👾 Retro Gaming Weekly News #0154
Welcome to issue 154. I feel like lists are the hot stuff in SEO for retro - as we are getting a lot these days, I am not really sure if they are that popular in the newsletter, so I will do some analysis and either keep sharing the mountain of lists that are being produced each week, or reduce the amount.
This week we have playing Cyberpunk 2077 on the SNES mouse, more fan translations for Japanese games, the Game Boy Camera on the Switch 2 and a lot more.
News
🖱️ Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition on Switch 2 even recognises the vintage SNES Mouse via a simple USB-C adapter and Raphnet converter — a quirky new control option. GoNintendo
💾 Zuiki’s next X68000 Z double-pack ships 24 July, bundling Telenet Japan classics Sol Feace and Valis II in one cartridge-style release. TimeExtension
🦔 A fan port now runs Sonic Mania Plus at 60 FPS on original Dreamcast hardware, although audio and 3D stages are still missing. RetroDodo
🥊 Digital Eclipse hopes to assemble a Sega Saturn 3D fighting-game collection featuring titles like Virtua Fighter and Fighting Vipers. TimeExtension
🏎️ Work on the Mario Kart 64 Dreamcast port has boosted the trackside jumbo-tron screens to 30 FPS—six times the original N64 rate. RetroDodo
🔧 Version 1.1 of ROM-hack Mario Builder 64 expands Super Mario 64’s “Mario Maker” toolset with new objects, star triggers and higher limits (below). TimeExtension
📱 Nine free Sega Forever mobile ports — including Sonic CD and Crazy Taxi — will soon be delisted, so grab them while you can. GameSpot
🌐 Fans are translating Riverhill Soft’s 1990 MSX2 RPG Burai into English, with a demo planned for September (below). TimeExtension
🎲 A newly released patch exposes Shining the Holy Ark’s unused animal-sound matching mini-game, unlocking the hidden debug menu. TimeExtension
🚀 Fast Striker EX, an enhanced port of NGDev’s Neo-Geo shmup, lands on Switch eShop 26 June with graphical tweaks, training mode and 60 FPS. TimeExtension
📷 A modder proved Nintendo’s 1998 Game Boy Camera can feed Switch 2’s GameChat by piping it through an Analogue Pocket and USB-C capture. LevelUp
🖥️ Switch 2’s new GameCube app offers native widescreen modes for F-Zero GX and SoulCalibur II; Wind Wakerstays 4:3. NintendoLife
🎴 Jaleco classics Saiyūki World 2 and Rod Land are coming to Switch via City Connection’s JALECOlle retro series. TimeExtension
🧟♂️ The House of the Dead 2 returns on 7 August with a $24.99 remake featuring co-op, new endings and remastered audio. ComicBook.com
🗡️ The first English patch for Sunsoft’s FDS action-RPG Märchen Veil lets players experience the 1987 game in full (below). TimeExtension
🕊️ Edia will release Tenshi no Uta: Shiroki Tsubasa no Inori on Switch in Japan on 18 September and has confirmed an English version is on the way. TimeExtension
📚 NES homebrew Echoes of the Unread is in its final 48 Kickstarter hours, edging toward stretch goals for Switch and Steam releases in 2026. TheOuterHaven
Features
📉 TheGamer lists eight systems — from the Virtual Boy to Sega’s 32X — whose commercial runs ended with surprisingly tiny game libraries, some under fifty titles. TheGamer
🎥 Rare’s artists labored to capture Pierce Brosnan’s face for GoldenEye 007, even though the N64 shooter rarely shows Bond on-screen. Popverse
🕶️ GoldenEye 007 almost let players pick Connery, Moore or Dalton in multiplayer, but licensing costs—especially for Sean Connery—proved too steep. Popverse
🕹️ A DIY “Acolyte” handheld marries a PIC32 board with custom emulators, letting one device play both NES and Game Boy games and even accept Genesis pads. Hackaday
🎮 Nintendo’s $65 Switch 2 GameCube pad gets hall-effect sticks, crisper buttons and a sturdier shell, making it arguably the best version yet. Gizmodo
🍌 Updated cheat listings reveal Donkey Kong Jr. stage selects, hidden point boosts and difficulty toggles on the NES release. GameMite
🐵 Nintendo shrugs at timeline quirks in Donkey Kong Bananza, confirming a 13-year-old Pauline while urging fans not to over-analyze the lore. TheGamer
💼 NPR’s industry chat suggests Switch 2’s premium price and first-party bundle strategy aim to replicate Wii-style mass appeal while weathering tariff uncertainties. NPR
Lists & Rankings
🕹️ GameRant ranks seven enduring GameCube favourites—from Luigi’s Mansion to Metroid Prime—that still play brilliantly in 2025. GameRant
💰 XDA highlights five ultra-rare Game Boy carts like Amazing Tater and Spud’s Adventure that routinely fetch four-figure sums. XDA Developers
📉 CBR lists ten beloved franchises—such as Chrono and Mana—that peaked during the SNES era and never matched that height again. CBR
⏳ GameRant spotlights eight SNES classics, including Super Metroid and Super Mario RPG, that remain benchmarks of 16-bit design. GameRant
🏎️ XDA picks the ten greatest SNES racers—from F-Zero to Super Mario Kart—celebrating Mode 7 thrills three decades later. XDA Developers
🌀 DualShockers rounds up nine titles—like Illbleed and Danganronpa 2—where the storyline reveals the world is actually a simulation. DualShockers
🎬 CBR ranks ten surprisingly good licensed Genesis games, praising standouts like Disney’s Aladdin and X-Men. CBR
🌈 Cultured Vultures showcases visually stunning Genesis titles—such as Gunstar Heroes and Earthworm Jim—that still impress today (below). Cultured Vultures
🌐 Hardcore Gamer highlights ten retro gems, from Sakura Wars 2 to Mother 3, that fans have fully translated into English. Hardcore Gamer
📊 TheGamer ranks 18 hardware makers by how many consoles they’ve launched, stretching from Valve’s single Steam Deck to Atari’s dozen-plus machines. TheGamer
🚀 Kotaku orders every Nintendo console launch—placing Switch 2 in context—showing how hits like Wii eclipsed misfires such as Wii U. Kotaku
🏆 GameRant crowns the best Capcom release on each Nintendo system, from Mega Man 3 on NES to Resident Evil 4on GameCube. GameRant
