THE LATEST NEWS FROM DECEMBER 2005

LOADING

It’s easy to forget now, but Donkey Kong

ATARI TURNS 50

Donald Louie on how Atari is celebrating its 50th anniversary

Playground currency

W hen I was a kid, it

That belongs in a museum

As I’m writing this, it’s a few days

Zapped To The Past

Adrian Mills on co-creating the excellent C64-themed podcast

Myth: History In The Making

SPECTRUM WINS AGAIN

THE EVOLUTION OF DONKEY KONG COUNTRY

SO VISUALLY IMPRESSIVE THAT THOSE AT ITS LAUNCH THOUGHT IT WAS AN N64 TITLE, DONKEY KONG COUNTRY BREATHED LIFE BACK INTO THE AGEING SNES. FORMER AND CURRENT RARE AND RETRO STUDIOS DEVELOPERS REVIEW THE CLASSIC PLATFORMER AND THE SERIES IT INSPIRED

Sensible Soccer

IT’S A FUNNY OLD GAME

Gauntlet IV

NOTHING LASTS FOREVER

One Piece Mansion

HIGH RISE, HIGH STAKES

Ultimate Ghosts ’N Goblins

TERROR GOES PORTABLE

Mario Kart DS

BLUE SHELL THE WORLD

THE MAKING OF CIRCUS

ROLL UP! ROLL UP! LET EXIDY’S RINGMASTER HOWELL IVY TAKE YOU DOWN CLOWN ALLEY TO THE EARLY DAYS OF THE ARCADES AND HIS BIG HIT SET IN THE BIG TOP

THE MAKING OF DEMON ATTACK

THIS FAST-PACED VERTICAL SHOOTER WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST HITS ON THE ATARI 2600, CEMENTING THE REPUTATION OF NEWLY FORMED PUBLISHER IMAGIC. HOWEVER, ITS GENESIS IS A TALE OF REVENGE

AMSTRAD CPC 464 GAMES

Although plagued by Spectrum ports, the CPC also offers tech-pushing exclusives and original gems that will appeal to all tastes. Here we focus on the cassette games you should consider as you start to build your collection

WEIRD CHARACTER NAMES

In the outlandish worlds that videogames present us with, sometimes it’s the mundane oddities that really stand out. Battling mutants? No problem. A man called Dogs? We just can’t buy it. So here are ten characters whose parents probably got some funny looks at the registry office

THE MAKING OF MANIA lo MEGA

A COSMIC BATTLE FOR GLOBAL DOMINATION? SOUNDS SERIOUS. BUT WITH SENSIBLE SOFTWARE AT THE REINS, MEGA LO MANIA WAS ALWAYS GOING TO BE WORLDS OF FUN ABOVE ALL ELSE. JON HARE AND STOO CAMBRIDGE TOLD US ABOUT THEIR FIRST DEDICATED 16-BIT GAME

HOW TO BE A MEGA LO MANIAC

BECOME THE ULTIMATE GOD WITH THESE HANDY TIPS

LOST IN TRANSLATION

How the rest of the world experienced your favourite games

Shinobi III

Return of the Ninja Master

SCREAMER

THE REIGN OF JAPAN AS THE KING OF ARCADE RACING SEEMED HARD TO CHALLENGE. FROM COIN-OPS TO CONSOLES, IT SEEMED TO ALWAYS BE THE BEST IN THE CATEGORY. BUT SUDDENLY, IN 1995, A NEW CHALLENGER MADE ITS DEBUT: MILESTONE WITH ITS SCREAMER SERIES

ASCII Grip

» PLATFORM: PlayStation » RELEASED: 1996 » COST:

DIGITAL ECLIPSE

Thirty years ago saw the foundation of a small startup operating out of Emeryville, California that would change the way we played classic videogames on modern systems. Retro Gamer calls on founder/ CEO Andrew Ayre and president Mike Mika to reveal the rich and storied history of Digital Eclipse

THE MAKING OF BIOSHOCK

BUILT ON THE IDEAS OF EARLY IMMERSIVE SIMS, BIOSHOCK WAS AN AT TEMPT TO MAKE SOMETHING IN THE NICHE PC GENRE THAT COULD APPEAL TO A BROADER AUDIENCE. WOULD YOU KINDLY READ ON TO FIND OUT HOW IRRATIONAL GAMES MADE ONE OF THE INDUSTRY’S MOST MEMORABLE HITS?

N-Gage QD

» MANUFACTURER: Nokia » YEAR: 2004 » COST:

JOHN CALHOUN

The Macintosh had more games than people gave it credit for and among those developers gliding in to make their mark was John Calhoun thanks to a bunch of quirky, innovative titles that included an instant classic

Atari Video Computer System

THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF NOSTALGIA

Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium

WHY REBUILD THE COLOSSEUM?

Turrican Anthology Vol I & Vol II

» System: Switch (Tested), PS4 » Buy it

THE HOMEBREWER’S KIT

NINJA SKILLS

Looking at the gaming heroes with real ultimate power

GOOD THINGS IN SMALL PACKAGES

Richard’s collection has grown naturally over 25 years

CONSUMED BY COLLECTING

Darran ponders his life choices

STAR LETTER

S ATURN FOREVER

END GAME

VIRTUA FIGHTER KIDS: JEFFRY’S E NDING