- Retro Swap
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- Something new is coming... and you’re invited.
Something new is coming... and you’re invited.
Plus: Symphony of the Stars: Why Silent Planet is the Gothic Sci-Fi Fix You’ve Been Craving
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Fun Fact: Metal Gear Solid 3 Boss Dies of Old Age - You can defeat the legendary sniper boss "The End" in Metal Gear Solid 3 without firing a shot. If you save the game during the fight and wait a week (or manually move your console's clock forward), you will load the game to find he has died of old age.
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Something new is coming... and you’re invited.
Hi everyone,
I’ve been working on something behind the scenes for a little while now, and I’m finally ready to pull back the curtain.
If you’re here you’re as passionate about retro gaming as I am than you also likely look to collect, play, and possibly buy and sell the games of the past, or at least with the past vibe. This announcement is for the group of individuals and teams that are ok with fusing the past and the present, it’s where technology meets the soul of the past. Today, I’m excited to introduce RetroSwap.com.
What is RetroSwap?
We’re building a platform for store owners and their teams that captures the vibrant, community-driven energy of the 80s and 90s gaming and fuses it with the high-performance tools of today. Whether it’s the aesthetics of the 16-bit era or the raw potential of modern exchange, RetroSwap is about bringing the "fun" back to the functional.
Why am I telling you first?
Because this community has been with me from the start. I don’t want a massive, faceless launch. I want a core group of "Pioneers" who understand the vision to help me break things, fix them, and shape what this becomes.
As a newsletter subscriber, you’re getting the first shot at our Early Access program.
The "Pioneer" Perks:
By joining the early access cohort, you’ll get:
The Inside Track: Direct access to the dev team (me and the crew) to influence the roadmap.
Exclusive Incentives: We’re rewarding our first users with zero fees for the first 4 months / early feature drops.
The "Secret" Discord: An invite to our private community hub.
How to get in:
We are keeping the first wave of users small to ensure we can actually listen to your feedback.
Go to RetroSwap.com
Enter your email to jump on the VIP waitlist.
Keep an eye on your inbox—invites will be rolling out in batches starting today.
I can't wait to show you what we've been cooking. Let's build something iconic.
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Symphony of the Stars: Why Silent Planet is the Gothic Sci-Fi Fix You’ve Been Craving
If you close your eyes and think of the perfect Metroidvania, what do you see? For most of us, it’s the haunting hallways of Dracula’s castle or the claustrophobic corridors of Zebes. But what if you took that gothic DNA, dipped it in cosmic horror, and blasted it into the year 2997? Enter Silent Planet: Elegy of a Dying World, the upcoming indie darling that’s currently setting the retro community on fire.
Developed by the duo at Vertex Zero and published by Red Dunes Games, Silent Planet is a love letter to the 32-bit era, wrapped in a terrifyingly beautiful "Gothic Sci-Fi" shell. You play as Apranik, a protagonist traveling to the desolate planet Thulcandra to recover the "Angel’s Egg"—an artifact rumored to be the source of all life. It’s got the shadow-trailing movement of Alucard, the environmental scanning of Metroid Prime, and an atmosphere thick enough to cut with a combat knife.
Gameplay: More Than Just a Nostalgia Trip
While the visual nods to Symphony of the Night (SotN) are everywhere—right down to the iconic "CD" loading rooms—Silent Planet isn't just playing the hits. The gameplay leans heavily into RPG territory with a deep stat system and "Eldritch Blessings."
One of the coolest features revealed is the Alter Ego system. At a pivotal point, players can choose to accept a Blood Pact, unlocking Ikari, Apranik’s dark side. It’s a risk-reward mechanic that alters how you interact with the world's technological and biological horrors. And for the purists: yes, there are screen transitions that pay homage to Super Metroid, but they’ve been tuned for modern speed.
Launch Details & Regional Access
Currently, Silent Planet is targeting a Q4 2026 release window. While fans have been clamoring for a console port, the initial launch is confirmed for PC via Steam.
Regional Info: The game is being published globally by UAE-based Red Dunes Games. While the Steam page currently highlights English support, the devs have been active in community hubs discussing localization for wider markets following its strong showing at the Tokyo Game Show.
Availability: No "regional exclusivity" has been announced, meaning explorers worldwide should be able to touch down on Thulcandra on day one.
Quick Notes & Transmission Data
The Devs: Vertex Zero started as a husband-and-wife team (Virginie and James) before expanding to a core group of four.
The Vibe: A cocktail of Warhammer 40K architecture, Aliens creature design, and the philosophical weight of 80s anime like Angel’s Egg.
Retro Tech: Features a classic "colored-square" minimap and a dedicated "back-lean" dodge inspired by the 1994 classic Blackthorne.
Soundscapes: Audio is being handled by Jade Chamber Sound to ensure every squelch of "onyx mucus" sounds appropriately terrifying.
Bottom Line: 2026 is looking like a banner year for the genre, but Silent Planet is the one to watch if you want your exploration served with a side of existential dread.
Want to stay ahead of the curve? Make sure to Wishlist Silent Planet on Steam so you don't miss the demo drop later this year
Rayman is Back, and He’s Still Harder Than Elden Ring
Forget the "Prepare to Die" memes—if you grew up in the 90s, you knew the real fear was hearing the music stop in the Blue Mountains. Rayman was never just another mascot platformer; it was a surrealist masterpiece that paired Pixar-quality hand-drawn animation with a level of difficulty that would make a Dark Souls boss sweat. It was weird, it was French, and it featured a protagonist with no limbs but a lot of heart. Now, thirty years later, the limbless wonder has shadow-dropped onto the PS5, and it’s a beautiful, brutal reminder of why we fell in love with the Glade of Dreams in the first place.
The Ultimate History Lesson (With a Rewind Button)
Developed by the preservation experts at Digital Eclipse, Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition is less of a simple port and more of an interactive museum. The collection includes five distinct versions of the 1995 classic—PlayStation, MS-DOS, Atari Jaguar, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance. Seeing the subtle differences in animation and sound across these platforms is a retro nerd’s dream, but the real crown jewel is the inclusion of the unreleased 1992 SNES prototype. For the first time ever, we can play the "lost" version of Rayman, featuring a chunkier design and a glimpse into a 16-bit future that never was.
Reimagined Sound, Classic Spikes
The gameplay remains largely untouched: frame-perfect jumps, hovering with your hair, and punching Electoon cages. However, there is a catch that has the community buzzing. The soundtrack has been "faithfully reimagined" by Christophe Héral (Rayman Origins/Legends). While the new arrangements are gorgeous, the original, iconic score by the late Rémi Gazel is currently absent, and there isn’t a toggle to switch back. Ubisoft has hinted they are "looking into" fan requests for the original tunes, but for now, you’re playing with the new (albeit high-quality) vibes.
To help you survive the Band Lands without throwing your DualSense across the room, Digital Eclipse has added some vital Quality of Life features:
60-Second Rewind: Use it. Frequently.
Infinite Lives & Max HP: Available specifically for the PS1 and MS-DOS versions to help you finally see the credits.
Interactive Documentary: Over 50 minutes of interviews and rare concept art from the Ubisoft archives.
How to Get Your Hands on Him
The 30th Anniversary Edition is out right now digitally on the PlayStation Store for a breezy $19.99. If you’re a physical media purist, you’ll have to wait just a bit longer—Atari is handling a physical release for PS5 and Switch scheduled for June 26, 2026. This "Physical Edition" is a collector's dream, packed with a vinyl sticker sheet, reprints of original postcards, and a double-sided poster.
Quick Notes & Trivia
The SNES Holy Grail: The 1992 prototype is finally playable, showing Rayman in a red leotard before his iconic purple hoodie debut.
Level Bloat (In a Good Way): Includes over 120 bonus levels from Rayman's New Levels, Rayman 60 Levels, and Rayman by His Fans.
CRT Magic: Includes curated filters for CRT, Curved CRT, and LCD modes that make those pixels pop on a 4K screen.
Achievement Hunter’s Dream: The rewind feature does not disable trophies, but the Infinite Lives cheat will. Choose wisely!
Are you brave enough to take on Mr. Dark again, or are you staying safely tucked away in the Dream Forest? Let us know if you're diving in!
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