Darran is so old that he used to play retro games when they were simply called games. A relic from the Seventies, he’s been professionally writing about retro gaming since 2003 and has been helming Retro Gamer since its resurrection in 2005, making him one of the UK’s longest-running editors of a games magazine. A keen board gamer, nature photographer and lover of movies, Darran’s writing credits include GamesTM, Play, SciFi-Now, Official Xbox Magazine, SFX, XBM, Cube, Total DVD, World Of Animals and numerous others. You’ll find him online discussing everything from bird photography to the latest 4K Arrow releases, as well as the ever-increasing prices of retro games.
Latest articles by Darran Jones

The 25 best Game Boy Advance games of all time
By Darran Jones last updated
Best List The 25 best Game Boy Advance games hark back to the glory days of portable play. Here are all the top GBA titles you need to get if you haven't.

The 25 best N64 games of all time
By Darran Jones last updated
Best List Looking back on the best N64 games in 2026 and explore the releases that defined the classic console, from Paper Mario to Banjo Kazooie

The 25 best DS games of all time
By Darran Jones last updated
Best List From Mario Kart to Chrono Trigger, here's our list of the best DS games of all time

The 25 best PS Vita games of all time
By Darran Jones last updated
Best List From Mortal Kombat to Hotline Miami, these are the best PS Vita games that helped transform Sony's powerhouse of a portable console

Best Saturn games of all time from Die Hard Arcade to Panzer Dragoon Saga
By Darran Jones last updated
Best List The 25 best Sega Saturn games, from Die Hard Arcade to Panzer Dragoon Saga

40 years later, Mario is still the ultimate gaming mascot: "He's got that Mickey Mouse effect"
By Darran Jones, Nick Thorpe published
Feature The Magic of Mario | A captivating character is one element that makes Super Mario Bros timeless – after all, you can't have Mario without the Mario

25 best original Xbox games of all-time
By Darran Jones last updated
Best List Classics are king when it comes to the best original Xbox games, from Psychonauts to Halo: Combat Evolved

30 years on, developers reflect on Super Metroid's impact: "Like Zelda and Mario, there is almost nothing else out there like it in tone. Still to this day, even"
By Darran Jones published
Feature Feature | Super Metroid: An Enduring Legacy – As Nintendo's sci-fi classic turns 30, Retro Gamer revisits Zebes to speak with developers of both Metroidvanias and actual Metroid games to learn what makes Samus Aran's 2D adventure so special

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures is an oft-overlooked GameCube standout
By Darran Jones published
FEATURE This evolution of Capcom's multiplayer mode in the GBA's A Link To The Past is a stone-cold classic

Lego Atari 2600 review: "Absolutely delightful"
By Darran Jones last updated
Review Crammed with Easter eggs, nostalgia, and novel touches, the Lego Atari 2600 is a joy for fans

The evolution of Wipeout from the devs behind the futuristic racer series
By Rory Milne, Darran Jones published
Feature Retro Gamer speaks to key creatives behind the Wipeout series to explore its evolution

Lego Jurassic Park T. rex Breakout review: "A clear highlight"
By Darran Jones published
Review This set does one of cinema's most iconic moments justice, and Lego Jurassic Park T. rex Breakout is an incredible set overall

Best retro games of all time
By Darran Jones published
Best List Our ranking of the best retro games of all time, from GTA Vice City to Super Mario World

Should you buy the Lego Super Mario Question Mark Block set?
By Darran Jones published
Feature Lego’s latest set celebrates Super Mario 64’s 25th anniversary

From Dark Forces to Battlefront, Retro Gamer charts the history of Star Wars video games
By Retro Gamer Team, Ali Jones, Darran Jones published
News “When you look at the whole saga, the real hero might be R2-D2”
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