Boxers, Bones, and Brutal Nostalgia: Revisiting Ghosts 'n Goblins After 35 Years

Fun Fact: The first Easter egg in a video game was created in 1979 for the Atari 2600 game "Adventure". The game's developer, Warren Robinett, was frustrated that Atari didn't credit programmers for their work. So he secretly hid his name in a hidden room within the game that could only be accessed by following a specific sequence of actions. When players discovered this hidden message, it started the tradition of including "Easter eggs" in video games.

In today’s email:

• Boxers, Bones, and Brutal Nostalgia: Revisiting Ghosts 'n Goblins After 35 Years

• Castlevania ReVamped Goes Open Source: A Bloodsucking Good Deal for Fans

• How The iPod Levels Up to Game Boy Status!

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Boxers, Bones, and Brutal Nostalgia: Revisiting Ghosts 'n Goblins After 35 Years

A Trip Down Memory Lane

Hey there, fellow retro gamers! Remember those glorious days when you'd plop down in front of your chunky CRT TV, NES controller in hand, ready to tackle the pixel-perfect perils of Ghosts 'n Goblins? Well, dust off those rose-tinted glasses, 'cause Arthur and his infamous underwear are back in Ghosts 'n Goblins: Resurrection! I recently started playing the resurrection on the Nintendo Switch.

Reliving the Magic on the Switch

Booting up this bad boy on the Switch is like opening a time capsule to 1986. The second I heard that iconic theme music, I was instantly transported back to my parents' living room, determination burning in my 10-year-old heart. But this time around, I've got a few more gray hairs and a lot less patience.

New Tricks in Old Boxers

Now, don't get me wrong—*Resurrection* isn't just a pretty paint job on the old classic. Nah, Capcom's gone and given our boy Arthur some new tricks up his sleeve (or should I say, boxer shorts?). We're talking magic spells, skill trees, and even—gasp!—difficulty options. That's right, folks. You can actually make it past the first level without wanting to hurl your controller through the TV!

The Same Brutal Challenge

But here's the kicker—even with all these newfangled additions, Resurrection still manages to capture that brutal, controller-throwing essence of the original. Those Red Arremers? Still jerks. Those precarious platforming sections? Still nerve-wracking. And don't even get me started on having to play through the game twice to get the "real" ending. Some things never change, am I right?

Nostalgia Meets Reality

Playing Resurrection as an adult, I gotta say—it's a weird mix of nostalgia and "what was I thinking?" On one hand, I'm grinning like an idiot every time Arthur loses his armor and starts prancing around in his heart-print boxers. On the other, I'm wondering how my tiny child hands ever managed to navigate this pixelated gauntlet of pain.

The Comfort of Familiar Frustration

But you know what? There's something oddly comforting about getting my butt handed to me by the same game that tormented me as a kid. It's like catching up with an old frenemy—sure, they're still a pain in the neck, but dang it if you don't have a soft spot for 'em.

Give It a Shot

So, if you're feeling brave (or masochistic), why not give Ghosts 'n Goblins: Resurrection a shot? Just be warned—you might find yourself yelling at the TV like it's 1986 all over again. But hey, at least this time you can blame your slower reflexes on adulting, right?

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a princess to save and some boxers to lose.

FAN REMAKE

Castlevania ReVamped Goes Open Source: A Bloodsucking Good Deal for Fans

Hey there, vampire slayers and retro gaming enthusiasts! Grab your holy water and whips, because we've got some fangtastic news that'll make your blood rush faster than a Belmont sprinting through Dracula's castle. Castlevania ReVamped, the love child of classic Castlevania and Metroidvania gameplay, is going open source!

That's right, folks. Lv4 Games, the masterminds behind this unholy fusion, dropped the bombshell on July 8th, 2024. They're throwing open the castle gates and inviting all you coding Count Draculas to sink your teeth into the game's source code.

What's the Big Deal?

Now, you might be wondering, "So what? It's just another game going open source." But hold your horses (or should I say, hold your skeleton horses?), because this is huge for a few bloodcurdling reasons:

1. Mod-tacular Possibilities: With access to the source code, modders can go absolutely bonkers. Want to replace all the enemies with dancing skeletons? Go for it! Fancy turning Simon Belmont into a vampire himself? The power is yours!

2. Community-Driven Development: Open source means the game's fate isn't sealed in a coffin. If Lv4 Games ever decides to hang up their crosses, the community can keep the game alive and kicking (or should I say, undead and kicking?).

3. Learning Opportunities: Aspiring game devs can dive into the code and see how the pros do it. It's like getting a backstage pass to a rock concert, but instead of groupies, you've got ghouls and instead of guitars, you've got game engines.

What This Means for the Future

Open sourcing Castlevania ReVamped isn't just a win for this particular game. It's a stake through the heart of closed-source gaming (in a good way, of course). Here's why:

• Preservation: No more worries about games disappearing into the ether when companies go bust. Open source keeps classics alive and playable for generations to come.

• Innovation: When you let the community loose on a game's innards, magic happens. We might see features and improvements that even the original devs never dreamed of.

• Collaboration: Open source fosters a spirit of teamwork that's harder to achieve in traditional game dev. It's like a worldwide LAN party, but instead of fragging each other, we're all working together to make awesome games.

The Challenges Ahead

Now, before we get too carried away and start planning our Dracula-themed victory parties, let's keep it real for a sec. Open source game dev isn't all sunshine and rainbows (or moonlight and bat wings, in this case).

Coordinating a bunch of passionate devs can be like herding cats - if those cats were also trying to code while fighting vampires. There's also the whole "how do we make money" question that open source projects often grapple with. But hey, if other open source games like 0 A.D. and OpenTTD can make it work, there's hope for our fanged friends too.

Wrapping Up

So there you have it, folks. Castlevania ReVamped is going open source, and it's a big freaking deal. Whether you're a die-hard fan, a curious modder, or just someone who likes the idea of community-driven game development, this is something to get excited about.

Who knows? Maybe in a few years, we'll be playing a version of Castlevania where Simon Belmont rides a unicorn and fights robot zombies. And you know what? That sounds absolutely amazing.

EMULATORS

How The iPod Levels Up to Game Boy Status!

Remember those chunky iPods from the early 2000s? Well, hold onto your pixelated hats, 'cause someone's just given one of these bad boys a serious gaming makeover. We're talking full-on Game Boy vibes, but with a twist that'll make you wanna do the Mario.

So, here's the skinny: A tech wizard named Russell Tabata has taken a 4th gen iPod and turned it into what he's calling the "Apple Game Boy." Neat, huh? But wait, it gets better.

This isn't your grandma's Game Boy. Nope, this bad boy's got a Raspberry Pi Zero 2W crammed inside. For those not in the know, that's like stuffing a tiny supercomputer into your old music player. It's running RetroPie, which means this little wonder can emulate games from a bunch of old-school consoles. Game Boy? Check. NES? You betcha. SNES? Oh yeah, it's all there.

But here's where it gets really cool. Tabata's kept the iPod's iconic click wheel and repurposed it for gaming controls. It's like playing Tetris with a giant rotary phone, but way more awesome. And get this - he's even added some fancy gestures to squeeze more buttons out of that wheel. Talk about thinking outside the box!

Now, you might be wondering, "Why not just use one of those iPod mods that already play Game Boy games?" Well, my friend, Tabata's creation is in a league of its own. We're talking full color display (sayonara, pea soup green), Bluetooth connectivity (wireless multiplayer, anyone?), and even a swanky custom boot animation that'll make you feel like you're firing up a retro arcade cabinet.

The best part? Tabata's not keeping this genius to himself. He's planning to drop a YouTube video showing how he built this little marvel. So, if you've got an old iPod gathering dust and a hankering for some retro gaming action, you might just be able to create your own "Apple Game Boy." Until he releases that video check this one out, it just might ispire you to go a do it yourself.

This project's got us buzzing like we just downed a case of Jolt Cola. It's the perfect mash-up of 90s gaming nostalgia and early 2000s tech. Plus, it's a great way to upcycle those old iPods that are probably languishing in a drawer somewhere.

So, what do you think? Ready to trade in your Spotify subscription for some Super Mario action? Let us know if you're planning to tackle this project yourself. And hey, if you do, send us some pics. We'd love to see your own "Apple Game Boy" in action!