A homebrew developer is working on an F-Zero game built for the Nintendo DS, according to Retro Dodo. The project was shared with the site directly by its creator, a reader who contacted the publication about the work. Retro Dodo describes the project favourably based on what it has seen so far. F-Zero is a futuristic racing series Nintendo first launched on the SNES in 1990. via retrododo.com
A new accessory called MiSTer Laggy has been introduced for the MiSTer FPGA platform. It is a low-cost photodiode device that connects via a MiSTer kit's SNAC/UserIO port and works with a dedicated MiSTer Laggy core, which is already bundled with recent Update_all installations under the Utility section. The device lets users test and measure lag when running games and cores on MiSTer. MiSTer is an open-source FPGA project that recreates classic computer and console hardware for accurate retro gaming. via retrorgb.com
Developer codebiters has released XPong48, a free, name-your-own-price Pong-style game for the ZX Spectrum. The game supports a single player or two cooperative players, both controlling separate paddles to defend the same side of the arena against a faster CPU opponent. It was made with AI-assisted code, graphics and sound. This is a Spectrum counterpart to the developer's earlier Commodore 64 release XPong64. via itch.io
Developer Mjnurney has released a name-your-own-price demo of Solar Trader, a space trading strategy game for the ZX Spectrum 48k. Set in a colonised solar system, the game has players trade goods such as water, food, machinery and rare gems across nine worlds, from Mercury's Solar Terminus to Triton Deep at Neptune. The release is a complete, playable demo built with AI-assisted code. It is available as a 35 kB TAP file for download. via itch.io
Developer rickyderocher has released an enhanced version of the Commodore 64 educational classic Where in the USA is Carmen Sandiego? The update restores an animation during the game's intro that was missing from the original release. The free title is tagged as an 8-bit geography edutainment game and was made with AI-assisted code. Where in the USA is Carmen Sandiego? was part of a long-running educational game series that combined geography lessons with detective-style gameplay. via itch.io
Developer ready64 has released Pole-Vaulting World Championships, a free sports simulation game for the Commodore 64. It is a singleplayer title focused on the pole vault event, listed under the sports and simulation genres and tagged for Commodore 64 and retro play. The release follows ready64's earlier World Championships 100-Meter Sprint game for the same platform. via itch.io
A developer has ported World of Warcraft to the Sega Dreamcast, bringing Blizzard's long-running MMORPG to the Sega console. The project arrives amid a wave of similar homebrew porting efforts for older hardware, following a separate fan port of the original Diablo to the Game Boy Advance reported around the same time. World of Warcraft originally launched for PC in 2004 and became one of the best-selling and most influential massively multiplayer online games ever made. via retrododo.com
A new static recompilation of Rare's N64 demolition game Blast Corps has been released, bringing it to Windows, macOS and Linux. The project is described as "100% gen-AI free" and reimagines the original title with modern conveniences including higher-resolution graphics, increased framerates, widescreen support and mod support. Blast Corps originally launched on the Nintendo 64 and tasked players with clearing a path for a runaway truck carrying missiles by demolishing buildings in its way. via timeextension.com
A fan developer known as LemonHaze has decompiled the original console versions of Shenmue and Shenmue II, covering the Dreamcast, Xbox and PC releases. Decompilation turns a game's compiled code back into readable source, making it possible to study, modify and port the engine to new platforms. The project opens the door to community mods, fixes and potential ports of the two Sega-published action-adventure titles beyond their original hardware. Shenmue, released by Sega for the Dreamcast, is widely regarded as a landmark open-world game. via segasaturnshiro.com
Modder Daytendo 64, a member of the Super Mario Elements community, has released version 2.0 of Better Super Mario Sunshine Online. The mod lets up to 10 players join a game of Super Mario Sunshine simultaneously online, running on a Windows setup via the Dolphin emulator. The new version adds support for Super Mario Eclipse, another fan project, along with additional playable characters. Super Mario Sunshine originally released for the Nintendo GameCube in 2002. via timeextension.com
Project Bugn't, a fan-made Pokémon ROM hack and direct sequel to the creator's earlier Project Bug, has been updated to version 1.1.2 for its complete release, alongside a first alpha build of version 2.0 that adds Expansion Mod features. The hack is set in a version of Alola where Bug-type Pokémon dominate, with the Bug type itself largely removed from circulation in favour of reworked creatures such as Spidops-Unbound. It is built on the Pokémon Black 2 engine and continues the story established in the original Project Bug. via pokecommunity.com
Miyaxdev, the developer behind the Sega Saturn emulator Yaba Sanshiro, has released a PC version of the cult JRPG Panzer Dragoon Saga. Titled "AZEL -PANZER DRAGOON RPG- Recompiled for PC," the project is built on Yaba Sanshiro's emulation technology and presents the original Saturn game in HD with a widescreen aspect ratio. It also removes the game's original slowdown, fixes the "wobbly polygons" common to Saturn 3D games, and adds a range of shader options. Panzer Dragoon Saga, released by Sega for the Saturn in 1998, is considered one of the system's rarest and most acclaimed titles. via timeextension.com
