Retro Gamer

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S eeing Microsoft’s second console on the cover

BROKEN SWORD II REMASTER TAKES SHAPE

GIVE US TWO MINUTES AND WE'LL GIVE YOU THE RETRO WORLD

Possible mission

US GOLD FEATURING MIKE MIKA

CELEBRATING TOMONOBU ITAGAKI

DISPATCHES FROM THE FRONTLINE OF RETRO GAMING

Fables of the 360

FEATURING IAIN LEE

Back to R-Type

FEATURING DIGITISER’S MR BIFFO

Blippo+

SHOWING OFF COOL RETRO-THEMED STUFF THAT’S GOING ON

THE LATEST NEWS FROM JUNE 2009

» [Wii] Uh-oh, looks like Mac’s about to

Fishing Derby

THE REEL FISHING SIMULATOR

20 YEARS OF THE XBOX 360

TWO DECADES AGO, MICROSOFT SOUGHT TO USHER IN A NEW ERA OF GAMES – BIGGER GAMES, SMALLER GAMES, AND GAMES THAT WOULD BE MORE CONNECTED THAN EVER BEFORE. WE JOIN THOSE WHO WORKED WITH THE SYSTEM DURING ITS LIFETIME TO LOOK BACK AT THE MOST BELOVED XBOX CONSOLE

INDEPENDENT SPIRIT

FEW CONSOLES HAVE EVER BEEN AS OPEN TO DEVELOPERS AS THE XBOX 360

THE CHANGING FACE OF XBOX 360

HOW SYSTEM SOFTWARE UPDATES OVERHAULED THE HARDWARE’S HOME SCREEN

Ninku Gaiden: Hiroyuki Daikatsugeki

P-P-P-PICK UP THIS PENGUIN

THE MAKING OF STORMBRINGER

THE FOURTH MAGIC KNIGHT GAME TOOK INSPIRATION FROM A FOLK ROCK ALBUM AND A STAR TREK EPISODE, AND FOR SO MANY YEARS IT SERVED AS THE BUDGET GAME HERO’S SWAN SONG. DAVID JONES RECALLS HOW HE CREATED STORMBRINGER AND TEASES ITS SUCCESSOR

Silent Hill 4: The Room

WHERE GREEDY LANDLORDS ARE THE LEAST OF YOUR WORRIES

Lumines Arise

THE RHYTHM IS GOING TO GET YOU

Pokémon Legends: Z-A

THE SCORE TELLS HALF THE TAIL

Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection

PICK OF THE MONTH

THE HOMEBREWER'S KIT

< Your monthly guide to everything happening in the homebrew scene />

X MARKS THE SPOT

RETROBATES MULL OVER THE SCENE’S MOST INTRIGUING ISSUES

READERS REACT

The Xbox 360 games that made you want the console

PORTABLE SONY PASSION

READERS TAKE US THROUGH THE RETRO KEYHOLE

BARGAIN HUNT

Your guide to the rising world of retro prices

FIRE EMBLEM

EXAMINING OUR HOBBY’S BIGGEST HITTERS

A GENERATION REDEFINED

PERSONAL STORIES ABOUT OUR SHARED PASSION

MAILBAG

HAVE YOUR SAY… SEND US A LETTER OR MAKE YOURSELF HEARD ON SOCIAL MEDIA – TWITTER.COM/RETROGAMER_MAG

Your say

What’s your favourite Xbox Live Arcade game?

A TRIBUTE TO DOMARK

Nextmonth ON SALE 18TH DECEMBER 2025

The Lord Of The Rings: The Third Age

NOW WITH ADDED ACHIEVEMENTS

THE ADVENTURES OF BATMAN & ROBIN

(MEGA-CD, 1995)

ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED

THE INCEPTION, INFLUENCE, AND HISTORY OF THE XBOX 360’S ACHIEVEMENTS SYSTEM

AMSTRAD ACTION #70

The best way to spend your pocket money

THE MAKING OF Pipe Mania

CREATING A WINNING PUZZLE GAME WAS NO PIPE DREAM FOR THE ASSEMBLY LINE. ALL IT TOOK WAS A FLOW OF IDEAS AND THE INPUT OF SOME WISE MASTERS IN A RANCH FAR, FAR AWAY TO PRODUCE A GAME THAT HAS MORE THAN STOOD THE TEST OF TIME

DONKEY KONG COUNTRY

Behind the scenes of your favourite soundtracks

ULTIMATE GUIDE MEGA MAN X

MEGA MAN X LAUNCHED CAPCOM’S HERO INTO THE 16-BIT ERA WITH A BOLD REBOOT THAT PUT MOVEMENT, EXPLORATION, AND NON-LINEAR PROGRESSION FRONT AND CENTRE. MORE THAN 30 YEARS ON, ITS INSPIRED GAME MECHANICS AND VISIONARY DESIGN SENSIBILITIES STILL MAKE IT AN ESSENTIAL GAME IN THE SERIES

SUPER MARIO BROS

THE CHEATS, GLITCHES AND HIDDEN BITS OF THE CLASSICS

MORE CHEATS TO TRY OUT

WORST WARP If you use the top of

MAGAZINE CRAFT BRIAN SHEA

A big baseball fan, Brian Shea’s rise to the major leagues of game journalism saw him freelance for various gaming outlets before getting signed to play (and write) for Game Informer. We chat to him about his career, love of all things Nintendo, and what the future holds for the iconic and enduring US videogame magazine following its triumphant return earlier this year

THE MAKING OF RB2 THE NEWCOMES REAL BOUT FATAL FURY 2

FAST, BEAUTIFUL, AND CHARISMATIC, FATAL FURY REAL BOUT 2: THE NEWCOMERS REMAINS AN ICON OF THE FIGHTING GAME GENRE. WITH AN UPDATED VERSION RECENTLY LANDING ON STEAM, IT’S TIME TO RETURN TO ITS CREATION – AND SPEAK TO THOSE INVOLVED IN THE ORIGINAL AND THE NEW PORT

POCKET POWER

HOW REAL BOUT 2 INSPIRED A PORTABLE GEM

CHOOSE YOUR FIGHTER!

MEET THE CORE FIGHTER ROSTER OF REAL BOUT 2

THE NEWCOMERS RETURN

FATAL FURY REAL BOUT 2 IS BACK. WHY NOW?

PlayStation Vita

» MANUFACTURER: Sony » YEAR: 2011 » COST:

THE HISTORY OF TERMINATOR GAMES

SINCE THE DEBUT OF THE 1984 MOVIE, TERMINATOR VIDEOGAMES HAVE APPEARED WITH EVERY SUBSEQUENT INSTALMENT. MUCH LIKE THE FILMS THEMSELVES, IT’S BEEN AN ERRATIC AND SOMETIMES BIZARRE JOURNEY. RETRO GAMER STEPS BACK (OR IS IT FORWARD?) IN TIME TO INVESTIGATE