The End For Physical Games? - This Week In Retro 276

Throwback media players and long-lost silicon schematics lead our coverage this week. There are a variety of ways to breathe new life into an Apple iPod, including flash drive upgrades and the Sprout replacement motherboard project. Or if you think the software is the problem, Rockbox runs on most iPods and dozens of other players from rival vendors. ZX Spectrum preservation got a big boost when an eBay haul turned up the detailed blueprint for the system's essential ULA chip, and Chris runs with a discussion started on our subreddit. We also note some significant passings and the latest wave of surprise game ports. Visit https://www.simulant.media/ for your copy of Pixel Addict magazine. 00:00 - Show Opening 03:04 - iPod RejuvenationStory Link: https://www.techspot.com/news/114210-new-mod-brings-apple-classic-ipods-2026-bluetooth.htmlProduct Link: https://certainthings.studio/Additional Link: rockbox.org 20:30 - ZX-pect The UnexpectedStory Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiW3P1rJRMc 30:48 - Housekeeping - News links found below 36:13 - Do You Play Your Retro Games?Story Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/thisweekinretro/comments/1x51i0a/do_you_really_play_those_retro_games/ 46:39 - Community Question of the Week 🏆Your monthly support helps us keep the retro news flowing!https://www.patreon.com/thisweekinretro 🕸 TWiR Sub Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/thisweekinretro/ Follow your hosts!Bluesky:https://bsky.app/profile/davevelociraptor.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/jasoncompton.bsky.social Youtube:Chris - https://www.youtube.com/@005AGIMAJason - https://www.youtube.com/@TheRetroAdventurers Audio Podcast:https://retroadventurers.podbean.com/ Subscribe to the audio version of the show!📻 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-retro/id1526487568?uo=4📻 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2OPQ3cADaB92E9SpRdTe5y📻 Podbean: https://twir.podbean.com📻 Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/en/show/5734337📻 RSS: https://feed.podbean.com/TWIR/feed.xml📻 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWeekinRetro This Week in Retro is a weekly roundup of the hottest stories from the world of retro gaming and computing, voted on by you, the listener! Hosted by Chris from 005 AGIMA, Jason from The Retro Adventurers and Dave. Edited by Duncan Styles. News In Brief Links Robert X. Cringely (Mark Stephens) obituary: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/mark-stephens-obituary?id=62687488 Recent Cringely work: https://www.cringely.com/ Sensible Soccer C64: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoxrNuXKyyg Original Donkey Kong art sale: https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/a-former-nintendo-employee-is-auctioning-a-wealth-of-classic-items-including-the-original-donkey-kong-art/ Super Mario 64 on Atari Jaguar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBJxz8FlSfE Richard "Levelord" Gray obituary: https://bsky.app/profile/apogeeent.com/post/3mxrooxdr6k2v Dizzy Collection announcement: https://youtu.be/4UXs9b3AnQ4

🛠 Check out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com/ for all your PCB needs! 🛠 A surprising collaboration between Retro Games Ltd. and Atari leads the news this week, with an equal-time look at Amiga AGA gaming just behind. The 1990s were the peak and decline of supercomputing and bulletin board system (BBS) operators, and both are the subjects of new deep-dive videos. Plus timely event promos, cross-platform throwbacks, and wistful looks at peak clamshell PDA performance. 00:00 - Show Opening 04:21 - It's An XL RemakeStory Link: https://atari.com/pages/800xlInto the Vertical Blank: https://intotheverticalblank.com/2026/10/11/making-sense-of-the-800xl-by-retro-games-and-atari-atari-now/ 21:12 - The Cry Of The BansheeStory Link: https://spillhistorie.no/2026/10/05/da-dansk-dynamitt-og-aga-magi-odela-underarmen/ 32:35 - Housekeeping - News links found below 41:02 - The Supercomputer And The SysopStory Links: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSgnDD83m-Uhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROQSw6jqJO8 56:52 - Community Question of the Week 🏆Your monthly support helps us keep the retro news flowing!https://www.patreon.com/thisweekinretro 🕸 TWiR Sub Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/thisweekinretro/ Follow your hosts!Bluesky:https://bsky.app/profile/davevelociraptor.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/jasoncompton.bsky.social Youtube:Chris - https://www.youtube.com/@005AGIMAJason - https://www.youtube.com/@TheRetroAdventurers Audio Podcast:https://retroadventurers.podbean.com/ Subscribe to the audio version of the show!📻 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-retro/id1526487568?uo=4📻 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2OPQ3cADaB92E9SpRdTe5y📻 Podbean: https://twir.podbean.com📻 Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/en/show/5734337📻 RSS: https://feed.podbean.com/TWIR/feed.xml📻 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWeekinRetro This Week in Retro is a weekly roundup of the hottest stories from the world of retro gaming and computing, voted on by you, the listener! Hosted by Chris from 005 AGIMA, Jason from The Retro Adventurers and Dave. Edited by Duncan Styles. News In Brief Links Richard Garriott on copyright: https://youtu.be/m60SbCPdfQI?si=R-j9hA_ZHxUQ0lRz Vector Doom: https://streamable.com/0u960a Nintendo FujiNet: https://forums.atariage.com/topic/393355-fujinet-for-nes-bring-up-thread/ Ross Smith 3DFX interview: https://www.club386.com/3dfx-voodoo-history-ross-smith-interview/ Wing Commander 3 remaster: https://www.club386.com/3dfx-voodoo-history-ross-smith-interview/ Margaret Hamilton obituary: https://www.theregister.com/software/2026/10/08/margaret-hamilton-software-pioneer-who-helped-put-humans-on-the-moon-dies-at-90/5301988 Dungeon Master on SCUMMVM: https://www.scummvm.org/news/20261008/ Casio Cassiopeia: https://www.reddit.com/r/thisweekinretro/comments/1wycdlh/vintage_handhelds_for_productivity/ Psion 5 profile: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kht2c7DyhlQ

The rarest treasures lurk under piles of castoff keyboards, and there's a flood of cross-platform software ports heading your way. This week's top stories include a pack of ZX Spectrum updates and developments, the latest in surprise PC software, and the astounding thrift store find of an ultra-rare Humdinger home computer. Plus, catch up on news from the lands of Lemmings, Prodigy, CompuServe, and more. Visit https://www.simulant.media/ for your copy of Pixel Addict magazine. 00:00 - Show Opening 03:51 - Any Port In A Storm?Story Link: https://www.dsogaming.com/news/rave-racer-arcade-perfect-pc-port-is-now-available-for-download/https://www.dsogaming.com/news/time-crisis-arcade-perfect-pc-port-is-now-available-for-download/https://www.dsogaming.com/news/the-legend-of-zelda-wind-waker-unofficial-pc-port-released/https://www.timeextension.com/news/2026/09/this-super-mario-64-snes-port-is-looking-to-push-the-super-fx-chip-to-its-limitshttps://ixbt.games/en/news/2026/09/28/spustia-19-let-suter-the-darkness-perenesli-na-pk.html 18:56 - Behold: The Humdinger Computer!Story Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/thisweekinretro/comments/1wu16c4/found_this_old_humdinger_computer_at_goodwill/GitHub: https://github.com/indigoprime/doppledinger 33:13 - Housekeeping - News links found below 38:53 - This Week In SpectrumStory Link: https://www.timeextension.com/news/2026/10/new-book-celebrating-45-years-of-the-zx-spectrum-smashes-its-kickstarter-goal-day-one https://www.timeextension.com/news/2026/09/blazes-c64-and-zx-spectrum-handhelds-have-been-delayed-to-april-2027 https://www.timeextension.com/reviews/grant-sinclairs-gamercard-n-shares-some-of-sir-clives-dna-but-this-is-no-zx-spectrum-style-triumph 52:05 - Community Question of the Week 🏆Your monthly support helps us keep the retro news flowing!https://www.patreon.com/thisweekinretro 🕸 TWiR Sub Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/thisweekinretro/ Follow your hosts!Bluesky:https://bsky.app/profile/davevelociraptor.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/jasoncompton.bsky.social Youtube:Chris - https://www.youtube.com/@005AGIMAJason - https://www.youtube.com/@TheRetroAdventurers Audio Podcast:https://retroadventurers.podbean.com/ Subscribe to the audio version of the show!📻 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-retro/id1526487568?uo=4📻 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2OPQ3cADaB92E9SpRdTe5y📻 Podbean: https://twir.podbean.com📻 Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/en/show/5734337📻 RSS: https://feed.podbean.com/TWIR/feed.xml📻 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWeekinRetro This Week in Retro is a weekly roundup of the hottest stories from the world of retro gaming and computing, voted on by you, the listener! Hosted by Chris from 005 AGIMA, Jason from The Retro Adventurers and Dave. Edited by Duncan Styles. News In Brief Links Physical media trends: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/oct/02/physical-media-fans-streaming-algorithms-cds-dvds-vinyl CompuServe retrospective: https://dfarq.homeip.net/what-happened-to-compuserve/ Prodigy restoration: https://staging.prodigyreloaded.com/start/ Lemmings editor: https://github.com/timoheimonen/Amiga-Lemmings-Editor Windows 2000 vs. Linux vs. Oracle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SliyHq54SxE The Found Footage Festival: https://gizmodo.com/15000-vhs-tapes-and-counting-meet-the-guys-preserving-the-weirdest-parts-of-the-analog-era-2000816383 Dizzy developments: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTSaPajJCcE

🛠 Check out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com/ for all your PCB needs! 🛠 With museum guide Gameboys and intense Linux overhauls for 486 laptops lined up, Veronica stops by to make sure everything's crystal clear. King's Quest and other Sierra classics are finally available for Commodore 64 and Atari 8-bit computers, there's a Grand Theft Auto 2 overhaul in the works, and a window full of tiny emulators. Keep up with Veronica at her main content hub of https://veronicaexplains.net , as well as the new joint podcast with Macintosh Librarian at https://kateandveronica.net 00:00 - Show Opening 04:15 - Serious Uses For Game BoyStory Link: https://www.gameboymuseum.com/single-post/gb-museum-on-cartInfoGenius: https://www.gameboymuseum.com/single-post/infogenius-game-boy-productivityWorkboy prototype: https://www.inverse.com/input/gaming/meet-the-workboy-nintendos-long-lost-gameboy-productivity-device 18:00 - SHORK Attack!Story Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/retrobattlestations/comments/1wl2v0x/1996_ibm_thinkpad_365ed_x_2026_linux_kernel_73rc3/Github: https://github.com/SharktasticA/SHORK-486JagOS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atZwJqhJn-A 32:52 - Housekeeping - News links found below 38:23 - King’s Quest For Atari and C64!Story Link: https://meanhamster.com/games/agi-64 50:28 - Community Question of the Week 🏆Your monthly support helps us keep the retro news flowing!https://www.patreon.com/thisweekinretro 🕸 TWiR Sub Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/thisweekinretro/ Follow your hosts!Bluesky:https://bsky.app/profile/davevelociraptor.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/jasoncompton.bsky.social Youtube:Chris - https://www.youtube.com/@005AGIMAJason - https://www.youtube.com/@TheRetroAdventurers Audio Podcast:https://retroadventurers.podbean.com/ Subscribe to the audio version of the show!📻 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-retro/id1526487568?uo=4📻 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2OPQ3cADaB92E9SpRdTe5y📻 Podbean: https://twir.podbean.com📻 Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/en/show/5734337📻 RSS: https://feed.podbean.com/TWIR/feed.xml📻 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWeekinRetro This Week in Retro is a weekly roundup of the hottest stories from the world of retro gaming and computing, voted on by you, the listener! Hosted by Chris from 005 AGIMA, Jason from The Retro Adventurers and Dave. Edited by Duncan Styles. News In Brief Links Elite Atari 8-bit: https://forums.atariage.com/topic/393094-elite-for-the-atari-8-bit-firebird-version-has-been-completed-and-is-released/ Tiny Elite ships: https://www.reddit.com/r/thisweekinretro/comments/1wqsken/elite_small_enough_the_swallow/ GoldenEye SNES: https://www.timeextension.com/news/2026/09/it-trivialises-the-hobby-goldeneye-running-on-snes-triggers-more-debate-over-vibe-coded-retro-projects Retronauts Assemble: https://retronaut.tech/retronauts-assemble-311026/Retronauts video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0g9pOliSkg Ace Combat 5 and Midnight Club: Los Angeles for PC: https://www.dsogaming.com/news/burnout-revenge-ace-combat-5-and-midnight-club-los-angeles-get-unofficial-pc-ports/ LGR's VCF Midwest retrospective: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-XF5j6x0hs GTA2 enhanced: https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/pc-gaming/27-year-old-gta-2-gets-full-path-tracing-and-60-fps-frame-generation-via-rtx-remix-custom-direct3d-9-wrapper-modernizes-classic-with-custom-direct3d-9-bridge-unlocks-dynamic-lighting English Maniac Mansion Famicom: https://rickyderocher.itch.io/maniac-mansion-famicom-english-hack Star Wars Trilogy for Dreamcast: https://www.thedreamcastjunkyard.co.uk/2026/09/star-wars-trilogy-arcade-model-3-port.html Grundy NewBrain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtCB9w8maAg Amigos on Atari 600XL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0Ez7qWIC_Y FujiGrid: https://www.savetz.com/fujigrid/

Dozens of potential trademark violations stand in the way of a retro racer's comeback! Naturally we lead with that news. After a quarter-century the secrets of the PlayStation 2's security chip are now open for inspection, and there's exciting news for enthusiasts of niche platforms including Sony's high-resolution SMC-70 CP/M machine, Amiga Unix, and the Spectravideo 318 in the latest episode of This Week in Retro! Visit https://www.addict.media/ for your copy of Pixel Addict magazine. 00:00 - Show Opening 02:23 - Trademarks Trash TracksStory Link: https://www.timeextension.com/news/2026/09/microprose-turns-to-fans-to-rename-geoff-crammond-racing-4s-grid-following-steam-reissues-licensing-woes 17:20 - PlayStation 2 Finally CrackedStory Link: https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/playstation/26-year-old-sony-ps2-security-chip-broken-wide-open-after-four-years-of-effort-reverse-engineering-enthusiast-successfully-unlocks-cxp102064-mechacon-chip 32:37 - Housekeeping - News links found below 37:32 - Some Less-Loved ComputersStory Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cT2-7KkPkBcComputer Forum magazine: https://spectravideo.org/viewtopic.php?t=38Amiga UX: https://amigaux.org 55:12 - Community Question of the Week 🏆Your monthly support helps us keep the retro news flowing!https://www.patreon.com/thisweekinretro 🕸 TWiR Sub Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/thisweekinretro/ Follow your hosts!Bluesky:https://bsky.app/profile/davevelociraptor.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/jasoncompton.bsky.social Youtube:Chris - https://www.youtube.com/@005AGIMAJason - https://www.youtube.com/@TheRetroAdventurers Audio Podcast:https://retroadventurers.podbean.com/ Subscribe to the audio version of the show!📻 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-retro/id1526487568?uo=4📻 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2OPQ3cADaB92E9SpRdTe5y📻 Podbean: https://twir.podbean.com📻 Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/en/show/5734337📻 RSS: https://feed.podbean.com/TWIR/feed.xml📻 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWeekinRetro This Week in Retro is a weekly roundup of the hottest stories from the world of retro gaming and computing, voted on by you, the listener! Hosted by Chris from 005 AGIMA, Jason from The Retro Adventurers and Dave. Edited by Duncan Styles. News In Brief Links Eternal Darkness returns?: https://ixbt.games/en/news/2026/09/16/436122-nightdive-nameknula-na-vozvrashhenie-xorrora-eternal-darkness.html Wi-Fi For Gameboy Advance: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/canocoder/canoflash-wi-fi-adapter-for-original-game-boy-advance-hard ZX81 mega expansion: https://codeberg.org/NollKollTroll/OpenSpand Atari 2600 tech demo: https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/2026/09/city-by-the-lake/