Latest news with #retroGames
The Sun
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Nine games loved by millions made FREE before they disappear from download – last chance to claim them
VIDEOGAME maker Sega will soon pull nine beloved retro games from app stores, according to reports. But not before making them completely free. 6 6 6 The Japanese company has revealed it is ending support for the titles, which were ported to iOS and Android several years ago. Before they disappear, Sega has made them free to download and has removed all in-app purchases, according to Android Authority. The games will still be playable after Sega ends its support - so you might want to go download them before they vanish from app stores. They work offline too, so you don't even need to be attached to Wi-Fi. Here's all the games that are affected: There doesn't appear to be an official announcement from Sega; however, the prices have already been removed on both the Apple and Android app stores. An in-game pop-up says: "Support for this game will be discontinued, but you can continue playing offline!" These games were part of the Sega Forever programme, which made classic retro games available on modern platforms. Watch Nintendo's retro 1991 SNES console TV ad starring Paul Rudd However, this programme was shut down in 2023. Sega reportedly already delisted other titles included in Sega Forever, including Altered Beast Classic and The Revenge of Shinobi Classic, from app stores in 2023. There doesn't appear to be an official deadline for their removal from app stores. So you should install them now while you have the chance. "Love me some retro action…. Or as I like to call them, 'games from my youth'," one person wrote on X. Another added: "Free is free! And some real classics in there." While a third person wrote: "Bro why is this not always the way. Literally every closed 'eshop' should just go out like this when they do (but they shouldn't)." 6 6 6
Android Authority
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Android Authority
These retro SEGA games are now free on Android until they disappear forever
Nick Fernandez / Android Authority TL;DR Nine retro SEGA games ported to mobile are now free without ads, but will lose support soon. You can still download them, and they will likely remain in your account forever. Free games include Crazy Taxi Classic, Shining Force Classics, Streets of Rage 2 Classic, and more. SEGA has a long history of supporting its retro titles, with many ported directly to Android and iOS as part of the SEGA Forever program. However, the company will soon pull support for nearly its entire remaining catalog of mobile ports, including classic Sonic, Crazy Taxi, and Shining Force games. There's no telling how long they will remain on the Google Play Store, but the good news is that they've all been made free. Previously, most were paid titles costing roughly $2, or were playable for free with IAP to remove ads. The announcement came not via any official channels, but rather via an in-game popup in the affected titles. It reads: 'Support for this game will be discontinued, but you can continue playing offline! If you'd like to learn more about great SEGA games to play, please click the link below.' The link leads to the SEGA homepage. This message implies that the game will still be playable after it's removed from the Play Store, provided you have claimed it on your account. This was the case for previous SEGA Forever titles that were pulled a few years ago, which included games like Phantasy Star Classics and Vectorman Classic. Unfortunately, it was only a matter of time before the rest of these games lost support. The SEGA Forever program was discontinued in late 2023, and the last port was added to Android way back in 2019. While the ports didn't always live up to emulation, they did have full controller support, with many getting tens of millions of downloads. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
Forbes
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Echoes Of The Unread Is A New NES Platformer Hitting The Right Notes
Echoes of the Unread Hobbyist game designers and retro tinkerers have been making homebrew retro games for vintage game consoles forever, that's not new. But nowadays, it seems like just about every day a new retro game is revealed to be in development that actually looks fantastic and like it could have been a bestseller in the 80s or 90s since it runs on actual hardware. That's the case here with Echoes of the Unread, an innovative indie NES platformer currently in development. The game is currently live on Kickstarter via Mega Cat Studios with just over a week to go as of the time of this writing, but it was already fully-funded in its opening 24-hours on the platform. To learn more about the game and its origins, check out the dev diary series from creator Matt Tuttle below: I tried out the demo of the NES game for myself and came away very impressed. I'm a sucker for charming, original takes on retro platforming and Echoes of the Unread has tons of personality and charm. Rather than just asking you to run from left to right, squashing enemies and collecting things along the way, there's a bit more going on here. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder For starters, it's both a story-driven and music-focused puzzle platformer. The main character, Rhapsody, is a girl who falls asleep while studying at the library and awakes to a world where books burst into life. Singing has magical powers in this world and she must use her talents to find a way back home. She'll have to venture across a variety of worlds featuring themes from westerns and horror, to fantasy and even sci-fi. There's a huge variety on display and the pixel artists really put in a lot of work to make sure you rarely see the same thing twice. Echoes of the Unread The demo I tried (check it out for yourself on the Kickstarter page for free) featured a few levels, but I mostly just explored, enjoyed the music, and appreciated the quality of the pixel art. Every enemy is expertly animated and the soundtrack is immediately catchy in the same way all of the best games from decades ago were for our brains as kids. I'll definitely be keeping my eye on Echoes of the Unread, especially since it's an authentic retro game that runs on original NES hardware.
Daily Mail
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Do you have one of these gathering dust in your attic? Experts reveal the retro video games that are now worth a FORTUNE
Many of us have a box of old gadgets, video games, and used batteries gathering dust in the attic. While clearing this out might sound like a chore, it could land with you with a tidy profit. Experts from Currys have revealed the retro video games that are now worth a fortune. Topping the list is Zelda Majora's Mask [Adventure Set] for Nintendo 64, which now has a whopping estimated value of £3,715.01. Meanwhile, if you have a copy of Snowboard Challenge for NES, you could be in line for a £2,935.80 payout. However, to make this kind of cash, you'll have to have the original box - as well as all the extra bits it came with. 'Most gamers unwrapped their new games, played them endlessly, and it never crossed their mind to hold onto the boxes they came in,' Currys explained. 'But for those who did, that decision could be worth thousands today.' Currys analysed retro game resale data on PriceCharting to uncover the 20 most valuable non-sealed PAL video games. While you might have played these games in the past, they'll still need to be complete in box (CIB). 'Complete in box (CIB) games still include their original box, manual, inserts and any extras that were packaged with the game at release,' Currys explained. 'So, they have been opened and used, but everything's been kept.' With an estimated resale value of £3,715.01, Zelda Majora's Mask [Adventure Set] for Nintendo 64 tops the list. 'Leading the PAL-region is Zelda Majora's Mask [Adventure Set] which can rake in an impressive £3,715 for a full box,' the experts explained. 'Special editions like this – especially ones with additional packaging and extras – often become the most valuable. 'Even if a game isn't factory-sealed, a well-preserved CIB copy with all its original materials can sell for significantly more than a loose copy.' Snowboard Challenge for NES is next on the list (£2,935.80), followed by Mega Man X3 for Super Nintendo (£2,465.32), Zelda Oracle of Ages & Seasons Limited Edition for GameBoy Color (£2,259.44), and Darxide for Mega Drive 32X (£2,245.68). Other valuable games include Hammerin' Harry for GameBoy (£1,488.32), Snowboard Kids 2 for Nintendo 64 (£1,715.19), and Family Fun Fitness Stadium Events for NES (£1,457.31). Unfortunately for Brits, the real money is in NTSC games, which are used in North America, Japan, South Korea, and some other regions. Currys' analysis found that a copy of Metal Slug for Neo Geo AES could fetch a whopping £47,005! 'This game was already considered a luxury item back in the 90s and was produced in lower quantities,' the tech giant explained. 'So, finding one with its original box and manual is rare.' If the news has sparked your interest in game collecting, Roy Raferty, a Trading Card and Video Games Specialist for Stanley Gibbons, advises disregarding the notion of collecting for 'investment' purposes. 'Collect and play what you genuinely want to play, and simply enjoy the hobby,' he said. 'In time, an individual is bound to pick up something that naturaly increases in value. 'If you're not passionated about gaminy, you'll likely pick up the wrong title or not even know when to sell out of an item (like if a re-wave or digital release drops). 'When it comes to investing, stick to what you know. 'When it comes to games - stick to playing them!'
Android Authority
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Android Authority
No English release? These fan-translated games are worth emulating
Hadlee Simons / Android Authority Emulation is one of my biggest obsessions, whether I want to revisit a classic or check out a game I missed at the time. It's also a fantastic way to experience games that never received an official English translation. Hundreds of retro games have been restricted to Japan over the last few decades. That meant you had to use an online translation guide or Google Lens to actually play it — a finicky experience at best. The good news is that fans have translated many retro games over the years and created language patches for them. Here are a few notable fan-translated games you should play, including a few we've personally emulated. Mother 3 Hadlee Simons / Android Authority Fans have been clamoring for an English version of Mother 3 ever since Nintendo released the Game Boy Advance RPG way back in 2006. The game is a follow-up to the popular Super Nintendo title Earthbound, which was, in turn, a sequel to the Japanese-only title Mother. Enthusiasts decided to translate the game into English and released the patch in 2008, just two years after the game's release. Needless to say, Game Boy Advance emulation is a piece of cake for pretty much any Android phone or TV box released in the last decade. So I definitely think it's worth emulating this game if you're an RPG fan or enjoyed Earthbound and Undertale. Super Robot Wars Alpha Gaiden Hadlee Simons / Android Authority Role-playing games (RPGs) have historically received the short end of the stick as far as translations go. Colleague Nick Fernandez is a fan of the tactical RPG sub-genre, and many of these titles missed out on English releases too. However, a fan-translated patch allowed Nick to play Super Robot Wars Alpha Gaiden for the PS1. It's also worth noting that there are well over a dozen Japan-only entries in this mecha-themed RPG, but Nick adds that this is the only fan-translated game in the series that he's played so far. Either way, this franchise is worth considering if you're into mecha anime. Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere Hadlee Simons / Android Authority I'm a massive Ace Combat fan, dating back to obsessively playing Ace Combat 3 for the PS1 at a family member's house as a child. So imagine my surprise when I later found out that the version of Ace Combat 3 I played was a very different game compared to the Japanese original. The Japanese original spanned two discs, had plenty of animated cutscenes, and featured a fairly deep plot with multiple endings. Meanwhile, the game that I experienced back in 2000 landed on a single disc and had virtually none of these cut scenes, a different plot, and far fewer missions. A real shame. I jumped at the chance to buy the Japanese version of Ace Combat 3 when a friend told me it arrived at his game store several years ago. Thankfully, the fan-translated English patch allows me to play this on a modded console. But I've just been happy to play it via an emulator on my Steam Deck, enjoying the ability to actually understand the cutscenes and dialog. Policenauts Hadlee Simons / Android Authority Metal Gear Solid blew my mind when I first played it in 2000, a couple of years after its release. So I was very intrigued when I found out that director Hideo Kojima had released Policenauts years earlier. The title didn't leave Japan, but fans released a translation over a decade after its 1994 release. The game takes an 'interactive cinema' approach with a point-and-click interface and follows a group of elite police officers turned astronauts. I'm not usually a fan of these types of games, but it's still worth a shot if you're a fan of Kojima's approach to video games. In saying so, I found that the game's generally slow pace made it a more enjoyable experience on a phone touchscreen. Policenauts launched on the Sega Saturn and PlayStation, and the English patch is available for both versions. The Saturn might be a finicky console to emulate, but this version of the game features lightgun support and a few other extras. Tear Ring Saga Nick Fernandez / Android Authority The Fire Emblem games are among the most popular titles on Nintendo's consoles. But did you know that the creator of the series left developer Intelligent Systems and made a spiritual successor on the PlayStation? Tear Ring Saga was only released in Japan, but it received an English translation patch back in 2016. Nick says he's only played the translated game for a few hours, but added that it was 'excellent' so far. The fact that it's a PS1 title means you should be able to play this on your old budget Android phone. It's worth noting that a sequel, Tear Ring Saga: Berwick Saga, was released for the PlayStation 2. Thankfully, this game also received a fan translation patch if you finished the original title and want more. Honorable mentions There are plenty more Japan-only games that received fan translations over the years. Check out a few honorable mentions below. King's Field: Before From Software made Demon's Souls, Dark Souls, and Elden Ring, the company released the King's Field titles. These first-person dungeon-crawling games didn't get great reviews at first, but they've developed a cult following all the way back to this PS1 original. Before From Software made Demon's Souls, Dark Souls, and Elden Ring, the company released the King's Field titles. These first-person dungeon-crawling games didn't get great reviews at first, but they've developed a cult following all the way back to this PS1 original. Monster Hunter: Several games in the Monster Hunter series, such as Monster Hunter 2 and Monster Hunter Freedom, were Japan-only affairs. So they're worth seeking out if you can't get enough of this creature-slaying franchise. Several games in the Monster Hunter series, such as Monster Hunter 2 and Monster Hunter Freedom, were Japan-only affairs. So they're worth seeking out if you can't get enough of this creature-slaying franchise. Namco x Capcom: Ever wanted to play a grid-based RPG featuring characters from Street Fighter, Tekken, Final Fight, and more? Well, you can if you want to, as this PS2 game also received a fan translation. Ever wanted to play a grid-based RPG featuring characters from Street Fighter, Tekken, Final Fight, and more? Well, you can if you want to, as this PS2 game also received a fan translation. Marvelous: Mohitotsu no Takarajima: Eiji Aonuma helmed the recent Legend of Zelda games, but one of his first games was a Japan-only affair. Marvelous, an adventure title for the SNES inspired by The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past, eventually received a fan translation in the mid-2010s.
