Author: Danny Neleman

Hardcore Dreamcast gamers who still fondly remember Sega’s white powerhouse until its untimely demise have been well treated in recent months. It must feel surreal to see Sega’s own franchises and Capcom’s contributions to the platform revitalized. Numerous re-releases and franchise sequels have been announced, creating a whirlwind of excitement. One standout is the follow-up to the Dreamcast (and later on PS2) classic, Tokyo Xtreme Racer. Announced during the Tokyo Game Show in August, the game is slated for an early access release on January 23. There are no announcements on possible console versions of the game right now, but…

As 2025 approaches, we wrap up 2024, a year marked by more games in our niche than we could reasonably cover. Despite publishing numerous articles and 48 reviews, we had to decline coverage for some titles due to the high volume of retro-inspired releases. Over the past year—and the one before it—rights and licensing deals from 1980s and 1990s publishers were acquired by specialists in the market, such as Piko Interactive, QUByte, Aspyr, Digital Eclypse and Dotemu. These companies have been focusing on re-releases and spiritual successors to franchises from particular those decades. In 2025, larger publishers appear to be…

The newly released trailer for The Bustling World, an open-world RPG developed by FireWo Games and distributed by Lightning Games, offers a fresh glimpse into a game packed with depth and cultural authenticity. Set in the intricate and dynamic world of ancient China, this title combines rich storytelling with a vast array of gameplay possibilities. Although the title sounds like a strict translation and not a actual commercial title, the game will be localised and released in western markets on Steam. Infact, the steam page is up and running! A first trailer appeared exactly one year ago and the game…

This River City Saga Three Kingdoms Next review is played and tested on the Nintendo Switch. The Switch version is available for €/$ 29,99. The game is also available for PS4/PS5, and PC. Three years after River City Saga: Three Kingdoms, Arc Systems has released a sequel to their Kunio-kun reenactment of the cultural and historical period-drama set in third-century China. This was when three kingdoms collectively ended the reign of the Han dynasty in what is now Eastern China. The sequel, titled River City Saga: Three Kingdoms NEXT, has a fittingly unassuming name that might feel a little on…

Helped by the massive success of Sea of Stars and the scarcity of previous physical runs, the official European re-release of The Messenger (or its pre-order) has skyrocketed in many EU Amazon sales charts. Each country has its own top-sellers list, but the game is holding its ground against all-time hits like Minecraft and Just Dance in our region (Benelux), as well as many others. A new physical retail release of The Messenger has been a long time coming. Sabotage Studio’s 2018 gem has cultivated a dedicated group of fans who have been quite vocal about their love for the…

The Atari 7800+ is here, and you might be wondering how it compares to its sibling, the Atari 2600+. If you already own a 2600+, you’ll be pleased to know it plays 7800 games seamlessly. So, what’s the difference? The 7800+ introduces a few key upgrades, most notably the CX78+ wireless controller, offering a significant improvement in comfort and precision over the CX40+ that comes with the 2600+. While both consoles now perform nearly identically thanks to updated hardware and firmware on newer 2600+ models, the 7800+ may hold slight advantages for future developments. In this guide, we’ll dive into…

Straight out of the starting blocks at The Game Awards 2024, retro fans received an early Christmas surprise with the announcement trailer for Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound. Tecmo Koei, the developer and publisher behind the Ninja Gaiden franchise, outsourced the development of this nostalgic project to a prominent studio-publisher combo. Dotemu has repeatedly delivered genre-defining reinterpretations of classic franchises, including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge and Streets of Rage 4. Joining them is Spanish developer The Game Kitchen, known for the critically acclaimed but brutal Metroidvania Blasphemous and its sequel, released last year. Honestly, Dotemu couldn’t have landed a better…

This Rage of the dragons NEO review is played and tested on Xbox Series X. It is available for €/$ 19,99. The game is also available on PC (Steam), Nintendo Switch and Playstation 4 and Playstation 5. Widely considered one of the hardest NEO GEO fighting games, Rage of the Dragons (2002) has always been a bit of an enigma. Released at the tail end of SNK’s arcade and home console popularity, it never truly stuck in the collective memory of the gaming masses. At least, not as much as King of Fighters, Samurai Shodown, or its closest cousin, Garou:…

Blaze Entertainment Partners with SNK to Bring NEOGEO Classics to Evercade Consoles Blaze Entertainment has announced a major collaboration with SNK Corporation, the creators of the iconic NEOGEO arcade and home gaming system. The partnership promises to bring a curated collection of officially licensed NEOGEO titles to Blaze’s retro gaming ecosystem throughout 2025 and 2026. Launched in 1990, the NEOGEO system has long been celebrated as a technical marvel of its time, delivering arcade-quality gaming to home consoles. Its unique dual-purpose hardware and a catalog of legendary franchises such as Metal Slug, The King of Fighters, Fatal Fury, and Samurai…

this Spirit Mancer review is played and tested in PC (Steam). The game is also available on Xbox, Playstation en Nintendo Switch for €/$ 29,99. The publisher OKJOY mentions Mega Man, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, and Pokémon in one breath when describing Spirit Mancer to the gaming press. Quite a line-up to live up to, but after playing the game for 10 hours, I can certainly see where they are coming from. The platformer, developed by Sunny Syrup Studio, surely ticks off all those inspirations in presence, at least. But can Spirit Mance mold something interesting and fun out of all…