Classic Replay

GAMECUBE TRENCH RUN In 2002 LucasArts approached Factor 5 in order to attempt a modern re-imaging of the arcade classic, Star Wars, from Atari. Developed on the GameCube, this was officially the sequel to Rogue Squadron, which was originally released for the N64 and PC. I loved the original Rogue Squadron; this was probably the first Star Wars game outside of the arcade to put me in the movie. Let's face it, the original Rogue Squadron on the N64 is a massively overlooked blaster; it pulled all sorts of clever stops out of the N64's hardware. The light and shadow effects alone helped it to stand out from the crowd. It is no accident that it is one of the best looking games on the N64. Factor 5 were a talented bunch, and the game not only looked incredible but was highly detailed and interactive. Rogue Squadron II was developed in just under a year and considered by many to be the launch title to really show off the true potential...

Ever since StarWars flashed before my eyes, I've been hooked. I was just a kid back then, but the impression it left will stay with me until a right good ole' age. There's something else I probably shouldn't admit to, I had such a soft spot for the movie, I imagined playing the lead role and would pretend to shoot down Tie Fighters and ultimately the Death Star from the safety of my armchair. It had to happen, my only surprise is that it took so long. The now decidedly ropey Atari released Star Wars in 1983, it was a nice attempt at doing something new with a classic film. The graphics and sound were amazing for the time and had colourful vector graphics. It also featured the really cool heroic music of the movie, accompanied by smooth reactive-tight controls and a movie-authentic blasting noise. The speech is where it impressed the- be-Jesus outta me and at the time I thought the stuff of dreams. Star Wars was definitely my favourite game as a kid, I'd nev...

Thrust is an easy game to describe, it's like Asteroids mixed with a splash of Moon-lander. You can tell from the word go that the guts of those classics have been well and truly assimilated, whilst retaining their addictive qualities. Visually, Thrust is less than interesting, I remember it having a half decent loading screen, but that was your lot. If you were willing to forego a little colour and didn't mind a bit of light thinking, Thrust was a real treat. Graphically it's very simple, you guide a spaceship where Gravity can work for or against. At first, it starts out easy, but on later stages, you've got to actively and precisely use the ship's thrust in order to prevent crashing into the scenery. I can't remember why you have to do all this, but the story mentioned something about the resistance planning a massive attack on the Intergalactic Empire, ring any bells? Anyway, your mission was to fly in, grab the Klystron pod and escape in two pieces. Be...

Winner of the Amstrad CPC 16K Rom competition This 16K horizontal scrolling shoot-em-up pits you amongst a host of truly nasty aliens who fire nasty things at you. Make sure your trusty trigger finger is up to the job as this is one serious onslaught waiting to happen. Watch below...

"When I'm on the road, I'm indestructible. No one can stop me... but they try." Scripted by Tim Shafer and Dave Grossman, this 1995 colourful adventure involves an unlikely hero who must travel on a journey of self-discovery. There's Motorcycles, mayhem and murder to contend with in a bid to save everything he knows. Set in a totally polluted apocalyptic future, Full Throttle puts you in the role of Ben, the leader of a biker gang called the Polecats. Enter Mark Hamill as Ripburger, he wants to turn Corley Motors into a minivan empire, by downsizing the workforce and streamlining manufacturing through robotisation. He's already trashed Ben's bike, beat up his gang. And now he wants to frame Ben for a murder he didn't commit (Boo! Hiss!) Completely taken by surprise, Ben must now regroup, compose himself and get set for a head-on collision with Ripurger. Full Throttle is played out using the keyboard and mouse. You start proceedings in a dumpste...

On patrol... Amstrad, Speccy, Arcade and C64 Robocop the movie is stunning, the prime directives still resonate in my head even today. I recall from one scene good old Murphy getting blown to smithereens and in another ED-209 powering up with the immortal words - 'Please put down your weapon. You have 20 seconds to comply'. The game is every bit as enjoyable as the movie and in some ways just as memorable. I'd already experienced Operation Wolf, Chase HQ, Gryzor and Combat School, but nothing prepared me for what I was about to receive. Delta city had never looked so good, it was littered with dark alleyways, ruined building and crime infested streets. Scenes from the movie were cleverly replicated, including the hostage and drug factory encounter. You could never walk more than a few feet without all hell breaking lose. You start out all guns blazing... ultra violence a plenty. The weapons were as devastating as seen in the movie. In between the horizontal scroll...

Super Monaco GP is a cherished gaming memory of mine. It was loosely based on the famous street race in Monaco and for a while, probably my favourite racing game. Super Monaco GP put you behind the wheel of the stupendously famous Ferrari V12 641, the very car that Alan Prost and Mansell once whizzed around in. I was really good at this game, would play it for weeks, if not months on end. In fact, I still play it today, more-so on the Mega-CD, as that was the version to feature CD-quality sound, music and voice overs. You were presented with three game modes, Arcade, World championship and Free Practice. In the arcade mode, a qualification lap would quickly establish your position on the grid. Then it was onto the starting line. Everything looked the same, only in this mode you had to contend with a position indicator, once you made it near the front, you pretty much needed to hold that position, otherwise, it was game over. It wasn't long before I completed the arcade mode a...