Another day, another great deal. The PlayStation Store is running a big sale right now until the end of the month (7/31/25), and it has a bunch of great retro-styled games on sale for less than five dollars ($4.99 or less).
If you like retro-styled games, you should consider picking some of these up.
It seems hard to believe, but 2025 is already more than halfway over.
There have been some great pixel-powered game releases so far this year, but there are still some great games we know are coming (and probably a few we don't even know about yet).
Here are the five games I'm the most hyped for, still coming this year:
#5 - MARVEL Cosmic Invasion
Release date: 2025?
If you haven't already seen the trailer, MARVEL Cosmic Invasion looks like a MARVEL Comics take on the excellent TMNT Shredder's Revenge. While this isn't the same vibe as the classic Konami X-Men arcade game, I'm still super hyped to get a retro-styled beat 'em up game set in the MARVEL universe where I can play as Wolverine.
Honestly this would have ranked higher on my hype meter, but we don't have an exact release date so far. It still seems very likely this will drop in 2025, but we'll have to wait and see when more information becomes available.
#4 - Neon Inferno
Release date: Oct 2, 2025
Neon Inferno is probably the least well known game on this list, and that's a shame because, from what I experienced in the demo, it plays great and looks absolutely amazing.
While I like a lot of the modern pixel-art games being released these days, few seem to capture the look and feel of those 90s arcade games that looked impossibly good and we never got a proper home port of. This game is an original title, but it looks amazing and captures that 90s arcade style flawlessly.
It's coming in October, so luckily we have a chance to play through some of the other amazing pixel-powered games releasing earlier, like the next one...
#3 - Terminator 2D: No Fate
Release date: Sep 5, 2025
Terminator 2D: No Fate was first revealed back in February this year, and to say it was completely unexpected would be a vast understatement. Not only is it a pixel-powered Terminator game releasing in 2025 (that alone would be amazing) but it's based on the best movie in the entire Terminator franchise: T2.
Sure, there were a bunch of Terminator 2 games back in the day on NES, SNES and Genesis, and there was the excellent T2 arcade game that I played the hell out of, but this feels like it could be a chance to finally play the 2D side scrolling T2 game we always deserved, but never got.
I'm cautiously optimistic for this one, but if there is even a chance that this is good, it will be one of the sleeper hits of the year.
#2 - Ninja Gaiden Ragebound
Release date: July 31, 2025
I know, I know. You might be thinking...wait, why is Ragebound only number 2? Well, you'll have to wait until you get to number 1 to find out, but that doesn't mean I'm not hyped as hell for Ninja Gaiden Ragebound, and even better it releases at the end of this month!
I've already played through the Steam demo multiple times (and if you haven't done so, you really should), and I'm very excited for the full release.
This game is being developed by the same team that did the excellent Blasphemous games, and you can really tell. There is a level of polish and quality to this game that I could have only wished for, and the fact that we are getting a new 2D entry in the Ninja Gaiden series seems like a dream come true.
Maybe if this one does well, Koei Tecmo will consider releasing a proper Ninja Gaiden 4 sequel to continue the legendary NES series. Probably unlikely, but a guy can dream, can't he?
#1 - Earthion
Release date: July 31, 2025
Now, finally, we've reached the number one pole position spot. If you aren't already familiar with Earthion you may be wondering what it is, and how it could possibly inspire more hype than Ninja Gaiden. Well...
Earthion is a new Sega Genesis game being developed by Ancient, which is the game company established by the famous video game music creator, Yuzo Koshiro, of Streets of Rage and Revenge of Shinobi fame, among many others.
I first fell in love with Yuzo's music back on the Sega Genesis with the original Streets of Rage, and I've been following him on X.com for years. The game is a Shoot 'Em Up that looks amazing and is filled with new music from Yuzo.
I've been able to follow the development and evolution of this game through his posts, and I'm very excited to see what he's been cooking up for us.
It releases the same day as Ninja Gaiden Ragebound (July 31) so I'm going to have to do some juggling because I need to play them both.
Honorable mention: Shinobi Art of Vengeance
Release date: August 29, 2025
The other big pixel-adjacent game coming out this year that I'm super excited for is Shinobi: Art of Vengeance. I didn't include it directly in the list because it isn't pixel-powered per se. It uses hand drawn art, much in the style of the recent Streets of Rage 4.
In fact, it is being developed by the same team that made Streets of Rage 4, which itself was excellent.
Early feedback sounds like this game is shaping up to be awesome, and I've already put in my preorder.
Well that's the list.
You likely already knew about some of these, but hopefully there were one or two you hadn't heard of before or had been actively tracking.
There are surely a lot more pixel-powered games coming in the second half of 2025 that I didn't cover here, so keep checking Electronic Gamers as we explore the finest retro-inspired games of the new millennium.
Electronic Gamers doesn't receive any commissions from the products we recommend, we simply want to provide value to our readers by helping identify products and deals that we think they would be interested in.
If you aren't familiar with Cannon Dancer / Osman, it was an arcade sequel to Capcom's Strider.
Capcom's Strider
Where Strider was set in a futuristic Kazakh-Soviet setting, Cannon Dancer / Osman is set in a neon-lit cyberpunk Arabian world.
Currently there is a sale on the Switch eShop, with Cannon Dancer / Osman listed at $4.99, which is 75% off its regular price of $19.99.
If you enjoyed Strider back in the day, you should give Cannon Dancer / Osman a try.
The sale is going until August 4th, 2025 at 2:59 am EDT, so if you're interested, don't wait.
You can click on the link below to go straight to the sale on the eShop:
MSRP: Included with Netflix Subscription (or $4.99 on AppStore)
DEVELOPER: Capcom/FINE
PUBLISHER: Capcom
PLATFORMS: iOS, Android
PLAYED ON: iOS (iPhone 14 Pro)
Street Fighter IV Champion Edition was added to Netflix Gaming earlier this year, and while it isn't a new release per se, it wasn't available as part of a subscription service until now, so anyone who wanted it previously had to pony up $4.99.
Now you may think that playing Street Fighter on a mobile device isn't exactly the best way to play, and you'd be right, but it is one of the most accessible ways to play, and this version on iOS does a damn fine job of making the game as accessible and playable as possible.
RETRO ROOTS
As Street Fighter IV CE on mobile is just a mobile-friendly 2D port of an existing game, the mobile version takes its influence from the same place as the console version: the long-running Street Fighter game series.
Street Fighter II
While it's true that the Street Fighter series originally began with the very first game in the arcade, the truth is that game was pretty awful and without the introduction of the incredible and legendary Street Fighter II, the series probably would have fizzled out after the first one.
Street Fighter II not only reinvigorated the series, but it set a new standard for fighting games and really created the entire fighting game craze of the 90s, which would spawn Mortal Kombat, all of SNK's fighting games, and a bunch of lesser clones that vary widely in quality. It's hard to underscore just how vital Street Fighter II was to the evolution of fighting games, and how we play them today.
Even the idea of a "Champion Edition" was started in the Street Fighter II series, when Capcom released an updated version of their game where you could play as the same character (because in the first one you couldn't), which introduced the concept of color palette swaps (which again was a first), and also introduced the idea of being able to play as boss characters. Truly revolutionary, and it had a direct influence on Street Fighter IV CE.
REVIEW
Gameplay & Mechanics
Street Fighter IV Champion Edition is a mobile-first Street Fighter and its touch controls are truly excellent. Now, keep in mind that everything is relative, but in a world where SNK's fighters are practically unplayable with their touch controls, SFIVCE plays like a dream.
It even has touch screen enhancements like being able to touch on the super meters when charged to instantly execute those moves. You don't have to do it that way, and if you want to input the button combos to do so, you certainly can, but I really enjoy the one-tap nature of the move execution.
Overall gameplay is really enjoyable, and this is one of the best fighters I've ever played on mobile with touch controls.
Now, the only negative in this area is SFIVCE doesn't appear to work with Backbone or mobile controllers at all. At first I thought it was just me, and Backbone does list it as compatible, but it doesn't work. Maybe that will be fixed in an update, but for now the touch controls are your only option.
Visuals & Art Direction
Street Fighter IV Champion Edition was first released in 2018, for phones that were significantly under-powered compared to the monsters in our pockets today. This means SFIVCE runs great, but its graphics could certainly be better in 2025 running on the latest hardware. The characters are pixelized-rendered versions of the 3D characters found in the console versions of SFIV, and the backgrounds are completely static images of the 3D backgrounds in the console version. While the characters still look pretty good, the backgrounds look rough. Granted, this game is simply a rerelease of a seven year old game, so you can't expect as much as you would from a recent release, but still its a bit underwhelming in its graphical presentation.
Audio & Music
Even though the visuals might not have kept pace with the newest games, there is nothing wrong with the audio. SFIVCE uses the same announcers, music and style as the console version, and frankly it sounds great. No notes.
Story & Narrative
The story of SFIVCE is in line with the other Street Fighter games. It certainly won't win any Oscars, but the backstory and motivation of each fighter is interesting enough to help populate the victory screens and ending sequences. Nothing wrong with it, but not necessarily noteworthy either.
Technical Performance
Given this game was designed to be playable on seven-year-old hardware, if you have a recent gen device, you won't have any issues. Heck, I played it back when it first released, and I think it played great back then too.
Innovation & Originality
Seeing a fighting game play so well with touch-controls is pretty damn innovative. It may not seem like a big thing, but if you've tried to play as many "console emulated" fighting games on mobile as I have, you would know just how special the touch controls in this game are. It's like what Christian Whitehead did for Sonic on mobile, Capcom has somehow achieved for Street Fighter IV.
Value
Even the original Street Fighter IV CE was a great deal at $4.99 for a fully fledged fighting game on mobile. Now that it comes complimentary with any Netflix subscription, you'd be hard pressed to find a better value.
OVERALL SCORE: 7
The bottom line is Street Fighter IV CE is great for what it is. Frankly, if the graphics weren't so dated at this point, I would have scored it even higher. I do realize it's simply a port of a seven-year-old game, but I think it's still necessary to take into account what the experience will be like for a gamer in 2025. Also, the lack of controller support at the moment is a negative, but given how good the touch controls are, this is only a slight negative. Most of the time I'm not carrying my Backbone around, so the fact that it works almost flawlessly with just on-screen touch controls is frankly amazing. Really fun game, and given it is included with any Netflix subscription is incredible. If you like Street Fighter and have Netflix, you definitely need to give this a try.
CRITIC'S CORNER
In looking at other critic reviews and user ratings, the scores for Street Fighter IV CE are generally high, with the exception of Pocket Gamer UK for the original 2018 release. I probably would have rated it higher when it first released, but in 2025 its dated graphics definitely hold it back.
(EG's score compared to other publications - raw score quoted then followed by normalized score out of 10, if applicable)
Dive into an untold chapter of the NINJA GAIDEN saga!
To stand against a new threat, Kenji Mozu, a young ninja from the Hayabusa Village, rises to the challenge! Trained by Ryu, he fights fiercely but soon finds himself in desperate straits. Forced to tap into forbidden power, Kenji sets aside centuries of animosity and forms an alliance with Kumori, a member of the sinister Black Spider Clan, convinced that combining their souls and skills is the only way to protect the world out of the Demon Lord’s grasp!
I've been excited for Ninja Gaiden Ragebound since it was first revealed, so I was ecstatic to play the demo that was recently released for Steam's Next Fest.
NINJA GAIDEN RAGEBOUND
RELEASE DATE: 7/31/2025
MSRP: TBD
DEVELOPER: The Game Kitchen
PUBLISHER: Dotemu, Joystick
PLATFORMS: PS5, Xbox Series, and PC (Epic Games Store)
PLAYED ON: PC (Steam)
The opening cinematic recreates the classic NES opening, albeit without the amazing music from the original.
Even though you can imagine a bunch of ways this recreation could have been improved, I can also imagine a lot of ways it could have gone all kinds of wrong. I think they did a good job finding a middle ground.
After the opening cinematic, the game switches to show Ryu and another ninja discussing their training routine. I already knew Ragebound wouldn't star Ryu, as it focuses on another ninja in Ryu's clan: Kenji Mozu.
The interesting part is that the story takes place at the same time as the first Ninja Gaiden on the NES, but when Ryu travels to America to investigate his father's death, Kenji is left to defend the Hayabusa village.
The first stage acts as a tutorial and has Ryu putting Kenji through various trials that let you learn the different nuances of the game's combat and traversal mechanics.
Then at the end of the tutorial area you face off with Ryu. Of course, you don't have to defeat him, but I've read that it is possible (although difficult and unlikely your first time through the game - think of it like some of those first Dark Souls battles that you are meant to lose, but it is possible to win).
Once combat with Ryu concludes (either through victory or defeat) a messenger arrives and let's Ryu know that his father has been killed, thus kicking off the events of the first Ninja Gaiden. Ryu leaves and Kenji is left behind to defend the village.
I'm sure the full game will better explain the events which lead Kenji on his quest, but the demo is meant to just let you experience different scenarios. The combat is fast and fluid and feels really good, and (as you can see) the graphics look amazing. There is a CRT filter as well if you want an old-school twist to the visuals, and that's what I used for my playthrough (and you can see it in all these screenshots).
From the demo it appears that the regular difficulty won't be too bad, but if you really want a challenge, the harder difficulty level available in the demo proves that it won't be smooth sailing for people seeking a greater challenge.
One of the previous video reveals showed that you also get to play as a second character, a female ninja from a rival clan, but based on the demo gameplay, this is only partially true.
While you do get to play as the other ninja, she appears to exist primarily in spirit form (although its unknown exactly why at this point), and as Kenji you can leverage her powers to throw projectiles and you transform into her to traverse some areas within a specified time limit to unlock doors and solve puzzles.
I'm glad some of this wasn't revealed too early because it might have negatively influenced my opinion going into the demo, but experiencing it while playing the demo makes it seem like a fine extension of the gameplay.
In fact, I might go so far as to say that the Ninja Gaiden Ragebound demo is a perfect example of what a demo should do. It lets players experience select parts of the game, find out additional information in the context of the game and story, and get a feeling for how the game will play upon release, without giving away too much. Even the reveal of the second ninja was carefully staged, so all the changes didn't seem too overwhelming at first, and in hindsight I think that was a genius move.
Overall I really enjoyed the Ninja Gaiden Ragebound demo, and I'm simply even more hyped to get the game as soon as it releases.
You should just go download the demo on Steam and play it now, but if you want to, you can check out my playthrough of the demo on YouTube:
Evil has awakened. The dead walk once more. The kingdom is in flames...
A dark curse has swept across the land, raising the dead and corrupting the souls of the living. Infernal lords and demonic creatures march forward relentlessly, leaving only ruins and despair in their wake.
In this chaos, one last hope remains: GladMort.
A cursed knight, master of ancient relics, has forged a dark pact to face the army of the damned. Armed with supernatural powers, he embarks on a heroic… yet damned quest.
His goal: trace the source of evil and eradicate it before humanity falls forever...
PLATFORMS: PC/Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and NEOGEO
PLAYED ON: PS5
GladMort is a new game designed for, and released on, the NEOGEO in 2025.
The publisher has actually made physical carts available for purchase, which is honestly really awesome, but like most NEOGEO games, the physical version of GladMort is MUCH more expensive than your typical game in 2025 (even with the recent announcements of $80 games), retailing at 379.90 Euros (~$428 USD).
Luckily, it's also available for $12.99 on PC/Steam and $14.99 on PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch, which is a much more affordable way to play. I ended up getting it on PS5, since I prefer to play on console and I find the PS5 easier to natively screen record on than Xbox.
GladMort is a "fantasy medieval action-platformer" which pretty much means it plays like Ghouls & Ghosts, complete with double-jump, but it's nowhere as punishing as the Capcom classic (however, it's still challenging compared to most modern games).
The story of GladMort speaks of a "terrible calamity" in the kingdom, which forces the king to call about the black knight GladMort, who isn't necessarily a good guy, but desperate times call for... a black knight. As you might imagine, the plot isn't too important to the overall gameplay, but it still forms a nice backdrop for your quest as the black knight.
RETRO ROOTS
GladMort wears its retro-inspiration on its sleeve, from the fact that it's a literal NEOGEO game, and it clearly draws inspiration from the classic games on the console, but it is also obviously inspired by Capcom's Super Ghouls & Ghosts game on the Super NES.
Super Ghouls & Ghosts
While all of the Ghosts & Goblins / Ghouls & Ghosts games share elements in common, the elements found in GladMort seem to most closely align with those in the Super NES version: Super Ghouls & Ghosts. This is especially evident in the character's double jump, which practically seems like a carbon copy of the double jump in Super Ghouls & Ghosts. Of course the weapon upgrades, and the way the character loses his suit of armor when hit are clearly from it as well, but the double jump is the main difference in the Super NES game versus the others in the series.
NEOGEO Platformers
While Magician Lord is not very similar to GladMort, the large colorful sprites, detailed backgrounds and smooth animation are all hallmarks of NEOGEO platformers, and GladMort continues this fine tradition.
REVIEW
Gameplay & Mechanics
GladMort is heavily stylized after Super Ghouls & Ghosts, and this directly impacts how its gameplay is designed. The double-jump may seem a bit floaty at first, but just get used to its timing, as it is part of the overall strategy of gameplay. Jump at the wrong time and you are certain to either jump straight into an enemy or come down and land on one. Overall, given the homage this game is designed around, its gameplay is very good and does a great job echoing Super Ghouls & Ghosts design, while incorporating its own unique elements; it feels both familiar and fresh at the same time. It can also be fairly difficult at points by modern standards, although it is nowhere as difficult as its inspiration. Players seeking a Super Ghouls & Ghosts-type difficulty may be disappointed, as GladMort is nowhere as difficult as that, but modern gamers will likely find GladMort to be challenging enough to be interesting.
Visuals & Art Direction
The visuals in GladMort look really good. The characters are well drawn and animated, and the environments and backgrounds are colorful and totally look at home as a NEOGEO game. This gives a look that harken's back to the days of the 16-bit gods: the SNES and Sega Genesis, but given this is a NEOGEO game, it looks better than anything on either of those platforms.
GladMort also has a bunch of screen filter options that you can switch between easily by just pressing the left and right bumper buttons (sometimes too easily, as I've accidentally switched filters in the midst of frantically pushing buttons to attack or avoid enemies). Personally, I like the curved CRT filter the best, but there are quite a few good ones to choose from.
Audio & Music
The music in GladMort is really good. I'm not looking to rush out and buy the OST, but it certainly fits the action and bring you right back to the heyday of 90s gaming, in a good way.
Story & Narrative
While games like GladMort don't really need a story, the backstory and plot in the game are interesting enough to frame the action in an interesting way. Is it anything you'll likely remember or continue thinking about once you roll credits? Probably not. But its certainly good enough that it feels right at home with other games from the 90s.
Technical Performance
Given this game was designed to be playable on NEOGEO hardware, and I played it on the PlayStation 5, you can probably imagine that I didn't have any issues performance-wise. That being said, I also haven't read about any performance issues on the Switch or other platforms as well, so you're probably safe in that department.
Innovation & Originality
GladMort is not likely to get many point for originality, but lets face it, that's likely not why you are interested in it. The way GladMort incorporates elements from Super Ghouls & Ghosts is well done, and having a new NEOGEO game in 2025 is pretty damn cool, so while nothing about the game may be that innovative, we could certainly use more games like this.
Value
As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, GladMort costs $12.99 on PC/Steam and $14.99 on Switch, PlayStation and Xbox. That seems like a good deal, and is certainly priced right considering the value it delivers relative to other similar retro-styled games. Now, if you decide to purchase the physical NEOGEO cart, it will set you back 380 Euros, which is about $428 in the U.S. That is on par with old school NEOGEO game releases, but WOW is it expensive. I'm sure collectors will be interested in it, but that seems like a pretty niche audience. I'm just glad the developers made the other releases priced at the levels they did.
OVERALL SCORE: 8
Overall, my experience with GladMort was really good. I had to go back and remind myself what some of the other games for the NEOGEO looked like, and GladMort really nails the visual aesthetic of the console. I actually like the fact that the game is somewhat challenging, but nowhere as difficult as Super Ghouls & Ghosts. I'm sure some hardcore gamers will be put-off by its lack of extreme difficulty, but if you're a semi-casual who liked the idea of Super Ghouls & Ghosts, but just found it too darn hard, you may really like this game.
CRITIC'S CORNER
In looking at other critic reviews and user ratings, the scores for GladMort are all over the place.
(EG's score compared to other publications - raw score quoted then followed by normalized score out of 10, if applicable)
