The iPod age of gaming came and went fairly quickly during the two-decade lifecycle of Apple's signature brand of music players. Apple released 54 games for the iPod clickwheel that could have been lost to time if not for the efforts of game preservationists. It took a lot of effort to bring all of the games back together, but the complete lineup of iPod clickwheel games has now been preserved.

As reported by Ars Technica, iPod Clickwheel Games Preservation Project founder Olsro recently completed the collection by tracking down a copy of Real Soccer 2009. Preserving the titles meant finding people who still had the original games downloaded on their iPods and syncing them up to a Virtual Machine master library that lets other iPod owners access the games at their leisure. Olsro also expressed relief that the completed project "means this whole part from the early 2000s will remain with us forever."

The Virtual Machine titles are compatible with iPod Classic 5G, 5.5G, 6G, 6.5G, and 7G, iPod Nano 3G or 4G, and iPod Nano 5G. Olsro has shared detailed instructions for how to access the Virtual Machine on GitHub. Once those steps are followed, players should be able to enjoy those titles on their own iPods.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Combining cute Japanese vending machine aesthetics with classic management sim mechanics, Vending Machine Co. is on its way to help you build a passive income empire. The simulation game will release in full later this year, but is currently previewing its kawaii aesthetic with a free Steam demo.

Japan is well-known for its vending machine culture, and this new management sim is putting you in charge of your own Japanese vending machine empire. You can choose which neighborhood to put your machines in, and what to stock them with, with different demographics of customers likely to purchase different stock.

While Vending Machine Co. follows the classic management sim formula, its cute illustrative style and satisfying restocking gameplay is reminiscent of cozy indie hit Unpacking. Managing your machines will initiate other little mini-games along the way, from repairs and upkeep to sorting and counting your cash.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Xbox is headed to Japan later this month, as it'll be hosting a livestream during Tokyo Game Show. Scheduled for September 25 at 3 AM PT / 6 AM ET, the broadcast will be focused on various first-party, as well as "news from our partners in Japan, across Asia, and around the world," Xbox added.

"We know players around the world delight in Japan-inspired content and games developed in Asia, and we can't wait to connect with players across the globe to show off the incredible talent and creativity behind upcoming games coming to Xbox," Xbox Asia senior director Mena Kato said (via Xbox Wire). If you can't make it to Japan, the Xbox broadcast will be livestreamed through official Xbox and TGS channels:

• YouTube
• Twitch
• Twitch (With American Sign Language support)

Xbox confirmed that attendees will be able to go hands-on with its upcoming mobile gaming PCs it co-developed with Asus, the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X. Ninja Gaiden 4 will also be playable at the Koei Tecmo booth, but there is speculation that Microsoft could announce Forza Horizon 6 at the trade show. With the game rumored to be set in Japan, officially revealing it at Tokyo Game Show would be thematically appropriate.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Roblox has announced a new feature called Roblox Moments, a TikTok-style social feed allowing users to share videos taken directly in-game. The feature was unveiled at the Roblox Developers Conference, where Roblox also revealed it was working on a bevy of AI tools to assist creators with game development.

Roblox Moments is in beta now, and consists of short videos up to 30 seconds in a vertical format that'll be familiar to anyone who uses TikTok or Instagram Reels. The difference with Roblox Moments is that the videos are taken directly within various Roblox experiences--what the platform calls the user-created games and apps that live on the platform. When scrolling through Moments, users will be able to go directly to the featured experiences from the video feed.

The Roblox Moments feed

Roblox is also investing heavily in new AI tools designed for its creators, Eurogamer reports, with the aim to automate various parts of the game development process for solo developers and small teams. The company revealed that it has 400 AI models in development, including asset-generation tools, text-to-speech, speech-to-text, and auto-translation AI. One of the major AI products showcased was 4D Objects, a tool that aims to fully automate asset creation by generating interactive, scripted assets from a simple text prompt.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Billionaires? Everybody just LOVES billionaires! That’s why we’ve put them on a game show to FIGHT FOR THEIR LIVES! Play online with 6-10 players in this social party game where you fight against each other to see who has the most Pennies in the end. Once there are only 3 players left, the player with the most Pennies win! Emerge on top by playing your cards right, ensuring your spot as the sleaziest of high society!

Free your mind with Feverdream: Rainbow Chaser, a free cross-platform multiplayer shooter. Team up with friends to create and surf rainbows in any direction, as you track and eliminate assigned player targets in a surreal desert environment.

Is Bubsy a celebrated icon from the mascot wars of the early 90s or a platforming punchline? The team at Limited Run has built a new collection to find the answer. Bubsy in: The Purrfect Collection explores the franchise's troubled history and enduring popularity. Bubsy in: The Purrfect Collection is a playable history that includes games, artifacts and interviews. All of the games have been carefully updated for modern PCs and consoles using Limited Run’s proprietary Carbon Engine. Along the way the team was able to smooth out some of the games’ rough edges.

The Dragon Ball franchise's first team-oriented battle begins! Enter the world of Dragon Ball by bringing your favorite characters' earth-shaking strength to the battlefield, and join up with your friends and allies to defeat your opponents and dominate the objectives. Grow your strength throughout each round, unlock game-changing attacks and abilities, and obliterate enemy players and bosses alike.

Face unpredictable dangers head-on, fight perilous fires with your crew, and save lives in Firefighting Simulator: Ignite. Step into the boots of a U.S. firefighter in a sprawling city in the American Midwest, where every mission pushes your skills to the limit. Experience the rush of firefighting in stunning visual quality in an intuitive and cooperative multiplayer mode with 3 friends or with the help of your NPC controlled crew. Battle raging and dynamic flames, heat, and smoke - all simulated in real time. Cutting-edge physics & graphics systems powered by Unreal Engine 5 let you experience firefighting immersion like never before.

Arcade1Up: Mortal Kombat 2 Special Edition Arcade Machine

$334

See at Walmart

Arcade1Up: Ms. Pac-Man Special Edition Arcade Machine

$334

See at Walmart

Arcade1Up: Pac-Man Special Edition Arcade Machine

$334

See at Walmart

Arcade1Up Riser

$59

See at Walmart

Most Arcade1Up releases these days are $500-$600 Deluxe Arcade Cabinets, but Walmart carries a trio of models that more closely resemble Arcade1Up's early hits. These throwback Special Edition machines cost $334 each and are themed around Mortal Kombat 2, Ms. Pac-Man, and Pac-Man. Each cabinet is preloaded with 13 games and has a 15.6-inch IPS display. Other features include dual stereo speakers, Wi-Fi support for leaderboards and multiplayer, and pretty solid controls to mirror Arcade1Up's pricier options.

There are a few reasons why these are cheaper than the average machine from Arcade1Up. The Deluxe cabinets are just over 5-feet tall--ideal standing height for adults--whereas the Special Editions are just under 4-feet tall. The good news is you can get a universal Arcade1Up Riser for $59 that raises the height to 5 feet. If you don't get the Riser, you will likely want an adjustable barstool--unless the cabinet is for kids, in which case the original height will likely be a better fit. The Deluxe editions have 17-inch displays and light-up marquees, so the screen is slightly smaller and you miss out on the illuminated marquee with the Special Edition. The Special Editions also drop the faux coin doors in favor of a panel with logos showcasing each preloaded game.

Continue Reading at GameSpot