👾 Retro Gaming Weekly News #0199
Welcome to the 199th issue of your weekly retro gaming news roundup. I have been getting into Marathon, which has been fun - but where I used to consider myself a pretty good gamer, I now realise that I am not anymore (maybe still a S tier at Winning Eleven 7 🤔).
In this week’s newsletter we have stories such as LEGO’s new SEGA Genesis set arriving in June, forgotten Nintendo 64 games making comebacks, the Game Boy Color turned into an actual wearable watch, Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum getting clamshell handhelds, and a brilliant new SNES emulator from the original developers – and loads more besides.
It goes without saying, I appreciate you all reading, sharing and liking – it genuinely does make a difference to the newsletter’s reach (which is growing slowly but steadily). ❤️
Thanks to all that voted on the poll, news is easily the most popular section so I will focus more on this.
News
🔧 A new modding project called Kawaii shrinks a full Nintendo GameCube console to keychain size, pushing the boundaries of miniaturisation. RetroShell
⌚ A modder has spent two years turning the Game Boy Color into a functional watch that still plays cartridges. GoNintendo
💾 Nearly three decades after its official cancellation, a fan-developed port of the original Tomb Raider for the Nintendo 64 has surfaced showing significant progress. RetroShell
🎮 Fortune & Glory is coming to Game Boy Color thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign. GoNintendo
💾 Hardcore RetroAchievements support has come to MiSTer FPGA with impressive speed and integration. TimeExtension
🦔 Sega’s iconic blue blur faces off against the King of the Monsters in a new IDW comic series, with the first trailer now available. RetroShell
📺 Culdcept The First Saturn Tribute is coming to Switch on 8th September 2026, bringing the Saturn classic to Nintendo’s handheld. GoNintendo
🦔 A Sega Genesis series is returning with its first brand-new game in 26 years, along with two remasters of classic titles. VICE
🎮 A classic R-Type Game Boy Color game is being resurrected on modern platforms later this month. TimeExtension
🔧 Chris Dell has engineered an ultra-affordable handheld console for around one US dollar using a CH32V003 microcontroller and Rust programming. RetroShell
🎮 Dracula: Dark Reign has been announced for Game Boy Color, bringing the classic Konami series to the handheld. GoNintendo
⚔️ A beloved PS1 RPG remaster has leaked, confirming its return after 25 years away from the market. GAMINGbible
📺 A classic 2001 PlayStation 1 RPG is being remastered for Nintendo Switch, bringing beloved retro RPG gameplay to modern handhelds. VICE
💾 Game Boy Color spin-off Mega Man Xtreme gets a new fan revamp with a range of impressive custom features. TimeExtension
💾 Super ZSNES is a GPU-powered SNES emulator from the original developers that supports per-game enhancements. TechSpot
🎮 The Anbernic RG Rotate handheld gets an official unboxing video, with pre-orders starting at $88. TechEBlog
📺 A beloved PS1 classic is officially returning on PS5 on 15th May. ScreenRant
💾 GOG has added four seminal titles from Polish developer xLand to its free-to-claim catalogue, marking a significant step in DOS-era computing preservation. RetroShell
📰 A weekly recap of major retro gaming news, including the Game Boy Color watch, GammaOS support for Anbernic hardware and more. Retro Handhelds
⚔️ Iconic RPG developers have let fans keep a game they accidentally gave away for free, demonstrating unexpected goodwill. Polygon
📺 A new retro console has smashed its annual sales target after just 24 hours of pre-orders, demonstrating overwhelming collector demand. PCGamesN
📺 Neo Geo AES+ preorders have hit roadblocks in the U.S. as demand surges past expectations. Notebookcheck
🍄 Console Archives could potentially gain pre-Famicom Nintendo hardware games, expanding the library of classic titles available. Nintendo Everything
🎮 Rugrats Portable Collection has been announced for Game Boy Color, bringing the beloved series to the handheld. GoNintendo
📺 Nintendo GameCube is getting a surprise Minecraft alternative in 2026, offering fans a new experience on the beloved console. GAMINGbible
🛒 Rugrats: Retro Rewind Collection is coming to consoles soon, bringing classic 90s and early 2000s titles to modern platforms. Entertainment Focus
🛒 A new collection brings six classic Game Boy and PS1 games to Nintendo Switch and PS5. ComicBook Gaming
Features
🔧 After 27 years, the Retro Fighters StrikerDC has finally given the Sega Dreamcast the comfortable, wireless controller it has long deserved. GamesRadar
🎮 Cross an iPod and a Game Boy and you get a retro gaming handheld with genuine difference and character. t3.com
🦔 A retrospective examination of what happened to Sega and why the company stopped making gaming consoles. bgr.com
🇬🇧 Dominik Diamond reflects on touching a ZX Spectrum for the first time in decades and discovering why the machine still resonates with retro enthusiasts. The Guardian
⚔️ A detailed retrospective review of Gunple: Gunman’s Proof and its place in the retro RPG library. RPGamer
💾 An enthusiastic look at Evercade’s return as the classic emulation device that retro gamers have been dreaming of. Kotaku
📰 An interview examining Limited Run Games’ ongoing journey to become a more fan-focused publisher in the physical games market. Hardcore Gamer
🎮 23 years after the Game Boy Advance SP, a new handheld may finally offer the improvements to the Game Boy line that collectors have long awaited. Gizmodo
🎮 The Lego Game Boy isn’t an exact copy of Nintendo’s retro handheld, and that’s precisely why many collectors and enthusiasts love it. GamesRadar
Lists & Rankings
🏅 A ranking of ten classic GameCube games that are unfortunately unplayable in the modern day. CBR
🏅 A comprehensive ranking of the top ten Nintendo Entertainment System games. JoBlo
🏅 An examination of ten of the most ambitious strategy RPGs released for the Sega Genesis. DualShockers
🏅 A ranking of six of the hardest Sega Genesis games that modern players could easily beat with the right knowledge. ComicBook Gaming
🏅 A ranking of seven SNES games that deliver near-perfect experiences from start to finish. CBR
