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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.

Atypical design

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

A nod to the past

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.

Connectors and features

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.

Still some mysteries to unravel

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Released in 1986, Out Run is a legendary game from the golden age of arcade terminals. It remains an essential reference and is often considered to be one of the best racing games of its generation.

Developed by SEGA, Out Run stood out for its innovations:
graphics with a distinctive style, music that you could choose before each ‘run’ and a system for selecting courses as you went along (except for the first race).

A unique atmosphere

The game's atmosphere also made a big impression. While other developers favoured a competitive and sporting approach, SEGA opted for a more ‘chill’ experience, where the player took the wheel of a Ferrari Testarossa, accompanied by a passenger, in a wind-in-the-hair atmosphere. A bold choice, often imitated but never equalled.

A cult item

Out Run wasn't just a game, it was also an object. The arcade terminal offered a real driving station, complete with seat, steering wheel, gear lever and pedals. An alternative version was even released with an F1-inspired aesthetic, with some versions equipped with a hydraulic system simulating the car's movements.

A Game Makers project to revisit Out Run.

Today, it's precisely this ‘object’ aspect that interests us. Although it's nothing new, we wanted to tell you about a fascinating project being carried out in 2021 by the talented creators of Game Makers: an Out Run mini-horn.

But be warned, this isn't just any miniature terminal. It's a complete reinterpretation in the spirit of the legendary 1986 terminal.

A faithful and improved miniature bollard

Inspired by an earlier creation by CircuitBeard, Game Makers has designed a miniature version that is faithful to the original, while retaining the authentic feel of the game.

Miniaturising such an object without sacrificing its proportions or ergonomics was a challenge. Yet the model includes a steering wheel, gearbox and two pedals. The modders didn't stop there and added several improvements.

Firstly, a small built-in motor generates vibrations when braking. But the real icing on the cake is the ‘Breeze’ mode: a built-in fan blows a stream of air over the player's face and hands, recreating the wind-in-the-hair effect during driving sessions.

An open source project for enthusiasts

The project is entirely open source. Game Makers provides all the necessary instructions for building this kiosk: list of materials, 3D printing diagrams, assembly guides, stickers, etc.

But be warned: this is not a conventional project. 3D printing, for example, is particularly time-consuming for this type of object, and you'll need special equipment, patience and attention to detail.

If you're motivated, Game Makers will take you step by step through a detailed inventory, down to the smallest screw, and a precise assembly guide.

Software

The terminal is powered by Recalbox, installed on a Raspberry Pi 3.

And that's not all...

For your viewing pleasure, here are two other Game Makers creations: a Mini Aero City and a Mini New Astro City.

They're just as gorgeous and are detailed on their website if you're in the mood for some extra DIY.

Initially released on the NES, the first three Ninja Gaiden games were a huge success, boosted in particular by the arcade version of the first opus, which greatly helped to popularise the licence. This success propelled the series, which continued to release titles until 2014.

And the licence has not said its last word! It is about to be reborn with Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, a new opus developed by The Game Kitchen (Blasphemous) and published by Dotemu (Streets of Rage 4, TMNT: Shredder's Revenge). Scheduled for release in summer 2025, this title marks a long-awaited comeback for fans.

Back to retrogaming

Let's focus on the origins of the saga with its first three instalments, released in 1988, 1990 and 1991 respectively. Building on the success of these episodes, Tecmo decided to compile them for the SNES, but the latter was a disappointment. Few improvements had been made to exploit the console's power, and a number of questionable choices had left their mark on gamers.

Among the decisions criticised were

• A modified soundtrack, which moved away from the original compositions.
• The removal of parallax scrolling, a key graphic technique in 2D games. This process, which gives an impression of depth by shifting the speed of different visual planes, was essential to the atmosphere of Ninja Gaiden.

We had to wait 25 years to see these shortcomings corrected thanks to a fan project.

A faithful and improved NES-SNES port

Infidelity's NES-SNES conversion combines the three iconic titles - Ninja Gaiden, Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos and Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom - into a single playable ROM for the SNES. Unlike the official 1995 compilation, this port faithfully recreates the original experience while exploiting the capabilities of the SNES to offer notable improvements:

• Elimination of slowdowns and flickering sprites.
• Improved overall fluidity for enhanced playability.
• Ability to switch from one game to another without restarting the console.
• Choice of colour palette directly in-game using the Select button.

All this has been achieved while respecting the legendary spirit and difficulty of the NES opuses.

Where can I play this version?

The ROM for this trilogy, developed by Infidelity, is available free online. Fans can use it with emulators or devices such as the EverDrive to play on an original SNES.

If you're a fan of the saga, you should know that the Ninja Gaiden games can also be played on numerous platforms via Recalbox, including the NES, SNES, Game Boy, Game Gear, Master System and many others.

If you're looking for a laugh, you've come to the right place. It looks like the SuperSega affair is coming to an end. A quick reminder if you haven't been following the story of the so-called FPGA console that could read all the SEGA console cartridges.

Demonstration videos that failed to convince Internet users (with major doubts about the authenticity of the hardware tested), pre-orders debited for a total of €400 without prior notice, more than dubious overall communication, refusal to send prototypes to journalists on the pretext that there was too great a risk of theft of the project's intellectual property... And, most recently, a letter threatening legal action by SEGA for copyright infringement.

Things have accelerated in recent days: SuperSega project leader Alejandro Martin has put his Lamborghini (bought during the project) up for sale to cover damages, losses and legal costs. This was followed by a statement from the person concerned:

"To be clear, we didn't rip anyone off. Soon we'll be releasing a video to thank you for your unconditional support and to let you know what we're up to. Stay tuned between now and early January 2025. ‘

Alejandro Martin / Photo iainlee

Contacted by Time Extension, Alejandro Martin confirms that this is essentially a problem with the name of the console, and not with the device itself. The company had even proposed the name Super SPGA, which was also rejected by SEGA:

"Why can't we call it SuperSPGA according to SEGA? Why can't we mention the word SEGA on our website, even when showing the TM (trademark)?

SEGA is not friendly to us. We have processed all refunds. We have to wait and see what happens. Nothing more to say at this stage, we'll see what happens in 2025.

So it would seem that the project is on the rocks, but that was without counting on another last-minute turn of events! Alejandro Martin has sent Time Extension a ‘copy and paste’ of an email he received from SEGA (with no official attachment, of course).

We'll leave it to you to read it:

‘Greetings to anyone who may be affected by the SuperSega-SuperSPGA group.

We apologise for interfering with your game console project without providing any evidence of your wrongdoing in relation to these ongoing matters.

We actually approve of your plans and appreciate your contributions to gaming communities/industries worldwide.

Please understand that some of the employees/associates of our legal team behind the false takedown requests have intentionally made false reports in order to commit crimes on behalf of your group members for no reason whatsoever.

We invite you to continue your projects by keeping all the units you have manufactured. Do not hesitate to contact Sega's offices if you need help with the development of your SuperSega-SuperSPGA console.

Please feel free to report certain employees/associates of our legal team who are behind these illegal attacks for misconduct, harassment, etc.

Yours sincerely

Sega Europe Legal Department

The Time Extension team will of course be contacting SEGA to verify the authenticity of this e-mail, which seems somewhat... unexpected...

When Tim Burton released Batman Returns in 1992, the rights to the associated video games were split between several platforms, including the SEGA Mega Drive and the Super Nintendo.

These two versions were radically different. The Mega Drive offered a platform game with stages in the Batmobile, in addition to the classic walking sections. The SNES, on the other hand, offered a game that was more oriented towards side-scrolling combat, which - without fuelling the traditional SNES/Mega Drive war - was a critical success compared to the Mega Drive version, which didn't disappoint.

But Mega Drive owners can take some consolation over 30 years later! A group of developers has released a technical demo of a Mega Drive port of the SNES game, called Batman Returns MD.

This project, led by Pyron (graphics), TiagoSC (code), Inglebard and vectororbitex7866 (music), corrects one of the main faults of the SNES game developed by Konami: the absence of a multiplayer mode. The game will also benefit from a higher resolution and a 60 fps display, while having a larger number of enemies on screen (up to nine).

Our aim was to bring back the essence of the original, taking advantage of the graphics and processing power of the Mega Drive to deliver an arcade-like experience. This project is still in development, so bugs may occur’, explain the developers.

They add:

We made this technical demo to test different concepts and fulfil a teenage dream: to see Batman Returns ported to my favourite console. We have no intention of completing the game, but the results obtained here will be used for future projects.

Finally, the release concludes:

The demo was not created to ridicule the SNES version, but to show that the Mega Drive can handle a beat'em all with impressive technical and graphical qualities. While it has its limitations in some areas, it excels in others, making it an ideal platform for this type of game.

As you can see, the aim is not to develop a complete version of the game, but to test concepts for future projects. When you see the quality of the work, it looks very promising.

The demo is available free of charge in .bin format here.

You may already be familiar with Victor Alonso's Los Ultimos Game Center, a Spanish book that catalogues some 25 arcades in Japan (and their terminals) through more than 200 photographs carefully chosen by the author.

This first book was a huge success, both commercially and critically, to the point of being distributed all over the world even though it was only published in Spanish. Victor Alonso has therefore decided to go one step further by offering a new edition in English and Japanese.

This ‘Black Label’ edition is more than just a ‘simple translation’: the quality of the photos has been improved. It also includes a small ‘zine’ containing photos of a nocturnal videogame adventure in a drive-in that left its mark on the author.

To keep up to date, two rooms have been removed from the book (because they have unfortunately closed), but they have been replaced by two new locations that were not included in the first edition.

In 280 pages printed on high-quality paper, you can admire arcade rooms and machines. As the author is above all a photographer, his attention to detail allows him to capture the unique atmosphere of these spaces in the best possible way.

As Victor Alonso points out, this book is also a means of opening up a personal and collective reflection on the passage of time and the disappearance of these places that are part of Japan's heritage (despite the fact that arcades were a worldwide phenomenon in the 70s and 80s).

They were places for sharing, discovering, scoring and meeting new people, and were often the birthplace of many of today's legendary games (Space Invaders, Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Street Fighter, Dragon's Lair, Bubble Bobble, Out Run, and dozens of others).

The crowdfunding will help finance the production of this ultimate version. A total of €30,000 is expected to be raised, with the campaign closing on 14 February.

If you would like to support the project, please visit this address. You can pledge as little as €8 for the e-book in PDF format or €50 for the physical book. Early Bird’ offers for the first entrants mean that you can obtain these rewards at a lower cost. Of course, premium entries are also available with personalised dedications.

Photos: Victor Alonso

There's no need to introduce Minecraft, the phenomenal game that appeals to young and old alike. A veritable sandbox with minimalist cubic graphics, the title was released 15 years ago and has sold over 300 million copies worldwide. In 2025, there will even be a film adaptation starring Jason Momoa and Jack Black, among others.

Beyond the ‘simple game’, several innovative projects revolve around this universe. These include a monumental virtual library, comprising 12.5 million blocks, put online by Reporters Sans Frontières. The aim of this project is to give players living in countries subject to censorship access to articles that are usually inaccessible.

A little more levity this time, with a surprising adaptation: Minecraft on Dreamcast! Entitled ClassiCube, this fan-developed project reproduces the Minecraft client as it was in 2009. SEGA's 128-bit console manages to run a ‘light’ version of the game.

ClassiCube lets you explore, build and modify environments in different biomes. The game is compatible with the Dreamcast keyboard and mouse, making it more ergonomic for this type of game.

To top it all off, the game can be played online. All you have to do is create an account on the official website and connect to the dedicated servers directly via the Dreamcast.

This project is a perfect illustration of the agility of ‘homebrew’ developers (unofficial home-made games), who are able to bypass hardware constraints using modern tools.

The game is available for free on the official ClassiCube website. It comes in .CDi format, which you'll need to burn onto a disc to run it on your original Dreamcast console.

The Recalbox team wishes you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We hope that this festive season will be an opportunity to enjoy your loved ones, to spoil them and to be spoiled!

For many of us, Christmas was the time when we entered the world of video games: when we received our first console, when we unwrapped our first games, sometimes unexpected, sometimes forbidden.

It's easy to remember the nostalgia of a simple time when you could switch on your new console in the evening while your parents continued to unwrap their presents. No updates, no accounts to create... the pleasure was immediate!

That's the kind of pleasure we're trying to bring you throughout the year with the Recalbox project. Our greatest gift is to see you on the networks, having fun, sharing your games and memories with your children, family and friends, and simply playing!

So, what can we wish you this festive season? Well, even more retrogaming under the tree: Raspberry Pi, 8BitDo controllers, Retroflag cases, vinyl, the books Fabrice has been introducing you to all year, etc.

We won't hold it against you if you receive a PlayStation 5, Xbox Series or Switch... we promise...

As we look forward to 2025, a year full of surprises and new releases for Recalbox, we'd like to wish you all the very best for the festive season, and for sharing some quality time with your loved ones, as well as a great holiday for the lucky ones.

Title picture: Daze Before Christmas / Megarive / SNES

Back in November, we brought you the 8BitDo keyboard, a tribute to the SEGA Saturn to celebrate the console's 30th anniversary.

Today, a new brand has signed an official partnership with SEGA to offer an accessory in tribute to the 32-bit console.

Onkyo recently announced the availability of Bluetooth headphones in Saturn colours. Each headset features a sticker representing half of a SEGA Saturn controller. The headphones come with a charging case that offers three additional charges. The case is distinguished by a sticker featuring the console. Onkyo has even gone so far as to include the famous Saturn start-up sound, which plays when the headphones are switched on.

As an option, the brand offers a wireless induction charger inspired by the design of a Saturn game disc, an iconic format at the time, albeit launched simultaneously with Sony's PlayStation. Fans of detail will notice that the charger's typography is based on that of Virtua Fighter, a ‘system seller’ for the Saturn, despite its difficulties in competing with the PlayStation.

On the technical side, Onkyo claims a battery life of 5 hours per charge**, which can be extended to 20 hours thanks to the three recharges supplied with the case. The headphones are IPX4 certified, making them sweat-proof and suitable for sports use. They feature Bluetooth 5.3 technology and support AAC and SBC codecs for optimised sound quality.

The headphones are available for 15,500 yen (around €95), while the induction charging cradle is priced at 4,400 yen (around €27).

Finally, for fans outside Japan, Onkyo is offering the option of using the Buyee service for international delivery.

In an interview with The Guardian on Friday, Shuji Utsumi, the current CEO of Sega America and Europe, expressed his misgivings about retro and announced his intention to focus on the future.

Taking advantage of Nintendo's success with its NES Mini in November 2016 and its Super NES Mini in September 2017, SEGA quickly jumped on the mini-console bandwagon with the Mega Drive Mini in September 2019 (which is therefore SEGA's last official console born after the Dreamcast).

The Japanese firm then repeated the experiment with the Game Gear Mini in October 2020 (reserved for the Japanese market) and the Mega Drive Mini 2 in October 2022.

The strategy was simple: play on gamers' nostalgia by offering miniaturised replicas of the consoles of the time, with between 40 and 60 games pre-installed (depending on the model and the region of release).

Although the development of such devices seems inexpensive, SEGA does not (for the time being) seem to want to prolong the experiment. While sales figures for SEGA Minis are hard to come by (we do know, however, that Nintendo has been very satisfied with its sales), the company justifies this choice with a vision of SEGA's development that is more oriented towards the future than the past.

I have no intention of going down the Mini route. That's not who I am. I want to adapt to modern players, said Utsumi.

We are not a retro company. We really appreciate our heritage, we value it, but at the same time, we want to offer something new, otherwise we will become ancient history. That's not our goal, says the chairman, who joined SEGA in 1996.

This statement could not be clearer, at least as far as the hardware is concerned, as SEGA makes no secret of the reboot projects it is currently working on or has in the pipeline (Shinobi, Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, Streets of Rage, Golden Axe, etc.).

Photos: SEGA

Accessory manufacturer Genki announced a partnership with 8BitDo earlier this year. The result of this collaboration will be available in early 2025.

If you're familiar with 8BitDo products, you'll be aware that this is just a small relifting of one of their flagship products.

The Genki PocketPro takes its shape and features from the SN30 Pro. It is largely inspired by the SNES controller, with a directional cross and action buttons similar to the good old controller from the 90s.

In addition, you'll find two Hall Effect joysticks (Hall Effect sensors detect the position of the stick using integrated magnets, with no direct physical contact between the mechanical parts and the sensor), a Turbo button, a Hotkey button, vibrations, a gyroscopic system (compatible only with Nintendo Switch), and a battery offering 18 hours of autonomy on a 2-hour USB-C charge.

The main addition of this collaboration is aesthetic: the controller is transparent, revealing the internal circuitry, and the pastel buttons add a discreet touch of colour.

A very welcome addition is the indication of the three connection modes on the top of the controller, so you don't have to rummage around in the manual or on the Internet to find out how to connect to a new device.

The controller is compatible with Windows, Apple (iOS and Mac), Android, Switch, and Steam. Although I don't have this controller in my hands, given that it is 8BitDo's firmware, it seems very likely that it is compatible with Recalbox, by switching on the controller with START + B (the green button on the controller in question).

As such, if you have an 8BitDo controller and are wondering about compatibility, please visit our dedicated wiki page.

The controller is currently out of stock, but should be restocked in January 2025, at a price of €53.95.

Photos: Genki

In the run-up to the theatrical release of Mufasa: The Lion King, a news item should delight fans of The Lion King (which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year), as well as enthusiasts of video game heritage preservation.

The game preservation group Codebound has announced that it has archived a previously unreleased prototype of the famous Super Nintendo platform game The Lion King.

Released simultaneously on Super Nintendo and Mega Drive in November 1994, this game offered the chance to play as Simba, first as a lion cub and then as an adult, as he relives the adventures of the film of the same name.

The prototype in question dates back to 22 March 1994, eight months before the game's official release. Codebound has shared some interesting images showing that the developers were already working on the project before they even had the sprites and backgrounds supplied by Disney, which are to be found in the final version.

The screenshots show a crudely drawn Simba in the famous wildebeest chasm scene. Other images show a lion cub with rudimentary, even comical features, so unrecognisable.

Meanwhile, Codebound has taken the opportunity to reveal images of the game's prototype on Game Gear, dated 25 May 1994. It's an incomplete prototype on which several levels are missing, sending you back to the selection screen when you try to launch them.

Almost all such finds are listed on the Hidden Palace website, which is "a community dedicated to preserving video game development media (such as prototypes, hardware, source code, artwork, and more) ’. A real goldmine for fans of the (often) well-hidden history of video games.

SEGA's Shinobi saga, launched in 1987 on arcade terminals, is a classic of the action/platform genre of the 80s and 90s. You may be familiar with Shinobi Game Gear (GG), released in 1991, which was the first title in the franchise to be ported to a handheld console.

The Game Gear, with its backlit colour LCD screen, had everything to showcase the series. However, the technical constraints of the 90s handheld console meant that it could not match the level of detail of the Mega Drive, which had been released a few months earlier.

However, a developer known as Pigsy decided to pay tribute to Shinobi GG by adapting it for the Mega Drive, in order to take advantage of the 16-bit console's performance.

To do this, Pigsy used the Mega Drive Development Kit (SGDK), which allowed him to start the project from scratch. Although this involves more work, it allows him to create a port specifically designed for the Mega Drive, without being limited by the features of the Game Gear.

New graphics, an enriched soundtrack and adjusted playing mechanics (particularly in terms of collision and scrolling) are all planned to offer improved gameplay.

While these changes are designed to take full advantage of the Mega Drive's capabilities, the developer is keen to preserve the essence of Shinobi GG, without altering it in any way.

Although development is still far from complete, it is receiving a great deal of support from the retrogaming community and fans of the franchise.

On the Recalbox side, if you own the game, Shinobi GG is perfectly playable on Game Gear, and SEGA is even offering a sequel, Shinobi II The Silent Fury on its handheld console. If you're more of a home console gamer, you'll find different instalments in the series on the Master System, Mega Drive and Saturn.

Connecting a console used to seem so simple, but nowadays it can quickly become a real headache. Video and audio inputs and outputs have multiplied over the years and, despite well-known standards, can make certain screens incompatible with our machines.

Many gamers now use upscalers such as Retrotink 4K or OSSC, which allow images from our old consoles to be transmitted via HDMI to modern screens. Nevertheless, purists will always prefer an unprocessed source to obtain a ‘pure’ image.

The main problem in this case is finding a compatible combination of video inputs and outputs. If you dig a little deeper, you'll quickly realise that consoles and screens (CRT and PC) have exploited numerous formats: SCART, Composite/S-Video RCA, VGA, YUV...

What's more, depending on the manufacturer, model, generation or region, input and output types vary. So you end up with a multitude of non-standardised possibilities, which become even more complex when you have several consoles or several screens.

Of course, there are adapters on the market that often do the job, but Scalable Video Switch has taken the concept a step further by offering a fully customisable and scalable analogue video switching solution.

Prototype

In its most advanced (and therefore most expensive) configuration, this adapter can accommodate up to 32 input modules and 6 output modules, in any combination of Peritel, Component, VGA and Composite/S-Video. Far too many for standard use by the average retrogaming gamer, but this solution means you can adapt the components to suit your needs.

To get started, you'll need to buy the control module ($40) and the remote control ($10). You can then add the various input/output modules, available for between $25 and $35, which you clip together to form a single block tailored to your needs.

If you've been following the Recalbox project, you probably know that an in-house solution exists for equipping your Raspberry Pi4 with a Peritel and VGA output: the RGB Dual. This essential accessory for playing on your CRT screens is plug and play. The solution remains compatible with Pi5, subject to specific installation to ensure sound compatibility (as Fabrice explains here).

Finally, if you'd like to know more about analogue signals, Kid has a comprehensive and very accessible article that you can find on this page.

Released on arcade terminals in 1987, Double Dragon is a cult beat'em all, considered to be the precursor of a multitude of games in the genre that have been largely inspired by it. The series includes around ten titles, mostly beat'em all, with a few forays into fighting games.

Until 2002, the franchise enjoyed regular and often successful releases. Since 2012, however, there have been a succession of attempts to revive the licence, with mixed results. While some of the games are not without interest, none has really made an impact or reached the level expected of such an iconic saga.

This year, Arc System Works announced Double Dragon Revive, a new opus that aims to appeal to fans of the original while attracting a new generation of gamers.

The game is scheduled for release on 23 October 2025 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Steam. Pre-orders for the Standard and Deluxe digital editions are already open. The Standard Edition is priced at €34.99, while the Deluxe Edition, priced at €49.99, includes additional content. As a bonus, players who pre-order will receive Double Dragon Dodge Ball, an exclusive game.

French publisher Microids will be responsible for the physical distribution of the game. While the availability of a physical version in 2025 is good news (and unfortunately increasingly rare), it does come with a caveat, given the uneven quality of games recently published by Microids.

Former franchise developer Ebinuma has expressed scepticism about Double Dragon Revive, criticising an art direction he deems ‘dark’ and ‘cheap’, as well as ‘lacklustre’ combat. First impressions vary widely, and it remains difficult to assess the game at this stage, given the wide range of opinions held by the media and influencers.

Fingers crossed for a successful comeback! In the meantime, let's take a look back at the many games in the franchise, which can be played on Recalbox on... just about every platform, so widespread has the Double Dragon franchise been over the years.