A fan-made tech-demo of Street Fighter II for the Amstrad CPC has brought the legendary arcade brawler back into the spotlight. Developed meticulously to reflect the beloved original, this adaptation has gamers revisiting the glory days of arcade halls from the classic home computer.
Credit: Mojon Twins
Initially developed by Capcom and released in arcades in 1991, Street Fighter II became a global phenomenon, defining the fighting game genre and setting the standard for countless future titles. The recent Amstrad CPC adaptation, named Street Fighter II CPC Edition, is a remarkable achievement given the technical constraints of the vintage 8-bit computer system.
Notably, the Amstrad CPC version captures the essential gameplay elements of the original arcade version, including the distinctive fighting mechanics, iconic character moves, and detailed pixel art representations. Although constrained by the CPC’s hardware, developer Augusto Ruiz and the team offer 5 playable characters in the demo : Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, Blanka and Guile and an enemy to fight, and they note there are still some glitches.
Credit: Mojon Twins
Technical ingenuity is essential in overcoming the CPC’s limitations—primarily its modest 64KB RAM in the CPC 464 and 8-bit processing capacity. Presently the game is working on the CPC 6128 however they are working on the CPC 464 version with more animation, working on less RAM (the 6128 has 128KB RAM). Ruiz and his colleagues leveraged clever coding optimisations and memory management techniques to maintain performance without sacrificing the authentic feel.
Such ambitious fan projects serve as a reminder of gaming’s vibrant history and the dedicated communities keeping classic games alive. You can download the game from Mojon Twins.
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A modder has fused The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time with Halo, integrating the shooter’s iconic weapons and vehicles into the classic Nintendo 64 game. Developed by notCHase, this fan-made project introduces a fresh way to explore Hyrule, blending two distinct gaming worlds. Released in 1998, Ocarina of Time remains a landmark title, and this mod showcases the creativity still thriving in its modding community.
What the Mod Brings to the Game
The modification equips Link with Halo staples like the Energy Sword, a melee weapon known for its lethal precision, and grenades, offering explosive combat options. The standout addition is the Warthog, Halo’s all-terrain vehicle, which replaces Epona as Link’s transport. Players can even recruit Princess Zelda as a gunner in the Warthog, adding a cooperative twist to the adventure, all made possible through the game’s open-source PC port.
Merging Two Gaming Legacies
This mod builds on Ocarina of Time’s rich modding history, where fans have long experimented with new content. Meanwhile, Halo, launched by Bungie in 2001, is celebrated for its distinctive arsenal, making this crossover a technical feat and a nostalgic treat.
By combining Halo’s sci-fi flair with Hyrule’s fantasy, notCHase has crafted an inventive spin on a beloved game.
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A fan translation of Super Fire Pro Wrestling Special has been released, making the game’s story mode accessible to English-speaking players for the first time. Originally developed by Human Entertainment and released in 1994 for the Super Famicom, this title holds a unique place in gaming history due to its unconventional narrative, penned by Goichi “Suda51” Suda—now a celebrated figure in the industry for his work on titles like No More Heroes. The translation, available via ROMhacking.net, focuses exclusively on the game’s story mode, known as “Champion Road,” allowing players to experience the dark and surprising tale that has long intrigued fans of both wrestling games and Suda51’s distinctive storytelling.
The Fire Pro Wrestling series has always stood apart from mainstream wrestling games, prioritising depth and strategy over flashy presentation. Super Fire Pro Wrestling Special exemplifies this with its timing-based grappling system, where success hinges on precise inputs rather than rapid button presses. Players must master a complex array of moves and counters, making each match a test of skill and patience. The game’s roster, featuring wrestlers inspired by real-life stars but with altered names, adds to its charm, while its customisation options—allowing players to create wrestlers and even entire promotions—have cemented its status as a cult classic.
What truly sets Super Fire Pro Wrestling Special apart, however, is its story mode. Written by Suda51 early in his career, “Champion Road” follows the journey of Smith Morio, a wrestler striving for greatness. The narrative takes a startling turn, culminating in a controversial ending that shocked players and sparked widespread discussion. Suda51 himself has reflected on the backlash, noting in a 2019 GameSpot interview that the game’s reception was a “big deal” at the time, with fans sending “huge cardboard boxes filled with postcards” in response. This blend of deep gameplay and provocative storytelling makes the game unique in this genre.
Beyond its narrative, the game’s influence on the wrestling genre is notable. The Fire Pro Wrestling series pioneered mechanics like the “Critical” system, which allows for dramatic reversals and has inspired similar features in later titles. Its focus on realism and technical precision has earned it a loyal following, with many considering it the gold standard for wrestling simulations.
Super Fire Pro Wrestling Special offers a unique combination of challenging gameplay and a narrative that defies expectations. The fan translation ensures that this piece of gaming history is no longer confined to Japanese-speaking audiences, allowing a new generation to appreciate its significance. As the retro gaming scene continues to thrive, projects like this highlight the enduring appeal of classic titles and the passion of the communities that keep them alive.
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A new ROM hack called Pokémon Mario Red and Luigi Green has recently been announced, merging two of Nintendo’s most enduring franchises into a single project. This inventive spin on the original Pokémon adventures replaces familiar pocket monsters with beloved Mushroom Kingdom characters, which is a really interesting project.
Credit: DogPond4 Twitter
Mario has been synonymous with Nintendo since the 1980s, headlining titles from the earliest NES releases to more modern platforms, while Pokémon, first published in 1996 for the Game Boy, quickly became a worldwide sensation. Both remain central pillars of Nintendo’s heritage, with each franchise having introduced millions to gaming in their formative years. By fusing these icons, the ROM hack pays homage to the playful exploration found in classic Pokémon while embracing the whimsical spirit of the Mario series.
Hey everyone!
It's time for me to officially announce the ROM hack I'm working on: Pokémon Mario Red & Luigi Green! All 151 Pokémon will be replaced with Mario characters, along with plenty of surprises! pic.twitter.com/VK6QDK1cFU
From a technical perspective, ROM hacking is an intricate process that involves altering a game’s original data to introduce new visuals, storylines, or gameplay mechanics. While the practice has its roots in the broader retro gaming community. It is going to be very interesting to see how DogPond4 approaches the balance of the characters, will he simply lift the stats from the Pokemon and assign them to the Mario characters, and which ones will align with the different Pokemon types? I already like the approach that has been shared regarding how the evolutions and shinies will work in the hack.
Credit: DogPond4 / Twitter
Interestingly, the original Pokémon Red and Green for the Game Boy ranked among the best-selling RPGs of all time, with over 30 million copies sold worldwide. The ongoing popularity of Pokémon, combined with the universal appeal of Mario, underscores the significance of this hybrid hack for classic games collectors and Nintendo devotees alike. You can follow the project, by following DogPond4 on X.
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The Sega Genesis version of Puyo Puyo has officially been translated into English for the first time, offering English speaking JRPG fans a chance to play this for the first time. Originally developed by Compile in the early 1990s, Puyo Puyoquickly gained recognition in Japan for its fast-paced puzzle mechanics and whimsical cast of characters. Western audiences, however, were mostly introduced to the franchise through Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine, a rebranded adaptation for Sega’s systems.
This translation project has been spearheaded by RadioTails, who aimed to preserve the essence of the puzzle classic and make it accessible to a broader audience of retro gaming devotees. The new patch offers fully localised text and menus, ensuring newcomers can navigate the game comfortably . On top of that, the iconic chain combos and distinct cartoonish aesthetics remain intact.
This is a complete English translation for the Sega Mega Drive/Sega Genesis version of Puyo Puyo (ぷよぷよ).
— RadioTails (Modder) (@radiotailsmod) March 3, 2025
Despite its age, Puyo Puyo stands out for its addictive gameplay loop. Players strategically stack Puyos to set off chain reactions that send “garbage” to their opponent’s grid. This core mechanic has influenced numerous titles, highlighting the game’s enduring impact on the puzzle genre. Intriguingly, Puyo Puyo first began life as a spin-off of the Madō Monogatari RPG series, giving the puzzle game a rich backstory that many fans outside Japan never experienced until now.
You can grab the patch and all the details on how to apply it on Rom Hack Plaza.
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Xbox 360 fans are celebrating a significant breakthrough in video game preservation, following recent reports of a new tool developed called “Xenon Recomp” that could potentially enable native PC ports of Xbox 360 titles. While technical details remain in flux, the basic concept is that original code from older Sonic games—and possibly any Xbox 360 release—can be adapted to run on modern personal computers without the need for complicated emulators. As stated on Github – the tool “converts Xbox 360 executables into C++ code, which can then be recompiled for any platform.”
Sonic Unleashed is called “Sonic World Adventure” in Japan
This project is seemingly inspired by the N64 Recompiled project, which does a similar thing for Nintendo 64 games. However, before we get too excited it is worth noting that, even though the N64 project has been out for almost a year and there has only been a small selection of games which have made the leap on the PC from the N64.
The implications of this development are considerable. Xbox 360 hardware, which first debuted in 2005, has had a long and storied history, but it faces inevitable decline as parts wear out over time (or death by RROD 💀). For historians, collectors, and general admirers of retro gaming, a reliable way to bring 360-era favourites to PC represents a significant leap forward in preserving these interactive works. Removing hardware limitations also opens the door for enhancements such as improved frame rates, higher resolutions, and the preservation of the original.
From a historical perspective, this effort sits alongside longstanding attempts to keep classic games alive. In the 1990s, enthusiasts used DOSBox to preserve MS-DOS releases, ensuring these foundational PC titles would remain accessible. Console gamers have similarly embraced community-driven tools, from chip-based modifications of the NES to custom firmware on handhelds. In each case, the goal is the same: safeguarding our collective gaming heritage.
If this latest tool proves viable on a larger scale, we could see a renaissance of Xbox 360 classics—both mainstream hits and more obscure gems—brought back for modern hardware. With such projects gaining traction, publishers might begin collaborating with fan communities to tap into renewed demand for older catalogue titles.
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Roberto Mérida Fernández, the translator for Retro Bit, has addressed allegations that the company incorporated fan translations without permission or credit in their re-releases of classic games, including Gleylancer, Assault Suits Valken, Majuu Ou (also known as King of Demons), and Shockman Zero. The claims, published in our article here, suggested similarities between Retro Bit’s English versions and existing fan translations. In an email, Mérida Fernández, a self-taught Japanese speaker and experienced romhacker who operates the YouTube channel La Meca del Clásico, outlined his translation process and responded to the accusations.
In this example Mérida Fernández shows the difference between the fan translation (left) and Retro-Bits translation (right).
Mérida Fernández stated that he translated all four games from Japanese to English independently. He described using emulators and longplays to access the original Japanese scripts, transcribing them into a Word document, and then inserting the English text into the game ROMs. This process involved technical adjustments, such as modifying pointers and creating double-byte character tables to fit the translations within the ROMs’ space constraints.
Examples of the fonts being used.
On the noted similarities between Retro Bit’s translations and fan translations, particularly for Gleylancer, Mérida Fernández explained that Retro Bit had permission from the licensor, Extreme, to use materials from official releases, including the 2021 Nintendo Switch version of Gleylancer. Fernández said he was instructed to adopt elements from these official translations where they aligned with or enhanced his work. He acknowledged that the Switch version resembles a fan translation by romhacker Mijet but maintained that any overlap in Retro Bit’s release resulted from using this official source, not from copying the fan translation directly.
Addressing the use of fonts, Mérida Fernández clarified that those in Retro Bit’s releases were sourced from official materials or generic options common in other games. For Assault Suits Valken, he used the font from the SNES game Cybernator, owned by Konami and permitted by the licensor. For Majuu Ou, the font came from Wild Arms 1 & 2, while for Gleylancer, it was adapted from the U.S. version of Final Fantasy VI, with his own modifications. He noted that font usage was not closely monitored by Retro Bit during these projects but has since been reviewed more carefully.
Regarding an issue with the Gleylancer end credits, where the name “Mijeto” appeared in the Japanese text, Mérida Fernández said space limitations led him to revert to the original Japanese credits. He admitted to inadvertently copying them from Mijet’s fan translation ROM rather than the original game, calling it an oversight he did not correct, partly due to its coincidental link to his former nickname, “Mid Jet.”
Mérida Fernández also confirmed that the dual language boot-up feature in Gleylancer was inspired by Mijet’s fan translation but said he implemented it independently, using technology from Light Crusader. He denied directly copying code or text from fan translations, asserting that similarities were either coincidental or tied to officially approved materials.
Retro Bit has previously acknowledged using “elements” from fan translations in their releases. Mérida Fernández’s statements indicate that any such use was indirect and largely unintentional, stemming from official sources or shared inspiration. The situation reflects broader discussions in the gaming community about the role of fan-made content in commercial retro game projects.
If you want to follow more from Mérida Fernández, you can follow his YouTube channel here, where he talks about retro and his efforts in translation of classic games, and you can find his website here.
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In a move that has stirred excitement among fans of the Dreamcast, the team known for porting Grand Theft Auto III to the console has announced plans to bring Vice City to Sega’s final machine. The news, reported by Time Extension, marks a promising return for fans who have long cherished the unique charm of early open-world adventures wrapped up with one of the greatest sound tracks ever.
Developers SKMP—celebrated for their innovative adaptation of GTA III to the Dreamcast’s —now aim to capture the vibrant spirit of Vice City. Although still in the early stages, the project is expected to deliver updated visuals and refined gameplay mechanics that remain faithful to the game’s roots.
— Stefanos Kornilios Mitsis Poiitidis (@poiitidis) February 24, 2025
The announcement arrives at a time when a resurgence of interest in early 2000s gaming is evident. Many in the gaming community recall Vice City as more than just a title; it is seen as an emblem of a transformative era defined by bold creativity and groundbreaking design (and amazing music).
As details remain limited, Sega and GTA fans wait to see what can be achieved by this talented group of developers on the Dreamcast hardware. The Dreamcast is experience a revival of late with some interesting project emerging, such as being able to save your games in the cloud, as we reported previously.
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Fans of classic mecha games can finally experience Mobile Suit Gundam on the Sega Saturn in English, thanks to a newly released fan translation patch. Originally launched in Japan in 1997, the game has remained inaccessible to non-Japanese speakers—until now.
The English patch, developed by dedicated members of the retro gaming and translation community, makes Mobile Suit Gundam fully playable for Western audiences. This Saturn-exclusive title delivers intense mech combat with a mix of strategic mission-based gameplay, bringing the iconic anime universe to life in a way that fans have long been eager to explore.
The game features a variety of mobile suits from the original Gundam series, letting players engage in large-scale battles across space and Earth. With the new translation, players can now navigate menus, understand mission objectives, and follow the storyline without needing prior knowledge of Japanese.
This patch is another significant win for Sega Saturn preservation efforts. Despite being home to numerous exclusive gems, the console has remained largely underappreciated outside of Japan due to its complex architecture and limited localization efforts in the 1990s. Projects like this help bring forgotten classics to a broader audience, keeping the spirit of retro gaming alive.
The English patch is available now and can be applied using standard translation tools. Fans eager to experience Mobile Suit Gundam in a new way can find installation instructions and download links here. If you want to support Shadowmask you can find his patreon here.
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More than three decades after its original release, Jurassic Park 2 for the SNES has been given a long-overdue upgrade, thanks to the dedicated efforts of BillyTime!Games. This fan-driven project enhances the classic title with refined visuals, smoother gameplay, and quality-of-life improvements, breathing new life into an often-overlooked sequel.
Credit: Billy Time Games – YouTube
Originally developed by Ocean Software, Jurassic Park 2: The Chaos Continues launched in the mid-’90s, aiming to build on the success of its predecessor. However, while the game had an ambitious mix of side-scrolling action and top-down exploration, it suffered from clunky mechanics and frustrating difficulty spikes.
Credit: Rom Hack Plaza
The overhaul introduces several key improvements, including infinite continues, More time in some timed missions, health packs giving full health and a few more adjustments.
Well, here it is. Its still a hard game but I feel some of the changes improved it somewhat. May revisit this in the future. Jurassic Park II – The Chaos Continues Redux is LIVE! pic.twitter.com/GF3ea46sI3
This project is just the latest example of the retro gaming scene’s commitment to preserving and improving classic games. With homebrew developers and hackers consistently revisiting older titles, forgotten gems like Jurassic Park 2 are getting the recognition and updates they deserve.
While there’s no official re-release in sight, those eager to experience this enhanced version can seek out the mod from Rom Hack Plaza. It’s a great time to revisit the Jurassic Park universe in 16-bit form—only this time, with a much-needed modern touch.
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