The game, originally released in arcades in 1993 was never made available outside of the arcades. The console version will support four-player local beat-em-up action and will feature a new character and expanded soundtrack.

Have you played the original game in the arcades? Will you pick this one up on Steam? Let us know in the comment section below!

The post IREM Announces Ninja Baseball League-Man: Bases Loaded on Steam, Consoles This December appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

According to a press release from Mattel, the set, which will SRP for $329.99 will be “packed with interactive features, hidden details and memorable tributes to three of the platform’s most beloved games—Halo: Combat Evolved, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, and Psychonauts.”

Other features of the set include:

Interactive controller-activated lights and authentic game soundtracks

Modular design allows each game scene to be displayed separately

12 NanoWorld figures

Ted Wu, SVP, Global Head of Vehicles and Building Sets at Mattel said: “Whether it’s legendary supercars, beloved entertainment franchises or iconic video games, Mattel Brick Shop is dedicated to transforming the brands and moments that define culture into premium building experiences. As with every Mattel Brick Shop project, we obsessed over every detail to faithfully recreate the original XBOX console, creating a collectible build that celebrates one of gaming’s most influential consoles while rewarding fans with authentic features and hidden details to discover.”

For more Information on the set, head to Mattel.

What do you think of this new Brick Blocks set? Are you picking it up? Comment below and let us know what you think!

The post Mattel Unveils 3,509-piece Brick Shop Original Xbox Set to Honor 25th Anniversary of Iconic Xbox Console appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

The game plays like a combination of “Skyrim” and “Shadow of the Colossus.” The typical Action/RPG fanfare is all there, but the combat system, which allows you to jump and climb on large enemies, is super intuitive and fun. The three different types of classes and the ability to switch them up makes for rewarding and different gameplay.

The story too is a deep and gripping one. After fighting off a mighty dragon from your village, you find yourself embattled in the type of story that steals your attention. From the game’s first few scenes, where you kill a Cerebus, to the game’s opener where you stare into a Dragon’s eyes and watch him steal your heart, you’ll feel more than compelled to continue playing.

The “Dark Arisen” expansion, which becomes accessible after you finish the main game, contains anywhere from 12-15 hours of extra gameplay in the form of a new dungeon on Bitterblack Isle. Still a foreboding a difficult adventure, even veterans of the series will fear death at every corner. Much like Atlus’ “Demon’s Souls,” you’ll die often, but you’ll quickly want to rejoin the fight and avenge what is sure to be just another death. Simply put, while the combat is satisfying and fun, it does require thought. Those who wish to just run into battle with their sword will be the first ones to die.

The Final Verdict: With more weapons, enemies and things to do, the first major expansion pack for “Dragon’s Dogma” is an absolute must own. For those who haven’t played the series yet, there’s never been a more opportune time to start.

The post Retro Review: Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

Project, which he calls “a tribute to the foundational and beloved 8bit classic Temple of Apshai (1979).”

Old School Gamer Magazine: How did this project begin?

Van: I guess it began in spirit with the original Temple of Apshai by Automated Solutions in 1979, that I loved as a kid on the Apple ][+ and later C64. That credit goes to the great Jim W. Connelly of game dev legend. Hope to meet him someday, so I can thank him personally.

Fast-forwarding to today, Webshai began a few months ago as a Claude AI experiment in design-driven development. Im a life-long old-school career programmer, but the sudden and recent AI revolution has made code-writing skills obsolete. I’ve been “vibe-coding” as the kids call it now, on another much larger project when I needed a break.

Ive always wanted to pay homage to the classics that inspired me, so I wrote every note and observation about old Apshai that I could think of, into a design doc to see how well Claude could execute purely on a detailed vision. It was an experiment in new alternative workflows.

Old School Gamer Magazine: What makes it special?

Van: Originally I intended to make no enhancements, just a functional clone written from scratch for the web. But web accessibility is the first point-in-favor, I suppose. The most fundamental change. Just browse and go – no signup, no download, no friction.

Also, it’s genuinely roguelike – people abuse that term today, to the point that they clearly don’t know (or dont care) what it even means. But Webshai is the real deal (largely because Im also in love with Nethack, the direct descendant of the original Rogue). Instead of the original 4 static levels of Apshai (or 12, if you include the also-great Upper Reaches and Curse of Ra sequels), Webshai has a procedural level generator.  I defined 7 tiers with their own visual themes, tile sets, and monsters, 4 levels per tier, for 28 levels total.  Each level larger with more rooms than the level before it.

And even that was an arbitrary cap. With more art, I could offer 100 levels. 1,000 levels. I will, if I get enough players to justify more development.

And these are generated for each user, uniquely. No two users will see the same dungeon.

And yet yours wont change, so you can still memorize YOUR levels (NetHack is a cold-hearted bitch on that issue – new game? WHOLE new dungeon again!) same as we did when playing the original.

Otherwise, it’s primarily a nostalgia play.

Lastly, all my games are web-based. I love the ease of accessibility and delivery for the players – just browse and go. No bloated 50 gazillion derpabyte download to install.

And no risk of malware in those binaries – a problem occurring with increasing frequency, particularly in the low-budget indie market.

Don’t get me wrong, I have an embarrassingly large and venerable library of purchased games on Steam. Steam is, generally speaking, fabulous. But I wont even download indie games from Steam until the binary has been vetted by others.  And I *do not* install binaries from Itch. No hate, I applaud what they’re trying to do, but I do not trust their content creators.

And I don’t build Windows binaries. I bear an admittedly pathological hatred for Microsoft in general, and Windows in particular, both as a user and a developer. The Web is my rejection of all-things Microsoft, and of Apple as well. They work overtime to control us, limit our options, and force us into their walled gardens. The web is freedom.

Old School Gamer Magazine: Who’s the core audience?

Van: Well so far, nobody. Figure in an era of global virality, if you cant earn a following via simple word-of-mouth popularity, you’re doing something wrong. You either stand out, or you die.  Blending in,is not an option.

So thus far, I have no players. But I only dropped the open beta of Webshai maybe a week ago. Now Im looking for my first players.

Old School Gamer Magazine: Who are you trying to reach?

Van: The only crowd that I expect will really care – us 40-something/50-something old timers. To the kids these days, the old games just look primitive. Which is fair – they ARE primitive. But if you grew up on Apshai, you were left wanting more. At least I was.

Old School Gamer Magazine: Why does the preservation and homage of this era of games mean something to you?

Van: Two reasons, I think:

1 I was there, I lived it, these are the relics of my formative years, and represent some of the best times. Many a survivor of the torments of childhood, emerges from that battlefield with a guiding light. Something that led them through the darkness. For me, gaming was an HUGE part of that.

2 Those were the frontier days. The developers from that era, didn’t have game engines. They didn’t even have utility libraries. Often they didn’t even have pixels! And there were definitely no standards, no patterns. We didn’t even use the WASD UI pattern for steering yet! So what they made, was raw. It was feral. It was almost random.

And it was ground-breaking. Those early devs went out into the frontier, the wild, and they built.. whatever, whatever they could with whatever they had! And they built a whole new world and a new industry, and invited us to follow, to join them in something they called “home computer gaming” – when us users were still barely learning what a “home computer” even meant!

Old School Gamer Magazine: Why is this all important to you?

Van: That’s a surprisingly important and heavy question. Why do we game? Of what value is it? Sometimes I wonder if what I do – I was an off-and-on big-studio game dev for 35 years – is even meaningful, or just a waste of time. With all that’s wrong in the world, what do I contribute? Video games? That’s it?!

I don’t farm to grow food. I don’t build homes. I don’t heal the sick. All I do is provide entertainment.

Then I remember that 2nd grader, just 8 years old, introduced for the first time to Temple of Apshai, and I remember how a world of magic and fantasy and adventure and wonder opened up before me like an endless landscape.

And I remember, we aren’t just animals. We need more than food and shelter and our health. We need entertainment. And specifically, entertainment that challenges. That invites us to explore. 

Interactive entertainment is the next level, beyond books and movies (both of which I still cherish). Interactive entertainment let’s us be the hero, instead of some Hollywood actor having all the fun. It’s the ultimate storytelling, because we get to *tell OUR story*. Not have someone else’s story told to us, whilst we imagine ourselves as the protagonist.

And Ive done this – trying to design games, build games, and empower people to tell THEIR stories – since I was a little kid. Even before computer gaming, when tabletop D&D was all the rage.

Old School Gamer Magazine: Anything else you’d like to add?

Van: Credit where credit is due:

Half the sound FX in Webshai, were done working with Claude AI tuning programmable oscillators by ear to recreate the classic C64 sound.  The other half, was my sound artist/musician girlfriend Elisa Berlin of Noise Complaint (and who has a boss cameo in level 4 of the Catacombs tier).

The sprites were all generated on PixelLab.ai – I can’t draw a decent circle to save my life.

Tile art, all procedurally generated by Claude.

Likewise, the code was written entirely by Claude AI. I only take credit for the design and architecture of that code. Ive been developing for the web for the last 25 years, with 15 of those in Javascript.  This would have taken me AT LEAST 6 months to build by hand, but with AI it took just 6 weeks. Though admittedly it became a very back-and-forth process after the initial generative pass. Anyone who thinks using AI for game dev is equivalent to pushing some magickal do-it-all-for-me button, should try that sometime.

The post Old School Gamer Magazine Exclusive: Inside new C64 Temple of Webshai Project appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

In the end though the story remains the same.

If you’re looking for a casual and simple game of baseball to play with your friends, “RBI Baseball 16” is for you. If you want something with a little more pizazz and sizzle, then you’re a Show person. In the end, the comparisons made between the two titles are unjust ones as they are two entirely different dishes, for gamers on two different diets. Trying to convert someone to one side over the other just isn’t going to happen. In order to truly enjoy “RBI Baseball 16” you either have to have to travel back in time, granted you could find a flux capacitor (Ask a Cubs fan, they’ve tried that before, but it didn’t work out so well.) or just play. Don’t whine that it’s not pretty, just play.

With no play-by-play and advanced batting stances or pitching motions, “RBI Baseball 16” can feel vanilla to many Millennial gamers. Those that remember the heyday of the NES however will find it old-school in approach and void of distractions. Although it’s got a glitch or two here and there and requires you to revert back to your retro gaming mindset of time-based hitting and fielding, once you reset you can quickly get into a game and have a decent time.

All in all, the team at MLB have continued to polish the gameplay engine and add things that players want to see like dives, double-switches and great looking ballparks. Those that have become fans of the series will see the visual and gameplay improvements and enjoy the new rosters in a way much different than gamers of a AAA series, who expect the wheel to be invented all over again every year.

With gameplay as simple and straight ahead as this, there’s no need to. Without the bells and whistles of the competition, “RBI Baseball 16” is still a solid game of America’s pastime that ultimately caters to more fans of the sport than “The Show.”

Pros:

Simple to Pick Up and Play: Much like the Nintendo and other retro games it gets its inspiration from, “RBI Baseball 16” can be played by just about anybody. With no complex button sequences or crazy HUD to master, anyone can just jump right in.

Beautiful Parks: While the visuals on the players has been purposely toned down and the game mechanics are simple, the parks in “RBI Baseball 16” are gorgeous. From the dynamic lighting and atmosphere, you always get the feeling you’re playing in a different park.

Cons:

Stripped Down Gameplay: While it’s obvious what these guys are going here and things like play-by-play aren’t needed, it would have been nice to have authentic stances and pitching, or at least a few differences between players. At this point, it’s hard sometimes to realize who’s at the plate because many players look similar and their stances are all the same.

Final Thoughts:

For what it is, a throwback baseball game, “RBI Baseball 16” is playable and can be, with the right people, enjoyable. But with a lack of overt sexiness and bells and whistles, hardcore baseball fans will obviously look to the show for a more complete next-gen offering.

The post Retro Review: RBI Baseball 16 appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

The best selling game of all time, “Wii Sports” changed video gaming forever and seven years later on the Wii U, “Wii Sports Club” makes those classic games even better. Buyer beware however- your wallet may hurt a tad if you’ve been on all these rides before.

For those who have stuck by Nintendo for its entire new millennium run, you won’t find yourself running for updated versions of classics that have stood the test of time, but will enjoy the online capability added to the games and the other various bells and whistles. Those who have young kids have never experienced “Wii Sports” however will find themselves falling in love all over again.

The surprises are few for veterans of the series, but golf especially, is a pleasant one.

Simply put, the golf game in “Wii Sports Club” is probably the coolest and most realistic of the games available in the series to date and in spite of its stiff learning curve, can provide hours of fun.

The GamePad integration is easily the game’s biggest selling point. Unlike the other titles in the series that play remarkably like the older games they are based on, golf requires gamers to put the GamePad on the floor and use the Wiimote to swing at the ball at the GamePad screen. Simple and intuitive, your swing strength and posture are all measured on the GamePad screen.

As long as you don’t have a hefty cat, large dog or wild toddler that’ll stomp out your GamePad, the tablet integration is a welcomed plus to a game that used to be considered the worst game on “Wii Sports.”

That being said, the learning curve here is no joke. For that reason, many gamers won’t last more than a few rounds. Those who stick with it though and use the various mini-games, which stress different facets of the game such as driving, chipping and putting, will get the hang of things in time.

Things change a bit once you get to bowling however. With the changes made to golf, you’re expecting some type of second-screen experience while on the alley and what you get instead is a new coat of paint on a classic. Although bowling on the Wii U in “Wii Sports Club” is an enjoyable endeavor, it appears to be the same mini-game we fell in love with seven years ago, if not for a few tacked-on, but nifty features.

Graphically, the game looks incredibly similar to the updated version of the game in “Wii Sports: Resort.” Because of that, you’ll instantly become comfortable with the presentation of the game, but you won’t be wowed. If you’ve played the game in its other versions before, the “Wii Sports Club” version won’t be a memorable experience.

Luckily for Nintendo, the addition of mini-games and online play is what makes the game worthy of the $9.99 price tag. Online features and mini-games that help you make spares and Miiverse messaging make the experience a fun one that is free of drama and annoyances you’ll often find while playing your favorite first-person shooter online. The new version of the classic 100-pin game also will manage to steal your attention for a few hours.

The tennis game in “Wii Sports Club” is kind of a compromise of bowling and golf. Although there’s no second-screen experience, the control has been fine-tuned and the graphics are better. It’s safe to say this version of tennis while appeal more to hardcore gamers and will even cause you to break a sweat.

But a first glance, it’s easy to ponder how similar tennis on “Wii Sports Club” is to the other versions of the game on “Wii Sports” and “Wii Sports: Resort.” After a few games however, you’ll notice several key improvements that make it the best of the Wii Sports tennis games to date.

There’s a lot to do in tennis, from silly mini-games to online play. Although this is nothing new for the series the camera and controls have been super tightened to the point where you’ll want to play more than you did before. This has everything to do with the control. In older versions of the game, players could simply swat the Wiimote in any direction and the game would register a swing and a volley vest would ensue.

This time around, the Wii MotionPlus control is so much more intuitive that it’ll recognize your hand’s posture and will make sure you take the correct swing, or else. For example, if a ball comes at your forehand and your hand is positioned in the backhand position, you’re not going to be able to get the ball over the net. This seemingly small improvement makes what is often considered the redheaded stepchild of Wii Sports titles easily one of the more enjoyable ones on “Wii Sports Club.”

All in all, with a host of improvements to their predecessors, “Wii Sports Club” manages to win you over. Even in the case of bowling, where there aren’t many new things brought to the gameplay table, the online options make for a more modern and well-rounded gameplay experience.

The Good: All three games that are a part of “Wii Sports Club are an upgrade over their original versions. They look better, play more responsively and have more features.

The Bad: Considering the fact that “Wii Sports” can be found for less than $10.00 on any used game shop on the web and the Wii U features backwards compatibility, the game isn’t exactly cost-effective.

The Bottom Line: If you’re a fan of “Wii Sports” or Wii Sports: Resort,” “Wii Sports Club” is a game you will play by yourself and with the friends and family. The addition of online play adds a new element to the fun as well.

The post Retro Review: Wii Sports Club appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

For 229.99 USD, the M64, which also comes in a variety of colors, has full compatibility with the original 64 and supports video output up to 4K. Wired and wireless updates also plan to add new features to the console. As well, new games are planned for the console as well.

As per their development blog on June 26, ModRetro showed the arduous testing they put the console through before release, which they believe makes the M64 something special.

Are you planning on picking up the M64? What games would you play on it first? Sound off in the comment section below.

The post M64 Now Available From ModRetro appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

As of July 31st, the following games will no longer be able to be assessed on the service.

• Back to the Dawn — console, PC, cloud
• Celeste — console, PC, cloud
• Crusader Kings 3 — console, PC, cloud
• Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord — console, PC, cloud
• My Friendly Neighborhood — console, PC, cloud
• Rain World — console, PC, cloud
• Sniper Elite: Resistance — console, PC, cloud
• Whiskerwood — PC

  This current batch of removals comes after last week’s removal of ten games including Shadow of the Tomb Raider Definitive Edition, Stellaris, and Powerwash Simulator.
  
  How do you feel about more games leaving the Xbox Games Pass Service? Sound off in the comment section below!

The post Retro Fan Favorite Celeste Among Eight More Games Scheduled to Be Removed From Xbox Games Pass appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

According to a Press Release From Bethesda Game Studios today, remasters of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 classics, Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas are on the way.

Read a Part of the Announcement Below:

THE FUTURE OF FALLOUT

Fallout is one of our biggest priorities today. Fallout 5 remains our long-range destination, and we have multiple Fallout projects in active development right now.

 

Fallout 76 continues to be home to millions of players exploring Appalachia together. With nearly 70 free updates released to date, the journey is far from over. In fact, we have a major Fallout 76 expansion planned for next year: Raven Rock, a prequel story to Fallout 3.

 

Fallout 4, the most award-winning game in the franchise, just celebrated its 10-year anniversary and recently passed over 35 million copies sold, continuing to attract a new audience every year.

 

We also know many players want to revisit previous Fallout experiences. While we’re not announcing any dates today, we have been working on remasters for both Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas.

 

Fallout Shelter continues to be the most popular way to experience Fallout on the go, with more than 250 million players. There’s more ahead for Fallout Shelter, including new Seasons. An unscripted Fallout Shelter television project is also in the works with our partners at Amazon Studios and Kilter Films.

 

We’d like to congratulate Kilter Films and Amazon Studios on the 10 Emmy nominations for Fallout Season 2. Production on Season 3 is already underway.

 

And while we won’t host a traditional Fallout Day broadcast this year, we’re already planning something special for Fallout’s 30th anniversary in 2027, when Fallout Day will be celebrated live in Washington, D.C.

 

STUDIO COLLABORATION

The wasteland continues to expand as we team up once again with our longtime friends at Obsidian Entertainment. We’re happy to confirm they’re working with us on a new Fallout project. We’ll have more to share in the future.

Remasters of Fallout 3 and New Vegas have been on the wishlist of gamers for over a decade. The next question has to be, when will they be released and what other extra content will be packaged in?

How do you feel about the news? Sound off in the comment section below.

The post Fallout 3 and New Vegas Remakes Confirmed By Bethesda appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

Regardless it doesn’t change the problems that have plagued the series since its birth.

Simply put, if you loved this series before, your affection for this game will be more passionate than a fox with nine tales or a killer whale with a moustache (if you don’t get those references, you haven’t played the game yet). Regardless of several aesthetic and gameplay improvements, if you weren’t a fan before, this title won’t change your mind.

Like a great TV drama, the Phoenix Wright series requires you to fall in love with both the story and the characters. More an electronic and immersive graphic novel than a fully-fledged video game, the series isn’t for casual button mashers. Just like some gamers prefer first-person shooters over RPGs, the group that prefer this hybrid title will instantly fall in love with “Dual Destinies.” Those who would rather spend their time looking through a sniper’s scope, than reading a plethora of text can’t and won’t appreciate what the series has to offer.

That doesn’t mean that they can’t appreciate the look of the game though. For the first time in full 3D, there’s more than the signature story telling that makes “Dual Destinies” shine. The courtroom and the characters look beautiful, as well as the many cinemas that help put the pieces of the story together. You won’t expect the game to look this good. Considering its narrative-heavy diet, it certainly doesn’t need to either. Nevertheless, it’s easily one of the game’s biggest selling points.

The story continues the game from the plot developments of the last game in the series and has Phoenix Wright and Apollo Justice team up with a new lawyer, Athena Cykes, who can use a device around her neck and her unique skills to see into the hearts and souls of those on the witness stand, in order to find discrepancies in their testimonies you wouldn’t normally have been privy to. While it’s certainly a cool addition to the title, it also forces the gamer to use their stylus a bit more, breaking up the monotony of reading for most of the gameplay, Capcom has integrated the new gameplay elements seamlessly, allowing veterans of the series to quickly feel at home with them. The end result is a breath of fresh air in a series that for a long time feature scare new gameplay improvements.

Like previous games in the series, the stories are laced with anime-styled story elements and pop culture references. The characters aren’t perfect. Phoenix bluffs his way through cross-examination, a prosecutor keeps tapping his hairpiece on his head and the judge is as aloof as ever. This bizarre, yet completely enthralling environment is anything but a realistic interpretation of an actual courtroom. But that doesn’t mean it won’t lock your hands on your 3DS for hours at a time. With a cast of eccentric but relatable characters, “Dual Destinies” quickly wins you over.

Much like “Dungeons and Dragons” and even “Pokemon,” the Phoenix Wright series is a niche game and in this case, a very small one. That shouldn’t deter gamers looking for something new or fans of the series from “Dual-Destinies”, especially since so much has been added visually and from a gameplay element to make the game current and worthwhile. Overall, it’s a polished title with a strong narrative that continues to add credibility to a cult-favorite series.

The Good:

Tons to do: Each case can take around three hours and with five of them and one via DLC, there’s plenty to do and experience.

Attachment to Characters Still the Game’s Strongest Feature: All of the characters, from Phoenix, to Apollo and even the judge are silly, quirky and endearing. You’ll often forget you’ve been mostly reading and pressing a button or two here and there. Like a TV sitcom, “Phoenix Wright: Dual Destinies” hits the player in the chest in terms of plot and character development.

Awesome Anime-Esque Cut Scenes: The 3DS visuals make the already brightly colored characters pop that much more. Seeing the courtroom in 3D is also a cool experience. The short cinemas that play in-between, before and after cases is a nice reward for continuing the story. It’s some of the best looking video work on the system to date.

Rewarding Gameplay: Finding clues and solving a case is still a blast. Between the attachment to the characters and the deep story, the payoff at the end of every case is still there.

The Bad:

Drawn-Out Stories Lose Casual Gamers: Even though the stories are well-written (aside from a few missing words and typos), they develop at the speed of a novella. Younger gamers looking for action will not get their fill here. The same thing goes for impatient button-mashers who want their fix quickly. Simply put, “Phoenix Wright: Dual Destinies” is a game that will captivate those who appreciate it’s storytelling style, but will bore more “casual” gamers.

Less Skill and Critical Thinking Needed than You Might Expect: The first playthrough, “Phoenix Wright: Dual Destinies” forces you to think, but after a while you’ll realize that can make mistakes and simply use process of elimination to solve the more complex cases. Incredibly linear, there’s no way to move your questioning in another direction. This robs the game of some of its authenticity and allows you to get through extremely challenging segments by simply replaying them until you find the right answer.

The post Retro Review: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.