Innholdsfortegnelse for No. 244 i Retro Gamer

DARRAN JONES Playing it on Oculus Quest 2 and realising just how well it had been adapted for the new medium by Armature Studio. Expertise: Juggling a gorgeous wife, two beautiful daughters and an award-winning magazine, all under one roof! Currently playing: The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Favourite game of all time: Strider ANDY SALTER The bit where you’re in the underground, get knocked out and when you come round the Doctor tells you who you really are… oh wait, that’s STALKER: SOC Expertise: Modding games, no ‘vanilla’ versions for me, thanks! Currently modding: STALKER: Anomaly GAMMA Favourite game of all time: Rome: Total War although I guess it’s the Remastered edition now. GRAEME MASON Those creepy credits where you realise the Ganado were once normal people. Expertise: Adjusting the tape…

Play How does Tim feel about Sony’s E3? “Gran Turismo can piss right off, I’m so sick of those games and shinier graphics aren’t going to make me want to play it. Unless they add guns.” He does fancy Final Fantasy XIII though. Edge “Their technology solution is a little better than the GameCube,” says Sony’s Phil Harrison of the Wii. “The big question is whether having only an unusual controller is going to be attractive to both designers and players.” Official Nintendo Magazine “Airplane’s a bit different as the remote’s movements are mirrored,” says ONM’s Wii Sports preview. Don’t remember that bit? Your memory’s fine, it was canned before launch.…

Whether you’re a fan of the series or not, there’s undoubtedly no argument that Resident Evil helped redefine videogames in the mid-Nineties and propelled the Sony PlayStation into a more mature demographic. Open and tense locations, limited ammunition, a mysterious corporation, oblique puzzles and, of course, those shambling undead corpses all contributed massively to a successful regeneration of the survival horror genre. And back in 1996, we didn’t seem to mind the tank controls and those painful door animations. This was a frightening experience like no other. “I remember walking into a lot of walls!” smiles Alex Moore, designer on Firesprite’s brutal VR survival horror game, The Persistence. “The controls and camera suited the game at the time, but they were a high skill floor for players to learn.” While…

CASTLEVANIA II: BELMONT’S REVENGE 1991, KONAMI ■ This is a linear adventure rather than a Metroidvania like Symphony Of The Night, but if you’re looking for a greyscale handheld rendition of Castlevania, this is the best of the Game Boy outings. CASTLEVANIA: SYMPHONY OF THE NIGHT 1997, KONAMI ■ Thankfully, the inspiration for the Game.com port did hit the market, though high prices for the PlayStation and Saturn versions may mean you’ll look towards digit al releases on modern platforms. CASTLEVANIA: ARIA OF SORROW 2003, KONAMI ■ This critically acclaimed Game Boy Advance adventure has both the Metroidvania structure and portability. It’s another expensive game, so consider Castlevania Advance Collection if you’re looking for it.…

When you think back to Sega’s arcade heyday in the Eighties, games like Space Harrier, Out Run and After Burner spring to mind first. It was these show-stopping Super-Scaler titles, in their deluxe sit-down forms, that drew crowds and defined Sega as perhaps the most exciting arcade developer of the era. Yet the arcade industry was a battleground back then, with manufacturers fiercely competing for floor space. Sega couldn’t rely on one or two high-profile titles per year to keep itself at the forefront of the scene, so it utilised different arcade hardware to produce a steady stream of releases that provided operators with the widest possible choice in terms of cost and game type. Take 1988 as an example. In the year that Sega released Galaxy Force and Power…

WHAT WAS YOUR ROLE ON THE SCRAMBLE SPIRITS CONVERSION? There were a few artists covering all the formats – myself, Mark Edwards and David College. I concentrated on the backdrops on the Atari ST and Amiga versions, which were pretty simple back then. DID YOU RECEIVE ANY ASSISTANCE FROM SEGA? We did get a full-size arcade cabinet which lived in the corridor at Teque. The coders actually tried to extract assets from it, but I’m not sure how much information was actually gathered. We made regular trips to the cabinet to play through the levels and check the environments, to make sure we had them spot on. We probably played it more than we should have, which was eventually noticed by the boss, Tony Kavanagh. Our excuse was we needed…

MAX ■ The hero of Shining Force. You control Max throughout your adventure and he’s mandatory in each battle. If he dies, it’s game over. LOWE ■ The party’s first healer and Max’s best friend. He can cure poison status aliments and can be promoted to the rank of Vicar. HANS ■ A member of Max’s force from the very beginning, Hans is a highly capable archer; one of the most useful classes in the game. TAO ■ The first magic user to join the force, Tao can set fire to enemies. She is the sister of Diane, as well as Wendy in Shining Force Gaiden. KEN ■ The first centaur to join the force, Ken later appears as an NPC in Shining Force Gaiden, in which you can recruit…

SUBS ■ Roger arrived at Atari when the games world was still monochrome and bespoke cabinets were made for each new release. The ambitious cabinet that was created for Subs features two screens, two ship wheels and radar overlays, which really add to the atmosphere of the tense nautical battles taking place on the screen. WARLORDS ■ Anyone who has played the VCS version with three other players will know how utterly compelling the ‘Pong to the death’ gameplay is. Roger came up with the concept for the arcade original, which includes fireball-spitting dragons, and was produced as a beautiful cocktail table, along with the upright model. CHICKEN SHIFT ■ Sente’s key idea of producing generic cabinets and allowing arcade operators to easily switch game boards may have been a…

» System: Switch » Buy it for: £34.99 » Buy it from: Online, retail We may still be waiting for Metroid Prime 4, but this stunning update of Retro Studios’ first Metroid game is the perfect stopgap. Everything about Metroid Prime Remastered is superb. It looks sensational with vastly improved visuals that enhance the alien-looking environments, while the controls have been greatly overhauled to appease modern gamers. Although the new motion controls aren’t as good as those found in the Wii update, the FPS controls that Retro Studios has added make a huge difference, making a great game even better. While it’s light on extras, the new controls and staggering visuals make this the definitive version of a truly exceptional game. Don’t miss it. >> Score 95%…

Martin S The first game – it has to be the walking down the corridor and the dogs jumping through the window! Retrofury Definitely the first time I saw the Licker hanging from the ceiling in Resident Evil 2, blood dripping from its mouth. FBSteve The transformation moments in the original Resident Evil 2 just hold a strong nostalgic body horror loving part of my heart. Watching someone go from human to a many-clawed hell beast and finally a blob just hits that horror note for me. Jason The first game when you go to leave the mansion as soon as the game gives you control. Literally made me jump out of my seat the first time. Britt Zank It’s not exciting, but that first time the zombie turns and…

In the Nineties, when 3-inch disks became harder and more expensive to buy, I purchased a 3.5-inch disk drive for my Amstrad CPC 6128. As a consequence, most of my public-domain software and homebrew purchases ended up on 3.5-inch floppies but the drive went missing many years ago and merely reading about the process of fitting another (bit.ly/cpcfloppy) has proven enough to stick that idea on the back burner. This has meant that a lot of 3.5-inch disks have been sitting in boxes on my shelves. For the most part, it hasn’t bothered me. You can go online and download stuff for use in emulators these days. But, in the back of my mind, I’ve wondered, “What if?” What if there are games on those disks that no one else…

» Here’s a question for you – if these worlds have been forgotten, what are these two super soldiers doing trying to save them? It doesn’t make a lot of sense, but they’re going to do it anyway, so we suppose the best thing to do is skip to the end to find out what happens when they achieve their goal. 01 » Player one remarks on the fact that he’s still shivering. It just goes to show that you can be strong enough to defeat evil, while still being vain enough to do so shirtless. Honestly, heroes these days, eh? 02 » Player two appears to be wearing slightly more clothing, but still feels the same. At least he appears to be at least a little bit concerned about…

ON CHOOSING ZOMBIES OVER GHOSTS “I ended up realising that the game’s enemies needed to be monsters of some description, as close as possible to humans in form, rather than spirits. Yes, I thought – zombies! At that time I recalled the film, Dawn Of The Dead; I loved that film. It was unfortunate, as far as the audience was concerned, that they couldn’t survive; but with a game, the players could use their own techniques and thinking in order to survive the experience. I thought that this difference between horror games and horror movies could be something wonderful. That was the moment when I conceived Biohazard.” ON RESIDENT EVIL’S PRERENDERED VISUALS “You couldn’t really call Biohazard ‘beautiful’ now. It was incredibly difficult to produce the game for the PlayStation…

WHAT MADE YOU REVISIT RESIDENT EVIL ON THE GAMECUBE? “The decision to create a remake on the GameCube was made by Shinji Mikami. At the time the game was being developed, the GameCube was the most suitable hardware in terms of allowing us to realise our vision with the title.” HOW DID THE CRIMSON HEAD ZOMBIES COME TO BE? “The idea for Crimson Heads actually came from the director, Shinji Mikami. I think they were a really successful new element that brought a new dimension to the zombies in the game.” WHY GIVE CHARACTERS A CLOSEQUARTERS WEAPON? “As part of rebalancing the gameplay, we wanted to give players an additional way to get away from zombies and add a new combat element.” HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT MAKING THE NEW BACKGROUNDS?…

Few games have excited me as much as Resident Evil 4. I can still recall when games™ received early info about the game, revealing all the changes being made to Capcom’s popular series and no one quite believing what they were reading. When I finally saw the game being demoed, my gob was well and truly smacked and I lifted up the GameCube to check no tomfoolery was afoot. I ordered myself a US copy, booked some time off and found myself mesmerised by the sheer scope, pace and variety Resident Evil 4 offered. Based on the games that followed, from Gears Of War to Dead Space, I wasn’t the only person stunned by Capcom’s ambitious makeover of its popular series. So to celebrate the release of its remake, we’ve…

I have written in the past about how in my middle school if you wanted to use the computers at lunchtime, you had to book it. At the beginning of the week, a piece of paper would be slapped on the door of the computer room and everyone would rush there at the start of breaktime on Monday to get their name up there. Boom. You had access to the BBC Model B. I’d forgotten that there was an alternative for those who were too slow to get their names on that sacred parchment. Right down at the other end of the school, at the edge of the dining room and almost directly outside the headmaster’s office, was the school’s OTHER computer. The Acorn Electron was a tiny, weird little…

PLAYSTATION 2 1 – The Da Vinci Code (2K Games) 2 – 2006 FIFA World Cup (EA) 3 – Tomb Raider: Legend (Eidos) 4 – The Godfather (EA) 5 – Buzz!: The Big Quiz (Sony) PSP 1 – 2006 FIFA World Cup (EA) 2 – Monster Hunter: Freedom (Capcom) 3 – Pro Evolution Soccer 5 (Konami) 4 – SOCOM: US Navy SEALs (Sony) 5 – Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (Rockstar) DS 1 – Animal Crossing: Wild World (Nintendo) 2 – Metroid Prime: Hunters (Nintendo) 3 – Trauma Center: Under The Knife (Nintendo) 4 – Pokémon Link (Nintendo) 5 – Nintendogs: Lab & Friends (Nintendo) MUSIC 1 – Smile (Lily Allen) 2 – Hips Don’t Lie (Shakira ft. Wyclef Jean) 3 – Voodoo Child (Rogue Traders) 4 – Maneater…

DIE HARD IN A VILLAGE ■ While some lamented the loss of the slow-burn gameplay and endless trudging around of Resident Evil, the new fast-paced action of Resident Evil 4 helped cement its legendary status. Enemies constantly assault Leon with thrilling cutscenes amplifying the action further. A BRAND-NEW VIEWPOINT ■ Looking back, it’s a wonder that the over-the-shoulder camera hadn’t been popularised before Resident Evil 4. Offering a clearer view of the player’s surroundings and superior immersion, it revolutionised third-person games more than anything else in the Capcom series. DECISIONS. DECISIONS ■ Although critical decisions were included in Resident Evil 3, they never really had the impact of those present in the next game. Free the dog from the trap; take an easy or hard path; hide Ashley or keep…

SLIMMER 1998 ■ Following the success of Resident Evil 2, Capcom’s Shinji Mikami concludes that the series needs a new direction. WINTER 1998 ■ A few months later, development begins on Resident Evil 3 for Sony’s incoming PlayStation 2 console. JANUARY 1999 ■ Capcom repurposes off-shoot Resident Evil 1.9 into Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. Resident Evil 3 becomes Resident Evil 4. DECEMBER 1999 ■ Capcom officially confirms Resident Evil 4 will be released on the PlayStation 2 at some point in the future. SUMMER 2000 ■ With its gameplay veering away from Resi, Capcom shifts the development of Resi 4 to a new IP, Devil May Cry. AUGUST 2001 ■ The PlayStation 2 game that was supposed to be Resident Evil 4, Devil May Cry, is released to universal praise.…

• Soft memory foam earpads to keep you comfortable during the longest sessions • Foldable construction for easy storage • All metal hinges for maximum durability • Detachable 1.4m cable included • Multi-platform: Compatible with PC, Mac®, PS4™, PS5™, Xbox™ (controllers with TRRS socket) SUBSCRIBE ONLINE NOW AT www.magazinesdirect.com/RET/B44G TELEPHONE 0330 333 1113 AND QUOTE B44G Reasons to subscribe… • Stunning exclusive subscriber-only covers • You’ll never miss an issue! • It’s delivered direct to your door • Brilliant value – save money on the cover price SUBSCRIPTION PACKAGES THE 6-MONTH PACKAGE £27.99 Every 6 months Receive 13 issues of Retro Gamer in print over 12 months saving 20% THE FREE GIFT PACKAGE £111.99 2-Year Print Subscription Receive 26 issues of Retro Gamer in print, plus the Austrian Audio PG16…

When Geoff Crammond left university in the mid-Seventies there was no such thing as a home computer. It wasn’t until six years after he graduated that they first started to appear, at which point he bought himself a BBC Micro. After developing a version of Space Invaders for the system, which was published as Super Invaders, he focussed on creating games set in 3D worlds, including the combat flight simulator Aviator, the racing game Revs and the strategy title The Sentinel. Given that all of his three-dimensional projects had been number-one hits, Geoff naturally moved onto designing a fourth game depicted in 3D, initially for the C64. Fans of his previous work knew nothing of his plans, however, as he kept his next project quiet, and his publisher MicroProse followed…

How did you end up converting Stunt Car Racer to the Spectrum? MicroProse approached me directly. I had told some of the guys who worked there that I loved Revs, and obviously I had written stuff for the Spectrum before, so MicroProse asked if I would be interested. It showed me Stunt Car Racer, and I thought, “Wow! That looks good!” I thought it would be fun to do, so I went for it. Then I got in touch with Geoff. What sort of assets did he give you? He gave me the lot: the source code, the data and the track structures, because writing the Spectrum version from scratch would have been impossible. The big job was that Geoff’s code was 6502, and the Z80 was a very different…

STUART COOK Stuart went on to work for a few publishers like THQ and Codemasters, creating console titles like Jay The Lion, Micro Maniacs and The Land Before Time and co-writing Prost Grand Prix for Canal Plus. He then moved into software development for retail, before eventually turning to writing Apple and iOS apps, which he continues to do today. JASON MCGANN After Twilight, Jason cofounded Hookstone with Peter Tattersall, making a Japanese version of Alfred Chicken and creating Zoop for Viacom which was ported onto every available machine, followed by Sentinel Returns with Geoff Crammond, featuring music by John Carpenter. Jason then cofounded Mobius Entertainment which became Rockstar Leeds in 2004. He continues to work in the games industry. ANDY SWANN Andy went on to work for Electronic Sound…

DURING THE DEVELOPMENT DID YOU TRY AND READ THE DISK INSIDE THE ARCADE MACHINE TO GLEAN ANY INFO? We peeked inside the machine to take a look at the innards, but we never expected to be able to read data from these machines. The art was all bespoke and was created using Deluxe Paint and then converted down to the various platforms by the programmers in question. We never saw source code for any of this work. Looking at how the original platform operated was never particularly useful anyway. We could see what was required and then we would go and try and replicate that visually, while trying to capture as much of the gameplay as we could. We were always up against the clock to get these conversions implemented…

When Roger Hector graduated from the ArtCenter College Of Design in Los Angeles, he was all set to design cars for a living. Then the oil crisis hit, the automobile industry crashed and he took a sharp turn into the arcade business, first at Atari and then Sente, which he jointly founded. His skills as an artist, designer and later as a manager, saw him enjoy a storied career at some of the best-known videogame companies of the last five decades and he’s still making games today for the educational charity The Singleton Foundation. “Last year, I went to reunions for both Atari and Sega,” smiles Roger. “I had a lot of fun meeting up again with Nolan Bushnell, Tom Kalinske and all these people I hadn’t seen for a…

Kirby’s Adventure Wii (as Kirby’s Return To Dream Land was known in PAL regions) didn’t really seem to garner much attention on its original release, possibly because it felt a lot more conventional after the inventive Kirby’s Epic Yarn. Hopefully, this new Switch release may change that because while Kirby’s Return To Dream Land Deluxe is rather easy to complete (at least on its first run) it’s absolutely chock-full of things to do and this Switch update only expands on that, making for a great package. The twee story sees a stranger called Magolor asking Kirby for help after he crash-lands on Kirby’s planet and wrecks his spaceship, the Lor Starcutter. Because he’s an awfully caring chap, Kirby agrees to retrieve the five missing parts of the downed craft so…

» Buy it for: $50 (softcover), $70 (hardcover) » Buy it from: shop.supercade.com, amazon.co.uk Van Burnham’s original Supercade was a defining book when it came to telling the early story of videogame history. After a successful Kickstarter the sequel is now here and it’s an excellent follow-up. Although it feels a little light on interviews, the ones that are included with the likes of Richard Garriott are very good. There’s also some fascinating insight from a number of industry veterans, including Mike Mika and Tim Lapetino. The book looks incredible too, thanks to gorgeous photography and dynamic screenshots that beautifully highlight the many games this second volume covers. The end result is a superb love letter to the early days of gaming that no fan should be without.…

<BODY> In this porcine platform adventure game, Frank Further stumbles into a cave and uncovers an epic quest – he must find and restore the four Statues Of Wellness, rescuing Princess Porchetta on the way. Frank starts his quest with no armour and a basic dagger but can find limited-time upgrades by using keys to unlock chests. Food and potions restore health, which is drained by enemies and hazards, while the status panel shows the remaining health of the foe Frank is currently facing. Getting past puzzles involves killing certain enemies, flicking switches, lighting fires, finding orbs, rescuing pigs and paying attention to the scrolling text’s clues. The 1Mb cartridge allows for gorgeous backgrounds and detailed sprites from Alain Mauricet, with impressive large enemies and great animation. Fantastic tunes for…

<BODY> The C64 hit has been upgraded with a fresh look, as Ricki Sickenger tells us. “We want to be able to utilise the Amiga graphics capabilities with Roguecraft. We settled on an isometric view because it allows us to show off more character and room detail. Isometric is also a new challenge for us and has been a nice learning experience both from a technical and graphical point of view. We will keep the funny monster names and add more! We try to add a bit of humour to our games when appropriate.” Due for release this May (at badgerpunch.itch.io/roguecraft) we were keen to know what additions it may have. “Our focus is on keeping the simple and fun gameplay from Rogue64. But when remaking the game for Amiga,…

Matt Sephton In 2012 I found a stack of big box LucasArts adventure games in a charity shop. All for PC, except for Amiga Monkey Island 2 which contained old magazine cutouts. Some of the PC games had FAQ printouts from USENET around the time of release. Simon Boggy Burton When moving house I found a box full of Mega Drives, loads of power packs, RF leads and controllers. No idea I had it or where it came from. VideoGameEsoterica Getting a Neo Geo prototype in a field under a tree on a pallet that had been forgotten about for decades (true story). Paul Darbyshire In 2005, after my friend’s uncle sadly died, we found a big box copy of Super Street Fighter II Turbo for Amiga and a Mega…

What are your favourite Resident Evil 4 moments? Michael Burnside That first encounter in the village, when you see what they did to one of the policemen. Then they start coming after you… Pedro G The first moment El Gigante appears on the screen is simply unforgettable! BitSelector I was impressed by how well the Wii port was made. They had improved a really good game in an unexpected way. The pointer controls feel so natural in it, like the game was made with them in mind. That version is my way to enjoy this game. Can of Retro When the dog you rescue comes to aid you in the El Gigante fight is one of the most iconic Resident Evil moments for me. Daniel Betts The slow build in…

Boldly inviting you to “Enter the world of survival horror”, Capcoms’ first Resident Evil game became a huge success on Sony’s PlayStation and highlighted just how far the medium was progressing. Known as Biohazard in Japan (the series’ convoluted plot revolves around the T-Virus), it spawned several sequels and became synonymous with survival horror in the process. Just as the T-Virus would mutate the series’ antagonists into ever-more grotesque forms, so too would the series change, first with the groundbreaking Resident Evil 4, then later with the first-person perspective of Resident Evil 7. Just like the residents of Spencer Mansion, Capcom would conduct its own experiments, letting the mainline series shoot off into numerous different genres – from lightgun games to chaotic multiplayer shooters – with varying degrees of success.…

When Capcom revealed that its next brace of Resident Evil games, including Resident Evil 4, would be exclusive to the GameCube there was uproar from those gamers that didn’t own the console. Capcom saved face, however, with this astonishing update of the original game that remains one of the best remakes of recent times. In addition to some truly astonishing visuals, Resident Evil on the GameCube is retrofitted with many of the later Resi mechanics, including the 180-degree turn and the ability to judge a character’s health based on their on-screen actions, so it feels far more fluid to play than the PlayStation original. Capcom’s ambitious remake also includes several new areas that were cut from the PlayStation release, equips Jill and Chris with handy defensive weapons and introduces the…

Unlike previous titles, Resident Evil’s first spin-off is essentially a lightgun game, but one where you have free movement. Things get slightly easier when using a lightgun, but it remains a fiddly experience due to the clunky controls. It’s a pity the gameplay is so laborious (particularly the US version, which lacks lightgun support), as Survivor actually makes a good attempt at transferring the Resi universe into a first-person world.…

Capcom’s second Wii shooter is business as usual, although it offers an improved story and enhanced visuals that greatly add to the game’s atmosphere. Although it only draws upon two games – Resident Evil 2 and Code: Veronica, it’s actually a lot more character-orientated than The Umbrella Chronicles. Numerous gameplay mechanics have been tweaked, meaning it’s a little more accessible than its earlier counterpart as well. As with The Umbrella Chronicles an HD remaster of the game was released in 2012 for PlayStation 3.…

It’s telling that the two best Resident Evil games both feature Leon S Kennedy. Set two months after the events of the first game, Capcom’s sequel not only further establishes the convoluted plot that the series would become famous for, but also ramps up virtually every aspect of the game. The locations are larger, with the vast majority of the game taking place in Raccoon City’s police station, while the visuals are greatly enhanced, matched by a simply stunning soundtrack. Resident Evil 2 focusses on two characters, Leon S Kennedy and Claire Redfield, and is spread across two discs. Interestingly, while both scenarios are often set in the same locations, their puzzles and storylines change dramatically, greatly adding to the filmic atmosphere that director Hideki Kamiya wanted to create. Resident…

WHAT MAKES THE POLICE STATION SUCH AN INTERESTING SETTING FOR A SURVIVAL HORROR GAME? “My opinion is that a police station is a good contrast with the danger of the situation the characters find themselves in. It should be a safe place, so finding it to be such a dangerous place is a very interesting motif.” THE ORIGINAL RESIDENT EVIL STARTS SLOWLY, BUT RESIDENT EVIL 2 HAS LOTS OF ENEMIES ON THE FIRST SCREEN. WHY IS THIS CONTRAST IMPORTANT? “I think that Resident Evil used its setting of being trapped in a single location to build up tension as the nature of the situation was revealed gradually, but when it came time to make the sequel, that was an established part of the story and it was probably seen as…

There’s no denying the buzz that accompanies a Nintendo Direct – the company has nailed the formula for making them more than just video presentations, with big surprises and sudden releases that allow players to feel like part of an event. That’s exactly what happened with the company’s most recent outing, which had a feast of major announcements for fans of classic games. The biggest of the lot was undoubtedly the fact that Metroid Prime Remastered, a highly anticipated update of the classic first-person adventure, wasn’t just being formally announced for the first time but would be available to buy immediately. You can check out our review of the reworked GameCube classic on page 96. Kirby’s Return To Dream Land Deluxe is also available now, with Nintendo highlighting the addition…

JULY 2006 – All the E3 reactions have arrived this month, and it’s a big show with major hardware on the way. Nick Thorpe took time out of a trip to see ancient Japan’s oversized crustaceans to gather up all the old news you could want Italy defeated France in the final of the 2006 World Cup, which was held at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, Germany on 9 July. The French had actually taken the lead after just seven minutes when Zinedine Zidane scored a penalty, but Marco Materazzi equalised 12 minutes later. The two players clashed in extra time, with Zidane sent off for head-butting Materazzi in the chest, before Italy claimed a 5-3 victory in a penalty shoot-out. The final regular episode of Top Of The Pops aired…

» ARCADE » 1981 » ALPHA DENSHI The Neo Geo Pocket Color really grabbed my attention when I was a young teenager, in part because I was aware that so many of its games had a distinguished history on other platforms. I recognised names like Fatal Fury and Samurai Shodown, and their presence intrigued me. Crush Roller was not one of those games, though – I thought it was an original game for the platform, and one that seemed like a strange choice to release since Pac-Man surely had the maze-game market sewn up already. I didn’t find out that it was a remake of an old arcade game until many years later. [I’m finding out right now - Ed] As you’d expect, the goal is to paint the whole…

DELTA CHARGE ZX SPECTRUM, 1990 ■ A decent scrolling shooter based on the Commodore 64 original from the talented Stavros Fasoulas. PLOTTING AMSTRAD GX4000, 1990 ■ A simple but addictive coin-op puzzler, complete with a two-player option on the Amstrad GX4000 console. QUICK DRAW MCGRAW COMMODORE 64, 1991 ■ Set on a moving train being robbed, with gameplay inspired by Rolling Thunder. RUFF AND REDDY IN THE SPACE ADVENTURE ZX SPECTRUM, 1990 ■ A charming platform game that is very entertaining. MEGA TWINS ATARI ST, 1991 ■ A colourful and tightly programmed 16-bit conversion of the Capcom arcade classic. DARKMAN COMMODORE 64, 1991 ■ Twilight produced the 8-bit conversions of Ocean’s latest licensed tie-in, based on Sam Raimi’s cult movie. ROD-LAND ZX SPECTRUM, 1991 ■ Despite the lack of colour,…

DID YOU PLAY HOT-ROD BEFORE YOU WORKED ON THE CONVERSION? Yes, we grew up in Eastbourne and there was a four-player Hot-Rod in the Eastbourne Pier arcade a few years before we made the game. For the conversion they sent us the three-player machine which was about twice the width of a normal arcade cab. We had an office above Dave’s dad’s antique shop and luckily he helped us out by clearing a space at the back of the shop. It would have been impossible to get it up the stairs as we were three floors up! So we would be in the back of the shop playing the game and taking notes. Friends used to come round to play the game with us. It was a lot of fun.…

DAN HIBIKI ■ Conceived as a jab at the protagonists of SNK’s Art Of Fighting series, Street Fighter’s most pathetic pugilist could probably spit further than he throws his fireball. He’s a pretty snappy dresser though, rocking that pink gi, and if you win a match with him your opponent will never live it down. MOTO BUG ■ Robotnik’s first line of attack is captivatingly crap, trundling tirelessly toward Sonic for a fight in which it can’t possibly prevail. In a way it’s inspirational – the Moto Bug never stops moving forward despite life’s challenges, serving as a shining beacon of perseverance for us all. LARRY BUTZ ■ Phoenix Wright’s first ever client is surprisingly capable of chatting up women, given that he’s seemingly incapable of doing anything else right.…

A PHYSICAL QUEST If you don’t like digital, Super Rare Games (which sent us our review copy) still has physical copies of Dicey Dungeons for sale. Get it at superraregames.com GOLD DIGGER Defeat every enemy you can. You’ll earn more gold this way which is essential as shops get more expensive as you delve deeper into each dungeon. NEW CHALLENGES There are six Episodes for each class and some of them are incredibly tough to complete. Newbies will definitely want to pick the Warrior as they learn Dicey Dungeon’s mechanics. A DICEY REVISION If you’re looking for further challenges try out Dicey Dungeons Reunion which greatly changes the mechanics of the game, swapping out dice for coins and other tricks. MASTER OF UNLOCKING Dicey Dungeons continually awards you with unlockable…

■ THE ATARIANS [1976] PINBALL ■ SUBS [1977] ARCADE ■ SUPER BREAKOUT [1978] ARCADE ■ RED BARON [1980] ARCADE ■ BATTLEZONE [1980] ARCADE ■ WARLORDS [1980] ARCADE ■ SNAKE PIT [1984] ARCADE ■ CHICKEN SHIFT [1984] ARCADE ■ TRIVIAL PURSUIT [1984] ARCADE ■ STOCKER [1984] ARCADE ■ GOALIE GHOST [1984] ARCADE ■ TEAM HAT TRICK [1985] ARCADE ■ SHRIKE AVENGER [1986] ARCADE ■ STOMPIN’ [1986] ARCADE ■ NIGHT STOCKER [1986] ARCADE ■ SKATE OR DIE [1987] C64 ■ JORDAN VS BIRD [1988] MULTIFORMAT ■ JOHN MADDEN FOOTBALL [1990] MULTIFORMAT ■ PGA TOUR GOLF [1990] MULTIFORMAT ■ MARIO ANDRETTI’S RACING CHALLENGE [1991] PC ■ FANTASIA [1991] MEGA DRIVE ■ DICK TRACY [1991] MEGA DRIVE/MASTER SYSTEM ■ SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2 [1992] MEGA DRIVE ■ SONIC SPINBALL [1993] MEGA DRIVE ■ SONIC…

» System: PC (version tested), PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch » Buy it for: £16.75 » Buy it from: Online Playing the original version of Akka Arrh on Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration recently was a fascinating look at what could have been, but it’s easy to see why the game never made it beyond the prototype stage. One look at the screenshots is probably enough to tell you that this modern version has been created by Jeff Minter, and by incorporating elements of another Atari classic, he’s managed to make the whole concept click. You have two ways to attack – bombs and bullets. Bombs create explosions that fan out as in Missile Command, and cause chain reactions when they hit enemies, with more points awarded as…

<Amiga: Tukinem released Wood Block Puzzle and AmiMineSweeper recently and is now working on Pinball Dreams 2. There’s more info over at tukinem.itch.io /> <Amstrad CPC: Mananuk released Shadow Hunter, where you shoot ghosts and trigger the trap to clear each level. Pay your own price at bit.ly/shadowhunter-cpc /> <Atari: AtariAge has more than 20 new games for sale across the 2600, 5200 and 7800 consoles. Check them out at atariage.com/store /> <Atari XL/XE: Multiplayer artillery game Scorch received a New Year update. Find out what’s different by visiting bit.ly/scorch-atari /> <BBC Micro: Mark Moxon’s excellent hacks now include Flicker-free Elite, Teletext Elite, and Elite Universe Editor (also available for C64). Head on over to bbcelite.com/hacks /> <C64: Donnie Russell II converted the ICOM point-and-click game Castle Shadowgate from the…

You may have noticed that we quite like Capcom’s Resident Evil series (we’ve done three covers after all). As the remake of Resident Evil 4 prepares to drop we look back and have a chat about the popular survival horror series. DARRAN So chaps, what was your first experience of Resident Evil? NICK It was with the first game, which my friend’s uncle had. I’d have been about ten at the time, so I spent the whole time watching it and doing a bad job of pretending not to be scared. TIM I hired it out of a video shop one time and… didn’t really get on with it. I didn’t quite get it at the time and kept dying because I kept running out of ammo. I did finish…

THE COVER GAME RESIDENT EVIL 4 PAL GameCube copies are surprisingly cheap and can be found for around £12. PS2 steelbooks sell for as much as £30, while the excellent Wii edition shouldn’t cost you more than a fiver. SPACE HARRIER 3-D Sega’s 3D-focussed shooter is going up in price now. The last UK copy we saw sold for £44 complete, so pat yourself on the back if you can get it for a lower price. JET BIKE SIMULATOR Five English pounds should be enough to procure an Amstrad version of Jet Bike Simulator, although one sold recently for £11.99. SHINING FORCE There are lots of modern ways to enjoy Sega’s game now, but if you want the original PAL Mega Drive release you’ll need to dig deep as it…

Capcom celebrated Resident Evil’s tenth anniversary by remaking the game for Nintendo’s dual-screened portable. In addition to the original game it features the entertaining Rebirth mode, which introduces plenty of clever touch-based additions that greatly improve the overall gameplay. Zombie slashing, CPR (by blowing into the mic) and shaking off enemies all add to the atmosphere, while the smaller screen enhances the creepy vibes of the classic game. Rebirth also includes a couple of minigames for up to four players that adds further meat to what is essentially yet another remake of the beloved PlayStation classic.…

This was the logical evolution of the Gun Survivor series and it works exceptionally well. The Umbrella Chronicles is an enjoyable on-rails shooter that focusses on the events depicted in the first three games and Resident Evil Zero. Although it’s possible to look around the playing area with the Wii’s Nunchuk, the focus is on mowing down classic enemies as they continually assault you. There are a large number of levels to unlock and plenty of alternate routes, ensuring that The Umbrella Chronicles has lots of replay value.…