Cover art by Luis M Retro reviews for Consoles & Computers Including: Sega, Nintendo, Playstation, Commodore 64, Spectrum & more! © The Retro Games News Page 1 Monthly Reviews & Retro News Welcome to Issue 2 And of course, we have We took on board one idea reviews from more of our of TRGN which was to interview favourite retro games across YouTubers who had made a various systems, and the Firstly, thank you all for your contribution to the retro concluding article featuring the support with our début issue gaming scene. This month we SNES. last month. We had over 120 have an exclusive with Matt people subscribe on the from the Matt’s Chat channel. Editor – Phil Wheatley launch day alone. Reviewer – Pete Jones We also have an interview with Reviewer – Michael Smith We were also very pleased Ben Daglish who wrote the Reviewer – Owen McCarthy with the feedback we got, and music to The Last Ninja and you also made some great many others, a true legend suggestions to make our and a great guy too. second issue even better than before. Front cover art by Luis Martins: http://luismartinsartwork.daportfolio.com To view other available issue, please visit: http://www.theretrogamesnews.com/back-issues Contents Welcome.................................................................................... Page 2 Final Fight (CD) ......................................................................... Page 3 Ben Daglish Interview............................................................... Page 5 Suikoden II (PS1) ...................................................................... Page 7 Matt B Interview ...................................................................... Page 10 Super Mario Land.................................................................... Page 13 Ghosts ‘n’ Goblins.................................................................. Page 15 Medal of Honor (PS1).............................................................. Page 16 Thunder Force IV (Sega Mega Drive)..................................... Page 18 Spacequest (PC) ..................................................................... Page 20 Laser Squad (Amiga) .............................................................. Page 22 SNES System Review (Part 2)................................................ Page 23 © The Retro Games News Page 2 Final Fight (CD) Reviewed by Pete Jones Final Fight is the story of Metro City. A once great city which has been blighted by the criminal gang known as Mad Gear. Mayor Mike Haggar wants to take back the streets but Mad Gear have other plans, they proceed to kidnap Haggar's daughter Jessica and make their demands. Haggar, infuriated by the audacity of the Mad Gear gang calls on Jessica's boyfriend Cody for assistance. Cody, seeking revenge, confides in pipe or punching/kicking your his good friend Guy. way through blocks of ice. Final Fight became an instant Seemingly unaware that his classic following its release in friend Once you have chosen your the late 80's and was a staple Cody had been dating his high protagonist from the character of my arcade experience. school sweetheart Jessica, selection screen the action Alongside Operation Wolf and Guy is quick to lend a hand. begins. I have always played Pitfighter, Final Fight holds a as Cody as I find him to be the very special place in my With that the three heroes, most versatile and a good gaming history. Mike Haggar, Cody and Guy choice for players that enjoy a fight their way across several challenge. Capcom's ability to make a locations to clear the streets of game with simple controls, a the Mad Gear gang and save I always found that Haggar clear objective and memorable Jessica from their evil was too big, clumsy and slow. characters has been clutches. While for me Guy has always something they have become made the game far to easy. known for over the years. If you are a gamer of a certain age and are asked to name characters from Final Fight, the usual suspects, aside from the three main protagonists, will surface. Poison, Sodom/Katana, Damnd/Thrasher and so on. A couple of my favourite characters have to be the very creative Dug or the even more inventive Two P. When Final Fight made the transition from the arcade to the home it was a case of The game is set across 6 The main objective of the mixed results. Anyone who areas within Metro City. The gameplay is to clear the has played the Super Nintendo Slums, The Subway, West streets of the Mad Gear gang version will tell that while it is a Side, The Industrial Area, Bay and to rescue Jessica. A very solid port and a lot of fun to Area and Up Town. There are simple play style and one play, it does lack the majority also bonus rounds to break up which for me was instantly of the original game. The the action such as breaking a accessible as a child in the Industrial level is absent, Guy gang member's car with a big arcades. is no more, there is no longer a © The Retro Games News Page 3 two player option and parts of sound chip compared to the by punch. And in those really levels are missing. It was a Super Nintendo's richer audio tight spots where you are over real missed opportunity in my ability. whelmed by enemies you can eyes. hit jump and punch together to The music perform a special attack. and speech However be warned that this sampling on can reduce your health bar so the Megadrive be sure to use it sparingly. just didn't cut the mustard The action is smooth and easy compared to to sink into. Enemies attack, the beast that you fight them off until you was the Super reach a boss. Defeat the boss Nintendo's and then it's onto the next Sony sound area. It may sound a tad chip. boring but believe me when your in the thick of a fight with The visual 3 or 4 guys you don't have style of the time to be bored. Mega CD Final Fight is However here is where the Then along came the Sega fantastic, rich beautiful colours, game can also fall down Mega CD port which to this well drawn sprites, bright slightly for me. Many a time day is my favourite home detailed environments. There over the years I have found version of Final Fight. really isn't anything negative that when up against 3, 4 or that I can say about the even 5 enemies I can lose the What makes the Sega Mega graphics in this port. fight through no fault of my CD port of Final Fight so good own. The main reason for this is the simple fact that nothing So of course graphics and being that when a member of was excluded and it is very music do not make a game, Mad Gear makes contact it close to the arcade original. As we all know that without can freeze your character and well as being a near perfect gameplay all the bells and you are defenceless allowing arcade port the Mega CD gave whistles are irrelevant. Luckily others to pile in and take your the option to upgrade the Final Fight CD does not life. soundtrack, and upgrade they did. This can be frustrating The music in Final Fight CD is and can nothing short of spectacular. induce It's a nice blend of classic 90's controller guitar riffs and sampled voices. rage but it is All of which succeeds in a small immersing the player in the niggle which environment. Played through a while good set of stereo speakers stressful this really is a treat for the should not ears. put you off playing the For me as a Super Nintendo game. disappoint. The controls are fan this Sega port was a real simple but effective. Press A or One other strange thing that I kick in the teeth. Up until this C to jump and press B to have never understood, and point I had always seen the punch. Press Jump and move this can be found in other Megadrive as the inferior the d-pad in the desired system. I always felt that for scrolling beat-em-ups as well, direction and press punch to the most part the Megadrive is the ability of enemies to run perform a devastating flying graphics were very muddy away. Many a time you will find kick. that you go to attack an enemy compared to the shiny Super and they will run away and Nintendo offerings. Also I have Other options available are the hide off screen. This seems always felt that Sega fans standard stationary flying kick were let down by an average very odd to me as they are a where you press jump followed © The Retro Games News Page 4 street gang, you would think definitive home version of the around with it. Through that, I they would want to fight. arcade original and is well met Tony Crowther, who was worth a purchase. Whether already writing games for the The only real solution is too you are a beat-em-up fan or Vic20 , and had started on the turn your back and wait for the not the sheer simplicity of this C64, and was introduced to enemy to re-appear and get game makes it accessible to the burgeoning world of close enough for you to swing all. “home-brew” games. around and punch him/her in the face. It can be a little Sometimes it's just nice to be TRGN: How did the marriage tiresome having to fight this able to kick back and play a of computers and composing way but this is a minor niggle game that doesn't tax your come about for you? and not something that should brain and is just plain fun. Final deter you from playing Final Fight delivers on this promise BEN: Again, simply through Fight CD. every time and continues to Tony. He knew I was a Over the years there have entertain me to this day.