What We Found in the Vault

8-Bit Spotlight – Contra NES Review: Consider Yourself a Hero!
Contra for the NES isn’t just a game—it’s a pulse-pounding trip down memory lane, bringing back the run-and-gun...

8-Bit Spotlight – Super Mario Bros. 3 NES Review: A Timeless Classic
Few games in long-running franchises manage to truly reinvent the formula — and in a legacy series like Mario,...

Expert Recap: Best Retro Horror Games – Scary Titles from the ’80s and ’90s
Most retro gaming fans have a closet full of widely-known platformers, RPGs, and party games. And why wouldn’t they?...

Expert Recap: The Complete Original Nintendo NES Label / Seal Guide
The late 1970s saw the release of the Atari 2600 and the rise of the home gaming console. But by the early 1980s, the...

How Video Game Music Tells Stories: Orchestral to Licensed Hits
From sweeping orchestral scores to unforgettable licensed tracks, video game music is now a storytelling powerhouse...

Life Lessons: What Classic Video Games Taught Us About Real Life
A couple of years back, while visiting with family over Thanksgiving, my cousins and siblings and I started playing...

NES Collector Guide – How to Identify First-Print NES Games
From identifying rare first prints to spotting fake cartridges, our NES blog dives deep into the history, collecting...

NES Guide – Do It! Buy a Real Nintendo NES Console
Discover the best Nintendo NES games, accessories, collecting tips, and console guides—all in one place for retro...

Quick Answer: 5 Terrible Nintendo NES Games That Should Never Be Played
Skip these stinkers unless you're collecting for comedy—or enjoy suffering. Skip these stinkers unless you're...

Retro Games vs Modern Games – Why Old Games Were So Hard
Explore why retro games were so hard compared to modern titles, uncovering the design choices, difficulty curves, and...