Sonic the Comic’s First Christmas

I have in my mitts the first festive issue of Sonic the Comic, dated November 27th1993. It wasn’t the closest issue to Christmas, but it did come with a cardboard tree decoration. Now seems a good time to talk about this issue, the history of Sonic the Comic, and my relationship with Fleetway’s fortnightly publication. …

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Wonder Boy is back, again, in January

If our email inbox is anything to go by, January is looking surprisingly busy for new releases. We can now add the Anniversary Wonder Boy Collection to that ever-growing list. A digital-only release from Bliss Brain, it’s an expanded version of Wonder Boy Collection, which we awarded a 7/10 back in June. It’s set to …

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Atari reveals an Akka Arrh remake from Jeff Minter

Looks like we’ll have to wait a little longer for Space Giraffe 2. Atari has revealed that Jeff Minter’s latest project is an Akka Arrh revival. Unfamiliar with Akka Arrh? That’s understandable. Released in 1982, this arcade shoot’em up never entered full production, only receiving a market test. Players found it too difficult, so Atari …

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Elevator Action S-tribute set to start December with a bang

City Connection has two SEGA Saturn conversions on the horizon. The first, as reported during our new release round-up, is the cult Taito puzzler Cleopatra Fortune (also known as Cleopatra’s Fortune) from 1997. The PSone version was released in the UK by Midas, often remembered for being one of the better £9.99 budget games. The second …

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Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration review

The Atari Flashback console series launched in 2017, bringing together 150 games across three volumes – with bespoke versions later launching for Switch and PS Vita. With this in mind, you may be wondering why Atari 50 has generated a buzz, especially when this latest collection offers fewer games than 2019’s Switch iteration of Flashback. …

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Evercade C64 Collection 1 review

The Commodore 64 is one of those rare formats, like the Amiga and Atari ST, where it’s impossible to count how many games were released for it. The 8-bit microcomputer launched in 1982 and was still knocking around in the mid-90s, even gaining conversions of Capcom’s Street Fighter II and Final Fight. Games were released …

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The Atari 7800’s catalogue is worth a closer look

When people think of Atari, the games and systems that spring to mind likely depend on which decade you grew up in. ‘80s kids will recall the company’s coin-munching arcade cabinets and the behemoth that was the Atari 2600 – a system that managed to survive the ’84 market crash, with games released in Europe …

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The N64 Encyclopedia book review

The N64’s software catalogue is just as fascinating as it was consistent. From the console’s release in 1996 (1997 in Europe) until its timely death in 2001, with the final release coinciding with the GameCube’s launch, the system saw a first-party release every few months, a couple of titles from Rare per annum, and a …

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The best PS2 launch game was a firework simulator

To say the PlayStation 2’s launch line-up was patchy is an understatement. Not only were developers up against the clock to get games ready for launch, but they were also clearly struggling with the system’s complicated architecture. Namco managed to deliver Ridge Racer V and Tekken Tag Tournament on time, a solid yet unspectacular duo, …

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Amiga games are coming to the Evercade

The headline more or less says it all for this piece – Amiga games are coming to the Evercade, as revealed during the Amiga 37 event in Germany last weekend. To elaborate a tad further, manufacturer Blaze has been given permission to license and publish Amiga games on their range of Evercade handhelds and consoles. …

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WB and NetherRealm Studios celebrate Mortal Kombat’s 30th anniversary

Warner Bros. Games and NetherRealm Studios have released a short video in celebration of Mortal Kombat’s 30th anniversary. The original Mortal Kombat hit arcades 8th October 1992, ushering in a new wave of arcade greats and countless clones. The franchise has shifted over 79 million units since, with Mortal Kombat 11 selling 15m copies alone. The …

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The Garbage Pail Kids are making a comeback in a new NES era platformer

It’s strange that there wasn’t a Garbage Pail Kids NES game back in the ‘80s/early ‘90s, especially when the humble console saw games based on Domino’s Pizza (Yo! Noid), The California Raisins, and McDonalds. Then again, the Topps trading card series was a tad controversial, with parents and teachers disapproving of the gross-out humour. There’s …

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Arkanoid Eternal Battle will feature a 25-player online Battle Royale

Pastagames are putting the finishing touches on Arkanoid Eternal Battle ahead of its 27th October release. A physical version is planned too (8th November in the US), including a limited edition with stickers, a digital soundtrack, a 3D lenticular, and exclusive in-game bonuses. Published by Microids and licensed by Taito, Arkanoid Eternal Battle will include …

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The 1996 Strider-alike Cannon Dancer is coming to consoles next year

Not content with releasing the long-lost arcade game Clockwork Aquario, which required additional development work, ININ Games has revealed plans to release Cannon Dancer on modern consoles. Known as Osman in the US, action platformer Cannon Dancer was first released in arcades in 1996 by Mitchell Corporation, and is heavily linked to the Strider series …

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