Picross S SNK Classics & NeoGeo Edition

PICK OF THE MONTH

THE RETROBATES

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE SPECTRUM GAME?

A CLASSIC REBUILT

Fans of Geoff Crammond’s The Sentinel will be

ECCO LIVES

It would appear that Sega’s Ecco The Dolphin

Anarchy N,8,1

B ulletin Board Systems were a kind of

DAVID ROSEN PASSES

SEGA’S COFOUNDER DIES AT THE AGE OF 95

PRICEY POKÉMON

NINTENDO AND LEGO ANNOUNCE NEW POKÉMON RELEASES

GOG EVOLVES

It was recently revealed that GOG (Good Old

DOCUMENTING THE C64

Nicola and Anthony Caulfield recently revealed that they

It’s binatime, baby!

Image by Evan Amos I always think my

Lego perfection

FEATURING DIGITISER’S MR BIFFO

Steve Turner

The Quazatron and Ranarama author tells us about Deepest Blue

THE LATEST NEWS FROM SEPTEMBER 2009

» [Xbox 360] The Halo 3: ODST campaign was

Finder Keepers

LOSERS WEEPERS

THE LEGACY OF ZX SPECTRUM

THE ZX SPECTRUM IS THE BELOVED BRITISH MICRO THAT WAS MORE THAN JUST A SALES SUCCESS – IT PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROLE IN SHAPING THE UK GAMES INDUSTRY. JOIN US AND A NUMBER OF INDUSTRY VETERANS AS WE CHAMPION THE INFLUENCE OF THE LITTLE COMPUTER THAT COULD

Ms Pac-Man

GOBBLING ON THE GO!

THE MAKING OF VIROCOP

EVERY SYSTEM HAS ITS HIDDEN GEMS, AND THE COMMODORE AMIGA IS NO EXCEPTION. RELEASED IN 1995, THIS TALE OF A ROBOTIC VIRUS KILLER RECEIVED DECENT CRITICAL ACCLAIM, YET IS ONE OF THE SYSTEM’S LESSER-KNOWN GAMES. RETRO GAMER CHATS TO THREE GRAFTGOLD ALUMS TO FIND OUT MORE

Alien Breed: Tower Assault

RUNNING AND GUNNING

THE MAKING OF: ROMANCING SAGA

FRESH OFF A COUPLE OF GAME BOY HITS, GAME DESIGNER AKITOSHI KAWAZU BROUGHT HIS SIGNATURE RPG STYLE TO THE SUPER FAMICOM WITH THE RELEASE OF ROMANCING SAGA, THE CONSOLE DEBUT FOR ONE OF SQUARE ENIX’S LONGEST-RUNNING SERIES

Meet The Cast

ROMANCING SAGA’S BAND OF MISFITS

Half-Life

LATE TO THE PARTY

THE EVOLUTION OF RAYMAN

RAYMAN’S BEAUTIFULLY CRAFTED, VIBRANTLY COLOURFUL 2D DEBUT WAS AN UNEXPECTED LAUNCH TITLE FOR THE 3D-FOCUSSED PLAYSTATION, BUT ITS RESOUNDING SUCCESS LED TO A STRING OF SEQUELS. RAYMAN CREATOR MICHEL ANCEL EXPLAINS HOW THE SERIES EVOLVED

God Hand

“MY STYLE IS IMPETUOUS!”

Birdcage

A SHMUP YOU’LL WANT TO TREASURE

The Last Ninja Collection

» [PC] Last Ninja 3 still looks superb and

Sonic Unleashed

RECOMPILING THE PAST

SINGLE-SCREEN ARCADE GEMS

BEFORE GAMES BECAME ALL FANCY AND STARTED SCROLLING, THE ACTION OF ANY ARCADE GAME TYPICALLY TOOK PLACE WITHIN A SINGLE SCREEN. SO LET’S LOOK AT SOME OF THE BEST GAMES TO MAKE THE MOST OUT OF ALL THAT SCREEN ESTATE

ADAM PETERS

With his personality bursting from the pages of Amstrad Action in the Nineties, Adam Peters stint as staff writer on Future Publishing’s firstever magazine became truly memorable – not least for his double-act with editor Rod Lawton. Here, he relives his early career which also included time on other iconic magazines

Final Fight

CLASSIC MOMENTS

ENC RE! THE MUSICAL MAGIC OF THE AMIGA

THE GRAPHICS OF AMIGA 500 GAMES FAR SURPASSED ITS EIGHT-BIT PREDECESSORS. IT WASN’T SIMPLY THE LOOK OF THE GAMES THAT MADE THEM SO POPULAR. JUST AS STAR WARS WAS ELEVATED BY JOHN WILLIAMS’ STIRRING SCORE, AMIGA GAMES WERE BROUGHT FULLY TO LIFE BY THEIR MUSIC

SEGA SATURN MAGAZINE #12

WITH THE FIFTH CONSOLE GENERATION, A DEMO COULD OFTEN MEAN EXPERIENCING SOMETHING YOU NEVER HAD BEFORE, AND THAT WAS NEVER TRUER THAN ON THE SATURN. BOLDLY EXPERIMENTAL, THIS MONTH’S DISC SHOWS SEGA AT ITS INIMITABLE BEST. IT’S SUCH A SHAME WE DON’T GET COVERDISCS LIKE THIS TODAY

Covermount HIGHLIGHTS

THE BEST OF THE REST

THE MAKING OF CASPER

CASPER WAS A HUGE HOLLYWOOD RELEASE WITH A $55 MILLION BUDGET AND THE INVOLVEMENT OF STEVEN SPIELBERG. SO HOW DID A TEAM OF NORWAY DEVELOPERS WITH LITTLE GAMING EXPERIENCE GET TO MAKE IT? WE SPEAK TO RAGNAR TØRNQUIST AND ERIK GLØERSEN TO FIND OUT

LARA CROFI TOMB RAIDER LEGEND

2026 MARKS A BANNER YEAR FOR THE TOMB RAIDER FRANCHISE, WITH THE RECENT ANNOUNCEMENT OF TWO NEW GAMES AND SERIES PROTAGONIST LARA CROFT SECURING TWO NEW GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS. THIS YEAR ALSO MARKS THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF TOMB RAIDER: LEGEND, WINNING COMPOSER TROELS BRUN FOLMANN A BAFTA GAMES AWARD FOR HIS GLOBE-TROTTING SOUNDTRACK

THE MAKING OF: STAR WARS: KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC II: THE SITH LORDS

DESPITE BEING PLAGUED BY TECHNICAL ISSUES AND CUT CONTENT ON RELEASE, THE SEQUEL TO KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC REMAINS A WORTHY FOLLOW-UP TO BIOWARE’S ACCLAIMED GAME. CO-WRITER MICHAEL CHU EXPLAINS HOW IT ALL HAPPENED

THE HOMEBREWER'S KIT

SCRAP AND SCROLL

Darran and Tim reminisce about their favourite scrolling fighters

READERS REACT

Your favourite scrolling fighters that outfight the rest

BIG BOX COLLECTING

Pete Armour collects for many systems, but especially big box computer titles

LETTER CRAFTING

Retro Gamer freelancer Graeme Mason returns to talk about his newsletters

SPARKSTER

Following the success of Rocket Knight Adventures on the Mega Drive, Konami developed a new title for the Super Nintendo in 1994. Sparkster continued the story of the titular opossum’s fight to save his people

I’VE GOT IT!

These collectors have charged their shelves with Rocket Knights

MAILBAG

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

ROLLING THUNDER 3

» Namco’s third and final game in its popular Rolling Thunder series was a Mega Drive exclusive that saw WCPO (World Criminal Police Organisation) agents Albatross and Leila teaming up with a brand-new agent called Jay to bring down the evil terrorist organisation Geldra. Will they succeed in their dangerous mission? Let’s find out…