Sasha's Retrobytes 🏳️⚧️
@sharkabytes.bsky.social
Freelance Writer│Magazine Editor│UK VG & Anime Historian│🦈 fur │Transfem she/her│AuDHD │❤️ : @kitnibbles.bsky.social │Business Enq: [email protected]
More info in pinned
❤️ : https://ko-fi.com/retrobytes
❤️ : patreon.com/SashasRetroBytes
More info in pinned
❤️ : https://ko-fi.com/retrobytes
❤️ : patreon.com/SashasRetroBytes
Pinned
New pinned post and info sheet!
I'm curious and passionate about a whole bunch of nerdy and cool stuff! I also publish a fortnightly retro gaming and anime 'zine and write on several blogs:
Scanlines zine: betweenthescanlines.itch.io
Main blog: scanlineartifacts.wordpress.com
I'm curious and passionate about a whole bunch of nerdy and cool stuff! I also publish a fortnightly retro gaming and anime 'zine and write on several blogs:
Scanlines zine: betweenthescanlines.itch.io
Main blog: scanlineartifacts.wordpress.com
Nice little callback to it in Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn, in the Adventurer's Mart in Athkatla. Adventurers far from their home devoured by Tiamat, the paintings inscriptions describe. They also cameo in the D&D movie Honor Among Thieves from a couple of years back.
November 25, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Nice little callback to it in Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn, in the Adventurer's Mart in Athkatla. Adventurers far from their home devoured by Tiamat, the paintings inscriptions describe. They also cameo in the D&D movie Honor Among Thieves from a couple of years back.
“Fear not, Ranger, Barbarian, Magician, Thief, Cavalier and Acrobat!”
I like how this 1984 VHS release describes it as a Marvel 'Video Comic'. How delightfully zeerusty, to use a TVtrope.
I like how this 1984 VHS release describes it as a Marvel 'Video Comic'. How delightfully zeerusty, to use a TVtrope.
November 25, 2025 at 2:09 PM
“Fear not, Ranger, Barbarian, Magician, Thief, Cavalier and Acrobat!”
I like how this 1984 VHS release describes it as a Marvel 'Video Comic'. How delightfully zeerusty, to use a TVtrope.
I like how this 1984 VHS release describes it as a Marvel 'Video Comic'. How delightfully zeerusty, to use a TVtrope.
Yeah! That's how I feel about it, too.
November 25, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Yeah! That's how I feel about it, too.
Same, same <3
November 25, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Same, same <3
Yeah! Very much so.
November 25, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Yeah! Very much so.
Just had to support @sam-animeherald.bsky.social and the other lovely folks at Anime Herald with their mag launch. Shipping for the physical version was a bit prohibitive to the UK due to *gestures about*, but I got an order in for the digi version, which I'm eagerly digging into.
Check it out!
Check it out!
November 25, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Just had to support @sam-animeherald.bsky.social and the other lovely folks at Anime Herald with their mag launch. Shipping for the physical version was a bit prohibitive to the UK due to *gestures about*, but I got an order in for the digi version, which I'm eagerly digging into.
Check it out!
Check it out!
It really does!
November 25, 2025 at 12:41 PM
It really does!
Cheers! It's outside a home so I assume there's a collection booked for it, but will do so if it's still there tomorrow.
November 25, 2025 at 12:09 PM
Cheers! It's outside a home so I assume there's a collection booked for it, but will do so if it's still there tomorrow.
Same here. It was one of the games I picked up a PS2 up for a few months before release. Still my nostalgic favourite of the Ace Combats, and really enjoyed revising it last year.
Couldn't resist grabbing the Japan release too when I saw it going cheap.
Couldn't resist grabbing the Japan release too when I saw it going cheap.
November 25, 2025 at 12:02 PM
Same here. It was one of the games I picked up a PS2 up for a few months before release. Still my nostalgic favourite of the Ace Combats, and really enjoyed revising it last year.
Couldn't resist grabbing the Japan release too when I saw it going cheap.
Couldn't resist grabbing the Japan release too when I saw it going cheap.
xD I'm sure. It shall remain closed.
November 25, 2025 at 11:57 AM
xD I'm sure. It shall remain closed.
The gorgeous case and disc artwork of JPN Ace Combat 4.
November 25, 2025 at 11:38 AM
The gorgeous case and disc artwork of JPN Ace Combat 4.
Hint: always carry a coin in your pocket and look for the nearest Pulowski Preservation Shelter. This PSA brought to you by Pulowski Preservation Services - comfort and safety as you prepare to rebuild civilization.
November 25, 2025 at 11:16 AM
Hint: always carry a coin in your pocket and look for the nearest Pulowski Preservation Shelter. This PSA brought to you by Pulowski Preservation Services - comfort and safety as you prepare to rebuild civilization.
The urge to open this up and check if it was used as an impromptu fallout shelter and I'll either discover a charred skeleton, bottlecaps, and some pre-war junk,or a fedora and whip.
November 25, 2025 at 11:06 AM
The urge to open this up and check if it was used as an impromptu fallout shelter and I'll either discover a charred skeleton, bottlecaps, and some pre-war junk,or a fedora and whip.
Reposted by Sasha's Retrobytes 🏳️⚧️
And the hidden message says "please may this sell"
Once I decided to rip a bunch of models out of N64 racing games and found a hidden message in unused texture data which hadn't been read by anyone else on earth tcrf.net/AeroGauge
November 25, 2025 at 9:19 AM
And the hidden message says "please may this sell"
Reposted by Sasha's Retrobytes 🏳️⚧️
No aspirations of becoming chicken feed, but no chance of smoothing ruffled feathers, either.
To battle! ⚔️
Still some of the loveliest pixel artwork on DS 💜
📺: Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, Square-Enix, 2007 (NDS)
To battle! ⚔️
Still some of the loveliest pixel artwork on DS 💜
📺: Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, Square-Enix, 2007 (NDS)
November 25, 2025 at 1:49 AM
No aspirations of becoming chicken feed, but no chance of smoothing ruffled feathers, either.
To battle! ⚔️
Still some of the loveliest pixel artwork on DS 💜
📺: Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, Square-Enix, 2007 (NDS)
To battle! ⚔️
Still some of the loveliest pixel artwork on DS 💜
📺: Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, Square-Enix, 2007 (NDS)
Reposted by Sasha's Retrobytes 🏳️⚧️
The Original PS2 - PS/2! IBM's attempt in '87 to regain the initiative in the PC market with the Personal System 2. Priced at $2000, it pioneered VGA graphics as standard and the port that gave it its name.
Its greatest legacy is how those features filtered out to IBM clones and compatibles.
Its greatest legacy is how those features filtered out to IBM clones and compatibles.
January 17, 2025 at 6:19 PM
The Original PS2 - PS/2! IBM's attempt in '87 to regain the initiative in the PC market with the Personal System 2. Priced at $2000, it pioneered VGA graphics as standard and the port that gave it its name.
Its greatest legacy is how those features filtered out to IBM clones and compatibles.
Its greatest legacy is how those features filtered out to IBM clones and compatibles.
Reposted by Sasha's Retrobytes 🏳️⚧️
📖 Bytes of Game Ads 📺
"No pain, No Gain."
Hillsfar was the first AD&D game from Westwood Associates, aka Westwood Studios. Though it reviewed poorly, it's an interesting chimera of a game, essentially a collection of arcade and puzzle mini-games with the veneer of being an RPG.
"No pain, No Gain."
Hillsfar was the first AD&D game from Westwood Associates, aka Westwood Studios. Though it reviewed poorly, it's an interesting chimera of a game, essentially a collection of arcade and puzzle mini-games with the veneer of being an RPG.
June 25, 2025 at 4:27 PM
📖 Bytes of Game Ads 📺
"No pain, No Gain."
Hillsfar was the first AD&D game from Westwood Associates, aka Westwood Studios. Though it reviewed poorly, it's an interesting chimera of a game, essentially a collection of arcade and puzzle mini-games with the veneer of being an RPG.
"No pain, No Gain."
Hillsfar was the first AD&D game from Westwood Associates, aka Westwood Studios. Though it reviewed poorly, it's an interesting chimera of a game, essentially a collection of arcade and puzzle mini-games with the veneer of being an RPG.
Reposted by Sasha's Retrobytes 🏳️⚧️
In the original Phantasy Star, there is, bizarrely, a cake shop located in the middle of the Naula Cave dungeon.
This cake shop is referenced in Phantasy Star Online 2, but is so ridiculously rare that it can take hundreds of hours for its event to ever occur.
As in PS1, the shop sells Shortcake.
This cake shop is referenced in Phantasy Star Online 2, but is so ridiculously rare that it can take hundreds of hours for its event to ever occur.
As in PS1, the shop sells Shortcake.
November 24, 2025 at 1:37 PM
In the original Phantasy Star, there is, bizarrely, a cake shop located in the middle of the Naula Cave dungeon.
This cake shop is referenced in Phantasy Star Online 2, but is so ridiculously rare that it can take hundreds of hours for its event to ever occur.
As in PS1, the shop sells Shortcake.
This cake shop is referenced in Phantasy Star Online 2, but is so ridiculously rare that it can take hundreds of hours for its event to ever occur.
As in PS1, the shop sells Shortcake.
You love to see it. 💜
All the writing and zine work I do has been and always will be GenAI/ChatGPT free. Seeing the casual use of it in some retro gaming/tech circles has only added to my dislike for it.
All the writing and zine work I do has been and always will be GenAI/ChatGPT free. Seeing the casual use of it in some retro gaming/tech circles has only added to my dislike for it.
Indie game developers have a new sales pitch: being ‘AI free’
Indie game developers have a new sales pitch: being ‘AI free’
“We can produce results that meet our quality standards without its assistance.”
buff.ly
November 24, 2025 at 11:54 PM
You love to see it. 💜
All the writing and zine work I do has been and always will be GenAI/ChatGPT free. Seeing the casual use of it in some retro gaming/tech circles has only added to my dislike for it.
All the writing and zine work I do has been and always will be GenAI/ChatGPT free. Seeing the casual use of it in some retro gaming/tech circles has only added to my dislike for it.
Reposted by Sasha's Retrobytes 🏳️⚧️
"Uncle Owen! Aunt Beru!"
"Luke? What's wrong?"
"I had a scary dream... I was holding this glowing stick and fighting someone dressed in black armour, and I hit him with it, and he turned into a sand scorpion!"
"Now, Luke, it's just a dream. Here, have some blue milk and go back to sleep."
"Luke? What's wrong?"
"I had a scary dream... I was holding this glowing stick and fighting someone dressed in black armour, and I hit him with it, and he turned into a sand scorpion!"
"Now, Luke, it's just a dream. Here, have some blue milk and go back to sleep."
November 24, 2025 at 12:30 PM
"Uncle Owen! Aunt Beru!"
"Luke? What's wrong?"
"I had a scary dream... I was holding this glowing stick and fighting someone dressed in black armour, and I hit him with it, and he turned into a sand scorpion!"
"Now, Luke, it's just a dream. Here, have some blue milk and go back to sleep."
"Luke? What's wrong?"
"I had a scary dream... I was holding this glowing stick and fighting someone dressed in black armour, and I hit him with it, and he turned into a sand scorpion!"
"Now, Luke, it's just a dream. Here, have some blue milk and go back to sleep."
Thank you so much for checking it out!
November 24, 2025 at 10:16 PM
Thank you so much for checking it out!
I'd never really noticed it was that same flagman until today, and then wondered if he'd do the same dance he does in O2/C2C if you watch him for a while, but nope xD
November 24, 2025 at 9:43 PM
I'd never really noticed it was that same flagman until today, and then wondered if he'd do the same dance he does in O2/C2C if you watch him for a while, but nope xD
Reposted by Sasha's Retrobytes 🏳️⚧️
From NewType USA, May 2004: one of the darlings of the Boys Love craze and one of the first BL series yaoi fans outside of Japan would have watched/read (including me!): Gravitation.
November 24, 2025 at 8:59 PM
From NewType USA, May 2004: one of the darlings of the Boys Love craze and one of the first BL series yaoi fans outside of Japan would have watched/read (including me!): Gravitation.
Ooh! I'm fond of Viewpoint on PS1, and recently picked up an N64, so this will be going on my Everdrive 64 later.
November 24, 2025 at 9:18 PM
Ooh! I'm fond of Viewpoint on PS1, and recently picked up an N64, so this will be going on my Everdrive 64 later.