The Curated Pulse of Retro Computing.

The Commodore Amiga scene has another intriguing project on its hands: developer Str1der has announced an ambitious conversion of Capcom’s classic arcade hit, Black Tiger, for the Amiga 500 and Amiga 1200. Instead of starting from zero, this release is a direct port of the latest Sega Mega Drive/Genesis conversion project hosted on GitHub by Rester159. While Str1der used AI tools to

Acidbottle is no stranger to IndieRetroNews, especially after the recent coverage of two Arcade games for the Amiga, Defender and Centipede(beta). While Centipede is still in the works, he’s now shifting focus to the 1980s arcade classic Starforce. The ambitious AGA project has already endured a gruelling development journey, with Acidbottle revealing it all started with early Scorpion

The 1986 arcade classic Wonder Boy has been brought to the Sega Mega Drive and Commodore Amiga by developer ShinobiZ. Built as a native 68000 assembly rewrite from the original Sega System 1 arcade program logic, and aided by AI, this new release sends players back into Tom-Tom’s sneakers for a frantic dash across eight distinct areas and 32 rounds to rescue his kidnapped girlfriend.

Real MMA fans see the Ultimate Fighting Championship as the purest fighting in the world, but for years, its video game counterparts were just ploys to cash in on one of the hottest licenses in sports today. While the original UFC game from EA Sports and THQ’s editions of the series weren’t terrible, they never captured the pugilistic poetry and enigmatic episodes of ground and pound and grappling the way that “UFC 2” does. Although it’s an MMA game for everyone, “UFC 2” is simple enough to pick up, it’s ultimately an experience true lovers of the sport will appreciate for its depth and attention to detail. While its realism may, at times, make the game a challenge, it mirrors the spectacle, strategy and sexiness of a mixed martial arts bout wonderfully. Graphically, “UFC 2” is beautiful, with awesome facial and cloth animations that bring each fight to life like never before. Solid commentary from Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan add the TV element the same way the NHL and FIFA games do. Simply put, from the aesthetics (thank you, yummy card girls in-between rounds, roar), a diverse soundtrack and TV realism, “UFC 2” does everything right before the fight starts. Once you tap gloves and the war in the octagon begins, you’ll quickly realize this is a different game from the first. While there are still too many punches and kicks thrown in each battle, the number has shrunk tremendously from last year, much closer to the UFC average over the past few years. And unlike EA Sports’ last attempt at the UFC, the strikes “feel” right. From in the clinch, to on the ground, you’ll scream in delight or wince in terror when the blows come down. This is not the game to play while your wife is sound asleep on a Saturday morning. This is not a game to play while holding in the urge to hit the restroom. Much like a real fight, this is a game you’ve got to be prepared to play. This is an experience you’ve got to mentally train for. If you go into it expecting to win the same way you do in “Tekken” or “Street Fighter,” you’re going to make yourself miserable fast. If you learn the techniques you need succeed though, it’s a thrilling and rewarding time that never gets old. However, where “UFC 2” distinguishes itself the most is the submission game and on the ground. The easiest way to describe the jujitsu elements of the game is playing and transitioning through chords on the guitar. At first, it’s difficult and even boring, but after time, it becomes so fluid and fun that you’ll want to take your opponent to the ground and choke him out with a Japanese Neck Tie. Casual gamers have no fear, though, there is a Knockout Mode where all you do is through fists and feet as well. While the mechanics of each fight are smart and will keep you on the couch for hours, the Ultimate Team is where a bulk of your time will be submitted. Creating your own stable of fighters from scratch and taking them through the ranks of the UFC is a blast, but is a serious investment of time and difficult to boot. At the same time, with daily rewards and a ton of ways to improve your fighters, it’s just as fun as any of the other Ultimate Team modes in EA’s other games and more importantly, never feels forced. Overall, with a hearty list of fighters, improved fight mechanics and the awesome Ultimate Team mode, “UFC 2” scores a tremendous first round knockout. In just two years, EA Sports has morphed the series from one that reveled in mediocrity, to the best MMA game ever released. Pros: Better Striking: In the original game, the punches and kicks would connect, but you wouldn’t “feel” it. This year, the Knockout Physics System has changed the hand-to-hand elements of the game dramatically, creating a tension-filled gameplay system where anything can happen. More Intuitive Ground Work: “UFC 2” is a free-flowing experience and it’s evident from the ground game, changing positions fluidly and going from the guard to striking is a complete blast. The Next Level Submissions make it easier to pull off grapples from the clinch and perform nifty transitions. If you go through the tutorials and learn the proper way to play, you’ll feel like a pro after only a few bouts. Awesome Visuals: From the lighting effects, real-time damage and awesome atmosphere, “UFC 2” does an excellent job of capturing the big-fight feel. Cons: CM Punk: He’s never fought in an MMA contest…why is he in this game? Bruce Lee and Mike Tyson are combat legends, influential to millions in the MMA world, while Punk is a professional wrestler. Does he belong in this game? Final Thoughts: With enhanced visuals and improved gameplay over the original, EA Sports’ “UFC 2” is the mixed-martial arts game you’ve been waiting for.  The post Retro Review: UFC 2 (360) appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

Amigos Retro Gaming has sprung a welcome surprise with Lotus Turbo Challenge II DX, a definitive Amiga upgrade for systems with at least 1 MB of Chip RAM. Branded “The Version You Always Wanted,” it tackles one of the original 1991 Magnetic Fields classic’s most notorious limitations by finally allowing music and sound effects to play together. The v13 update restores the authentic “

Double Dragons wasn’t the only arcade classic to get a fresh spotlight on IndieRetroNews. Developer charger0277 has now officially released a new Commodore 64 port of Namco’s beloved 1983 hit, Mappy. Players can grab it as either a disk image (.d64) or a cartridge image (.crt), but this conversion doesn’t stop at stock hardware — it demands a 1 MB RAM Expansion Unit (REU), which can be utilized on

Kirby2000 has hauled a classic handheld block-breaker onto the ZX Spectrum 48k and 128k in a newly released unofficial fan-made conversion that stays loyal to the original 1989 release. Players take control of a paddle, keep a bouncing ball in play, and smash through rows of descending blocks as they push onward through 32 stages — 24 standard levels plus 8

The games brought us there, but the people made it unforgettable. Join the RGDS crew for Arcade Club Meetup 2026, a celebration of classic arcade gaming, good company, and the machines that still tempt us with “just one more go.” Expect lively arcade chat, plenty of banter, and the simple pleasure of getting retro gamers together under one roof. Whether you were there on the day or missed it entirely, pull up a chair and join the conversation. Insert coin, meet your mates — this is RGDS!

Atari today announced THE 800XL – a faithful recreation of its best-selling 8-bit computer, bringing the iconic machine and its extensive collection of games and software to a new generation. Designed by Retro Games Ltd., renowned for their authentic recreations of 1980s hardware, THE 800XL retains the look and feel of the original, including a full-sized mechanical keyboard, baked in Atari BASIC, and a working cartridge slot, while adding features designed for modern displays and gaming setups. The hardware, manufactured and distributed by PLAION REPLAI, is available for pre-order now for USD $219.99, GBP £199.99, EUR €219.99 and AUD $349.99, with shipping beginning on April 23, 2027. “The 800XL represents an important moment in Atari’s history, when home computers were becoming a gateway to gaming, programming and creativity,” said Matt Burnett, VP of Strategic Operations at Atari. “It gave an entire generation the opportunity to discover what they could do with a computer, while offering an incredible catalog of games and software. That combination is what makes the 800XL such an important part of Atari’s legacy, and working with Retro Games Ltd. and Plaion we are excited to bring back this modernized version.” First introduced in 1983, fans consider the 800XL the jewel in the crown of Atari’s line of personal computers. The unique, low-profile form factor housed a computer and cartridge slot within a full-sized keyboard. With 64KB of memory, custom chips for advanced graphics and sound, and built in BASIC, the original 800XL epitomized Atari’s position at the intersection of personal computing and gaming. https://retrogames.biz/ “The 800XL was one of those rare machines that really showed what an 8-bit home computer could be capable of,” said Stuart Chiplin, COO at Retro Games Ltd. “When recreating it, we wanted to capture not just how the original looked, but what made it such a compelling computer – the freedom it gave people to play, program and create. A lot of work has gone into making THE 800XL feel authentic while bringing the experience up to date for today’s players.” 25 Built-In Games With support for Atari 8-bit home computer software, THE 800XL gives players access to decades of classics. Players can instantly enjoy 25 built-in titles or load their own games and software from USB flash drives with cartridge, disk and cassette image support. https://retrogames.biz/ The 25 built-in games are: Airball, Asteroids®, Basketball, BattleZone and Berzerk: Five classic arcade-inspired titles spanning action, shooting and sports. Boulder Dash®, Bristles, Capture the Flag, Centipede® and Crystal Castles®: A mix of arcade, puzzle and strategy classics. Elektraglide, Encounter, Flip and Flop, Henry’s House and Hover Bovver: A selection of driving, shooting and platforming games. Lee, M.U.L.E., Millipede®, Miner 2049er® and Missile Command®: More Atari 8-bit favorites featuring strategy, platforming and arcade action. O’Riley’s Mine, The Seven Cities of Gold, Star Raiders® II, Wavy Navy and Yoomp!: A final selection featuring exploration, strategy, space combat and arcade action. Of the 25 built-in titles, eight are licensed Atari first-party games and 17 are licensed third-party games. Two additional titles – Castle Crisis and Super Breakout® – are hidden on the game carousel and can be unlocked by connecting an analog controller. 8-Bit Support The original supported decades’ worth of games, applications and home-grown software development. With a working cartridge slot, and the ability to load and run programs via USB, THE 800XL supports software created for the Atari 400, 800, XL and XE 8-bit computers, as well as games developed for the Atari 5200® console, giving users access to a vast library of gaming and computing history. . https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/muud8hnqsqitu3k7otlds/APTntoZX2JSihysZRFg0zes/Videos/THE%20800XL%20Announce%20Trailer%20-%20ANZ%20English%20%E2%80%93%20ACB.mp4?rlkey=a779t6cjigiuuw99w232kljxg&e=1&dl=0 The post ATARI’S 800XL™ HOME COMPUTER RETURNS appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

Thanks to Saberman contacting us late last night, word has arrived that developer HooGames2017, the talent behind the scorpion engine-based Dr.Dangerous, has released the brilliant Commodore Amiga game Tiny Pixel Adventure. As the developer puts it: "Welcome to the colorful and dangerous world of Tiny Pixel Adventure, a classic pixel retro game that will captivate you"

Rainbows, ripples, and Riku set the tone for this week’s retro re-release roundup.

I don’t usually spotlight hardware these days, but this one deserves a nod: Retro Games Ltd has teamed up with Atari to unveil THE 800XL, a full-sized recreation of the iconic 1980s 8-bit home computer. Set for release on April 23, 2027, the system pays tribute to the trailblazing machine that helped bring video gaming into millions of homes.

If you grew up chasing the thrill of Outrun, Lotus, or XJ220 on the Amiga, Hyper Runner is ready to drag you back into that high-speed rush. It captures that same white-knuckle sense of velocity and close calls, but swaps the ordinary road for a sci-fi edge that makes the whole ride feel even more dangerous. If that sounds like your kind of thing, this Commodore racer is worth a look.

A personal favourite of mine, with many hours lost to it on the Amstrad CPC and later the Commodore 64, has now resurfaced on the Commodore Amiga thanks to a port of Bruce Lee from the Sega Master System. Built for classic Amiga OCS hardware with just 512k of RAM, this new conversion carries the beloved 8-bit hit onto Commodore’s 16-bit machine with full NTSC and PAL support.

ModRetro has quietly rolled out a new transparent Chromatic model, and on the surface it’s the same machine as the standard version. The real differences are simpler: it’s $50 cheaper at $150, and it taps straight into the old-school thrill of clear plastic hardware. For anyone who remembers the era when you could see the guts of your console, that alone is part of the appeal.

The legendary 1980's beat-’em-up franchise gets a bold new spin in Double Dragons, an ambitious PC release that plays like an alternate-history sequel to the series’ first two mainline entries. Framed as a love letter to original creator Yoshihisa Kishimoto, this championship-edition brawler imagines a world where Japan's Technosoft rose up to take on Capcom’s Final

Welcome to NYBBLE & NIBBLE, a fresh Commodore Amiga port of the original Commodore 64 adventure. Created by Gaboo Arts Entertainment, it brings the game’s signature 60-room trek to the Amiga in a visually striking new form. Players take control of Nybble, a tiny half-byte hero, and guide them through six distinct zones of tight, rhythmic platforming as they hunt for their missing half.

Acidbottle has officially unveiled yet another addition to his growing stack of Amiga projects: a port of Atari’s historic 1981 arcade hit, Centipede, headed for Commodore Amiga. The upcoming release is being built to play nicely across the full Amiga line, with support for OCS, ECS, and AGA setups. For younger players—or anyone who needs a quick memory jog—the

Retro Game Coders presents This week's retro news, hand curated down to the stories worth your time Issue 037 October 202647 storiesFree, every week In this issueMiSTerCommodore 64AmigaPCAmstrad CPCArcadeC64Analogue PocketAndroidAtari 8-bit Get it every week Get the best stories from the retro community each week! Sign up free From the editor During our visit to The National Museum of Computing we very briefly checked out the Cray hardware, thought it was fun to see, then moved on. I wish now after watching RetroBytes documentary that I had really taken time to soak it in. Fortunately I grabbed an annual pass, so I need to get back down there! AI slop versus helpful digital buddy debate is raging again, this time due to the egg-obsessed retro game developer twins using excuses to hide their shame over AI generated art. As I said on BlueSky … Beloved veterans of retro gaming say they couldn't get a single talented fan to help with art" and more lame excuses for making slop. News at 10 Biggest story of the week This week's big one Cray RetroBytes: the history of Cray, and running UNICOS on a home-built Cray Y-MP A history of Seymour Cray from the CDC 1604, 3600, 6600 and 7600 through Cray Research and the Cray-1, 2 and X-MP, then their own Cray Y-MP setup with UNICOS and COS batch mode running! 0:31 RetroBytes Copy link CG Growing up I knew "Cray" as synonymous with "Super Computer". It's only now that I know it 'only' had about enough power to play Doom! I won't spoil the other surprises, definitely worth a watch this one. New games New games for old machines Amiga Dizzy gets new titles for 40th anniversary The Oliver Twins have announced new Dizzy titles to mark the 40th anniversary of the series. read Reddit Retro read also: Reddit Retro Copy link CG Unfortunately instead of tapping one of the many thousands of artists who would have LOVED to help them with this, or gone with their original process, they used generative AI to create the art which is a horrible shame. Commodore 64 Binky: Frozen in Time for C64 Binky from Thalamus for the Commodore 64, the sequel to Thin Ice. 2:23 Retrogaming Dino 1:36 also: BastichB 64K Copy link ZX Spectrum Shadows of Belial for ZX Spectrum 128K Shadows of Belial – A new game for the ZX Spectrum 128K by RetroWorks read Indie Retro News 19:29 also: Pixel Cherry Ninja Copy link Commodore 64 Battle Tanks 64 Battle Tanks 64 for the Commodore 64. 36:48 Retrogaming Dino Copy link Don't miss out! Unlock full issues and extra features by joining Patreon at $3.50/month. - Click "Read more" to unlock this content at the source Rebuilt Old machines get a new life Sega Saturn Sega Saturn-themed MiSTer FPGA Kit A complete MiSTer FPGA kit themed after the Sega Saturn, called 'Mercury' (the Saturn's original codename), with a white injection-molded shell and everything needed except the DE-10 Nano read RetroRGB read also: Retro Dodo Copy link MiSTer Violent Storm for MiSTer The Violent Storm (1993) core for MiSTer is now available free on Patreon. read Reddit Retro 28:56 also: Pixel Cherry Ninja Copy link Atari Falcon Atari Falcon 030 core for MiSTer An Atari Falcon 030 core for MiSTer (DE10-Nano) has appeared with a GitHub repository, first found on the MiSTer FPGA Discord. 32:01 Pixel Cherry Ninja Copy link PS2 ARMSX2 PS2 emulator 2.8 adds Namco System 246 and 256 support Android 2.8 adds Namco System 246 and 256 arcade support, a redesigned texture pack menu and a GS threading change that sleeps instead of spinning. The iOS 2.6.0 build now works with a controller and gets rebuilt save states, shaders and texture packs. 7:09 Mr. Sujano Copy link Lost and found Unearthed treasures and new homes for old games List of Human-Made Decomps & Recomps Released A list has been released to distinguish human-made decomps and recomps from AI-generated projects read Retro Dodo Copy link Master System Castlevania for Sega Master System A fanmade port of Castlevania to the Sega Master System read Time Extension 15:42 also: Pixel Cherry Ninja Copy link Amstrad CPC Bubble Ghost for Amstrad 6128 Bubble Ghost, the 1990 Game Boy game, has been ported to the Amstrad 6128 by Kirby2000. read Indie Retro News 15:41 also: Pixel Cherry Ninja Copy link Amiga Doody Calls – Turd World War for Amiga 1200 A top-down squad shooter for the Amiga 1200 based on the v1.33 browser game. read Indie Retro News 11:28 also: Retrogaming Dino Copy link New hardware Boards, carts and kit you can build or buy Four New Transparent Plastic ModRetro Chromatic Colours Shown In New Leak Support us as an independent publisher by tipping , joining our paid community or checking out our accessories brand GAMENOOK ! There's been lots of speculation about the new Chromatics heading out of ModRetro HQ as of late, especially since there have been a few images read Retro Dodo Copy link C64 The C64 keyboard font, traced and free to download Levente Szabadkai traced the lettering on the Commodore 64's keys from photographs and released it as a vector font on GitHub, in several formats. Uppercase only, like the real keys, but it includes the PETSCII glyphs, the function keys and a Commodore logo. read Hackaday Copy link Mega Drive Genesis and CDi Controller Adapter Video by MattKC exploring controller design history from the Atari 2600 connector through his Genesis-to-CDi adapter. read RetroRGB Copy link Tools Things that help you make things PC SHORK-486: a small Linux for 486 laptops SHORK-486 is a free, open source, trimmed-down Linux for 486 and Pentium machines, shown running a 2026 kernel (7.3-rc3) on a 1996 IBM ThinkPad 365ED. 18:00 This Week in Retro Copy link Android ES-DE 3.5.0 adds PS4 and Atari Jaguar CD on Android EmulationStation Desktop Edition 3.5.0 adds PS4 and Jaguar CD systems on Android, new theme engine features and video scraping for TheGamesDB. 8:33 Mr. Sujano Copy link Amiga Amigo for iOS Amiga emulator for iPhone and iPad from Thomas Luebker, free on the App Store with source on GitHub. Runs hard drive images and supports external display and clipboard sharing. read GitHub Copy link Chums of the Channel Send some love to nice people Amiga Running AMOS on an iPad with the Amigo Amiga emulator Walks through Amigo, a free iOS Amiga emulator derived from WinUAE, running an AMOS Pro hard drive image: writing and running code, saving to an ADF, an extended display on an M4 iPad Pro, and clipboard sharing to copy AMOS listings into iPadOS. 0:23 Yawning Angel Retro Copy link Atari 8-bit Clowns and Balloons on the Atari 8-bit, a look at Frank Cohen's first game Pete's Atari 8 to Z series plays Datasoft's 1982 Clowns and Balloons, covering what Frank Cohen later remembered about its four-month development, a period review, and a playthrough of the trampoline and balloon popping gameplay. 0:02 ThisIsPete Copy link How Worth-A-Watch is Made My feed readers are constantly scouring an ever-growing list of the best blogs, online magazines, communities and YouTube channels for the latest news. I then hand-pick stories and add my thoughts, so nothing goes in unless I am sure it is worth your time. Timestamps jump to the moment a story starts and written stories link to the original, so the traffic goes to the people who did the work. Get it by email Get the best stories from the retro community each week! Sign me up Know someone who would like this? Send it on. ↑ Back to the top The post appeared first on Retro Game Coders.

It’s the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis’ turn in the spotlight, as yosoynacho has released version 1.0 of Hang-On Jr. for the Sega Mega Drive/Sega Genesis. The game first appeared in 1986 as a streamlined, budget-friendly take on Sega’s iconic 1985 arcade racer, built for the less powerful Sega System E hardware. Even with the original’s trimmed-back audio and visuals, it still carried the unmistakable DNA of the classic.

Some intriguing ZX Spectrum Next news has just landed via Twitter: Jordi has released a revamped version of his ZX Spectrum game 'Misifu Remeow' — a title originally entered in the ZX-DEV MIA remake competition as a demake of the classic 'Alley Cat'. If that name rings a bell, it should: the original was released on

WAD Commander is a free retro gaming platform at wadcmd.com. It runs classic PC, DOS, Amiga and Commodore 64 games directly in the browser, on dedicated engines made for the web, on desktop, tablet and phone, and it installs as an app that keeps working offline. Every session is saved to the player’s history with its statistics, screenshots and replays. Players can keep these on their own device or share them in a community feed, and can chase achievements, climb casual and ranked leaderboards, compete in tournaments, and open multiplayer rooms for up to 4 players in the Doom-engine games and up to 256 in the Quake series. https://wadcmd.com/ The optional WADCMD+ membership, at $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year, adds private multiplayer rooms, custom private events and tournaments, private cloud sync and cloud saves. WAD Commander started in 2019 as a browser-based launcher and file manager for WAD files, the data format behind some of the most-modded games of the 1990s. Version 2.0 grows that idea into a platform for more than 300 games on over 30 dedicated engines, and thousands more through emulators, with a local-first design in which game files stay on the player’s device. WAD Commander is developed by Level 0x40 Labs, founded by Viktor Lázár, an independent developer based in Budapest. Real engines, right in the browser Wherever possible WAD Commander avoids generic emulation: games run on their own engines, source ports and faithful reimplementations, made for the web. WAD Commander and its custom game engines are developed by Level 0x40 Labs, founded by Viktor Lázár, an independent developer in Budapest. The platform builds on many open-source projects, credited with their licenses in the app’s About dialog. The post WAD Commander: a new retro gaming platform launching November 2 appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

A low-scoring crop this week — will things finally pick up again soon?

The final story of the evening comes with a tired sigh and a promising spark: Asic28 has dropped an exciting preview of Gold Mine Run!, a new title in development for the Amstrad CPC 6128. Built with a blend of C and Z80 assembly, the game sends players into pitch-black underground tunnels where the mission sounds simple but feels anything but—strip each cavern of its gold bags while carefully managing the pressure.