Awesome Retro

This bit of archival footage that dates back to 1967 envisions a future much like the one we’re living in today. Its ideas of what shopping from a computer and work-from-home video calls might look like are impressively accurate. We also love the retrofuturist aesthetic.

It’s been some time since we set foot into a video arcade, but back in the day, we pumped more than our share of quarters into arcade machines. Captain Gizmo gathered data on which games raked in the most coin over the years, and it’s amazing how little the rankings changed since the 1980s once you adjust for inflation.

For many of us, working from home means countless videoconferences, with Zoom being the most popular choice for big team meetings. Continuing their Wonders of the World Wide Web series, Squirrel Monkey looks back at what life might have been like if Zoom came out in 1988, and required a special dial-up adapter box to work.

After 8 long months, Chicago remix duo the The Hood Internet has completed their retrospective series, with each of their tracks representing a year from 1979 and 1989, and each brilliantly capturing the best and most memorable music of the era. Enjoy our playlist and let all 11 tracks fill your ears with joy.

The coolest item to come out of the partnership between LEGO and Nintendo (so far) is this brick-built replica of the classic NES game console. The 2646-piece set comes with a retro TV set that displays a level from Super Mario Bros., which actually scrolls when you turn its crank. Drops 8.1.20 on LEGO.com.

This keychain-sized handheld system plays retro gaming emulators. It features a clamshell design that opens up to reveal a 1.54″ LCD screen, and a gamepad style controller. It runs an ARM Cortex-A7 CPU @ 1.2 GHz, and loads games via its SD card slot. It can run ROMs from NES, SNES, SEGA Master System, and even PS1 games.

Also known as “The Death Generator,” this fun website lets you render classic video game screens with your own custom text. There are over 150 game screens to choose from, including Super Mario Bros., Sonic the Hedgehog, The Oregon Trail, and Metroid, many of which offer configurable backgrounds and characters.

The iiRcade is taking a different approach to retro arcade gaming. Rather than coming with just a couple of titles, or using illegal roms, it plays officially-licensed games which can be downloaded for $2.99 – $14.99. It comes preloaded with 10 games, and is available in bartop or cabinet versions. Current games list here.

Back in the 1990s, the way for people to easily build their own websites was with services like GeoCities. But Squirrel Monkey is here to imagine that a graphical web-building tool like Wix was also around to give Yahoo!’s service a run for its money, complete with MIDI sounds, background textures, and “Under Construction” GIFs.

After bringing a distressed, 20-year-old PSone console back to life, Odd Tinkering figured he’d need a controller to go with. Watch as he takes a nasty, yellowed old DualShock controller and miraculously makes it look good as new after a piece-by-piece disassembly, a soap scrub, and a hydrogen peroxide bath under UV light.

’80s kids might remember Atari’s classic Star Wars arcade machine. The sit-down cabinet version always had a line at our local arcade, and it’s become quite collectible, with prices upwards of $7,000. Retro Recipes decided to replicate the machine using parts from 1upArcade’s $400 standup version of the game.

Ratalaika’s arcade game combines the strategic elements of a tower defense game with an old-school platform shooter. As your spacecraft is invaded by aliens, you must use a combination of turrets and handheld weapons to keep your level from being overrun. Available 6.12.20 on Nintendo Switch and Xbox One.

The 1994 point-and-click adventure game Beneath a Steel Sky is a cult classic. Now, a sequel is in the works, picking up the story of Robert Foster and his quest to discover the dark secrets of Union City. Naturally, the game’s environments are dramatically richer thanks to modern graphics tech. Coming to Steam and Apple Arcade.

This cocktail style arcade system is ideal for two-player gaming in both horizontal and vertical orientations. It’s got a 26″ flat screen display, a tempered glass top, and slide-out controller drawers on three sides. Comes loaded with 1162 ’80s and ’90s arcade games, and a pair of swivel stools. Measures 37″l x 28″w x 28″h.

Basic Fun, the guys behind the portable version of The Oregon Trail, comes another retro-inspired handheld game. This time, we get the educational mystery adventure Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?, complete with authentic sounds, graphics, and gameplay, and a case that looks like a tiny computer from the 1980s.

Go back to the 1990s with this fast-paced party game inspired by the iconic video rental chain Blockbuster. The game asks players to act out, describe, and quote scenes from 200 classic movies. Naturally, it comes in a Blockbuster VHS tape case. For 4 to 12 players.