In this first podcast of 2012 we finally unveil the new format for the show – one that will combine the best of the existing show with a slew of new features that people have wanted to see introduced. First and foremost, the show now has a co-host: John Stringer jmustang1968 from the forums joins Dave to talk about a variety of topics related to retro gaming and retro game culture and will be a new fixture of the show. Hear his first foray into the limelight in this edition of the show, wherein our hosts discuss the past, present, ... [Link] [Cache]

For my next revision to the Cheapest Games series , I wanted to revisit the Sega Saturn. The values of the popular Saturn games have increased significantly over the last few years — especially for complete copies of the game. After the last few revisions of these “Cheapest Games” posts, I’ve found that it’s getting harder and harder to find quality vintage games in complete condition for a reasonable price. In the case of the Sega Saturn, the perfect example is “NiGHTS into Dreams”. The game was a crown jewel of the Saturn library, but it sold relatively well and ... [Link] [Cache]

When we talk about the jagged, 8-bit days of gaming, someone inevitably reminisces about how video game magazines like Nintendo Power were our only means of gleaning game news outside of bizarre experiences like Video Power, and, God forgive us, The Wizard. The Internet as we know it today didn’t even exist as a fantasy, newsgroups and BBS’es were rarer than unicorns, and we had to acquire our video game news on a month-to-month basis, harrumph harrumph puff of pipe smoke, rattle of unfolding newspaper . But when I went through elementary school, kids rarely seemed to purchase game magazines, ... [Link] [Cache]

Frogger is now upwards of 30 years old and remains very playable even today. That doesn't mean it couldn't use a little bit of a modern update -- and no, I don't mean a 3D version, because those like myself who have played one know how terrible they can be. Instead, I'd love to see Frogger get the Championship Edition treatment that Pac-Man did; I never would have figured that game could be redesigned in a way that wasn't radically different but was as intense as anything out there, yet that's what Namco Bandai accomplished with Pac-Man Championship Edition and ... [Link] [Cache]

Over the past few weeks, several people have pinged me to point out the alarming similarities between Amazon.com's promo art for their new "retro gaming" store and the six-year-old Retronauts logo. Hackles are raised! Suspicions are expressed! Has 1UP been pilfered? Judge for yourself: The answer, of course, is, "No, you're being silly. But Atari might want to consider a lawsuit." Yes, both logos feature an astronaut and an oddly colored pixel rainbow, but that's simply because we both went to the same well to draw our water. Namely, the well of the Super Breakout box art for Atari 2600. ... [Link] [Cache]

If you love games, this is the book for you. Packed with all the best games for iOS, iPad & iPhone Games Directory shows you how you can turn your smartphone or tablet into a device to rival home consoles. Covering every gaming category on the App Store, over 300 games are reviewed, highlighting the best apps on offer. From Cut The Rope and Angry Birds to FIFA 12 and Scrabble, you’ll find all the games you’ll ever need in this ultimate guide. Aaron Asadi, Editor In Chief, stated; “The iPad and iPhone are the ideal devices for gaming. Accessible, ... [Link] [Cache]

If you remember the wonderful days of Dungeon Master and Eye Of The Beholder, you’re going to absolutely adore the brand new game from Almost Human. The 4-player team has created a wonderful dungeon crawler called the Legend Of Grimrock, which is not only a stunning game in its own right, but also pays loving tribute to all manner of classic 16-bit adventures like the aforementioned Dungeon Master. The basic premise is that you control a group of prisoners who have been thrown into Grimrock Mountain for crimes they may or may not have committed. They soon discover a huge ... [Link] [Cache]

So I've been thinking about getting rid of my collection. Since I'm moving soon About four months I've decided to part with my collection and only keep the items that I have any sort of attachment with. So that means over 2000 games and over 100 consoles will be up for sale soon enough...I'm just going to have to make time to dig into my storage unit to empty it out. It was fun while it lasted, but everything must always come an end. ^_^ [Link] [Cache]

We live in a wonderful age where, if a specific game doesn't exist, an inspired individual will just up and say, "It shall be done!" The tools of creation have never been more easily accessible, and it has resulted in both original and familiar experiences for just about anybody's tastes. On that note, who's ready for a SNES-style RPG set in the American Old West with graphics heavily inspired by the EarthBound series? I can't see you guys through the screen, but I'm assuming a lot of hands just shot up in unison! Boot Hill Heroes is the freshman effort ... [Link] [Cache]

Presented by BulletMagnet See more of our Shmups Guides including our Beginner’s Guide to Shmups and other entries in our Defining Games Series Even in an era dominated by high-end 3-D graphics, sprawling environments, and hundred-hour quests, if you mention the phrase “video game” to a person one of the first images likely to enter his or her head is that of a tiny spaceship sprite blasting away two-dimensional aliens; such is the enduringly appealing nature of the classic shoot-em-up, or “shmup”. Countless such games have come and gone over the years, some more worth remembering than others, but only ... [Link] [Cache]

Jordan Mechner’s dad made a lucky discovery recently after stumbling across a box of his son’s stuff while doing some spring cleaning: inside was the original Apple ][ source code for Prince of Persia. Misplaced for 22 years, after the discovery Mechner posted on his personal blog that he would be preserving the code from floppy disks and freely distributing it to fans. Those proficient enough in the ancient art of Assembly, the original programming language the game was written in, will be able to play around with the code to create more levels, port it to more machines not ... [Link] [Cache]

The Wii’s Virtual Console service has a category for arcade games. As far as North America is concerned, that space is currently full of chirping crickets, dust, and tumbleweeds. It’s easy to forget that Nintendo once commanded a strong presence in arcades worldwide, because the company seemingly doesn’t expend much effort to remind us of those years. Why hasn’t Nintendo chronicled its arcade history on the Virtual Console? Maybe it hates money? Maybe it’s ashamed of its history? Maybe—maybe Nintendo hates us? *Sob!* The truth probably isn’t so melodramatic, though it’s not without its share of dog fights. Consider the ... [Link] [Cache]

Disney's latest CGI film, Wreck-It Ralph, will be landing in theaters nationwide on November 2. To get moviegoers "pumped," a teaser poster has been unveiled. As simple as the poster is, however, I think it's quite ballsy. Let's back up a bit. You remember what this film is about, right? There is this dude, Wreck-It Ralph, who is the villain in a Donkey Kong-esque arcade game, but he wants to break out of his villainous role and be a hero for once. Along the way, there will be cameos from actual game stars, like Bowser and Dr. Wily, as well ... [Link] [Cache]

After Easter services wrapped up last Sunday, I decided to take a trip to my favorite used game haunt to see if they had any NES games that I didn't own. Sadly, there was only one -- The Harlem Globetrotters -- which turned out to be a complete sack of excrement. But hey, that's one game closer to a mostly-complete NES collection! Only 300 more to go, or something like that. I also found a couple of Game Boy games that seemed like worthwhile purchases: Last Action Hero also crap, but only three bucks , and Crystal Quest -- a ... [Link] [Cache]

Where are my SRPG peeps at? Those of you that have played strategy game classic Final Fantasy Tactics have been left wondering if character Ramza Beoulve died at the story's resolution, in the final battle. According to the game's writer and director, Yasumi Matsuno, he didn't! After leaving us hanging for a billion years, Matsuno had this to say on Twitter last month: He is not dead, alive properly. He would have started another adventure in the land of Another.  Knowing this makes me want to play that game one more time.  Also, Hamza's only comment on this story is ... [Link] [Cache]

If Hudson Soft is ever to be mourned, the time is now. Once a proud face in Japan’s game industry, Hudson pioneered the market's CD technology, created NEC’s TurboGrafx-16 family, and had a half-dozen profitable franchises. But time and finances chipped away at Hudson, and the last decade saw them fall under Konami’s aegis. This March 1, Hudson Soft ceased to exist, and its catalog and the little Hudson Bee logo are now fully the properly of Konami. This likely won’t end Hudson’s biggest franchises, though. It’s only a matter of time until Konami trots out a new Bomberman game, ... [Link] [Cache]

Another PAX East, another year of stellar podcast coverage. This year we rounded up representatives from three upcoming games that are sure to make your retro sensibilities tingle and hit them with a barrage of questions. Specifically, we chatted up folks working on Double Dragon Neon, Sonic 4 Episode 2, and Dust: An Elysian Tail. Hear their answers to our questions as well as our general impressions of this year’s convention in this episode of the podcast! Oh, and if you are feeling at all nostalgic for our old PAX East coverage, you can check out past years’ shows here, ... [Link] [Cache]

1980s breakthroughs in workplace ergonomics led to this optimal seating position. Long before the gaming public considered Electronic Arts the worst company in America, EA made its name as a creative haven that valued its talent. No, really. EA went out of its way to convey a developer-friendly image in its early years, prominently featuring designers' names in [...] [Link] [Cache]

During the hustle and bustle of PAX week, there were quite a few bits of Internet awesomeness that unfortunately slipped under everyone's noses. I always hate being the last guy to find that "cool new thing," because it feels like I'm just following the herd. Still, I hope this is fresh enough for it to be a pleasant treat on a Sunday afternoon. Remember how amazing box art from 20 to 30 years ago was? If the front of a game didn't look like a Fabio romance novel, it was at least cheesy enough to pass as a really awkward ... [Link] [Cache]

I love Final Fantasy Tactics. And you do, too, because you're a good person who enjoys good things. One thing about Tactics that's always rubbed many people the wrong way is its nebulous ending. In the final battles of the game, protagonist Ramza Beoulve and his combat retinue of shield-breaking ninja mimes travels into the Airship Graveyard, a realm beyond time and space, where they face off against a resurrected false Messiah and save the world or at least Ivalice . But Ramza and his party are seemingly trapped there when one of the villain's chief cronies destroys the magic ... [Link] [Cache]

I'm sorry I didn't announced my absence from the blog but things came up and I just couldn't update here as usual. I'm finally back and will be back to normal starting tomorrow. Thank you everyone for still visiting. [Link] [Cache]

I'm a little confused. Sometimes, someone makes a batch of minimalist posters featuring pixel art and it's beloved by all. Other times, some people get really upset, as though these harmless pieces have offended their sensibilities. To that latter group, you guys could probably use a relaxing trip to the spa. I've always valued minimalism's ability to convey a message as efficiently as possible. It's the same reason why pixel art is so fascinating; with a limited palette and size restrictions, it takes cleverness to arrange the dots and colors in a pattern that is instantly recognizable. When the arrangement ... [Link] [Cache]

When we posted a bootleg version of our PAX Prime 2011 panel, some fans of the show found themselves horrified by the less-than-stellar audio quality of our fan-submitted file. For anyone offended by our last PAX-cast, good news -- this year, the stars aligned, and we were somehow granted access to professional equipment, which makes the recording of this live panel far more intelligible than the last one. Unfortunately, I couldn't make it to PAX East this year, but Jeremy, Chris Kohler, Seth Macy, and Kurt Kulata all fine, upstanding gentlemen did a bang-up job of telling Retronauts fans why ... [Link] [Cache]

In Memoriam: Jack Tramiel 1928-2012 Founder of Commodore, ex-CEO of Atari Corp. [Link] [Cache]

div style="background-color: #B3B3B3; width: 190px; padding: 1px;">Castlevania You Always Wanted is in Minecraft" href="http://kotaku.com/minecraft/&~ style="background-color:#888888; color:#FFFFFF; font-size:12px;text-align:right; display:block; height:14px; padding:1px 2px; text-decoration:none; text-transform:uppercase; width:156px;">#minecraft Castlevania You Always Wanted is in Minecraft" href="http://kotaku.com/5900705/the~ class="pp_image"> Castlevania You Always Wanted is in Minecraft" alt="Click here to read The 3D Castlevania You Always Wanted is in Minecraft" src="http://img.gawkerassets.com/im~ Konami came close to a satisfying 3D Castlevania experience with Lord of Shadows, it was missing a certain something. Something that Nick "Nario" Hagman found in Minecraft by recreating the entire original game, block-by-block. More » [Link] [Cache]