AYANEO's Remake line of products boasts an array of gaming systems in various form factors, but it also includes a cute little power bank shaped like a Super NES / Super Famicom. The Chinese firm has even copied the console's iconic font, but it goes without saying that this isn't an official collaboration with Nintendo, but rather a cheeky tribute which uses nostalgia to encourage a purchase.

This 12000mAh bank measures 98 × 81 × 24.4 mm and weighs 238 grams. It showcases a function switch, action button and 32 × 128-pixel monochrome OLED display, as well as two USB-C ports, both of which are capable of outputting 45W of power (only the left-side one can be used to charge the bank itself, however).

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As we've mentioned before on the site, we pretty much fell in love immediately with the idea of Parking Garage Rally Circuit. So we've been champing at the bit ever since to find out everything we can about it.

Last month, we interviewed the developer Tim Fitzrandolph (also known as Walaber) to get some behind-the-scenes insight into the making of the game, and since then, we've also been granted the opportunity to try out an early Steam build. This build isn't exactly finished — there are still some tweaks to be made here and there before its release later this year on Steam — but it has provided us with a better look at what we can expect from the final product, and we're relieved to say it seems to be on course to live up to the high expectations we have set for it.

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We've already seen UK publisher Bitmap Books team up with acclaimed writer Dave Cook for a book about scrolling beat 'em ups, so the news that the pair are reuniting for a weighty tome focused solely on run 'n' gun shooters was certainly cause for celebration.

Bitmap Books was kind enough to send us a copy of the book ahead of its launch later this month, and we've spent the past few days leafing through its 496 pages. Divided into time-based segments, it covers the early examples of the genre – such as Gun Fight, Castle Wolfenstein and Berzek – right up to modern-day interpretations, such as Blazing Chrome, Xeno Crisis and Cuphead.

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Following on from our previous report on Chouyoku Senki Estique for the Famicom / NES. Takayuki Komabayashi has been regularly updating and sending us ROMs of the 2D hori-shmup as it progresses. Seeing the game improve and undergo refining and polish has been a real pleasure – especially since it reminds us of the days of reading magazines, and seeing previews claiming 40% and then 60% complete, and so on, in the build up to a review.

Komabayashi tells us: "The game is about 60% through development. We still need to implement Stage 5 and 6, plus visual scenes, and also compose the rest of the most. Currently only Stages 1 and 3 have their finalised music. Also we plan to add a Hard Mode. The sound will be improved and more huge bosses added. Please wait for next ROM."

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When UK studio Bitmap Bureau began its noble quest to get Xeno Crisis on every system imaginable – including Neo Geo, Dreamcast, GameCube and N64 – it became something of a running joke that the SNES, one of the most popular classic consoles of all time, never seemed to get any love.

That has finally changed this year, and we're pleased to report that the SNES version of Xeno Crisis is just as brilliant as the others – perhaps a little more so, given how well-suited the console's controller is for twin-stick shooters.

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I've never been big on customising consoles or handhelds. I agree that some modded Game Boys look amazing, but if you were to ask me what my favourite model was, it would be the stock 1989 version – the pea-green screen, beige casing, and crimson buttons generate deeply nostalgic feelings in me.

So, as you can imagine, I've always been a little sceptical about aftermarket mods for devices like the Steam Deck. Entire replacement cases are available, including some which add LED lighting for some reason. However, I recently took the plunge on a substitute back panel for my Steam Deck OLED, and it's been a game changer – in fact, it has solved the only real complaint I've had with the device since I got it.

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If you're a serious fighting game fan, you'll almost certainly own an arcade stick of some description. Titles like Street Fighter, Samurai Shodown and King of Fighters were always designed to be played in the arcades first and foremost, and they rely on precise, low-latency digital input – especially when played at a competitive level.

One-on-one fighting fans have always been relatively well-serviced when it comes to controllers, but the biggest issue is the need to upgrade your stick for every new platform you use. Sure, there are examples which will work across generations (Xbox One > Series S and PS4 > PS5, for example), but there's never truly been a great arcade stick which can function across multiple formats – until now, anyway.

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The Evercade line continues to go from strength to strength, with new cartridges joining the ranks for play on both the Evercade VS and Evercade EXP.

We've just taken receipt of four shiny new cartridges here at Time Extension and thought it only right that we give you a little taster of what's on each of them.

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French developer Neofid is on something of a roll when it comes to creating unique 'faux retro' games. It scored a welcome success with 2019's Demons of Asteborg and now it has returned with Astebros, a prequel to Asteborg which pushes Sega's 16-bit Mega Drive / Genesis hardware even further.

Like Asteborg, Neofid has released Astebros on modern-day systems, including Switch and Steam. However, it's the Mega Drive version which is of most interest to us here at Time Extension; we love to see old consoles blessed with brand-new games decades after they were 'abandoned' by their makers, and Astebros is a visual and aural treat which shows just how much potential there is in this vintage console, which – lest we forget – launched in 1988.

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When you discuss 'new' video games on classic hardware with fellow gamers, the name Xeno Crisis will likely pop into the conversation.

Bitmap Bureau's twin-stick shooter began life on the Mega Drive and did an utterly fantastic job of harnessing the power of Sega's system to create Smash TV-style blast wrapped in wonderful visuals and a brilliant soundtrack.

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The world of super-fast, powerful chargers is more exciting and fast-moving than you might otherwise assume, with new products hitting the market on a yearly basis, offering better specs, swifter charging and many other bonuses.

However, while most chargers look pretty boring, the Shargeek Retro 67W Charger is a retro tech lover's dream. It's designed to look like a classic Apple Macintosh and comes complete with a screen which displays 'Matrix'-style animations as the charging cycle progresses, as well as giving you an indication of the current output of the charger.

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Evercade has become a solid platform for people who love reconnecting with the video games of their childhood, but it has also opened the door to small-scale indie developers, allowing them to get their efforts in front of an audience which might not otherwise know they exist.

Blaze has already released an 'Indie Heroes' cartridge for the Evercade range, and has now followed up with a second helping of titles – most of which were offered as part of the company's 'Game of the Month' initiative.

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Sega's Golden Axe series was once one of the company's crown jewels; a fantasy side-scroller that not only helped establish the Mega Drive's credentials but also spawned a series which would branch out into genres such as one-on-one fighting, action RPG and even into full 3D, God of War territory.

In more recent years, however, Sega has largely forgotten about the series, outside of rare merchandising opportunities or micro-consoles, like the Astro City Mini. It has fallen, as is so often the case, to fans to keep its memory alive – and prolific 'fan game' developer ZVitor has created a Golden Axe 'sequel' that's so good, we honestly doubt Sega itself could better it.

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Release timing can be a difficult thing, especially when a pandemic is involved. When the shooting game experts at M2 announced the arcade-only shmup 戦刃 / Senjin in February of 2020, nobody could have foreseen what the coming months and years would bring.

While home console games were one of the few profiteers from the worldwide pandemic, Japan’s arcades weren’t as lucky. Even though Japan experienced no full lockdowns like many western countries, social distancing and home office were very much a thing – not a good development for Japan's notoriously packed game centres, many of which were forced to close down since then.

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This week has given us the disappointing news that the Evercade EXP has been delayed until December, but it's not all bad news – the company's next pair of cartridges have just arrived on our doorstep, and they're a pair of smashers.

The Alwa's Awakening and Cathedral cartridge is quite a significant release because these two titles aren't emulated, as is the case with every other Evercade release – they've been built from the ground up to run natively on the Evercade hardware. Lest we forget, Cathedral launched on modern systems and Steam not so long ago – so this is a very welcome development in the world of Evercade. Both titles look and play wonderfully on the Evercade hardware.

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Update : The Evercade EXP is now available to order on Amazon UK.

Original Story : Blaze scored something of an unexpected commercial triumph with its Evercade project a few years back. The concept was a novel one, especially in the realm of modern hardware; a handheld console which relied solely on physical media as its method of software distribution. The gamble clearly paid off – thanks in no small part to some amazing collections from the likes of Namco, Renovation and The Bitmap Brothers – and a home console variant soon followed in the form of the Evercade VS. Now, Blaze is preparing to release the next entry in the family, and we were lucky enough to go hands-on with a prototype version recently.

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Like a great many gamers out there, we're big fans of Nanoleaf's lighting systems – as you'll no doubt be aware if you've admired any of the bespoke photography that litters this very site; suffice to say, our preferred backdrop is Nanoleaf lighting.

Nothing looks quite as cool as neon lighting in a darkened room, and we're pleased to report that Nanoleaf's latest product is very much on-brand if you're a seasoned gamer. The company has released a limited edition 'shapes' bundle with a Sonic the Hedgehog theme, which ties in neatly with the recently-released Sonic 2 live-action movie.

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The classic-gaming-as-viable-business landscape looks wildly different from its form a decade ago. Where retrogaming fans once had to make do with Nintendo's haphazard Virtual Console release schedule and an occasional dribble of retro compilations, today we have something approaching an embarrassment of riches: Mini-arcade cabinets of all sizes; Arcade Archives; a revival of massive anthologies produced to higher standards than in previous generations; brand-new games for vintage consoles; and painstakingly recreated high-end facsimiles of the old machines themselves. Whether you want to throw together a cheap piracy box to play ill-gotten NES ROMs or construct a bespoke retro corner of original hardware adapted to run on modern televisions, the business of old games has become nearly as lively a facet of the industry as making new ones.

The business of old games has become nearly as lively a facet of the industry as making new ones

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]]> https://www.timeextension.com/#article-87145 https://www.timeextension.com/news/2019/04/hands_on_polymega_is_shaping_up_to_be_the_ultimate_all-in-one_retro_emulation_box Fri, 22 Jun 2018 15:00:00 GMT Hello, lovely.

If you’ve been keeping your eyes on these pages, you know that we’re keenly interested in Polymega, the new retro console by Playmaji, Inc. We tracked down Bryan, the company’s founder on the E3 show floor last week to talk about, and more importantly, actually play the thing.

The Polymega is a sight to behold in the flesh; it looks every bit as beautiful as the professionally-made product shots would lead one to believe. Whether it’s sporting the dust cover, which is pictured attached to the console at the top of this page, or one of the element modules — plugins which allow players to use their original cartridges from either the Sega Mega Drive, TurboGrafx 16 or Neo Geo — this thing is an absolute joy to behold. Its striking lines contrast with the muted, matte black surface and there's just a small pop of colour in the logo to evoke an aesthetic that is simultaneously retro and modern. It’s just lovely.

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]]> https://www.timeextension.com/#article-78466 https://www.timeextension.com/news/2018/06/hands_on_exploring_the_future_of_retro_gaming_with_polymega