Oh yes, you can teach an old dog new tricks! Legend of Wukong is, believe it or not, a new title available for pre-order online and scheduled for a Sega Megadrive release this Christmas.

The 'roleplaying adventure game' is crafted like we're living back in 1992, all boxed up and ready like it will be hitting shelves this Christmas. Funnily enough, this is all about ordering online, and you can check out the screens and details at the Legend of Wukong homepage. The same team involved with this release last released a Megadrive game back in 1998, The Beggar Prince. Another roleplaying adventure, they have stock available of that title too, should you decide you need more than one Megadrive RPG this Christmas.

Shipped to Australia it looks like Legend of Wukong will cost $US52.00. But seriously, if you know someone who keeps a Megadrive on hand, what better Christmas gift than a BRAND NEW game for it? Sometimes the nostalgia scene feels too much like cashing in, but this is clearly a labour of love that deserves some recognition.

Legend of Wukong [Super Fighter Team]

Does Nintendo have an old-school hit readied for a modern day Wii treatment? That's the rumour that Gamekyo (formerly JeuxFrance) is running, pointing to an impending announcement from the company — as in this Thursday. The property is "an old franchise that everyone is waiting for," clearly a thinly veiled reference to Gumshoe, which has Wii Zapper support written all over it.

Nintendo has previously been rumoured to have sequels to both Punch-Out!! and Kid Icarus in the works. Nice idea, but they're no Gumshoe.

We'll know, probably this Thursday, whether this rumour has any basis in reality.

Nintendo reviving an old franchise for the Wii [Gamekyo]

Prepare to qualify! Namco Networks, the mobile game development and publishing arm of good old Namco Bandai has futzed around with a classic racing title and dropped it on the iPhone for a whole new generation (read: market) of gamers to enjoy. Pole Position: Remix takes the primitive gameplay of the original Pole Position, tacks on some rather nifty new controls, and charges you $9.99 for the privilege of playing it.

"Pole Position: Remix is a fun and intuitive game that anyone can take for a spin," says Scott Rubin, senior vice president, Namco Networks. "Similar to playing a racing game in an arcade, Pole Position: Remix makes you feel as if you are actually getting behind the wheel and racing on the track, screeching around turns and breaking to avoid a crash."

In a fit of nostalgia I downloaded the game this morning. It's solid, and the controls are fun, both the tilt steering and the on-screen thumb-controlled steering wheel options. It's just the gameplay really hasn't aged all that well. I need some sort of nostalgia alarm that locks my wallet when the feeling hits. If you just can't resist, PP:Remix is now available at an Apple Apps Store near you.

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It's a bit of a nostalgic day today at Kotaku (or maybe I've just done a poor job of getting out of the historian mindset this weekend), but a post over at Educational Games Research brought back memories of childhood and elementary school — Oregon Trail, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego (I vaguely remember a PBS television show that we were required to watch once a week), typing teachers (though we used PAWS in the 3rd grade, not the Mavis Beacon mentioned). Ah, memories:

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I've mentioned the unfortunately named Stephen M. Cabrinety Collection blog a couple of times, but I really do love it — I'm always curious to see what gems will be dredged up from the archives. Following on the heels of a post from Owen on five games to play during a stock market crash comes a post showing what (some) people were playing during the financial downturn of 1987. In addition to some less stimulating titles from 'Blue Chip Software,' we get the fantastic box art of Wall$treet and the dismal sounding Black Monday, among others:

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Remember Portal for the C64 emulator? Reader burgerk1ng has a nice find to go with it: "Gang Garrison II" by "Faucet" software -- an 8-bit, fully multiplayer "de-make" for PC gamers. I am ... retarded close to going out and getting a copy of Windows and Boot Camp, which would make this the most expensive free game in the history of anything. On the other hand, maybe it's a good thing I don't have a PC, as my expectations could only shattered. Gameplay video and links on the jump.

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Reader Rezz Man (possibly not his real name) sent us a link to a YouTube video showing off two hidden Duke Nukem Forever screenshots hidden in the Xbox Live Arcade release of Duke Nukem 3D. The two shots are the last two pictures unlocked in the game's gallery. From the video description:

First image appears to be Duke reloading his pistol in front of an enemy Octabrain. From the backdrop of the level, it looks like some sort of dam. You can see another Octabrain in the background on the top left. Second image is just Duke smirking with two scantily clad women in the background.

Of course this doesn't indicate the game is coming anytime soon; who knows how many bits of DNF concept art 3D Realms has floating around at this point. Still a nice nod to the fans who've been waiting forever for something, anything.

Taito's Space Invaders went supernova in late 1970s Japan and even caused a national coin shortage! Yokai Attack! co-author Matt Alt was a gaming nut back then, putting an endless stream of quarters into arcade game after arcade game. When he was seven years old, he sat down and composed his first opus space invaders, based on the classic Taito title. Recently found at his grandparents' house, it reads:

The space invaders took off in their spaceship shooting their lasers at some ships. A laser hit their ship; it crashed. The space invaders got out just in time! When the ship blew up, the fire was so bright it looked like a sun! They built a bigger and better ship. It took 10 weeks to build. As time went by, the ship got bigger and bigger! The time came when the space invaders invaded earth! There were no bad things, like fires or stealing. They made some friends and had to get their computers help to take off. They went to ziron home base, 50,0000 miles from earth.

Whew! So glad to know that when the space invaders finally do come, there will be no bad things like fires or stealing.

Nov. 2, 1980 [Alt Japan]

Two of our favourite pastimes, consuming alcohol in the comfort of our own home and playing video games, were combined magically by one enterprising homeowner who decided to take the basement bar concept to the next level. He stuffed what appears to be a MAME-dedicated machine under the panels of his home drinking base, complete with a four-stick set up.

Awesome. Just think of the four-player drinking games. During Gauntlet, a player must do a shot when he or she shoots the food. In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a player must do a shot when the game forces a cheap death upon you.

Hey, guy who has this set up, can we be pals?

Video Game Bar Tackles Two Life-Hindering Addictions at Once [Gizmodo]

Finally, a use for YouTube! Even with 25 years of access to the original Dragon's Lair, I've yet to beat the game and snatch the lovely Princess Daphne from the clutches of the evil Singe. Fortunately, some YouTube know-it-all has uploaded and annotated a very handy real-time guide to completing the game, making us absolutely adore the annotations feature.

It's not like we're lacking in DVD and Blu-ray ports of Dragon's Lair, so if you really want to give it a go and use the guide, now's your chance.

Dragon's Lair Complete Strategy Guide - With Annotations [YouTube via Waxy]

Get me Valve on the phone. Tell Lombardi that the Portal prequel dev team can go home - their services are no longer required.

And yes, that Portal fan mod can sling its hook too. The Commodore 64 remake 'Shotgate' has rendered both games utterly pointless.

Yes, it's a Portal clone for the C64. No, it's not in 3D and - yes - it does look quite like that Flash tribute from last year.

This little fella was made in just 4K of C64 assembler for the Mini Games Comp 2008. If you like the look of it, the programmer is actually selling it in C64 cartridge form in a limited edition run of 20. Buy now to avoid/ensure disappointment.

Shotgate [Quernhorst.de]

Video game packaging has come quite a long way over the past 30 years or so, but did it really have to? The -Minus World takes a fascinating look at how today's games might have been represented by yesterday's artists with Atari Modern Classics. They've created retro covers for Halo 3, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Portal, Resident Evil 5, GTA IV, No More Heroes, COD4 and God of War 3, but by far my favourite is their take on BioShock, depicting an epic battle with a Big Daddy in a way only simple block graphics ever could.

Atari Modern Classics [The -Minus World - Thanks Brian!]

The best thing about runway models wearing massive and bulbous headwear is that it detracts from their chunky thighs. Seriously, would it kill these girls to substitute one watercress salad with a pack of Marlboro lights once in a while? We're therefore thankful that fashion designer Giles Deacon has tapped into Pac-Man design lore for his/their Spring-Summer 2009 collection. The line, which was on display at London Fashion Week, might not be outed for its Pac-Man influence based solely on the hat pictured above, but the Blinky-inspired hat, seen in the gallery below, pretty much confirms it.

Thanks to David for the tip (and the Associated Press for the pics)!

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Is this the retail packaging for Mega Man 9? Of course not, Mega Man 9 is a downloadable game, but that didn't stop the folks from Capcom from creating this spectacular packaging to send out to their friends in the press, making me wonder just how close a friend you have to be to score one. I've done plenty of things I'm not proud of in the past.

Anyway, it's a throwback to the NES days of bad box art hiding a good game, complete with budget price tag and NES game shaped disc holder. A work of art. A must-have, yet can't have, unless Capcom does good and places a few up on the Capcom store for us to wrestle over. Hit the jump for another drool-worthy view!

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Video game retailers cleaning out an old warehouse in the Rashidia area of Dubai stumbled across video gaming's Pandora's Box - a sealed crate containing 100 Nintendo Virtual Boy systems, intact in their original packaging. The fact that 100 pieces of stock could have been misplaced like this serves as a solid representation of how little people cared for the poor VB.

"This product was just left years ago and nobody knew it was in stock," said Vijay Chandrabota, the purchasing manager for Geekay Games in Dubai. "For me, it was dead stock. I didn't even know that this Virtual Boy existed until we found it."

It sounds like the plot for an Indiana Jones movie, doesn't it? A crate found in a dusty warehouse, with ancient horrors lurking within. Gives me shivers. I'm surprised no faces were melted in the course of the discovery. Of course as a collector I'd still maim any one of you for a chance at have a Virtual Boy in a sealed box, but it had better be one damn tight seal.

Nintendo's 'worst' console wins some new admirers [The National Newspaper]

...it probably wouldn't have been that good. One of the other entries from The Independent Gaming Source's Demakes contest is this Shadow of the Colossus throwback. One can make the argument that graphics don't matter, but unless you're moved emotionally by parallax scrolling, some of the "oomph" when Team ICO's game gets ported to the TRS-80 Model III. Like the Portal demake Super 3D Portals 6, this one's freely playable.

Hold me closer, Giant Dancer [TIGsource Forums]

If the Flash version of Portal was just a tad too hi-fi for your discriminating needs, perhaps the Atari 2600 "demake" of the title will do. From The Independent Gaming Source's Demakes contest, in which developers were tasked with remaking current titles on old platforms — Shadow of the Colossus for the TRS-80 Model III, for example — comes Super 3D Portals 6.

The 8-bit re-imagining is playable on the Atari VCS emulator of your choice, but the author recommends Stella. It's also free. We're firing up our copy of Stella on the Kotaku Towers West PC to partake right now.

SUPER 3D PORTALS 6 - FINISHED [TIGsource Forums]

As the owner of a top loading NES, I can tell you there's nothing quite like the reliability and satisfaction of vertical cartridge entry. And that dog bone controller? Like holding on to a cloud, it's so comfortable. One enterprising console modder has decided to take the top loading bliss of the NES hardware revision and the usefulness of the toaster and combine the two into the Nintoaster.

While it no longer makes bread browner or blacker through heated coils, the Nintoaster does make for a snazzy, fully playable NES. It even retains its orange glow, sans cartridge melting heat! A completely useless making of video is available should you want to see this bad boy in action.

Nintoaster [Stupidfingers via Gizmodo, Ubergizmo]

Nine years ago today Sega introduced the little engine that couldn't quite to North American shores. The Dreamcast burst onto the video game scene with the roar of a lion, which unfortunately turned out to just be the noise the GD-ROM drive made when accessing a disc, spinning up, or idling. It brought with it the hope of a new era of online console gaming, and for the Phantasy Star Online fans out there it delivered. It gave us Soul Calibur, one of the greatest console fighting games of all time, Jet Grind Radio, which introduced the world to cel-shading, and Seaman, which completely creeped an entire generation the f*** out.

In some alternate reality somewhere we're currently playing the latest games on the Dreamcast 2 while Sony and Microsoft struggle to keep up and Nintendo has become a third-party software developer. Today is the day to indulge in this fantasy. Drag out your old Dreamcast, draw a big "2" on the lid with a sharpie, and pop in Soul Calibur, or Dragonriders of Pern, or Record of Lodoss War, and dream of console success, just like Sega did nine years ago.

HOLY SHIT. THAT LOOKS SO REAL. A while back, a Japanese Yahoo! seller put 20 "limited edition" Pikachus on the auction block with the crazy closing price of ¥99,000,002,805,760 (over US$ 900 million). According to the seller:

Captured one-by-one only after you order to ensure its good health!

Fantastic! These Pikachus were straight from the Pikachu forest, and the seller wrote that a 60-minute video showing how to raise and care for the Pikachu would be included as well. While we're guessing the seller didn't successfully unload any of this "limited edition" for US$ 900 million. Man, some people are so cheap.

Pika Auction [Yahoo Auction Watch Thanks, Matt!]

You may think that EA's support of the original Xbox — it released both Madden NFL 08 and Madden NFL 09 for the console — showed serious dedication to legacy platforms. How does Genesis support sound? If you thought "bat shit insane" then you might be surprised to learn that versions of FIFA 2008, Need for Speed: Pro Street, The Sims 2, and SimCity are being ported to the 16-bit Sega platform for the release of Tectoy's Mega Drive 3 (a wild looking Genesis clone) in Brazil.

Insert Credit dug up details on the "new" EA Genesis titles, which happen to be based on the mobile device releases and are being ported by Tectoy devs. Those games are just four of the 86 titles that will come pre-installed on the budget console, including classics like Shinobi III and Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle. There are even some new titles of hazy origin. Everything old is new again... or vice versa.

News: Four "new" EA games on Genesis/Mega Drive [Insert Credit]

The Retro Remakes competition has returned for 2008, this time with a charitable twist.

As well as five categories for different types of remake or tribute retro game (see here for the full list), this year's competition features a special 'Game For Helen' category that challenges coders to create a retro videogame for children who cannot play arcade type games using conventional controls due to disability.

The Game For Helen project is a collaboration between the Helen & Douglas House children's hospice and Special Effect - a charity dedicated to making computer games more accessible.

The Retro Remakes 2008 Big Compo [Retro Remakes]

OK, this is about as Commodoure as Phil Harrison's Atari is Atari, but still. There's a Commodoure logo on the thing, it's called a Commodoure and it even shares that common Commodoure aesthetic, so it'll do. The Commodoure Netbook is the first machine to hit the showroom floor following the brand's reanimation, and while it's not necessarily a gaming machine, again, it's got a Commodoure logo on it. And it will play games. Which is good enough for us.

Min er mindre enn din [NRK, via Boing-Boing]

MCV is reporting that Rising Star are attempting to target R-Type Tactics squarely at the retro gaming crowd.

Tactics is a new spin on the R-Type franchise, swapping the familiar side-scrolling twitch gameplay for a resolutely older-than-old-skool turn-based hex 'em up.

"The sense of nostalgia you get when you see the artwork and knowing you grew up with this series is immense and great fun to work on"., said Rising Star's Yen Hau, "Considering the size of the fan base, we expect to see steady sales throughout the Christmas period and into the New Year."

I have to say, this does sound like they are boxing themselves in a bit - is there really a big enough market for this? If it's a fun game then it is a fun game, but if you have to go out of your way to stress the nostalgia element.. it doesn't bode well.

R-Type Tactics is out on September 12th.

New R-Type targets retro gamers [MCV]

Insert Credit has unearthed some patents from the early days of videogaming that are.. special.

There are some great little nuggets here, from an early design for the Nintendo Powerglove — sorry, "Forearm mounted multi-axis remote control unit" — to a 'button presser' that lets you hit two buttons alternately by rolling the device back and forth. This sounds ridiculous, until you think about Track & Field.

There is even a slice of true console history in the form of a prototype for the first NES cartridge.

My favourite, though, has to be the SEGA racing controller/game pictured above that has an actual model car that moves left to right on a shelf in front of your TV. Come on SEGA, the time is right for this thing to see the light of day - bring it out on a current-gen console & you will clean up.

News: Old videogame patents [InsertCredit via Boing Boing Gadgets]