Flashback

Send us Fan Mail Sony’s “digital in 2028” headline sounds convenient until you ask one question: what happens to the games that never get re-released, get delisted, or only survive behind a subscription login? We go full Flashback mode and treat it like a preservation problem, not a panic button, then build a practical list of 12 physical PlayStation games to pick up now before price spikes and av...

Send us Fan Mail Metroid almost became a live-action movie, GTA Vice City nearly competed for a serious design award, and the PS2 was about to get a flood of brand-new $9.99 games. January 2003 was not quiet, it was just weird in the best way, and that makes it perfect for a retro gaming time capsule. I’m flying solo this week as we jump back to January 2003 and scan what we would have been playin...

Send us Fan Mail Five percent digital downloads used to be a victory lap, and that one stat tells you almost everything about how much gaming has changed since 2012. We’re rewinding to August 2012 and building a full time capsule around what we’d be playing on PS3, Xbox 360, PS Vita, and Nintendo 3DS, plus the news stories that shaped the industry’s next decade.  We start with pure gameplay love:...

Send us Fan Mail Play a little thought experiment with us: what if Sony never shipped the PlayStation, and the Sega Saturn went head-to-head with the Nintendo 64 on its own? That single question opens a surprisingly sharp look at March 1997, when sales charts, developer support, and hardware choices were quietly locking in the future of the console wars. We start with the games we’d actually want...

Send us Fan Mail Your PS1 collection can either become a shelf of “important” games you never finish or a stack of classics you actually want to play. We’re building the second kind. We each bring five essential PlayStation 1 games for new retro players, aiming for variety, approachability, and replay value across genres that defined the era. We start with the identity pieces: Wipeout as the game...

Send us Fan Mail Trading an entire N64 collection for a Dreamcast sounds reckless, until you remember what that jump felt like in early 2000. We rewind to February 2000 and chase that exact feeling: firing up Sonic Adventure for the first time, getting pulled in by its speed and soundtrack, then laughing at the oddly empty human city sections that only a first-wave 3D game could get away with. It’...

Send us Fan Mail April 2006 is one of those gaming months that feels like a hinge in history: the Xbox 360 is already flexing, the PS3 is approaching with big promises and bigger costs, and the PSP is quietly dropping games that still look like they shouldn’t be possible on a handheld. We dig into what we would have been playing at the time, starting with PSP standouts like Pursuit Force and a sur...

Send us Fan Mail October 2013 looks like a normal page on a calendar until you actually read the list, then you realize it’s a blueprint for the next decade of gaming. I’m flying solo for this rewind, running through what we would have been playing back then, what we missed, and what still holds up today. From Dishonored Game of the Year Edition to Borderlands 2, Batman Arkham Origins, and the kin...

Send us Fan Mail March 2008 is one of those months that looks ordinary on paper, then turns into a full-on time capsule the moment you start pulling at the threads. We’re back in the thick of the PS3 vs Xbox 360 era, with publishers throwing money at visibility, franchises fighting for mindshare, and the Wii and PSP quietly proving that “fun” and “portable” can be just as important as raw power. W...

Send us Fan Mail October 1995 is one of those months where you can feel gaming changing under your feet. We’re talking early 3D that still shows its seams, last-gasp 16-bit brilliance, and that very specific mid-90s moment where a new console is not just a purchase, it’s a statement about who you are. We kick off with Destruction Derby as a PlayStation-era eye-opener, why the smoke, deformation, a...

Send us Fan Mail June 2010 is one of those months where the gaming timeline feels unreal. We’re back in the seventh generation sweet spot with Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii all throwing punches, and we’re picking through the games that defined the moment plus the ones that slipped through the cracks. I’m RGT, joined by UCP George, and we’re chasing that exact 2010 feeling: big promises, bold releases, an...

Send us Fan Mail The funniest part about 1994 is how confidently it imagined the future. One minute you are lining up shots in a top-down Amiga pool game, and the next a magazine is telling you Nintendo is about to drop a 64-bit home VR revolution like it is inevitable. We take a proper nostalgia dive into January 1994, starting with the games that were on the list and in our heads: Team17’s Arcad...

Send us Fan Mail May 2005 feels like a crossroads you can almost hear. The PS2 and original Xbox are at full stride, the Nintendo DS is quietly changing what “portable” means, and the PSP is making headlines because Sony can’t manufacture it fast enough. We dig into that month like a proper time capsule, starting with the games that would have been in your hands and ending with the news that shows...

Send us Fan Mail March 2002 feels close enough to remember and distant enough to surprise you. I’m flying solo for this Flashback, so the format gets leaner and a bit more personal, but I still pack it with the stuff we love: what we were playing, what was launching, and what hindsight has turned into cult gold for PS2, original Xbox, and GameCube collectors. We start with the games that framed th...

Send us Fan Mail Retro collecting isn’t just about chasing expensive grails, it’s about finding the games that still feel alive the second you hit power. We put together our ten best “start here” picks for Sega Mega Drive and Sega Genesis collectors, balancing must-play classics with a few smart value choices you can actually get on a real-world budget. We dig into why prices have shifted in the r...

Send us Fan Mail September 1998 is one of those months where the gaming world feels impossibly stacked, and we wanted to revisit it the way it actually happened: what we played, what we wanted, and what the magazines told us mattered. We start with the everyday texture of the late 90s, that Saturday-morning feeling, the controller in your hands, and the first wave of “I’ve got a paycheck now” game...

Send us Fan Mail A single month can change how we play. October 2001 did exactly that—Grand Theft Auto III landed like a thunderclap, turning a city into a playground and convincing even diehard Dreamcast fans to eye the PS2 differently. We break down that first jaw-drop moment—when the streets felt alive, choice felt real, and every “what if” had an answer. But the story of the month isn’t just G...

Send us Fan Mail Rewind to May 2007, when a pocket-sized PSP could serve up 70s car chases, the Xbox 360 found its swagger, and living rooms turned into quiz shows and karaoke bars. We dive into the games we were playing and the moves that reshaped the industry: Driver 76’s Starsky-and-Hutch vibes, Forza Motorsport 2’s precision and paint-shop creativity, and the late-PS2 surprise of The Red Star...

Send us Fan Mail Remember that odd, exciting moment when the PS4 was new, the graphics looked familiar, and you wondered if you’d traded in your best games too soon? We revisit April 2014—the hinge between generations—through the titles, trends, and behind‑the‑scenes stories that defined it. We dig into why South Park: The Stick of Truth works beyond the jokes, how its timing‑based RPG combat and...

Send us Fan Mail Start a PS2 collection the smart way. We each pick five must-play games that still feel great today, won’t drain your wallet, and show exactly why the PlayStation 2 defined a generation. No fluff, no nostalgia goggles—just ten titles that deliver variety, depth, and replay value. We kick off with Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the 3D-era high point that fixes camera woes and expan...

Send us Fan Mail A strange truth about 1996: for every game that made you fall in love with your console, there were three that made you question your life choices. We dig into that exact tension, from the PS1’s awkward start to the pure mood and menace of Alien Trilogy—a shooter that still works thanks to sound, pacing, and restraint. If you remember buying a gray box and praying your latest gamb...

Send us Fan Mail Step into July 1993, when 16-bit consoles ruled the living room and game magazines shaped what we bought, argued over, and dreamed about. We revisit the games that defined the moment—Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back with its screen-filling sprites and uncompromising challenge, and LucasArts’ Zombies Ate My Neighbors with co-op chaos and perfect B-movie swagger. We talk why...

Send us Fan Mail Nostalgia hits different when you can hear the gravel under Colin McRae’s tires and feel the snap of a Tony Hawk manual chain together a perfect line. We’re time-traveling to August 2000, a month that stacked character, style, and ambition across consoles and genres—and quietly set the stage for the next decade of gaming. We kick off with Sydney 2000’s button-bash lineage and Drea...

Send us Fan Mail What if one month could showcase everything games do well—and everything the industry gets wrong? We jump back to September 2003, a stacked stretch where Project Gotham Racing 2 perfected the balance between sim feedback and arcade swagger, F1 Career Challenge stitched four seasons into a single, satisfying career, and Tiger Woods 2004 hit that sweet spot of easy-to-learn, hard-to...

Send us Fan Mail The glow of a CRT. The weight of a six-button pad. The moment you realize your parents somehow nailed the one thing you wanted most. This Christmas special is a joyride through gaming’s warmest memories—ours and yours—and the consoles, cartridges, and discs that turned holidays into legend. We start with the SNES Mario All-Stars bundle and the instant upgrade from tape-deck patien...