Mon Jan 13 2025
If you want to spend the next 15 minutes shaking your head with a goofy grin while watching a speedrun, you've come to the right place.
From 4 to 12 January, the Awesome Games Done Quick festival was held, a charity marathon which, as the name suggests, is centred around speedruns. During the event, spectators had the chance to make donations, which were donated to cancer prevention and Médecins Sans Frontières.
For this first edition of 2025, the marathon was a great success, with $2,556,305 raised. Among the many speedruns broadcast live, one in particular caught our attention: that of the legendary Crazy Taxi, performed by Chuckles825 in just under 18 minutes.
This performance made its mark not only because of its speed, but also because of the unique conditions in which it took place. The game's famous soundtrack, featuring iconic tracks by The Offspring and Bad Religion, was played live by a group of musicians. The musicians didn't just play the songs: they synchronised their performance with the different phases of the game, starting and stopping their tracks at the beginning and end of each level.
To top it all off, the musicians also commented on the session, replacing the game's announcer, who had been cut for the occasion. It's an original approach that has allowed us to recreate an atmosphere faithful to Crazy Taxi's wacky, free-flowing spirit, while cleverly sidestepping copyright concerns.
If you're interested in this kind of performance, don't hesitate to explore the Games Done Quick channel, where you'll find other videos just as entertaining.
As a reminder, Crazy Taxi was originally released on Naomi (arcade) and was one of the major titles of the Dreamcast. If you own this game, you should know that it is perfectly playable on Recalbox (a Pi5 with 4 GB RAM is recommended).
Source: vg247.com
Sun Jan 12 2025
My Arcade is certainly prolific at CES 2025. After unveiling its partnership with SEGA to offer mini kiosks featuring Sonic and its new Game Gamestation Retro, the American manufacturer this week presented the Super Retro Champ.
This portable console, equipped with a six-inch screen, is capable of reading SNES and Mega Drive game cartridges. If this project sounds familiar, that's because it was already presented at CES 2020 before being shelved without any official communication until now.
The console's architecture is based on an emulation system and not on FPGAs, as is usually the case with this type of device. You'll be able to connect Bluetooth controllers and also link the console to your television via an HDMI port.
The Super Retro Champ is due for release this year, at a price that has yet to be confirmed. However, according to the mag MO5.com, it could go on sale for around €99. This is not the first console of its kind to be offered by My Arcade, which also markets the Retro Champ, capable of holding NES and Famicom cartridges.
While the quality of the device remains to be seen, it's worth pointing out that My Arcade has taken up an unprecedented challenge: to offer a console capable of bringing together SNES and Mega Drive ‘cartridge’ players on a single device!
Sat Jan 11 2025
If you frequent the Recalbox Discord, you'll have noticed that beudbeud organises a fortnightly challenge open to everyone. The idea is simple: try to achieve the best score on a selected game, often from the arcade catalogue.
To kick off 2025, the first challenge will be played on Over Top :
Over Top, developed by ADK in 1996, is an iconic arcade racing game. Get behind the wheel of sports cars or off-road vehicles to take on a variety of dynamic circuits. From snow-covered mountains to tropical forests and urban roads, each track is a unique challenge where precision, speed and cornering are essential. ‘*
At the wheel of one of the eight cars available, your objective will be to complete a full lap of the map, divided into several stages, before the dreaded "Time Over ’ appears.
Each car has a unique driving style, favouring certain types of surface (tarmac, mud, snow, etc.) but with weaknesses on others. It's up to you to choose the one that best suits your style of play.
#challenges
or use the command /submit score leaderboard on the same channel.To ensure the fairness of the challenge :
The challenge is all about discovering new games, sharing tips and, of course, having fun. All in a spirit of competition that's always welcome!
The winner will receive a game key (GOG, Steam, etc.) to choose from a list of over 80 titles. Note that if you've won a challenge in the last three months, the prize will go to the next person on the podium.
**Good luck to you all, and may the best score win!
Fri Jan 10 2025
If you're familiar with retrogaming and emulation, you'll no doubt know that some consoles are harder to emulate than others. Among them, the Nintendo 64 is often considered a real bête noire.
The site Time Extension recently shared an article with a video from Modern Vintage Gamer on YouTube. The video, which is in English but can be automatically subtitled in French via the settings, explains in an accessible way why Nintendo 64 emulation is so complex.
To put it simply (and with a lot of shortcuts), the Nintendo 64 has a atypical architecture. While some consoles have similarities with the architecture of PCs, the Nintendo 64 has radically different hardware.
Emulation of the Nintendo 64 began in the early 2000s, at a time when PCs were often less powerful than the console itself, which was released in 1996. To get round this problem, developers had to use custom ‘micro-codes’ for each game, to ensure faithful, high-performance emulation.
At the same time, specific plug-ins were developed to emulate the graphics, sound and joystick management sub-systems. However, these solutions, adapted to specific games, proved ineffective, and even problematic, for other titles.
So why does this problem persist with modern PCs? Because it's not just a question of power, it's a question of methodology. The basics of Nintendo 64 emulation haven't really changed for 25 years.
Even Nintendo's official emulation struggles to faithfully reproduce Nintendo 64 games on its Virtual Console.
When we asked Recalbox which version of the Raspberry Pi we were able to use to offer a correct solution, BkG2k's response was apt:
It's hard to say. On the Pi3 there were games that already ran well. It was more a question of emulation than power. Then new emulators/cores came along, and they all evolved. It's quite hard to say really.
The Time Extension article concludes, through this video, that the problem stems from the very approach to Nintendo 64 emulation. Cobbled-together solutions, such as plug-ins and other micro-codes, must be abandoned in favour of a rethought emulation dedicated to the console's unique architecture.
Fri Jan 10 2025
This year, expectations are high when it comes to Nintendo's announcements, and it seems that the Japanese firm has decided to surprise us. While leaks about announcement dates and even supposed photos of the Switch 2 have been circulating online, Nintendo has chosen to defy predictions... by unveiling a LEGO GameBoy.
If you're active on social media, you've probably seen this news thanks to a short teaser posted on Nintendo's official accounts.
This isn't the first time that Nintendo and LEGO have worked together. We remember the set reproducing the NES with an ‘interactive’ CRT screen, or the sets more geared towards a younger audience, such as those inspired by the Super Mario franchise.
This time, LEGO is targeting an older audience, in particular those nostalgic for the 80s and fans of retrogaming. The video presentation is very brief, however: there's no mention of the scale (which we hope will be life-size) or the number of pieces that will make up this replica of the famous handheld console.
The only information confirmed is the release date. You'll be able to get your hands on this GameBoy in bricks from October 2025, at a price as yet unknown.
Let's hope this model proves to be both ingenious and faithful to the original, making it a must-have collector's item. Today, the GameBoy is a veritable pop culture icon, having left its mark on the history of video games with some 119 million units sold, and greatly contributed to the democratisation of portable consoles.
Thu Jan 09 2025
The Kubii website, the official Raspberry distributor in France, has announced the availability of the Raspberry Pi 5 in 16GB RAM version.
The Raspberry Foundation is kicking off the new year with a Pi 5 boosted by 16 GB of RAM. While this evolution may make sense for uses such as office automation, programming, multitasking or servers, it is totally superfluous for use dedicated to Recalbox.
For optimal use with Recalbox, the Raspberry Pi 5 4 Go is still the ideal solution. It's more than enough to run your PS1 and Dreamcast games, demanding arcade titles (particularly Cave games), and soon, with version 10 of Recalbox, some GameCube games (with a few reservations depending on the title).
Even the 8GB version, offered with the release of the Pi 5, doesn't seem relevant for Recalbox use.
The 16 GB model is priced at 147 €, compared with 69 € for the 4 GB version. We therefore strongly recommend the 4GB version and advise you to invest the money you save in a good microSD card (for example a SanDisk that meets U3 A2 standards) and a quality external storage device. These elements will improve your user experience far more significantly than a few gigs of RAM.
What's more, the 2GB version of the Pi 5, released a few months ago, is now compatible with Recalbox (as we explained in this article). However, we continue to prefer the 4GB version for optimal use, particularly in the context of the release of version 10.
Finally, with regard to the 16GB model, it's important to note that apart from the RAM, its specifications remain strictly identical to those of the other versions:
If you're just discovering these microcomputers and how to get to grips with them with Recalbox, we invite you to watch the video below:
Thu Jan 09 2025
A few hours after unveiling their partnership with SEGA, My Arcade has announced a new range and a collaboration with Bandai Namco and Capcom.
This range, called Gamestation Retro, includes three distinct game stations:
A portable console with an 8-inch screen in 4:3 format, respecting the original resolution of the games on offer.
💵 Advertised price: $199
A home console dedicated to retrogaming.
💵 Advertised price: $149
A miniaturised wooden arcade cabinet, slightly larger than the other My Arcade cabinets.
💵 Advertised price: $299.99
My Arcade is promising around a hundred games across these three devices, without specifying whether some will be exclusive to one platform or available on all.
Warning**: these devices are not compatible with Recalbox.
My Arcade is offering two accessories with this new range:
The entire Gamestation Retro range is expected to be available in third quarter 2025.
Photos: My Arcade / Bandai Namco / Capcom
Tue Jan 07 2025
The CES show in Las Vegas, which opened on 7 January, is a chance to plunge into the future with a host of innovations designed to transform the homes of tomorrow. But it's also an opportunity to take a look in the rear-view mirror, with a few objects riding the wave of retrogaming. Among them, My Arcade, in partnership with SEGA, has unveiled four mini kiosks paying tribute to iconic titles.
My Arcade, a company known for its mini kiosks (really mini), is collaborating with SEGA (though more of a fan of mini consoles) to produce six models celebrating cult games. Four of them were unveiled at CES 2025: two featuring Sonic, one dedicated to Golden Axe, and another to Shinobi.
The Sonic kiosks are distinguished by their design: the first is a traditional kiosk with a joystick and three buttons, while the second is a simpler kiosk with a joystick and a single button for jumping. As for the Golden Axe and Shinobi terminals, each has a joystick and three buttons, arranged differently depending on the title.
Each terminal should include ROMs for the games it represents. However, it is not yet known whether these will be arcade or console versions. Likewise, no information has been released on the possible presence of other playable games. As such, we would point out that Recalbox is not compatible with these systems and if you wish to play these games, you will have to turn to the platforms we support.
Those familiar with the My Arcade brand will know what to expect. While these mini kiosks have an attractive retro look, they are still very small and fragile, offering limited comfort for prolonged gaming sessions.
The last two terminals, already announced but not yet presented, will pay tribute to Streets of Rage and Out Run. The teasing surrounding the Out Run edition is particularly exciting, and we'll leave you to discover the photo that has been unveiled for it.
Photos: My Arcade / SEGA
Tue Jan 07 2025
An amateur LEGO designer has just passed the 10,000-vote mark on the LEGO Ideas website, a decisive step that will allow his project to be studied by LEGO teams with a view to possible commercialisation.
And if this project is of interest to us retrogaming enthusiasts, it's because it's an almost 1:1 scale reproduction of the legendary PlayStation 2.
RippleDrive, the Finnish company behind this creation, didn't just reproduce the console's exterior. They have taken their attention to detail to an impressive level, transforming a simple LEGO construction into a veritable object of admiration. The DualShock 2 is accurately reproduced, as are the memory cards. The disc drive is functional and removable, with a movable lens. The inside of the console reveals the electronic circuits, right down to the lithium battery that powers the internal clock.
One of the reasons I decided to build a PS2 is because I have so many fond memories of playing with it as a child and as an adult, as it's my favourite video games console of all time. I also decided to build this model because LEGO sets related to video games have been very successful, ‘* explains RippleDrive on the project page.
The Finn has indeed hit the nail on the head, as LEGO has already made a name for itself with nostalgic sets dedicated to gamers, such as the Pac-Man arcade terminal, the NES accompanied by its television set and the Atari 2600, with its iconic joystick and game cartridges.
RippleDrive has also thought of fans of hidden details: *The controller can be plugged into the console, and its interior hides the 7 orbs from the PS2 menu as an easter egg. The top of the console can be removed, revealing removable components.
It remains to be seen whether these arguments will be enough to convince the LEGO teams to choose this 2111-pieces set from among forty or so equally remarkable projects.
Photos: LEGO Ideas / RippleDrive
Mon Jan 06 2025
A few days ago we told you about the premium reissue of a book dedicated to Japanese arcades, by Victor Alonso. The Spaniard takes us on a journey through 25 Japanese arcades in The Last Game Centers, with a series of photographs paying tribute to the very special atmosphere of these arcades.
This reissue has already had to replace one arcade with another due to closure. Today, a sad and symbolic news has been added to this phenomenon, accentuated by the health crisis:
This time it's the a-cho arcade in Kyoto, which will close its doors on 31 January 2025. A veritable institution in an iconic city that is home to Nintendo's head office, its closure is a major blow for the arcade in Japan. But this announcement is accompanied by other news that is just as worrying for fans of the arcade and the games it used to showcase.
Three YouTube channels linked to the arcade (a-cho GAME, a-cho battle movie and a-cho staff) are also intended to disappear. The current owners of the venue will lose their rights to these channels, which will most likely lead to their closure. This situation was announced on X (formerly Twitter):
"Regarding the YouTube channel, a-cho will be shutting down and the staff responsible for managing it will no longer have any authority over it. In addition, the rights to manage the video material owned by the manufacturers cannot be transferred to a third party."
These channels bring together thousands of hours of broadcasts and replays of matches played in the hall on iconic franchises such as Street Fighter or The King of Fighters. They also featured shoot'em ups, puzzle games like Tetris, and many other genres.
Beyond simple gameplay sessions, it's a real intangible heritage that risks disappearing. The a-cho room regularly hosted tournaments and famous guests from the Japanese arcade world.
As the tweet points out, the main reason for the decision lies in rights issues, which are extremely strict in Japan. As games are the property of their publishers, the distribution of their video content is protected. With the closure of the venue, the tolerance accorded to these videos will also cease to exist.
In the world of retrogaming, the right to remember is paramount. While a few closures of rooms, sites or channels may seem anecdotal, they reveal a much more alarming reality: rigid intellectual property rights and non-existent archiving often prevent the preservation of this heritage.
Source: Time Extension
Mon Jan 06 2025
Announced barely a month ago on the networks, the unofficial port of Shinobi to Neo-Geo has been available since last Friday.
This “homebrew” port is the work of the talented Hoffman, known for his contributions to other ports. He has made the game available free of charge on itch.io.
Originally developed by SEGA for arcade terminals, Shinobi was released in 1987, marking the start of a series of a dozen games, and soon a film produced by Universal.
The arcade title was renowned for its quality, but above all for its difficulty. To make the experience more accessible, Hoffman has integrated dip switches for various settings and cheat options.
This port remains faithful to the original while exploiting the hardware capabilities of the Neo-Geo, offering better fluidity and more colorful visuals.
This project highlights the richness of homebrew productions, which continue to honor retrogaming to the delight of fans of retro franchises.
If you're a fan of Shinobi, you may know that a remake is currently in development by Lizardcube, the studio already behind Streets of Rage 4 to name but one.
If you own the games, many Shinobi titles are playable on Recalbox, opuses having been released from 1987 to 2002 on emulated consoles (Arcade, Mega Drive, Amstard, Atari, Game Gear, Game Boy Advance ...).
Sat Jan 04 2025
If you're a PlayStation Plus Premium subscriber, you'll know that this subscription gives you access to a selection of classic games from previous PlayStation generations.
Resident Evil, G-Police, Ridge Racer Type 4, MediEvil, Jak and Daxter, Sly Cooper, PaRappa the Rapper 2 and many more invite you to dive back into the hits that have marked the history of the SONY brand.
These titles can be played on PS5 and PS4 thanks to emulators built into the consoles. The only exception is the PS3 games, which can only be streamed via the cloud. There are two reasons for this.
The first is that the PS3 is not so old as to require the resources and energy to emulate it, as long as the streaming works.
The second reason is more technical: the PlayStation 3 is notoriously difficult to emulate. The high-performance emulators available today require a top-of-the-range PC, a level of power that was once beyond the reach of the PS4, but is now more accessible on the PS5.
Remember: the complex architecture of the PS3, and in particular its Cell processor, caused quite a stir when it was released. This processor requires considerable computing power and meticulous software optimisation. Developers at the time complained about it, and today it represents a major challenge for emulation.
However, the studio Implicit Conversions could well change all that. Little known to the general public, this studio is behind the ports of classic games available on PlayStation Plus Premium.
Their website makes a promising statement in their roadmap: "Researching and prototyping the possibility of a PlayStation 3 emulator package for Syrup ’. This initiative could lead to an official emulator for PS3 games.
All that remains is to wait for a response from SONY to find out whether this project will receive their support.
Sat Jan 04 2025
Many websites regularly ask you to prove that you are not a robot by means of a CAPTCHA. This system is used to distinguish humans from bots before a connection is made, using visual and behavioural recognition (mouse movements) or logical resolution.
If these tests seem boring, the company Vercel, run by Guillermo Rauch, offers an original alternative: a CAPTCHA that invites you to... play DOOM.
This ‘DOOM CAPTCHA’ works using a WebAssembly version, which means that no downloading is required. The game runs directly in your browser and asks you to eliminate three enemies by using the arrow keys to move and the space bar to shoot.
However, what might seem fun at first quickly turns out to be frustrating for some Internet users, including retrogamers. The reason? You start with a simple pistol and have to face some particularly punishing enemies. The game seems to be set on the Ultra-Violence, or even Nightmare difficulty level, which requires bots' reflexes to prove that you are indeed flesh and blood.
The concept quickly gained in popularity. The link has been shared in many retrogaming communities, and you've probably come across it on the Recalbox Discord.
If you want to die to give it a go, head over to this address!
Fri Jan 03 2025
Fans united under the name Starteam have just released the demo for Sonic Galactic, an unofficial Sonic title of disconcerting fidelity and quality.
Lasting around 40 minutes, the demo lets you play as Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Fang the bounty hunter and Tunnel, a mole. The protagonists will have to traverse fast-paced platform levels, take on bosses and explore 2D worlds faithful to the series' heritage, all in beautiful pixel art.
But the developers haven't taken the easy way out: in addition to the platform phases, they've included 3D sections and broken new ground with enemies, mechanics and level design never before seen in the series.
On their website, the developers point out that this is not an official Sonic or SEGA product (an important clarification given the quality) and explain:
"Sonic Galactic is a fan-made interpretation of what a 2D side-scrolling game in the Sonic series might have looked like on 5th generation 32-bit hardware. With its clean backgrounds and fluid animations, the game aims for an aesthetic that pays homage to the best of the era.
Think of this game as a what-if scenario: an imagining of what Sonic Team could have produced on the SEGA Saturn!
Although the hardware limitations of the time have been taken into account, Sonic Galactic draws on many inspirations, not limiting itself to what the systems of the time could do, nor to what SEGA would necessarily have achieved.
With new areas, new concepts, new characters, a new setting and many other additions, Galactic aims to offer a unique take on the classic 2D Sonic formula, while continuing the story and gameplay of the classic Genesis/Mega Drive games".
As Time Extension points out, this production follows in the footsteps of fan-made Sonic games. It's all the more pleasing to note that SEGA is ‘letting it ride’, adopting a radically different policy to Nintendo, which is very keen on protecting its intellectual property.
If you're interested in the demo, it's available for free at this address.
Fri Jan 03 2025
At CES 2024, Atari briefly presented a handheld console without giving many details. Since then, there has been no news from the retrogaming community, leading to speculation that the project might be abandoned.
But that's not the case! Atari has just posted a video on its X account unveiling the Gamestation Go, a handheld console that, at first glance, looks familiar in its design, while displaying some intriguing features.
The first surprise is the absence of a joystick on the right-hand side of the console, an unusual choice for a modern handheld console. Instead, there is a 12-key numeric keypad. Just above this are the four classic action buttons, backlit like all the buttons on the console.
The left-hand side features a joystick, a D-Pad and a trak-ball. The latter is nothing new for Atari, who had already offered this feature on the Atari 2600.
Photo: Digital Game Museum
These design choices seem to indicate that the console is partly dedicated to iconic Atari titles. The numeric keypad could be used for games such as Star Raiders, Defender, Codebreaker or Total Carnage. The trak-ball is reminiscent of classics such as Centipede and Missile Command, which already used this accessory back in the day.
What's more, Atari could enhance this offering with its vast library of retro games, recently augmented by the acquisition of Intellivision. This acquisition includes over 200 titles from Intellivision Entertainment LLC, which could make the Gamestation Go even more relevant.
In terms of connectivity, Atari is sticking to the classic: an HDMI output (suggesting that it will be used as a controller connected to a TV set), a mini-jack headphone socket, a microSD card slot, and two USB-C ports for controllers 1 and 2.
For the moment, it's difficult to say more about the exact nature of this console. Atari did not provide any additional details in its presentation video. However, the wait shouldn't be long: the Gamestation Go will be presented in greater detail at CES 2025, which starts on 7 January.
Thu Jan 02 2025
You may already be familiar with the project we're going to talk about here, for the simple reason that it started eight years ago. Led by independent developer CryZENx, the unofficial remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time continues to dazzle fans, and the video released on 31 December will only add to that enthusiasm.
This is not the first time CryZENx has done this. The developer has already worked on unofficial remakes of Super Mario 64 and Diddy Kong Racing, two other major titles from the Nintendo 64.
The developer has now released a 30-minute video of his remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, which runs on Unreal Engine 5.5. This version of the graphics engine displays more detail, uses Lumen technology (for fully dynamic global illumination and reflections) and incorporates DLSS upscaling.
The video highlights the village of Kakariko in particular, with never-before-seen detail in both indoor and outdoor environments. CryZENx has also announced that it is currently working on the next update to the project, which will focus on the domain of Zora.
It's important to stress that this is not just a technical demo, but a playable version with exploration, combat, interaction with NPCs, inventory management and cinematics animated by the game engine.
If you would like to support the project, you can become a member of Patreon via this page. Please note that you will need a PC Gamer to play this remake, as the project is particularly resource-hungry.
Thu Jan 02 2025
A new year brings new anniversaries, and SEGA confirms by announcing plans to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Jet Set Radio (Jet Grind Radio in the US).
Whether you've owned the Dreamcast or not, Jet Set Radio is firmly rooted in pop culture, thanks to its cel-shaded graphics, acclaimed soundtrack, and original concept featuring a bunch of rollerblading kids marking their territory with graffiti.
Firstly, Masayoshi Kikuchi, the original creator of Jet Set Radio, confirmed that he was still actively working on a new Jet Set Radio game, which was revealed at the Game Awards 2023. He expressed his desire to honour the legacy of the game while bringing something new to modern audiences.
SEGA has hinted that more information on the title will be released in 2025. However, no release window has yet been revealed. In what form will this news arrive? It remains unclear: trailer, gameplay, release date?
SEGA could also capitalise on the remasters trend. Many gamers are calling for a remaster or a simple port of Jet Set Radio Future (the sequel to Jet Set Radio, released exclusively on Xbox).
The Japanese company has already stated its intention to exploit its old franchises. Masayoshi Kikuchi has indicated that he is considering ideas for celebrating this 25th anniversary. Events, digital content, musical products? For now, the mystery remains.
We should have news before the middle of the year, as Jet Set Radio was launched in June 2000. In the meantime, if you own the game, it is perfectly playable on Recalbox. However, we recommend using a Raspberry Pi 5 for the best experience.
Wed Jan 01 2025
Here we are, 365 days together: 2024 is behind us, and what a year it's been!
The Recalbox project continues to move forward with you, and this year we brought you versions 9.2 and 9.2.3 of Recalbox, versions developed thanks to your feedback and suggestions.
2024 also marked the launch of RGB JAMMA, a hardware solution that has given new life to hundreds of arcade terminals thanks to a Plug and Play system. We had the honour of installing this solution on around twenty PCB terminals at the National Video Game Museum in the Netherlands!
It was also a year in which we had the pleasure of meeting you at trade fairs, notably in Saint-Martin-de-Crau, Mouans-Sartoux and Avion. These meetings are essential for us: they give us a chance to talk face-to-face and to thank you for your unfailing support. Your feedback, your sharing on the networks, your activity on Discord, and your support via Patreon encourage us to go from strength to strength.
On Patreon, we've tried to offer you a variety of benefits this year, including exclusive playlists (notably with the arrival of Cartridge 1987 titles), optimised scraping, new partnerships with online shops, etc.
The retrogaming community remains our greatest reward. Your generosity during our live event hosted by Fabrice at ZEvent 2024, which raised €11,500 for charities, was further proof of this.
But now that this page has been turned, it's time to look to the future: 2025 will be an exceptional year for Recalbox! And why is that? Because Recalbox is celebrating its 10th anniversary!
To celebrate this anniversary, we've got lots of projects in the pipeline, version 10, which will be arriving soon for our Patrons, the All in One, which will continue to be developed, and lots and lots of surprises... but it's still a bit early to reveal more. Stay tuned 😉
Finally, and most importantly, what would a New Year's article be without the wishes, so while of course our top priority is to wish you good health, we wish you hours and hours of retrogaming in our company, success in unlocking your RetroAchievements achievements, finishing the 174 games you started in 2024 and discovering at least as many.
Excellente Année 2025 !
National Videogame Museum
Mon Dec 30 2024
We're delighted to be able to announce the completion of a project by Recalbox user and active member of our Discord, Frogbull. Frogbull is a member of the development team known as ‘The Gang’, led by SKMP, well known to Dreamcast fans for having developed nullDC and Reicast, two emulators dedicated to SEGA's latest console.
Frogbull has announced the availability of the Dreamcast port of GTA 3, an unofficial fan project called DCA3. To guarantee the legitimacy and legality of this port, you need to own a PC copy of GTA 3. You can also purchase a digital version of the game from Rockstar's official website, which offers a ‘Trilogy’ bundle including GTA 3, Vice City and San Andreas.
Once you have the game, you can create an image in .CDI format and follow the compilation instructions available on the project site. This will allow you to play the game on your Dreamcast, provided it can read burned CDs or is equipped with an optical drive emulator. Note that this port is not compatible with Recalbox.
The game is fully playable, allowing you to rediscover the streets of Liberty City, just as you did in 2001. The Dreamcast controller is fully supported, and saves work seamlessly on the VMU memory card. However, given that this is an alpha version, it is possible to encounter a few bugs, although early feedback on the internet suggests that they are infrequent.
The project even attracted the attention of Obbe Vermeij, original developer of GTA 3, last September:
"The first months of GTA 3 development (in 1999/2000) were done on the Dreamcast. For commercial reasons, we switched to the PS2. At the time, we thought it was technically possible to do it on the Dreamcast, and these guys are doing it right now."
This port is a vibrant tribute to the Dreamcast and to the development history of GTA 3. Rockstar's title was originally designed for SEGA's console, with a planned release on that platform. However, the worldwide success of the PlayStation 2 led Rockstar to redirect its plans to develop the game for the black monolith, which was distributed en masse across the globe. GTA 3 will sell 12 million copies** (18 million including ports).
If you own a Dreamcast (models VA0 or VA1) and want to relive the adventures of Claude, go to this address.
Sun Dec 29 2024
We were saddened to learn yesterday of the death of Martyn Brown, co-founder of Team17, at the age of 57.
Martyn Brown founded Team17 in 1990 alongside Debbie Bestwick, following the merger of 17-Bit Software and Team 7. He left the company in 2011 to join the studio Double Eleven.
During his 21 years at the helm of Team17, Martyn Brown greatly contributed to the studio's success with iconic titles such as Alien Breed, Body Blows, Superfrog, Project X, and of course Worms. The latter remains the studio's most famous franchise, a veritable icon that has marked generations of gamers, with its quirky humour, unlikely weapons and endearing warrior worms.
A turn-based multiplayer game, Worms won over players with its unique blend of strategy and humour. The series now has more than twenty installments, most of them in 2D, before a transition to 3D for some recent episodes.
Last November, Martyn Brown received the prestigious Game Legend award for lifetime achievement. Unfortunately, he was unable to attend the ceremony.
A big thank you to this iconic figure in video games, who leaves us far too soon but whose creations will continue to entertain and inspire us.