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Sony’s PlayStation 2 remains the most popular console of all time, having now sold over 160 million units.While it’s unclear if this impressive figure will ever be beaten, what is clear is that Sony’s second console is an incredibly interesting one and we’ve gone all out to celebrate it this month.

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Retro Gamer
Issue 270
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Other Articles in this Issue


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THE RETROBATES
WHAT’S YOUR GUILTY PLEASURE PS2 GAME?
RETRO RADAR
RICH LEGACIES
GIVE US TWO MINUTES AND WE'LL GIVE YOU THE RETRO WORLD
PS number two?
FEATURING IAIN LEE
A feeble launch
FEATURING DIGITISER’S MR BIFFO
David Jones
SHOWING OFF COOL RETRO-THEMED STUFF THAT’S GOING ON
THE LATEST NEWS FROM SEPTEMBER 2008
SEPTEMBER 2008 – Heavyweight fighters square up for
REVIVALS
Fantasy World Dizzy
» ZX SPECTRUM » 1989 » THE OLIVER
Alien Highway: Encounter 2
CLOSE, BUT NO CIGAR
NAM-1975
BACK TO THE NIGHTMARE
R-Type DX
SHOPPING SHENANIGANS
WWF Royal Rumble
THAT’S A SWERVE, BRO!
Virtua Fighter 5 REVO
REVIEWS: VIRTUA FIGHTER 5 REVO
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
THE DRUGS DO WORK
FEATURED
INSIDE THE PlayStation 2
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO SONY LAUNCHED A CONSOLE THAT ENCOURAGED DEVELOPERS TO DREAM BIG, AND CAUSED THEM THE ODD NIGHTMARE. SPEAKING WITH DEVELOPERS WHO TACKLED ITS TRICKY TECHNOLOGY, WE DISCOVER WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO CREATE GAMES FOR A CONSOLE THAT TRULY TRANSFORMED WHAT WAS POSSIBLE IN VIDEOGAMES
BUBBLE BOBBLE
LET US JOURNEY INTO THE DEADLY CAVE OF MONSTERS ONE MORE TIME AS RETRO GAMER PRESENTS THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO TAITO’S MARVELLOUS BUBBLE-BLOWING EXTRAVAGANZA. CUE THE MUSIC…
XE Games System
» MANUFACTURER: Atari » YEAR: 1987 » COST:
ODIN COMPUTER GRAPHICS
AFTER RELEASING BEDROOM CODERS’ GAMES AS THOR, A REBRAND SAW ODIN IMPRESSING WITH IN-HOUSE HITS LIKE NODES OF YESOD, ROBIN OF THE WOOD AND HEARTLAND. FORMER ODIN CREATIVES STUART FOTHERINGHAM AND KEITH TINMAN REVIEW THE CELEBRATED STUDIO
JULIAN RIGNALL
With a knack for quickly identifying and reacting to shifts and patterns in games media, much in the same way he did when notching up videogame high scores, Julian Rignall launched some of the most prominent and successful gaming magazines in the UK. We chat to him about his career, his mags and being a videogame influencer decades before the term was ever coined
GAMES WITH MINE CARTS
Ever since a certain gorilla leaped into a mine cart in the mid-1990s, David Crookes has become a little obsessed with riding on-rail cars in videogames. Here’s how he likes to get his fix
TURRICAN II: THE FINAL FIGHT
Manfred Trenz’s Turrican II is one of the really, really great home-computer classics that has shot its way into the hearts of all run-and-gun fans, especially its 1991 Amiga incarnation. But did you know that almost five years later there was a much-improved conversion for DOS computers?
THE MAKING OF THE MAKING OF LEGACY REALM OF TERROR
SIMULATOR EXPERTS MICROPROSE AND TEXT ADVENTURE MASTERS MAGNETIC SCROLLS JOINED FORCES ON A TERROR-INSPIRED GRAPHIC ROLE-PLAYING PC GAME PUBLISHED IN THE EARLY NINETIES. WITH RENDERED MONSTERS, RPG TROPES GALORE AND A STRONG LOVECRAFTIAN VIBE, PREPARE TO EXPERIENCE THE HORRORS WITHIN THE LEGACY…
Mobile Adapter GB
» PLATFORM: Game Boy Color/Game Boy Advance » YEAR: 2001 » COST: ¥5,800 (launch), £40+ (today, boxed), £20+ (today, unboxed)
32X GAMES
INTERESTING GAMES YOU'VE NEVER PLAYED
HOW ADVERGAMES CONQUERED EUROPE
THROUGHOUT THE EIGHTIES AND NINETIES, EUROPE FELL IN LOVE WITH ADVERGAMES AS THEY WERE USED TO SELL ALL KINDS OF PRODUCTS, FROM CIGARETTES TO CHOCOLATE, AS WELL AS POLITICAL PARTIES AND BANKING SERVICES. WHAT WAS GOING ON?
Future Classic
Modern games you’ll still be playing in years to come
DINO CRISIS
IN 1999, RESIDENT EVIL CREATOR SHINJI MIKAMI SWAPPED GROANING GHOULS FOR RAMPAGING REPTILES AND THE RESULT WAS DINO CRISIS, ANOTHER SURVIVAL HORROR HIT FROM CAPCOM. JOIN RETRO GAMER AS WE DISCOVER WHY THIS FAN FAVOURITE SHOULDN’T BE DISMISSED AS ‘RESIDENT EVIL WITH DINOSAURS’
THE MAKING OF PETER JACKSON’S KING KONG THE OFFICIAL GAME OF THE MOVIE
HOW DID THE TALENTED TEAM AT UBISOFT MONTPELLIER COPE WITH THE CHALLENGE OF CREATING A VIDEOGAME BASED ON AN ACADEMY AWARD-WINNING BLOCKBUSTER FILM? WITH AS MUCH PASSION AND DEDICATION DEVELOPERS COULD PROVIDE TO ACHIEVE A UNIQUE PROJECT. THIS IS THEIR STORY
REVIEWS
RETRO ROUNDUP
WE LOOK AT THE LATEST RETRO-RELATED RELEASES
ESSENTIALS
THE HOME BREWE' S KIT
< Your monthly guide to everything happening in the homebrew scene />
NEWS BYTES
All the latest news, handily arranged by format
MATTHEW KERSEY
MATTHEW TELL US ABOUT THE NEW GAME HE IS WORKING ON, A WONDERSWAN RUN-AND-GUN GAME FEATURING DEMON CATS
MIGHTY STEEL FIGHTERS
CAPTAIN ISHTAR VS THE FEDERATION’S MOST WANTED
PROCESSING
Mega Drive horror game The Bagman pays homage to the classic SNES title Clock Tower
HAFOC TOR
HOT TOPIC
RETROBATES MULL OVER THE SCENE’S MOST INTRIGUING ISSUES
COLLECTOR’S CORNER
READERS TAKE US THROUGH THE RETRO KEYHOLE
BARGAIN HUNT
Your guide to the rising world of retro prices
MY RETRO LIFE
PERSONAL STORIES ABOUT OUR SHARED PASSION
MAIL BAG
HAVE YOUR SAY… SEND US A LETTER OR MAKE YOURSELF HEARD ON SOCIAL MEDIA – TWITTER.COM/RETROGAMER_MAG
RETRO GAMER
Future PLC Quay House, The Ambury, Bath, Somerset, BA1
Your say
What’s your favourite single-screen arcade game?
END GAME
THE CLIFFHANGER: EDWARD RANDY » Before Lara Croft
THE MINI PLAYSTATION 2 COMPANION
THE MINI PLAYSTATION 2 COMPANION
It’s quite likely that no videogame console will
OKAMI 2006
ARTISTRY AND ADVENTURE ALIGN
CAPCOM VS SNK 2: MARK OF THE MILLENNIUM 2001
CAPCOM’S CRUCIAL CROSSOVER
RIDGE RACER V 2000
A DREAM DRIVE
ROGUE GALAXY 2005
ROGUE WONDER
HITMAN:BLOOD MONEY 2006
A KILLER GAME
JAK AND DAXTER:THE PRECURSOR LEGACY 2001
PLATFORMING PERFECTION FROM NAUGHTY DOG
MEDAL OF HONOR:FRONTLINE 2002
AN ASSAULT ON THE SENSES
METAL GEAR SOLID 3: SNAKE EATER 2004
HIDEO KOJIMA GOES JUNGLE
ICO 2001
AN ICONIC DEBUT
ACTIVISION ANTHOLOGY 2002
OLDIES BUT GOODIES
GRAN TURISMO 4 2004
THE PETROLHEAD’S DREAM FULFILLED
RATCHET & CLANK 2002
BLOW-’EM-UP BLISS
GUITAR HERO III:LEGENDS OF ROCKS 2007
HEADLINE YOUR HOUSE PARTY
MAXIMO 2001
GHOSTS ‘N BOXERS
GRAND THEFT AUTO:VICE CITY 2002
LONG LIVE THE EIGHTIES
DISGAEA:HOUR OF DARKNESS 2003
DEMONICALLY GOOD FUN
HALF-LIFE 2001
NO HALF MEASURES HERE
ZONE OF THE ENDERS:THE 2ND RUNNER 2003
SHORT BUT STYLISH
THE WORRIORS 2005
COMING OUT TO PLAY?
FINAL FANTASY XII 2006
FINALLY FIXING THE FORMULA
KATAMARI DAMACY 2004
KEEP ROLLIN’, ROLLIN’, ROLLIN’
SLY2:BAND OF THIEVES 2004
THIS RACCOON WILL STEAL YOUR HEART
TOMB RAIDER:LEGEND 2006
A LEGENDARY FRESH START
YAKUZA 2005
SO GOOD, IT’S CRIMINAL
NEED FOR SPEED:MOST WANTED 2005
DANGEROUS DRIVING
SOULCALIBUR III 2005
CUTTING-EDGE FIGHTING
DRAGON QUEST:THE JOURNEY OF THE CURSED KING 2004
ROLE-PLAYING GREATNESS
GOD HASND 2006
A KILLER GAME
GRADIUS V 2004
A SHMUP TO TREASURE
OUTRUN 2006:COAST 2 COAST 2006
DRIVING WITH STYLE
GOD OF WAR II 2007
A CHAOTICALLY GOOD SEQUEL
SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS 2005
BIG, BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL
VIEWTIFUL JOE 2004
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE STYLE
SPIDER-MAN 2 2004
SWING WHEN YOU’RE WINNING
PROJECT ZERO 2001
LIGHTS, CAMERA, TERROR!
R-TYPE FINAL 2003
BRING ME EVERYTHING!
CAPCOM CLASSICS COLLECTION 1&2 2005-6
ENDLESS HOURS OF FUN
BLACK 2006
APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION
TEKKEN 2005
FISTS AND FACES COLLIDE
PERSONA 2008
HIGH SCHOOL AND HOMICIDES
SSX TRICKY 2001
SNOW COMPETITION
AMPLITUDE 2003
YOUR DIGITS WILL HATE YOU
DEVIL MAY CRY 3: DANTE'S AWAKENING 2005
DANTE RIDES AGAIN
DODONPACHI DAIOUJOU 2003
» [PlayStation 2] This bullet hell will make
RED FACTION 2001
MARS ATTACKS
ODIN SPHERE 2007
PERFECT PIXEL ART
TIMESPLITTERS: FUTURE PERFECT 2005
A TIME TO KILL, AND THRILL
PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 5 2005
STILL THE BEAUTIFUL GAME
BURNOUT 3: TAKEDOWN 2004
SUPER, SMASHING, GREAT
PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME 2003
MAKE TIME FOR THIS
TONY HAWK'S UNDERGROUND 2003
YOU WON’T BE BOARD
TIME CRISIS II 2001
A CRISIS SHARED
FLIPNIC 2003
PINBALL WITHOUT THE TABLE
WWE SMACKDOWN: HERE COMES THE PAIN 2003
A REAL ROCKET BUSTER
GITAROO MAN 2001
SHRED YOUR TROUBLES AWAY
SOS: THE FINAL ESCAPE 2002
TOTAL TECTONIC TERROR
VIRTUA FIGHTER 4: EVOLUTION 2003
EVOLVING THE ORIGINAL
REZ 2001
WELCOME TO SYNAESTHESIA
SILENT HILL 2 2001
A DARK DELIGHT
RESIDENT EVIL 4 2005
SURVIVAL HORROR REIMAGINED
COLLECTOR'S CHECKLIST
WHAT’S ON YOUR SHELF?
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