👾 Retro Gaming Weekly News #0173

3rd November 2025

Welcome to the 173rd issue of our retro gaming news roundup.

Amongst this weeks articles, Street Racer is back, as is Little Samson, Nintendo x Vans, ZSNES revisited, the Sega Venus and a whole lot more.

As ever, thanks for reading and spreading the word.

News

🧙 Dokapon 3-2-1: Super Collection has been announced for Nintendo Switch, featuring three classic Dokapon games in one package set for release on February 13, 2026 — Final Weapon.

🏁 Street Racer Collection will launch on November 27, 2025, bringing four classic racing titles to modern platforms including PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC — Gematsu.

🐉 Little Samson, a cult NES platformer, is being revived for modern platforms, with new availability confirmed for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, and PC — Niche Gamer.

👟 Nintendo-themed Vans shoes are now available, showcasing retro-inspired designs featuring classic Nintendo franchises — VideoGamer.

🕹️ A beloved PS2 franchise is returning after a 15-year hiatus, with speculation pointing toward a revival of The Getaway series — GamingBible.

🦖 Turok 2: Seeds of Evil has launched a fully remastered version optimized for PlayStation 5 with improved visuals and performance — PSU.

💾 Duke Nukem: Zero Hour, originally a Nintendo 64 exclusive, now has a native PC port developed from reverse-engineered source code — TweakTown.

🏎️ A prototype build of Destruction Derby 2 for Sega Saturn has been released, offering a glimpse at a never-released port of the PS1 classic — Time Extension.

💔 A retrospective explores how Zelda: Majora’s Mask used themes of grief and loss to create one of the series’ most emotionally resonant titles — GameSpot.

🚪 The creator of Sega Forever, the retro gaming initiative, has officially departed Sega after a seven-year tenure — NotebookCheck.

🎮 Retroid has announced two new handhelds, including the Retroid Pocket 6, which features a new design and upgraded performance — Time Extension.

⚔️ The Battle Arena Toshinden series is getting a modern re-release, bringing back multiple entries from the iconic 3D fighting franchise — Niche Gamer.

🦇 An enhanced fan remake of Castlevania for Amiga now has a CD32 version released just in time for Halloween — Time Extension.

👾 The Atari 2600+ Pac-Man Edition is now available, bundling the console with a specially designed joystick and a recreation of the classic Pac-Man cartridge — GamingTrend.

🛸 Three more Toaplan arcade classics are coming to Atari 2600+, Atari 7800, and 7800+, continuing the wave of retro game ports to classic hardware — Time Extension.

🎉 A King of Fighters Japanese party game has finally been translated into English after 25 years, making it accessible to a wider audience — Retro Dodo.

🕹️ The WonderSwan handheld has received renewed attention with the release of the NileSwan flash cart, allowing easier game access and preservation — The Escapist.

📱 ARMSx2, a new Android-based PS2 emulator, has released its first major version with promising performance improvements and broader compatibility — Startup News.

Features

🧩 A roundup of speculative Legend of Zelda fan theories explores character origins, timelines, and possible future connections in the franchise — ComicBook.

🥋 A nostalgic review of the Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection highlights the series’ arcade roots and cultural impact on 90s gamers — Absolute Geeks.

🐿️ A retrospective on Conker’s Bad Fur Day examines how its irreverent humor and adult tone clashed with its cartoonish aesthetic and Nintendo platform — ComicBook.

🌌 Fans spent two years recreating Deltarune Chapter 1 inside EarthBound, offering a faithful tribute to Toby Fox’s ROM hacking roots — GamesRadar.

📡 The creator of ZSNES details how he implemented rollback netcode over dial-up in 1997, offering insight into early emulation innovation (below) — Time Extension.

🦊 Shigeru Miyamoto and team discuss the development and eventual cancellation of Star Fox 2, revealing how it influenced later Nintendo titles — VideoGamer.

🎮 A former PlayStation executive recalls how Nintendo’s choice to stick with cartridges shaped Sony’s strategy and helped launch the PlayStation — GoNintendo.

📘 Hideki Kamiya reflects on how The Legend of Zelda served as a creative foundation for his game design philosophy — Nintendo Wire.

🤼 On this day in 1998, WWF No Mercy, one of the most acclaimed wrestling games ever made, was released on the Nintendo 64 — VICE.

🕹️ A retro project brings the Z80-based TV game console back to life, celebrating early homebrew computing and vintage gaming hardware — Hackster.io.

🥋 Another review of the Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection (below) commends its packaging and preservation efforts despite missing key titles — Noisy Pixel.

🎨 A look at Jet Set Radio explores how its style and gameplay championed creative freedom and countercultural themes — Vocal.

📀 More obscure SEGA CD games are being ported to PS5 and PS4, continuing a surprising trend of retro preservation — Push Square.

🕹️ SEGA unveils the Venus, a prototype handheld console from 1994, offering a rare glimpse into its unreleased hardware history — VideoGamer.

🎉 A retrospective celebrates the 25th anniversary of the PlayStation 2, revisiting its groundbreaking library and industry-defining legacy — Inverse.

Lists & Rankings

🕹️ A look into Nintendo’s surprisingly dark titles reveals the company’s grimmer side across various franchises, from Majora’s Mask to Eternal Darkness (below).

📉 The Nintendo 64’s library included several critically panned games, with Superman 64 and Carmageddon 64 leading the pack of worst-reviewed titles DualShockers.

🎮 A ranking of the most underrated SNES games highlights lesser-known gems like Demon’s Crest and Metal Warriors that deserve more recognition CBR.

🧩 From a Resident Evil chainsaw controller to the Game Boy sewing machine, these bizarre gaming accessories push the boundaries of functionality and design NewsBreak.

📚 A roundup of top video games based on comic books not tied to Marvel or DC spotlights titles like The Darkness and Asterix & Obelix XXL DualShockers.

📊 On the PS2’s 25th anniversary, a breakdown of its best-selling games reveals the dominance of GTA: San Andreas, Gran Turismo 3, and Madden NFL 2005 Kotaku.