the quality of the photos has been improved. It also includes a small ‘zine’ containing photos of a nocturnal videogame adventure in a drive-in that left its mark on the author.
To keep up to date, two rooms have been removed from the book (because they have unfortunately closed), but they have been replaced by two new locations that were not included in the first edition.
In 280 pages printed on high-quality paper, you can admire arcade rooms and machines. As the author is above all a photographer, his attention to detail allows him to capture the unique atmosphere of these spaces in the best possible way.
As Victor Alonso points out, this book is also a means of opening up a personal and collective reflection on the passage of time and the disappearance of these places that are part of Japan's heritage (despite the fact that arcades were a worldwide phenomenon in the 70s and 80s).
They were places for sharing, discovering, scoring and meeting new people, and were often the birthplace of many of today's legendary games (Space Invaders, Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Street Fighter, Dragon's Lair, Bubble Bobble, Out Run, and dozens of others).
The crowdfunding will help finance the production of this ultimate version. A total of €30,000 is expected to be raised, with the campaign closing on 14 February.
If you would like to support the project, please visit this address. You can pledge as little as €8 for the e-book in PDF format or €50 for the physical book. Early Bird’ offers for the first entrants mean that you can obtain these rewards at a lower cost. Of course, premium entries are also available with personalised dedications.
Photos: Victor Alonso
Sun Dec 22 2024
The Recalbox team wishes you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We hope that this festive season will be an opportunity to enjoy your loved ones, to spoil them and to be spoiled!
For many of us, Christmas was the time when we entered the world of video games: when we received our first console, when we unwrapped our first games, sometimes unexpected, sometimes forbidden.
It's easy to remember the nostalgia of a simple time when you could switch on your new console in the evening while your parents continued to unwrap their presents. No updates, no accounts to create... the pleasure was immediate!
That's the kind of pleasure we're trying to bring you throughout the year with the Recalbox project. Our greatest gift is to see you on the networks, having fun, sharing your games and memories with your children, family and friends, and simply playing!
So, what can we wish you this festive season? Well, even more retrogaming under the tree: Raspberry Pi, 8BitDo controllers, Retroflag cases, vinyl, the books Fabrice has been introducing you to all year, etc.
We won't hold it against you if you receive a PlayStation 5, Xbox Series or Switch... we promise...
As we look forward to 2025, a year full of surprises and new releases for Recalbox, we'd like to wish you all the very best for the festive season, and for sharing some quality time with your loved ones, as well as a great holiday for the lucky ones.
Title picture: Daze Before Christmas / Megarive / SNES