A code found in the censored Sega Mega Drive port of StormLord not only restores the content removed for that version but also reveals hidden developer credits. The discovery comes 36 years after the game's original release. via console-classics.com
Preservationist Allan Pinkerton has uploaded Word Games, his fourth preserved title from educational software maker MECC, for the Commodore 64. He is also pursuing a copy of Friendly Computer, and has uncovered other rare software including Ducks, which is absent from GameBase64, and Glass Computer, which also appeared on the Commodore 128. via gamesthatwerent.com
An AI-assisted English fan translation for Xing's 1999 PlayStation 1 RPG Meremanoid was released by pzappzap, but a group of fan translators and hackers is urging players to skip it. They say they are working on an "all human-made" translation that will arrive soon. via timeextension.com
A fan known as Mochi64 says they have deciphered the famously illegible text on the Star statue plaque in Princess Peach's Castle from Super Mario 64, after running millions of computations. The plaque has been a long-standing source of speculation among fans since the game's 1996 release. via timeextension.com
Sega Saturn Shiro's Under the Microscope series has profiled Phantasm, the Japanese-exclusive Saturn port of the controversial PC game Phantasmagoria. The release featured celebrity voice actors, new music, and spanned a large number of discs. via segasaturnshiro.com
A new mod has been released for the Commodore Amiga tie-in of Ghostbusters II, updating its graphics and sounds to more closely match scenes from the 1989 film. The project was highlighted by Ghostbusters News. via timeextension.com
Gamesthatwerent.com has documented Pro Tennis, an unfinished tennis game that was in development at Clockwize for the Amstrad CPC, preserved thanks to Dean Hickingbottom. The surviving prototype only features a scrolling court with two movable players, with no actual ball-hitting mechanic implemented, though pressing fire and moving the joystick can shift the pitch. via gamesthatwerent.com
LOAD, a German magazine from the Verein zum Erhalt klassischer Computer published twice yearly in print, has released issue #12 as a free PDF download a few months after its original print release. The issue's cover story covers the five most famous home computers of the 1980s. via amiga-news.de
A feature details Quake Advance, a previously lost prototype of a 3D shooter built for the Game Boy Advance by developer Randy Linden. The unreleased project reportedly included animated enemies, lighting effects, underwater areas, music and sound effects. via console-classics.com
The WHDLoad project for the Amiga has been updated to version 20.1. New installer updates include smoother gameplay for Alone in the Dark, faster drawing and logic for Prince of Persia, a crash fix for Hyper Runner, and misc changes for Slicks 'N' Slide. via amiga-news.de
A player has uncovered a hidden "nudity code" in the Sega Genesis port of StormLord, originally released by Hewson Consultants in 1989. The Genesis version had its nudity content censored compared to versions on other platforms like the ZX Spectrum, C64, Amiga and Atari ST. via timeextension.com
The creator of decompilation progress tracker decomp.dev has frozen its leaderboard, citing a flood of AI-assisted forks racing to "finish" other teams' projects and ship rough PC ports. The creator says they won't ban AI-assisted projects since one hobbyist can't police what counts as "slop." via tomshardware.com
