Auckland • Sydney • Est. 2016

Where Every Boss Fight Becomes a Story.

Firstwave Journal is an independent, sponsor-free gaming review desk and culture hub. Deep-dive reviews, no-fluff guides, hardware tear-downs, and honest perspectives on the titles actually worth your weekend.

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640+Reviews Published

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A Note from the Editor

"Started on a hand-me-down CRT. Still chasing the perfect frame-pacing."

I am Marcus, and Firstwave Journal started as a late-night blog in a humble Surry Hills terrace, surrounded by a heavy Sony Trinitron and shoe-boxes of retro game disks. It was simple: finish the game before you dare write about it. No pre-written copy, no corporate lunches, no fluff.

Today, we remain an independent review desk. We still take zero sponsor dollars from publishers, and we still review every single system ourselves. It's built for those who understand the true magic of game mechanics. If you expect honest journalism, you're exactly where you belong.

— Marcus Tran, Founder & Lead Writer

What We Obsess Over

Unfiltered Reviews

Day-one reviews without publisher-approved bullet points. If a game is broken, we say it.

Retro CRT Culturing

Revisiting the classics with 2026 eye. Scalers, analogue audio, and physical copies matter.

Indie Spotlight

Highlighting the local NZ, Aussie, and global creators who innovate behind closed doors.

Why We Are Different

What sets our gaming desk apart

A transparent comparison between our independent team and standard ad-reliant publication models.

Features We Stand For

Firstwave Journal

Standard Publishers

100% Sponsor-Free Testing

Yes (Never Sponsored)

Rarely (Ad Driven)

Full Game Completion Before Review

Yes (Always Finished)

Usually Not (Timed)

Analogue & Retro Focus

Yes (CRT/Emulators)

No (New Hype Only)

Ad-Free Clean Reading Experience

Yes (Subscriber Supported)

No (Banners Everywhere)

Direct Q&A to Writers

Yes (In Comments)

Never

From the Desk

Recent work, sorted by aisle

The newest breakdowns, analytical deep-dives, and guides published directly by our gaming enthusiasts.

View Full Journal Index →

Sony Trinitron CRT retro screen close up

Review

12 min read • Dec 12, 2025

Aurora Drift — 47 hours of unforgiving space exploration, no regrets

Our thorough breakdown of the brutal orbital combat, realistic fuel mechanics, and why standard ratings completely missed its ultimate charm.

Read Review →

Custom gaming microchips and setup wiring

Hardware

18 min read • Nov 28, 2025

The complete Sunset Foundry build order: Optimising modern emulation

How we sourced classic components, calibrated latency converters, and constructed the premier multi-system cabinet for vintage titles.

Read Guide →

Retro Analysis

9 min read • Nov 10, 2025

Revisiting Neon Alley on a real CRT: Analogue vs Emulated scanlines

Comparing real phosphor glow to digital filter presets. Discover why original hardware changes the way pixel art feels.

Read Deep Dive →

Reader Mail

What the crew's been saying

Real, unedited notes from our dedicated subscribers who trust our honest testing.

"I bought a $110 game on Firstwave's word instead of checking aggregated reviews. The best call I made all year. The review flagged exactly where the pacing slows and why the game works anyway. Absolute journalism gold."

Priya S.

Wellington, NZ

"The emulated CRT guides are outstanding. I sent a highly technical query about setup calibrations and got a thorough reply directly from Marcus within a day. No corporate outlet does that!"

Dylan M.

Auckland, NZ

"The membership plan easily pays for itself. Access to raw hardware logs and voting rights on next retro reviews is exactly the community platform modern gamers need."

Hannah W.

Christchurch, NZ

Support Independent Media

Support the desk, skip the ads

Join our direct-support model to unlock raw hardware files, deep dive guides, and community comment boards.

Free Reader

Ideal for casual gaming news and weekly reviews.

$0/ month

Access to core reviews
Weekly newsletter
Standard reader polls

Arcade Pass

Perfect for active players wanting deeper emulators data.

$7/ month

Everything in Free Pass
Ad-free web reading
Early access to emulator logs
Discord community role

Join Arcade

Legend Pass

For hardcore hardware builders and collectors.

$15/ month

Everything in Arcade Pass
Monthly live gameplay calls
Vote on review roadmaps
Physical stickers mailed yearly

FAQ Desk

Frequently Answered Queries

Got questions about how our independent model works? Here are the facts.

We do not accept money from developers or hardware brands for placement, scores, or previews. Our costs are 100% funded by subscribers who value uncompromised reviews.

Marcus and selected enthusiast contributors who have proven experience with real hardware, analogue signal standards, and emulator engineering.

Absolutely. Our paid members get to participate in monthly review polls where they vote on which vintage systems or new indies we explore next.

We adhere strictly to NZ Privacy Principles and GDPR standards. Your details are secured and we never trade user files. Review our Privacy Policy for more details.