Kisaragi double 6 created this fantastic hand-drawn stop-motion animation of the Super Mario Bros (1985) World 1-1 level.

動画内では分かりづらいものの、紙ならではのこだわりを持った出演者達です。実際に折ったり燃やしたり、クリボーのやられ方を考えるのは、とっても楽しかったです。 pic.twitter.com/GeawVAkagb

— 如月 二重 6 (@KisaragiHutae6) February 11, 2019

San Diego Etsy seller Cutting Boredom makes retrogame-inspired cutting boards shaped like old NES cartridges ("the grooves are able to serve as functional juice grooves"); they're made to order and can feature custom etched messages, Zelda logos and more, though I prefer the plain ones -- available in 12"x13" or 9"x10", and in maple, cherry, mahogany and walnut. Read the rest

Homebrew has long been a highlight of the game-development scene, but publishing new carts for old consoles is going mainstream. The Verge's Andrew Webster writes that several such titles are soon to be released, mostly for classic Nintendo boxes.

For some, it’s a hobby, a fun way to experiment with programming and design techniques. For others, it’s a way to pay homage to game experiences that have long gone out of fashion. Sometimes it’s a little of both. In 2010 Xbox co-founder Ed Fries created a stripped-down version of Halo designed for the Atari 2600, while Paul Koller has made a name porting modern indie games to the Commodore 64. Most of these games are released for free, and playable through an emulator on a PC.

For Long, the decision to not only create a retro homebrew game, but release it on a cartridge, was made because he wanted to embrace the limitations of a device like the NES. “The goal was to craft a tightly controlled experience,” he explains. While Star Versus is a decidedly 8-bit game, as a competitive shooter it also pulls from modern game design techniques. Long was also interested in restricting himself to the NES controller, something that wouldn’t be possible if people played the game through a PC emulator. “There were obvious downsides to only being on cartridge, such as limited exposure and difficulty in demoing,” he says. “But I’m happy with the choice I made, at least for this game.”

Retro Game Cases sells at least superficially-accurate replicas of the cases that old games came in: perfect for game hunters who've nabbed a cartridge from a crate and want it to take pride of place in their collection.

Protective archival game cases are not only a safe way to protect your retro video games, but also a very appealing way to show off that retro collection you’ve been working on. Each case is designed using styles from the artwork of the original boxes. For those games that came in a horizontal style box (N64 & SNES), we offer both the original horizontal style and the vertical style designs. We are the leader in game cases and are very proud to have the largest selection (and growing daily!) of cases available online.