category_outlined / Tech & Gaming
Retro Gamer
No. 193Retro Gamer is the only magazine in the UK that’s fully dedicated to the halcyon days of classic gaming. If you’ve ever fondly blasted away at the Bydo Empire in R-Type, swung Bowser by the tail in Super Mario 64, or navigated all 20 levels of Matthew Smith’s Manic Miner, then this is the magazine for you. Created by a dedicated team of experts, Retro Gamer’s mission is to deliver constantly engaging and passionately written articles that cover a wide range of subjects. We offer our readership in-depth looks at classic games and franchises, behind-the-scenes glimpses of the software houses from yesteryear, and one-on-one exclusive interviews with industry veterans such as Archer Maclean and Hideo Kojima. Stylish, entertaining and beautifully presented, Retro Gamer is the ultimate guide to videogaming’s rich and diverse history.
IN THIS ISSUE
the retrobates
DARRAN JONES It’s not technically a Fatality, but Stryker’s Animality from Mortal Kombat III is amazing. He turns into a tyrannosaurus and bites his opponent in half. Expertise: Juggling a gorgeous wife, two beautiful girls and an award-winning magazine Currently playing: Guardian Heroes Favourite game of all time: Strider DREW SLEEP I quite like the one from MKX where Johnny Cage rips a hole in his opponent and yells ‘HERE’S JOHNNY’ through the gap in an homage to Jack Nicholson in The Shining. Expertise: Minimal water damage Currently playing: Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End Favourite game of all time: Final Fantasy VIII NICK THORPE Sub-Zero’s Mortal Kombat 2011 one, where he freezes his opponent, rips out the skull and spinal cord and then uses those to shatter the rest…
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I can still vividly remember the first time I played Mortal Kombat. I would have been 19 and I was at Quay Amusements checking out the new releases. There was a crowd gathered around a fighting game and amazingly, it wasn’t a Street Fighter release. While it instantly captured my attention, thanks to its digitised characters, it was the ridiculous finishing moves that were grabbing the attention of everyone there. I’d never seen such a gory game in arcades before, and judging by the crowd, neither had anyone else.Some have suggested that Mortal Kombat’s over-the-top fatalities are simple smoke and mirrors, a clever parlour trick designed to distract players from the fact that it was a poor alternative to Capcom’s Street Fighter, but that’s never really rung true with…
building a better computer
We’re big fans of Lego and its Ideas range of creations. It’s not only a brilliant way of giving money back to the community of fans that has made Lego such a global success, but it continually tickles our nostalgia glands, thanks to creations based on Ghostbusters, Voltron, Back To The Future and countless other classic franchises. » You can follow Christian’s work on his YouTube channel called Perifractic Retro Recipes.One of the latest ideas to be put forward to public vote is Christian Simpson’s exceptional blocky recreation of a Commodore 64 – which actually works as a computer. We caught up with the talented master builder to find out how it came to be. Why make a Commodore 64 out of Lego? I mean, why not? Seriously…
mega mega drive news
Just as we were going to press, Sega announced an update to the Mega Drive Mini. The emulation side is being handled by the excellent M2, Yuzo Koshiro has been tasked with creating the music for the menu screens, and there will be 40 included games. So far ten titles have been announced for both the Japanese and International consoles, and they include favourites such as Sonic and Sonic 2, and the third-party hits Castlevania: Bloodlines and ToeJam & Earl. More news next issue.…
konami classics
Konami is celebrating its 50th birthday with a series of digital compilations featuring its best-loved titles. Anniversary Collection: Arcade Classics should be available by the time you read this, with eight games including Gradius, Haunted Castle, Scramble and TwinBee. Castlevania Anniversary Collection is scheduled for early summer, and Contra Anniversary Collection is also scheduled for the same period, both of which will offer a selection of eight games from their respective revered franchises. Expect reviews shortly.…
miniature 10p guzzlers
» My Arcade uses authentic arcade art where possible, making them lovely to display as well as play. Officially licensed replica arcade cabinets are one of the big retro gaming trends of recent times. We’ve multiple companies producing cabinets of various sizes, from the likes of the Arcade1Up machines, which are about four feet tall, to the 1:6 scale Replicade cabinets. My Arcade has been operating in this space for a while, producing the Micro Player range of devices, but has recently added a new product to the marketplace – the Mini Player. To find out more, we spoke to Amir Navid, SVP product development and creative director for My Arcade.“We’re big fans of the late Seventies and Eighties videogame titles. At that time there was such excitement and…
