Classic Replay

Anyone remember the 80's? White dog poop? British cars? Monstrous perms? How about the ultimate fashion accessories, the Sony Walkman or Boom box? Anyway, it was a great period, and sadly missed by many. This was the decade that massively shaped us, and the culture that embraced technology. TV shows were mostly awesome; the A-Team, Battlestar Galactica, Transformers, Battle of the Planets, and Thundercats HOOOO! On the other hand, the toys were complete shizzle, but worth it for the comedy value… especially ‘Big Trak’, a massive truck, that could traumatise even the biggest of dogs. However; the ultimate toy was the Rubik cube, I beat it easily by peeling off the stickers. The Computers were mostly awesome back then, and the silly arguments memorable. You either owned a Speccy or a C64, all the special kids had the Amstrad, I owned the latter. The jokes about my mum were terrible, but justified... as she was the one who bought me the bloody thing (just kidding mum). ...

The Retro Replay Podcast - Episode 1 Download from iTunes now: Classic Replay Podcast A new Podcast show to celebrate computer and console music of the 80's and 90's. This first episodes looks at the remixes done for classic games such as Arkanoid, Robocop and more.

Ocean Software were massive back in the day... and despite USGOLD, Gremlin and Codemasters chomping at the bit, the Manchester based firm held strong, and became one of the biggest publishers across Europe. It seemed Ocean could do no wrong, John woods and David Ward, the founders of Ocean Software in 1984, produced some amazing games, and were largely responsible for one of the best original games ever conceived in 'Head over Heels'. However; their games were mostly movie and arcade based conversions, with the likes of Paramount, Orion, Caroloco and DC Comics in on the act. Back then, Ocean were sleeping with everyone... and they must have been good, because Arcade giants the likes of Konami, Taito and Data East allowed them to convert games such as Arkanoid, Renegade, Chase HQ and Dragon ninja onto our beloved 8-bits. Today, Ocean a...

Perhaps the most exciting, and equally excruciating few weeks I’ve ever had playing a game, was spent with R-Type. It quickly became a disability I had to conquer, and although an expensive one, was definitely worth putting my life on hold for.   I think R-Type gets the balance just right; and embodies a certain kind of spirit which can appeal to the underdog in all of us. The beginner has a fighter’s chance (maybe), and rewards the experienced for playing well. It’s bursting with personality, identifiable enemies, brilliantly crafted design, and you don't start out with a pea shooter for a weapon. R-Type had the force (not that force)… a physical and mental power that could attach and release at will. The weapon could be upgraded in three stages, by collecting laser crystals left behind. The force was a breath of fresh air, and could be mounted on either the front or rear of the R-9 fighter, delivering devastating carnage. The arcade original is the definitive vers...

There are very few games that succeed in giving me controller rage, but the shoot-em-up’s from the late eighties, early nineties... should have come boxed with a massive warning label. Caution: You may experience fatigue and intense rage from failure; if punishment is your thing, go ahead and play. Although shooters are initially accessible, don’t be fooled. The premise might appear dead simple, but military like discipline is required to progress to latter stages. Rushing in all guns blazing, Rambo style will only get you so far. However; good hand and eye coordination, infinite patience, and a half decent memory might see you through, eventually. Shoot-em-ups have had a tremendous influence on me. Their history intrigues, and the likes of Space Invaders, and R-Type can’t be matched for ambition. 1970 was apparently when all things gaming originally kicked off, and started calmly with Pong. It was a tennis game for one or two players, simple stuff, but it was the spar...

Released: 1984 Company: Amstrad plc Is it any good? The Amstrad CPC 464 was all about value for money. It was marketed as a versatile machine, and especially good for playing games. It performed admirably as a small business machine, and delivered a good service for those on a tight budget. Performance wise, there was no hardware assistance for the sprites, and horizontal and vertical scrolling were rough when compared to the C64. The CPC was home to many good games, but some converted games ran slower than on the Speccy or C64 original. Should i still get one? I highly recommend it; the software library was excellent, even if not as large as the C64 or Speccy. Graphics were superior to the Speccy, and on par with the C64 when programmed with the CPC’s strengths in mind. The resolution boasted three modes, mode 1 320x200, mode 2 640x200 and mode 0 160x200. Mode 0 allowed for 16 colours on-screen from a palette of 27. What to look for? Go for the DDI-1 3” ...

What came first, Renegade or Double Dragon? Renegade of course! Renegade was originally called ‘Nekketsu Koha Kunio-Kun’ in Japan , which roughly translates to "Hot-Blooded Tough Guy Kunio" . And is solely responsible for over forty other spin off’s including the more popular and unofficial sequel, Double Dragon. Yep, Renegade is the granddaddy of side scrolling beat-em-ups. Strangely, Renegade in the west did away with the Japanese style fighter backgrounds and sprites, in favour of characters straight out of the cult 80’s American movie, The Warriors. The game was quite big in the arcades, especially in the west… and this popularity gave rise to home conversions from Ocean software. The 8-bit reception and sales success took Ocean by surprise, and Ocean later released two more sequels known as Target Renegade and The Final Chapter (Final Chapter being a bit naff). Basically, your mission was to save your kidnapped girlfriend. The warriors had taken her ho...

Game: Reckless Racing Platform: iPad Reckless Racing HD is yet another fine example of what the iPad can offer as a gaming platform. RR is a fun and very competitive game, with a look and feel not too dissimilar to those seen from the 80’s series, The Dukes of Hazard. It’s a top down racer, and could easily be compared to the likes of Super Sprint, Ivan Stewart's Super off Road or maybe even Super Skid Marks. However; what sets things apart, are the unique touch screen controls. Though a little sensitive at first, continued play proves not all iPad games are cursed by the touch screen. The racing setup is mainly dirt rally, set in or around various junkyards. You basically have to slip and power slide your way to the finish line, preferably in first place. There’s all sorts of obstacles cleverly placed in order to slow you down, the more obvious being mud, rivers and large farm like structures. The game includes both single and multiplayer options, with ...