Retrogaming Corner

Space Invaders Forever Review – Can It Really Last Forever?

4Jan

By BrianNo Comments

Space Invaders Forever Review – Can It Really Last Forever?

Like the year 2020, Space Invaders is a franchise that will seemingly never end. So it seems only fitting that we end the year talking about Space Invaders Forever. Though Space Invaders isn't quite the name it used to be, there is no argument that it has stood the test of time where many others have fallen. Over 40 years ago (1978 to be exact) it helped pave the way for gaming as we know it. As an effort to keep kids pumping in their quarters, they inadvertently invented the difficulty curve. It has seen many changes over the years, but one thing that remains is that everyone knows what a Space Invader looks like. It is iconic! Space Invaders Forever Is A Unique Bijou Compilation Space Invaders Forever is developed by the original developers Taito and published by ININ Games. It ...

Dreamcast: Year One Book Review – One Dream Too Many For Sega?

11Dec

By BrianNo Comments

Features, Retrogaming Corner

Dreamcast: Year One Book Review – One Dream Too Many For Sega?

The Dreamcast, Sega's final console entry into the gaming market. It was the first of the sixth generation and entered in 1998, while the fires of the two-year-old Nintendo N64 and Sony's four-year-old PlayStation were still roaring hot. We wouldn't see another console release until the PlayStation 2 in 2000. Discontinued three years later, a year after the PlayStation 2. In its relatively short lifespan, the Dreamcast gained a dedicated following and sold over 9 million units. So what happened? Did Sega release it too early to make up for the shortcomings of the Sega Saturn? Was the technology dated when compared to its competition? Or was it simply just one dream too many for Sega? Let's take a look at the first year of the Dreamcast with Dreamcast: Year One The Unofficial St...

Castlevania Retro Review – Jump, Whip, Duck!

10Dec

By Martin HoskingNo Comments

Retrogaming Corner

Castlevania Retro Review – Jump, Whip, Duck!

Castlevania is an action-platformer video game developed and published by Konami first in Japan in 1986, and today I check out the NES version brought to us via the Castlevania Collection from the Nintendo Eshop. Jump, Whip, Duck! This is a game I've wanted to play this game for a while, I picked up the Castlevania Collection in a Nintendo Eshop sale on the Nintendo Switch, saw the price and could not leave it there! Gameplay The gameplay is rather simple, basic controls from the yesteryear of gaming, d-pad and a couple of buttons to use for jump and attack. This, however, makes the game. It reminds me of so many games I used to play as a child such as Sonic, and of course Mario. Castlevania is a die-hard game. You need patience, a lot of it too. You will die. Fortunately, there's a...

Metal Gear Solid Remake – Are We Going Back To Shadow Moses?

5Dec

By BrianNo Comments

News & Updates, Retrogaming Corner

Metal Gear Solid Remake – Are We Going Back To Shadow Moses?

Over the last couple of days, there is a rumour doing the rounds that Metal Gear Solid is getting a remake. Fans, myself included have been calling for this for years. And now, it is looking like a possibility more than ever. As with all leaks and rumours, they must be taken with a pinch of salt. This one, maybe more than a pinch. The leaker is also the same who let the cat out of the bag about God Of War: Ragnarok ahead of its reveal. It has been said that Mark Cerny, lead designer for the Playstation 5 is involved with the production, yet neither Sony, Konami or Bluepoint have neither confirmed nor denied that. Bluepoint Games are said to be handling developer duties and have been for the last 3 years, which makes complete sense. After all, they made the Metal Gear Solid HD Rem...

21Oct

By Stu NNo Comments

News & Updates, Retrogaming Corner

Arcade Dreams Documentary Coming To Kickstarter

Chronicling over 100 years of arcade gaming history Documenting amusement arcades from their birth to the present day, Arcade Dreams aims to be the definitive history of arcades from their mechanical roots to the cutting edge experiences of today. Rock Steady Media, the makers of the hit documentary Viva Amiga, today unveiled Arcade Dreams, their latest passion project, on Kickstarter. The Arcade Dreams Kickstarter is now up and running until the 5th of December. Arcade Dreams delves into the history of these gaming institutions from their very beginnings and takes viewers back to the button-bashing temples of their youth and beyond in this multi-episode series of the 100-year history of amusement arcades. Rock Steady Media have already captured hundreds of hours of rich 4K ...

Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade Review – Quarter Cruncher Supreme

1Jul

By Craig1 Comment

PlayStation Reviews, Retrogaming Corner

Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade Review – Quarter Cruncher Supreme

The Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade features a series of arcade releases of the immensely popular shoot-em-up franchise. Often touted as one of the pioneers of the genre, Darius was unique in that its cabinets used three screens to create a longer visual range on which to play the game. Having a triple screen set up made for a very wide and eye-catching cabinet. Unfortunately, my local arcade growing up didn't have the funds to acquire such a machine. First released in 1987 by Taito Corporation, Darius set a high standard for Shmups(Shoot-Em-Ups). This is the second of two collections released for the Darius Franchise. I'm taking a look at the collection of Arcade releases on the Playstation 4, whereas the review for the Console collection can be found Here. Gameplay Darius Cozmic Collec...

Darius Cozmic Collection Console Review – Unforgiving, Relentless Fun!

29Jun

By Brian1 Comment

PlayStation Reviews, Retrogaming Corner

Darius Cozmic Collection Console Review – Unforgiving, Relentless Fun!

In the current generation of gaming, we are no stranger to a remaster or a remake of previously popular games. This isn’t too dissimilar from the early days, where companies would port their popular arcade games (remember those?) to home consoles to bring the experience into your bedroom and milk you for some more of your hard-earned pocket money. Some of those coin-op conversions were a little bit, shall we say…shaky (I’m looking at you Pac-Man for the Atari 2600). Thankfully, Darius is not one of those game series. Darius started life out as your typical coin guzzling side-scrolling shoot ‘em up developed and published by Taito in 1987, but what set this apart from regular “shmups” was the non-linear level design and multiple endings (if you ever got there). The Darius Cozmic Coll...

SNK Gals’ Fighters Review – Girls Just Wanna Have Fights

12May

By TC Staff WriterNo Comments

Retrogaming Corner

SNK Gals’ Fighters Review – Girls Just Wanna Have Fights

It's hasn't always been the easiest road for SNK. Despite creating some legendary titles and systems, they've typically found themselves in second place to something else. Fighting games - Street Fighter was top dog, and no matter how good the Neo Geo Pocket was, it just couldn't match the behemoth of a system that was the Gameboy. Fortunately, in today's digital age, cult classics and oddball titles stuck to one system have a second (or third, fourth, fifth...) chance to reach an audience they couldn't before. SNK Gals' Fighters is one of these oddball titles, which unless your Mastermind specialist subject is fighting games, the chances are you won't know anything about. Originally released in 2000, this title brought together the ladies of SNK Fighting games to duke it out in your po...

Panzer Dragoon Remake Review – Remake To The Skies

16Apr

By CraigNo Comments

Retrogaming Corner

Panzer Dragoon Remake Review – Remake To The Skies

The year is 1995. Sega was gearing up to release their newest home console in the U.S., The Sega Saturn. Much like modern-day console launches, The Sega Saturn only launched with a handful of games available. Some of them would go on to spawn hugely successful franchises, while others faded away. There was one particular game in the launch library however, that attained a near cult-like following and had a few sequels. That one game was Panzer Dragoon. Spawning several sequels on later consoles, Panzer Dragoon was a unique game, in that there wasn't anything else like it on the market at the time for home consoles. 25 years later, thanks to developers MegaPixel Studio, Panzer Dragoon has been remade for the Nintendo Switch and published by Forever Entertainment S.A. as a timed exclusive...

Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection Review – Zero or Hero

8Apr

By DanNo Comments

Retrogaming Corner, Switch Reviews

Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection Review – Zero or Hero

Last month Capcom released Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection. This epic collection consists of 6 titles, 3 Zero titles and 3 ZX titles. I have been a Mega Man fan since my introduction to it on the NES. I remember returning to it over and over again. Despite knowing exactly what this re-release entails, I was hyped to get playing. This review is for the Nintendo Switch edition of the collection, however, it is available on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation. Gameplay For those who are new to this franchise, let me introduce you to Mega Man (Originally known as Rockman). He was created as a part of an experiment converting a human into a fighting robot. Many people will recognise Mega Man in his original form, from the series. However, he has taken on many different looks throughout the titl...