The Sonic Hacking Contest, an annual event organized by Sonic the Hedgehog fans to showcase ROM hacks and fan games, has opened its 2026 edition. The contest has run for many years as a yearly tradition in the Sonic fan community, inviting creators to submit hacks for judging and public play. Entries typically range from small gameplay tweaks to full overhauls of classic Sonic titles across Sega systems. via retrorgb.com
Andrzej "retrofaza" Subocz has released AROS.games, a new distribution of the open-source AROS operating system based on the 64-bit ABIv11 branch by Krzysztof "deadwood" Smiechowicz. The distribution is aimed at gaming, emulation and the demo scene, and is designed to include only high-quality software rather than extra bundled programs, with additional tools downloadable via the included Odyssey web browser. It comes with the free ArtCraft suite of art and office applications pre-installed, managed through the PkgManager package manager for easy updates. AROS.games is intended to run on real hardware. AROS is a free, open-source reimplementation of the AmigaOS operating system. via amiga-news.de
Homebrew developer Chris Ahchay has ported Sid Meier's Civilization to the Neo Geo Pocket. The 1991 4X strategy game, which spawned numerous sequels and imitators, had never previously appeared on SNK's handheld. The port is noted as being made without AI assistance, built instead through manual homebrew coding effort. Civilization's original release helped establish the 4X genre, and the series has continued with new entries ever since. via timeextension.com
A full English translation of Pokemon Super Dark Worship, a fan-made ROM hack built on Pokemon FireRed, has been released. The hack incorporates Pokemon from Generations 1 through 9 alongside mechanics such as Mega Evolution, Z-Moves and Dynamax. This release covers the final version of the hack, making the complete game accessible to English-speaking players for the first time. via hack-haven.com
A new version of PrismRTG, an RTG graphics card driver for classic Amiga machines running AmigaOS 3.x, has been released. PrismRTG renders Workbench and compatible software through a dedicated graphics card instead of the native Amiga chipset, and supports boards such as Picasso96-compatible cards, the Apollo Vampire's vampiregfx.card, UAE's own RTG card in WinUAE, Amiberry and FS-UAE, as well as Piccolo, Piccolo SD64, GVP Spectrum 28/24, Ateo Graffity and Picasso IV. Version 1.2 focuses on speed improvements, particularly for how masked images like Workbench icons are drawn, and follows version 1.1, which added support for running two boards simultaneously with separate monitors. via amiga-news.de
Pokémon Rhythm, a fan-made ROM hack, has reached its official 1.0.0 release. The announcement was shared on the r/PokemonROMhacks community on Reddit, marking the project's move out of earlier development or beta stages into a finished build. via reddit.com/r/PokemonROMhacks
Pokemon Banana Version, a fan-made ROM hack built on Pokémon FireRed (US v1.0) for the Game Boy Advance, has been updated to version 1.3. Created by Jace.of.Hearts, the complete hack is premised on all Pokémon having mysteriously turned into bananas. The project is available through Hackdex, continuing a long line of FireRed-based fan hacks that rework the original's premise and content. via pokecommunity.com
Gaboo Arts Entertainment has ported Tiltrune, its puzzle game originally made for the Commodore 64, to Amiga computers with 1 MB of RAM. The game challenges players to clear over 80 rooms hidden inside a mountain, collecting gems to reach a treasure chamber, without jumping or climbing. Instead, players move crates and rotate entire rooms by 90 degrees, causing objects to fall into new positions, with the goal of gathering every gem and reaching the exit. The game was built with AI assistance and sells for USD 7.49, with a free demo covering the first ten rooms. via amiga-news.de
Developer Neo Retro, working with promoter Outernet Venue, has announced a launch party for its reimagined Vectrex Mini hardware ahead of a planned "late 2026" release. The free-to-attend event takes place on Saturday, November 21, at The Lower Third in London, starting at 10:00 A.M. It will include a gallery of Vectrex Mini test units, a showcase of developers building games for the platform, and a talk on the history and future of Vectrex hosted by project lead David Oghia. The party will also feature live music from DJ Remute, along with complimentary drinks and goody bags. The original Vectrex was a vector-graphics home console released by GCE in 1982. via timeextension.com
A new "Under the Microscope" feature examines Treasure's Sega Genesis game Dynamite Headdy and finds a hidden "baca" code (B-A-C-A) embedded in it. Treasure founder Masato Maegawa had previously recalled inserting a "baka" code into McDonald's Treasureland Adventure out of frustration with the McDonald's licensing deal, but no such code was ever found in that game. The investigation raises the question of whether Maegawa misremembered which Treasure title actually contained the code, since it turned up instead in Dynamite Headdy, the studio's following Genesis release. via segabits.com
Developer Craig A. Leslie has released The Brothers In Arms, a name-your-own-price Commodore 64 game styled after Cannon Fodder. It features 25 levels, a squad of up to three soldiers, a jungle setting, and pickups like grenades and rockets. via itch.io
Developer dlfrsilver, previously behind AGA ports of Monkey Island 2 and Fate of Atlantis, has released Puzzle Bobble AGA for the Amiga 1200. Written natively in 680x0 assembly with AI assistance, it is described as the first direct port of a Neo Geo or Taito System B game to the A1200, adapting Taito's arcade puzzler. via indieretronews.com
