Before E3 there was the Consumer Electronics Show and at the 1983 event Atari unveiled an unlikely corporate spokesperson. This week on The Retro League we look back at that very strange day. We also continue our last releases series with the Game Boy Color and talk about the latest batch of Virtual Console games.

This Day in Gaming History
June 9, 1983 - Atari introduces Alan Alda as their new spokesperson at the 1983 Consumer Electronics Show


Hot Topics
A video game show hosted by Christopher Walken you say
Any machines you were too scared to play?
The Birth of Micro Transactions


Virtually Retro
Spelunker (Wii U Virtual Console)
Yoshi (Wii U Virtual Console)
Senkogu 3 (Wii Virtual Console)
Alfa Romeo Racing: Italiano (PlayStation 2 Classics)
Ultimate Board Game Collection (PlayStation 2 Classics)


News
New GameCenter CX Title in Development for 3DS


Games of the Week
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Game Boy Color)
Shantae (Game Boy Color)


Email Links
Game Boy Crammer


Random Links
Dinosaur Dracula - The Legend of Zelda
howlongtobeat.com


Freeloader Game of the Month
Dark Ages (PC)

Download | Duration: 01:41:22

This week we are joined by Mike from the Cartoon Retrocast to talk about the final days of the Nintendo 64. It's a system we all remember fondly and are still playing today. We also look back at Mario's first appearance in both the arcades and movies, talk about a few Zelda games, and wonder aloud about what they'll find in the infamous Atari landfill.

This Day in Gaming History
June 2, 1981 Donkey Kong released in arcades


Hot Topics
Anyone interested in joining a MAME group?
Game formulas you never want to be changed
Games that allow player 2 trolling
When a game’s aesthetics alone are worth it


Virtually Retro
Mega Man X (Wii U Virtual Console)
Ghosts 'n Goblins (Wii U Virtual Console)
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages (3DS Virtual Console)
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons (3DS Virtual Console)
The Warriors (PlayStation 2 Classics)
Final Fantasy IV (Android)


News
Alamogordo green lights search for buried Atari games
John Leguizamo: We Were Pioneers With The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Game breaking bug is why Donkey Kong 64 required the expansion pack


Games of the Week
Bomberman 64 (Japan) (Nintendo 64)
Mother 3 – Earthbound 64 (unreleased) (Nintendo 64)
Powerpuff Girls: Chemical X-Traction (Nintendo 64)


Random Links
MOVIE DEFENSE FORCE - Street Fighter

Download | Duration: 01:56:25

This week on The Retro League we look at the demise of Sega's last console. Although the Dreamcast's life was short it left an amazing legacy behind. We also look back at a notorious N64 game, talk about some retro game tunes, discuss your picks for generationally confounding games, and much more.

This Day in Gaming History
May 29, 1999 - Superman 64 released


Hot Topics
Millennials and episode 182
Early 90s Nintendo promo tape


Virtually Retro
Kirby's Dream Course (Wii U Virtual Console)
Kirby Super Star (Wii U Virtual Console)
Kirby's Dream Land 3 (Wii U Virtual Console)


News
North East Retro Gaming - Gateshead Stadium June 29th 30th 2013
How Can I Play my Old PC Games on a Modern Computer?
Retro Game Music Bundle
Shadowrun Returns Pre-Sale
26 apps for Atari 2600 lovers
Guide to NES label variants


Games of the Week
Phantasy Star Online Version 2 (Dreamcast)
Fatal Fury: Mark of the Wolves (Dreamcast)


Freeloader Game of the Month
Maze of Galious

Download | Duration: 01:36:14

This week on The Retro League we look back at the last games produced for the the original Game Boy, the little monochrome handheld that refused to die in the face of technically superior competitors. We also delve into the topic of generation gaps in gaming. Is it possible that gamers raised on modern-gen titles simply can't handle retro games? We also have a huge stack of virtually retro games to discuss and much more.

This Day in Gaming History
May 19, 1994: Sony Starts a Division To Sell Game Machines


Hot Topics
Came across my brother's Xband the other day
Favorite Foo Strategies
Raspberry Pi Emulation box for my nephew


Virtually Retro
Karateka Classic (iOS)
Super Mario Bros. 2 (Wii U Virtual Console)
Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts (Wii U Virtual Console)
Super Metroid (Wii U Virtual Console)
Mega Man 5 (3DS Virtual Console)
Harvest Moon (3DS Virtual Console)
The King of Fighters '99 (Wii Virtual Console)
Manhunt (PlayStation 2 Classics)
FreeCiv (HTML5)


News
Nintendo Claiming Ad Revenue On YouTube User-Generated Gameplay Videos
"y cant metroid crawl?" - Modern gamers think Super Metroid is too difficult
Don't Worry, There Are More Sega Game Gear Titles Coming To 3DS Virtual Console


Games of the Week
WWF War Zone (Game Boy)
Pokemon Blue (Game Boy)


Random Links
Bit Pop - Sega CD collecting
Video Game Rescue - Budget Gamer
Sonic the Hedgehog Life Savers from 1994
31 life lessons you can only learn from video games


Freeloader Game of the Month
Maze of Galious

Download | Duration: 02:08:01

In March 1998 Sega announced they were discontinuing the Saturn to focus on a new system that wouldn't be released for over a year. This decision destroyed the tiny remaining shred of trust gamers had in the Sega brand and ultimately led to their demise as a console producer. This week on The Retro League we look back at the demise of the Sega Saturn and the eclectic mix of final releases it had.

This Day in Gaming History
May 14, 1949 - Walter Aldro Day, Jr., an American businessman, game designer, historian, musician, and the founder of Twin Galaxies was born


Hot Topics
Game franchises that started on Atari 2600
Would a Super Mario Bros HD remake be a bad idea
How many Final Fantasy games have you played


Virtually Retro
Super 1-Bit Space Arena (Flash)
Solomon's Key (Wii U Virtual Console)
Xevious (Wii U Virtual Console)
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly (PlayStation 2 Classics)
Motto Trump Shiyouyo!, Zero Kara No Mahjong Mahjong – Tamago-Gumi, Zero Kara No Mahjong Mahjong – Tamago-Gumi 2 Taikai E Ikou! (PSOne Imports)
Terminus - text adventure that teaches Unix commands


News
This AI "solves" Super Mario Bros. and other classic NES games
Gamestop ending PlayStation 2 trade-ins June 1
Weirdness: Own The Manual To ClayFighter Sculptor's Cut? You Could Be Sitting On A Grand


Games of the Week
Bust-A-Move 3 (Sega Saturn)
Shining Force III (Sega Saturn)


Random Links
March 14, 1998: Sega Enterprises Pulls Its Saturn Video Console From the U.S. Market


Freeloader Game of the Month
Maze of Galious

Download | Duration: 01:33:00

This week on The Retro League we say goodbye to our favorite gaming generation as we recall the final days of the Super Nintendo. We also talk about finding arcade games at truck stops, proposing on the Atari 2600, the first days of the web, the apparent lack of interest in Ecco the Dolphin, and more.

This Day in Gaming History
May 5, 1983 - Mattel sues Atari for allegedly stealing trade secrets


Hot Topics
My retro Proposal to my wife, Done with an Atari 2600 game
Nintendo offering refurbished handhelds directly
Games you fell asleep in class for


Virtually Retro
ASCII Shooter (iOS)
Pac-Man (Wii U Virtual Console)
Mega Man (Wii U Virtual Console)
Balloon Fight (3DS Virtual Console)
The Bum (PC)
Katamari Damacy (PlayStation 2 Classics)


News
Famicom Hardware Designer Masayuki Uemura Explains Origins of its Name and Red Colouring
First-ever Web site is brought back to life
Kickstarter For Ecco The Dolphin Successor Sinks Beneath The Waves
Check Out These Spectacular NES Cartridge Rings
River City Ransom Sequel Confirmed


Games of the Week
Space invaders (Super Nintendo)
Kirby's Dream Land 3 (Super Nintendo)


Random Links
29 Postcards Sent From Video Game Worlds
Super Mario Bros. Crossover 3.0 Trailer


Freeloader Game of the Month
Maze of Galious

Download | Duration: 01:24:26

We now have a nifty app out on iTunes for the low price of nothing. Download it at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-retro-league-for-ios/id642680655

This week Hugues & Rob are joined by JCW to talk about the end of the Sega Genesis. We take a trip back to our 16-bit fan boy days but regardless of console loyalty everyone has something nice to say about the Mega Drive. We're getting more traffic than we can handle and we find something to complain about in a new system opening up for old games. We play handheld games on our TV's and try to defend Atari on this episode of The Retro League.

This Day in Gaming History
April 27, 1990 - Final Fantasy III was first released for the Famicom 

Hot Topics
Boxart and instruction booklets where amazing. 
RC Pro Am Fanfic 
RPG Elements 
Longest time to beat a game? 

Virtually Retro
Wii U Virtual Console launch 
Mega Man 4 (3DS Virtual Console) 
Sengoku (Wii Virtual Console) 
Fire Pro Wrestling Returns (PlayStation 2 Classics) 
Doom on the ZX Spectrum 

News
Texas Company's Antique Computers Are For Production, Not Display 
Donkey Kong Junior Arcade Has A New World Record Holder 
Nintendo shutting down several Wii online features at the end of June 

Games of the Week
NBA Live '98 
Frogger 
Jurassic Park: Lost World 

Random Links
The article that crashed my site - If NES games were made today 
Fanboyism and the 16-bit Console Wars 

Freeloader Game of the Month
Zero Tolerance, Beyond Zero Tolerance 

Download | Duration: 01:50:38

This week the Retro League is looking back on the death of the Sega Game Gear. We also talk about games with generation-spanning stories, stadium events, cartoons, Qbasic games, Earthbound and a giant box that plays games for 15 systems.

This Day in Gaming History
April 21, 1990 - Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom first released for Mega Drive (Japan)


Hot Topics
Evolution of video game controllers
Stadium Events found at Goodwill
Earthbound announced for Wii U Virtual Console


Virtually Retro
Dragon Fantasy Book I (PSN)
RPG Maker III (PlayStation 2 Classics)


News
Play 15 classic consoles with one controller
Unreleased Sega Pluto Revealed
Black Annex is the best QBASIC game you've ever seen


Games of the Week
The Lost World: Jurassic Park (Game Gear)
Sonic Chaos (Game Gear)


Random Links
Bit Pop
Lost World for Game Gear - Mini-walkthrough
Sega’s Game Gear page in 1996
What if Zelda Was the Hero Rescuing Prince Link?


Freeloader Game of the Month
Zero Tolerance, Beyond Zero Tolerance

Download | Duration: 01:33:40

This week we are talking about the many various problems that lead to the death of the Atari Jaguar. While comparing the system to its contemporaries and looking over its final games, we mention a couple of good Atari Jaguar games. We also find time to discuss sequel continuity, the history of Luigi, the strongest Street Fighter character, the website for Space Jam, one of the worst fighting games ever made, and similarities between the console market in the mid-90's and Russia in winter.

This Day in Gaming History
April 14, 1991 - Nintendo To Pay Rebates To Buyers


Hot Topics
Virtual Boy rants
PS2's slow and quiet death
Emotional experiences in gaming


Virtually Retro
Fairune - An action-puzzler RPG with a retro feel (iOS)
Fatal Frame (PlayStation 2 Classics)
Evergreen Avenue, Favorite Dear, Mahjong Mahjong: Youchien Tamago-Gumi (PSOne Imports)
Kirby's Adventure (3DS Virtual Console)


News
Halo 2600 for sale
Mega Man soundtrack now available
Shigeru Miyamoto shares Nintendo secrets
When Samsung made game consoles: The story of how Sega came to Korea


Feature: Last Releases - Atari Jaguar
March 13, 1995 - Mortal Kombat III will be available on the Atari Jaguar
October 6, 1995 - Atari Corp. unveils new World Wide Web site, names CompuServe as official commercial support site.
December 15, 1995 - Atari Corp.'s Jaguar 64 hits mass market price; in time for holiday sales, Jaguar now $99.
February 14, 1996 - Atari agrees to merge with disk-drive maker


Games of the Week
NBA Jam: Tournament Edition (Jaguar)
Iron Soldier 2 (Jaguar CD)


Random Links
Old Internet Junk


Freeloader Game of the Month
Zero Tolerance, Beyond Zero Tolerance

Download | Duration: 01:31:55