The Popularization of Retro Gaming
It is a great time in history to be a retro gamer, in fact I would go so far as to say that it’s the best time every to be a retro gamer! It’s no secret that our beloved hobby has gained mainstream attention and is now insanely popular compared to how it used to be considered, as a hobby for reclusive nerds. Those of us who were in the hobby of retro gaming and collecting were quite happy to be considered by society as a nerd hobby and be left alone, not really drawing any attention from the media or the law. In the last decade or so the narrative had completely changed, retro gaming gained incredible popularity thanks to the rapidly increasing communication between people via social media and media sharing websites such as YouTube. So we saw our hobby just explode in popularity, now being mentioned in newspapers and TV but worst of all was the massive price explosion in retro gaming gear on eBay and in general.
So there was a lot of con’s from our hobby gaining such mass interest all of a sudden, however there was also a lot of pro’s too. For example many people who are knowledgeable with electronics and gadgetry have put their practical know-how to develop some incredibly useful and in-genius inventions that have completely re-defined the game. From FPGA consoles, new controllers, retro-fit modification kits, modern display adapters, hardware enhanced video games even brand new retro systems. The benefits that our hobby has received due to it’s skyrocketing popularity are just innumerable and completely defy belief, no-one would have predicted this would be the future of retro gaming 20 years ago. The other really major benefit, again one that I never would have thought possible except in my wildest dreams, is the massive flood of completely brand new video games that have been developed for obsolete (retro) gaming systems. The amount of homebrew games that have been produced and are available either free or to purchase, in physical and digital form, is completely staggering. I used to be worried about eventually running out of games to discover for my favorite game systems but that is no longer a concern.
The Rise of Homebrew
So here we are in 2025 and there are more games than the ever was for every single gaming system out there. Even completely obscure systems that are almost completely unknown due to extremely limited production, distribution or sales have had homebrew games produced by some loyal enthusiast somewhere in the world. It really is an incredible time to be a retro gamer, sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure I am not in a dream because it’s almost too good to be reality. But fortunately, it is definitely true, my wildest dreams (as far as retro gaming goes) is definitely a true and real physical reality that we all live in. Hallalejah!
There are many terrible things in this world, thanks to technology, however as far as retro gaming goes we live in a utopia. So what’s the down side? The down side of this blissful reality is the fact that there are so many homebrew games out there means that it can be difficult to find the gems amongst all the rocks. And the other downside is the cost, everything has increased massively in price, not just retro hardware and software but even newly produced items are still expensive to purchase. Video and computer hardware and software have always been expensive, whether old or new, good or bad all games and gaming hardware is expensive. But don’t worry because Retro Game News has your back! RGN is run by people (namely myself: X-Avy) who have been a gamer for my entire life and have also been collecting for as long as I have been financially independent from my parents. This article is a guide to 10 of the best homebrew games that have come out this year.
Top 10 Homebrew Games Playable in 2025
#1. Zelda's Adventure DX
| Game System | Genre | Completion | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Game Boy Color |
Action RPG |
Full (v2.0.0.0) |
Digital only |
- Port of the Philips CD-i game “Zelda’s Adventure” developed by Viridis
- Live action FMV scenes from CD-i version has been removed
- Unlike most Zelda games the player does not control Link but instead plays as Zelda
- Completely reworked palette for the Game Boy Color from the DMG version
- The game’s objective is for Zelda to collect the seven ‘Celestial Signs’ in order to defeat Ganon and rescue Link
- The game is playable on emulators as well as on real hardware: Game Boy Color, Analogue Pocket and ModRetro Chromatic via the GB Everdrive
- Top quality port of the CD-i original with added content from Oracle of Seasons / Ages
- ROM available to download for free at https://john-lay.itch.io/zeldas-adventure
#2. Super Tilt Bro
| Game System | Genre | Completion | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Nintendo Entertainment System |
Platform Fighter |
Full (v2.5) |
Physical (box, manual & cartridge) |
- The very first NES game in history to feature online play achieved by the inclusion of a custom wi-fi chip (ESP8266) integrated into the cartridge PCB
- Inspired by the Nintendo 64 cult classic game Super Smash Brothers
- Features: A custom mapper, leaderboards, online matchmaking, firmware update capability and real-time rollback netcode
- One of the most technologically impressive and historically important NES homebrew games ever produced
- The objective of the game is to knock your opponent off the edge of the screen
- Region-free cartridge works on real hardware: Nintendo NES, Analogue NT, AVS and Famicom
- Physical version available to purchase for €55.00 at the HomeBrew Factory
#3. O
| Game System | Genre | Completion | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
|
ZX Spectrum Next |
Platformer |
Full |
Physical (Big Box & DVD Case versions) |
- The vault of the off-world repository has been breached by a mysterious entity called “O”, you are Retrobot and you have an hour to recover the stolen artefacts
- This game is notable for being a fully featured modern game developed for the Spectrum Next that has a high level of quality and polish
- There are two difficulty levels: easy has unlimited lives and normal gives the player five lives and the ability to collect extra lives during play
- Available for purchase from Fusion Retro Books at £25.00 for the standard version, the deluxe version is sold out.
#4. Goblin
| Game System | Genre | Completion | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Sega Mega Drive |
Turn Based RPG |
In Development (v1.2) |
Digital only (physical TBA) |
- A game created with the Sega Genesis Development Kit targeted towards retro game enthusiasts of the 1990’s
- A top-down procedurally generated exploration game with RPG turn based combat against goblins whose remains are sold for gold that is used to upgrade the character
- Basic game mechanics: explore > fight > loot > trade > upgrade > explore further
- In development but is downloadable and fully playable from the developer’s itch.io page
- Download version 1.2 of the game from developer bearmade’s itch.io webpage
#5. Astro Climber
| Game System | Genre | Completion | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Sega Master System |
Platformer |
Full (v1.21) |
Digital only (physical TBA) |
- The player must ascend up failing space station “Frontier Prime” while avoiding falling objects and enemies that will them
- A grappling hook is the main tool used to help the player climb the platforms
- Extra urgency and tension comes from a limited oxygen supply that is constantly depleted while scaling the space station
- The game features 32 stages, big sprites, smooth animation and a rich color palette that exploits the Master System hardware
- This is a very polished game produced to a high standard of quality that pushes the limits of the hardware
- Download version 1.21 of the game from developer BadComputer’s itch.io webpage
