London-based publisher Blast Entertainment was a latecomer to the PlayStation 2, arriving on the scene in 2006. To put this into more perspective, the PS2 was about to enter its twilight years, with the Xbox 360 and Wii already available – and soon to be joined by the PS3. There was a strategy behind this. …
The NSO service updated earlier this week, revealing a distinct theme to Nintendo diehards – the three new titles added to the Game Boy library were all launch titles for the monochromatic marvel, launching 1989 in Japan and the US, with Europe trailing behind in 1990. Glancing over reviews from ‘90s gaming critics, via …
When I play games, I play with the experience gained from other games. I might mess around with the combat system to see how it differs from similar titles. I might look at the responsiveness and intuitiveness of the controls and compare them to genre standouts. With Endless Ocean Luminous things were remarkably different; I …
Ever since the humble N64 entered its twilight years, circa 2001, a lot has been said about its catalogue of games. It was a system often criticised for having glaring holes in its library, especially when it came to RPGs, and fighting games to rival the likes of Tekken 3 and Virtua Fighter 2. Racing …
The Official PlayStation Magazine UK was renowned for putting the biggest and most anticipated PSone games on its front cover, usually alongside a demo disc with a playable teaser. A winning combo to help that month’s issue fly off shelves. Whatever was tipped to become the PSone’s next big hit almost certainly took the cover …
The offbeat virtual pet/life sim hybrid Seaman was a hit in Japan, becoming one of the Dreamcast’s best-selling games in that region, and one closely associated with the console itself. It offered a remarkably different experience to the arcade conversions and beat’em ups the system was renowned for, while also riding the tailcoats of the …
Every month of this year, including the typically quiet months of January and December, has seen a handful of must-play releases. An assault not just on gamer’s wallets, but their spare time as well. Browsing through 2023’s release lists, it soon becomes apparent that dozens of positively reviewed games failed to generate much of a …
With the long-time-coming Chicken Run sequel imminent on Netflix, memories are stirring of the late 2000 PC, PSone, and Dreamcast tie-in for the original movie. Somehow, this plucky little game managed to break movie tie-in convention, being quite good. Not amazing, but the gaming press were surprisingly receptive at the time. Published by Eidos, home …
Christmas is fast approaching, and social media is awash with recycled memes. Yes, even more than usual. In addition to guff about Die Hard being a Christmas movie, UK retailer GAME’s infamous Christmas Tinner appears to be doing the rounds again. Back in our day, it was only rubbish BBC Christmas specials that were repeated. …
The SEGA Game Gear, much like the Game Boy, had a long lifespan. Launching in 1990, it was intended to offer 8-bit gaming on the go, sharing many titles with the Master System. But as the years went by, the Master System faded into the past, prompting developers to create handheld iterations of their 16-bit …
On paper, Wanted: Dead puts a lot of ticks in a lot of boxes. Originating from Japan, it’s a gory third-person shooter with hack ‘n slash elements, blessed with a smattering of silliness and a bunch of mini-games that wouldn’t look out of place in SEGA’s Yakuza series. It also reminded me of SEGA’s overlooked …
By 2003 the PlayStation 2 had been available for three years – successfully establishing itself as the must-have console for that generation. The writing had been on the wall for the humble PSone for some time, and come January 2003, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe released their last major title for the long-serving 32-bit system, publishing …
After observing a Japanese salaryman playing with a calculator while travelling, Nintendo’s R&D director Gunpei Yokoi was left feeling inspired. An idea for a handheld toy sprung to mind, not for children but rather for adults to play discreetly in the palm of their hand to pass time. Nintendo’s president Hiroshi Yamauchi realised the potential …
There aren’t many games around that allow you to re-live the innocence of being a child. Unless those games are ones you previously played as a youngster, you’re hard pressed to find something that awakens the inner child, knocking at the door of long forgotten memories and emotions. However, there is a fine line between …
The recent arrival of GBA games on Nintendo Switch Online was a cause for celebration. The first wave includes some of the handheld’s finest, and Nintendo has already confirmed that Golden Sun, Fire Emblem, F-Zero, and more are coming. But there was one title within the launch line-up met with disdain – Mario Kart: Super …