How open-source emulation and fan communities turned the Philips CD‑i from a punchline into a treasure trove - and why a handful of bizarre, overlooked titles are finding new life and influence in the retro gaming scene.
A playful, in-depth comparison of MiniDiscs and vinyl records - their histories, sound, ritual, fanbases, and why each survives as an act of deliberate taste rather than convenience.
How cheap, flickering LCD toys - Game & Watch, Tiger handhelds and the Microvision - quietly taught designers the language of snackable mechanics, one-button brilliance, and suggestion-driven storytelling that defines many modern hits.
The Watara Supervision arrived as a cheap, ambitious challenger to Nintendo’s Game Boy. This case study traces its design choices, patchwork game library, distribution woes, and the business mistakes that turned an interesting innovation into a footnote - with clear lessons for modern hardware and indie developers.
We used to rent movies in plastic sleeves, argue over rewind fees, and judge a film by its box art. This essay traces how the VCR and VHS era shaped film culture - from the economics of Blockbuster to the very way franchises like Back to the Future lodged themselves in our living rooms - and why that tactile past keeps tugging at us today.
A deep dive into how SNES-era mechanics, narratives, and aesthetics seeded design habits that define modern games - with anonymized developer interviews, concrete case studies, and practical takeaways for designers.
A practical, advanced guide to making Atari Lynx games look and sound better in emulation - covering emulator choice, rendering & shader tricks, audio treatment, input tweaks, save workflows and legality notes so your Lynx library finally feels alive.
How a browser game for kids became an early laboratory for online economies, identity play, advertising to children, and the long fight to preserve our digital childhoods - and why that matters today.