Developer Digital Images did something unimaginable in November 1999 and released WipEout 2097 on the humble Amiga. A system best known for such 2D classics as Worms, Theme Park, Cannon Fodder, and Sensible Soccer, three-dimensional Amiga games were few and far between. They often veered on the “experimental” side of things, too, guilty of pushing …
The first two Wonder Boy games were intended to be coin guzzlers, ushering arcade players along with haste and a sense of urgency. A simple case of hot-footing it from one level to the next before the time limit was up, with no time to stop and explore. It wasn’t until the third Wonder Boy …
A new Micro Machines game was announced earlier this month. To many, Micro Machines means only one thing: local multiplayer. This new ‘un supports it, sure, but with those futuristic wireless controllers we have these days. It wasn’t like that back in the ’90s. Back in the ’90s they had to be clever, and they …
Here’s an elongated story about one man’s junk becoming another man’s treasure. While scouring the stalls at a car boot sale a few weeks back, I came across a small collection of ’90s candy stick packets. Empty confectionary boxes which I was keen to hand over money for; literally junk – something most people would …
The success of the original Ghostbusters movie came as a surprise to many. As such, there wasn’t a huge number of promotional items and licensed products released alongside the 1984 comedy classic. The marketing men soon rectified this for the sequel, and by the time The Real Ghostbusters cartoon aired it was possible to buy …
As far as light-gun shooters are concerned, The House of the Dead and its sequel are stone cold classics. The third game in the series isn’t anywhere near as fondly remembered, however. We’d even go as far as saying that the console-exclusive House of the Dead: Overkill is more renowned. After playing through the Wii …
Sony enforced tight quality control during the PSone’s early years. 2D games in particular were in the firing line, with Sony cherry-picking only those that showed off the system such as Rayman, Rapid Reload and Mortal Kombat 3. It’s often stated that Sony didn’t want any 2D games on the system, believing they didn’t show …
The PlayStation 2 was such a success that it became viable for publishers like 505 Games (nee 505 GameStreet,) Phoenix Games, Midas Entertainment, and D3 Publisher to release cut-price budget titles on the system. Even a few of the larger software houses, like Capcom, Ubisoft, and Atari, got in on the action, with their deeper …
Popular YouTuber Stuart Ashen takes a break from unboxing loot crates, and gently nibbling the corners of expired foodstuffs, to bring us footage of unreleased PS2 shooter Explosion Royale. Ashens came across Explosion Royale while browsing a charity shop in Norwich back in 2012. Packaged in a badly printed case, he initially believed he had …
The NGC team must have mulled over putting the Nintendo DS on issue 105’s cover as the mag included reviews of every single UK launch game. Primarily being a GameCube magazine, though, it was Namco’s Starfox Assault that took the newsstand limelight. And who was here to welcome us this month? Why, it’s only an …
It so transpires that if a developer wishes to make a game based around the Olympics, they don’t actually need the official license. One clear benefit is that this allows developers to cast realism and all tight-fitting lycra sporting attire out the window, putting their own characters and creations in place, and in some instances …
Releasing DOOM on the 3DO was something of a no-brainer. Even with Quake on its way, id’s original mega-hit was still generating a buzz in 1995 due to the then-upcoming SNES and PSone versions. For one person, the decision to release DOOM on 3DO was seen as a license to print money. That person was …
System 3’s Putty Squad isn’t the only long lost Amiga game to finally gain a release years after going AWOL. Scrolling shooter 1993 Space Machine – which was planned for release on Amiga 500 back in 1993, funnily enough – made it onto Steam earlier today. Originally developed by four Swedish teenagers, the R-Type influenced …
Single format magazines were rife in the ‘80s and ‘90s, even if the format in question didn’t have the largest of user bases or the busiest of release schedules. If there was a gap in the market, it was soon filled. SEGA Master Force magazine is a good example, arriving in the Master System’s twilight …
In 1983 arcade legend Taito gave the world Chack ‘n Pop, a simple single-screen platformer that eventually lead to the creation of Bubble Bobble and its wealth of spin-offs and sequels. The Japanese arcade giant had the formula to creating single-screen platformers perfected from out outset – an irresistible combination of colourful visuals, jaunty music, …