10 Modern Games Made for Retro Consoles

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00:00Welcome to Mojo Plays, and today we're looking at some of the best modern games to be made

00:10for retro consoles.

00:20Before we begin, we publish new content all week long, so be sure to subscribe and ring

00:24the bell to get notified about our latest videos.

00:29Project Blue

00:34The developers behind this action platformer clearly missed the Mega Man days of old.

00:39Not only is Project Blue a wonderful homage to those older games, but it was also developed

00:44for the NES, the Blue Bomber's first console.

00:48It follows a young boy who escapes from an evil corporation, after being experimented

00:52on, using his new abilities to bring about justice.

00:56There are plenty of traps and cleverly placed enemies to act as obstacles, on top of catchy

01:01chiptunes to make it feel like you're playing a long lost Capcom game.

01:05Although it was built for the NES, interested players don't necessarily need one.

01:10Project Blue was well received enough to earn a Switch port in 2023.

01:18Sydney Hunter and the Caverns of Death

01:21Admittedly, the first version of Sydney Hunter and the Caverns of Death was a flash game,

01:30but it wasn't long before it branched out to retro platforms.

01:33Sydney Hunter is an Indiana Jones-esque character, exploring 10 dangerous caverns in a search

01:39for glory and treasure.

01:40And it was released on several retro systems, the NES, the Super Nintendo, and even the

01:46ColecoVision.

01:48The platforming and exploration can easily get you hooked to keep searching, and the

01:52game is filled with fun puzzles.

01:54Playing it can reach into your memory and flood you with nostalgia, no matter the system.

01:59However, the soundtrack of the SNES version is particularly lovely.

02:08Pier Solar and the Great Architects

02:15These days, there are plenty of retro-inspired RPGs to choose from, but in 2010, Pier Solar

02:22and the Great Architects was a bit of an outlier.

02:25Originally developed for the Sega Genesis, it followed three friends who set out on an

02:29adventure in order to save the life of one of their fathers.

02:32Of course, being a fantasy RPG, things don't stay so simple.

02:36Developer Watermelon did a solid job of capturing its inspiration, loading the game up with

02:41secrets, interesting NPCs, and a fun battle system.

02:45And it truly understood the platform, even using the Sega CD add-on, if you had one,

02:51to amplify the sound design.

02:52The game has since moved to modern platforms, as well as an additional retro one, the Sega

02:58Dreamcast.

03:02Blazing Rangers

03:09Blazing Rangers is just the type of addictive, third-party, arcadey experience that populated

03:14much of the NES's library.

03:16So it makes sense that its developers sought it out as the platform of choice.

03:20Like a cousin to Dig Dug or Bubble Bobble, it puts you in the shoes of a firefighter,

03:25with every level a burning building with citizens in need of rescue.

03:28Enemies can spawn from fires you don't put out, level layouts get more complex as you

03:33progress, and most of what's thrown at you is procedurally generated.

03:37The more citizens you try to rescue at once can earn you more points, but slow you down.

03:42Plus, the inclusion of two-player adds another level of enjoyment.

03:51Briley Witch Chronicles

03:58Indie developer Sarah Jane Avery turned several of her own books into a Japanese-inspired

04:03RPG, which would be impressive in its own right.

04:07But she also chose to make Briley Witch Chronicles for the Commodore 64.

04:11It follows Briley after she's transported to a mystical land, where she learns she's

04:15a witch and must use her newfound abilities to survive.

04:19Though the turn-based combat is all well and good, the game's true greatness lies in its

04:23story and characters, one of which is your companion, a curmudgeon of a cat named Smokey.

04:29Most of Briley Witch Chronicles is pleasant and charming thanks to its setting, and thankfully,

04:34Avery followed it up with a sequel in 2023.

04:43Battle Kid Fortress of Peril

04:51One of the first big games to gain attention for releasing on a retro console was Battle

04:56Kid Fortress of Peril.

04:58Inspired by the freeware game, I Wanna Be the Guy, and action classics like Mega Man,

05:03it was developed for the NES by CIVAC Games.

05:06As Battle Kid, your job is to infiltrate a base and stop a group from building a super

05:11mech that could threaten the world.

05:13Just like the games it drew inspiration from and completely befitting of the Fortress of

05:17Peril name, the game gets pretty tough.

05:20But therein lies its draw, for you to conquer its many traps, enemies, and bosses.

05:25The game was so fun that it received a sequel two years later and was ported to the Switch

05:30and Xbox One.

05:35Xenocrisis

05:42Most of these types of games launch on a handful of retro platforms at most, but Xenocrisis

05:47has hit a ton of them.

05:49The top-down twin-stick shooter puts you in the classic role of a space marine fighting

05:54against hordes of aliens, with plenty of weapons and upgrades to earn along the way.

05:59Whether by yourself or with a friend, the constant action and simple yet satisfying

06:03gameplay hook can keep you glued to the controller.

06:07It was originally developed for the Sega Genesis, but has since been ported to a variety of

06:12platforms.

06:13In addition to modern ones, you can also find it on Super Nintendo, Neo Geo, Sega Dreamcast,

06:19N64, and the Gamecube, with versions for the GBA and PlayStation currently in development.

06:26Micro Mages

06:36In this fantasy action platformer, you'll take a wizard through a fortress, destroying

06:40any monsters in your path in a search for treasure, and of course, points.

06:45Levels can be just the right amount of hectic, scrolling upwards instead of sideways, with

06:50more enemies and hazards appearing as you continue the climb.

06:53You can also play with others, making the entire track even more fun.

06:57MorphCat Games specifically wanted to develop Micro Mages for the NES, even limiting themselves

07:03to smaller cartridge space from when the system was first released.

07:07It's a great addition to the system's library, but for those who don't have one, Micro Mages

07:11was added to Steam not long after release.

07:19Gunlord

07:26Inspired by 16-bit shooters like Turrican with a bit of Super Metroid DNA mixed in,

07:32NGDev's Gunlord is a fast-paced title that action fans should not miss.

07:37Thankfully, it has since been updated as Gunlord X, which was released on Switch and PS4 in

07:432019, but its original iteration could only be found on the Sega Dreamcast and the Neo

07:48Geo.

07:49You play as Gordian Gaiden, out to save his universe from a villainous force known as

07:54the Master, who plans to make slaves out of the human race.

07:57The old-school visuals are fantastically recreated, and it's a great deal of fun using your varied

08:03weaponry and abilities against the throngs of enemies.

08:12Deduce

08:18The Game Boy didn't have much in terms of horror.

08:21Maybe Yzma, the developer behind Deduce, took that as a challenge.

08:25Regardless, it manages to do a whole lot with its limited format.

08:29In the game, you play as a boy trying to save the people of his town from the destruction

08:34of an ancient god named Deduce, which will happen in three days.

08:39Despite simplistic visuals, the game nails its creepy atmosphere.

08:43Not only that, but how you go about stopping your town's destruction is surprisingly varied.

08:48There are 11 different endings to the story, which are impacted by what NPCs you talk to

08:54and what tasks you complete in your small window of time.

08:57It's certainly unlike anything else the original Game Boy had to offer.

09:01Have you played any of these modern callbacks to the old days?

09:11Which is your favorite?

09:12Share your thoughts in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to Mojo Plays for more great

09:15gaming videos every day.

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