Category Archives: Featured

Cassette Tapes & CDs are BACK! – NINM Lab Cassette and CD Players Reviewed

Ah, the glorious resurgence of vinyl records and cassettes—because apparently, nothing screams “I love music” like spinning a 12-inch frisbee or painstakingly rewinding a tape with a pencil! It’s as if music fans collectively woke up one day and thought, “Streaming? Too easy. Let’s make this complicated again!”

Vinyl is the heavyweight champion of nostalgia, weighing in at a solid couple of pounds per album. Fans lovingly call it “warm,” which is a kind way of saying it pops, crackles, and occasionally sounds like it’s been recorded underwater. But there’s something undeniably magical about the ritual—gently placing the needle, holding your breath to avoid skipping a groove, and flipping the record every 20 minutes. Nothing builds intimacy with an album quite like getting up mid-lounge session to tend to it like a needy toddler.

And then there’s the cassette tape—a bold choice for anyone nostalgic for the time when Walkmans ruled and fast-forwarding meant guessing. These little plastic time machines are like the music format equivalent of a ’90s rom-com: temperamental, prone to tangling, and utterly endearing. Millennials and Gen Z have embraced them as if they discovered the secret to teleporting to 1987. Want to impress your friends? Show off your mixtape skills by carefully curating 12 songs, only to find that Side B starts halfway through a chorus.

In an era of instant access, the resurgence of vinyl and cassettes is a delightful rebellion against convenience. It’s a love letter to the past wrapped in hisses and hums. Sure, your streaming app won’t demand you dust it or threaten to warp if left in the sun, but it also doesn’t make you feel like you’re handling a tiny piece of history every time you press play. And honestly, who can resist the joy of a good thunk as the needle hits the groove?

** NEW FOR 2025! ** GAME PICKUPS: 38 Games (PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, N64, SNES)

** NEW FOR 2025! ** GAME PICKUPS: 38 Games (PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, N64, SNES) – Game Pickups with Reggie and Metal Jesus rocks! We show you 38 games & collectables we added to the collection, plus some surprises! WATCH >> https://youtu.be/tu-qYTk0eSc

GAMES SHOWN:

Shadows of the Damned (PS5)

Alone in the Dark

Captain Toonhead vs the Punks from Outer Space (PSVR2)

Bramble (PS4)

Feather (PS4)

Steel Assault (Switch)

Grand Mountain Adventure Wonderlands (Switch)

White Day 2 (PS5)

Rolling Gunner + Over Power (PS4)

Super Zangyura (PS4 / Switch)

Demon Stone (PS2)

Drommelfall (PC)

Grandia (Saturn)

Grandia HD Collection (PS4)

Broforce (Switch)

Viewpoint 2064 (N64)

Ogre (C64) YouTube: ZoltanTheHun

Sin & Punishment (English) (N64)

Wargroove 1 + 2 (Switch)

Logic Bomb (SNES)

Rocket Knight Adventures ReSparked! (Switch)

Trip World DX (PS4 / Switch)

Sonic & Shadow Generations (Switch)

PlayStation Mantis controller

Silent Hill 2 Remake (PS5)

Melfand Stories (SNES)

Future Unfolding (PS4)

Assault Suits Valken: Deluxe Edition (SNES)

Grime (PS5)

I, AI (PS5)

Elevator Agent (Atari 2600)

Haunted Halloween (NES)

Painkiller Hell & Damnation Uncut (PS3)

Densei (SNES)

Monster Jam Showdown (PS5, Xbox, Switch)

Hyperiria (SNES)

System Shock LE (PC)

Norway gift

** DISCLAIMER: Some of the items shown were sent to us for review however all of the opinions are our own **

** NEW ** XREAL One AR Glasses Review – Big Improvements!

Review of the new XREAL One AR Glasses. These glasses have a brand new custom X1 chip that adds built in settings, ultra low latency and doesn’t require an external Beam adapter to anchor the display (3 DoF). They’ve also upgraded the audio, added better brightness, a larger field of view, distortion-free visuals and much more.
Order XREAL One from Amazon: https://amzn.to/49MQfgY
Order XREAL One from official website: https://bit.ly/4fprhWn

2024 Holiday Gift Guide – Controllers, Arcades, Handhelds & More!

My 2024 Holiday gift and shopping guide! 17 gaming products I recommend including controllers, handhelds, arcade machines, travel cases & more! 

Products Mentioned: (I earn a commission on some purchases from affiliate links)

Xbox Controller: https://amzn.to/49qTJWg

Kirby Wireless: https://amzn.to/49npOhO

PlayStation Mantis Controller: https://amzn.to/41rXRmW

Retro Fighter BattlerGC: https://amzn.to/3BnVdnG

Pixel Art Hyperkin (Sriracha & Oscar Myer) : https://hyperkinstore.com

Switch Controller Charger: https://amzn.to/3Bij20i

Headset Mario Kart: https://amzn.to/4go7bMT

PlayStation Portal: https://amzn.to/4gmWaLS

Switches cases: https://amzn.to/3ZqdMj6

Quarter Arcades – Elevator Action: https://amzn.to/3ZHkaEd

Quarter Arcades – Bubble Bobble: https://amzn.to/3ZEcgew

Quarter Arcades – Qix: https://quarterarcades.com

Arcade Pole Position My Arcade: https://amzn.to/4g1Eh5w

Arcade Pac-Man My Arcade: https://amzn.to/3P2mlw1

Ultimate Nintendo Guide to N64 Library (BOOK): https://t.co/nPohS1swwZ

Anbernic Handhelds: https://toretro.com

Grid Frame Studio: https://gridstudio.cc

“IT’S TIME!” GAME PICKUPS: 43 Games! (PS5, PS4, Switch, Xbox, PS2, Atari & More!)

Almost an HOUR of GAME PICKUPS w/ Reggie!! Including a rare Xbox Launch gift to employees, a special edition PS2 for Reggie and much more!

GAMES SHOWN:

TORG GBA

Popeye: Rush for Spinach (GBA)

Astro Bot (PS5)

Blazing Strike (PS4 / Switch)

ZPF (Genesis / MegaDrive)

Ys X: Nordics (PS4)

Bomb Rush Cyberfunk (Xbox)

The Spectrum

Sable (PS5)

The Karate Kid: Street Rumble (Switch / PS4)

Bang-On Balls: Chronicles (PS5)

Ray’z Arcade Chronology (PS4)

High on Life (Xbox)

Reydllom (PS4)

Mantis Burn Racing (Switch)

Slave Zero X (PS5)

Tutankham Arcade (Atari 2600)

Nascar Arcade Rush (Switch / PS4)

Iron Meat (Switch)

Risk System (PS4 / Switch)

OTXO (PS5)

Get Me Out, Please (Switch) 

Assassin’s Creed: MIrage (PS5)

Life is Strange: Double Exposure (PS5)

Felix the Cat (Switch)

Halloween & Ash vs Evil Dead (Switch / PS4)

Atari 50th Anniversary Expanded Edition (PS5 / Switch)

Rod Land (NES / GB)

Zed & Zee (NES)

As Dusk Falls (PS5)

Controversy Downright Despicable Games (BOOK)

Blaster Master Zero (LP)

Windjammers Soundtrack (LP)

Cygni: All Guns Blazing (PS5)

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered (PS5)

Lego Horizon Adventures (PS5)

Atari Food Fight Replicade

Zoltair Replicade

Super Smash Bros (Barcade)

XBOX Ship It light

Radical Reggie 100K PS2

Sturmwind LE (Dreamcast)

Iron Man (PSP)

** DISCLAIMER: Some of the items shown were sent to us for review, however all of the opinions are our own **

Chromatic Review: Game Boy for the Elite?

My review of the Chromatic by ModRetro: a premium handheld for Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges, featuring a custom display and magnesium alloy shell. But at $200, is it worth it, or are there better & cheaper options?

Here are five lesser-known Game Boy Color (GBC) games that are often considered hidden gems by retro gaming enthusiasts:


1. Shantae

  • Developer/Publisher: WayForward
  • Year: 2002
  • Why it’s a gem: Released late in the GBC’s lifespan, Shantae is a colorful action-platformer with Metroidvania elements. Its vibrant graphics, catchy music, and unique gameplay (Shantae transforms into animals to solve puzzles) make it a standout title.
  • Fun Fact: Due to its low print run, physical copies are rare and highly sought after.

2. Dragon Warrior Monsters 2 (Tara’s Adventure / Cobi’s Journey)

  • Developer/Publisher: Enix
  • Year: 2001
  • Why it’s a gem: Often overshadowed by Pokémon, this monster-raising RPG offers deep gameplay, a robust breeding system, and expansive worlds to explore. The level of customization in building your team is immense.
  • Fun Fact: It allows players to breed unique monsters with specific abilities, making each playthrough different.

3. Wendy: Every Witch Way

  • Developer/Publisher: WayForward
  • Year: 2001
  • Why it’s a gem: This gravity-defying platformer is simple but highly polished. Players control Wendy, the Good Little Witch, using her powers to flip gravity and solve clever puzzles.
  • Fun Fact: It’s one of the earliest games by WayForward, who would later become famous for Shantae.

4. Survival Kids

  • Developer/Publisher: Konami
  • Year: 1999
  • Why it’s a gem: A survival adventure game where players must navigate a deserted island, gather resources, and find a way to escape. It features multiple endings and a focus on crafting and exploration.
  • Fun Fact: This game is considered the precursor to the Lost in Blue series on the Nintendo DS.

5. Bionic Commando: Elite Forces

  • Developer/Publisher: Nintendo
  • Year: 2000
  • Why it’s a gem: A unique spin-off of the Bionic Commando series, this game combines action-platforming with a grappling hook mechanic for puzzle-solving. It’s challenging and offers satisfying gameplay.
  • Fun Fact: The grappling mechanic remains a defining feature of the Bionic Commando series.

These games showcase the GBC’s impressive library beyond its most famous titles. Have you tried any of these, or are you looking for something similar?

Is video game collecting as bad as they say?

We’re heading to Columbus, Ohio, for TORG, the Ohio Retro Gamer Expo! In this video, I’ll focus on deals you can find at these events. I’ll ask vendors—who buy and sell games daily—what they think are the best deals today. I’m also working on my Sony PSP collection, and I’ll show you everything I picked up at the end.

The Sony PSP (PlayStation Portable) is the cool kid who showed up at the party with the swagger of a console and the size of a big smartphone (back when phones weren’t that smart yet). It’s like the Swiss Army knife of gaming, trying to be your gaming console, your MP3 player, and even your Netflix (though streaming wasn’t quite ready to party yet).

The PSP flexed its muscles with a gorgeous 4.3-inch screen, boasting graphics that made you say, “Wait, this is portable?!” It had Wi-Fi so you could school your friends in multiplayer—if you could convince them to lug their PSPs around. And let’s not forget the UMD discs, those quirky little Frisbees that carried your games and movies. They looked futuristic but were basically mini-CDs with trust issues.

Sony even tried to make the PSP your entire life: it had a web browser (sort of), a photo viewer (but no camera), and music playback (for when your iPod forgot its place). The battery life was decent—unless you were watching UMD movies, in which case it gave up faster than a kid in a math test.

The PSP was like that overachiever friend who insists on doing everything, and honestly, it nailed a lot of it. Sure, the controls felt a little cramped, and the proprietary memory cards were pricier than gourmet coffee, but the PSP brought portable gaming into the spotlight, and it did it with style. Plus, it gave us Monster Hunter marathons and the ability to watch Spider-Man 2 on the go—what more could you want? (Except maybe fewer smudges on that glorious screen.)

Testing PS2 & GAMECUBE on latest ANBERNIC handheld.

Review of the ANBERNIC RG406V playing PS2, Gamecube, Wii and Dreamcast games.

Extra 15% Off Code: MetalJesusRocks
RG406V Game Console: https://bit.ly/3U695t3

The sixth generation of gaming consoles, ah! The early 2000s—a glorious era when tech was just powerful enough to bring our gaming dreams to life, yet clunky enough to make us yell at our TV screens. Picture this:

  1. PlayStation 2 – Sony decided to make a console that doubled as a DVD player. No one cared much for DVDs until the PS2 arrived, and then suddenly, everyone’s mom had a reason to let this console into the living room. It had a library of games longer than the Lord of the Rings series, and you could never resist buying more, even if the backlog was a mile deep. But let’s be honest; we all spent more time replaying Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and running over NPCs.
  2. Xbox – Microsoft’s first foray into the console world, and it showed. This thing was about as subtle as a bulldozer, weighing in heavier than a small child and looking like an oversized VCR on steroids. But it came with Halo, which made it the coolest kid on the block. Multiplayer mayhem on Halo turned living rooms into battlegrounds, and “frag” and “teabag” became part of our vocabularies for the next decade.
  3. Nintendo GameCube – The adorable purple lunchbox that could. Nintendo went for a square design as if they were trolling the competition. Everyone laughed until Super Smash Bros. Melee dropped, and then suddenly no one was laughing because they were all too busy smashing controllers and friendships. It even had a handle, so you could bring it over to a friend’s house—a good thing since you’d need it for Mario Kart Double Dash parties.
  4. Sega Dreamcast – Sega’s final hurrah in the console wars, the Dreamcast was the hip, misunderstood sibling of the generation. It introduced online gaming before any of the others, even though most of us had dial-up Internet slower than a sleepy snail. The Dreamcast had games with more originality than half the consoles since, but its fate was doomed by Sega’s previous console misadventures. It’s like that artist friend you wish had made it big but ended up selling pottery on Etsy.

This generation brought us memory cards, clunky graphics that we thought were “realistic,” and the timeless habit of yelling at your sibling for screen-peeking. If gaming consoles were people, the sixth-gen would be that quirky friend who’s super talented but hasn’t quite figured out how not to make a mess.