PC gaming, guides, hardware picks & retro deep dives. No filler; just shoot ’em up & boot ’em up.
Best Buys & Buying Guides
Resolution, refresh rate, panel type, response time — everything that actually matters, explained plainly.
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From budget picks to audiophile options — the headsets worth your money.
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8BitDo and beyond — the best D-pads for classic gaming on modern hardware.
See our picks →How-To & Setup Guides
Step-by-step guides for getting set up, sorted out, and making the most of your hardware.
Servers, voice channels, bots and the overlay — everything you need to get started.
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Calm, precise, controlled — blue’s the colour for a setup that means business without shouting about it.
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Raspberry Pi, RetroPie, controls and cabinet — the complete build guide.
Read the guide →Old Games, New Ways to Play
Home computers, classic consoles, the games that defined a generation — and where to find them in 2026.
C64, Spectrum, Amiga, Atari — originals and modern alternatives covered.
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NES to Dreamcast — every major console, original hardware and modern alternatives.
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Digital and physical — the games worth your time and where to find them.
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From entry-level to tournament-ready — the best fight sticks available.
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No lore, four colours, one perfect idea: the detachable Force pod. Still one of the smartest mechanics the shoot-’em-up genre ever produced.
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The PS1 cult classic nobody asked for and everybody remembers. No emulator required.
Read more →The Monthly Retrospective
One game a month. What made it work, what it got right, and why it still matters.
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Looking Back: Golden Axe (1989)
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Looking Back: R-Type (1987)
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Looking Back: Sensible Soccer (1992)
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Looking Back: Double Dragon (1987)
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Looking Back: Streets of Rage (1991)
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Looking Back: Ecco the Dolphin (1992)
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Looking Back: Marble Madness (1984)
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Looking Back: Cannon Fodder (1993)
History & Culture
The bigger stories — where gaming came from, and what it’s been tangled up with along the way.
Manchester, Rochdale, Salford — and the Baby, the ZX Spectrum, and some of the best games ever made. The full story.
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From chiptune to full orchestral scores — the moments gaming and music stopped being separate things.
Read more →What’s Going On
Takes on gaming news, industry trends, and the things worth paying attention to.
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Sega Universe — “No Old, Stay Gold”: Sega Is Reviving Its Classic IPs and It’s About Time
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Return to Blacktooth — The Head Over Heels Sequel That’s Been in Development for 36 Years
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Vintage Computer Festival GB 2026 — Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool, September 11
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R-Type DX Is Coming to Modern Platforms — And It’s Long Overdue
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SNK, Saudi Arabia, and Whether It Matters When You Buy a Neo Geo Game
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Metal Slug Is 30 — And All Six Games Are Half Price Right Now
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Is This the Golden Age of Retro Gaming Hardware?
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The Neo Geo AES Is Back — And This Time You Can Actually Afford One
