Image: Damien McFerran / Time Extension

Welcome to Retro Recap, a regular feature we run each and every weekend which rounds up all of the best retro gaming news and content of the past week in one place.

Dev Behind AI-Assisted Daytona USA PC Port Says They Didn't Intend To Hide Claude's Involvement

The developer behind the Daytona USA PC port says it was never their intention to hide the fact that they used AI in its creation.

Alphanu1 told Time Extension that, as a developer for over 25 years, they have built many projects without using AI. "Now the AI exists, it is a very useful tool that allows engineers to complete projects that could take months or years in weeks. With the same quality product if the tool is used properly," they tell us.

The developer says they are "more than happy that it says AI-assisted."

SuperStation One's $20 Memory Card Goes on Sale Today, and Yes, It Plays DOOM

Taki Udon has released a memory card to complement his SuperStation One MiSTer FPGA system – and it also works on original PS1 and PS2 consoles.

The SuperStation Memory Card (or SSMC to its friends) has a built-in display for Game ID support and works with FreePSXBoot, FCMB, OPL MMCE and more. You can also use it to load ISOs from a MicroSD card in the same way the 8BitMods MemCard Pro 2 does.

Playdate Owners Urged To Update Firmware Before Certificate Expiration On October 15

Manufacturer Panic has urged all Playdate owners to ensure that the firmware on their hand-cranked handheld is updated ahead of October 15.

On that day, the Secure Certificate for older versions will expire, rendering them unable to connect to the Playdate servers.

Atari's 800XL Is The Next Hardware Revival From The Company Behind The Neo Geo AES+

Plaion, the company behind the upcoming Neo Geo AES+, has announced that it is working with Retro Games Ltd. to resurrect Atari's best-selling 800XL 8-bit computer, first released all the way back in 1983.

THE 800XL is billed as a "faithful recreation" with a full-sized mechanical keyboard, working cartridge slot, built-in Atari BASIC and 25 built-in games. The system features modern HDMI connectivity.

SuperStation Creator Taki Udon Just Teased An FPGA SNES Console

RetroRemake, the developer behind the popular SuperStation line, are teasing what appears to be a new product: an FPGA Super Nintendo/SNES console, currently codenamed "SSNT/SuperFPGA"

This morning, RetroRemake (R2) co-founder Taki Udon posted a less-than-cryptic image of the ungainly NTSC SNES' Reset button, along with the simple sentence "It's time to run it back".

Vib-Ribbon Creative Team Reflect On Their Sublime Musical Marvel

The team behind the curious, ethereal, and one-of-a-kind PlayStation release Vib-Ribbon have spoken of the story behind the game's creation; the uphill battle to get such an abstract project greenlit, produced, and released; and the enduring legacy of not only the game itself, but the impact on the lives of the folks who crafted it.

Feature: The Oliver Twins Explain Why They're Dizzy About GenAI

At last week's Plau Expo in the UK, The Oliver Twins revealed their AI-generated Dizzy game, and it went down about as well as you might expect. Time Extension was there, and even got to post a question about GenAI ethics to the pair.

Feature: Beetle Adventure Racing Decomp Dev Kicks Back Against The Rise Of AI Recomps

One of the most exciting developments in the retro gaming scene over the last few years is the rise of recompilation projects, offering players a new way to experience some of their favourite games on modern PC platforms.

However, as the number of AI recompilations of classic games grows daily, many in the gaming community have been pushing back against this controversial technology and the promotion of projects that rely heavily on GenAI code, arguing that it is "hurting the scene"

Interview: Paul Drury on Why 'The Arcade 1971-1999' Is So Important

The Arcade 1971–1999: The Stories Behind Classic Coin-Ops, Told by Their Creators is the latest coffee-table tome from Bitmap Books and is penned by veteran video game journalist Paul Drury.

Boasting a foreword by Atari founder and industry legend Nolan Bushnell and featuring seminal games such as After Burner, Space Invaders, Asteroids, Final Fight, Metal Slug, Street Fighter II and many more, The Arcade 1971–1999 aims to chart the history of coin-op gaming – and we were lucky enough to sit down with Drury to discuss the book in detail.

Review: Evercade Nexus - a Commendable Upgrade, but Bundling Banjo-Kazooie Is the True Masterstroke

While the Evercade family has seen several hardware revisions and evolutions over the years – including a bartop arcade unit, a home console, and even a scaled-down Super Pocket sibling – the Evercade Nexus feels like the most significant step forward the brand has taken since its inception six years ago.