Professional Documents
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161 PDF
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TM
PLUS
TOY STORY AMIGA CD32
UMIHARA KAWASE IMAGIC
AMSTRAD | COMMODORE | SEGA | NINTENDO | ATARI | SINCLAIR | NEO-GEO | SONY | COIN-OP | MOBILE PAUL CLANSEY SYNDICATE
Junichi Masuda
gives an exclusive interview.
It’s super effective!
25 Essential
Evolving the GBA Games
Atari 2600 FROM ADVANCE WARS TO METROID FUSION: READERS REVEAL
THE CLASSICS THAT DEFINED NINTENDO’S HIT HANDHELD
LOADING…
I
t’s not nice knowing that titles like
Pokémon are 20 years old because it
DARRAN JONES NICK THORPE LUKE ALBIGÉS essentially means that you’re old, and I
Easily Metroid Fusion for me, Did 2004 happen? The history Pokémon Emerald. Battle
it’s a truly stunning addition to books say yes, but all I can Frontier is still the best post- don’t like thinking I’m old. I am old, though,
the series that never gets the
attention it deserves.
remember is Advance Wars 2.
Expertise:
game content in any Pokémon
game to this day.
and it’s important to remember that those
Expertise: Owning five Master Systems Expertise: youngsters who enjoyed Pokémon on its
Juggling a gorgeous wife, two (I sold two) Carrying Drew through
beautiful girls and an award- Currently playing: Destiny Raids original release have all grown up as well
winning magazine SoulCalibur Currently playing:
Currently playing: Favourite game of all time: World Of Final Fantasy (they’re still far younger than me, mind).
Until Dawn: Rush Of Blood
Favourite game of all time:
Sonic The Hedgehog Favourite game of all time:
Micro Machines 2: Turbo
Although I was much older than Pokémon’s
Strider Tournament target audience, I certainly didn’t miss its
impact in the UK. Originally released in 1996
in Japan, by the time it arrived in the UK, it
was tied to a ridiculously popular cartoon, as
well as one of the first collectible trading card
games. It hit with all the power of a runaway
train and my younger brother and cousins
were all eager to jump on board.
While it’s easy to dismiss Pokémon as a
game for kids, it’s anything but, and although
I’ve not been a fan of some of the more
recent Pokémon creations, there’s no denying
DREW SLEEP SAM RIBBITS PAUL DRURY that there are still millions of gamers out there
Pokémon Ruby. The Hype Train It’s so hard to choose just one! WarioWare Inc.. Those surreal
achieved trans-galactic speeds But I’d probably have to go with little shards of gaming pleasure who do love Game Freak’s imaginative RPG.
for this. I remember leaving my Pokémon Ruby. Or FireRed. convinced me that five seconds
GBA SP in a theatre along Actually, Advance Wars 2. Make really was the perfect length for So to pay homage to all those Pokéfans, we
with my copy of Ruby. I still tear
up thinking about it…
that Fire Emblem. Oh, I forgot
about Metroid Fusion too. Come
a game...
Expertise:
have Junichi Masuda explaining how it turned
Expertise: back to me... Everiss’ footwear into one of Nintendo’s biggest franchises.
Filling that SP-sized hole in my Expertise: Currently playing:
heart by buying a GBA Micro Not playing Horace. Ever Myriad But worry not, if you can’t tell your
Currently playing: Currently playing: Favourite game of all time:
Danganronpa: Trigger Pokémon Yellow Sheep In Space Bulbasaurs from your Charmanders, you’ll still
Happy Havoc
Favourite game of all time:
Favourite game of all time:
Pokémon Yellow
find plenty of great content,
Rocket Knight Adventures including a look back at
Darius and Rez, the story
of Imagic and articles on
Mazogs, Saboteur 2 and the
Atari 2600 Jr..
Enjoy the magazine!
30
10 News Wall
What else is going on in the world of retro
videogames today?
12 Paul Davies
The former C&VG editor is having a clear-out
and has got nostalgic…
14 The Vault
With the holidays around the corner, here’s 46 The Making Of: Umihara
all the latest retro gaming paraphernalia Kawase
Oh my cod, this import cult classic is another
16 Collector’s Corner fish-themed game! (Nick, you’re fired - Ed.)
Is the page green, or is that just your
jealousy? (It’s the latter) 50 From The Archives: 22
How Pokémon
Imagic
17 A Moment With: David Crookes delves into the vaults of one
Bespoke Arcades of gaming’s earliest third-party developers
Find out all about the company making new
arcade cabinets to fit your needs
4 | RETRO GAMER
SU OD Yboscribe a
Don’t forget to follow us online for all your latest retro updates
T Su
BS AY u’ve gt www
RetroGamerUK @RetroGamer_Mag
CR !A SAVotta c.imag
Retro Gamer Magazine @RetroGamerMag [email protected]
50
ClayFighter 84
m s
% all co.uk
!
.
62 Ultimate Guide: Rez
104 Homebrew
New hardware is for wimps – Jason Kelk
runs all his new soware on 20th century
machines
108 Mailbag
Your words and our words mix, like
102 Rez Infinite peanut butter and jam
114 End/Game
An oddly angular yellow
creature thwarts an
alien invasion!
RETRO GAMER | 5
Reader Survey
Have
your
say!
Darran Jones
Editor
Reader Survey
Four changes
It’s quick and easy you asked for
in 2015…
t o take t he survey Last year we used your input
1 Reader Interaction
We know our readers love to
be involved, so we’ve made sure
that’s the case, both online and via
social media services
Only
takes 3
mins!
Take part in our 2016 reader survey and you
can enjoy these fantastic benefits 2 Better Access
We’ve thrown the retro net out
wide to catch many new developers
Exclusive discount subscription to the magazine that have never been interviewed in
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Exclusive savings on mags and books
Get a 10% discount code to use at our online shop 3 Balanced coverage
It’s clear that our readers love
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Competitions Free gifts Have your say to the PS2, so we’ve tweaked our
Get the chance Become eligible for Gain a place on our features accordingly
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Complete our survey & join the team today 4 Great Features
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retrogamer.net/survey2016 features to ensure that they cover
every aspect of the featured game,
no matter how obscure
GIVE US TWO MINUTES AND WE'LL GIVE YOU THE RETRO WORLD
CONTENTS
8 A THUNDEROUS
RETURN
A THUNDEROUS
Good news eveyone, Sega has purchased the
rights to Technosoft’s back catalogue
10 NEWS WALL
All the latest news, including a third Wonder
RETURN
Boy game and the return of Wasteland
12 PAUL DAVIES
It’s time for Paul’s final column. Sob.
14 THE VAULT
With Christmas just around the corner, there’s
plenty to spend your cash on
Sega buys Technosoft back catalogue
S
ega has recently announced Technosoft outright in 2001. The that, the company had been producing
16 COLLECTOR’S CORNER its acquisition of the company had been struggling for soundtrack compilations on CD and
Thought you had an impressive Mega Drive copyright for all former some years prior to being bought – its download services such as iTunes.
collection? Wait till you see this one
Technosoft games, and has last original release was a PlayStation In the short term, the likely benefit
17 A MOMENT WITH indicated that it is looking at the best visual novel back in 1998, and no new to consumers is improved access to
way to take advantage of its new games were produced following the some classic Mega Drive games. The
BESPOKE ARCADES
Cofounder Ben Georget explains how his properties, most prominently the buyout. Parts of the Technosoft back company was arguably at its peak on
company was set up Thunder Force series. catalogue had been made available on Sega’s 16-bit console, delivering a
Up until this year, the rights to the PlayStation Network under Twenty pioneering real-time strategy game in
18 BACK TO THE 90S Technosoft’s games had been held by One’s stewardship, including the likes Herzog Zwei, the highly regarded top-
Richard’s time machine makes one last stop… Twenty One Company, a Japanese of Thunder Force V, but older games down shoot-’em-up Elemental Master
pachinko manufacturer which bought were typically left dormant. Other than and the second, third and fourth Thunder
Force games. Sega now has no obstacle
to overcome in including these games
FROM THE FORUM Retro Gamer readers offer ideas on how to best use Technoso’s work as part of compilations and releasing
Let’s hope they do more with it than Thunder Force III on ALL THE A Technosoft collection for the Xbox One would
Konami has done with Hudson Soft. Well FORMATS (please). be amazing, I would buy that in a heartbeat.
if Sega is already rereleasing Technosoft’s the_hawk The Laird
Thunder Force 3, that’s one more thing than
what Konami has done. Rereleases would definitely be a nice start. It’s a good fit. Sega and Thunder Force will
DPrinny Wouldn’t mind giving some Thunder Force a always be linked for me. Hope Sega doesn’t let
go. As long as they do something which I’m it go the same route as other companies have
Just make a Technosoft compilation disc, Sega. assuming they will since there’s no other done with the likes of Taito. It’s a shame that
That would be more then plenty. reason to buy the back catalogue otherwise. those companies and IPs have been forgotten.
ALK Megamixer RodimusPrime ter is an oddity – a
» [Mega Drive] Elemental Mas
ased protagonist.
shoot-’em-up with a ground-b
8 | RETRO GAMER
RETRORADAR: A THUNDEROUS RETURN
ASSIMILATION
ARCHIVE
Sega has acquired quite a few
properties over the years…
TOTAL WAR
When Sega acquired The Creative
Assembly in 2005, it also snapped up the
rights to its hit real-time strategy series
that had previously been under Activision’s
publishing umbrella. The series has been
considered to be one of Sega’s key Western
properties in recent years, with sustained
strong sales.
PUYO PUYO
The only Technoso
series to Sega first demonstrated an interest in
Puyo Puyo back in the early Nineties when
T
staff, we’d argue that the main ypical, you wait absolute port of the original game… “While but there’s no denying that the new
reason inXile’s campaign has ages for a new Wonder Boy keeping the classic gameplay feel, style doesn’t quite have the same
been a success is because game then three come along [we] have added more colourful and cartoonish appeal as the original 1983
the company has proven at once. We’d have been appealing graphics fitting to modern classic. Of course, it’s early days at
form. Even though Torment: happy enough with just the thought era, and added additional elements to the moment and we only have a trailer
Tides Of Numenera is still in of a HD remake of Wonder Boy III: the game itself. To fit more to current to go on, but if CFK can recapture the
development Wasteland 2 The Dragon’s Trap and the excellent- trend, all characters including the hero, feel of the original arcade game it’s
proved that the team could looking homage Monster Boy, but now the heroine Tina, and various monsters certainly going to be worth revisting.
not only hit its goals, but another contender is entering the fray. had been redesigned from scratch. Expect a review in a later issue.
deliver the game its fans Created by CFK, Wonder Boy Under supervision of the original
wanted. Needless to say, Returns will be a new HD retread creator, this remake has added new
we’ll be covering the final of the original arcade classic and is stages and monster to amplify the fun
game in a later issue. due out on PC later in the year. “At aspect of the original game.”
CFK, [our] goal is to keep the classic While we’re pleased that the original
gameplay and feel, but greatly improve game is getting a fresh airing, we’re
the visual aspect,” begins the recent a little concerned with the graphical
press release, going on to reveal that direction that CFK’s game is taking.
we’re not just getting a high-definition We feel the term ugly is a little harsh, » [PC] Let's just say the art style is 'interesting'…
MINTER GOES VR
» [PC] InXile Entertainment promises that
Wasteland 3 will be a big improvement over
its predecessor.
A
s we were going to press, losing his memory of it as a result. As
Jeff Minter revealed via an his flashbacks become more vivid, he
amusing blog post that he’s realised that VR was the perfect place
working on a brand-new to recreate those fleeting memories,
game for PlayStation VR inspired by and he’s been working on his own
urban legend, Polybius. homage ever since.
Rumoured to be a game that Gamers experienced Polybius at the
caused seizures and other ailments recent Play Expo event and feedback
in those that played it, the stories has been very exciting – everyone
about Polybius have been circulating seems to have retained their memory.
for decades. Jeff’s entertaining post We’ll hopefully have more on Jeff’s
alludes to playing the game once and mind-bending new game next month.
10 | RETRO GAMER
column Here’s my bio… Paul Davies
In 1992 I started out on Mean Machines Sega and Nintendo Magazine System. In 1995 I became editor of C&VG. I led the C&VG website from 1998
until Christmas 2000, then I left journalism to be concept design manager at Criterion Games. I returned to journalism in 2002 and from 2005 I’ve
been running my own company, Unlikely Hero.
12 | RETRO GAMER
WHAT YOU REALLY WANT
FOR CHRISTMAS
www.bespoke-arcades.co.uk
0(044)20 7935 9005 [email protected]
bespokearcades @bespokearcades
NB: All trademarks, trade names, logos or service marks mentioned belong to their respective owners.
the vault THE COOL RETRO STUFF THAT WE’VE
HAD OUR EYE ON THIS MONTH
PICK
OF THE
Turbo Everdrive MONTH
The Mega Drive and SNES are both well served with aftermarket
peripherals and accessories, but the PC Engine/Turbografx line doesn’t get
Mega Drive Wireless Console:
quite as much love. Thankfully, the Ukrainian flash cartridge developer Krikzz isn’t
Sonic 25th Anniversary Edition
AtGames’ licensed plug-and-play console is back in
one to ignore NEC’s cute little console, and the Turbo Everdrive is a bit of a marvel
a new edition, with a refreshed line-up of 80 built-in
as it fulfils the functions of a few different devices.
games. The unit features 39 games including new
The device is essentially a nice thick circuit board which slots into your console
additions Eternal Champions, Sonic 3D, Phantasy
where a regular HuCard/TurboChip game would go, and has its own slot for a
Star II, Phantasy Star III and Sword Of Vermillion, and
microSD card up to 32GB in size. It can then run homebrew games, backup copies
accepts original cartridges too – however, emulation
of your own games, translation patched games and more. It’ll also work on both PC
inconsistencies mean that it won’t be 100 per cent
Engine and Turbografx systems thanks to a small switch on the board, thus negating
accurate to an original Mega Drive.
the need for a rare import adapter. If you’re in a real pinch, it’ll even substitute for the
CD-ROM System Card and Super System Card (but not the Arcade Card).
Price: £49.99 From: funstockretro.co.uk
Price: £64.99 From: retrotowers.co.uk
14 | RETRO GAMER
collector's corner JEWEL IN
THE CROWN
DEFENDER OF OA
SIS
■ "This was my ver
y first RPG, for the
Game Gear. I had to
sell it as a kid, but
now I own two copies
of it and I won't
sell either."
HAMMERIN' PAID: £120
HARRY
“I asked a friend to get it for
me and he almost got robbed
by junkies.”
PAID: £5
PANZER
DRAGOON SAGA
“I paid a tenner after a two-hour
ride to Devizes after a 12-hour shift
in a very busy district hospital, in
Southampton. I was knackered in the
end, but it was well worth it.”
PAID: £10 CASTLEVANIA:
SYMPHONY OF
THE NIGHT
“Before collecting I already had
a thing for picking up genre-
defining games.”
PAID: £20
Collector’s corner
Readers take us through the retro keyhole
I
f there’s one thing collectors know my bedroom in Portugal into my own then began to grow at an even larger
all too well, it’s that having a great museum, so I removed the bed and rate once he moved to the UK. “In 2013
collection is pointless if you don’t have added some shelves.” It’s an elegant I moved to the UK and I noticed that I
anywhere to store it. Louie Pacheco solution and a somewhat nostalgic could get five to ten good games for
knows this, and came up with a clever one too, as that bedroom is where his the same price of one in Portugal. It is
solution – he keeps it overseas. “When original games were first stored… amazing how easy it is to collect here.”
I started to collect seriously I bought “I started collecting when I was a Louie is still sourcing games for
16 | RETRO GAMER
a moment with…
Bespoke Arcades
Cofounder Ben Georget discusses his high-quality arcade cabinets
17 | RETRO GAMER
[Arcade] After a 10-year hiatus Strider Hiryu
is back gracing the arcades once again.
18 | RETRO GAMER
NEWS DECEMBER 1999
30 December saw former Beatle and Curtis Mayfield, the American the best of the bunch being Born
George Harrison and his wife singer/songwriter, passed away on Again (Notorious B.I.G.), Everything Is
attacked in their home. The 26 December. It wasn’t a good Healing Nicely (Frank Zappa), Mimosa
assailant, Michael Abram, broke into month for music. (Fun Lovin’ Criminals), Kaleidoscope
their house and stabbed George Two acting greats also died this (Kelis) and Vol. 3: Life And Times Of S. DECEMBER 1999
Harrison 40 times with a knife. He month. Desmond Llewelyn who Carter (Jay-Z). NINTENDO 64
suffered head injuries and a punctured played the part of Q in 17 James Bond Cinema screens were busy with
lung before his wife, Olivia, rendered films, was killed in a car crash, aged lots of seasonal releases. The best of 1 Star Wars: Rogue
the attacker unconscious with a poker. 82, and Madeline Kahn, the American the silver screen offerings included Squadron (Nintendo)
December wasn’t filled with actress who starred in several Mel Magnolia, Ride With The 2 Star Wars: Episode I
festive cheer as several famous Brooks comedy movies alongside Devil, The Hurricane, Racer (Nintendo)
musicians passed away. Jazz musician Gene Wilder, died of ovarian cancer, Stuart Little, Galaxy 3 Ocarina Of Time (Nintendo)
Charlie Byrd died on 2 December, aged 57. December 1999 was not a Quest, Any Given
4 F-1 Grand Prix II (Video System)
fellow jazz/funk musician Grover good month for actors either. Sunday, The Talented
Washington Jr. died on 17 December, Music album releases weren’t as Mr Ripley and Man On 5 Quake II (Activision)
Scatman John died on 3 December plentiful as previous months with The Moon.
PLAYSTATION
1 Star Wars: Episode 1 -
him and you get to play a nifty little The Phantom Menace
parking minigame. (LucasArts)
While 18 Wheeler looked the part 2 Driver (Acclaim)
and played well it was ultimately a
short-term racer. It was brilliant for a 3 Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater
few credits play, but once the novelty of (Activision)
driving through a tornado had worn off 4 South Park (Acclaim)
repeated visits would be minimal. 5 Soul Reaver (Eidos)
For the want-to-be fisherman
who doesn’t want some smelly fish DREAMCAST
contaminating their personal space
1 SoulCalibur (Namco)
there was Fisherman’s Bait: Marlin
Challenge by Konami. The cabinet 2 Sonic Adventure (Sega)
featured a controller shaped as a fishing [Dreamcast] There’s good news and 3 Sega Worldwide
bad news. The good news is Shenmue
rod, which made casting and bringing in is outstandingly good. The bad news is Soccer 2000 (Sega)
your catch feel very authentic. that Sega lost so much money over it.
4 Ready 2 Rumble (Midway)
Capcom released Strider 2, a sequel
to the coin-op original. The graphics iteration of the Donkey Kong Country graphics but was also the only way to 5 House Of The Dead 2 (Sega)
had changed from 2D to pseudo-3D series and they must save their island stop the game randomly crashing. Every
featuring 2D sprites placed over from the clutches of King K. Rool. copy of Donkey Kong 64 came with a MUSIC
strikingly-designed 3D backgrounds. You can control five different free Expansion Pak at Rare’s expense. 1 The Millennium Prayer
While the visuals were given a shot characters in a Mario 64-esque 3D The Nintendo 64 present was Road (Cliff Richard)
in the arm, the gameplay harked back adventure. With eight levels, a world Rash 64 by THQ. While harking back to 2 I Have A Dream / Seasons
to the original with the platform and map and a swath of minigames, previous incarnations in gameplay terms, In The Sun (Westlife)
fighting mechanics remaining largely Donkey Kong 64 would keep a lot of Road Rash 64 featured graphics and
3 Re-Rewind – The Crowd Says
unaltered. With three missions, plus people very happy for a long time. textures that were kept to low resolution
Bo Selecta (Artful Dodger Ft.
additional unlockable content and A developmental oversight led to to cope with the action and racing.
Craig David)
bosses to defeat, there would be plenty a game-killing bug being overlooked While racing bikes and cracking
for Strider Hiryu to contend with. with the only way to fix it to include your opponents in the face with a bat 4 Back In My Life (Alice Deejay)
Away from the arcades, the N64 had an Expansion Pak supplying an extra at 180mph was fun, the Mega Drive 5 King Of My Castle
two new games ready for Christmas. 4MB of RAM. This would give more Road Rash games offered the same but (Wamdue Project)
First up was Donkey Kong 64 by Rare. expansive levels and higher-quality executed better.
The Kong family was back for a fourth
RETRO GAMER | 19
.net
20 | RETRO GAMER
Dork’s Dilemma?
“WE’VE GOTTA REINVEST IN SPACE TRAVEL. WE
SHOULD’VE NEVER LEFT THE MOON”
» MICRO PROJECTS » COMMODORE 16 » 1985
#106 There aren’t many C16 games that can claim to have a direct
influence on a major Japanese franchise – and this isn’t one
of them. But maybe, just maybe, if you squint a little, you can see a
game here that could be seen as a precursor to Pikmin, with a little
bit of Bomberman thrown in as well. No, really…
See, our protagonist – Dork – has crash-landed on a strange
planet, and his spacecraft has been scattered over the planet’s
surface. His mission, then, is to collect and reassemble the pieces
of his silver spaceship – see, it’s just like Pikmin, isn’t it?
On each maze-like screen Dork visits, a piece of spacecraft lies
entombed at the centre – only by destroying a set number of aliens
that inhabit each screen can Dork retrieve his missing spaceship bit.
In Bomberman style, Dork plants bombs with timed fuses to kill the
baddies. Oh, and there’s a jigsaw minigame as well where you have
to arrange the missing parts of Dork’s ship to make a little picture.
So Captain Olimar, um, I mean Dork, (they even look similar)
goes about collecting his space-parts, making his jigsaw, blowing
up aliens, and all is good. Well, yes it is, up to a point – everything
looks nice and Dork is nicely animated and moves about the screen
smoothly. The big problem with Dork’s Dilemma? is that it’s far too
easy, and that makes it something of a chore, a little bit of fiddling
with the game mechanics this could have been really great.
As it is, Dork’s Dilemma? is just an average little game on an
obscure system that just maybe had an influence on the makers
of Pikmin. Well… maybe?
CLARANCE FRANK
RETRO GAMER | 21
Not just a gaming
phenomenon but a
multimedia one, Pokémon
exploded in the late Nineties
and is still going strong
today. Luke Albigés grabs
his Pokédex and sets out
to document the hatching,
training and evolution of the
legendary franchise
ell, do you? No need to play coy – you
know what we’re talking about. Do you
want to be the very best? Like no one ever
was? The thing about Pokémon’s many
elements is that they’re all interconnected, and just
seeing screenshots or the logo is often enough to send
that opening G power chord ringing out in your head,
to evoke visions of Ash turning his cap backwards in
the anime or to remind you of that shiny Charizard card
you just couldn’t get for love nor money back in the day.
Pokémon launched on a worldwide scale not just as a
videogame but as a multimedia offensive. Supported by
a TV show, merchandise and other products following
the huge success of its original Japanese launch, there
was just no way it could fail. It was everywhere and in
the late Nineties, you could barely move without seeing
Pikachu’s beaming little face somewhere.
But while that might have been the start of the
phenomenon as we know it, our story begins earlier.
Well, a lot earlier – all the way back in 1990, in fact, or
even earlier if you want to track the origins of the most
on a Game Boy
If you play Red & Blue
» [Game Boy Color] nicer-looking coloured sprites.
ted to
Color, then you’re trea
22 | RETRO GAMER
HOW POKEMON CAUGHT THE WORLD
» [Game Boy] If we
have one complaint
about Pokémon
battles it is that
they are fairly static
affairs to watch.
RETRO GAMER | 23
J u s t PoTkémohn?e” we asSked,tanad thirs istwhat you said... Quinty, or Mendel Palace as you might know it, was
a simple action-puzzle game released for the NES in
1989, its completion heralding the start of something
“Who was your first much bigger, much more ambitious in scale, something
that we know today as Pokémon. The vision started
Bulbasaur out small, originally targeting a creature count of
We’re surprised this leafy little dude didn’t
around 50 monsters but with that number growing
fare better, if we’re honest – it can make
steadily as new ideas were hatched and improved
short work of the first two Gyms and its
hardware and coding techniques emerged around
unique split typing gave it a strong set of
them. In fact, it sounds as though the team always
options in battle. It also evolves quickest of
had more ideas than would be possible to fit into the
the three starters, reaching its blooming
memory capacity of a Game Boy cartridge. “From the
awesome final stage at Level 32 rather than
inception of the idea to the completion of Red & Blue
Level 36, although its reliance on status
took a total of about six years, so a long time!” smiles
24% moves may put off those who just want to
current producer Junichi Masuda, whose involvement
on earlier titles was mainly in coding and penning the
bang their heads against opponents.
music of the original games, later taking on directorial
and production duties on every mainline release. “We
started by creating loads of different Pokémon designs,
then we reduced that down to the favourite 150. That
took a lot of effort. After that, once we were happy
with our designs, we started working on the moves
they could each use. This process probably accounted
for around three of those six years. It was quite the
task! There wasn’t an initial plan of which Pokémon
would get which moves – we designed the Pokémon
Charmander then designed the moves, then decided which would
While we’re not entirely surprised that He Who
fit well together as a gradual process.”
44% Would Be Charizard came out on top in our poll,
picking the Fire type as your starter is actually
Masuda goes on to confirm our suspicions that the
team was dreaming far bigger than what a cartridge
the hardest option as it’s weak to both Rock and
could accommodate, but it wasn’t just a question of
Water, the types used by Brock and Misty in the
storage – it was a case of the ideas being beyond the
first two Gyms. Still, with the highest attack
realms of what the Game Boy hardware could do.
power of the three, it’s hard to argue that the
“It was difficult. The thing we wanted to focus on at
Charmander line isn’t a powerhouse once you
the start was communication and trading but it was
overcome that first hurdle.
difficult to do that as we could only transfer small
amounts of data between two consoles,” he explains.
“Communication itself was a big challenge – the
technology just wasn’t there but we really wanted to do
it, so we fought to get it in there. That was an overriding
theme – it was a fight against capacity, a fight against
what we could fit onto the cartridge. We had designed
these 150-odd Pokémon to get in as well. But then we
had the problem of movement, so we came up with the
idea of the map tiles being the things that moved while
Squirtle
Water types have something of a history of being
strong defensive options in Pokémon games and
Blastoise – Squirtle’s final evolution – also fits
» [Game Boy Color] Game Freak threw in nods to the real world as
in-jokes, these Easter Eggs would persist throughout the series.
24 | RETRO GAMER
HOW POKEMON CAUGHT THE WORLD
as
The thing we L ik e N o O n e Eve r ntrW
ibution
son Paige on his co
wanted to focus Pokémon theme singer Ja
to the series’ success
on at the start was How did you come to land the gig performing
B
TV show to watch and catch the vibe. PokémonGotheme.com – the perfect companion
ear in mind that we’re still talking about the for the next generation of players and Pokémon
original Japanese releases of Red & Green Did you have any idea how huge Pokémon lovers. I also do magic and balloon sculpture so
at this point – localisation hadn’t even been would become, and how iconic the theme kids have many reasons to love me. Pokémon
considered, and the studio ran into some would go on to be? makes people happy and helps them expand
serious issues when tasked with preparing Every session is a roll of the dice hoping that their imaginations. I have a portfolio of work
the game for release outside of Japan. “Originally, it the effort results in the most happiness for the that seeks to enhance the imagination as well
was kind of based on how people feel about and view most people. Oen there are other indicators like through sharing my unique truth and voice.
different colours. The clearest split for us was between celebrity involvement, big producers, writers,
red and green but when we started thinking about networks that promise to make a product big Finally, anything you’d like to add about your
abroad, it was clear that wasn’t the case. In America and it doesn’t go anywhere. I’ve learned involvement with Pokémon?
in particular, it’s red and blue that are considered to be in the moment – serve the I believe Pokémon to be a game that
‘opposites’, if you will,” Masuda reveals, although there creative task at hand and move on to enables critical thinking as people
were somewhat more pressing issues standing in the the next one. Water the seed and wait are challenged to develop unique
way of taking the game abroad, which is what led to for the fruits to appear. And they’re strategies to excel that they then
the gap of over two-and-a-half years between Japanese still coming off of these seeds planted 18 can share with other players. These
release and US launch, not to mention another year to years ago. lessons easily transfer to their own
reach Europe. “With the capacity problems mentioned lives. As new technologies like AR are
earlier, one thing that we found is that English takes Would you describe yourself of a fan of integrated, the game and brand will adapt for
up more space on the cart than Japanese. We had no Pokémon? Do you play/enjoy the games, and even greater adventures. I can’t wait to see what
room! Everything was so full on that cartridge and there indeed videogames in general? future technologies are added. And the updates
was little space to implement English at the time we I was an arcade kid playing all of the old-school should make it more exciting as well, adding
created it. So we had a lot of memory problems to solve games. Space Invaders, Missile Command more functionality and interactivity between
– things like changing Pokémon names and even the Donkey Kong, Q*bert, Night Driver. And at home, players. It’s all so incredible on a physical level
name entry screen, which was all designed in Japanese. I had Atari, Intellivision and Coleco games and as it demands movement not just through
To change that to accommodate English was really now I am a Pokémon Go player and fan. It far neighbourhoods but through entire regions. It’s
difficult and something we hadn’t considered when first surpasses my childhood arcade games. Its also made quite an impact on childrens’ health,
designing the game. We really had to spend a lot of multiple choices and outcomes are way more getting them out into the world, increasing
time working on all of this.” exciting than the single path games of my youth. learning for kids with autism and adding much
There are no right answers of how to be the very social value surrounding its explosion.
RETRO GAMER | 25
Evolu tio n Tra cPokkéemorn series has
ion in the
Each new game or genentratchanges and improvements
brought with it significa
Some of this could be seen in the game at the a premium. “Back at school, a friend of mine had
time, with character limits on menu terms, character, brought back Pokémon from America, where he had
creature and item names and even a few attacks. gone on holiday,” recalls Joe Merrick, webmaster of
Space, both on the screen and on the cart itself, Pokémon fansite Serebii.net – a resource many
was at a premium, hence these unusually like-minded Pokémaniacs have been using
short chunks of text, as seen elsewhere in for well over a decade. “It hadn’t been
the game actually, as Masuda highlights. released here, though the anime was
“Another example is the Pokédex. In the running on Sky and so when he showed
original Japanese versions, you just had the game, I was intrigued, watched the
» [GBA] Pokémon Red & Blue received full remakes for one screen and everything was displayed anime and pestered my mother to import
the Game Boy Advance. there whereas in the US and European the game.”
versions, it had to be changed to have Surrounded as it was by a hype machine
two screens with the names and details on a peerless scale, you might think that
of the Pokémon. Doing all these great this wasn’t a matter of quality – for those who
changes took a long time, so that was what contributed weren’t fans, the choppy, low-budget animation of the
to the delay. We never expected things to be so popular TV show and hoards of cheap collectible junk certainly
abroad, either – we had no idea this would be such a could have suggested as much, at least. Despite its
phenomenon so that was really amazing. But yes, it seemingly low production values, the anime series
took a long time to make all the changes needed to get was entertaining in its own way, luring in new fans
the game into different markets.” with its colourful characters and easy-to-follow stories,
A
but the games have always been superb. “I think the
fter all this extra work, Red & Blue released in quality had to be there,” muses Merrick. “Without it,
the US towards the end of 1998. With the people wouldn’t have felt encouraged to play the game.
anime, the trading card game and more While Red & Blue were a bit buggy, they had a solid
» [Game Boy] Pokémon Centers are a staple of the series,
offering free medical care for all.
toys games and other assorted tat with foundation, and were complete fun to play causing a
the Pokémon logo slapped on it releasing alongside lot of people to jump in. However, the factor of the
it, the buzz was huge and with no European launch anime and cards also had a huge impact to the reach
date so much as hinted at by Nintendo at the time, of Pokémon. Many people didn’t play the games and
would-be Trainers would have to go out of their way just focused on the cartoon or the cards, but like the
to grab import copies of the game – some indie game games, the quality definitely had to be there for it to
stores even imported these in bulk to sell through at take off.”
26 | RETRO GAMER
HOW POKEMON CAUGHT THE WORLD
A N ew Da w n
It took a long time to make all the changes
needed to get the game into different markets
just
Junichi Masuda
A new Pokémon game is
on the horizon…
But take off it sure as hell did, the multi-limbed the settings together so that they’re consistent across
approach meaning that there was always something movies, games and trading cards.” Pokémon Sun & Moon, coming this
going on in the world of Pokémon – game development
A
November, is looking to pay tribute to the
may be time-consuming but when you’ve got new TV s was to be expected, sequels to Red & Blue original Pokémon games that started the
episodes dropping, trading card sets being released, came thick and fast, but not before Game entire phenomenon, but also add new
toy lines coming out and Arceus-knows what else Freak could establish something that would innovations. The game is boldly doing away
helping to fill the gaps between the mainline videogame go on to become almost traditional for with Gyms – a staple of the series since the
releases, it’s easy to maintain a high-profile media Pokémon releases – a third game to complement the beginning – replacing them with puzzle-
presence. “We do have various staff involved in original pair of releases, originally in the form of Yellow based Trials, and some of the original 150
different things and we always think about these when (or Special Pikachu Edition, to give it its full title) which Pokémon have been reimagined with new
developing a game,” confirms Masuda. “We really want bridged the gaps between Red & Blue versions and ‘Alolan’ forms. Vulpix, Dugtrio, Meowth and
to think about how we can develop beyond the game was tweaked to tie into the events and characters of Raichu all have varients, with much more
and widen things once it’s finished. For the card game the anime. Crystal, Emerald and Platinum all filled similar soon to be discovered in the brand-new
in particular, we’ve got Creatures Inc. working on the roles in their respective generations, although it stopped region of Alola.
game itself and we discuss with them how best we can there – Black & White didn’t exactly lend themselves
expand on the game there and how the new Pokémon to the naming conventions of this trend (honestly, who
we’re creating might fit in with their plans.” He goes on would buy Pokémon Grey?) and got direct sequels
to explain the difficulty in such coordination between instead, while X and Y were long rumoured to get the
multiple teams and companies, especially when game trilogy treatment with Z, although all the stuff that has
release dates can’t be easily altered. “As we develop emerged that follows legendary Pokémon Zygarde
the game, we get the TV, TCG and animation teams has instead found its way into the imminent seventh-
in to play it so that they have a better idea of what generation releases, Sun & Moon.
the world, the characters and the Pokémon are like,” Each game, while still rooted in the core structure
adds Sugimori. “We’re all creating the characters and used in Red & Blue, has made great strides in
RETRO GAMER | 27
ie n c e O f P o k é m o n
Sc n – there are myriad factor
s at work
If you added like
Raising the perfect Poké
and true
mo
masters will need to be on top of all of the
m 300 or so new
under the hood
monsters, that’d just
IVs
Short for Individual Values, these hidden stats dictate the potential of a
be too many
Pokémon. While randomly generated on capture, these values are a lot Ken Sugimori
easier to manipulate via breeding, with parent Pokémon passing on a set
terms of improving quality of life for players, which
number of these values to its offspring, which can be increased by having
can make it hard to go back to those older games after
one breeding partner hold the Destiny Knot item. Chain breeding, while
being spoiled by so many minor improvements in more
time-consuming, can therefore lead to hatchlings with perfect stats.
recent ones. “I look back on them fondly, for sure, but
replaying them is a tricky proposition,” Merrick tells us
Natures in discussion of returning to the original games today.
While breeding for great IVs, you’ll also want to make sure you end “So often when I go back to play them, so many of the
up with a Nature that is beneficial to the Pokémon in question without modern conveniences in it are just not there and make
hurting its other stats too much. Alakazam, for instance, can happily roll playing a slog. For example, in Pokémon Red, Blue
with a Modest nature as boosting Special Attack in exchange for a cut to and Yellow, you had no idea what a move did in-game
its already-awful Attack. A 10 per cent buff to a beneficial stat is huge and unless you had an external guide. Sometimes playing
there’s almost always another than can be sacrificed to get it, meaning the old games without the conveniences and features
the neutral Natures are rarely the way to go. of modern games just causes me to think, ‘How did we
play these games?’ Once I erase that from my mind,
EVs though, I can still enjoy and play through them happily.”
It’s Effort Values this time, referring to the stat boosts granted by battling
E
against different types of Pokémon. Every opponent defeated adds one or
ven then, it’s not just these minor convenience
more points to a stat, with every four points granting a one-point boost to
tweaks, with each new generation expanding
that stat at Level 100. This isn’t infinite, mind – there’s a cap at 510 points
the strategic aspect of the game, not least with
and 255 to any given stat, allowing for up to 63 points to be added to stats
every new generation bringing with it a whole
of your choosing or a broader spread of smaller boosts.
new selection of Pokémon. “The reason
why there are about 100 Pokémon added per game is
not that we can’t come up with the ideas, especially
Moves when we have new staff – everyone can come up with
While you might think attacks will be the last thing to think about, that’s unique ideas,” Sugimori explains. “The number is set
not always the case. Certain moves can only be learned via breeding – by the duration of the project. Plus, if you added like
and in some cases complex strings of chain-breeding across multiple 300 or so new monsters, that’d just be too many – we
species – which can add yet another variable into the mix. For the most have to think of the balance of battles.” The same is
part, TMs and tutors can be used to supplement ‘natural’ moves and get true of introducing new types into the mix, which is
the perfect results, but there will be some instances where breeding for why only three new ones have been added to the initial
Egg Moves is the only way to get the attacks you want. 15 since launch. “By adding even one more type, it
definitely makes the gameplay more complicated so
Abilities when we did that, we had to really look into the battle
With each Pokémon having between one and three passive Abilities, balance,” Sugimori tells us. “With new moves, there’s
getting the right one is important, if not crucial depending on the an infinite combination. If we can solve that problem,
creature in question. In some case the difference is negligible or there is we can always add more types – it’s not impossible.”
only one option in the first place, and that makes life a little easier. But Having been on board since the very beginning and
for others, the optimal Ability is the difference between competitive been more attached to the series than most thanks to
viability and storage-box-filler.
Held Items
Nearly there now. One last thing to consider is which item each Pokémon
on your team should hold. These will oen tie into existing strengths and
game plans, although many of the outliers also serve as viable options on
the right Pokémon – switch in a Rocky Helmet Ferrothorn against a Mega
Kangaskhan and you’ll see what we mean. Choice items, ironically, lock
you into only the first move used while offering a bonus to Attack, Special
Attack or Speed but this requires a moveset tailored around it.
Team Balance
You’ll need more than one great Pokémon if you really want to be the best,
and synergy is important. You need to ensure that as many weaknesses
are covered as possible, all major threats are checked with a counter and
support Pokémon are on-hand to give a helping hand. Aim to pack one
defensive and offensive Pokémon for special and physical attacks, leaving » [Game Boy] We all named our rival stupid names, right? Here our
you two spots on the team to cover weakness and support. character takes on the dreaded Doobrie.
28 | RETRO GAMER
HOW POKEMON CAUGHT THE WORLD
Wh o’s T h a t
Poké m o nss?or,
Are you a Pokémon Profe test
or just a chump? Take our
to find out…
» [Game Boy Color] Sprites were redrawn for the Yellow edition of the game, in order to bring the designs in line with the anime and artwork.
RETRO GAMER | 29
THE MAKING OF THE
I
t would be slightly unfair to describe
early Eighties home computer gaming as
wholly derivative, but a large percentage
of the games produced for consumer
microcomputers during this time did borrow
heavily from popular coin-ops of the day. The early
output of Australian firm Beam Software reflected this
trend, and by the time that the ZX Spectrum launched
in spring of 1982, founder Alfred Milgrom was looking
to an arcade phenomenon for inspiration as he planned
Beam’s first Spectrum title.
“The idea of doing Hungry Horace was basically
mine,” Alfred begins. “At the time, there was really no
game design in games development – everything was
done by programmers – [there were] no designers,
graphics artists and so on yet – and we were still
finding out what could be done with the rudimentary
power of the home computers. So the arcades were
the source of inspiration for everyone. I was a very keen
arcade game player, because that was where games
came from. So I played a lot of games, and gave a lot of
thought to what was the underlying essence of those
games. When the first Horace game was developed,
30 | RETRO GAMER
THE MAKING OF: THE HORACE TRILOGY
“Sophisticated
graphics
packages did
not exist”
Alfred Milgrom
there was no thought about it becoming a three-game variety of mazes. Most of this design was done by
franchise. Obviously the gameplay borrowed very William and then refined through testing.”
heavily from Pac-Man, but we needed to do something One notable refinement saw Beam’s emerging
to differentiate it from being just a Pac-Man clone. So maze game adopt open-ended, rather than episodic
the fundamentals were there: ‘eating’ something and levels, that could be left and looped back to without
then some reason to have to run. I just brainstormed clearing their contents, which, as Alfred explains, was
it around and came up with the idea of a cartoony instigated in order to keep the gameplay fresh. “I think
IN THE character eating flowers in a park.” that this decision was made to make the game more
KNOW Having given his project a setting that would interesting. If the player had to clear all the flowers in
PUBLISHER: PSION distinguish it from its coin-op inspiration, Alfred next each level it would have became a little boring, [and] I
DEVELOPER: created an entirely original-looking hero for his game, think that William and I just got bored trying to finish all
BEAM SOFTWARE which he describes as the product of artistic limitation the levels!”
RELEASED: 1982-1983 rather than skilful design. “Sophisticated graphics Further efforts were made by the pair to pep up
PLATFORM: ZX Spectrum, packages did not exist. So the image of Hungry Horace their maze-based work-in-progress, but their game’s
C64, Dragon 32 was one that I drew myself on graph paper, and I am equivalent of Pac-Man’s power-pills – a ringing bell
GENRE: VARIOUS certainly no artist! I knew the size of the sprite we – somehow developed a glitch where skilled players
were going to use as well as the programming could achieve massive scores by repeatedly
restrictions. So I just designed a sprite with two big
eyes and two legs, but it needed more character so I
added a rat-tail, mullet hairstyle.”
With the basics in place for his park-based maze-
chase, Alfred brought Beam coder William Tang on
board, who implemented the game’s foundations
and accidentally developed various innovative maze
features. “As I recall, the first thing was to develop the
program and once the basic mechanics were working
we would improvise and try new things. William
Tang was very flexible like that and happy to adapt
the program and try new things as we went along.
Certainly we did not have a level editor at that time.
The bridges and underpasses were a serendipitous
consequence of how we were coding the mazes, but » [ZX Spectrum] Hungry Horace, wasn’t your typical Pac-Man
once we had that facility we played around to get a clone, although its inspiration is still clear to see.
RETRO GAMER | 31
collecting it. “This was a bug that was unnoticed a long time ago, so I don’t remember exactly at what
“we never before the game’s release,” Alfred concedes. “I would
like to believe that people played to enjoy the game
point we sent the game to Psion. What I can tell you
is that Psion did not interfere with the game design at
ever rather than run up huge points tallies. Of course, a all. They were not game developers, but very astute
considered side effect of the bug is that running up the points tally
became meaningless so it made it a better game for
distributors. When they found out that we had a game
that they could distribute they did their job excellently
game”
P
its design completed, Alfred was approached by sion did, however, come up with a name
Psion Software founder David Potter. “David had a for Beam’s game – Hungry Horace.
Alfred Milgrom relationship where Sinclair had asked him to bundle Unfortunately, a character in The Beano
some games to be released with the Spectrum,” Alfred had the same name, which required
remembers, “and David contacted us. Fortunately we David Potter to hastily obtain the rights from publisher
had Hungry Horace well down the road of development DC Thomson in order to avoid potential legal action.
at the time so we jumped on the opportunity. It was Although unaware of the fuss, Alfred didn’t object to his
project being renamed. “I don’t remember what name
we had chosen for the game, but obviously it wasn’t
very memorable! I did not know about Psion needing
to ask for permission from the Hungry Horace comic
strip, [but] I guess they were happy to take care of it.”
Having settled these rights issues, Psion launched
Hungry Horace at the September 1982 Personal
Computer World Show. Glowing reviews followed, and
the game soon became a bestseller, which Alfred gives
Psion boss David Potter due credit for. “I certainly had
not expected Hungry Horace to have the success it
achieved, although, of course, I was hoping for it! The
success of Horace was a direct result of David Potter’s
connections to Clive Sinclair. And although we got less
» [ZX Spectrum] His motorway injuries a distant memory, Horace
money for each sale, the additional sales and visibility
celebrates by going on the piste. more than made up for it.”
32 | RETRO GAMER
THE MAKING OF: THE HORACE TRILOGY
CONVERSION CAPERS
How the Horace games fared on other systems
HUNGRY HORACE HUNGRY HORACE HORACE GOES SKIING HORACE GOES SKIING
COMMODORE 64 DRAGON 32 COMMODORE 64 DRAGON 32
■ Horace’s first C64 outing is just as slick as ■ Despite having less screen real estate than ■ Unlike the Spectrum original, Horace isn’t in ■ Due to lack of screen space, Dragon 32
the original and has near-identical graphics. the Spectrum, the Dragon 32 Hungry Horace perpetual motion in the C64 version’s motorway Horace faces a scarily congested motorway
Enhancements come in the form of a cheeky provides more flowers for Horace to munch, but section, which obviously gives you more control before he hits the slopes; so a lot of scurrying
pregame tune featuring Pac-Man sound effects otherwise this is a faithful adaptation. Its visual over his movement. The other main differences about is required in order to cross. Additionally,
and melodic in-game jingles when you get tweaks include dancing Horaces representing are the lack of ski jumps and that drivers beep there are no ambulances, but there are JCBs!
apprehended, enter a new level or catch a guard lives left, kaleidoscopic death sequences and their horns at C64 Horace when he runs out in And like the C64 version, Dragon Horace doesn’t
after turning the tables. Horace being orange. front of them. go ski jumping.
RETRO GAMER | 33
SPECTRUM
MASCOTS More Spectrum characters that
became the system’s icons
JETMAN
■ Where Horace became a mascot thanks to
wide-scale exposure, Ultimate’s sci-fi everyman
achieved emblematic status due to the style
DIZZY and originality of his games. That said, Jetman’s
■ A Spectrum regular during its twilight years, bitmap is genuinely iconic.
Dizzy fronted numerous adventures. Given his
sterling support for the machine later on, it
seems only fair that Dizzy ultimately became a
mascot for both the Spectrum and Amstrad.
» [ZX Spectrum] Horace doesn’t go skiing because he’s spent all of
his money on skis and ambulances!
ZIGGY
■ Jetman’s first outing created a huge demand
for original rather than coin-op derived Spectrum
gaming. Ziggy rode this wave with slick
shooters like The Pyramid and he soon became
synonymous with Sinclair’s popular system.
MONTY MOLE
■ Due to his creator’s wicked sense of humour,
Monty Mole is best remembered for starring in
unforgiving games. But despite this apparent
failing, the somersaulting mole proved highly
popular and soon became a Spectrum icon.
MAGIC KNIGHT
■ Like Wally before him, the Magic Knight
debuted in a straight platformer before heading
into arcade adventure territory. Impressively, the
MINER WILLY
■ Although influenced by a US gaming icon,
armoured hero’s games were all budget titles,
Miner Willy is a decidedly British creation. Willy’s
which may have bolstered his iconic status.
surreal Spectrum debut was an instant classic,
but his chart-topping sequel secured his place as
34 | RETRO GAMER a Spectrum mascot bar none.
THE MAKING OF: THE HORACE TRILOGY
BOB SMITH
ON HORACE
A few words with the Horace In
The Mystic Woods developer
What are your memories of the original
three Horace games?
I think Hungry Horace was one of the first
games available for the Spectrum at its
launch, and so one of the first I had. It wasn’t
like other games that you might have seen
before in the arcades – it had a crisp and
colourful look, and was smooth and playable.
When Horace Goes Skiing came along it was
Arachnids aside, a bug of a different type also would have made all the difference or something that equally as playable, but a lot more fun and
appeared in Horace And The Spiders where if you we included should not have been there.” a completely different game to be learned,
walked backwards on the game’s first stage you would and then again with Horace And The Spiders –
U
get transported to level two, but Alfred explains how nlike Horace’s earlier outings, Horace And although I never was very good at that one!
he would likely have made this into a feature had he or The Spiders wasn’t released on the C64
cocreator William Tang spotted the glitch. “I think that and Dragon 32, but Alfred clarifies that this How did the Spectrum Horace In The Mystic
if we had noticed it we would have made more use had nothing to do with Horace’s Spectrum Woods conversion come about?
of it. This was before the time that we discovered that publisher. “Psion’s role was distribution of games The game was mentioned on the World Of
adding features to a game in development is a very bad through Sinclair. Melbourne House retained all the retail Spectrum forums and how it was a shame
thing and can have unintended consequences. Even distribution rights. But Psion did not ask us to restrict that it wasn’t on the Spectrum. The original
very cool features added at the wrong time during the development of any games to Sinclair machines author, Michael Ware, said he’d be pleased
development can totally destroy the addictiveness of only. The games did not sell well on other platforms if it happened, and one of the Mojon Twins
a game. But at that time we didn’t know that so we because there was not that initial push that created the group started work on it but later found that
would take a ‘feature’ and run with it.” audience. We kept the franchise going only as long as it he didn’t have the time available to spend on
Although Alfred and William missed the chance to was successful on the Spectrum.” it. I then offered to convert the game [and]
make transportation an official part of their third Horace On the subject of keeping the Horace franchise got the gig. It was a difficult conversion due to
title, they did ensure that Horace had some challenges going, Alfred reveals a few details about Beam’s shelved the different resolutions of the machines and
to overcome including jumping over spiders, swinging fourth Horace game – Horace To The Rescue – but his the physics that had been added to Horace’s
from web-to-web, stamping holes in cobwebs memories of the title have all but faded and he has no movement. And since there wasn’t a decent
and dispatching trapped arachnids. Alfred puts the knowledge of the whereabouts of the game’s coder. emulator for the Psion machine I had to buy
difficulty of Horace And The Spiders compared to its “It’s too long ago. Certainly there are only a few tropes one, and a copy of the game, in order to do a
predecessors down to concerns over making the game in game design and ‘rescue the princess’ is one of faithful conversion.
too easy. “Developers get bored and think that the them. Horace To The Rescue was based on this idea,
games are too simple, so they try to up the challenge. but I cannot remember the details. It is true that William How would you explain Horace’s
We did not have anyone in the role of a game designer, Tang had a collapsed lung and that this severely curtailed enduring popularity?
so many issues relating to the gameplay were not fully his ability to work at that time. But the Horace series All the Horace games were special and
thought through. Also, it is difficult to predict what will was no longer so important so we did not feel the need different to each other, but always difficult
make a game addictive. It may be that a small tweak to get another programmer on to the project. So William to master and progress through and the
looking after his health at that time was a higher priority. releases were spaced apart, which made
Unfortunately, I have not kept in touch with him.” each new one something to look forward to.
But although Alfred has lost touch with the cocreator The fact that the series didn’t overstay it’s
of the Horace trilogy, the Beam Software founder has welcome, or continue into the 16-bit era, only
clearly kept Horace close to his heart and expresses helps in its nostalgia.
pride tinged with only a little regret when asked to look
back at his three classic Horace titles. “I think we went
off track with Horace And The Spiders. The nature
of games on the Spectrum was changing by that
time and I feel we did not manage to increase game
sophistication and yet keep the naive charm of the
original character. But I must say that I am very proud of
these games and probably wouldn’t change a thing of
Hungry Horace and Horace Goes Skiing.”
» [ZX Spectrum] A mistimed jump on Horace And The Spiders’ first
level costs Horace an anti-spider serum. Many thanks to Alfred for sharing his memories.
RETRO GAMER | 35
WARNING! A HUGE BATTLESHIP IS APPROACHING FAST.
With that o-quoted alert the deep-sea beasties of Darius emerge,
Cthulu-like, from the depths. But as Martyn Carroll discovers, Taito’s
shooter is much more than just another videogame trope
T
he Darius series doesn’t always get the The series has evolved over time but its
attention it deserves. This is particularly hallmarks were firmly established in the Player 2
true outside of Japan where historically original coin-op. First up was the debut
Konami’s Gradius and Irem’s R-Type are the of Silver Hawk, a small, yet powerful,
two leading names when it comes to side-scrolling craft in the mould of Vic Viper from
shooters. They may be more popular, and some would Gradius. There were two Silver Hawks
say more important, but they both struggle to match in fact, one for ace pilot Proco and the
the sheer prevalence of Darius. Since the original coin- other for his female companion Tiat, who
op debuted in 1986, there have been six core sequels, entered the fray in two-player games. The plot was the
most with multiple revisions, plus numerous home usual alien invasion affair, but memorably the enemies
versions, many with unique additions, and various spin- in Darius were a weird kind of mechanised marine life.
offs. If you totalled them all up you’d be looking at more This was especially true of the end-of-level bosses – or
than 30 releases over a 30-year period, culminating in rather ‘battleships’ – which looked like someone had
the recent Dariusburst: Chronicle Saviours for PS4, Vita fused together the contents of a fish tank and a cutlery
and PC. That’s quite some achievement. drawer. Darius was almost certainly the first game
where you went into battle against a giant fish with a
colander on its head.
Player 1 The original game also introduced the branching
stage staple. Having defeated a boss you could choose
one of two routes, each leading to a different zone.
There were 28 zones in total but you could reach the Green Power-up
end of the game by finishing just seven of them. As
such, the invitation was there to play through the game
several times, exploring different routes. The stage
structure was similar to the branching road in Out
Run, although there were no easy routes – they were
all hard! Some zones were slightly less challenging
than others but generally Darius was a difficult game,
» [Arcade] Use your aerial bombs to take out the large number of
ground turrets, otherwise you won’t get far. particularly if you were playing solo.
36 | RETRO GAMER
ULTIMATE GUIDE: DARIUS
PIXEL PERFECT
A small selection of the mechanical critters you can blast
Looper
Dropper
Silver Power-up
Gold Power-up
Blob
Glider
Orb
Anemone
Tank
Cannon
Leaper
Launcher
RETRO GAMER | 37
DEVELOPER Q&A You could power-up Silver Hawk, of course,
by collecting coloured globes that were relinquished
Christian Pennycate recalls how he shoehorned Darius by enemies. Your main missiles and bombs could
onto the ZX Spectrum be upgraded and you could also grab armour that
withstood a certain number of enemy shots. Some
How did you end up with the job of I wouldn’t be surprised if we reached four kind of upgrade was almost essential when taking on
converting Darius to the Spectrum? months. The trickiest part was to get decent the later bosses. Perhaps the most obvious omission
I was one of those geeky kids that wrote speed performance from the big bosses at the was the lack of a speed upgrade. Silver Hawk isn’t
computer games. Before Darius I had written end of each level as they consumed a large part exactly slow, but not being able to boost your speed
a fair few, so it was a case of being in the right of the screen. It worked out quite well, I think. does seem strange in the wake of Gradius, Salamander
place at the right time. As with most publishers and the like.
B
back then, I sent in a demo and made a few calls. How pleased were you with the product and
They invited me for a chat and I ended up with how it progressed? ut Darius always had one huge plus point
the job of Darius. It was a very enjoyable Speccy game to make, compared to competing shooters: its
principally as I think we struck the right incredible panoramic playing field. Instead of
Did you feel at all daunted by the task of balance between creative/graphics and code displaying the action on a single 4:3 monitor,
converting such an impressive coin-op? development. In Mark I had a great creative artist the game utilised three 13-inch monitors side-by-side
Actually, this game was one of my all-time on the job, so it made for a fun project. which resulted in a super, super widescreen display
favourite to develop. Where I would normally that was equivalent to 864x224 pixels. Darius certainly
have given constraints to the graphic artist, on Finally, how was your working relationship wasn’t the first coin-op to utilise a three-screen display
this occasion I decided to give him full reign, as with Edge Soware? – Tatsumi’s driving games TX-1 and Buggy Boy did it
in let the artist decide, or at least drive, some Edge was a husband-and-wife team. At the time previously, but in these cases the screens were clearly
of the design decisions. This proved to be a I regarded Darius as a relatively strong game, separate and the left and right screens were even
winning formula. The artist was actually very so I was grateful to have landed the opportunity angled slightly towards the player. What Taito did was
good – it was none other than Mark Healey, to work on such a big title. It was a dot on my align the monitors in a specific way (the middle monitor
[future cofounder of Media Molecule]. Mark was game development journey and it was fun whilst facing the player and the left and right ones on their
a colleague of mine and we worked together on it lasted. Gladly, I’m no longer a game developer backs, facing up) and then use a mirror to create a
many games over a number of years. but I’m still in the computer business. single, unbroken display. The illusion worked brilliantly
and gave the game instant wow factor. The cab was
Did you have access to the coin-op machine large and imposing too, as you’d expect with three
during development? monitors to house. It also featured stereo speakers
We didn’t, but we did have access to either the
Amiga or Atari ST version.
38 | RETRO GAMER
ULTIMATE GUIDE: DARIUS
RETRO GAMER | 39
BOSS RUSH
A rundown of every ugly/beautiful boss in Darius and how to defeat them
40 | RETRO GAMER
ULTIMATE GUIDE: DARIUS
AMIGA
1989
■ Developed by the same team and at the
» [Arcade] Despite
The arcade sequel arrived in 1989. Like the the marine theme, same time as the ST version, so there’s not
original, Darius II (which for reasons unknown was only a few zones much to choose between them. This version
released in some regions as Sagaia) reused the three- are actually set runs quite a bit quicker and smoother than
underwater.
monitor system, although a less-common two-screen its Atari counterpart (this is most noticeable
alternative was also manufactured. However, the series during the boss battles), but it’s sunk by the
would not return to its trademark panoramic display for same playability issues as the ST release.
another 20 years. This was understandable for game
three (Darius Twin, 1991) and four (Darius Force, 1993) ZX SPECTRUM
as they were developed for the SNES rather than the 1990
arcade. The series returned to the arcades in 1994 with ■ This was based on the 16-bit conversion
fan favourite Darius Gaiden, which was initially unveiled rather than the coin-op, so it’s not a great
as Darius III, suggesting that Taito did not always game although it does deserve bonus
consider the SNES games to be core entries. Darius marks for the level of ambition on show. The
Gaiden utilised a 4:3 display, as did 1997’s G Darius, the graphics are really large and colourful, and
first game in the series to ditch sprites for polygons. the bosses are suitable imposing, but it’s a
A
game that’s better to look at than play.
fter a gap of 12 years the series returned
in 2009 with Dariusburst for the PSP. PC ENGINE
Making the most of the handheld’s 16:9 1990
screen, the new game was a superb ■ The first recognisable home version of
shooter that would form the basis for all recent Darius Darius arrived on the PC Engine in 1990, on
titles. The following year the PSP game was retooled CD (as Super Darius) and HuCard (as Darius
and enhanced for the arcades and the result was the Plus). The CD version expands on the coin-op
sensational coin-op release Another Chronicle. Harking by featuring individual bosses for each
back to the original, the game featured an insane 32:9 zone. While the move to a 4:3 display is well
widescreen display and even brought back the vibrating handled, the versions are very challenging.
seat. The recently-released home versions are very
good, but in all honesty Another Chronicle is meant to GAME BOY ADVANCE
be played in the arcade, on a massive screen, alongside 2002
other players, on a vibrating seat. The very same can be ■ Released in 2002, only in Japan, Darius R
said about the first two games in the series. is a version of the original game for the
Darius is now under the stewardship of shoot-’em- GBA. It’s based on the PC Engine conversion
up specialists G.rev, so we can surely expect more and as such features several new bosses
wonderful and wildly over-the-top titles in the future. that don’t appear in the coin-op. A valiant
There are plenty more robot fish in the sea after all. attempt, but the screen doesn’t lend itself to
Darius, and too many zones are missing.
RETRO GAMER | 41
The Atari 2600 enjoyed a long life. First lthough the design of the Atari 2600 Jr. is
very much seen as a product of the Tramiel-
launched in 1977, it wasn’t discontinued until era of Atari, the ‘Junior’ project was started
under the stewardship of Warner Brothers
1992. One of the reasons for this longevity was with the aim to produce a cost-reduced version of the
2600 console, codenamed ‘Val’. The CX-2000, as it
its 1986 relaunch, so we sent Kieren Hawken was also known (its dedicated part number), would be
42 | RETRO GAMER
ATARI 2600 JR.
game designs along the way despite its futuristic (for the Eighties, at least) design
the console is absolutely huge! ‘How big?’ We hear
Steve DeFrisco you ask… Well at 15”x13”x4.25” it’s bigger than even
the original Xbox. The case included a hatch on the
released for the TI-99 home computer. Although it Upon his acquisition of the Atari consumer division back that you could open to store your controllers. The
had been advertised in catalogues and shown to the Jack Tramiel set about to revive the Atari 2600 Jr. huge size of the console did nothing to help the cost
press, Atari never put this into production, however project to help shift the masses of inventory the of the producing it, either – Atari had already removed
the 2600 Jr. project still went ahead. Regan Cheng company was sitting on and help kickstart the two of the original four joystick ports in a cost-saving
had previously designed a mock-up for the Atari 2600 videogames division. After the successful launch of measure and planned to reduce this expense further
Jr., based on the looks of existing the Atari 1200XL the 16-bit Atari ST computer Jack Tramiel started to with a complete redesign. However, the North
home computer. Mark Biassotti then merged this put his plans for the new division in place by hiring American video game crash hit Atari hard and made
design from Atari with Milton Bradley’s concept. Mark Michael Katz from Epyx in November 1985. He sure the 5200 was never even released outside of its
would also design the case for the cancelled 5200 Jr would take up the role of president in Atari’s new native region. The 5100, or ‘Little PAM’ as it was also
(see the boxout on this page). The plan was that the Entertainment Electronics Division and he soon set known was promptly cancelled and dumped in favour
Jr. model would be sold inside a small lunchbox-style about recruiting developers to produce games for of the new 2600 compatible 7800 ProSystem.
box with a handle for portability, it would cost less the relaunched 2600 console, as well as the 7800.
than $50 and be geared towards a younger market – After clearing all the existing inventory of 2600 ‘Vader’
with the new Atari 7800 ProSystem console aimed models (which was clad in black, much like the Sith on the packaging, this revitalised Atari 2600 was be
at more experienced gamers. Atari was also planning lord), Atari officially launched the new version of heavily pushed on both TV and press adverts using
to release a series of new games based on popular the 2600 console in January 1986. It would come the slogans that attempted to bring memories back
cartoon characters such as Bugs Bunny, Donald Duck bundled with a joystick and Centipede cartridge in from Atari’s previous successes with the 2600 system,
and Garfield to appeal to this new youthful audience, the previously planned lunchbox-style box. Dubbed stating that “the fun is back!” and it was the “world’s
however none of these games made it into production. the ‘Junior’ or ‘Jr.’, although never officially stating it bestselling game console!” The TV adverts featured
young gamers playing a selection of the system’s most
popular games with somebody rapping Fun Is Back
over the top in an attempt to make the console seem
new and ‘hip’. Later versions of the advert featured the
kids rapping themselves as well as footage of much
newer games made specifically for the 2600 Jr., such
as Midnight Magic, Solaris and RealSports Boxing. The
new games would feature a smart, dark red
box that made the 2600 name more
prevalent than previous game
box designs.
When it came to
games Michael
was having a
hard time
RETRO GAMER | 43
recruiting big companies to produce titles for
ATARI HISTORY With the 2600 he returned to the system’s roots to try
and find people who had worked with the machine
before. One of the first people he approached was
Atari cofounder Nolan Bushnell and his new company
Axlon. Nolan, at the time, was working on his
company’s line of robots. One of the first people Nolan
brought in to help get this venture off the ground was
former Imagic programmer Steve DeFrisco, and he
remembers this day well. “Nolan came to me and
» [Atari 2600] Released in 1989, Activision’s Atari 2600 conversion
said that Atari had contacted him, wanting to have of Double Dragon features some impressive music.
some new titles with Nolan’s name on the box for
the rerelease of the cost-reduced 2600.” Interestingly, also a big help in writing more complicated and larger
Steve hadn’t previously programmed any games for games on the 2600 machine, too.”
the 2600, being assigned to the Intellivision instead
Atari Lynx II at his former company. “At Imagic I was interested xlon later hired Tod ‘Pac-Man’ Frye to assist
■ The biggest criticism of the original Lynx handheld was in the Atari 2600, but at that time it was considered with 2600 development and Atari recruited
its colossal size. At just shy of a foot long it was debatable too difficult for beginning programmers to work Bob ‘Defender’ Polaro on a freelance basis,
for many if it was even handheld. So Atari went back to on,” he explains. “There was also a shortage of too. Tod worked on games such as Save
the drawing board and came up with a new much more development systems for the Atari 2600 at Imagic. Mary and Shooting Gallery but sadly all his later
compact design in the Lynx II model that was a full inch and While I discussed the graphics capabilities with titles went unreleased when Atari stopped 2600
half shorter than the original. Bob Smith, Brad Stewart, and Rob Fulop, I initially development to focus on the Lynx. Bob had better
worked on the Intellivision, and later the Atari 800. I luck and produced the 2600 version of isometric 7800
had started programming on my Atari 800 at home, shoot-’em-up Desert Falcon as well as conversions
[studying] at college, so I understood something of of two Atari arcade games in Road Runner and
the display capabilities of the 2600.” But how much Sprintmaster. Bob would also program the impressive
input did Nolan have into the games himself? “Nolan port of the hit Bally Midway arcade game Rampage
helped with some initial direction of the games and for Activision. Persuading Activision to come back
also reviewed the game designs along the way, but to the system that made it famous was a big coup
the major work was done by the programmers on for Atari. Starting with a port of David Crane’s
each of the projects.” Atari provided assistance to bestselling computer game Ghostbusters, Activision
the programmers, as Steve explains: “Atari Corp. released a string of 2600 games that utilised all the
provided game development platforms and all the new techniques made available by the advances in
documentation that was available, along with some technology and much larger ROM sizes. Commando,
Atari XE Games System code. Included was the six-character kernel that was Kung Fu Master and Double Dragon all proved to be
■ Although the Atari 8-bit computer was redesigned used to display six numbers on a single line for scores competent conversions; and the old-school 2600 fans
numerous times, it’s the last entry in this line that is the etc.. The extra RAM and ROM Atari provided was were pleased, thanks to a follow up to then-successful
most interesting. With the XEGS, Atari decided to correct
everything that was wrong with the Atari 5200 and produce It was tough, really tough. Since I knew how
a console that was fully compatible with all existing games
and peripherals. good the original River Raid was and assumed
people would make comparisons
David Lubar
44 | RETRO GAMER
ATARI 2600 JR.
River Raid.. But with original creator Carol Shaw no and Ghostbusters II, in 1992 – some 15 years after the
longer in employment, the team turned to David Lubar first game, Combat
Combat. The last title to be published by
for assistance. David had previously programmed 2600 Atari Corp. itself came in 1990 and was a conversion
games for both 20th Century Fox and Spectravideo, of the hugely-successful Atari Games coin-op Klax.
producing titles such as Fantastic Voyage, Flash Gordon Steve DeFrisco was responsible for this conversion
and Challenge Of Nexar. “It was tough, really tough,” and we were intrigued to know how difficult it was
Steve recalls, when remembering making the sequel. converting a brand new-arcade game to such ancient
“Since I knew how good the original River Raid was, I hardware. “My challenge was to match the gameplay
assumed people would make comparisons. Honestly characteristics as closely to the arcade as possible. It
though, as good as River Raid II turned out, I think the was a given at the start of the project that the graphics
original is still the best.” would not be as intricate and detailed as the original.
David’s second game for Activision was also one The sounds would also have to be simplified to match
of the consoles best, but by 1990 the 2600 was the capabilities of the 2600. I think the gameplay
considered tired in North America so My Golf only on the 2600 was more fun than some of the other
ended up being released in PAL regions where the ports of the game out there, though!” Steve’s other
console was still selling well as a budget machine. favourite game that he produced was Secret Quest,
Despite only having nine holes, My Golf was an billed as the 2600’s answer to Zelda. “[That game]
impressive attempt at recreating the popular sport was fun because of the save game feature and the
and is widely regarded as one of the consoles most large maps,” Steve enthused. “The biggest challenge
technically-impressive titles. David is quite humble was to come up with a system that allowed people to
about his achievement, though: “It really wasn’t more continue their game without any permanent storage
difficult to program than other games I made, as far as on the cart. The save game system had to be done in
I remember anyway. Although I did really like the way it a way that people couldn’t cheat by guessing at game
came out.” Activision would also end up releasing the codes. Secondly was to have a large enough map to
Atari 2600’s last two commercial games, Acid Drop make the game interesting, and I achieved both pretty
well.” In 1977, when the 2600 was created, nobody
expected it to live on into the Nineties and it probably
would have fallen away it wasn’t for the release of the
2600 Jr.. We leave it to Steve to sum up why he thinks
the 2600 managed to live on so long. “There were
just so many fun games written for the 2600. Because
it lacked the graphics and sound of more modern
systems, gameplay had to be key. While the novelty
of playing games on your TV at home was exciting,
the gameplay had to be solid in order for system to be
successful and Atari definitely capitalised on that.”
» [Atari 2600] Doug Neubauer’s Solaris was intended as game based on Special thanks to Steve DeFrisco, David Lubar and
The Last Starfighter movie and it looks fantastic. the Atari Museum.
RETRO GAMER | 45
The making of
46 | RETRO GAMER
THE MAKING OF: UMIHARA KAWASE
RETRO GAMER | 47
Playing The Anglers Rather than being an aid, the fishing line
was an integral part of the game’s challenge.
“The very basics of an action game is ‘use your
technique to break through the difficulties’. So,
Fishing is a surprisingly popular activity the difficulties are at this level,” Sakai notes. As
amongst videogame heroes – here are five of you worked out how best to take advantage of its
our favourite pixellated piscators… physics, advanced techniques became possible. this – for example, you might struggle with the
For example, if you have your line attached to a first boss until you work out that your fishing rod
JEFFRY MCWILD platform above, but can’t get up simply by reeling is ineffective against it and that it will eventually
VIRTUA FIGHTER in your line, running away will increase line tension jump off the stage of its own accord if you can
■ While this pancratium practitioner faces enough to allow for a super jump. If you want to survive long enough. If that sounds like a brutally
off against fearsome foes in the Virtua get to a platform below your current position that difficult initial boss encounter, it is – and that level
Fighter games, none of them compare to his can’t be reached by jumping, plant your lure where of difficulty is sustained throughout the game
lifelong rival – the Satan Shark. In fact, his you are and make yourself a rope to swing in with. thanks to an abundance of bottomless pits and
H
primary motivation to fight is to win prize money with which he can our protagonist’s characteristic fragility. Just
buy equipment to track down this marine menace. owever, it wasn’t just a challenge of manual completing the game is a badge of honour, and
dexterity. “Some people say the Umihara there’s a very good reason that you’re given ten
RYU Kawase series only uses controlling lives to start the game. Beating all 49 stages is
BREATH OF FIRE techniques or reflexes, but in reality, you a true test of your gaming skill too – some levels
■ While no two Breath Of Fire protagonists need tactics to find out the best path to clear and have multiple exits so you’ll have to play through
are the same person, they’ve always so on,” Sakai confirms. There’s a strong puzzle the game more than once to see them all.
got a few common traits – the blue hair, element to the game, as the difficulty Umihara Kawase was released on 23
the draconic heritage, and unusually a is often just as much about figuring December 1994, after roughly two years in
proficiency for fishing. This is always a key part of each game, so be out what to do as actually pulling it development, by the software publishing
sure to master it! off. Even the boss stages exhibit arm of the Japanese broadcaster NHK.
As we mentioned earlier it wasn’t an
LINK overwhelming sales success, but it
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA definitely found passionate fans. Late in
■ The hero of Hyrule might not be the most 2015 many outlets covered the story of a
enthusiastic fisherman on this list, but he’s player known as Wanikun, who had kept his Super
certainly dabbled in it for at least a couple Famicom running nearly constantly over 20 years,
of decades. He first grabbed a rod in The so as not to lose his saved data to a battery failure.
Legend Of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, and brought it back during many A small, passionate group of English-speaking
of his 3D adventures. fans congregate around the website KawaseFan.
net, too.
BIG THE CAT However, one particular group of players
SONIC ADVENTURE really embraced the game – the burgeoning
■ There are those who think that Big’s speedrunning scene. Thanks to the game’s non-
fishing sections in Sonic Adventure are the linear nature and the advanced techniques possible
worst part of the game. If you trace their with mastery of the fishing line, the game can be
family trees, you’ll learn that they are all » [SNES] The only safe place to hide from this boss is completed extraordinarily quickly by experienced
descendents of the king of Planet Wrong, an off-world colony under the platform! speedrunners – times under three minutes are
formed by people with a talent for being incorrect.
48 | RETRO GAMER
THE MAKING OF: UMIHARA KAWASE
U
ROMs. So, we have implemented the Time 20 years after the release of the original game. DEVELOPER:
Competition feature from Umihara Kawase Shun.” But the original wasn’t made available to the TNN/Studio Saizensen
West until November 2015, when the trilogy RELEASED: 1994
mihara Kawase’s cult speedrunning became available worldwide via Steam. The game PLATFORM: SNES
appeal was ultimately enough to take disappeared the following month as publisher GENRE: Platform
the game a long way. A PlayStation Agatsuma Entertainment was closed, but
sequel titled Umihara Kawase Shun Degica Games fortunately stepped in to assume
was released in 1997, adding 3D visuals and some publishing duties. While the games still haven’t
markedly more bizarre hand-drawn character found an enormous audience, glowing user
designs, but retaining the same 2D gameplay. An reviews show that they’re very highly appreciated
updated rerelease titled Umihara Kawase Shun by the players that have taken a chance on them.
Second Edition followed with new stages in 1999. So after more than 20 years, Umihara Kawase
This game later received a port to the PSP as still retains its cult appeal, and for the dedicated
Umihara Kawase Portable, which received a poor fans that hasn’t dulled at all. Why is that?
reception due to bad physics implementation, and “Because we make the game a very simple action
both the SNES original and PlayStation sequel game, and it feels great when you play it,” says
received a much better Nintendo DS conversion Sakai. “Thank you very much for your time, and I
under the tongue-twisting title Umihara Kawase hope you enjoy my Umihara Kawase series!”
CATCHING
■ If Umihara touches an enemy while she has it hooked,
whether she reels it in or simply runs into it, she’ll put it
into her backpack – effectively killing it and earning you
REELING points. Alternatively, you can dispose of enemies simply
■ By moving the D-pad up by dragging them into the cold, deep water for no points.
and down, you can use the
reel to increase and decrease
the length of the line. This STUNNING
allows you to ascend, descend ■ Hitting enemies with your
and pull objects closer. If the fishing line will stun them.
line tension becomes too While they’re stunned, they’re
great – for example, because harmless, so you can walk
a conveyor belt is pulling it through them without being
but you can’t move – your line killed. Stunned enemies can be
will snap. reeled in, just like other objects.
RETRO GAMER | 49
Archives
the
From
50 | RETRO GAMER
FROM THE ARCHIVES: IMAGIC
It was hard to
with the salaries they were earning at Atari and Mattel.
With Bill having raised $2 million, Imagic Corporation ■ Atari felt Demon Attack looked too similar to
to capital and he knew people at Mattel. His vision was Rob Fulop ■ Cosmic Ark is said to be the first console game
to start a company which would make games not only sequel (following up Atlantis).
for Atari but for Intellivision and be the first company we’d move on towards a complete game which would
to go cross-platform. Limiting ourselves to Atari, like take around six months to develop. Then, we’d maybe ■ Adverts starred a cast of aliens, including Zytar,
Activision, just didn’t make sense.” spend another month polishing it and making the PAL who was crazy for Atlantis.
version, adjusting the timing and the scan lines.”
magic began to come up with ideas for games and Rob’s first title was Demon Attack for the Atari 2600 ■ Imagic was dealing with 350 letters from
RETRO GAMER | 51
Archives
the
From
■ Bill Grubb resigns from Atari. something of a brain drain. “It wasn’t that hard to round
A
19
82
Attack, is launched. with innovative concepts. The maze-like educational familiar. Beauty And The Beast was created
game, Microsurgeon, for the Intellivision, for example, by Wendell Brown for the Intellivision and it
■ Imagic looks to spend $10 million on advertising. was programmed by Richard Levine with audio by Dave not only tapped into a recognised name but it
Durran and it was highly original, taking place inside the had strong echoes of Donkey Kong. Yet Imagic stopped
■ Atari sues over similarities between Demon human body and asking players to navigate a probe short of snapping up the rights to arcade games or
Attack and Phoenix. to administer life-saving drugs to patients. Alan Smith titles based on movies. “We didn’t create licensed
made Dracula with help from artist Wilfredo Aguilar who games because they would have cost too much money
■ Stock in many gaming companies, including injected lots of colourful street-like backgrounds. and it was hard to make a game like a movie with the
Mattel, falls sharply. hardware we had,” Rob says.
In truth, Imagic didn’t need to splash the cash on
19
83
■ The Atari suit is settled. licences. Its games were flying off the shelves and
achieving great reviews. One of Imagic’s specialities was
■ Imagic releases games such as Nova Blast, putting a lot of effort into the graphics. “The big thing
Fathom and Safecracker. that Imagic did differently to Atari was hire separate
artists for the games to create the visuals and invent
■ Sales of Imagic games top $75 million. the screens,” says Rob. “That was Imagic’s strength
because our games looked better than other games at
■ Imagic feels the pinch of a down-turning the time. They were sparkly and cool and that’s because
gaming market. the artist would try and figure out the perfect colour
combinations and the best graphics possible with the
■ The company lays off 40 of its 170 employees limited hardware to make these things pop out.”
Making the difference was Michael Becker, a former
■ Many developers leave Imagic, which has creative director for an ad agency who had applied for
19
» [Atari 2600] Fathom had gamers assuming the role of a dolphin and a
84
stopped making Intellivision games gull in a colourful and gentle adventure. a job as Imagic’s art director in 1982. He was joined
52 | RETRO GAMER
For just $3 a year, gamers could become
» [Atari 2600] Dennis Koble persuaded members of Imagic’s Numb Thumb Club. This
Rob Fulop to incorporate the survivors of
Atlantis into Cosmic Ark. would gain them a poster, a membership card and
a subscription to a newsletter called the Numb
Thumb News which ran for only two issues.
by Wilfredo and they produced art on an Atari 800, ithin months of coming to life, Imagic Edited by the fictional Armand Hans III, the
although their approach to the 2600 and Intellivision
differed. For the former, they tended to allow the
graphics to stand out by having black backgrounds but
they would make use of the greater colour capabilities of
the Intellivision to produce more vibrant-looking games.
This helped Imagic’s games to become popular but
W had taken on the high-flying advertising
agency Keye/Donna/Pearlstein in a deal
worth more than $1 million. Imagic meant
business from the start and it knew that by cultivating
a brand, it could maximise the dollar. “We knew that
games were very profitable,” says Rob. “The cartridges
publication included information on forthcoming
releases for the Atari 2600, Atari 400 and 800,
Intellivision and Odyssey². It also printed the
names and high scores of the top-ranking players
along with lots of tips, although the first issue
contained the achievements of Imagic’s own staff.
the company’s knack of being in tune with gamers which ran the games would cost $4 or so dollars each The second issue introduced the Experts
extended even further – right down to the way the but they’d sell for more than $30 in the stores.” Club which offered decals, T-shirts and jackets
company identified games for a particular system. Atari Unshackled from the hardware business – “Atari was to the best gamers and it was another way to
games had the title in red while Intellivision had it in selling games like crazy but it was also losing money keep players loyal to Imagic. Indeed, Imagic tried
blue. All games were placed in shiny boxes, though, and mainly because it was producing the hardware too,” many ways to get people buying its titles: gamers
this became an identifier of Imagic’s games. To further says Rob – Imagic was able to grow very fast. By the snapping up No Escape! were able to claim a free
distinguish its games, Michael oversaw the artwork end of its first full year in business it had grown to 86 Zircon joystick, said to be worth $15.95.
which would be placed on the box fronts and he used employees. Being based in Silicon Valley allowed it to
a mix of models and printed materials to achieve results attract some of the best programmers around. They –
on games such as Atlantis and Dragonfire that were and the company – were determined to make the best
certain to be picked off the shelves. games they could.
RETRO GAMER | 53
Archives
the
From
Nobody le
o put the titles through their paces, Imagic
BILL GRUBB
■ Bill became the CEO and president of The
Complete PC between 1987 and 1993, leaving to
assume the same role at the Interactive Cable
Television Company (ICTV). He headed up Millennia
Software for around 18 months from March 1995 at
and then became CEO/President of Toolz for eight
months. Today, he co-owns Grubb Enterprises,
which works in real estate.
54 | RETRO GAMER
FROM THE ARCHIVES: IMAGIC
» [Atari 2600] Imagic made more space shooters than any other genre –
Laser Gates was a splendid side-scroller.
SUPERB STRONG DESIGN ATARI HERITAGE MULTI
PLATFORM SHINY CASES MARKETING
GRAPHICS ■ Rob Fulop says Imagic had ■ Imagic enticed a number of ■ Imagic did not dedicate all ■ Gamers would know they ■ Imagic played a blinder when
■ It helped a lot that Imagic a culture of craftsmanship, disgruntled Atari employees of its time to producing games were playing an Imagic game it came to promotions but that
had its own dedicated artists with games remaining to jump ship. There was a for one console. The Atari 2600 from silver, handled cases in was no surprise – cofounder
who worked hard to produce in development until the determination among the may have been important but which the carts would be sold. Bill Grubb was an marketing
graphically-impressive games coders were happy with team to show their former so were the likes of Intellivision Imagic also retailed its games whizz. Millions of dollars were
on the latter-day consoles. them. It meant the company bosses what they had lost. and Odyssey². Many games at $31.95 which was slightly poured into pushing Imagic’s
Since Imagic didn’t pursue gained a reputation for The experience gained from were ported to other machines, more than its rivals. Rather games and the company even
licences, it was important that producing polished titles that working at Atari ensured they often with tweaks, widening than put people off, it appeared created a fictional board of
its games stood out on their were unafraid to push the had the know-how to create the potential audience for to reinforce the mantra, ‘you virtual characters, all helping
own for their quality. boundaries of the time. third-party games for the 2600. Imagic’s games. get what you pay for’. to cement Imagic’s position.
RETRO GAMER | 55
INTERESTING GAMES
YOU'VE NEVER PLAYED
IG A CD32
AM
his CD-bas
ed
T y well
system mnathe
have bee for
last strawore, but
Commodill a heck
there’s st good to
of a lot ofon it. Kim
be found here to give
Justice is wdown on
you the locure gems
these obs
■ Once upon a time, Digital Illusions CE The best way to describe Benefactor After all, you’re not a superhero – just a
(DICE) was just a bunch of demo scene is as a cross between subgenres. It’s a benefactor. You merely help out.
kids, hosting raves and pushing out puzzle platformer where you, the suitably- You might well curse this from time
trainers, now it’s a part of the EA empire named Ben E. Factor, have to guide to time, as this game is famous for its
and one of the biggest developers in the Lemming-esque Merry Men to the exit difficulty. It doesn’t take too long for
world. But somewhere in the middle, that controls like a cinematic platformer Benefactor’s levels to offer a severe
» [CD32] Benefactor has a lot of references to
it made its bones as a serious and very in the vein of Another World. And it’s all challenge – fortunately there’s no time
other Psygnosis games. This level pays a great celebrated studio on the Amiga. While miniaturised, with lots of the play area limit and unlimited continues, as they
tribute to its main influence, Lemmings. it’s mostly famous for the likes of Pinball visible at all times. Imagine if Flashback can leave you scratching your head for
Illusions, that wasn’t all it did – Benefactor, was made into a board game – that’s hours. But as in any great puzzle game,
a CD32 and A1200 release, is one of what Benefactor looks like. You run, you the solution will eventually hit you –
DICE’s greatest ever titles and the only roll, you grab ledges, you pick up little maybe it’s something that was right in
one it did for publishers Psygnosis. Sadly, people and make sure that they don’t die, front of your eyes all the time, or maybe
and perhaps due to Psygnosis pulling saving them from all kinds of traps along it’s something that is truly fiendish…
out of the 16-bit market totally early in the way. You don’t have a whole lot of either way, Benefactor never gets boring,
the next year, Benefactor never received offensive options either, so playing the and the game’s 60 levels will take you a
the great console port it deserved that game’s all about evading the same traps long time to finish.
» [CD32] This could be another reference… an
insta-death wall slowly being pushed towards
would have surely made it a much more and monsters, and negotiating jumping Benefactor is a very modern game –
you, straight out of Shadow Of The Beast II. famous title. sequences and timing-based puzzles. it’s something you could almost imagine
56 | RETRO GAMER
MINORITY REPORT: AMIGA CD32
IN DEPTH
RETRO GAMER | 57
BANSHEE
■ PUBLISHER: CORE DESIGN ■ YEAR: 1994
» [CD32] Blood on the rocks, ain’t no surprise… a typically violent
scene from the game, with red soldier-spew flying everywhere.
■ A sordid tale of cat burglary and ■ A very solid port of a 1991 game, ■ This is a horizontal shooter with a ■ With no A1200 version to speak
criminal activity in Fifties London, The with controls that are, for a change, particularly unique take on power-ups of, the CD32 is the best way to play
Clue on the CD32 benefits greatly designed around the CD32’s pad… – you have to find blueprints in order this cute and magical platformer from
from a lack of the extreme floppy disk this atmospheric, sci-fi-tastic isometric to successfully upgrade your ship. It’s the makers of Lionheart. The controls
swapping that essentially killed the adventure will leave your head certainly a rush to explore every nook can be a little fiddly and it might not
game on the A1200. It might lack a pounding and the back of your neck and cranny of the scrolling stages, stand out a lot from other platformers,
little in English, but there’s not many bristling, and it plays great here. Can whilst enemies come bounding at but it does what it does very well and
point-and-click games that’ll have you match wits with evil compound you thick and fast. It’s an interesting hoo-boy does it look good. Ignored at
you planning out daring midnight philosopher Jean-Luc Derrida, and and very worthwhile riff on typical a time when cute platformers were
heists and talking in such a shifty way avoid his many creations? The CD32 intergalactic blasting, with the usual not in vogue, Flink’s held up well now
with potential partners. It’s actually a version is definitely the best way to solid Gremlin presentation. This that we’re all that little bit older and
remake of They Stole A Million. find out. comes highly recommended. not so edgy.
58 | RETRO GAMER
MINORITY REPORT: AMIGA CD32
SHADOW FIGHTER
■ DEVELOPER: N.A.P.S. ■ YEAR: 1994
■ A common theme with a lot of these games is
that they all came out too late on a platform that
was dying out, and they weren’t able to break out
of it in time. Shadow Fighter is possibly the best
fighting game on the Amiga, let alone the CD32.
It’s some of the best fun you can have with a
single-button fighter – alas, it came out right at the
end of 1994, by which time the CD32 was basically
all but dead. Still, this game rages against the
grave with the fists of a thousand men, and the
result is an absolute corker on the cobblestones.
Even with a single button, Shadow Fighter is a
very responsive fighter that’s chock-full of moves,
most of which do make sense, and all of which
have a delightful crunch to them. The graphics
are nice, too – a great deal better than any of
the attempts to put Street Fighter II itself on the
Amiga, add in a decent cast of fighters and some
cracking music, and you’ve got a solid fighting
game that makes you forget the limitations of
the Amiga in this department. The one shame is
that the game would have been better if it had
made use of the other buttons on the CD32 pad. RETRO
Irregardless, it’s still the best one-button fighter » [CD32] Shaq-Fu isn’t the only fighting
STINK
on the Amiga – for our money, it’s a great deal
better than the slightly more famous but less
impactful Body Blows.
game that takes inspiration from the
b-ball courts. Slamdunk would pound
ol’ Kazaam into dust. » DAN
GEROUS
ER
■ DEVE STREET
LOPER:
FL AIR SOFTW S
Even with a single button,
■ Ever ARE ■
ything YEAR: 19
this wa that Sh 94
sn’t – a adow F
h igh
Shadow Fighter is a very
’em-up id eous ex ter was,
that cuse fo
to be th was, unbeliev r a beat-
e CD32 a
’s pack-i bly, chosen
responsive fighter » [CD32] Electra grew up rough on the streets. Somehow this
gave her the ability to spin around and electrocute people.
wonde
r then th
failed s
n title.
at the s
o hard.
ystem
Little
RETRO GAMER | 59
Peripheral
22cm
27cm
Beatmania
Controller fact
■ Many of the Japanese Beatmania releases were ‘Append
Discs’ – special expansions which required a ‘Key Disc’
to function. If you’re going to start importing
Beatmania, make sure you know which
releases work as standalone games!
60 | RETRO GAMER
PERIPHERAL VISION: SUPER GAME BOY
Beatmania Controller
PLATFORM: PLAYSTATION
RELEASED: 2000
COST: £39.99 LAUNCH, WITH BEATMANIA, £15+ TODAY
W
hile Konami wasn’t necessarily the and a turntable for each player – something that
company that introduced most players couldn’t easily be replicated on a PlayStation pad.
to rhythm action games, it has arguably As a result, the company manufactured its own
been the most influential company officially-licensed Beatmania controllers and ASCII
in the development of the genre. Starting with provided a cheaper alternative. However, when the
Beatmania in 1997, the company racked up a time came to bring the game to Europe, Konami
succession of arcade hits in the late Nineties bundled it with a new version of the controller
including Dance Dance Revolution, Pop’n Music, featuring a raised turntable and the five main
Guitar Freaks and Drummania. Emboldened by its buttons arranged in piano-style fashion. Fans
success in the coin-op market, Konami decided to weren’t impressed with the new design, and it’s
bring music games home to PlayStation owners, widely regarded as a poor decision today. Konami
with Beatmania once again leading the charge. had far greater success in bringing its arcade music
The only problem was that Beatmania cabinets games home with Dancing Stage Euromix, and
used a bespoke control panel with five buttons quietly abandoned Beatmania in Europe.
RETRO GAMER | 61
Street Fighter had its mechanics, IN THE KNOW
PUBLISHER: INTERPLAY
ClayFighter’s
’s story begins with a genetic
precursor of sorts, a unique platformer that
I
f you’ve watched any film or television like that back then.”
show over the past few decades, there’s The potential for something bigger and better couldn’t
a chance you’ve experienced the brilliant be ignored, so in the interest of creative conquest, a
work of Ken Pontac and David Ichioka. Good
DEVELOPER few preliminary steps were taken. “We ran tests on
friends since the first grade and, according to Ken, HIGHLIGHTS some bigger puppets, just to show how things would
“the kids who drew in school”, the two got their break FLOIGAN BROS. look,” says Ken. “[Visual Concepts] said ‘Yeah, this is
working on Gumby Adventures back in 1987 and went EPISODE 1 PICTURED great’. Street Fighter was becoming pretty popular back
on to cocreate the ABC stop-motion extravaganza Bump SYSTEM: DREAMCAST then, so they said ‘Let’s do a fighting game with clay
YEAR: 2001
In The Night. They’ve also contributed to countless characters,’ and we said, ‘That sounds like fun!’”
other projects throughout the years, with David recently ONE Interplay would eventually sign on as publisher,
SYSTEM: PLAYSTATION
donning a producer credit for The Boxtrolls movie and YEAR: 1997 and with that, the wacky brawler was underway. But
Ken writing DC’s new Wacky Raceland comics. But unlike traditional stop-motion animation, everything in
HARLEY’S HUMONGOUS
early on in their careers, the creative duo decided to ADVENTURE ClayFighter would have to be meticulously planned out,
jump into the videogame arena with its production SYSTEM: SNES every movement painstakingly measured and decided
company, Danger Productions. The resulting insanity YEAR: 1993 on before the first block of clay could even be carved.
was a fighter unlike any seen – or moulded – before. “The first thing we did was draw all the characters
62 | RETRO GAMER
THE MAKING OF: CLAYFIGHTER
» Bad Mr. Fr
osty
concept art.
B
arring some minor revisions from the “The Blob was easily the most work intensive, skeleton character that never meteor strike. Boasting casual,
made it into the final game.
publisher, Danger Productions enjoyed because every bit of every transformation had to friendly mechanics
mostly free reign in regard to character be sculpted,” Ken says. And with David’s following and an entirely bloodless
direction. There were, however, some explanation, it’s easy to understand why: “With the aesthetic, Visual Concepts’
design notes taken from Capcom’s colossal arcade Blob, it wasn’t frame-by-frame animation, where we humorous and lighthearted
smash, which the team was able to play early on a would change something each frame,” he elaborates. brawler stands in stark contrast
Super Famicom cartridge. “We would have to build a bunch of those blobs, to the prototypical one-on-ones
“We played a lot of Street Fighter II,” Ken admits, hundreds, and we’d replace them, one after another. of the early Nineties.
“and we noticed that Dhalsim had some transformative For every frame of animation, we built a blob.”
moves, and some of the fighters could do some things Other fighters were less strenuous to compose.
that were beyond their primary physicality. And we These included the likes of the frigid Bad Mr. Frosty
thought, ‘Well, this is clay, so it’s got to be metamorphic. and the horrific clown Bonker, and also the wiry
What kind of characters do that kind of stuff?’” Taffy, who was made of an elastic clay. “Taffy was
Out of those pitch sessions sprang eight inane all normal, straight-ahead stop-motion,” David
RETRO GAMER | 63
MEET THE CAST
BLOB ICKYBOD
■ Following the space CLAY
rock disaster at Playland ■ The circus’ resident
Amusement Park, Blob poltergeist and
formed itself from the meteor’s mischievous disembodied
radioactive, claytastic byproduct. spirit, Ickybod Clay is an
As such, it can frivolously morph airborne haunt comprised
into all manner of oppositional and of tattered sheets and one
dangerous shapes, including wicked jack-o’-lantern. He can tap
a shoe, a boxing glove, into the ethereal plane to teleport,
and even a deadly launch a shimmering Ecto Ball
circular saw. or even deliver a devastating
Ecto Punch.
BLUE HELGA
SUEDE GOO ■ An intimidating
■ Channeling the late fighter from the far north,
King of Rock ‘n’ Roll in Helga is championed by
more ways than one, Blue her Viking people and has
Suede Goo has the moves and been endowed with powers
the outfit to put impersonators from Thor and Odin. She can
to shame. His Hair Blade is a spin through the air via her
force to be reckoned with, but Viking Ram or careen toward
its his dangerous Humming opponents with the aptly-
Attack that really leaves named Valkyrie’s Ride. She
his opponent loves clay salad
shaken up. sandwiches.
64 | RETRO GAMER
» [SNES] The stages in
ClayFighter are just as colourful
and varied as the characters.
THE MAKING OF: CLAYFIGHTER
concept art.
» [SNES] Blob
JOSEPHINE T. HUANG
INTERVIEW
We talk to the woman who sculpted the
iconic ClayFighters
RETRO GAMER | 67
LICENCE TO THRILL NOW SHOWING: TOY STORY
FILM
YEAR: 1995 Released in the twilight years of the SNES and Mega Drive,
STUDIO: Pixar
Animation Studios Toy Story passed many gamers by. Darran Jones argues
DIRECTOR:
John Lasseter why it’s the perfect companion to Pixar’s stellar movie
STARRING: Tom
W
Hanks, Tim Allen, Don hen Toy Story arrived in 1995 Lion King being two notable Disney created friction in the group, with
Rickles, Jim Varney, it ushered in a new way of examples — Toy Story was the first both Andy and the toys impressed by
Wallace Shawn, John experiencing movies. While feature-length, computer-animated Buzz’s newfangled features. Buzz is
Ratzenberger, Annie more and more traditionally- movie ever released in cinemas, and deluded, however, initially believing
Potts animated films were dabbling with the first to come from Pixar itself. himself to be an actual Space Ranger,
BUDGET: computer technology in order to Helmed by John Lasseter, now much to the frustration of Woody.
$30,000,000 create key moments in their movies the chief creative officer at Pixar, His faith is finally tested after he
BOX OFFICE: — Beauty And The Beast and The DisneyToon Studios and Walt Disney watches an advert featuring other
$373,600,000
Animation Studios, Toy Story is Buzz Lightyears and realises that he’s
essentially a buddy movie, a tale just a toy after all, leaving Woody to
GAME that’s been told in Hollywood many, rescue the despondent Buzz so he can
YEAR: 1995 many times before. Tom Hanks earn back the favour of his friends.
PUBLISHER: Disney played Sheriff Woody, the leader After an intense rivalry, Buzz and
Interactive Studios, of a group of toys owned by Andy; Woody eventually team up when the
Sega, Black Pearl he also happened to be Andy’s pair are captured by Andy’s psychotic
Software favourite playmate. The arrival of Buzz neighbour, Sid, and Buzz realises the
DEVELOPER: Lightyear, a cool new space astronaut, importance of being there for Andy.
Traveller’s Tales, voiced by Tim Allen, immediately Toy Story’s gestation wasn’t easy,
Tiertex Design Studios and the script went through many
» [Mega Drive] Toy Story’s presentation is faultless. An
changes, featuring a large number of
Etch A Sketch is used to fill in the narrative gaps. scriptwriters, including Alec Sokolow,
68 | RETRO GAMER
LICENCE TO THRILL: TOY STORY
“THE CLAW!”
When Sid spots Buzz in a claw machine, he eagerly captures the space
ranger, netting Woody in the process, who was desperately trying to save
him. The game version spices things up a bit, by having Woody throwing
aliens up in the air in an attempt to distract Sid from claiming his prize.
» [Mega Drive]
Joel Cohen and Joss Whedon. The month to record their new lines. Its visuals were
impressive for
two main characters were originally Despite a difficult development, the
the time. Few
Tinny, the one-man band, who film proved to be a massive success Mega Drive
featured in Pixar’s first animated for all involved and went on to become owners would
have thought
short, Tin Toy, and a ventriloquist’s the highest grossing film of the year, this was PIZZA PLANET PURSUIT
dummy, with Woody planned as beating Die Hard With A Vengeance, possible back When Buzz and Woody find themselves stranded at Pizza Planet, they hide
the main villain. There were also Apollo 13 (also starring Tom Hanks) in 1988. inside discarded food and drink cartons in an attempt to find Andy. This is
difficulties between Pixar (which was and the highly anticipated return of replicated brilliantly in the game, with some impressive graphics to boot,
still owned by Steve Jobs at the time) James Bond in GoldenEye. as gigantic pairs of legs move by our two heroes.
and Disney, which also added issues. Despite the difficulties in reaching
Disney’s Jeffrey Katzenberg wanted the screen, Disney Interactive had
proprietary rights to the technology no problems finding developers to
Pixar used for its 3D animation, while work on the videogame adaptations,
Steve Jobs wanted Pixar to have eventually handing the Mega Drive,
joint ownership of the film and its SNES and PC versions to Traveller’s
characters, as well as control over Tales, while Tiertex Design Studios
video and sequel rights. Neither concentrated on the Game Boy WOODY TURNS EVIL
got their wish, however. A deal was adaptation. Traveller’s Tales was Jealous of the attention that Buzz is receiving from Andy and the rest of
eventually reached, which placated already on Disney’s radar thanks to its the toys, Woody uses R.C. against his will to knock Buzz outside of the
both parties, but Toy Story’s problems fun platformer Mickey Mania, which house. The game version makes more of a meal of it, turning it into a top-
were far from over and the production had received great acclaim in 1994 down driving game where you must shunt Buzz along to the goal.
was shut down following a disastrous
early showing to Jeffrey Katzenberg
and other Disney executives in
November 1993. John Lasseter asked
for, and received, two weeks to rework
the script. During the shutdown, Steve
Jobs kept Pixar afloat with his own
personal funding, leaving Lasseter
and his team to focus on rewriting the
script. Disney eventually approved
of the changes and Toy Story was
back in production by February 1994, » [SNES] The first level has you freeing a bunch of toy
with the cast returning the following soldiers and leading them to safety.
RETRO GAMER | 69
NOW SHOWING: TOY STORY
You are a
due to its excellent visuals, which
depicted Mickey adventuring through
NOTABLE VERSIONS
the game. We had to create a set of our designing a game with plenty of different
own animations for him just in case they viewpoints, but I started regretting it
couldn’t deliver, but at the last minute when I was trying to finish them all in
they did, so all of Woody’s animations in time for the film’s release!
the game are by Pixar.
What was the trickiest thing to get
How did you create the Mega Drive’s right from a gameplay point of view?
prerendered visuals? Woody isn’t the most aggressive
We created all our models for each character in the world, and we couldn’t
character and animated and rendered give him a gun, for obvious reasons, so
them all on Silicon Graphics machines. a lot of time and experimentation had to
Then each frame was processed on go into what would his attacks be and
in-house software to reduce the colours how would that be fun, especially as we
and use dither patterns to get as close to couldn’t have him killing anyone like Mr.
the original frames as a Mega Potato Head. I came up with the idea
Drive could manage. that he could use his pull-string as a
lasso and tie-up enemies, and that they MEGA DRIVE SNES
would break free a short time later. It ■ For us, this is the definitive version of Toy Story. ■ Gameplay-wise the SNES version of Toy
was an interesting mechanic that led to It takes a minor hit in the aesthetics department, Story is largely comparable to its Mega Drive
nice timing puzzles. especially up against the SNES version, but the counterpart, but it feels a little more sluggish and
prerendered sprites still manage to look superb clunky to play. It doesn’t include the entertaining
on Sega’s console. It features all the cutscenes ‘Day-Toy-Na’ stage found in the Sega version, but
from the film, additional digistised looks far nicer. The audio is better, too, although
speech, which is missing from the SNES it does lose a few lines of speech and has far
version, as well as all 17 levels. fewer scenes from the movie.
70 | RETRO GAMER
LICENCE TO THRILL: TOY STORY
ARTISTIC
on abandoned balls and sneaking
through a crowded arcade by hiding
LICENCE
in discarded food cartons. Revisiting it R.C. , collecting batteries so your juice weaker than the Mega Drive version,
today, the platforming isn’t as tight as doesn’t run out, while another, also taking place in a smaller area and
we’d like (although it feels noticeably featuring R.C., takes the form of an running nowhere near as smoothly,
better on the Mega Drive) and the OutRun-styled racer, with Woody while the PC lacks the stage entirely. These weren’t in the film…
difficulty is far too high in places, but and R.C. racing to reach the car of Toy Story remains a great example
it constantly engages with its themed- Andy’s mum. Two stages see you of a developer having strong access RIDE ’EM COWBOY
based missions, ensuring you’re never trying to outrace enemies, including to a film to ensure it’s as accurate ■ Remember that awesome scene
simply running from point A to B. Sid‘s vicious dog whilst riding either as possible (the giant Buzz stage in Toy Story where Woody jumps on
The first stage, for example, has you Rex or Roller Bob, but are let down by was actually a deleted scene) whilst the back of Rex and rides him around
leading toy soldiers to safety, while huge difficulty spikes, with the game utilising the strengths of a console Andy’s bedroom? Nope, we don’t
the second requires you to place throwing numerous enemies at you to breaking point. It’s a little rough remember it either, but it crops up in the
a number of Woody’s friends into which are very difficult to dodge. By around the edges when you return to game, and it’s one of the most difficult
Andy’s toy box within a set time limit. far the best stage is a frantic race in it today, and the Mega Drive outing sections, too.
Toy Story is full of variety and that pseudo-3D around the insides of a is arguably the best offering, but all In fact, we’re
becomes more apparent the deeper claw machine, think Doom but with no versions are worth experiencing, if getting angry
you delve into the game. Two levels guns and plenty of three-eyed aliens. only to see how the aging systems just thinking
are top-down and have you controlling Interestingly, the SNES version is far were taken to infinity and beyond. about it. Grr.
NIGHTMARE BUZZ
■ Woody’s jealousy of Buzz and the
nagging fear that he’ll be replaced by
him results in a nightmare sequence
early on in the game where he must take
on a gigantic Buzz. It’s a tough stage,
as Buzz’s
numerous
attacks can be
quite difficult
to avoid.
RETRO GAMER | 71
CLASSIC MOMENTS
Syndicate
PLATFORM: AMIGA DEVELOPER: BULLFROG PRODUCTIONS
RELEASED: 1993
I
n other strategy games, you amass troops
simply by producing them from a menu.
Syndicate doesn’t offer anything quite so boring –
to get your footsoldiers, you need to be a little more
active in your recruitment. By which we mean, you’re
going to have to walk around brainwashing civilians
with the brilliantly-named Persuadertron. With this
little device, no matter where you are you can quickly
amass a sizeable fighting force, which will follow you
through the streets obediently.
Of course, not everyone is so easily persuaded.
The average civilian will tag along with you without
much in the way of resistance, but if you want to
get the likes of police officers you’re going to have
to have a sizeable following already. But get them
you will, and eventually you’ll be leading what looks
like the world’s most sinister conga line through
the streets – often en route to the location of an
influential scientist or police chief, who will quickly
learn just how persuasive you can really be…
BIO
Syndicate provides a chilling
and eerily plausible vision of the
future, in which multinational
corporations have grown to the
point that they have supplanted
national governments as the
source of authority in the
world. Of course, none of those
corporations are too happy
about the existence of other
such entities, which is where
you come in, along with your
squad. In a series of real-time
tactical missions, you’ll achieve
supremacy and unlimited
profit potential for your own
corporation. The game was a
financial and critical success,
so Syndicate Wars followed in
1996. Syndicate, a first-person
shooter reboot, arrived in 2012.
72 | RETRO GAMER
MORE CLASSIC
SYNDICATE MOMENTS
The First Hit Is Free
If you have any moral
objections to the acts you
perform in videogames, it’s
probably best not to attempt
Syndicate, as it’s a game which
requires no small degree of
ruthlessness. As soon as you
get to grips with the game’s
control scheme, you’ll have committed your first murder –
assassination is the fate of those who oppose your company.
Horribly Wrong
Occasionally an audacious plan
goes awry. You can’t really help
that, it’s the nature of the game.
What you can help is the gleeful
little cackle you emit the first
time you see your team emerge
running and screaming from a
recently-exploded vehicle. At the
very least, it does offset the sting of having to make yet another
trip to the cryo chamber…
Dangerous depths
Sometimes, you’re just fighting
police when things get out of
hand, or an encounter with
enemy agents escalates quickly.
At other times, you’ll simply
go our of your way to cause as
much carnage as possible with
tooled-up agents. Either way,
you win – and the reward for your indiscriminate use of firearms
is a screen strewn with fresh corpses.
World Domination
From humble beginnings in
Western Europe to eventual
world conquest, it’s a great
feeling to see your colours
slowly taking over the map as
you establish a new corporate
empire. As great as the main
gameplay is, returning to the
world map is a wonderful reminder of what you’re working
towards – and how close you are to achieving it.
RETRO GAMER | 73
READERS’
CHOICE
TOP 25
GAMES
It might not have had the longest lifespan, but Nintendo’s
handheld had more than its fair share of incredible games.
Readers voted for over 150 different games, but only 25 can be
considered truly elite – Nick Thorpe starts the countdown…
74 | RETRO GAMER
TOP 25 GBA GAMES
25 Gunstar
Future Heroes
■ DEVELOPER
■ GENRE
: Treasure/Hitmaker
: Run-and-gun ■ YEAR: 2005 6 REASONS TO REVISIT KANTO
It feels more like a
remake, but the return
20 Pokémon FireRed & LeafGreen
of Gunstar Heroes is ■ DEVELOPER : Game Freak
packed with variety and ■ GENRE : RPG ■ YEAR: 2004 Pokémon
some great throwback The original Pokémon games on the Game Boy boast all-new
sections. Thanks to were mind-blowingly successful games, but they moves and abilities
Treasure’s programming, it’s also one of weren’t perfect. What’s more, they weren’t cross- introduced in the second
the system’s most impressive games. and third-generation
compatible with the new Game Boy Advance games, allowing for
games, so there was no way to get your precious more complex battle
24 Sonic Advance Squirtle off that old cartridge. Fortunately, these strategies. First-
generation
remakes not only ensured that players could once
Pokémon all retain their
■ DEVELOPER : Dimps again catch ’em all, they improved significantly on later evolutionary lines, so
■ GENRE : Platformer ■ YEAR : 2001 the originals with a wide range of new features. you can pick up the likes of
Pichu, Magby, Crobat,
It was almost heretical Kingdra and
in 2001, but Nintendo’s Slowking.
handheld proved to be
a fine home for Sega’s
mascot. The first game
in the Advance trilogy is You can transfer
the best of the bunch, sticking to what Pokémon from
FireRed & LeafGreen to
made the Mega Drive games great. the DS and 3DS games,
allowing you to preserve
23 Super Mario
over a decade of
progress.
The monochrome
Advance 3: and often ugly sprites
Yoshi’s Island
of the original games
have been replaced with
far more appealing and
■ DEVELOPER : Nintendo on-model, full-colour
■ GENRE : Platformer ■ YEAR: 2002 designs. You can
now breed your
The GBA was home to Pokémon, providing
quite a few conversions the opportunity to pass
of great SNES games, down moves and stats
and Yoshi’s Island is one There’s in an attempt to get
a much more the best possible
of the very best. Very combination.
involved post-game
few compromises were than in the originals – you
made to bring the Super FX 2-powered can visit the Sevii Islands,
original to the portable system. catch legendary Pokémon
and even fight the Elite
Four again.
22 F-Zero:
Maximum Velocity
■ DEVELOPER : Nd Cube
RETRO GAMER | 75
NEW TWISTS
ON OLD WARES
18 Wario Ware Twisted
■ DEVELOPER : Intelligent Systems
■ GENRE : Minigame collection ■ YEAR: 2004
■ Wario Ware Twisted included both a gyro
WAR NEVER
CHANGES MUCH
17 Advance Wars 2
■ DEVELOPER : Intelligent Systems
■ GENRE : Strategy ■ YEAR: 2003
The original Advance Wars was a stunningly good handheld strategy game, and the
sequel didn’t mess with a winning formula. A new campaign mode featured the Black
Hole Army’s bid for dominance over Macro Land, but few other substantial changes
were made – here are the most notable ones…
RETRO GAMER | 77
A NEW STYLE FOR
ANCIENT EVIL
7 Castlevania: Aria Of Sorrow
■ DEVELOPER : Konami ■ GENRE : Action-adventure ■ YEAR : 2003
Castlevania is a series that takes place in the past. That’s a
10 Golden Sun fundamental truth of the franchise, and yet Aria Of Sorrow discards it
with confidence to achieve a setting where Dracula has been revived
■ DEVELOPER : Camelot Software Planning in 2035. However, beyond the modern clothing of protagonist
■ GENRE : RPG ■ YEAR: 2001 Soma Cruz, this is the kind of exploration-focused Castlevania that
There’s no shortage of traditional Japanese people have known and loved since Koji Igarashi’s initial work
RPGs on the Game Boy Advance, but this on Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night.. The big new feature
original effort even beats out beloved classics like here is the Tactical Soul system, which allows players to swap
Final Fantasy VI in your voting. The protagonist between abilities gained from defeating various enemies.
Isaac and his companions are out to stop
alchemy from returning to the world of Weyard,
in an attempt to prevent worldwide conflict. The
most striking feature of the game is the ability to
assign Djinn creatures to characters, altering their
stats and classes as well as granting the ability to
perform summon spells.
8 Astro Boy:
Omega Factor
■ DEVELOPER : Treasure/Hitmaker
■ GENRE : Beat-’em-up ■ YEAR: 2003
Osamu Tezuka’s famous
creation gets an awesome
beat-’em-up, courtesy of
Sega’s Hitmaker studio and
technical wizards Treasure.
What sets the Omega Factor
Enchanted Souls
Yellow souls grant some kind of special property
apart from the rest is the non-linear structure that without the use of MP, but only one can be equipped at
sees you jumping through time in an attempt to any time. These include Search Eye, which identifies the
avert disaster, uncovering new and unseen parts breakable walls so often found in Castlevania games,
VIP, which lowers the price of goods in shops, and Deep
Ability Souls
of old levels in the process. Silver-coloured souls normally come via bosses, and
Seeker, which allows you to walk underwater. unlike the other kinds of souls they’re always active
and don’t consume any MP. These include things like
the Back Dash, allowing you to quickly escape danger,
Double Jump, which is something of a Ronseal ability,
and Comet Kick, an extra attacking move.
78 | RETRO GAMER
TOP 25 GBA GAMES
WARIO WAREHOUSE A selection of the tiny games you’ll take on in Wario Ware Inc.…
shoot! finish!
stomp!
Balance!
catch!
dodge!
jump! fire!
swat! throw!
chop!
stop me!
RETRO GAMER | 79
RETRO RACING RIOT
3 Mario Kart Super Circuit
■ DEVELOPER : Intelligent Systems ■ GENRE : Racing ■ YEAR : 2001
When Super Mario Kart first graced Mario Kart Super Circuit doesn’t
our consoles in 1992, no home include any new items, and the
console was capable of anything like character roster is carried over from
the rotating racetracks it displayed. Mario Kart 64. What it does have is 20
Less than a decade later, the flagship new racetracks to conquer, each of
technique best known as Mode 7 was which is designed to the standards of
positively retro, swept aside by the the original game. Once you’re done
full-3D visuals of the 32-bit and 64-bit with those, you can revisit the 20
consoles. With a bit of programming tracks from Super Mario Kart as well.
wizardry, the GBA was capable of Mario Kart Super Circuit didn’t need
polygonal magic too – yet Mario Kart to reinvent the wheel, and doesn’t. It
Super Circuit stuck resolutely to the just provides a whole bunch of new
flat racetracks of its SNES forebear. content for a formula that worked
That appeal to retro sensibilities very well to begin with, and does so
was key to the appeal of Mario Kart in a package you can fit in your jeans.
Super Circuit. The original game is The Game Boy Advance has a superb
one of the most beloved racers of reputation for games that play to
all time, and there was far more and build upon your nostalgia, and
value in tapping into that than Mario Kart Super Circuit is one of the
making a cut-back 3D racer. reasons why.
Grit
Kanbei Sami Snipe –
Morale Boost –
Double Time
Eagle Indirect fire units
Infantry receive a 20 Lightning Strike gain 65 per cent
– Units have no
per cent offensive – Units gain an extra offensive boost and
movement penalties
and defensive turn, but with stat two movement
and receive stat
bonus. penalties. units.
boosts.
TOP 25 GBA GAMES
The Game Boy Advance was one of the very first Laboratories research station has been overrun by
platforms to recognise and cater to nostalgic the deadly X parasite, and Samus has to investigate
ICONIC
gamers in a big way, and this list is all the evidence what’s happening and ultimately stop it. Of course,
you need to support that. Conversions and since she’s lost all of her powers due to her own X
remakes of Eighties and Nineties games make up
a fifth of the list, and that’s a trend that continues
infection, Samus must reacquire powers like the
missiles and iconic Morph Ball in order to progress VILLAIN: SAX
right through the voting – for example, games that through the station. We extrapolate why Metroid Fusion’s
narrowly missed the cut include the likes of Doom Metroid Fusion doesn’t allow for quite the antagonist is so iconic
and The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past. But same level of freedom and sequence-breaking
the true appeal of the Game Boy Advance wasn’t as its predecessors, but the trade-off is a STAGE 1
that it housed a fine retro library in your pocket – it stronger narrative and a much more impressive ■ The SA-X was formed from parts of Samus Aran’s
was the fact that it offered a home to classic 2D atmosphere. In a large part, this can be credited old Power Suit, which had been surgically removed
game designs that had become lost in the home to the SA-X, a ruthless and intelligent foe that and sent to quarantine after both she and the suit had
console world. stalks Samus throughout the game. While all of been infected with the X parasite.
That’s why Metroid Fusion is so brilliant. the encounters with it are scripted events, playing
After Samus Aran’s eight-year absence as a star through for the first time and not knowing when STAGE 2
character, Nintendo could have provided us with you’re going to be ambushed by a foe that can ■ The X parasites can obtain the physical appearance,
a simple conversion of Super Metroid and most outgun you makes for some very real tension. intelligence and memories of their hosts, and even
people would have been happy. Instead, the There’s no area that Metroid Fusion doesn’t excel mimic technology. Thus, the SA-X is essentially a
developer went one better and delivered a true in. It looks lovely, with vibrant colours and detailed clone of a fully-powered Samus Aran, with all of her
successor, a brand-new adventure created with the sprites. It sounds great, with ominous music characteristic abilities and weaponry.
design sensibilities of the SNES classic. accompanying your every step. It plays superbly,
Like its predecessors, Metroid Fusion is an with tight controls and excellent stage design. It STAGE 3
exploratory platformer that places Samus alone wasn’t necessarily the game we expected to top ■ Metroids are the natural predators of X parasites.
in a hostile environment. The Biologic Space this list, but there’s no denying that it deserves to. Samus was cured with a treatment made from
Metroid cells, and she’s taken on some of its biological
traits – most notably, weakness to the cold. The SA-X
can detect this and will fight you with the Ice Beam.
STAGE 4
READERS ■ During your initial encounters with the SA-X, you’ll
CHOICE ’
be no match for it – you’ll either have to hide in an
inaccessible area or simply run like hell, dodging and
weaving through the environment as it unleashes the
full force of Samus’ arsenal.
STAGE 5
■ While the SA-X attacks in the same places during
every game, there’s often basically no warning that
it’s coming, so you feel truly hunted by this creature.
As soon as you spot it, it’s time to take action or you
are dead meat.
STAGE 6
■ X parasites can reproduce asexually, and that
means that SA-X isn’t necessarily a singular foe. There
could be two, 20, 200 or even more – and if a single
one escapes the research station, it’ll kick off an
enormous galactic plague. Good luck!
RETRO GAMER | 81
Blood Money WORTH WAITING FOR A BUS FOR
» RETROREVIVAL
82 | RETRO GAMER
RETRO GAMER | 83
There are many words that can be
,
used to describe tetsuya Mizuguchi s
classic, but not one that does it
justice. Well, perhaps there is one...
84 | RETRO GAMER
ULTIMATE GUIDE: REZ
RETRO GAMER | 85
invulnerability in times of need. That said, the
game’s presentation can be seen as just as simple.
Level 00 Liberal use of wireframes and flat-shaded polygons
■ A simple ball made out of triangles. As the
allows plenty of room for artistic interpretation and
most fragile state, a single hit here will end
makes the action easy to follow, not to mention
your run prematurely, so have your thumb
ensuring that it all runs smoothly (relatively, at least – a
ready to reach for the Overdrive button at all
locked 30fps on Dreamcast, a relatively steady 60fps
times, just in case.
on PS2 and locked 60fps or higher on later releases)
SHOT TYPE: Simple beams that arc even on the relatively modest Dreamcast hardware.
towards enemies. As avatars, environments and even the HUD pulse
in time with the music, everything is made to feel
Level 01 interconnected – you can see the beat, track progress
■ The iconic default form on starting a fresh and achievements sonically and even feel the music
run, built from flat squares. It effectively gives with the right setup, whether that’s the Trance Vibrator
you one hit of armour before you’re in real peripheral released later (and only in Japan) for PS2,
danger, although its pulse is among the most additional controllers for the modern rereleases or just
satisfying so it’s almost sad to leave it behind. an obnoxiously powerful subwoofer.
Framed as a voyage into a supercomputer attempting
SHOT TYPE: Basic lasers that shoot
straight to their targets.
to shut itself down after become self-aware, Rez
showcases a level of synergy between visuals, sounds
and physical stimuli far beyond anything else the
Level 02 medium has to offer. Whereas similar rail shooters
■ Somewhere between wireframe and like Panzer Dragoon and indeed even most older 2D
polygonal forms, this evolution hints at shooters offer immediate player feedback when an
the next stage while offering a moderate
degree of protection while having one of the
strangest shot effects.
SHOT TYPE: Fires a stream of gaseous
pulses along a targeting beam.
Level 03
■ With full polygonal smoothness achieved,
you’re ready for anything… well, anything
except for taking four hits, at least. A good
safety net to aim for when tackling bosses,
especially the tricky Tera variants.
SHOT TYPE: Wide beams that track their
targets by travelling at right angles.
Level 04
■ Perform well enough and your reward is
a polygonal sphere in which to meditate as
you travel. While the shell serves as a shield,
losing it will revert you to the former white
avatar rather than your meditative red one.
» [Dreamcast] Even in the original Dreamcast and PS2 versions, the sense of scale is still impressive.
SHOT TYPE: Fires beams from the sphere’s
panels that head directly for targets.
Level 05
■ Finally, transcendence has been achieved.
Leaving behind your humanoid form for this
pulsating sphere-thing is strange at first. But
knowing that it means you’re doing really well
makes it all worthwhile.
SHOT TYPE: Summons lasers from all over
to strike and penetrate targets.
final form
■ You’ll automatically ascend to this ultimate
form upon reaching Eden, and you’ll need it –
while evolution items are available in the final
boss rush, getting through five big bads in a
row is no joke.
SHOT TYPE: Penetrating beams that target
enemies from all directions. » [Dreamcast] This boss is a right pain as it spawns annoying yellow spores that prove tough to shake.
86 | RETRO GAMER
ULTIMATE GUIDE: REZ
,,
Our objective was to
give the player the
feeling of being in ,, a
different world
Katsumi Yokota
enemy is destroyed, Rez instead delays and offsets this virtual world, never lessens – in fact it grows, the
such feedback so that it synchronises with the beat underlying soundtrack’s gradual evolution brought on
of the underlying music, which changes with each via controller input, if not quite so directly controlled as
stage. The result is that everything is uniform – while the backing track booms later in a level and you’re left
the patterns produced might be slightly unusual, their just adding flourishes here and there. But it never feels
place within the rhythm, whether on the beat or off like that. Having been allowed to plant the rhythmic
it, is guaranteed. Couple this with the gorgeous visual seeds at the start, you assume ownership over the
» [Dreamcast] Collecting blue orbs allows you to eventually evolve your form,
eruptions that occur after hits and kills and any beat- musical crops that grow from them and the whole and with it, your actual shooting capabilities.
based rumbling that may be going on and the effect journey is that much more engaging as a result. It’s
is complete, giving players the sensation of impact on not a complete misnomer, either – the countless
the world via up to three senses at once (we’ve never permutations of lock-on and shot timings mean no two
smelled nor tasted a game, nor do we ever wish to) playthroughs of any given level are ever likely to sound
and in the process blurring the three into one incredible exactly the same, as similar as they may look.
experience, especially when the game is all you can see, Escalation is a key theme here, not just within levels
hear and feel. See why we said to kill the lights now? themselves but also over the course of the entire
game. Traditional game design dictates a need for
ngeniously, this sensation is grown and an increase in challenge in response to progress and
run-int-Yokota
Art director Katsumi Yokota tells all
Tell us about your involvement with Rez. entire screen, but in order to maintain the overall How did you make the levels stand apart?
I presented my overall art direction ideas to visibility required for a shooting game, we had to The five stages were created using the
the designers, and then made the necessary display these large effects in the background, at the same methodology. Although the music and
adjustments in order to maintain a consistent world ‘back’ of the screen. This way, the effects never backgrounds are different in each stage, the way
setting and graphical style. I was also responsible blocked the view of enemies attacking, et cetera. each stage was created was the same – each
for the player character design, the HUD design, However, sometimes the background objects at the stage is constructed using wireframe graphics
and the background level design for Area 1 and front would overlap the graphic effects. By drawing with a graphical effect layer at the very back. We
Area 5. There were six designers, and each was these objects using the wireframe techniques, we used this method because we were unable to
responsible for the art design and data creation were able to display both the background objects synchronize the visuals and the in-game sounds
for different parts. My job was to provide the key and the effects at the same time. using any other method. Only Area 5 was created
words and concepts, and each designer then a little differently. In order to differentiate each
thought about and created their own data based on How did Rez’s unique visuals come about? stage we applied a specific keyword, and in
these key concepts. As a creator, using the latest technology [at the this case we used themes from four ancient
time] on the Dreamcast and PS2 to create these civilizations – Egypt, Mesopotamia, Indus, and
What makes Rez different from the likes of sort of ‘retro’ graphics was quite interesting, and Hwang Ho. In addition, in every area we displayed
Panzer Dragoon? I believe that there were many players at the characteristic, representational objects in order
In the case of Rez, we had to display lots of visual time who also felt the same. For Panzer Dragoon, to more effectively differentiate each stage. If
feedback to match the timing of the sound and the design work was focused on expressing a we hadn’t used these techniques and keywords
music. Even matching small effects at the edge of fictional world in the most realistic fashion. Our when creating the stages I think it would have
the screen to the music could result in a mismatch objective was to give the player the feeling of being been very difficult to convey our ideas to the
between the visuals and the feelings experienced in a different world, filled with living, breathing player. Geometric structures moving to the
from the sound. The sound would provide a characters with their own lives. Rez was focused music, and the combination of representational
stronger impression; however, the visuals would on creating a feeling of constant link between the objects based on these ancient civilizations
end up not matching up. So, it was necessary to sound and the visuals, and I think we used the enabled us to achieve our goal of clearly
create large visual effects that encompassed the best methods to achieve this. differentiating each stage.
RETRO GAMER | 87
A closer look at the primary firewalls
» [Dreamcast] You can’t hear it here, but Area 5’s F.E.A.R. sounds incredible. In fact,
we’re humming along to it as we type this out.
88 | RETRO GAMER
ULTIMATE GUIDE: REZ
URANUS EDEN
AREA 4, CHINESE CIVILIZATION AREA 5, BIRTH
■ We barely have space to go into the intricacies of this, but ■ This stage ends in an epic boss rush (that can be unlocked and
blasting open new paths at the right time can be a lifesaver. Aim played separately if you get a 95 per cent shot rate in all areas).
for any part that glows in order to avoid damage, while picking It’s essentially slightly different variants of the first four bosses,
off other parts as best you can to avoid having to break them but culminates in an attempt to rescue Eden who is slowly put
later. Its leaping attacks aren’t as scary as they seem and can be back together as you blast the sentinels and concentric rings that
easily avoided if you break the blocks that might hit you. surround her. It’s a draining session, so save those Overdrives.
,,
In the case of Rez,
we had to display
feedback to match,,
What's new in
the timing of sound Rez Infinite?
Katsumi Yokota
The latest revision of Rez launched alongside PlayStation
VR, although you may be glad to hear that you don’t
RETRO GAMER | 89
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Exclusive content found nowhere else, not even online!
FIRST JOB
FIRST COMPU TER/CONSOLE
C l e r i c a l a s s i s t a nt
ZX Spe ctrum
CURRENT JOB
FAVOURITE COMPU TER/CONSOLE
Retired
C64
FAVOURITE FILM
BEST GAMING ACHIEV EMENT
Q u a r t e r m a s s A n d T h e P it
G e t t i n g M i a m i Vi c e d o n
e
FAVOURITE ALBUM in eight we eks
S h e i k h Ye r b o u t i -
BESTSELLING PRODUCT:
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E mp i r e O f T h e C l o u d s :
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16 1- 0 6 810 510 3 0 3 2 0 6 81 17
103
SEX NAME
M Paul Clans ey
DATE OF BIRTH
PLACE OF BIRTH
1961 Ain tre e ,
Liv erp o ol
BIOGR APHY
Paul was at Imag ine Softw
are when it impl oded , j oint
foun ded deve lopm ent stud ly
io C onc ept , and prod uc ed
for vari ous s oftw are hous game s
e s duri ng the 8 -bit era , inclu
Oc ean and Argu s Pre s s . ding
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
92 | RETRO GAMER
Paul Clansey
What cherished games would you take to the island?
The British soware scene of the Eighties version for Commodore’s machine, too, which soon became
his computer of choice. When Soft Joe – which turned out to
was a creative and cutthroat world and Paul just be a couple of likely lads trying their luck in the publishing
business – ceased trading, Paul decided to duplicate and
H
few grand… enough to pay my mum back for the Spectrum!”
Paul also dropped a copy off at the newly-founded Imagine
Software, like a calling card, and it proved enough for the
Liverpool-based company with big ambitions to offer him a
e may have been born within earshot job as an in-house programmer. His first task was to code the
of the famous Grand National course at C64 release of the Dave Lawson-designed Cosmic Cruiser
Aintree but for Paul Clansey, it was the alongside the Spectrum version. Was he slightly frustrated
noise of another kind of steeplechase not to be working on his own concept? “It did feel like a step
that captured his imagination. “Liverpool back,” he admits, “but on the other hand, I was so grateful to
seemed like the centre of the have, what I thought, was a job for life!”
Triv ia
software universe in the Eighties,” says Paul in Sadly, things didn’t quite pan out that way.
his chirpy scouse twang. “It was like the second After early success with titles such as Arcadia
coming of The Beatles. I was so close to lots and Zzoom!, Imagine struck a reputed six-figure
of people who got famous or rich out of it… deal with publisher Marshall Cavendish to
though it never quite touched me.” deliver new games on a regular monthly basis.
c a u g ht tahne
Paul may not have come away with the prize As part of his degree, Paul Imagine duly took on a slew of extra staff but
e O v e r money, but he was certainly part of the pack studied Planetary Science, it soon emerged that producing quality titles
G a m ey e w h en Oc e
a fact much emphasised in
racing to make games for the burgeoning home the fancy fold-out cassette to such a punishing schedule was a far greater
p u blic a n ipp le in its computer market. His eventful career saw him inlay for Cosmic Cruiser. challenge than the company had anticipated. “I
s h owed e a d v ert. work at Imagine and Ocean, big beasts in the think Marshall Cavendish started to have doubts
m a g az in
northwest’s software scene, and though his ride that Imagine, or indeed anyone, could churn
was seldom smooth, Paul thinks of his decade-long spell in out two games a month for the next three years,” explains
the industry with fondness. “I was in my twenties, a naive Paul. “One of our managers heard they were on their way
young man just setting out in the world, and it seemed like it to make a ‘surprise visit’, so he desperately rang round and
was full of opportunities. That might seem surprising, given got six or so of us to come into work that evening. He kept
all the setbacks and software houses going bust around me, telling us, ‘They’ll be here any minute!’ but as it went past
but it was just a really exciting time.” midnight, we wanted to fall asleep, so someone, who shall
Like so many stories, it began with his mum buying remain nameless, offered some ‘medication’ to keep us going
him a ZX Spectrum. Paul had graduated from Lancaster through the night. I entered into the spirit and unsurprisingly,
University with a degree in Environmental Science in 1982 we perked up and got a bit giddy. We were all chatting away
but the tough economic environment in Liverpool at the and work stopped completely. When the buzz died down, we
time meant he found himself unemployed. Sinclair’s petite all felt really sleepy. By the time Marshall Cavendish turned
box of tricks gave him a focus and he soon produced Trax!, up the next morning, I was asleep under my desk and woke
a clone of coin-op Side Track. The game was picked up by to see two pairs of shiny shoes – it was Bruce [Everiss], our
publishers Soft Joe and they lent Paul a C64 to produce a marketing manager, telling one of the Marshall Cavendish
RETRO GAMER | 93
directors, ‘Look, our programmers have been
Praise working through the night…’”
for Paul
Even Bruce’s impressive spin couldn’t prevent
Marshall Cavendish pulling the plug on the
Liverpool seemed like
Here’s what Retro Gamer has to say
about Paul Clansey’s work…
lucrative deal but Imagine kept on the huge
number of new staff and remained in its fancy
the centre of the software
offices, assuming they could still knock out hit
games to order. Paul began work on a title called
universe in the Eighties”
Darran Jones
As I never owned a C64 until
very late, a lot of Paul’s games
Mythos, featuring a winged horse flying between
floating islands in the clouds, but he didn’t get far
Paul Clansey
passed me by. I do remember
playing a lot of Game Over on the beyond some basic animation routines. When
Amstrad though, and after having a discussion the bailiffs did arrive to call time on the business,
with Nick, it was every bit as tough on the as infamously captured in the BBC’s Commercial Breaks such as Mission Omega and unlikely film tie-in Give My
Commodore 64 as it was on the Amstrad. It
apparently sounded a lot better, too. documentary, Paul was there – in fact, it was he and colleague Regards To Broad Street, he designed and coded a trio of
Mark Dawson that had brought in the American Werewolf In original strategy games for the C64. Evil Crown cast you as
Paul Drury London video that Bruce comments the staff were watching a feudal lord, assigning your peasants to harvesting, building
The Eighties was such an exciting that fateful morning as the axe fell. or soldiering tasks in proto-Civilisation fashion. The Force,
time for the UK software industry, “I remember thinking it was weird a manager of the released in 1986, put you in charge of a different kind of
so to speak to someone right
there amongst the brilliance company was showing round a film crew when Imagine was fiefdom as you co-ordinated a local constabulary, assigning
and bankruptcies was a real pleasure. Paul in such a predicament,” sighs Paul, “but I think Bruce just your boys and girls in blue to patrol the various potential crime
produced some solid C64 conversions but his wanted maximum publicity and to make it clear he wasn’t hotspots in your patch. “That was done in consultation with
most interesting work is probably his strategy
titles, Alien and The Force, which showed an
responsible. I don’t blame him.” the Metropolitan Police,” reports Paul. “They gave us all these
ambition beyond the humble hardware. The sharp-eyed can spot Paul in the documentary, documents but then told us we had to keep quiet [about the
fleetingly, discussing Bandersnatch graphics with Ian game] as they couldn’t be seen to be supporting us! They did
Weatherburn and Gill Stopp. His work on Mythos remained on tell us afterwards they thought we’d done a pretty accurate
the hard drives seized by the bailiffs and he was left jobless simulation of managing a police force.”
but teamed up with Roy Gibson, Steve Ward and Simon Bell It was an interesting concept for a game at the time, and
to found their own company, Concept. “Making games was Paul’s strategic inclinations continued on, which is evident
l
Pa ul hand led severirang all I knew how to do,” he grins. “We were confident, naively in his highest-profile title. “I was gobsmacked they got the
fo oty ga m es du perhaps, that we’d be able to get the work in.” licence for Alien,” says Paul. “I wanted to recreate the tension
his career, inclu ding And they did. Roy used his contacts to negotiate a deal of the film, so I tried to make it minimalistic, with just a
Super Socc er. with Argus Press and along with contributing music to games heartbeat and the sound of grates opening in the background.
I’ve always liked board games and things like Dungeon &
Dragons – I saw the computer as being like a dungeon master.
The problem with my games is you had to read the manual,
which was unrealistic back then.”
The Concept team also sought to learn from the downfall
of their previous employer. They rented cheap offices, paid
s
» [C64]Legend Of Kage was Paul’
n
only official coin-op conversio
94 | RETRO GAMER
Mia mi Vice was another
of Ocean’s TV tie-ins.
Clansey on Clansey
Paul picks his three favourite projects
■ COSMIC CRUISER
The only game I completed at
Imagine. The design was Dave
Lawson’s so my creativity was
limited but I am fond of it by
association with the great time I
had at Imagine.
■ ALIEN
We got the official licence so
I thought I’d hit the jackpot
(my bank balance has since
disproved that assumption).
The music seems to have
gained a cult following.
■ TIME TRAX
All my own work and the
themselves modestly, nabbed Quicksilva’s furniture for first time I felt able to put
everything I wanted to in. I
free when the publisher went bust, used actual C64s and
was especially pleased with
Spectrums to code on rather than development kits and
the music, which I originally
aimed to avoid the excesses of Imagine in its self-indulgent wrote for Mission Omega.
pomp. A sensible decision, though Paul believes it ultimately
meant several of their employees, including talented coders
like John Heap, were easily seduced by the more opulent set
up of nearby Denton Designs. Unable to hold on to staff, the
founders dissolved the company and Paul went freelance.
The commercial success of his game version of the first
film meant Paul received an early copy of the script for the
sequel, Aliens, while it was still in production and started to
sketch out designs before Argus informed him they’d been
She’s Behind outbid for the license this time. Instead, Paul began work on an
idea of his own. Time Trax was a detailed arcade adventure set
You... in a post-apocalyptic world and entailed much time-hopping
to defeat ‘the Evil Ones’. It was well received by Zzap!64
To promote the release of Alien,
magazine who gave it 80% overall, though reviewer Gary
Argus Press arranged for a series of
Penn noted it was a difficult game to get to grips with.
photographs to be taken and sent out
“I think I polished it as much as I could but I do wish I’d
to magazines, eventually appearing
tuned it more,” he sighs. “It’s a flaw in many of my games.
in Crash and Zzap!64. “When we got
I prefer writing games to playing them and that makes me
told we could use the costume from
the film, we were dead excited,” rubbish as a playtester. They’re bug-free but often aren’t easy
Paul smiles, “but when it arrived, we to play. I had Time Trax all mapped out with hidden objects
realised it must have been made for and time portals all over the place. Anyone who gets a decent
some seven-foot-tall man who was score on it has my upmost respect because it must have
about two inches wide. The only bit taken an awful lot of time to work it all out…”
we could use was the hands. One of Having produced Time Trax for Mind Games, Paul struck a
our lovely secretaries donned these deal with Ocean in 1986 to handle a number of C64 ports over
rubber hands on and put them all a 12-month period, including Super Soccer, a port of Taito’s
setup
over me. If you look at the ‘behind the coin-op Legend Of Kage and Miami Vice. We wonder whether Pa ul ’s cramped winorg kof G azza 2.
scenes’ photo, you’ll see the ‘alien’ is he coded in a white jacket with the sleeves rolled up, just to du rin g th e m ak
in fact wearing a red dress!” get in to that Crockett and Tubbs state of mind?
RETRO GAMER | 95
v The Forc e sadly didn’ t feature
constables with Jedi powers.
Readers’
Questions
Northway: Why no work on the
16-bit machines?
I did have an Atari ST as a
development machine but I was
never tempted to write for it. A lot
of people I knew got really excited
when a new machine came out
and were always looking for the
next thing to move on to. I was the
complete opposite. Once I’d gone
through the painful process of
working out how to do stuff on one
computer, I was reluctant to invest
the time and trouble to learn on a
new one. That probably doomed me
to having quite a short career.
Paul Clansey
innovation, temper and also their cancelled projects. There was ambitious Civilisation-meets-
relationships with each other.
Elite 3D exploration game Exodus for the C64, Heroquest
for publishers Gremlin, which ended up being given to a
Paranoid Marvin: Did you ever meet
Paul McCartney? rival contractor, and even Cowboy Pete for the antiquated
No but my boss Ron Harris did. I “I did own a white jacket at that time,” he laughs. “I wasn’t Atari 2600, none of which saw the light of day. Paul’s final
did the Band On The Run theme the only one. Liverpool was full of them. I remember thinking published game eventually hit the shelves in 1990 in the shape
song for Give My Regards To Broad
I’d fallen on my feet with Miami Vice. The money was great of Gazza 2, a football title which aimed to capitalise on the
Street but I couldn’t read music
back then so I think I got a few and I did it in record time – eight weeks from start to finish!” fame of the blubbing star of England’s Italia ’90 campaign, Paul
notes wrong. I thought it was awful The decent financial rewards helped to make up for Gascoigne. “My boss Dave Colley, who set up Active Minds,
but when Ron showed the game to the slightly lonely life of a freelance game went to meet Gazza,” recalls Paul. “We had
Triv ia
Paul McCartney, he told me Paul
said the music was very good!
programmer. Even when he handled the C64 port the licence to use real player names for all the
Then he added, ‘Well, it is my tune.’ of Game Over, best remembered for a protruding countries across Europe apart from Germany.
nipple in the magazine advert, he didn’t keep I had a book about World War II which listed
Northway: Has some of the abreast of the controversy. “I was oblivious,” he the high command of the German army so all
creativity been lost since the chuckles. “I suppose that was clever marketing the German players are taken from that. Which
age of Imagine and the early
people again, making sure the game got some During his freelancing days thinking about it, is a bit dodgy. I hope no-one
software houses? in the Eighties, Paul produced
Absolutely. As projects got bigger notoriety! I’m sorry to tar all Ocean’s releases for
thought I was a Nazi sympathiser...”
a proto-scree n saver
and you needed more money up with the same brush but it did feel like they Crown Paints, which Unlike Gazza’s world cup, Paul’s career didn’t
front, people became more risk got a big licence, got someone to do excellent evolved into its ‘painting end in tears, but in a sober decision. “I still feel
averse. When people were just by numbers’ TV advert.
graphics, get someone like Dave Whittaker or bad about it, but after Gazza 2, they wanted me
churning stuff out at home, they
could do whatever they fancied Martin Galway to do excellent music and as long to do Sword Of Abaddon, which I started but
and every now and again bits of as it didn’t fall over, the actual game wasn’t that was also applying for a sensible office job. I’d
gold would turn up. And if you have important. Perhaps they were just being lenient on me as the gone from the heights of running a company and then all the
a more limited machine, it forces
you to be creative.
programmer. My niche became delivering quick. I was reliable contract work and driving a nice car to struggling to pay the
but not technically innovative. Safe but not very inspiring..” mortgage and not having a car at all.”
He’s being overly modest but then solely handling As the new decade began, Paul secured a post as a Cobol
Merman: Do you have anything left
of your unfinished games?
conversions necessarily limits a coders creativity, which might programmer in the civil service, which he held throughout the
Yes! I’ve got several boxes of explain Paul’s decision to join old Nineties, before working for a international IT company until
disks but I don’t have any way of colleagues Ian Weatherburn and Gary taking early retirement five years ago. Since then, he has toyed
checking them. Frank Gasking Bolton at developers Canvas in 1987. with a return to games but recognises that coding is only a
[of gtw64.co.uk] has offered to
help explore them as he’s got That and the sweetener of a swanky small part of making a game these days and it’s not a one
access to lots of equipment. company car. “The main reason I joined man job. “When I started out, I could implement everything
In fact, I’ve just found a disk was they promised to get me a Sierra myself for a game but I recognise now, you become a
claiming to be the master for Cosworth,” he grins. “They went diminishing cog in a machine. It’s not from any ego, it’s just I
Iron Hand!
bust within a year of me joining. Just was driven by wanting to produce my own creations. But you
when funds were getting desperately never know… maybe I could try a text adventure!”We say
low, when a big cheque from a GET COMPUTER and MAKE GAME, Paul.
publisher bounced on them.”
In his year with the short-lived Thanks to Frank Gasking at gtw64.co.uk for the
Canvas, Paul’s main project was introduction and Martyn and Kieren for additional help.
96 | RETRO GAMER
The shenanigan s at Ima gine Softwarer. even
mad e the front page of the local pape
Paul Clansey
Desert Island Disks
The games that Paul simply
couldn’t live without
01 Space Wars ARCADE
01 The vector graphics and movement impressed
07 Civilisation II PC
07 08
RETRO GAMER | 97
Saboteur II: Avenging Angel
SO MANY ANDROIDS… SO LITTLE TIME…
» RETROREVIVAL
98 | RETRO GAMER
RETRO GAMER | 99
RETRORATED
>> It’s an
exciting time
for reviews. We
take a look at
the new River
City Ransom
game, take a
look at XCOM 2
and the latest
Paper Mario
game and
discover if
one of the
greatest on-
rails shooters
of all time
gets better
with VR
River City: Tokyo Rumble
IT PACKS A PUNCH, BUT IT’S NOT THAT HARD
INFORMATION It’s always tricky iconic design of the NES original – right BRIEF HISTORY
FEATURED SYSTEM: 3DS when you resurrect down to the use of scanlines. Lead The original River City
ALSO AVAILABLE ON: N/A
a classic game for a character Kunio and the rest of the Ransom was released in 1989 in
new generation of gang look like slightly-enhanced NES Japan, where it was known as
RELEASED: OUT NOW Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari.
gamers. Add too many characters, while the animation has also It’s part of the larger Kunio-kun
PICKS OF PRICE: £24.99
new mechanics and you been scaled back to make it look as series, which includes the likes
THE MONTH PUBLISHER: risk alienating fans of the original release, authentic as possible. The numerous of Renegade, Super Dodge Ball
NATSUME and Crash ‘N’ The Boys: Street
but if you make it too authentic, you Japanese locations that Kunio and his Challenge. An update, River
DEVELOPER: City Ransom EX, was released
might bore those gamers who expect a friends battle through look a little samey,
ARC SYSTEM WORKS for the Game Boy Advance in
bit more for their money. It’s admittedly but that’s also true of the NES original. 2004, and was the first game in
PLAYERS: 14
a difficult thing to get right, but River City: The end result is that Tokyo Rumble has the series to drop the two-player
mode and introduce an AI-
Tokyo Rumble just about manages it. a old-school appeal that will make you
controlled partner.
There’s no denying that Tokyo Rumble feel like you’re back in the late Eighties.
feels like a game from the NES era, This charm also extends to the
DARRAN but this in part is purposeful. It’s most many references that can be found in
Rez Infinite
» [3DS] Completing levels add noticeable with the game’s graphical Arc System Works’ game. References
If I’m not editing the mag new characters, ensuring your WHY NOT TRY
next month it’s because choices when playing Rumble style, which does its best to mimic the to both Renegade and the Kunio-kun
normal reality no longer are always varied. ▼ SOMETHING OLD
series in general are abundant – the DOUBLE DRAGON ARCADE
appeals to me.
jaunty remixed tunes sound excellent for
example – but many other games are
also mentioned or referred to, revealing
Tokyo Rumble to be a true homage
to the era. Yes, it doesn’t always work
(Kunio constantly referring to his teacher
as ‘babe’ feels a little out of place) but for ▼ SOMETHING NEW
the most part the references work well. DRAGON’S CROWN PS VITA
DODGING AND
PUNCHING
While there is no co-operative mode
in Tokyo Rumble, multiplayer games
are available to play. Rumble plays
very similarly to the main story
mode, but up to four players can
punch each other about until only one
of them is le. Dodgeball (which can
also be accessed at certain points
of the main game) is also included
and again caters for four players. It’s
another last-man-standing affair,
but this time you can only use a
dodgeball as a weapon, meaning
you need to catch your opponent’s
throws and chuck it straight back
It’s important that the combat system to drag you back once you’ve completed at them. Both games are fun and
of Tokyo Rumble is so solid, because the game, but it’s a great tribute to the it’s possible to connect off a single
the game itself gets quite tough, rather NES original – those expecting more 3DS, but it is a shame that there’s no
quickly. Each area of Tokyo is essentially depth may be disappointed, though. online play available.
a level in itself with its own unique
gang. As Kunio and his friends level up, In a nutshell
some groups will always be quick and The lack of co-op in the story mode
easy fodder, while others take an insane does hurt Tokyo Rumble somewhat,
friends in order to take his rivals down. amount of punishment before they fall. but it remains an entertaining brawler
Of course, he needs to earn the respect Interestingly, the story mode of Tokyo with some genuinely satisfying
of his buddies, meaning he’ll have to beat Rumble only supports a single player, combat. What a shame, then, that it’s
them all up in order to prove his worth. which adds to the game’s difficulty. over so quickly.
It’s not the most exciting premise, but Luckily, as Kunio recruits new members,
the premise for most scrolling fighters one of them will help out in brawls, RetroGamer_Mag scored 6 for
is weak at best, so in that way, Tokyo lasting as long as their energy holds out. 6 River City: Tokyo Rumble
Rumble stays true to its roots. The AI for the most part works well, but Follow our scores on
If the story is something of a your helper always seems less interested
disappointment the same cannot be in picking up cash and items, which
said for Tokyo Rumble’s fun fighting means you may miss out on goodies.
system. You’ll want to fiddle around with It’s a little too grindy for our liking too,
the initial button layout, but once you’ve meaning boss fights can be quite
done that you’ll discover the combat tough. Fortunately, a shop allows you
engine to be surprisingly solid. Initially to complete jobs that can boost your
you’re limited to simple punches, kicks money or give you useful items.
and flying kicks, but as you explore the Tokyo Rumble is a fun brawler, but it
streets of Tokyo, you’ll discover a variety isn’t without its issues. The gameplay
of books that contain a wide range of gets repetitive quickly, and while there’s
moves that greatly expand your skillset. the option to increase Kunio’s stats
Spinning enemies around so they knock by buying new items of clothing or
into others, damage inflicting judo throws eating meals at restaurants, it’s not as
and rapid-fire kicks are just a few of the comprehensive a system as found in
moves you can unlock, which is handy, games such as Odin Sphere. There’s little
as Tokyo Rumble can be quite tough in
places. Of course, you don’t have to rely
on just your fists and feet as the streets
of Tokyo are littered with useful objects
that make great weapons. Bats, knives
and chains are all lying around, doing
varying amounts of damage, but even
more mundane items like bikes or bins
can be turned into dangerous weapons.
Rez Infinite
» System: PS4/PS VR » Publisher: Enhance Games
PICK OF THE MONTH
» Cost: £24.99 ($40 physical) » Buy it from: Online, iam8bit.com (physical)
Remember when you saw Tron and Aside from the new control system,
wished you could have your own it’s still the same old Rez, but somehow
adventure inside a videogame? That’s it feels complete, like a part of it has
what playing Rez Infinite feels like. Terms been missing all these years and it’s
like ‘incredibly immersive’, ‘it’s like you’re now been made whole. It’s the same
actually there’, and ‘so real I could touch game you’ve been playing for the past
it’ have been thrown about since VR first 15 years, but it’s arguably the best it has
became a thing, but it’s so, so true for ever been, particularly when you realise
this reimagining of Sega’s on-rail shooter. it’s now running at a stunning 1080p.
Rez has always been an immersive However, it’s Area X that gets us most
experience but that feeling is greatly excited for Rez’s future, as it’s effectively
amplified once you play it in VR. From a 20-minute demo of what a new Rez
the moment you find yourself floating in could be. You now have complete free
the inky blackness of Area 1 to your final movement, which adds further to the » [PS4] Area 5 has always been astonishing to play through, but it reaches a whole new level of awesomeness in VR.
showdown with Area 5’s magnificent immersion and encourages you to
boss, the virtual world of Rez engulfs you
utterly and is filled with genuinely jaw-
explore the amazing looking environment.
We’ve heard it described as everything Rez might be 15 years old, but it’s
dropping moments. The scale is the first
thing that hits you. Bosses look gigantic,
from a ‘religious experience’, to a ‘visual
orgasm’ and it’s easy to see how those
never felt more relevant
while you’ll crane your neck in wonder comparisons are made – so compelling
to gawp at the abstract alien objects that is the feeling it bestows on you.
float menacingly above you. Witnessing Rez may be 15 years old, but it’s never
the cruiser that appears halfway through felt more relevant. The Rez you knew
Area 5 feels like that first encounter with and loved is dead, long live Rez Infinite.
the Star Destroyer in Star Wars, while
RetroGamer_Mag scored 10 for
the ability to whip your head around in
the virtual space order to catch escaping 10 Rez Infinite
Follow our scores on » [PS4] Bosses are satisfyingly tough to beat, with » [PS4] Worry not, even if you don’t have PlayStation
enemies feels revelatory. different forms based on how many enemies you blast. VR you can still experience Rez Infinite on your PS4.
» [Wii U] The effects are undeniably wonderful to look at, but it’s not » [PS4] There is a much wider variety of enemies to fight, from
enough to distract from the irritating gameplay mechanics. indoctrinated, human-like soldiers to terrifying snakes.
With Sega Archives you can relive Sega’s colourful history, from early
coin-op capers to the gamble of the Mega-CD. We’ve scoured the
Retro Gamer archives to bring you amazingly in-depth articles on
some of Sega’s biggest games and franchises.
Also available…
sinc 2005
win
CHUNKS OF DATA
The prolific developer Gabriele Pixelglass – it was behind the recent this way… it just took a while! Owners
Amore has been working away overhaul, Great Giana Sisters – which of the original can find the download
and his newest release is Chunk is slated to be a fast-moving top-down at Kikstart.eu/asb-data-c64 along with
Zone, a third-person shooter with
Zone shooter. The relevant page on its information on ordering the game itself
an appropriately-chunky tank. The website is at Kikstart.eu/alarcity-amiga, for those who’d like to try their hand at
objective of the game is to trundle where there’s an embedded YouTube dominating the entire galaxy.
around while shooting the incoming video as well, which shows off the The official website hidden behind
the left.
projectiles. There are two varieties to game in its current state. There’s also a Kikstart.eu/gravitus-pc says that
» [Windows] It’s just a thrust to
deal with and a quota of destruction link over to their store at Itch.io where Gravitus Minus is inspired by classic
must be reached before progressing. an early preview of the game’s survival games such as Gravitar, Thrust and
Kikstart.eu/chunk-zone-spec drives over mode is a free download. Solar Jetman. The stages all have an
to the World Of Spectrum forum for One recent surprise came from orb somewhere within their caverns
Gabriele’s original announcement where long-serving homebrew publishers which must be picked up with a tow
the game can be downloaded, although Protovision, which announced a free rope and removed to safety. There are
that was soon accompanied by a more- expansion pack for its 2006 release the physics to deal with, automated
than-slightly-bizarre off-topic discussion, Advanced Space Battle. This is a very defences to avoid or blast and the
which ultimately culminated in what good space-bound strategy game ship has limited fuel so more must be
appears to be a reskinned version of the which shipped with quite a few possible siphoned from storage units dotted
» [C64] Never give up.
game called Ferret Buster! play modes, but developer More.Gore around the caves. There are Windows
Never surrender. Amiga gamers with AGA-based Software stated in a note on one of and Linux versions of the game and it
systems will want to keep an eye out for the data disk images that it had always sports some lovely attention to detail in
AlarCity from newly-minted developer planned to expand the game further in the graphics and sound departments.
» [SG-1000]
The familiar
platforms,
HOMEBREW HEROES
but now
on another Christian Gleinser is the developer behind the action
platform!
game Shotgun on the C64 which uses a user port
player adapter to allow up to four human players to
blast each other. We grabbed him for a quick chat
Where did the idea for
Shotgun come from?
I was playing a bunch of eight-
player games on the Atari XL
(using the Multijoy8 interface)
DIFFERENT
» [C64] About to be caught in
time, and all of them have the crossfire. THE
We tempted fate in issue 159 by saying that
something in common: they
are very simple in regards to How easy was BIG
INTERVIEW
conversions of the Mojon Twins’ platformer Uwol Quest both gameplay and graphics, programming
For Money had stopped appearing, so naturally another and are very much fun to for Protovision’s CHRISTIAN
version has popped up, this time called Super Uwol, play. And it’s only a handful of four-player GLEINSER
appearing right on our doorstep! games that are available for adapter?
The target platform is the Sega SG-1000, but the the Multijoy8. When I noticed It’s very easy, there is an Some people compared
game has also been reworked during conversion to that the situation is similar for example on the Protovision the game a little bit to Wizard
add a second player – controlling former evil sorceress the C64 and its four-player website where all four joystick Of Wor, which is pretty cool
Meemaid – and the Storm Palace has been refurbished interface, I decided to provide states get queried and put into because I love this game – and
as well. Kikstart.eu/uwol-sg1000 delves into the Twins’ the community with a new four bytes of RAM. This whole it’s actually the second game
website and we’re wondering if these upgrades will be game, which would share the example is about 20-30 lines I ever played in my whole life,
retrofitted into older versions? ‘simple-graphics-simple- long and you can simply copy Park Patrol was the first. On
gameplay-lots-of-fun’ principle it into your own code. the other hand, I play Wizard
of those Atari games. Of Wor cooperatively, so for
REQUIRED
» [C64] Runn
REVIEWS
DO YOU
REMEMBER?
Small Change’s Luna Landa for the
C64 was released in 1993 and is,
despite the name, based on the
Taito coin-op Lunar Rescue. The
player is handed control of a lunar
module, first guiding its course
downwards from the safety of
the dropship towards a landing
pad on the lunar surface to pick
up some passengers and then
heading upwards again, this time
with the option of demolishing a
path through the now hostile aliens
patrolling the skies.
Getting a good score is all about
timing the start of each journey and
using the limited fuel supply for
the thrusters – which either launch
the craft upwards at speed whilst
heading towards the base or stop its
ascent – to weave between or line
up shots at the UFOs. Kikstart.eu/
landa-c64 will take you to the moon.
DEFENCE
» [Amstrad
CPC] Building
a maze to keep
the invaders
busy and
under fire. FORMAT: AMSTRAD CPC DEVELOPER: SHINING DOWNLOAD: KIKSTART.EU/DEFENCECPC PRICE: FREE / €20
» [C64] A perilous descent to the base.
Defence’s story starts on Earth in the path that attackers will take across
year 2633 as the armies of the Red the screen is in part governed by
Falcon are taken on in battle by two where defences are placed so careful
heroes, Lance Gryzor and Bill Rizer. positioning can slow the intruders
Ultimately, humanity wins the battle but down and funnel them past the artillery.
that victory comes with a price: both There are upgrades to tip things in the
» [Amstrad CPC] Things really
warriors are severely injured, Lance is player’s favour a little if enough money aren’t going well, there’s too many
captured by the Red Falcon himself can be raised for them, but to begin routes open!
and Bill is placed into cryostasis by the with they’re completely out of reach –
» [C64] Blasting off into a sky full of UFOs.
human-created support robots called progress can be preserved by saving it
Probotectors in the hope that time to the disk.
would heal him. Fast-forwarding in time Defence is a difficult game to the
another 85 years finds Bill completely point where the manual mentions
healed, but only just being awakened that only some of the early levels can
because the Red Falcon’s forces have be completed without upgrading the » [Amstrad CPC] We can’t be
consumed by our petty differences
returned for a second attempt on the weapons so, although it’ll appeal to anymore.
planet, this time led by an apparently- existing fans of tower defence-style
brainwashed Lance Gryzor! titles, beginners to the genre will
To save the world from this latest probably find it a challenge to play and,
assault and his former compatriot, although reading the manual helps,
Bill Rizer must keep the troops from there’s really no substitute for trial, error
sensitive targets. This is done by placing and persistence. A free version can
weapons within the play area which, be downloaded from the developer’s
when an enemy gets nearby, will start website and there’s the
shooting. There are four units available option of paying either ten RetroGamer_Mag scored 8 for
to utilise, each costs money to push
into service and some are specifically
Euros for a personalised
digital version or 20 Euros
8 Defence
Follow our scores on
for ground- or air-based enemies. The for a physical copy.
FORMAT: WINDOWS/WEB PRICE: FREE Created with the Reality Game Engine, Super Robin is
DEVELOPER: GARBENJAMIN an action platformer where the titular bird must bravely
DOWNLOAD: KIKSTART.EU/ALIGARWIN dash through hazardous scrolling backgrounds in search
of fruit because there’s a quota required to open the
Inspired by the rare, but well thought of,
Key Quest on the VIC-20, The Treasures
exit. Robin has patrolling creatures, pits filled with spikes
and a time limit working against him, and will need to ROUNDUP
Of Ali-Gar is a single-screen maze game utilise doorways and springs in order to access other
where some of the titular trinkets are parts of the stage. The C64 has received a couple
scattered around the play area. To move This is an entertaining, if challenging, platform of brain-teasing titles from Digital
onto the next screen, the player must game with some lovely presentation and we did find Monastry. The first is World
gather all of these riches up and find the it enjoyable to play, but it does have to be noted that Conquest, a strategy game which
key that will then appear before legging it there are issues in the collisions. Only Robin’s right half the developers describe as a
to the exit door. appears to pick up fruit whilst the detection of impacts reworking of Risk that adds extra
Making things significantly harder are with the patrolling nasties are sometimes frustratingly elements to the gameplay such as
generators which create roaming nasties. strict. It’s relatively easy to play around these quirks after economic factors to make some
Since the screen gets busy quite rapidly learning how to though, so CD32 owners should burn regions of the map more productive
and both the units and the creatures they out the image and give it a try. than others. This was written in the
spawn can be blasted, it makes sense Nineties but remained unreleased
RetroGamer_Mag scored 7 for
to deal with the majority of both before until recently when the author,
going in search of goodies. 7 Super Robin » [CD32] Is it a
bird, is it a plane?
Andrea Rosa, recovered his work;
This game can either be downloaded Follow our scores on
Oh, it was a bird! the game can be downloaded at
or played online – we did the latter for the Kikstart.eu/world-conquest-c64.
review – and it’s simple but reasonably The second release is a port of
addictive fun. Getting acclimatised to the the VIC-20 roguelike Demons Of
tile-by-tile player movement and aiming Dex where would-be role players
to take out enemies is a must. crawl their way through creature-
laden dungeons in search of untold
RetroGamer_Mag scored 7 for
riches, hopefully without being
7 The Treasures Of Ali-Gar
unceremoniously slaughtered by
Follow our scores on a nasty beast in the process. That
dangerous quest begins at the
» [Web] Catching one of the enemies off
guard in a narrow corridor. dungeon entrance behind
Kikstart.eu/demons-dex-c64.
GOLDEN TAIL
FORMAT: AMSTRAD CPC DEVELOPER: JUAN J MARTÍNEZ DOWNLOAD: KIKSTART.EU/GOLDENTAILCPC PRICE: FREE
latest e
Retro GaMag,
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writer-in w
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STAR LETTER
PEEKING BEHIND
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Credit: Realfintogive
different endings and power-ups. I really short for some reason. As they Account Manager Anthony Godsell
played all of them when I was a kid are on all the computer versions. ☎ 01202 586420
[email protected]
and I still play them in MAME, on Have you ever done a feature on International
my PC or my handheld JXD S7800B. it? If not do you plan to? I would love Retro Gamer is available for licensing. Contact the International
Please give them some coverage. to read it. department to discuss partnership opportunities.
The coverage of Slap Fight was Tom Wedley Head of International Licensing Cathy Blackman
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From the original RTS to the astonishingly successful MMO and card game,
we delve into the fascinating world of Warcra
Chase H.Q., Zool, Myriad, Dynamite Cop, Qix, Metroidvania, The Best
Ways To Play Retro Today, Panther, Kevin Bayliss, Pandemonium!,
Cadash, Sega Saturn, Run The Gauntlet
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ENDGAME
THE SIMPSONS: BART VS
THE SPACE MUTANTS
» The first Simpsons game to make it to market was a bit
of a mixed bag – it had plenty of the show’s characteristic
humour, but the difficulty was set so absurdly high that
you’d have had more joy trying to talk Mr Burns into
lending you a tenner. For those of you that understandably
never persisted, here’s what happens when Bart’s mischief
results in a victory for the Earthlings…
01 02 03
» The two space mutants lament their » Are the aliens mad? Will they summon » Wait a minute. The extra-terrestrials
failure to invade Earth, all because one a battle fleet to send the entire planet up have gone beyond grudging acceptance
serial underachiever decided he should in smoke? Apparently not. They instead of defeat, and veered into outright
stop them. Incidentally, these guys aren’t remark on the pluck and courage shown admiration of their foe. They’re no longer
Kang and Kodos because the show hadn’t by our favourite cartoon troublemaker in ruminating on his fine qualities, they’ve
yet established them as antagonistic. stopping their dastardly plan. decided to make a public show of honour.
04 05
» The subordinate alien declares that he’s got a plan to honour » The Simpsons, in an off-camera moment not captured
Bart Simpson, defender of the planet. At this point we’re hoping because it doesn’t involve any of Homer’s wacky shenanigans,
this is part of an alien martial code, because otherwise we have stop by Mount Rushmore to see that Bart’s image has been
to assume that their hearts weren’t really in the whole invasion added to it. Bart doesn’t seem to be present with the family,
and they could have spared us the hassle. though. Let’s hope it’s just his image in that mountain face…