Developer: DMA Design
Publisher: Psygnosis
Designer: Dave Jones
Composer: Brian Johnston, Timothy Wright
Release: 1991
Platform: Amiga and pretty much every system ever.Lemmings back in 1991 was a revelation, a genuinely fresh concept of having you assign your suicidal rodents to help them escape. This is a video all about that game, how it came about and what the Lemmings developer DMA Design went on to do. I hope you enjoy...
We are a collection of retro gaming enthusiasts who, on a monthly basis, select and collectively play an old game. Feel free to browse our blog posts, gameplay videos etc., and if some of it sparks your interest, consider joining us in our gaming endeavours! We hang out in the forums of the excellent retro gaming podcast Retro Game Squad, so come join us and have fun playing and discussing some retro classics!
Saturday 27 September 2014
GROW: Lemmings
Tuesday 23 September 2014
Visual Guide to Amiga Games: Cannon Fodder
This week the Visual Guide to Amiga Games, an ongoing coffee table book project by @madsdk, takes a look at a great Sensible Software game. No, it isn't Sensible Soccer, although that was a great title as well. Feast your eyes on the wonder that is Cannon Fodder - and if you haven't already, go play this game now!
Hint: To fully appreciate these images, click the cogwheel in the upper right corner and choose "View Full Resolution".
Saturday 20 September 2014
GROW: Bruce Lee - C64
| Developer | Datasoft | ||||||
| Publisher | Datasoft | ||||||
| Designer | Ron J. Fortier | ||||||
| Platform | Commodore 64 | ||||||
| Release date |
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| Genre | Platformer / Fighting | ||||||
This week I wanted to take a look at a personal favourite of mine: Bruce Lee for the Commodore 64. To try something new, I decided to do a small video review/playthrough of the game, instead of the normal text-only reviews we do each Saturday.
The video is quite short - only 5 minutes - so I hope you'll want to watch it in its entirety. Enjoy the show!
Saturday 13 September 2014
GROW: Night Trap - 3DO
| Developer | Digital Pictures |
| Publisher | Virgin Interactive |
| Distributor | Hasbro Interactive |
| Platform | 3DO |
| Release date |
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| Genre | Survival horror, Interactive movie |
| Mode | Single player |
@RetroGameRevive
FMV (Full Motion Video) is one of the greatest and most beautiful disasters of the early to mid (and even some in the late) 90's. But just because it was destined for the slaughter house, does not mean at the time it looked to be the 'Way of the Future' and everyone who got to experience it when it first became commercialized in video games couldn't help but be taken in by this 'One Hit Wonder'.
Although Night Trap on the 3DO was released 2 years after it's initial launch on the Sega/Mega CD and most Night Trap enthusiast will take Sega's 16-Bit CD version over other platforms as this holds most nostalgia for them (that includes me), I think the 3DO is by far the most polished version and also offers a few useful additions to enhance the game play like a map of the house in your HUD. Now.... If you haven't heard of Night Trap then there is something seriously wrong with you, but I forgive you because now you have and after this review you will want to play it....Maybe, I probably shouldn't hold my breath on this one...lol.
Ok, let's get started on the undisputed champion of interactive FMV games and let's play some Night Trap!
STORY
SCAT (Special Control Attack Team) agent Kelli Medd (Dana Plato) has gone undercover in to the home of the Martin family with a group of innocent girls for a slumber party invited by the daughter of Mr and Mrs Martin. She has been sent there to investigate the disappearance of 5 other girls who previously stayed at the house as well as looking in to some other 'odd' occurrences that have been happening on the property. Your job is to follow the girls around the house using a series of cameras and traps that have been set up in each room and and hopefully uncover the mystery of the missing girls whilst protecting the the ones currently in the house. As the evening progresses you realize you are up against a vampiric group called 'Augers' who have one thing on their mind, attack and capture. I don't want to give the ending away as I would prefer you to experience the game for yourself if you have not already done so.
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GAMEPLAY
You are referred to as 'Control' in this game and this is exactly your purpose. As stated before you control all of the cameras and traps throughout the house and using the HUD on the screen you have a meter which starts to spike and at the right moment when you have an Auger or two on screen and your meter peaks you hit a button to release a trap and capture the intruder(s). Now, the concept is easy but the execution is a challenge as you don't actually receive any information telling you when an Auger is approaching in another room that you are not currently watching. This is where the challenge lies as you are essentially required to use a pen and paper to help with your on-screen interactions writing down the times and the rooms when an Auger enters the house. Well that's what I did when I played this game back in the 90's. Although there is a story you can follow, if you choose to follow each character from room to room you will be watching your little Auger capture meter climb higher and higher on all the intruders you have missed as they will all enter the house through a vacant room and that is usually when you need to capture them. Now to make things even more interesting you will find each trap is locked by a color access code which throughout the game needs to be changed so you still have control of the traps. But to know which color code you require you need to know when a member of the family is talking about it so you can hear what color it is. So let's recap quickly.... Most of the time if you follow the family members (or sometimes the girls and boys) you will get to follow the story but you wont be capturing many Augers and you need to capture a certain amount to continue on with the game. If you try to continuously scan each room looking for the Augers you will get the chance to capture them but you will also be risking missing out on hearing the next access code color to control the traps as well as missing out on the plot of the story. Sounds like fun, doesn't it?
CONTROL
Controls are very straight forward in Night Trap as you basically use your control pad to move from room to room, using one button to enter that room, using another to set the traps and a 3rd to change the access code color. Using the start/pause button is also a necessity in this game as it will pause time but still allow you to change from room to room. And if you use a pen and pad like a did it will also give you the opportunity to look at your notes so you know what room and at what time you will be capturing your next Auger.
VIDEO / AUDIO
When it comes to FMV games there is not really much depth when it comes to discussing the graphical and audio highs and lows. The game itself has been filmed to feel like a horror/thriller movie, well like your typical cheesy 80's horror movie (but we all know the best horror movies came out of the 80's). Using the hardware of the 3DO the video footage is very clear and uses most of the screen except for your HUD down the bottom. The sound effects and music are all of good stereo quality but there really isn't too much more to look in to. Overall I would say it's of VHS standard and considering that was the video format of the time and also what format this game was originally supposed to be released as, you really can't find any negatives in this part of the game.
ALL THE OTHER STUFF
Night Trap is a bit of a cult classic these days and even though the depth of the game play isn't much deeper than the kiddies pool at your local aquatics center it's regarded as on the pioneers of 'violence in video games' which is one of the big reasons it holds its cult status. But that's not what draws me in to this game. It's very much a nostalgic game for me as my memories are playing it at my friends house (you know, the kid who lived down the road and had everything) working as a team moving around from room to room whilst taking all these notes.... And speaking of notes, the reason why I decided to write this article is because I found something from those days and thought I would share it with you all. From memory I would have taken these notes in 1995.
I found the times and rooms up to the 27 minute mark and compared them to all the walkthroughs that are available these days and I have to admit, we did very well and were pretty accurate capturing everything considering we were only 12 and 13. Although I did notice I spelt 'Entry Way' as 'Enter Way' and 'Upstairs' as 'Upstars' :)
It really is hard to write this article and praise it like I do with the other games I review, but I have also told myself to only review games that I think are good and worthy of being reviewed in a positive light. So how do I justify it? Well I can't, but I think that is the charm of Night Trap and the hold it has on me and many others out there.
Not all games have to be 10 out of 10. Not all games have to hold up over time. Sometimes you can't really explain it, but then again why should you. It doesn't matter what the game is and how other people look at it. It's about how that game makes you feel, how that game puts a smile on your face when those old memories come back and how as time goes on we will always have those moments and they can never be taken away.
Until next time... Stay Retro!
You are referred to as 'Control' in this game and this is exactly your purpose. As stated before you control all of the cameras and traps throughout the house and using the HUD on the screen you have a meter which starts to spike and at the right moment when you have an Auger or two on screen and your meter peaks you hit a button to release a trap and capture the intruder(s). Now, the concept is easy but the execution is a challenge as you don't actually receive any information telling you when an Auger is approaching in another room that you are not currently watching. This is where the challenge lies as you are essentially required to use a pen and paper to help with your on-screen interactions writing down the times and the rooms when an Auger enters the house. Well that's what I did when I played this game back in the 90's. Although there is a story you can follow, if you choose to follow each character from room to room you will be watching your little Auger capture meter climb higher and higher on all the intruders you have missed as they will all enter the house through a vacant room and that is usually when you need to capture them. Now to make things even more interesting you will find each trap is locked by a color access code which throughout the game needs to be changed so you still have control of the traps. But to know which color code you require you need to know when a member of the family is talking about it so you can hear what color it is. So let's recap quickly.... Most of the time if you follow the family members (or sometimes the girls and boys) you will get to follow the story but you wont be capturing many Augers and you need to capture a certain amount to continue on with the game. If you try to continuously scan each room looking for the Augers you will get the chance to capture them but you will also be risking missing out on hearing the next access code color to control the traps as well as missing out on the plot of the story. Sounds like fun, doesn't it?
CONTROL
Controls are very straight forward in Night Trap as you basically use your control pad to move from room to room, using one button to enter that room, using another to set the traps and a 3rd to change the access code color. Using the start/pause button is also a necessity in this game as it will pause time but still allow you to change from room to room. And if you use a pen and pad like a did it will also give you the opportunity to look at your notes so you know what room and at what time you will be capturing your next Auger.
 |
| The infamous scene which sparked controversy all over the world |
VIDEO / AUDIO
When it comes to FMV games there is not really much depth when it comes to discussing the graphical and audio highs and lows. The game itself has been filmed to feel like a horror/thriller movie, well like your typical cheesy 80's horror movie (but we all know the best horror movies came out of the 80's). Using the hardware of the 3DO the video footage is very clear and uses most of the screen except for your HUD down the bottom. The sound effects and music are all of good stereo quality but there really isn't too much more to look in to. Overall I would say it's of VHS standard and considering that was the video format of the time and also what format this game was originally supposed to be released as, you really can't find any negatives in this part of the game.
ALL THE OTHER STUFF
Night Trap is a bit of a cult classic these days and even though the depth of the game play isn't much deeper than the kiddies pool at your local aquatics center it's regarded as on the pioneers of 'violence in video games' which is one of the big reasons it holds its cult status. But that's not what draws me in to this game. It's very much a nostalgic game for me as my memories are playing it at my friends house (you know, the kid who lived down the road and had everything) working as a team moving around from room to room whilst taking all these notes.... And speaking of notes, the reason why I decided to write this article is because I found something from those days and thought I would share it with you all. From memory I would have taken these notes in 1995.
 |
| My notes as a 12 year old |
It really is hard to write this article and praise it like I do with the other games I review, but I have also told myself to only review games that I think are good and worthy of being reviewed in a positive light. So how do I justify it? Well I can't, but I think that is the charm of Night Trap and the hold it has on me and many others out there.
Not all games have to be 10 out of 10. Not all games have to hold up over time. Sometimes you can't really explain it, but then again why should you. It doesn't matter what the game is and how other people look at it. It's about how that game makes you feel, how that game puts a smile on your face when those old memories come back and how as time goes on we will always have those moments and they can never be taken away.
Until next time... Stay Retro!
Wednesday 10 September 2014
Game of the month September 2014: Rainbow Islands
Rainbow Islands
Developer: Taito
Publisher: Taito
Designer: Fukio Mutsuji
Composer: Hisayoshi Ogura
Release: 1987
Platform: Arcade
The winner of this month's vote was the classic Taito platformer Rainbow Islands. Rainbow Islands is the second game in the Bubble Bobble series, and has you playing as the two boys, Bub and Bob, who have been turned back into boys after having been turned into bubble dragons in the first game.
Rainbow Islands abandons the arena platformer roots of its predecessor for a new race-from-bottom-to-top style of gameplay. It has you blasting your enemies with handy rainbows that also double as platforms for you to use when ascending the level.
Rainbow Islands is very near and dear to my heart. Therefore I recently made a small video about the game and what it meant to me as a gamer back in the day. I was saving this video for later, but now that Rainbow Islands is the game of the month I think it is only fitting that I release it now. So feast your eyes on the first video "review" done by the Retro Gaming Club crew:
For this month's playthrough we will be playing the PlayStation version of Rainbow Islands as that is very close to the original arcade version. So come along, bring your friends, and join us in the forums of the Retro Game Squad podcast to discuss this great classic from Taito.
Saturday 6 September 2014
GROW: Thunder Force IV - Sega Genesis / Mega Drive
| Developer(s) | Technosoft |
| Publisher(s) |
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| Series | Thunder Force |
| Platform(s) | Sega Genesis |
| Release date(s) |
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| Genre(s) | Shoot 'em up |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
@RetroGameRevive
SHMUP. Say it with me...... SHHHHHHHMUPPPP. A word that isn't really a word but for gamers out there signifies a genre of arcade type action. Horizontal or vertical they keep you on your toes at all times and the moment you slip up.... BANG! Your ship has been shot down and you have most likely lost your 'power up'. But you take a deep breath, try to remember the enemy and bullet patterns and push on......
For most people who are familiar with 16-bit SHMUPS the 'Thunder Force' name should be right up there with the other masters of shooters like 'R-Type', 'Gradius' & 'Truxton'. In fact for those who chose 'Team Sega' over 'Team Nintendo' during the Bit Wars, at least one of the Thunder Force games for the Genesis / Mega Drive will most likely be in your top 3 SHMUPS for the console. And that for me is Thunder Force IV. Being the final game released for the Mega Drive before entering in to the 32-bit market this is the complete package and for a game released in 1992 it's very clear Technosoft knew the hardware and knew how to get the most out of it as most games of this caliber did not grace the Mega Drive until 1994 when developers really knew how to push the hardware to the max.
Thunder Force IV was called 'Lightening Force' in US.
PLOT
TFIV continues on immediately after TFIII. The Galaxy Federation are under the impression they had defeated the ORN Empire yet still continue to be attacked by menacing forces. These forces are soon found out to be the 'Vios', an allied force of the ORN. All seems lost but eventually the Galaxy Federation develop a new small spacecraft fighter, the 'Fire Leo-04 Rynex' and send it out to defeat the Vios. You the player control the Leo Rynex and set out through a total of 10 stages to fight and demolish the evil Vios.
GAMEPLAY
If you have played any Thunder Force games before you need no introduction but for those who have not been blessed by this series yet, I will make you a believer. As I am sure you have figured out by now this game is a horizontal shooter, but TFIV introduces a vertically scrolling screen which is controlled by the players ship movement, so you now have the ability to fly higher and lower and can now use much more of the environment to your advantage. But be warned, learn the patterns of those types of stages as you don't want to be flying low in the mountain ranges when a power up is floating by in the clouds off screen.
Your ship is given the ability to change speeds on the fly (like in previous games). This is will take some time to use this strategically. At first I was just using it as a 'players preference' for how fast I wanted my ship speed. But as you play further in to the game, you soon start to understand it's in your best interest to adjust the speed of your ship during certain stages and against certain bosses.
The weapon system is the same as TFIII and features upgradable default weapons as well as upgrading to special weapons. Unfortunately like most SHMUPS if you are killed you will lose the weapon you are currently using, so make sure you only select your favorite and most effective boss weapon for those required moments. There is nothing worse than losing your best weapon especially when you lose it from generic enemy when a simple twin shot would have done the job.
GRAPHICS
As I said earlier, Technosoft really knew the hardware they were working with. Everything from the copious layers of Parallax to the vibrant yet very deep color palette to the enormous boss sprites you encounter. Some stages even transition from day to night so flawlessly I actually had to make myself take notice of the change as I would keep finding myself starting the game with a bright sky blue background, but ended in dark twilight. I would definitely encourage you to choose the top stage when you first encounter the stage select as this is probably one of the best showcasing levels for the game. When you hit the water and dive underneath, you will know what I am talking about ;)
AUDIO
Everyone knows the Mega Drive was a 'Hit' or 'Miss' when it came to it's music and effects. But good news is that Thunder Force IV is a big hit! It's rock, it's synthesized, it's just awesome! Each piece of music accompanies each stage to perfection. the music intensifies at the right moments throughout the game but also sits as the right amount of background music when you are not in those intense moments.
OVERALL
I love Thunder Force IV, and like most games I review I know I am being partly biased, but I don't care as I know this is a great game and worthy of its name. Some people may say it's the same game as previous releases and for that they lose a bit of love for the game. But I honestly think this is the best of the 16-bit Thunder Force series and will chuck this puppy in to my Mega Drive any time I feel the need for some SHMUP goodness!
8 out of 10
Until next time... Stay Retro!
Until next time... Stay Retro!
Friday 5 September 2014
ReMEMBer #4: August 1994 - GamePro Issue #61
| Publication: | GamePro |
| Country: | USA |
| Issue #: | |
| Release: | |
| Genres: | Consoles, Handhelds & Arcade |
In my own opinion I believe that the mid 90's was one of the greatest times to be a gamer. The console war between Sega & Nintendo was at its strongest with other consoles such as the Neo Geo, 3DO, Jaguar & CD-i all trying to compete and get their slice of the pie. The 'Sega Saturn' and 'Sony Playstation' were getting closer every day. Arcades still existed with people lining up at cabinets like Daytona USA, Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat for their chance at arcade glory. There were trading cards and comic books being produced all based on video games and kids and teenagers couldn't get enough, and I was one of them. Technology was rapidly increasing and although many of the products we were introduced to may not have quite been the success the companies were after, none the less we still got to experience all the wonders and the blunders of the video game universe and to me it was all intriguing and exciting. It was just a great time to be a gamer no matter what age you were!
Although the internet did exist back in 1994 there wasn't much more than a few medical journals and American college resources whilst using a very basic 'Netscape Navigator' (although the first 'Simpsons' fan site was introduced to the world in 1994) so for those wanting to know all about the video gaming world, magazine publications was the only real way to get all the news on the latest consoles, games and tech. Growing up in Australia I felt we had a great selection of magazines to choose from. Although we had our own local gaming publications, some of the newspaper and magazine outlets also stocked international magazines from America and UK such as 'Nintendo Power', 'Mean Machines' and one of my favorite reads as a kid 'GamePro' which just so happens to be the publication we will be looking at now, so I hope you enjoy taking a trip down memory lane with me and can ReMEMBer some of those great times from the 90's.
These days when we think of advertisements whilst trying to obtain information regarding our favorite video game we think of those annoying pop windows on the sites we visit or having to sit through 30 seconds of mind numbing ads before watching a YouTube video. At the end of the day they annoy us and all we want is for them to go away. So what if I told you GamePro in 1994 was full of advertisements and we loved every cheesy and corny ad in that magazine. Just goes to show how much times have changed. I feel it's necessary to at least touch on this subject as they made up a large proportion of the pages inside the magazine. Take the following 3 advertisements, all slightly different products, each have their own art style and direction and each ad would draw us in so much we could stare at that one page just thinking how cool it would be to own.
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| Vivid3D - Who wouldn't want 'Streets of Rage 2' sounding like it was coming at you from all angles! |
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| Video JukeBox - Why only have one cart plugged in when you can have 6? |
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| InterAct Game Pads - In the 90's everyone was trying to develop the ultimate gaming pad. |
So.... Where am I going with this you ask? Well, no where really. I just think it's important to show this was our primary source of information when it came to the latest and not-so-greatest products to enhance our gaming experiences. Times have changed and these sorts of ads are now long gone but for those of you who experienced this era I know you appreciated them just as much as I did. And for those of you who missed out, I strongly urge you to take the time and go check out some of the old magazine ads and as cheesy as they might seem now, back in 1994 the were 'Cool' and full of 'Attitude'
OK, on to the specifics of the issue.....
This issue is full of great reviews for some epic games. Games of such high caliber like 'Mortal Kombat II', 'Super Street Fighter II', 'Streets of Rage 3', 'Fatal Fury 2' & 'Beauty and the Beast'.....? OK, maybe we can look past that one but not all games can be perfect 10's.
The feature game of the issue is the mighty Mortal Kombat II. It covers the game in general but also compares the Genesis/Mega Drive, SNES, Game Gear & Game Boy versions next to the arcade version. This game was hyped up so much, all 4 cartridge versions were to be released on September 13, 1994 and the day was to be known as 'Mortal Tuesday'. GamePro managed to ask John Tobias a few questions regarding the conversion from the arcade and although he and Ed Boon did not have any input in to the console versions, when you snag an interview with one of the lead designers for the game, you take it!
One of the biggest questions being asked at the time was what was the Super Nintendo version going to be like. For those of you who remember the brown sweat and weak fatalities from the SNES version of the original Mortal Kombat which lead to the Genesis / Mega Drive out selling its Nintendo rival there was no way the Super Nintendo was going to make the same mistake twice in a row. In fact John Tobias actually states the SNES version of MKII was the closest fans could get to the arcade and compares it to the likes of Street Fighter II and Super Smash TV with their great arcade to SNES conversions.
I will openly admit that I am a Sega fanboy and have been since Christmas 1988 when my parents bought me my very own Master System. So being a fanboy of such, it did not matter what Sega put on the shelves I was going to support it and want it. So the day I first ready about the Sega 32X, I was already telling mum and dad what I wanted for Christmas. And where did I first read about this new Sega Juggernaut? This very issue of GamePro. So when I had the chance to review a magazine from 1994, there was no question what magazine it was going to be!
It might only be a 2-page spread but it was everything plus a whole lot more when it came to satisfying my need for knowing as much as I could about this 'mushroom' looking add on. When I first read the article I thought "What a great idea giving people the opportunity to upgrade their Mega Drive if they couldn't afford a Sega Saturn in the coming year". And that's exactly how the article is written but didn't that do a 180 on Sega. I can't help but wonder what the future of the 32X might have been if it was only released 12 months earlier? Because when you think about it, it was a pretty impressive piece of hardware and along with the Sega CD it would have had the power to produce games not possible on anything else at the time, not even the 3DO! :)
But unfortunately it was the case of 'too little too late' and people could start to see the cracks forming in the Sega Enterprise and became a little hesitant about what Sega where actually doing releasing such a product only 1 year away from the U.S. launch of the Saturn and not to mention the fact that the Saturn had already launched in Japan by the time the 32X hit the shelves in the U.S. I was only 11 years when I read this article so to me it was just the excitement of something new but for those with a few more years in the video game market than me, they could see the problems and most stood clear of the 32X and let it die on the shelves whilst waiting for their Sega Saturn.
I never did get my 32X as they were $299 here in Australia but I was lucky enough to rent one with 4 of my mates for my 12th birthday and we stayed up all night jacked up on KFC and Pepsi playing the hell out of Star Wars Arcade and Doom.
At the end of the article there is a list of all the developers who looked to be on board for the 32X and it's such a shame that most of them never came to fruition. Konami being one of them, and yes they did have a Castlevania game in the works for the 32X. Playmates Interactive - Maybe we could have seen Earthworm Jim make his way to a 32-bit cartridge? Core Design - Could the visual masters of the Sega CD perhaps had an idea to produce a CD 32X game like Soul Star or Battlecorps for the add on? Capcom - Just imagine an arcade perfect port of Super Street Fighter II Turbo. Unfortunately we shall never really know what could have become of the 32X, but for many of you like me out there we know it was a failure, but what a spectacular failure it was!
Strategy Guides - The honest way to cheat! Every few months our favorite gaming mag would delight us with an in-depth guide to one of the biggest games of the year. And in 1994 the Street Fighter Vs Mortal Kombat feud was at it's strongest. With the home release of MKII just around the corner and Super Street Fighter II only months old on the home consoles GamePro made the most of this and released one of the most comprehensive guides to SSFII Turbo for the arcades and SSFII for the Genesis and Snes without printing a single special move for any character. This guide was all about the strategy with character stats, CPU win/loss percentages and a step by step guide on how to turn your defense in to on offensive nightmare for your opponent. The consoles guide might not be as complete but it does have a few tips from the 4 finalist of the SSFII Midwest Championships held in Chicago.
Not only are you treated to some SSFII tournamnet winning strategies, you are also treated to full review of Sega's 40-meg cart version. Although it doesn't quite match its Nintendo rival, the amount of content that they managed to cram in to this cart and push Sega's 16-bit workhorse to the max is a perfect reason to give this review to the Genesis and not the SNES.
Although the biggest review for a specific console went to the Genesis, Nintendo still got their fair share of top quality game reviews in this issue too (sorry, I am not going to talk any more about 'Beauty & the Beast). The three big winners for the SNES this month are 'Fatal Fury 2', 'Double Dragon - The Shadow Falls' and 'The Death and Return of Superman', each game getting a 2 page spread all with solid scores.But let's not forget what year this is and what other consoles were in the market still competing for that spot on top of the console podium. Neo Geo got their hands in this month with the 178-Meg 'World Heroes 2 Jet'. the 3DO got 'Jurassic Park Interactive' and 'Out of this World'. Why Jurassic Park got the 2 page article and Out of this World only got 1 page, I can't quite comprehend when the 3DO Jurassic Park wasn't really even a game. But I suppose the movie was still new and people just wanted to get their hands on anything that said 'Jurassic Park'.
Bonk III: Bonk's Big Adventure for the Turbo Duo was given a quick overview but doesn't quite get as much love as other games previously mentioned as GamePro openly stated this is the same game they reviewed 1 year earlier just with a few more levels because of the CD format allowing for that extra storage space. Unfortunately by this time the Turbo Grafx / Duo were on the down hill slope and was only a matter of time before we no longer had 'Turbo' games being reviewed in our favorite magazines.
Sorry Atari fans, no love for the Jaguar in this issue.
I have to admit this is probably one of the best editions of what is now classed as a retro magazine because the further you read, the more surprises you get. Just when you think you are almost at the end of your monthly read (at least before you read it another 10 times throughout the month) you are hit with the 'Special Feature' of the month. And this month is 'Super Metroid' for the SNES (like I needed to tell you that :).
Now obviously the main focus on this fantastic magazine are the game reviews and the heavyweight battle between Sega and Nintendo. But lets not forget about the side dishes that accompany these main meals. Within the first few pages was something that every Game Genie owner was waiting for... The CODES! And it didn't just stop with Game Genie, as you head towards the back of the issue there was S.W.A.T.PRO. Codes and passwords to all your favorite games and not just Game Genie and Action Replay, there was always your fair share of in game passwords there for you to make your gaming just that little bit easier.
In the end this magazine was full of everything you needed from beginning to end and was read religiously by people all over the world.
In preparation for this review, I have gone through this magazine more times than I can count and the amount of content I could talk about feels endless. Magazines like this just do not exist anymore and with so much electronic information out there video game magazines almost seem like the last place you would want to go in order to get your news, reviews & previews. But that is what makes this magazine such an important tool of the time. When magazines were all we really had, everything you could think of that was game related was in that mag. The content just felt so vast but in a good way, especially with a magazine like GamePro that covered all current consoles and arcade there was no shortage of information for our senses. Unfortunately the down side to such comprehensive information is that it's impossible for me to cover all the great stuff that can be found in this issue without me essentially re-writing the magazine cover to cover. But the upside to this problem is that you can go check it out for yourself right now over at http://www.retromags.com/magazines/category/usa/gamepro/
So until next time..... Stay Retro!
Tuesday 2 September 2014
Visual Guide to Amiga Games: Defender of the Crown
Defender of the Crown was one of those games you'd show to all your mates when they came around, to show off the superior graphics and sound of the Amiga compared to the ageing Commodore 64. Have a look at those pictures!
Hint: To fully appreciate these images, click the cogwheel in the upper right corner and choose "View Full Resolution".
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