Five things that will rock the gaming world in 2014

Image credit: Sergey Galyonkin

As we look ahead to the new year and all that it will bring, it’s time to ask ourselves: what can we expect to see making gaming headlines 2014?

We saw some pretty awesome developments in the gaming world in 2013. From the launch of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One to the release of groundbreaking titles like GTA V and The Last of Us, there were some pretty exciting and important changes that went down.

Now that we’re on the brink of 2014, we thought it was a good time to cast our eye over what we think will be some of the major players in the coming year. Let’s get started.

Will next-gen consoles kill off retro gaming?

Next generation consoles won’t mean the end of retro gaming. Image credit: Doug Kline

Following on from our look at the ways retro gaming has flourished into the 21st century, we’ve written a guest post for the lovely people at 1001-Up.com. It too focuses on retro gaming, but while our first article examined the reasons for retro gaming’s remarkable longevity, this time we turn our attention to the threat of next gen consoles – and why they won’t be killing off retro gaming just yet.

From the article:

Next gen consoles have been somewhat hogging the limelight recently, with every man and his dog ruminating on which one to buy, what the best games will be and comparing them head-to-head. The gaming blogosphere is riding a wave of zealous excitement like a kid at Christmas, deconstructing the consoles and everything about them with admirable vigour. It’s all rather overwhelming.

The question that no one seems to be asking, however, is what impact the new consoles will have on retro gaming. To put it bluntly, will they kill it off? There are those who would say there is a perfectly good reason for this lack of curiosity: no-one plays retro games any more, they argue, those things died a death years ago. Well, not quite.

Read the rest of the article at 1001-Up.com here.

We wish you a Mario Christmas

What games are on your Christmas list? Image credit: Bryan Ochalla

Apologies for the terrible pun.

With the festive season well underway, we want to know what your retro wish would be. If you could find one retro game or console under the tree this Christmas, what would it be?

A retro classic like Super Mario 64, Secret of Mana or Sonic the Hedgehog? Or a super rare collectible like Clay Fighter 63 1/3, Eliminate Down or Pro Sport Hockey for the NES? Or maybe even something fiendishly difficult like the infamous Battletoads?

Whatever your dream choice, let us know in the comments below.

And don’t forget to give us a like on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!

Could it be a SNES? Image credit: Hades2k

Game on: retro classics live on in the modern console era

• Despite the release of a new generation of consoles, retro gaming continues to thrive on platforms such as Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network
• Though the nostalgia of older gamers plays a role in this, much interest comes from younger gamers eager to explore the games of the past
• And although some remakes of retro games are disappointing, they raise awareness of classic games and gaming culture as a whole

Power up with useful links, check out The Next Level Gaming’s exclusive interview with Thomas Amato of Cardiff retro gaming store Super Tomato, or take the poll and tell us your thoughts: is there a future for retro games on next gen consoles? Don’t forget to share your favourite!

Retro game Banjo Kazooie, originally made for the Nintendo 64, is one game to have made the transition to modern consoles. Image credit: Alex Blake

Picture this. A boy sits in front of a TV screen, a controller gripped tightly in his hands, his games console humming away in his peripheral vision. On the screen is a bear clad in yellow shorts, the sharp angles and garish colours a world away from the slick experience of the modern game. An orange bird emerges awkwardly from the bear’s backpack as a yokelish cry escapes his lips, piercing the unsettlingly vivid blue sky.

This is a scene from the iconic adventure game Banjo Kazooie, a staple on millions of Nintendo 64 games consoles in the 1990s. The difference? The boy is playing it on his Xbox 360.