As someone currently sitting less than a metre from copies of Choplifter for the Master System, Desert, Jungle and Urban Strike for the Mega Drive and Soviet Strike for the Saturn, this is right up my street! Thanks for the heads up.
I am delighted to have this wonderful game on more systems, but I was really hoping it would arrive as part of a Bubble Bobble collection, along with the original, Bubble Memories, Bubble Symphony and Rainbow Islands (preferably all on a single cart together).
I love rom hacks, so this is a fabulous idea for an article. I'd love to see more of these features in future, that gather together lots of hacks that are worth checking out.
Maybe one on your favourite hacks that have been kicking around for years could work too?
I had Heroes of the Lance for the Master System when I was young and couldn't really get anywhere in it, if memory serves me well. Still got the cartridge kicking around. I always see these old D&D re-releases and instantly add them to my Steam wishlist, but I usually find that in reality they're too archaic for me to enjoy them much. I generally find the old games that hold up best for me are the simplest ones. Nowt wrong with Pac Man, Galaga, Mappy or Super Mario Bros. in 2023.
I love a good fan translation, and I love Samurai Shodown, but these things usually take many years to release, so I generally try to forget about them until they appear in fully playable form.
Mine finally arrived this week. Pre-ordered from Funstock, so no question of authenticity. The overall package is beautiful and made me feel like a 10 year old again!
Loving the EXP so far, although I do find the L2 button really gets in my way when I try and play in TATE mode. Would be good to get some rapid-fire options for the TATE games as trying to rapidly press the buttons in that setup gives me cramp quite quickly!
First I get an email this morning saying that my limited edition Evercade EXP is finally ready to ship, and then this gets announced. What a great day!
Sega are a funny bunch. For years they have been championed as the ones who support their retro communities (Sonic fan games etc), often favourably compared to Nintendo's approach. And then recently they've started shutting books like this down. I hope at the very least that it is because Sega is about to launch its own glossy coffee table book all about the Mega Drive/Genesis. Otherwise it seems an odd decision.
I'm intrigued by the legality of the whole access to your entire library via the cloud part. Do they legally have the right to share ripped games to various devices via the cloud?
These look great, will definitely pick up one or two. The start button isn't ideal, but it's not something I use much in anger so doesn't bother me too much.
Any news of a UK release date? I had a quick glance but could only see imported Genesis versions at a marked up price.
How could they not know it had been released as an Arcade Archives title? I was aware of both versions existing and I'm not developing a port of the game or even particularly into it. Odd.
This is looking great! As a big Master System fan I will definitely check it out when it's finished. Until then we'll just have to stick with Master of Darkness!
I must add that 'dire' is a very harsh word to use to describe the MS port of Golden Axe. It may have been improved by a hacker years later, but it was a decent port for the time and was enjoyed a lot in my household.
I enjoyed light gun games with the Wii Remote, but they never felt quite right. I'm still waiting for a truly great light gun that works with modern displays. There was a recent one (forget the name) but there seemed to be quite a lot of complaints about it.
@Spider-Kev None of those things are fast though. If you're a low cash flow company and you now have to produce a load of extra stock of a discontinued item to meet previous orders, all of that will have to be paid for before any insurance company pays out. If they have enough cash to tide themselves over until it all gets sorted then they should be fine long term, but many businesses go bust because of short time cash issues, or at least struggle to pay staff due to them (never good at Christmas). And all of that is just finances, there is also the issue of working hard to produce a product you genuinely care about only for it to get stolen before it reaches the hands of your most loyal customers... that must be quite distressing.
I was devastated when I got the email. Was really looking forward to playing this over the holidays. I mostly just feel for Blaze though as they can't be rolling in cash right now and I'm sure they didn't need to be ordering more of the (out of production) Limited Edition units from their supplier. People can be such scumbags.
I used to play R-Type on my Mega Drive all the time... using the Master System Converter! Seriously though, brilliant as the MS port was it would have been nice to get a native MD version (if just to lose all that sprite flicker!) back in the day, but better late than never I guess.
I've made a lot of effort to make sure almost all of my old consoles are RGB scart and the difference is clear. That said, I voted for component as the SCART connector is one of the all-time worst connector designs. Too big and bulky, always pointing the wrong direction and often incapable of staying in under its own weight and loose connection.
I'm keen to know if this rom runs on a real Mega Drive. Obviously current tech can make Space Harrier run just fine, but is this a legit improved Mega Drive port? Apologies if this is covered in the video, I haven't got sound right now.
This is great news. I hope the lineup is good. It's funny, but when I first got my Evercade I decided to buy all of the cartridges as I assumed it wouldn't be too successful and would prove easy to collect a complete set for. I already own more games than I expected to be released with no sign of it slowing down! Don't get me wrong, it's a good thing, but the collection is going to take up more money and space than I ever dreamed it would!
Was slightly surprised to see the adapters were 3 for $99 given the fact that the Game Gear one was $29. Sadly I can't order an Analogue Pocket or any accessories as the pound to dollar exchange rate right now makes them out of my price range. And that's even before potential taxes on the import.
So far I've played some Rod Land on Evercade, Amoured Warriors, Turtles in Time (arcade version), Giga Wing and Pinball FX3 on Switch and Strange Horticulture on Steam Deck. The latter has sucked me in far more than I ever expected it to.
Love this game. Definitely superior to the SNES DKC trilogy in my book. My most played game in my Super Famicom is this in a Super Game Boy. Will have to check this hack out. Thanks for the heads up!
I had the original Actua Soccer on PC way back in the day. Played the PS1 version recently on Evercade and it's... er... yeah. I can't actually remember if this sequel was any good. My go to retro football game is ISS 98 on N64.
Yes please! I'm just playing through Monkey Island 1&2 before starting Return to Monkey Island. After that I'd be happy to replay Maniac Mansion and Day of the Tentacle before playing a sequel!
I've always wanted something like this, so I'm definitely interested. Being Krikzz it will be very well made. Being Krikzz it will also not come cheap.
An important game no doubt, but definitely one to look good on the shelf, or complete a collection, rather than to play. I never played it at the time as the first person I knew with a SNES got one with Turbo and that was my only taste of home Street Fighter until I got the Mega Drive port. When I finally played this one later it felt seriously lacking after all the versions that had followed it.
I don't think of it so much as being a question of time as one of design. What has really changed between the PS3 era and the PS5 one? Graphics have got better and framerates more reliable, but there isn't a revolutionary change between them, and most importantly control and game mechanics haven't drastically changed. They don't feel retro to me because the current era often feels like a polished version of that era.
Nice article! I wish there were more articles like this on gaming sites, instead of just new game news and reviews, so I'm loving all of the stuff you guys are posting on Time Extension. Keep up the good work!
Comments 203
Re: Konami's 'Dark Adventure' Coming To PS4 & Switch On August 17th
Definitely going to pick this up. I love that they're including all versions of the game.
Re: Megacopter Is An Indie Sci-Fi Take On Desert Strike & Choplifter
As someone currently sitting less than a metre from copies of Choplifter for the Master System, Desert, Jungle and Urban Strike for the Mega Drive and Soviet Strike for the Saturn, this is right up my street! Thanks for the heads up.
Re: Double Dragon Gaiden Studio Shows Off Mock-Ups For Golden Axe, Ghostbusters And Final Fight
I can't stand their big head art style, so I would really rather someone else take on Golden Axe or Final Fight.
Re: Parasol Stars: The Story Of Bubble Bobble III Heading To Modern Consoles This Year
I am delighted to have this wonderful game on more systems, but I was really hoping it would arrive as part of a Bubble Bobble collection, along with the original, Bubble Memories, Bubble Symphony and Rainbow Islands (preferably all on a single cart together).
Re: Best ROM Hacks, Mods And Homebrews Of 2023
I love rom hacks, so this is a fabulous idea for an article. I'd love to see more of these features in future, that gather together lots of hacks that are worth checking out.
Maybe one on your favourite hacks that have been kicking around for years could work too?
Re: 8BitDo Is Updating The Legendary Neo Geo CD Controller
This is a day 1 purchase for me as I love clicky NEOGEO digital sticks. Please can we have Switch support too though?
I would kill (lots of naughty in-game baddies) for a left JoyCon with one of these sticks and wireless so that it worked with the FlipGrip for shmups.
Re: A Bunch Of Old Dungeons & Dragons Games Are Now Available On Steam
I had Heroes of the Lance for the Master System when I was young and couldn't really get anywhere in it, if memory serves me well. Still got the cartridge kicking around. I always see these old D&D re-releases and instantly add them to my Steam wishlist, but I usually find that in reality they're too archaic for me to enjoy them much. I generally find the old games that hold up best for me are the simplest ones. Nowt wrong with Pac Man, Galaga, Mappy or Super Mario Bros. in 2023.
Re: The Samurai Shodown RPG Might Finally Be Playable In English
I love a good fan translation, and I love Samurai Shodown, but these things usually take many years to release, so I generally try to forget about them until they appear in fully playable form.
Re: Here's How To Make Sure You're Not Buying A Stolen Evercade EXP
Mine finally arrived this week. Pre-ordered from Funstock, so no question of authenticity. The overall package is beautiful and made me feel like a 10 year old again!
Loving the EXP so far, although I do find the L2 button really gets in my way when I try and play in TATE mode. Would be good to get some rapid-fire options for the TATE games as trying to rapidly press the buttons in that setup gives me cramp quite quickly!
Re: Team17 Joins The Evercade Family With 10-Game Amiga Collection
First I get an email this morning saying that my limited edition Evercade EXP is finally ready to ship, and then this gets announced. What a great day!
Re: UK Retailer Argos Stops Accepting Preorders For The Intellivision Amico
My first thought on reading this was "They were still taking pre-orders for this?!"
Re: Greyfox Books Release Mega Drive Book For Free After Sega Issues "Cease And Desist"
Sega are a funny bunch. For years they have been championed as the ones who support their retro communities (Sonic fan games etc), often favourably compared to Nintendo's approach. And then recently they've started shutting books like this down. I hope at the very least that it is because Sega is about to launch its own glossy coffee table book all about the Mega Drive/Genesis. Otherwise it seems an odd decision.
Re: Polymega's Next Trick? Ditching Dedicated Hardware
I'm intrigued by the legality of the whole access to your entire library via the cloud part. Do they legally have the right to share ripped games to various devices via the cloud?
Re: Best Ridge Racer Games - Every Ridge Racer, Ranked
Can't really argue with the top 3. Love this series. Think you're a bit harsh on RR64.
Re: Review: Retro-Bit 'BIG6' Sega Genesis / Mega Drive Controller - Bigger Is Better
These look great, will definitely pick up one or two. The start button isn't ideal, but it's not something I use much in anger so doesn't bother me too much.
Any news of a UK release date? I had a quick glance but could only see imported Genesis versions at a marked up price.
Re: Metal Black S-Tribute Canned For PS4 And Switch
How could they not know it had been released as an Arcade Archives title? I was aware of both versions existing and I'm not developing a port of the game or even particularly into it. Odd.
Re: Castlevania Is Coming To The Sega Master System
This is looking great! As a big Master System fan I will definitely check it out when it's finished. Until then we'll just have to stick with Master of Darkness!
I must add that 'dire' is a very harsh word to use to describe the MS port of Golden Axe. It may have been improved by a hacker years later, but it was a decent port for the time and was enjoyed a lot in my household.
Re: The Making Of: Daze Before Christmas, The Festive Platformer That Shouldn't Exist
Thanks for this, it was an enjoyable read. I actually like this game, and I'm not alone...
https://videogamecritic.com/snesdd.htm?e=89720#rev4743
Re: Random: Modder Creates The Most Useless Game Boy Accessory Ever, For Fun
Haha, that's brilliant!
Re: The Most Divisive Zelda Is Now 20 Years Old
Divisive before people played it maybe, but Post-released most agreed it was a good or great game. Zelda II is surely more divisive.
Re: Light Gun Fans Rejoice! Hacker Gets Wii Remote Working With Sega Dreamcast
I enjoyed light gun games with the Wii Remote, but they never felt quite right. I'm still waiting for a truly great light gun that works with modern displays. There was a recent one (forget the name) but there seemed to be quite a lot of complaints about it.
Re: Evercade EXP Shipment Worth Half A Million Pounds Has Been Stolen
@Spider-Kev None of those things are fast though. If you're a low cash flow company and you now have to produce a load of extra stock of a discontinued item to meet previous orders, all of that will have to be paid for before any insurance company pays out. If they have enough cash to tide themselves over until it all gets sorted then they should be fine long term, but many businesses go bust because of short time cash issues, or at least struggle to pay staff due to them (never good at Christmas). And all of that is just finances, there is also the issue of working hard to produce a product you genuinely care about only for it to get stolen before it reaches the hands of your most loyal customers... that must be quite distressing.
Re: Evercade EXP Shipment Worth Half A Million Pounds Has Been Stolen
I was devastated when I got the email. Was really looking forward to playing this over the holidays. I mostly just feel for Blaze though as they can't be rolling in cash right now and I'm sure they didn't need to be ordering more of the (out of production) Limited Edition units from their supplier. People can be such scumbags.
Re: R-Type Fan Working On A Promising New Port For Sega Mega Drive/Genesis
I used to play R-Type on my Mega Drive all the time... using the Master System Converter! Seriously though, brilliant as the MS port was it would have been nice to get a native MD version (if just to lose all that sprite flicker!) back in the day, but better late than never I guess.
Re: CIBSunday: Soldier Blade (PC Engine)
Stone cold classic. Sign me up for that Soldier Collection too please!
Re: Poll: Which Old-School AV Connection Is Your Favourite?
I've made a lot of effort to make sure almost all of my old consoles are RGB scart and the difference is clear. That said, I voted for component as the SCART connector is one of the all-time worst connector designs. Too big and bulky, always pointing the wrong direction and often incapable of staying in under its own weight and loose connection.
Re: Streets Of Rage Composer Yuzo Koshiro Is Working On A New Mega Drive / Genesis Game
Yes! YES! So much YES!!
Re: Random: The Simpsons Meets Neo Turf Masters In This Amazing Mash-Up
Haha, that's very random but great!
Re: Batman Voice Actor Kevin Conroy Has Passed Away
Devastating. My favourite Batman. TAS is the perfect animated series. RIP Kevin.
Re: 17 New openFPGA Cores For Analogue Pocket Just Dropped
Colecovision for the win!
Re: Random: Playing F-Zero On A Widescreen Monitor Is A Blast
Pretty cool. When I think about F-Zero games it usually just makes me think how I'd be happy just to have a 1080/60 Switch port of F-Zero GX.
Re: Elevator Action Returns Is Coming To Modern Consoles
Stone cold classic. Played the Saturn version and loved it.
Re: Sega Wants To Know What Mini Console You Want Next
Master System, then Saturn and then Dreamcast.
Re: Space Harrier II Shows Huge Improvement On Sega Mega Drive / Genesis Mini 2
I'm keen to know if this rom runs on a real Mega Drive. Obviously current tech can make Space Harrier run just fine, but is this a legit improved Mega Drive port? Apologies if this is covered in the video, I haven't got sound right now.
Re: SEC Report Reveals That A Llamasoft Collection Is Potentially In The Works
Yeah, I'll buy anything Llamasoft, so this will be an easy decision for me if it sees the light of day.
Re: Celebrate, Amiga Games Are Coming To Evercade
This is great news. I hope the lineup is good. It's funny, but when I first got my Evercade I decided to buy all of the cartridges as I assumed it wouldn't be too successful and would prove easy to collect a complete set for. I already own more games than I expected to be released with no sign of it slowing down! Don't get me wrong, it's a good thing, but the collection is going to take up more money and space than I ever dreamed it would!
Re: Analogue Pocket's Remaining Cartridge Adapters Up For Pre-Order Later This Month
Was slightly surprised to see the adapters were 3 for $99 given the fact that the Game Gear one was $29. Sadly I can't order an Analogue Pocket or any accessories as the pound to dollar exchange rate right now makes them out of my price range. And that's even before potential taxes on the import.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (October 15th)
So far I've played some Rod Land on Evercade, Amoured Warriors, Turtles in Time (arcade version), Giga Wing and Pinball FX3 on Switch and Strange Horticulture on Steam Deck. The latter has sucked me in far more than I ever expected it to.
Re: Best Donkey Kong Game Gets An Impressive Fan Patch With Barrel Load Of New Levels
Love this game. Definitely superior to the SNES DKC trilogy in my book. My most played game in my Super Famicom is this in a Super Game Boy. Will have to check this hack out. Thanks for the heads up!
Re: Move Aside FIFA 23, Actua Soccer 2 Is Coming To Steam
I had the original Actua Soccer on PC way back in the day. Played the PS1 version recently on Evercade and it's... er... yeah. I can't actually remember if this sequel was any good. My go to retro football game is ISS 98 on N64.
Re: Random: Turns out, The Horror Filmmaker John Carpenter Is A Big Sonic Fan
Joking aside, I support all articles relating to John Carpenter. My favourite director of all time.
Re: Random: Turns out, The Horror Filmmaker John Carpenter Is A Big Sonic Fan
@JackGYarwood Haha, I thought you were proposing a new Oceans 11 style franchise!
Re: Random: Turns out, The Horror Filmmaker John Carpenter Is A Big Sonic Fan
Assault on Precinct 12? Is that a new prequel?
Re: Lucasfilm Executive Producer Joins Ron Gilbert In Wanting To Revisit Maniac Mansion
Yes please! I'm just playing through Monkey Island 1&2 before starting Return to Monkey Island. After that I'd be happy to replay Maniac Mansion and Day of the Tentacle before playing a sequel!
Re: Plug-And-Play Device Brings Famicom RGB Support Without Modifications
I've always wanted something like this, so I'm definitely interested. Being Krikzz it will be very well made. Being Krikzz it will also not come cheap.
Re: CIBSunday: Street Fighter II: The World Warrior (Super Famicom)
An important game no doubt, but definitely one to look good on the shelf, or complete a collection, rather than to play. I never played it at the time as the first person I knew with a SNES got one with Turbo and that was my only taste of home Street Fighter until I got the Mega Drive port. When I finally played this one later it felt seriously lacking after all the versions that had followed it.
Re: Poll: Are The PS3, Wii And Xbox 360 Retro Now?
I don't think of it so much as being a question of time as one of design. What has really changed between the PS3 era and the PS5 one? Graphics have got better and framerates more reliable, but there isn't a revolutionary change between them, and most importantly control and game mechanics haven't drastically changed. They don't feel retro to me because the current era often feels like a polished version of that era.
Re: Yes, Castlevania On Intellivision Is A Thing
I have sometimes wondered whether you read Indieretronews @damo and now I have an answer!
Re: Music: Hey, Do You Remember The Street Fighter Movie Soundtrack?
This album featured many legends of hip-hop like Ice Cube, Ras Kass, Nas, The Pharcyde, LL Cool J and... er... MC Hammer.
Re: Feature: The Untold Story Of Rival Dreams, And Three 'Abandoned' GBA Games
Nice article! I wish there were more articles like this on gaming sites, instead of just new game news and reviews, so I'm loving all of the stuff you guys are posting on Time Extension. Keep up the good work!