Welcome to Respawn Magazine
Press Start
Do you remember the feeling of getting your first Pokemon? Or discovering Mario’s warp pipes for the first time? How about slaying monsters on C Island in StarTropics?
The 80s, 90s, and early 2000s were a special time for video games. The feeling of discovery was overwhelming – there were so many compelling new worlds to explore, from EarthBound to Metroid and more. It was magical.
Respawn Magazine exists to recapture that magic for those who enjoyed it – and those who may be experiencing it for the first time.
Readers of Respawn can expect in-depth features and game reviews focused on retrotitles, both the genre-defining ones and the lesser-known ones. With Respawn, you’ll be able to enjoy some nostalgia and maybe even learn a thing or two you never knew about retro gaming.
Why Retro Gaming Matters
Retro video games are more than just old software. They’re stories. They’re community. And the magic behind them resonates just as strongly today as it did 20, 30, or 40 years ago.
Older games still continue to influence modern game design to this day, with platformers, shooters, RPGs, and other genres basing their playstyle decisions on what came before.
Nostalgia is also an important part of preserving gaming history. There’s an untapped well of unique stories in the games of the past – stories we hope to tell here.
What is Respawn Magazine?
Respawn Magazine is an online retro video gaming publication for consumers of retro video games. Our mission is to tell the stories that give you warm fuzzies about your childhood – and to preserve the history of retro gaming for future generations to uncover.
Our editorial focus is on retro gaming news, long-form features, developer stories, hardware and collecting, gaming culture, and community voices.
We strive to produce more than just clickbait – we aim to create thoughtful journalistic articles that you’ll enjoy reading just as much as we enjoyed writing them.
Why We Started This Magazine
Our Editor-in-Chief Mike Straus started Respawn Magazine as a venue to share his love of retro gaming with other enthusiasts. Mike has been a gamer since the mid-1990s; he grew up with titles like Sonic the Hedgehog and Super Mario Brothers. Gaming captured his imagination at an early age and never let go.
In 2026, Mike saw a lack of dedicated spaces for in-depth retro gaming coverage. As an experienced journalist, Mike decided to fill the gap in the market with a publication built by retro gaming enthusiasts, for retro gaming enthusiasts.
Respawn Magazine is more than just a museum – it’s a lively celebration of gaming history.
What You’ll Find Here
At Respawn Magazine, you’ll find all sorts of coverage of retro gaming, including:
Features
Deep dives into classic games and franchises.
Retrospectives and historical pieces.
Interviews
Conversations with developers, artists, composers, and collectors.
Hardware & Collecting
Retro consoles, restoration projects, collecting tips, and preservation.
Community Stories
Reader submissions and fan experiences.
Industry Perspectives
How retro gaming continues to shape today's industry.
The Future of Respawn Magazine
Respawn Magazine is a small-but-mighty startup publication. Our aim for the immediate future is to regularly publish online features once every few weeks, prioritizing quality reporting over quantity of material.
We are actively interested in onboarding new contributors to the magazine in the future; however, we regret that we cannot pay for contributions at this time. That said, we are committed to growing alongside the retro gaming community and we hope to become the retro gamer’s go-to resource for all things retro gaming.
We invite readers to participate via social media discussions and letters to the editor.
One More Continue
Thank you for joining us from our humble beginnings; we hope you explore and enjoy our future articles.
We’re optimistic that this publication will help to preserve gaming history and share unique stories about retro gaming.
Every game deserves another life. Every story deserves another playthrough.
Welcome to Respawn Magazine – press start.