The Nintendo GameCube isn’t the first console many people think of when it comes to most loved systems but on closer inspection and almost 15 years since it’s UK launch it’s worth another look. Super Mario Sunshine, Zelda Wind Waker, Metroid Prime, the then exclusive critically acclaimed Resident Evil 4 and the much loved Resident Evil Remake all made the GameCube a must own system for many gamers. As well as those there were also new titles that made their debut such as Super Monkey Ball, Pikmin and Luigi’s Mansion.
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Of all the early Game Boy Advance games the West missed out on, Brownie Brown’s stunning Japanese exclusive adventure Magical Vacation was the biggest loss of them all. Despite its Nintendo DS sequel seeing a worldwide release, it’s only as of now that retro gamers can finally battle through the 2001 portable quest, all thanks to a fan translation patch that’s arrive online.
Contra III is wonderful. It’s a game that sets a blistering pace from the moment you press start, never missing a beat in it’s 30 minute runtime. It constantly introduces new ideas to launch you forward, quite literally by the end of the fourth stage. In the first level alone you have destructible cars, a rideable tank, feral dogs and an air raid turning the level into an inferno, none of which are seen again in the game. Each level brings its own mood and locale, but this goes beyond simple palate changes. From the emphasis on climbing in level 3, to the forced scrolling by way of bikes and missiles in level 4, each stage feels fresh and provides a new challenge to contend with. Visually it sets the tone perfectly taking us through futuristic cityscapes at war before arriving at the oppressive Alien core, with more than a handful of geiger-esque monstrosities to deal with on the way. Of course much of this was ripped wholesale from popular sci-fi movies of the era, mainly Alien and Terminator, but when it’s executed this well, does anyone really mind? The soundtrack too has shifted from the relatively straight forward melodic hummable tunes of the NES Contra. Instead we have an ambitious, multilayered, sometimes atonal score which focuses more on setting the mood than whether you can tap your foot to it.
After much anticipation, homebrew developer Gradual Games have finally released ‘Legends of Owlia’ SE for the Nintendo Entertainment System. ‘Legends of Owlia’ is an adventure role playing game that has been inspired by games like The Legend of Zelda, but also features its own flavor of gameplay. According to Gradual Games’ website, the plot of the game follows Adlanniel and her trusty owl partner Tyto as they look to defeat King Mermon. In addition to using Adlanniel’s sword to slice up enemies, the player can also use Tyto’s various techniques to work through each level. The game also follows the traditional top down RPG view which is a favorite among gamers. It includes puzzles as well as multiple bosses to add gameplay variety to Adlanniel’s adventure.
Wonder Boy finally wanders back into the gaming world for his first new release since 1994, with a modern retake on the 1989 Master System / PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16) cult classic created by Westone – Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap. The developer of this reimagining, Lizardcube was founded back in 2015, with the duo behind it all previously releasing the Nintendo DS title Soul Bubbles, a physics based game about blowing bubbles and transporting spirits. 
It’s a good time for SNK ports to modern systems, it seems, with Twinkle Star Sprites on Steam, The Last Blade 2 on PSN, and now classic golf-em-up Neo Turf Masters heading to iOS and Android devices from DotEmu at the end of this month.
Twinkle Star Sprites, the amazing NEOGEO MVS top down scrolling shooter has finally been made available on Steam. This was an extremely popular arcade game during the 1990’s and was ported to many different platforms such as the Sega Saturn.
A creative mod for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time has just been released, bringing the co-operative four player dungeon solving experience to the Nintendo 64. Drawing plenty of inspiration from the Gamecube’s Four Swords Adventures, this is one ROM hack you don’t want to miss out on.