Dear GS Homeslices,

I'm not gonna get into just how much of a retro gamer I am. By now, I've sickened most of you with such rants. Though, most of you have an obvious admiration for at least some Old School games.

This blog is in regard to the noticably steady rise of the retro gaming scene. From the numerous anthologies and collections that have been around since the PS1's and N64's 'Namco Museum' titles to the 'Capcom Klassix Collections' for PS2/PSP/XBox to 'Midway's Arcade Treasures' series for PS2/XBox/Gamecube/PC to our current wave of cheap downloadables via Virtual Console, XBLA, PSN, Steam and even Amazon...we've witnessed ressurections of many of our Old School favs.

Even on our beloved smart phones we've witnessed our Old School goodies springing back to life. Mega Man X was recently released for iOS (iPhone and iPad). Sega Genesis Klassix Collection (30+ Genesis games) was released for iOS last year. Mortal Kombat 3 was given a polygonal makeover for iOS. Soul Calibur is now available for tablets. GTA3 was re-released across smart phone and tablet platforms just this year. And most of the platformers and RPGs available on Android and iOS are of a 4th gen/16bit era (SNES/Genesis) mold, resembling Final Fantasy or Zelda titles of that era.

My only complaint is that some of my old favs have yet to be re-released. While the Sega Genesis Klassix Collection is a marvel to behold on PCs, some of the best titles haven't been added yet. Phantasy Star IV and Sonic & Knuckles are MIA at the moment. Though, Phantasy Star IV is available on the PS2/PSP/PSN/XBLA versions and the Wii's Virtual Console. Then, there are the non-Sega developed games that aren't yet available. Examples: Castlevania Bloodlines and Contra Hard Corps; two of the very best games released for the Sega Genesis, which were actually better than their SNES equivelants. As of this typing, such games can only be enjoyed via alternative means. But, this may very well change in time.

In regards to the Sega Genesis Klassix Collection for PC/PSN/XBLA, games that aren't already included can easily be added over time. Particularly in the PC version, every time you purchase another Genesis game, it's added to the games in an application. This keeps them neat and organized, but also allows future games to be added should...say...Konami decide to make Contra Hard Corps and Castlevania Bloodlines available... I'd gladly plop down the standard $3 for them -or even $4-$5 (I understand, Konami has to make money here too). So, while not as robust as we'd like it to be, the catalog can easily be expanded.

Take Care & Support Legal Emulation

-nate1222/hare122275 on Youtube