As a kid, I remember some games just being too hard to finish. Growing up with the NES meant experiencing "NES hard" first hand. It took forever to beat Ninja Gaiden, and that was something that was likely not repeated. Beating Mike Tyson was newsworthy at the bus stop. Beating Contra without the Konami code could make you a legend. But for every NES game that was beatable, there were many that were not.

Today there exists a method to play modified, or hacked games using IPS patching. I am not a computer programmer, but essentially an IPS patch is code that can be attached to existing rom code, changing the rom file. These IPS patches are already written by contributors to online forums and websites.


Be advised that the method I use to play these is with an Everdrive so that I can play on original hardware, but the same method can apply to emulators. I wrote a post explaining Everdrives here.

When I first heard about this, it seemed like it might be too technical, and required a lot of programming know-how. The process is actually pretty easy, if you have the right tools. This is how it works.

1) Download a rom of a game that you own (I am assuming most know how to do this, if not, Google is your friend).

2) Download a IPS patching program (again, Google) like Multipatch, Lunar IPS, etc.


3) Go to Romhacking.net. Click on rom hacks on the left hand side.


Choose whatever filters you want to help you find the available rom hacks for your game. I chose Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom - Restored as the original was a bit to harsh for my liking. This rom hack lowers the amount of damage that you take, gives unlimited continues, and adds a password feature. That last piece may not be all that necessary today, since you are not playing on an original cartridge and can use save states, but hey why not?


4) Open the IPS patching program. I am a Mac user, so I used "Multipatch", but there are others out there, and they generally work the same way. Select the patch on your computer, select the rom, give it a name and save location, click apply patch, and done. You can now load this patched rom onto your Everdrive or Retropie, or whatever.



This ability breathes new life into games that were formerly thought of as unplayable. Hacks provide all kinds of tweaks, improvements, and other curious effects. A well known example is the hack to make Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest more playable by providing clearer hints from villages, making invisible pitfalls visible, and speeding up night/day transitions. These improvements make the game vastly more playable, and into an enjoyable experience. This is just one example of the possibilities.


Another major benefit is to apply translations to games that were never released in English speaking territories. I know that this is especially helpful to fans of RPGs. I myself prefer action-oriented games, so text is not that much of a factor in gameplay, but I could do it if I wanted to.

For owners of the premium SD2SNES cart, you can apply MSU patches to add cd-quality audio to Super Nintendo games. Super Metroid, A Link to the Past, and F-Zero are shining examples of this done right. Be advised that these patches are larger, since they are audio files, but if you have an SD2SNES cart, you probably already know this.

Genesis owners can get in on the action as well. The process is identical, regardless of which cartridge console you have. I personally prefer the Japanese version of Contra: Hard Corps, which has three hit points per life. This feature was removed for the North American release, but now you can restore that feature!

Notice the three hit points underneath the shot type.

Another type of hack that is gaining popularity are color restoration hacks. For example, The Genesis' color palate for Golden Axe is slightly different than the arcade version. The color restoration hack modifies the colors to better match the original. A subtle effect, but it interests people enough to make them.

The ground coloration is more subdued in the color restoration hack of Golden Axe.

New rom hacks are added all the time, and some games have a plethora or rom hacks like Metroid, Super Mario games, Zelda, Contra, and so on. I particularly enjoy rosters updates to Super Tecmo Bowl.

Super Mario World Return to Dinosaur Land is a popular rom hack.

I hope that some of you found this helpful. For older gamers who appreciate original hardware like me, this is a fascinating ability and makes the hobby that much more enjoyable.

When people get into retro gaming, they want to seek out reviews and lists for the best games to play. There are a plethora of these sources online, but not so many in print form. Perhaps it is indicative of the age range of the primary retro gaming audience that many want a physical product. While there may be books written of about gaming in general, there are not too many on the topic of retro gaming, and even less focusing on the breadth of games available for retro systems.

This is starting to change. Brett Weiss was one of the first to specifically write about the game libraries with his Classic Home Video Game Series (2007-) of books. Jeffrey Wittenhagen chronicled the NES library in his The Complete NES: Officially Licensed US Releases (2015). This review is on the the newest entry in this young genre of video game compendiums, Pat Contri's Ultimate Nintendo: Guide to the NES Library.

Pat Contri is most well known for his YouTube channel: Pat the NES Punk. His videos include reviews, skits, podcast discussions, and other gaming related topics. He started his channel in 2007, and is widely credited as a major influence in the retro gaming boom, along with other early YouTubers such as The Angry Video Game Nerd, and Classic Game Room.

Pat has channeled his knowledge of the NES games into an exhaustive guide book, where every game is reviewed, reflected upon, and rated. The reviews are written by Pat himself, as are many of the reflections, with help from other contributors.


My first impression of the book was that it was very substantial, in every way. The weight, the paper quality, the sheer amount of content bursting off of the pages signifies a labor of love, and an obvious level of dedication. Some might even say that it has too much information, as pages may seem a bit cramped, with text riding up very close to the edge of every page. It could easily be mistaken for a college textbook from afar.


Each page reviews one or two games, depending on how influential the game is. Every review provides at least four screen shots, which is awesome. I have always felt that one screen shot does not convey enough information about a game, but having four provides a sense of continuity that may pervade through a game, giving better insight into how the visuals hold up throughout the game, how the gameplay may vary, instead just one moment.

Other information provided includes genre, developer, publisher, release date, number of players, rarity, and Pat's rating out of five stars. The main review take up the bulk of the text section, and reflections are about a third of the section. I like the idea of a reflection after the review, as it offers another persons slant on the game, and perhaps discusses the impact of a game or other interesting tidbits that would not be proper to include in the review itself.


Even the lowliest of games is given proper treatment, with primarily objective reporting. While I do disagree with some of the ratings here or there, that is to be expected, and nothing was wildly off.

Visually, as I mentioned earlier, there is so much information that the pages seem busy. Behind the white test section is a background pic from the game being reviewed, and this may be the little extra that was not needed. With four screen shots from each game, having the extra layer of color behind everything ends up distracting. This is a minor gripe, as I appreciate the amount of content what was included.

Beyond the reviews themselves, the book has extras that are excellent inclusions. Articles from other names in the field, scans of promotional materials, descriptions of peripherals, unlicensed games, and many more extras are included.


So, out of the other game library books out there, this one stands up above the rest. At $60, it is a bargain in my opinion, I can easily see this asking for up to $100 with no drop off in sales. Strongly recommended for any retro game enthusiast.

Blast Wind is a 2D, vertical scrolling shoot'em up for the Sega Saturn, developed by Tecnosoft (of Thunder Force fame). It was only released in Japan, as were nearly all of the good shooters (exceptions being Galactic Attack and Darius Gaiden). If you're reading this, you may be aware of the seemingly endless ascent of prices for games like this. Since the Saturn is one of the few retro systems left that have yet to be emulated with any degree of success, physical copies are in high demand. This game is no exception. Some Saturn shooters are worth the coin, let's see if this one is.


Right out of the gate the game has sharp, clean visuals. The sprite designs are not quite as inspired as other Tecnosoft offerings, but there is lots of color. The sound mixing is unbalanced, as the sound effects of enemies being destroyed drown out the music completely. From what I can hear of the music, it sounds like it would have been good, but I can't be sure. This was a missed opportunity, as Tecnosoft is renowned for is music composition.

The gameplay is pretty vanilla in that the enemy patterns are too straightforward/predictable. It seems like they were programed by their "B" team. At least your craft controls well, and your sense of speed is spot on.  You have a main shot which fires straight, and can hug walls when. Your secondary shot is a less powerful homing shot, which can also be powered up. After a few power ups you become equipped with missiles. These are not that helpful, as they seem to drop out of your ship first, before firing off towards enemies, and this delay is not helpful when in a pinch. Bombs are typical screen-clearing affairs. An interesting mechanic is that every time you pick up a power up icon, you shoot this electrical beam out laterally across the screen, for what seems to be some significant damage dealt. This can be used strategically, if timed right.


The game is known for its branching paths, determined by whether you hit switches as they appear. This adds some replay value, but I think you end up at the same boss either way, so what was the point? There are other switches thorughout levels, some which offer power ups and some which cause some sequence of events (?) - not too sure what the effects are.


Another thing to notice is that throughout the game there are "gorn" markings all over the place. I thought back to where that sounded familiar, and I realized the in the Thunder Force series, "Orn" was the enemy race. So perhaps this game was initially created as a Thunder Force game, but they changed concepts late, and slapped a "g" infront of the "orn" signage? It just seems like more than a coincidence.


The background graphical detail is cool, with little people walking around on cat walks in the base. They're not even ducking for cover, they're just out for a stroll. Later on they are called upon to enter the giant ship to combat you. There are also horses grazing in pastures. This reminded me of the cows in Raiden. The borders on the side are ridiculously obtrusive, it almost seems like the game started out as an arcade, so a vertical aspect ratio was needed, and then when produced for the Saturn, the borders were added to fill space instead of stretch the screen.

The game is pretty short, clocking in at six stages, with no 2nd loop. Personally, I don't mind short games, my life affords gaming is short stints anyway, but many hardcore shoot'em up fans want that 2nd, extra hard loop in their games.

So, in the end, its good, not great. Its definitely not worth the current asking price of $300+ dollars. The shooter market for the Saturn has gotten a lot of notoriety, and collectors are scouring the ranks, so nearly all Saturn shooters are expensive now, whether the game is worthy or not. I'm just glad that I'm not looking for these any more.

Contra is a game that needs no introduction. It was released for the NES in 1988. Even though the game was originally released to arcades, this legendary run'n gun franchise peaked on the NES.

The game seems to get everything right for an NES game. The graphics and sprites are detailed and very well designed. It boasts some of the finest 8-bit graphics every created, in my opinion. The characters look proportional and animations/movements are natural and impressive.  The jumping sprite is a bit ridiculous if you understand physics, but aside from that, it is everything an 8-bit game should aspire to achieve graphically. The control is tight and reliable, with jumps being controllable mid-air. The 8-way shooting is responsive. And perhaps best of all, it offered 2-player co-op.

The arcade version was similar in theme and design, but was not as engaging, and thus not a huge hit. A possible reason was that the vertical screen on the arcade meant that side-scrolling games had to be condensed, and the action had to be relatively slow, since environmental hazards and enemy spawns can cramp the play field quickly if moving too fast. The NES version had a 4:3 aspect ratio, which gave players a broader play field, allowing for more on-screen action, and a quicker pace.

The arcade game is displayed in a vertical screen.

The weapons pick ups are a big part of this game's appeal. Such options include:
"R" - rapid fire, which increases the rate of fire of any weapon you are currently holding
"M" - machine gun, which is automatic if you hold down the fire button
"L" - laser, a slow, concentrated beam that is powerful but diliberate, you can't just spam this
"F" - fireball, which shoots spiral patterned shots that actually span the vertical range of your player's height, useful for hard-to-reach enemies
"S" - spread gun, which is the most effective and coveted weapon in the game. It shoots five bullets simultaneously in a web pattern, which diverges the farther the shots travel. It can be fired pretty rapidly, allowing for a wave of destruction. One of the most painful moments in the game is when you die while holding the spread gun: the drop-off in firepower is staggering.
"B" - barrier, is temporary invincibility, which is denoted by your character flashing red and blue while in effect.
"Eagle" - a screen-clearing bomb, obviously more useful when a lot of enemies and bullets are on-screen.

Don't touch the electric fence in the hallway stages.

There are eight stages, with lots of variety. While most are are side-scrolling, stages 2 and 4 are pseudo 3D hallways, and stage 3 is a vertically ascending waterfall stage where you can kill your partner if you leave him behind.

The waterfall stage will test your friendships if playing co-op

The stage themes are inventive, especially stages 6, 7, and 8. Stage 6 has you running through a barrage of timed flames, and only the most patient can master the patterns.

Stage 7 is a gauntlet of spiked walls and drills descending from the ceiling. Stage 8 is the Alien's lair, with some fairly uninhibited homages to the aliens from the popular "Aliens" movie franchise.


The game is clearly a product of the '80's as the cover art is essentially re-painted action poses of Arnold Schwarzenegger from Predator, and Sylvester Stallone from Rambo.



The game is renowned for its difficulty, and hence the popularity of the 30-live code: Up, up, down, down, left, right, left right, B, A, start.  Even when you  continue the 30 lives are restocked for whatever stage you are on. This made the game more accessible to a wider audience, and hence boosted its popularity. The code actually appeared in an earlier Konami title, Gradius, and several others. The effect of the code varies from game to game, but in almost all circumstances it is a major benefit.

If only the driver knew to creep up a few more inches...

Of course one of the most memorable aspects of this game is the music. Each stage has a rock'n energetic tune that compliments the action on screen. The music is active, layered, and complex. From the opening title screen to the end credits, the game definitely benefits from the quality of the music score, and I'm sure the game would not be the same without it.

Famicom cart

The Japanese release on the Famicom (the NES equivalent) boasted between stage cut scenes and extra animations. These include leaves blowing in the wind on stage one, falling snow on stage five, and alien guts squirming in stage eight. These extras really enhance the already awesome presentation, and it is worth seeking out for die hard fans of the game. Keep in mind you will need a cartridge adapter, or some means of playing a Famicom cartridge.

inbetween cut scene

inbetween progress map

Snow falling in stage 5 is one of the addition effects the Famicom cart has to offer.

The game was altered for play in PAL regions, as Germany had strict laws regarding depictions of violence towards humans, so the protagonists were changed to robots, and the title was changed to Probotector.

Super C is the sequel to Contra, and also has an original release in the arcade, as well as an NES release. Like the first game, the arcade was fun, but was hampered by the vertical screen format. The NES version, while graphically limited in comparison, offered a more engaging experience, especially with two players. This might also be attributed to the fact that arcades were intended to eat your money, so the difficulty is by design.

Contra sprite

Super C sprite

Super C plays very much like Contra, and some changes were made, most for the better, in my opinion. The pseudo 3D stages were removed, and vertically scrolling overhead stages were added instead. These stages are much more enjoyable that the hallway scenes, and allow for more stage variety.  The game now incorporates sloped platforms, which is also a new concept for the series.
As far as weapons improvements, the spiral fireball from the first game was replaced by a straight shooting fireball that splinters in four directions when it contacts enemies, giving it a shrapnel effect. The default bullets are larger, and even though they cause the same amount of damage as in the first game, they are more satisfying. In the overhead levels, a super shell can be collected and used at your discretion, instead of going off immediately like in the first game.


They music in Super C carries more bass, and that is readily apparent every time you clear a stage. It may not be as melodic or memorable as the first game, but it is still good.

The classic Konami code has been removed, however, and replaced with a different code for ten lives: right, left, down, up, A, B. This helps mediate the challenge, but still holds the player to a standard if they want to finish the game.


All in all, these are are both in my short list of favorite NES games. There was a third game in the series, Contra Force, which is nothing like the first two. It is so different, that it is as if Konami started production on some completely different game, and tweaked it a little by adding similar sound effects, and slapped the Contra name on it in the hopes that it would sell. I choose not to discuss that travesty of game.

You can duck underwater and not be hit (or noticed)

The series continued on through the ensuing generations, unfortunately missing more than they hit. The series got caught with its pants down in between the 2D and 3D generations, and produced some real turds on the Playstation. Early 3D games did not suit previously existing franchises well, and Contra was part of that fallout. The formula was tweaked for the PS2 generation, adopting a 2.5D play mechanic, and gameplay was brought closer to its roots. By this time the franchise was mostly forgotten, a footnote in gaming history that perhaps can be revived again someday.

Retro gaming today has evolved a lot in the past ten years. What is considered "retro" is highly subjective to the user's age and experience. I consider anything pre-1999 as retro, because there is a division in time for me personally, as prior to that was education and schooling, and post that was my professional career. My nostalgic memories of gaming stem from when I was a kid, and so that just happens to have that particular timeline, but everyone is different.

The advent of the internet has obviously changed the world, and gaming in particular in a number of ways. Retro game accessibility is nearly unlimited via online shopping/auctions and emulators.
Ebay has made it possible to acquire any game you desire, for a price. You will be paying a premium for a specific game, but consider also the time and difficulty of finding a game in "the wild". Like any commerce, there are fees for convenience.

For those who may not know, emulators make it possible to experience games without having to own them. They are programs that run the software of older games, but on modern computers/devices. The digital files of the games are called roms (read-only memory) and are easily found online for free.  There may be a small amount of technical know-how, but emulator programs can be as easy to install as a typical computer program. Initially, this meant you are playing older games on a computer. This may not sound appealing, as sitting at your computer playing games is not necessarily a common nostalgic experience.

Recently, with products like the Retron 5, Retro Freak, NES Classic, Retropie, and others, you can now play emulated games on your TV instead of a computer, which is a breakthrough for casual players. People who have not gamed since their youth now have modern access to games, and probably have the disposable income to spend on it.

There are varying opinions on what way to play retro games is best, and there are several factors. For one, these games are older and limited in supply. Not many people keep around 25+ year old equipment around, and so much of it has been lost over time to landfills. Whatever remains is now in demand, and since retro gaming is in vogue, the simple law of supply and demand sets in firmly. This is one reason why emulation is popular, the fact that it is free*. Some people don't care if the game is physical, or a rom on a computer, they just want to play it.

Some people with highly attuned gaming aesthetics dislike emulation, as the programs may falter as far as sound or visual accuracy. Younger players would probably not notice, but someone who has spend hundreds of hours playing their favorite games over and over as a kid will most likely find those kind of differences noticeable. So these people may strive for original hardware and games. The problem here, is that older video standards that existed when these systems were produced are no longer observed. High-definition televisions do not play well with a) the older physical video connections, and b) the video signal configuration. I covered this topic in some detail in a prior post a while back. If your television even accepts the signal, it will most likely look like garbage. Since the signal sent by the console is one of a different era, to the television it is almost like a different language. Modern tvs will have upscaling programs to make sense of the outdated picture information, but these are not too great since television manufacturers didn't make this a priority; they don't think too many people will hook up old technology to their tvs. If you don't mind the blurry pictures, then you're all set. However, there are ways to cleanup and improve the picture quality, significantly, if you are willing to invest in some upscaling equipment.

RGB scart is an arduous path to picture clarity, but worth it

For example, the original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) outputs a 240p signal, through RF or composite connections. This is a prime example of a system that will look terrible on a modern tv. To clean up the image, the NES can be modded to have a picture processing unit (ppu) that outputs an RGB video signal, which can be sent through a scart cable, which can be upscaled to be properly displayed on a modern tv. Or, as in my case, the signal can be converted into a YPbPr signal, which can be fed into a CRT television that has a component connection. This is more work than most will go through, as the amount of equipment necessary starts to escalate, as does the monetary investment.

The controversial Retron 5 is possible middle of the road solution that balances high definition standards and cost effectiveness.

Here is where emulation clone systems come in.  The first I'll mention is the Retron 5, made by Hyperkin. It can play NES, Famicom, Genesis/Mega Drive, SNES/Super Famicom, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance carts (and Master System, if you have the power base converter). It is an Android based clone, that you need actual game carts to play. I give credit to the developers for this, as it does not condone piracy. Then I take that credit back when I found out that they used open-source code for their emulators when the emulators should not have been used for commercial use. They should have approached the code writers upfront, instead of apologizing after the fact, and that has spurned a hate campaign towards this device. Aside from that, the upscaling to 720p via hdmi looks great, scan lines are offered, as well as the other modern conveniences of emulators (save states, filters, blue tooth controller compatibility). It has controller ports for the original NES, SNES, and Genesis controllers, which is a huge selling point, since the included controller is horribly uncomfortable. This is an option for people who want to reduce the number of consoles hooked up to their tv, and upscale the image quality. I like it for those reasons, but also because I can now use save states, especially for hair-pulling games like Castlevania, Ninja Gaiden, and so on. One commonly cited drawback is that the console has a strong grip on the carts, referred to as the "death grip". I didn't find this to be a problem; I just pull my carts out from one side and it slides out easily, but maybe the units are different.

The Retro Freak is ready for all of your carts...except for the NES.

Another option is the Retro Freak, made by Cyber Gadget. I don't actually have this system, hence the stock photo. It is very similar to the Retron 5 in that it plays original carts upscaled to 720p over hdmi, emulator features are included, and original controllers are supported if you have the additional accessory. If not, you can use the stock controller or any other usb controller. Also, this controller adapter allows for one of each type of controller to be connected, not two, so player two will have to use the included controller, or some other USB controller. It differs from the Retron 5 in that the roms can be loaded from the carts, and stored on an SD card. This also means that roms can be loaded onto the SD card instead of being dumped from the cart, so....no actual cart needed. The law around copyright of roms is hazy at best, and there are people on both sides convinced their interpretation is right. So depending on your view of rom acquisition, let's just say this system gives you options. Another major difference is that the Retro Freak can play Turbo Grafx/PC-Engine and Super Grafx Hu-cards. For many, this fact trumps the Retron 5 outright, as options for Turbo Grafx/PC-Engine are limited. Since this was only released in Japan, there is no cartridge slot for NES games. This is an issue for me, personally. There is a slot for Famicom games, and you can purchase an adapter to convert 72 pin NES games to 60 pin Famicom games. At this point, there seems to be a lot of nickel and diming going on with this system, which is already more expensive than the competitors. So, this system can play more systems than the Retron 5, can play downloaded roms, but you have to by add-ons which raises the cost a lot more. This is not as accessible as the Retron 5, as this has to be imported from Japan, so its definitely not for the casual gamer.

The whole system is the size of a deck of cards.

A third option, and one that has been increasingly popular, is to run Retropie on a Raspberry Pi mini-computer. A Raspberry Pi is a budget computer on a PCB the size of a credit card. There have been several revisions, but as of the time of this writing the current version features hdmi out, 4 usb ports, blue tooth connectivity, and a micro-sd slot. This can be easily bought online, for about $35. After adding controllers, power cord, sd card, protective case, and hdmi cord, your looking at around $85. Retropie is a program that runs emulators for all of the older systems, and roms can be loaded by the user. Its small size introduces a huge convenience factor, as it is very portable. Obviously if you go this route you do not need any original hardware or cartridges. This brings about an interesting conundrum in that it can present all the convenience and value that a casual gamer is looking for, but its setup requires some investigation and know-how. There are social media groups that can help with this, and other resources online as well. It can be intimidating, especially to someone who is not so savvy with coding or programming, but once you get the basics in hand, the possibilities quickly unfold.

NES games in high definition on a big screen are great!

Since the Retropie is pure emluation and not dependant on physical media of cartridges or discs, the number of systems emulated is only limited by the software available. Systems like NeoGeo, which is cost prohibitive, can now be played with relative ease. MAME, or Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator, is a big draw for me, but its setup is perhaps one of the most complicated due to all the  different arcade system Bios'. You can use any usb controller, but you can also step up your game and use a bluetooth controller. It will have to be configured in the system settings, but again, there are online tutorials to do this. I use an 8Bitdo SNES30 controller, which looks and feels identical to an original SNES controller; highly recommended!

For all of its benefits and positives, the Retropie to me has one flaw, and it is lag. I have looked up how to mediate this, and used the correct tv settings, but for some reason, the lag on the Retropie stands out to me. I hardly notice the lag on the Retron 5; I know that many people complain about it, but to me its worse on the Retropie. This is not an issue for most games, but for game that require twitch movements, like shoot'em ups, Punch-Out, or even Pac-Man, this is a fatal flaw. Shooters are my favorite genre, so this is an issue for me. Hence, my Retropie is relegated to parties and casual gaming.

So all in all, emulators and clone systems are attempts at making retro gaming more convenient with some improvements, with HDMI upscaling chief among them. Not everyone can have multiple game setups in their home with boxy crts taking up space, so clone systems are attractive in this sense. Emulators are the cheapest way for people to play games. The truth is, that everyone has their own preferences and opinions, and it is this very reason that conversations can happen and are interesting. Whichever method of gaming you prefer, remember that you are all drawn to something in common, and that is playing classic games.