The N64 | Video Gaming Memories by Imraan Nazir 🎮🤜💥🤛 #RetroGaming #SuperNintendo

The first time I played the Nintendo 64 was in the late 90s at a friend’s house. The first game I played was James Bond GoldenEye. I remember holding the Nintendo 64 controller for the first time, gripping it at either end with my right thumb on the D-pad and my left thumb on the buttons.

My friend looked over and started to laugh. I wondered what he found so amusing. He set up the 2-player mode on GoldenEye, and when the game started, my character wouldn't move. I was using the D-pad, and my friend laughed even harder, telling me to use the analogue stick to move the character.

8BitDo Goes Local with New European Layouts for the Retro Mechanical Keyboard, Available Now ⌨️ @8BitDo

8BitDo has launched new European layouts for its retro-inspired Retro Mechanical Keyboard across Europe.

Previously available in the American keyboard layout, the new release brings localised keyboard layouts to the UK, Spain, France, Germany, and the Nordics.

The UK layout comes in the Commodore-inspired colour scheme with the C64 Retro Mechanical Keyboard, while the German, French, Spanish and Nordic layouts are a nostalgic NES-style grey and red. 

As with all 8BitDo products, each one is a thing of true beauty.

The 8BitDo® Retro Mechanical Keyboard is distributed across the EU by Game Outlet Europe® and is available for an SRP of €99.99 / £85.99.

For more information on the 8BitDo® Retro Mechanical Keyboard, 

please visit: https://www.8bitdo.com/retro-mechanical-keyboard/

INK CONSOLE "A new open source system for text-based adventure games" 📖📑 @InkConsole

Independent manufacturer and creative developer Singular 9 Ltd. will be launching a CrowdSupply campaign to fund INK CONSOLE, their new open source system for text based games, on March 1. 

INK CONSOLE is an innovative hybrid of an e-reader and a game console designed to redefine how you experience storytelling. This unique platform lets you play as you read, turning traditional reading into an interactive adventure inspired by classic computer games and choose-your-own-adventure books.

TOP 15 Best Knives Under $230 in the CS2 Marketplace 🔪🗡️

Knives in CS2 are bad weapons, but good status symbols. They are perfect for flex. But not everyone can drop thousands on a Sapphire Karambit or a Factory New Butterfly. The good news is that you don’t have to.

For under $230, you can still grab some of the coolest, most liquid, and best-value knives in the game. Are you hunting for a Classic Knife with a clean finish, a gut knife with a serious edge? Or something flashy to show off in a deathmatch? Anyway, we’ve got you covered.

In this guide, we’ll break down the TOP 15 best knives you can buy right now in CS2, what makes them worth it, and where to get them for the best price. Plus, we’ll share a trusted marketplace where you can buy, sell, and trade CS2 knives safely.

Let’s jump in. 

Under Defeat Nintendo Switch Review 7/10 "Get To The Chopper!" 🚁💥 @clearrivergames @claricedisc #RetroGaming

I've always been a sucker for helicopter video games. I love SWIV and I love Desert Strike and the Strike series of games.

Under Defeat is a classic helicopter based arcade shoot 'em up that has been given a new life on the Nintendo Switch. It was originally released in the arcades during2005 and has now been brought to the Switch by Clear River Games and City Connection. The idea here as ever is to bring both nostalgia and some modern enhancements for fans of the shmup genre.

Under Defeat is set in an alternate World War II era, where players take control of a helicopter pilot fighting against various enemy forces. The game features a unique shot-tilting angled mechanic that allows players to attack enemies from various different angles. As with most games in the SHMUP genre, the story is minimal and focuses more on the intense action, bullet dodging and strategic gameplay rather than a deep narratives and characters.

SYNDUALITY Echo of Ada PC Review 2/10 "Let the record show I have no beef with free-to-play games" 💥 @SYNDUALITY_GAME @synduality

Let the record show I have no beef with free-to-play games. If a game is riddled with microtransactions, paid-for cosmetics, and has a season pass built into it, but also allows you to play without forking out any money upfront that’s a deal I’m willing to take. Fortnite manages it, Genshin Impact has done very well, and Marvel Rivals is enjoying justified success.

All of which means I’m fully prepared to forgive SYNDUALITY Echo of Ada for its sins, because - oh, uh, hang on, I’m getting passed up a note. Uh-huh. Huh. Oh. Oh no. OH NO. What do you mean it costs £35.00?! That can’t be right!

Sadly this is indeed the case. Despite looking like a free-to-play game, walking like a free-to-play game, and quacking like a free-to-play game, SYNDUALITY is a regular retail release, and this simple fact pretty much obliterates any fun that can be squeezed out of the experience.

My First Hour With Steamworld Heist 2 On PC 🌊🤖 @SteamWorldGames #IndieGames #GameDev

@thegamesfreezer Steamworld Heist 2 Gameplay And First Impressions #lurkit #steamworldheist #indiegames #indiegame #indiegamedev #pcgaming #pcgames #thunderfulgames @thunderfulgames ♬ original sound - ❄️ Games Freezer ❄️

I first played Steamworld Heist on my Nintendo Switch last year and was instantly hooked! (although i nearly threw my switch out of the window on the last boss as it was MEGA hard and it made me feel like I was rubbish! (maybe I was) 

SteamWorld Heist 2 is a deserved sequel to a great game and builds upon the unique style and tactical depth of the original instalment which is sure to please anyone who liked the original Heist game. 

The Video Game History Foundation Library opens in early access ~ For free, for everyone, wherever you are! 📚🎮📖 @GameHistoryOrg #Retrogaming

For eight years, The VGHF have been building a world-class collection of game history materials. Now they're turning that into a research tool that anyone can use to study video game history.

The Video Game History Foundation Library is the long-term home to collections of video game history research materials: behind-the-scenes documents, press kits, game magazines, promo materials, artwork, and more.

The first wave of archival content

Early access to the VGHF Library includes digital access to some unique history research materials, including...

• Hundreds of behind-the-scenes documents from the career of game producer Mark Flitman.
• 100+ hours of footage from the making of the Myst series.
• A massive collection of FromSoftware promotional items.
• 1500+ full-text searchable out-of-print game magazines.
• Rare video game flyers and press kits.
• And more!

This is just the beginning. Follow the Video Game History Foundation for updates on new collections coming to our library platform in the future!

Keep Driving PC Gameplay "Those Pesky Road Sheep!" 🐏🚘 #IndieGame #GameDev

Keep Driving is an upcoming road trip RPG indie game developed and published by YCJY Games. Set in the early 2000s, the game immerses you in a nostalgic, pixel art world where you embark on a cross-country journey after buying your first car. The narrative is minimalist, focusing on the journey rather than a detailed plot.

As you travel, you'll manage essential resources like food and repair supplies, meet hitchhikers with unique stories, and face various roadblocks that require problem-solving using a light combat system. The game emphasizes storytelling through the journey itself, offering an immersive experience rather than traditional RPG mechanics.

The game is set to release on February 6, 2025.

Basureroes: Invasion Nintendo Switch Review 8.5/10 "It’s time to take out the trash" ⚠️🚮💥 @javi_mikau @basureroes @JanduSoft #IndieGame #GameDev

The Superhero League of Hoboken, a much-loved DOS game that also featured a team of heroes with…less than obvious powers of good sprang to mind upon diving into Basureroes: Invasion, I instantly got that vibe of (whilst this is very different in terms of genre from The Superhero League of Hoboken!) a game with a sense of humour and self-deprecation about itself whilst also being genuinely charming, amusing, and well-designed -AND for up to four players!

Just putting this out there as I had no idea what the title meant, ‘basura’ is Spanish for rubbish / trash / garbage – just in case anyone was as flummoxed by the title of this one as I was! Luckily, aside from the title, nothing else about Basureroes: Invasion is rubbish, as it’s an incredibly engaging – and accessible – 2D platform game that has been a regular multiplayer fixture (although it’s just as good in single player mode) in our household over the last couple of weeks.

Why GameZone Official Is the Ultimate Gaming Destination? 🎲🃏🎰 🎮

In the vast world of online gaming, finding a platform that truly stands out can be like searching for a needle in a haystack. But what if there was a gaming destination that combined the best of traditional games with modern excitement, all wrapped up in a user-friendly package? Enter GameZone Official, a platform that's been making waves in the gaming community. Let's dive into what makes GameZone so special and why it might just become your new favourite gaming spot.

Dance of Cards Nintendo Switch Review 9/10 "A game that won my heart...and spade, club, diamond." 🃏🃏 @FrogOfHearts #IndieGame #GameDev

I bloody love coming across games like Dance of Cards – which seems to be released on the Switch just for me, at the perfect time. I’ve been playing Balatro on and off over the last few weeks, and one evening, as I failed yet another run, I mused idly to myself how awesome a poker-based RPG would be...and a few days later, Dance of Cards sidled shiftily into my deck. Needless to say, I went in blind.

The game casts you in the role of the heroically named ‘Martin’, a magician and card mechanic in a small town that is getting sent on to the big city by his shady manager, on a cruise ship. And on said voyage...things go somewhat awry.

Eternal Strands Xbox Series X Review 7.5/10 "Eternal Strands That Don’t Quite Weave Wonder" 🧶🧵 @YellowBrick_Qc #IndieGame #GameDev

A cel-shaded open world adventure that features deep lore abounds in this release from Yellow Brick Games (comprised of a team featuring several ex-Ubisoft developers), Eternal Strands excels in performance and world-building; but lacklustre, weightless combat and certain design elements gives this the faint air of a game that started in a more MMORPG style that pivoted to a single player experience.

Eternal Strands casts the player as Brynn, a mercenary accompanying a group of travellers trying to find out the secrets of a long-lost civilisation. Your camp with the travellers acts as a hub, whilst Loomgates scattered around the land allow you to teleport to different areas of the world, each with their own biome, items, and enemies. The opening anime-style cinematic is impressive and engaging, although it hints at a slightly goofy humour that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the mostly po-faced game, where dialogue with the fully-voiced cast of characters is rich, but mostly eventless and dry. That’s not to say there isn’t a lot of lore and world-building to discover and learn, more that doing so isn’t a particularly engaging aspect of the game.

Burger Race Nintendo Switch Review 7.5/10 "Fast Food at a bargain price!" 🍔💨 @SAT_BOX_2011 #IndieGame #GameDev

This is the second title by Sat-Box that I’ve covered in just a few weeks,,and I have to say that their budget, family friendly titles are winning me over. In the same vein that Sugoroku Casino Party was a fun, digital board game with its focus on multiplayer action, Burger Race is a fast food take on the Mario Kart formula...at under a fiver!

A simple, accessible game, Burger Race allows for up to four players – in split screen – to select from a range of fast food items on wheels (or rather, cucumbers and tomatoes) and race around the nine tracks on offer, picking up the various boosts and weapon pick-ups scattered around the circuits en route.

Dynasty Warriors: Origins PS5 Review 8.5/10 "Battle Grows Where My Wanderlay Goes" 🪖⚔️ @koeitecmoeurope @s_sangokumusou

The last time I played a Dynasty Warriors game was Dynasty Warriors 2 on the PlayStation 2 around 25 years ago. Now at the time of playing it on the PS2, I loved it at first but after a while, the repetition wore away at my enthusiasm for it. In 2021 Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires was released but it came out to a lukewarm reception as it went down a more strategic route for the gameplay elements and this didn't seem to hit well with the target audience. 4 years on and we have a new Dynasty Warriors on the next-gen consoles and I'm glad to say it doesn't disappoint!

Dog Man: Mission Impawsible Xbox Series X Review 6.5/10 "Full price? You’d be barking mad" 🐶 @MindscapeGames @F84Games #IndieGame #GameDev

I have to admit, I had never heard of the Dog Man franchise, I was very much unaware of Dav Pilkey’s books, graphic novels and the upcoming animated film. As such, I approached Dog Man: Mission Impawsible as a pure platform gaming experience, and as such – found it pretty middling in terms of gameplay, interesting in terms of presentation... but I did balk <bark? - Ed> at the asking price.

Dog Man Mission: Impawsible begins with the titular character getting called back into action, and re-banding his old companions in a bid to save their town, each has their own skill to surpass certain obstacles, as well as their own weaknesses. From that moment, the game reveals itself to be a pretty standard platformer, very accessible, and with a generous learning curve for younger / newer players, but overall very much not deserving the premium price tag that is attached to Dog Man Mission Impawsible.

Killer Instinct Video Gaming Memories by Imraan Nazir 🕹️ #Retrogaming

It was in the mid 90s when I first played Killer Instinct on the Super Nintendo. I remember my brother borrowed it from one of his friends. The game cartridge was unique as it was black instead of grey and it also came with the soundtrack on a separate CD. 

This game was violent like Mortal Kombat with blood and finishing moves but the gameplay was similar to Street Fighter 2. Executing moves was similar to street fighter and saw you inputting button and d pad combinations. For example, Jago's fireball move is the same way you would do a hadouken. Jago's  moves are essentially all the same as Ryu and Ken's move set from Street Fighter 2.  I enjoyed this game as the gameplay was similar to Street Fighter and learning the combos was a challenge as you needed to execute them quickly and at the right time.

The game was not as fast paced as street fighter but there was a cheat where you could make the gameplay faster. At the Versus screen you needed to press certain buttons to make it faster. I never knew what the cheat was so <Hold RIGHT and all 3 punch buttons. - Ed> I kept on pressing random buttons and the cheat some how worked. I only knew that it had worked as I would hear a sound to confirm the cheat was successful.

There was a huge difference between the arcade version and the SNES version. First thing you could notice was the graphics. The graphics on the arcade was I think 64 bit graphics and I think was originally meant to come out on Nintendo 64. The game ended up coming out on the SNES which was a 16 bit console.

I never did play or see the arcade version out in the wild until recently and as expected there is a huge difference in terms of graphics and animation. The sound track on the SNES version was decent and they kept the arcade announcer which was good.

Another thing about Killer Instinct which was odd was that you could not select the stage you want to fight in on 2 player mode. You could do stage select in Street Fighter but thinking bnack I don't think mortal Kombat had that option.

I found the last boss Eyedol very difficult to defeat. When it came to the second round Eyedol had the
ability to put his own energy bar back up which I found so annoying. It took me multiple times to defeat
Eyedol but I got there in the end!

Overall I have always enjoyed this game and I still play it till this day.

Thanks for reading 💙

Presented by:
Imraan Nazir

YouTube channel:
Retro Gamer Strikes Back

https://youtube.com/@retrogamerstrikesback?si=chCI9ydWxv_U-Nf4

Customization in Gaming vs. White Label Trading Platforms: The Power of Personalization 🎚️🎛️

 

Introduction

Customization in gaming makes it possible for players to manipulate some features of the game to their liking, and this could be anything from a change in a character's hair to developing unique gameplay. The white-label investment platforms give brokers and firms an option to purchase an already-built trading platform and allow them to customize it according to their branding, audience, and the needs of the business. Customization is important in both the platforms and the games as it instills a feeling of ownership, user engagement, and satisfaction, and success.  

Rich's Video Games of the Year | "2024 was a year that surprised me month by month" 🗓️🎮 #GOTY

2024 was a year that surprised me month by month with some awesome Indie releases, some stellar AAA stuff and an old master that I finally got to grips with.

Sitting down to compile my GOTY list has been a pleasure and today I'd love to share it with you to see if there’s any gems in here (alongside a classic) that I can tempt you to try.

Dragon's Dogma 2 - The Organised Chaos RPG Award 🏆

I’d never played the original game and the premise of DD2 had me licking my lips in anticipation for an enormous RPG to get stuck into on my newly purchased PS5. DD2 did not disappoint. Every crevice I explored seemed to unveil something new for me to discover, whether that was a new enemy, a chest, a cave or an interesting building. I’ve piled lots of hours into this game and I'm yet to complete it. I’m determined to revisit and complete it in 2025 as I attempt to uncover the regions of the map

Tetris Forever - The Legend Of Henk & Alexey Award 🏆
I was drawn to this Digital Eclipse Gold Master release due to the fact that TETRIS is truly one of purest video games ever conceived and I was really interested to look at all the different releases across the years. When I began to dig into this TETRIS opus I was blown away by the story of Henk Rogers and Alexey Pajitnov and the interactive documentary became a must read/listen/watch page turner of a ‘game’. I love this series and I love TETRIS forever.

Drova Forsaken Kin - The Cilla Black Surprise Award 🏆
This game completely blind sided me and turned out to be one of the best video games of 2024. It’s an RPG that is steeped in a love for the genre and has that retro feel to it that takes you back to the classic RPGs where you are discovering a world and an IP for the first time. It’s a marvel of a video game made by a small team and I implore everyone to play this game today.

Indiana Jones - The Late In the Day Award 🏆
Indy films are my jam. I grew up watching them and punctuated my youth with visits to the cinema to watch them as soon as they were released. As the years have worn on I've lost the passion for the films since Crystal Skull and as far as Indiana Jones video games go, I'd settled for the fact that Uncharted was going to be the best effort since the beautiful Lucas Arts point and clicks. I therefore watched from afar as Machine Games prepared the Indiana Jones And The Great Circle video game but I was never really hyped by anything I'd seen pre release. I managed to get my hands on a copy upon release to check out what the latest offering would be like and WOW, just WOW! The game oozes class, the performances in the game are awesome. The puzzles are pitch perfect, the combat is so ‘Indy’ that I am relieved they didn’t just create a first person shooter/murder machine of a game. The game and the environments just feel alive and the locations are big enough to get lost in but never outstay their welcome. It only came out in early December but my word it grabbed the hat from underneath the falling stone door to give us the real next Indiana Jones movie!

GTAIV - The Best Game Of 2008 In 2024 Award 🏆
Somehow I had only managed to play up until GTAIII up until late 2024. The announcement of GTAVI had really peaked my interest in the franchise again and I picked up GTAIV on a Steam Sale price of about five pounds. I dropped it onto my Steam Deck and I was transported back to 2008 and was really surprised at how well it held up in 2024. The story swept me up into the world of Niko Bellic and I found myself becoming a resident of Resident Of Liberty City and getting caught up in all of its politics and personalities.

Stalker 2 - The Great Allure Of Radioactive Jank Award 🏆

The Stalker series passed me by in 2007, 2008 and 2009 as it was a PC game at a time when I was never a PC gamer. Looking back at the series now, it would have been right up on my list if I'd have been a PC gamer at the time. Then I got swept up in the Stalker 2 pre release story and I knew that I just had to play Stalker 2. Despite a really rough launch, I could see this game was special and as the devs resolve the issues the game gets better and better with it's depiction of life in The Zone.

 
Tiny Terrys Turbo Trip - The Keep Me Busy Award 🏆

For a game that's around 4 hours long this kept me busy doing fun stuff in this open world platformer that has an awesome art style and a music sense that compliments the game perfectly. It's the perfect example of an indie game that benefits from not over stretching itself and making sure that what it does, it does it well. Go make friends with Tiny Terry and i promise you won't regret it!

Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom - The Simple Pleasures Award 🏆

Hand crafted retro worlds are brought to life in this cool PS1 era style platformer that sees you trying to navigate the worlds without a jump button! It's a playground of video game fun that is a pleasure to pick up and play. Be warned though, it gets HARD and also at around 6 hours it does feel a little too long. 

Astrobot - The Pure Joy Award 🏆

If I was forced to pick one game from this list that had to take all the glory it would be Astrobot. It has everything I could ever want from a platformer and is probably the best example of one since the release of Super Mario Odyssey. The music is a delight, the platforming is on point, the various mechanics that are introduced through power up bring a smile to your face, the bots you rescue are now my family as I care for them back at the crash site like they were my own, the game is almost perfect. This is the game I would buy a PS5 for if I didn't already own a PS5 and I seriously can't wait for Team Asobi's next game on the PS5/PS6! Bravo Bravo Astro!

Ye Olde Honourable Mentions...

Indika - The Best Nun Sim Award 💙

You are a nun, you do nun things, go on a journey with the devil and see what happens...

Children of the Sun - The Psychadelic Bullet Cult Award💙

You are a sniper, you do sniper things, you control the bullets that you fire in bullet time, you are angry, you want to destroy a cult, go get a position on that hill and see what happens...

Video Game Lo fi: Sonic Frontiers – Vinyl Review By Britt 📀 @CuragaRecords #Vinyl #VideoGameVinyl

The newest project from lost:tree – who has been involved with several other of Curaga Records’ projects such as their lo-fi interpretations of Kingdom Hearts and Sonic (a personal favourite of mine!). 

This release focuses on the music of Sonic Frontiers, the 2022 open-world Sonic the Hedgehog game that was well-received upon release, and was seen as a return to form for open-world Sonic titles. The ten tracks here are curated from the 150(!) song soundtrack of Sonic Frontiers, and home in on a dreamy, mellow vibe – it also includes some vocal-led tracks to mix things up and add emotional resonance.