Welcome to AftermarketGames.com
Hi, and welcome to the beginning of something I've always wanted to create.
I've always wanted to design and maintain a website about something I'm passionate about. Due to some unforeseen circumstances in my life, I've decided to turn a negative into a positive and finally start putting it all together.
I've always enjoyed playing retro games. Systems such as the Commodore 64, arcade machines, DOS PCs and the Nintendo Entertainment System were a huge part of my youth. I've also always been fascinated by games that are lesser-known, overlooked or that not many people have had the opportunity to play. I'm not entirely sure why, but there's something about discovering these hidden gems that I've always found exciting.
The aim of AftermarketGames.com is to build a catalogue of homebrew and aftermarket games created for retro systems, giving these games a place to be discovered, explored and appreciated. There are some incredibly talented people still creating games for hardware that's decades old, and I'd love to help shine a light on their work.
Whilst the site is still young and the catalogue is small, I hope to add many more games and features over the coming months, all whilst learning more about website design along the way.
I've used AI to help with some of the coding and to simplify parts of the design process, but I've made an effort to ensure that the overall look, feel and direction of the website reflect my own vision.
I'm always happy to receive feedback, whether positive or negative. I hope others will find the site interesting and useful, but even if I'm the only person who ever uses it, I'll still be happy knowing I've managed to create something I've wanted to do for a long time.
What's Next?
There's still plenty of work to be done, and I'm gradually adding new features and improving the site as I learn. Some of the things I'm currently working on or planning include:
- A proper homepage: Creating a dedicated homepage that makes it easier to discover games, browse the catalogue and explore what's available.
- More platforms: Expanding the list of supported platforms so that games can be linked to a wider range of retro systems.
- Mobile support and accessibility: Reviewing and improving how the website looks and works on mobile devices, whilst making it more accessible and easier for everyone to use.
- Community reviews: Introducing an optional review system where registered users can share their thoughts and experiences with individual games.
- Improving forms and game information: Refining the forms used to add games, cleaning up some of the existing data and improving how references and sources are handled.
- Original artwork: Commissioning an artist to create a banner and logo for the website, using artwork made by a person rather than generated by AI.
These are just some of the improvements I have in mind, and I'm sure plenty of other ideas will come along as the site develops.
As this is a personal project that I'm building and learning from along the way, things may take a little time. I appreciate anyone who takes an interest in the site, contributes a game or simply has a look around.
Thanks for visiting!