"The Sega Saturn Was Truly Ahead Of Its Time" - Here's Why Modern Games Use 'Dithering' Instead Of Transparency
Sega does...If you've played a modern 3D video game recently, then you will almost certainly have noticed an effect known as "dithering", which allows an object to become semi-transparent when it obscures your view of the action.While it's certainly effective, the dithering effect can often look…
"This Time, You Are Dracula" - ReVamp Is "Castlevania In Reverse"
"A castle-defence roguelite".There have been video games in the past where the natural order of things is reversed, with Bullfrog's Dungeon Keeper being perhaps the most obvious. Instead of assuming a heroic role, you were tasked with creating a hazard-filled catacomb to entrap foolish heroes –…
Bodice-Ripping Epic 'Defender Of The Crown' Is Getting Remastered For Its 40th Birthday
"Everything that made the original special is intact".Cinemaware's debut, Defender Of The Crown, was truly groundbreaking when it launched on the Amiga back in 1986.Designed by Kellyn Beeck, with gorgeous pixel artwork by James D. Sachs and a rousing score composed by Jim Cuomo, it was one of the…
This Long-Running Website Has Apparently Been Nuked From Google Thanks To AI-Written Resident Evil Review
"It was acquired, filled with gambling ads, ravaged by AI, and then killed".If you're familiar with the world of British video game journalism, then the name VideoGamer will be instantly recognisable.Founded all the way back in 2004 by Adam McCann and Tom Orry, VideoGamer helped kickstart the…
Video Game Preservation Archive Myrient Has Been "100% Backed Up" By The Community
Update: That's over 390 terabytes of ROMs, ISOs and collections.Myrient, a self-described "video game preservation service" which houses over 390 terabytes of "organised collections publicly available for download", is closing down on March 26th, it has been announced.Aimed at retro gamers and…
"If That Bothers You, I Understand" - Android Devices Get A Nintendo StreetPass Successor, But Of Course There's A Catch
"I use AI to write code faster".If you owned a 3DS, then you'll be aware of just how amazing StreetPass was (and still is, if you're truly dedicated).Having a portable system that could wirelessly communicate with other users while you're out and about was a genuine joy, and to this day, I'm…
"Definitely Not Created By AI" - How An Innocent Conker Celebration Drew Rare Into A GenAI Debate
GenAI is making us question everything.We live in a world where Generative AI images are making us second-guess everything we see online, and that now extends to artwork innocently posted to mark the anniversary of famous video game characters.Yesterday, the official Rare social media account…
Can't Wait For A Western Release? 'R-Type Tactics I • II Cosmos' Is Out Today In Japan
With a multi-language localisation.After several delays, it seems like the long wait for Granzella's turn-based strategy collection R-Type Tactics I • II Cosmos could soon be coming to an end, according to a new official video posted earlier today.R-Type Tactics I • II Cosmos was initially…
EmuLnk Turns Your Emulators Into "A Nintendo DS-Style Experience"
"A live second screen system for emulators".I can still recall when reports emerged that Nintendo was creating a dual-screen handheld, and some people started posting memes of monstrous, multi-screened devices to poke fun at the concept.Despite the initial scepticism, it's fair to say that the DS…
The "Boosted" Version Of This 1995 Shoot 'Em Up Is Getting A New PC Big Box Release
'Terminal Velocity: Boosted Edition' is getting two new physical versions.Ziggurat Interactive is teaming up with the physical games publisher Reboxy to release a new PC big box of Terminal Velocity: Boosted Edition, its expanded take on Terminal Reality's 1995 cult classic air-combat-based…
Ex-Xbox Icon Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb Joins Commodore International
"Now we get to build what’s next together".Commodore International has revealed that "games industry icon" Larry Hryb has joined the company as a Community Development Advisor.Hryb, also known as Major Nelson, spent much of his career at Xbox, where he helped foster the relationship between Xbox…
Interview: "I'm The Luckiest Son Of A B**ch In The Industry" - Skyrim's Bruce Nesmith On TSR, Elder Scrolls & Daggerfall's "Miserable" Crunch
"Pretty much everything done on Daggerfall was a negative lesson in what not to do".There are very few developers around who can claim to have as much insight into Bethesda's history as Bruce Nesmith.Arriving from the Dungeons & Dragons publisher TSR in the mid-90s, Nesmith has had two separate…
A Classic PlayStation & Sega Saturn Shoot 'Em Up Is Making Its Way To PS5 & Switch 2 This Week
'Sonic Wings Special' is this week's Console Archives release.After taking us on a trip to feudal Japan last week with its console reissue of the NES title Nobunaga's Ambition, Hamster, the creator of Console Archives, has announced plans to send players to the skies this week with a rerelease of…
Popular PS1 Emulator Duckstation May Have Reached The End Of The Line On Android
"I don't have the time nor energy to do something I'll mostly get negativity for".While the world of retro emulation has connected gamers with experiences they might otherwise not have had without buying original hardware, it's often an odd and somewhat toxic landscape populated by many…
Croc Cheat Code Goes Undiscovered For Almost 30 Years
...just don't expect it to do a great deal.Croc has been in the news quite a bit recently, and with good reason – Argonaut's 3D platformer got a long-overdue re-release on modern systems, giving younger generations a chance to see what all of the fuss is about.What's even more surprising is that…
AYANEO Responds To Claims It's Spying On Users Via Nintendo DS-Style Android Handheld
"This is normal behavior".Chinese hardware maker AYANEO has been accused of spying on its users.A user on Mr. Sujano’s GitHub flagged the potential issue, reporting that they had discovered the AYAWindow app on their Pocket DS Android handheld was taking screenshots "every single time" an action…
This Dreamcast Controller Fixes One Of The Console's Biggest Shortcomings
Second-stick syndrome.Remember the Dream Color Plus? This forthcoming aftermarket pad promises a built-in colour VMU screen, rumble, built-in microphone and wireless connectivity – but its biggest selling point has only just been revealed.As reported by The Dreamcast Junkyard, the people behind…
This Week's Arcade Archive Release Is An Adorable Mix Of Breakout & Puyo Puyo
Video System's 1997 title 'Pop'N Bounce' is coming to consoles.Video System's 1997 arcade game Pop'N Bounce (known in Japan as Gapporin) will be released on Nintendo Switch and PS4 on Thursday, March 12th, the Arcade Archives creator Hamster revealed earlier today.Developed for SNK's Neo Geo MVS…
"At EA, We Were Voted The Worst Company In America Because Of The End Of Mass Effect"
Peter Moore explains why he went to bat for his former employer, EA.Peter Moore, one feels, has really seen it all.An executive whose career has straddled the world of sports, clothing and video games, Moore has held roles at companies such as Sega, Microsoft and EA – and has been speaking to The…
Review: Polymega Collection Vol. 15 - Body Harvest - Comes Undone Thanks To A Poor Showing By DMA's N64 Classic
Nobody to love.DMA Design's Body Harvest is one of those unique titles which, despite enduring a torrid development process and not finding the audience it perhaps deserved, can nonetheless be considered an important moment in the history of the studio which created it; DMA would, of course,…