Field Notes

Game history, creator interviews, and retro culture — published from CRTPlay.

3 articles · 2 coming soon

LATEST

The History of PICO-8: How a Fantasy Console Built a Global Community
Retro Culture··18 min read

The History of PICO-8: How a Fantasy Console Built a Global Community

PICO-8 is a fantasy console with 128×128 canvas, 16 colors, 32k cartridges — and the constraints that built a global indie community and launched Celeste.

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Why Retro Games Still Hit in 2026
Retro Culture··16 min read

Why Retro Games Still Hit in 2026

The data shows 70% of new retro players aren't chasing nostalgia — they're reacting against 80-hour bloated AAA slogs.

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A 13-Year-Old Made a 222KB Game in 1990. In 2022, AI Learned to Play It.
Retro Culture··15 min read

A 13-Year-Old Made a 222KB Game in 1990. In 2022, AI Learned to Play It.

The strange 30-year journey of NS-SHAFT — from a 13-year-old's magazine source code to an AI research benchmark...

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COMING SOON

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Article in preparation.

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Article in preparation.