RETRO2 Cover UK 06/02/2004 3:31 PM Page 1 ❙❋❙P✄❍❇N❋❙ ❚❏❖❉M❇❏❙•❉PNNP❊P❙❋•❚❋❍❇•❖❏❖❋❖❊P•❇❇❙❏•❇❉P❙❖•✠✄NP❙❋ * ❏❚❚❋✄P * ❙❋❙P✄❍❇N❋❙ £5.99 UK • $13.95 Aus $27.70 NZ ISSUE TWO ❉PNNP❊P❙❋✄❖❉P❋❙❋❊ G❙PN✄I❋✄◗❋✄P✄I❋✄❉64 ❇❖❊✄❈❋P❖❊ ❙❋❙P✄❉PMM❋❉P❙ ❙❇❙❏❏❋❚✄❙❋❋❇M❋❊✄◗M❚✄◗❙❏❉❋✄❍❏❊❋ G❇❖❇❚❏❉✄❊❏ I❋✄PM❏❋❙✄❏❖❚✄❏❖❋❙❏❋❋❊ 002 Untitled-1 1 1/9/06 12:55:47 RETRO2 Intro/Hello: RETRO2 Intro/Hello 24/9/06 13:38 Page 3 hello <EDITORIAL> >10 PRINT "hello" Editor = >20 GOTO 10 Martyn Carroll >RUN ([email protected]) Art Editor = Mat Mabe Additonal Design = Roy Birch + Tym Leckey + Craig Chubb Sub Editors = Katie Hallam + Rachel White Contributors = Aaron Birch + Shaun Bebbington Richard Burton + David Crookes Jason Darby + Paul Loughrey Matthew Uffindell + Iain Warde <PUBLISHING & ADVERTISING> Operations Manager = Debbie Whitham Advertising Sales = Linda Henry Accounts Manager = hello Karen Battrick etro Gamer returns, slightly Previously on this page I asked for games. The Top 100 Retro Games Circulation Manager = earlier than expected. The your feedback and you certainly feature in issue one has raised a few Steve Hobbs original plan was to publish responded. We’ve been flooded with eyebrows, so why not have your say Marketing Manager = R Iain Anderson four times a year, but issue one has hundreds of emails and letters, and a and set the record straight? The votes Editorial Director = proved so popular, with many shops selection have been printed in this we receive will be used to compile a Wayne Williams completely selling out within the first issue. Your opinions are important, readers’ favourite games feature in a Publisher = fortnight, that the decision has been especially as we’re still in the process future issue. Robin Wilkinson taken to increase the frequency. The of shaping the magazine. You should Remember, if there’s something magazine will now be published bi- find a reader survey tucked you’d like to see in Retro Gamer then <SMALL PRINT> monthly, so you can look forward to six somewhere inside the magazine. I’d please get in touch. Some of the Distributed by Comag, Tavistock Road, West Drayton, copies a year. We’ve also added an be grateful if you could answer the features in this very issue have been Middlesex UB7 7QE, England. Tel: 01895 extra 16 pages of retro content. And questions and send them back to us. suggested by readers. With that in 444055. here’s the best bit – with your It’s freepost (if you live in the UK) and mind, I’ll leave you to enjoy the Fax: 01895 433602 continued support we may be able to five readers stand a chance of winning magazine and the coverdisc. Until No part of this magazine may be further increase the frequency and an Atari 10 in 1 games console plus a next time. reproduced or stored in any form pagination of Retro Gamer. If that year’s subscription to the magazine. In whatsoever without the prior written sounds appealing, why not turn to page addition, there’s a section where you consent of Live Publishing Int Ltd. martyn carroll The views expressed herein are not 77 and consider our subscription offer? can submit your favourite three editor hello necessarily the opinion of the Publishers. Live Publishing Int Ltd Europa House Adlington Park Macclesfield, Cheshire SK10 4NP, UK ISSN: 1742-3155 <LIABILITY> Whilst every care has been taken in the production of this magazine, the publishers cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of the information hello contained herein. **3** RETRO2 Intro/Hello: RETRO2 Intro/Hello 24/9/06 13:38 Page 4 | retro gamer* | issue two | insides | >insides 02 06 Retro News 10 Retro Forum 67 Pieces of 8-bit 16 Commodore Uncovered Shaun Bebbington digs up information on the complete Commodore range 52 Play Another Day 46 Aaron Birch charts the video Inside Crash Towers game career of James Bond Matthew Uffindell reveals the history of Newsfield **4** RETRO2 Intro/Hello: RETRO2 Intro/Hello 24/9/06 13:38 Page 5 32 Top 50 Retro Game Characters 26 Classic characters from the Retro Remakes greatest games. We round up Martyn Carroll talks to two the very best members of the the remaking community 78 Retro Game Creator 86 Emulation Nation 92 58 Advertising Gallery Fantastic Dizzy David Crookes talks Dizzy with the Oliver twins **5** RETRO2 News:RETRO2 News 24/9/06 13:43 Page 2 | retro gamer* | issue two | news | Things you should really know in the world of retro Space Invasion Space Invaders anniversary sparks merchandise madness! This year marks the 25th anniversary of Space Invaders, Tatio’s legendary arcade game. That’s right – it’s a quarter of a century since man first defended the skies against the line-dancing aliens, and a series of tie-in products have been launched to celebrate this milestone. First up is the news that a Space Invaders compilation is Taito fight off the crowds at their honing in on the PlayStation 2. Featuring a pulse racing exhibition stand. looks like that (and potential RSI inducing) nine variations of the game, guy's on holiday! Space Invaders Anniversary Edition has already racked up sales in excess of 100,000 following a Japanese release. The collection includes the original upright, tabletop and two Invaders – The Official Album! Published by EMI player head-to-head variations which have all records, this audio compilation features a startling appeared in arcades over the years. fourteen tracks inspired by the game. The album is Published by Empire a curious mix of trance, dance and, um, Space Interactive, the game Invader sound effects – flip-reversed into a blazin’ is due for release in new mix by a number of big names including Ken the UK this spring. Ishii, Sketch Show and Mijk Van Dijk (no, we’ve never heard of them either). Dress to Impress Watch as I destroy my own defences In yet another tie-in, gaming garment kings Joystick Junkies as a sneaky offensive tactic. Trust me here... have revealed a brand new range of, wait for it, Official Space Invaders clothing! It Arcade Action would appear that times have changed from those heady days Better news still, this spring also sees the release of when the game first hit arcades, Silver Edition Space Invaders arcade machines! Taito and fans of the arcade game are has teamed up with Namco to launch these amazing now considered more chic than new units, recently previewed at the geek. Check out some of the ATEI show in London. Although the sweet models wearing alien games will be based on the PS2 invasion motifs if you’re still in Anniversary Edition, it does mean doubt. The clothing range was you can pop your Hubba-Bubba on launched at an exclusive party in the dash for safe keeping, pump up Soho, which gave promoters a the volume on your personal stereo neat way to tie-in all of these and transport yourself back to the Space Invaders announcements. good old days. Regardless of whether it’s a Speaking of personal stereos, what celebration or a cash-in, it looks better tunes to be listening to while like being a big year for this "It's not just a job, I really believe in blasting space scum than Space arcade classic. the product. Aliens rock" **6** RETRO2 News:RETRO2 News 24/9/06 13:43 Page 3 Island Saturday is Treasures Retro Day! Dropzone hidden in new Pool Paradise game Museum of Computing now open to the public Swindon is setting the scene for a series of Lead by industry veteran Archer wonderful weekends, thanks to their new Computer Maclean, Banbury based Games exhibition at the Museum of Computing. The development studio Awsome first Saturday of every month until May will see their Developments has almost doors open to Retro fans from across the country, with themed finished work on their latest stick and competitions and events based around industry defining moments in ball simulation, Pool Paradise, for the PC, PS2, gaming. GameCube and Xbox. Aside from a massive tournament, Check out the website (www.museum-of-computing.org.uk) for a full novelty shaped tables and a list for your diaries, but as a teaser, you can look forward to over 90% selection of fairground style See the shiny balls? of the exhibits being in full playable condition for the likes of Nintendo mini-games, the sandy Poke them into holes, Day and Atari Challenge. A certain blue hedgehog will also be making an beaches of the game’s island then go and play appearance. Opening times are from 9am to 1pm, though these may be locale hide an old arcade hut, Dropzone extended if there’s enough interest in the events. where players can indulge in a perfect reproduction of Archer’s first hit, If you can help out at all, the museum are looking for loans of rare Dropzone. Originally released in 1984, items for the exhibition, including the following machines: Atari 5200, the code has been duplicated line for Colecovision, Sega Master System 1, Nintendo Virtual Boy, PC Engine line, making it a truly authentic piece and Neo Geo of retro history – only you’ll need to systems. shell out £40 instead of 10p to play it. Inflation eh? Remembering the good old days at the Museum of Computing in Swindon N-Gaging the Past Virtua Cop returns as Sega strike a deal with Nokia News has just reached us, detailing a strange coalition between mobile phone giants Nokia and the mighty publishers, Sega. In apparent support of the worryingly low-profile ‘phonsole’ N-Gage, Sega are releasing ports of both sharp shooter Virtua Cop, and tank blasting NES SP? Alien Front, later this year.