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Retro Gamer is the only magazine in the UK that’s fully dedicated to the halcyon days of classic gaming. If you’ve ever fondly blasted away at the Bydo Empire in R-Type, swung Bowser by the tail in Super Mario 64, or navigated all 20 levels of Matthew Smith’s Manic Miner, then this is the magazine for you. Created by a dedicated team of experts, Retro Gamer’s mission is to deliver constantly engaging and passionately written articles that cover a wide range of subjects. We offer our readership in-depth looks at classic games and franchises, behind-the-scenes glimpses of the software houses from yesteryear, and one-on-one exclusive interviews with industry veterans such as Archer Maclean and Hideo Kojima. Stylish, entertaining and beautifully presented, Retro Gamer is the ultimate guide to videogaming’s rich and diverse history.
THE RETROBATES • WHAT GAME DEFINES THE SPECTRUM FOR YOU?
LOADING…
BITMAP BEATS • Bitmap Bureau turns to beat-’em-ups with Final Vendetta
TURTLE POWER
STATUE SURPRISES
Let’s do the time warp again
Happy games, happy thoughts
Red Art Games • This publisher of indie games has a passion for pixel art and a penchant for physical products
THE LATEST NEWS FROM JULY 2005
NEWS JULY 2005
CHARTS • JULY 2005
THIS MONTH IN…
Chicken Shift • CRISIS MANAGEMENT IN A HEN HOUSE
40 YEARS OF THE ZX SPECTRUM • AS THE ZX SPECTRUM CELEBRATES ITS 40TH ANNIVERSARY. RETRO GAMER MARKS THE OCCASION BY COMPILING A YEAR-BY-YEAR SCRAPBOOK OF THE EVENTS. GAMES AND PEOPLE THAT DEFINED THE ERA AND CREATED A GENERATION OF CODERS, GEEKS AND GAMERS
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991+
2000+
SPECTRUM FOREVER • MEET THE PASSIONATE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE STILL KEEPING THE SPECTRUM ALIVE AND WELL
SUBSCRIBE TODAY AND RECEIVE A FREE 8BITDO SN30 PRO CONTROLLER
INSIDE THE EGRET II MINI • THE MINIATURE ARCADE MARKET IS GETTING INCREASINGLY OVERCROWDED AND NOW TAITO IS THROWING ITS HAT INTO THE RING WITH THE EGRET II MINI. THE MACHINE’S PRODUCER, TETSUO EGAWA EXPLAINS HOW TAITO’S MINIATURE CAB PLANS TO PULL AHEAD OF THE COMPETITION TO FULFIL A RICH ARCADE HERITAGE
PERIPHERAL POWER • WE PLAY TEST ALL THREE CONTROLLERS FOR TAITO’S SYSTEM
THE COMPETITION • HOW DOES THE EGRET II COMPARE WITH ITS RIVALS?
THE HIGHLIGHTS • MAKE SURE YOU PLAY THESE GEMS FIRST
Kung-Fu Master • ANYBODY NEED A HUG?
STUDIO PROFILE Capstone • In 1989 the world welcomed a new software house, one seemingly dedicated to low-budget licensed titles, Capstone. But then, in 1993, the company shifted focus to using the latest technology to take advantage of the first-person shooter craze. “The pinnacle of entertainment software” as its slogan went, is mostly remembered today for releasing some of the worst games of the decade. So what went wrong?
TIMELINE
WHERE ARE THEY NOW
ESSENTIAL GAMES
Six-Button Control Pad
STREET FIGHTER II: SPECIAL CHAMPION EDITION
THE EVOLUTION OF ECCO THE DOLPHIN • After years of trying to get his dolphin game made, Ed Annunziata realised his dream with Ecco The Dolphin in 1992. Ed and designers of the later Ecco games explain how the series evolved, and Ed discusses Ecco’s spiritual successor
STAGES OF EVOLUTION: WATERY ABILITIES • THE SPECIAL MOVES OF THE ECCO THE DOLPHIN SERIES
STAGES OF EVOLUTION: UNDERWATER UPGRADES • FROM SHARK STUNNING AND MORPHING TO POWER BALLADS
STAGES OF EVOLUTION: PERPLEXING PUZZLES • MARITIME MAZES, OCEANIC LOGISTICS AND SEA QUESTS
STAGES OF EVOLUTION: DOLPHIN GAMES • HOW CASUAL CHALLENGES LED TO EDUTAINMENT AND MINIGAMES
Metal...
