In episode 35 Barry takes a look at some new titles heading to the Piepacker online streaming service. A brand new mini console based on the beloved Amiga 500 makes a surprise announcement. Plus we have not one, but two, indie showcases from Microsoft and Nintendo.

Mentioned in Episode 35

• The A500 Mini Pre-order (Amazon | Game)
• Piepacker (Play Online)
• Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Movie
• Infinty (Kickstarter)
• Xbox Wire
• The Little Witch in the Woods
• Echo Generation
• Rift Breaker
• Alchemic Cutie
• Demon Turf
• Blaster Master Zero 3
• Stardew Valley
• Bombrush Cyberfunk
• Garden Story
• Metal Slug Tactics
• Axiom Verge 2

The post Episode 35: The Amiga Makes a Return and Indie Showcases Galore! appeared first on Retro Ages.

Based on the iconic Arcade City cabinet, the new Astro City Mini will include a joystick and six face buttons. Ideal to play a whole range of 90s arcade classics including Virtua Fighter and Golden Axe: The Revenge of Death Adder.

For those looking for a more social experience, the mini-console also comes equipped with two USB ports for additional controllers a HDMI socket to connect up to your large screen TV.

While playing Virtua Fighter on the small desktop arcade will undoubtedly be tons of fun, it’s the inclusion of the arcade sequel to Golden Axe that has got a lot of people excited.

The reason? Golden Axe: The Revenge of Death Adder has never had a home release since it was first introduced to arcades back in 1992. Oddly enough though, this isn’t the only time in the near future we’ll see this title coming to the home. As Arcade1UP will be releasing their own ‘Golden Axe Arcade Cabinet‘.

Currently only 10 titles have been confirmed for the Astro City Mini, those titles include:

• Alien Syndrome
• Alien Storm
• Altered Beast
• Columns II
• Dark Edge
• Golden Axe
• Golden Axe: Revenge of Death Adder
• Tant-R
• Virtua Fighter
• Fantasy Zone

We’re looking forward to seeing what other titles will be included on this machine, and if the Sega Mega Drive Mini taught us anything, it’s to expect some unexpected titles.

Currently the Astro City Mini is due for release in Japan later this year for ¥12,800 – or around £95. A release date for countries outside of Japan has not been confirmed.

So what titles would you like to see on the Astro City Mini? We’d love to hear below.

The post Sega Astro City Mini – Miniature arcade with 36 games appeared first on Retro Ages.

This announcement comes during the year Sega is celebrating their 60th anniversary. While little has been said about what the upcoming ”scoop” could be, many fans are feverishly speculating away, each with their own unique Sega rumour to share.

So just for fun we thought that we’d go through each Sega rumour one-by-one, looking at some of the more popular, and outlandish ones we’ve seen so far.

Sega Are Re-Entering the Console Market

It’s been over 20 years since Sega released their last new games console, the Sega Dreamcast. Ever since there’s been rumours that Sega may once again re-enter the video game console market with a ‘Dreamcast 2’.

While on the face of it this Sega rumour may sound like a great idea, especially for fans of the original Dreamcast like myself, the Sega of today is very different to the one that released consoles during the 1980s and 1990s.

Sega just don’t have the money behind them to create a brand new console, and even if they did they would struggle to find a niche to fill. With the Xbox and PlayStation giving gamers a selection in terms of both price and performance, while the Switch offers the freedom to play titles at home or on the go. This makes it difficult to see how a new Sega console could differentiate itself from the competition.

Verdict: We would be extremely surprised if Sega were to make another attempt at entering the console market, and we couldn’t see how doing so would be a good move.
★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Although Sega are unlikely to re-enter the console market with a completely new console, the success of last year’s Sega Mega Drive mini proves that their back catalogue certainly has pulling power, which leads us into…

Sega is Releasing New Mini Consoles

Although Sega are unlikely to re-enter the console market with a completely new console, the success of last year’s Sega Mega Drive mini proved that their back catalogue certainly has pulling power to sell units.

While many people are talking about a Sega Saturn Mini, I think that would be unlikely. While the Sega Saturn is personally my favourite console of all time, it’s undeniable that outside of Japan it sold very poorly.

What’s more, even 25 years after it’s release, the Sega Saturn is very difficult to emulate and only a very small number of titles have been ported to modern consoles such as NiGHTS, Guardian Heroes and Radiant Silvergun.

However, I do believe this rumour could be very likely. Perhaps a Dreamcast Mini? While this would likely be much more expensive than the mini console we’ve seen over the last few years it wouldn’t be entirely unrealistic.

Like the Saturn, the Dreamcast has many classic titles such a the Sonic Adventure and Crazy Taxi series, Skys of Arcadia, Daytona 2, Chu Chu Rocket… the list goes on and that’s only the first party titles. Throw in some of the fantastic third party titles such as Power Stone 2, Marvel Vs Capcom 2 and Dead or Alive 2 and you have some excellent arcade experiences.

Much more likely however would be a Game Gear mini console. Sega’s chunky handheld was home to many excellent titles that many gamers never got to experience. Also, with the ability to play Master System games you have a well of titles to choose from.

Although Sega are unlikely to re-enter the console market with a completely new console, the success of last year’s Sega Mega Drive mini proves that their back catalogue certainly has pulling power.

Verdict: This is much more likely than Sega releasing dedicated hardware, especially a Game Gear or Master System mini. If they did, what games would you like to see included?
★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Hit next to see the next outlandish Sega rumour, the first of two that both involve Microsoft.

The post Sega Teases Famitsu Scoop That Will ‘Rile Up’ Games Industry appeared first on Retro Ages.

If you were a child of the 80s in the UK, and were lucky enough to own a ‘computer’, there was a good chance you owned a system created by Commodore. If you were really lucky, that system was an Amiga.

For many, the Amiga was the little computer that could do it all. I remember spending hours drawing in Deluxe Paint, playing the latest *ahem*legally acquired*ahem* game and then kicking back and checking out the latest demoscene programs on a cover disk.

Even to this day I own a couple of Amiga 500(plus) systems, which I dust off regularly for a quick game of Worms, Gloom or just to make the Amiga’s text-to-speech utility say some naughty words – we all know we did it. Although pulling down the system, along with a box of loose diskettes, is far from convenient.

This is where the guys at Retro Games Ltd come in. Announcing their upcoming A500 Mini, a replica of the iconic Amiga 500. The mini system includes 25 built-in games, including some of the system’s most memorable titles.

So we only have confirmation of 12 of the 25 titles:

1. Alien Breed 3D
2. Anther World
3. ATR: All Terrain Racing
4. Battle Chess
5. Cadaver
6. Kick Off 2
7. Pinball Dreams
8. Simon The Sorcerer
9. Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe
10. The Chaos Engine
11. Worms: The Director’s Cut
12. Zool: Ninja of the N’th Dimension

While the number of titles is smaller than that of the many other mini consoles released, there does seem to be a great level of quality in the titles released. However, the A500 mini offers support for adding your own titles by USB, complete with WHDLoad support.

For those interested, the system is available for pre-order from Amazon and Game in the UK for £119.99. Included in the price is the A500 mini console itself, USB Amiga mouse, USB controller, HDMI cable and USB-C power cable (no plug is included). For those wondering – no the keyboard doesn’t work on the system.

So are you excited about the A500 mini? Or are there simply too many mini consoles coming out each year? Let us know in the comments below.

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The post The A500 Mini – a New Mini Amiga Announced for 2022 Release appeared first on Retro Ages.

THE AMIGA EXPERIENCE

The Amiga name still carries a huge amount of nostalgia for gamers and computer enthusiasts who grew up during the late 80s and early 90s. I remember my first ‘proper’ computer was a second-hand Amiga A1200, which I got for Christmas 1995. This was my dream machine. Offering colourful graphics, impressive sound, and an incredible library of games that helped define my early teens. For me it was a huge step up from my Commodore 64. Offering games not easily accessible for my Mega Drive and Master System. I would spend hours drawing in Deluxe Paint, trawling. through the hundreds of cover disks and watching XCopy do its magic expanding my game collection.

It is difficult to explain to anyone who didn’t own one back in the late 80s and 90s, but owning an Amiga was more than just owning a computer. It was much more social. In school pupils and teachers alike would run unofficial swap-meets during the lunch hour. Car boot sales would be filled with mystery floppies that could be purchased for 50p each. It’s still a time I look back on fondly. That’s why when Retro Games announced a full sized A1200 was being released I immediately put in my pre-order.

THE DELAY AND DISAPPOINTMENT

What makes this latest A1200 delay announcement so frustrating is not only that it was so close to its 16th June release date. It was that delays like this are becoming so common in the retro scene – I’m looking at your Limited Run. After months of anticipation, myself and many hoped production and shipping were finally be locked in. Instead, supporters are once again being asked for patience while the team works through additional issues behind the scenes.

To be fair, projects like this are rarely simple. Modern retro hardware development is a difficult balancing act. Manufacturers are often dealing with a multitude of hurdles. From component shortages thanks to AI, an unpredictable world leader throwing out tariffs like they were confetti and shipping complications. Many of these issues weren’t present when the A1200 was originally announced last year. Although combined these issues have pushed back the release date to the 4th December 2026.

Hopefully this extra time will ensure that Retro Games gets the experience just right. With the passion that many Amiga fans have, it’s important to get the authenticity right. The feel of the keys, the timing of games, compatibility with original software, audio quality. Even the look of the case all matter enormously. Rushing a product out the door before it’s ready could end up damaging the reputation of Retro Games far more than a delay would.

THE REACTION

As expected social media reactions have been a mix of disappointment, cautious optimism, and understanding. Some fans are frustrated by the lack of concrete release dates, while others are simply happy the project is still moving forward. In many ways, this kind of reaction perfectly sums up the retro gaming community itself – used to disappointment. However, they are still passionate, vocal, and deeply invested in preserving gaming history.

If for now you cannot wait to get your Amiga fix, why not check out the A500 mini? Until then fans will simply have to wait a little longer before finally booting up Workbench on brand-new hardware. Hopefully, when the A1200 eventually arrives, it will prove worth the extra time.

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The post The Wait Continues: The A1200 Delay Has Retro Fans Feeling Disappointed appeared first on Retro Ages.