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Classic Gaming
Classic Gaming
W EL COME
Videogames have a rich and varied history – from the
very first arcade cabs of the 70s to the 16-bit classics of
the 90s, they have helped shape the early years (and
beyond) of many of our lives.
We can all remember entering the magical world of our
local amusement arcade for the first time to be greeted
by the fantastic sights and sounds on offer, or that feeling
of unboxing our first home computer or console on a
freezing Christmas morning. And, whether you’re a child
of the 70s, 80s or 90s, you’ll have a special place in your
heart reserved for all of the weird and wonderful games
that have delivered such joy, pain, despair and frustration
into your life over the years.
So why not join us as we take a trip down memory lane
to explore just a few of the most iconic, memorable and
influential games ever made. We discover what made
the likes of Final Fantasy, Donkey Kong and Resident Evil
such legendary franchises in our ultimate guides, revisit
some of the best bosses in gaming history, and take a
look back at the groundbreaking games that changed
everything, while key industry figures come clean about
the classic games they love most and why.
We hope you enjoy this look into gaming’s glorious past.
Future PLC Richmond House, 33 Richmond Hill,
Bournemouth, Dorset, BH2 6EZ
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Part of the
U l t i m a t e gu i d e
Final Fantasy 8
Pac-Man 34
118
Donkey Kong 52
Resident Evil 64
34
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 88
Castlevania 110
Blizzard 122
80
106
Ga m e ch a nge rs
6
74 52
30 42
W h y I lov e …
Best boss
Marvel Vs Capcom 2 28
Goldeneye 007 62
Super Star Wars 80
48 58
Best INTRO
Mega Man 2 94
Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee 108
64 84
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GAMESRADAR PRESENTS CLASSIC GAMING VOL.3
FINAL
FANTASY
The leading name in Japanese RPGs, Final Fantasy has enjoyed
a rich and varied run, spanning three decades, and serving up
some genuine all-time classics along the way
8
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE: FINAL FANTASY
9
GAMESRADAR PRESENTS CLASSIC GAMING VOL.3
The first spin-offs came a few years previous on Game Boy, but this was
FINAL FANTASY VII 1997
the earliest one released on a home console. Almost the antithesis of FFV, SYSTEM: PLAYSTATION
it’s a hybrid of Zelda-esque action RPG elements and a simple turn-based
combat system where you never have control of more than two characters. The leap from 16-bit to 32-bit its setting, characters, themes,
In fact, you only actually have one by default hardware was one of the greatest narrative and score are all
– the game takes control of partner the industry had ever seen and benchmarks that modern RPGs
characters unless you switch few franchises had a greater have struggled to match for years
to manual override. An entry- degree of ambition and potential to and the ingenious Materia system
level JRPG and not a true truly come of age here than Final offered all the depth of FFV ’s job
Final Fantasy title, but still Fantasy – sprawling epics like system and more for those who
fairly entertaining. V and VI came in at under 4MB wanted it, while at the same time
a pop, whereas VII would span being simple enough on a base
three 700MB CDs. Characters level to allow anyone to bluff their
made the jump from sprites to full way through with enough old-
3D models, while backdrops were school grinding. FMV sequences
pre-rendered CG as was popular gave us a truly cinematic way to
in games at the time to help them understand and engage with these
punch above their weight visually. characters, which is a huge part
The first FF to reach Europe is of what makes this the FF many
respected for other reasons, too; swear by to this day.
10
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE: FINAL FANTASY
FFVII was the series’ first step towards realistic visuals but VIII took
that a step further. The result is a game that feels less stylised and as a
result arguably doesn’t hold up as well today, but it’s still a popular pick
in ‘Best FF ’ polls. It’s perhaps the first truly divisive game in the series,
however – many couldn’t get on with the unique Draw/Junction system for
earning spells and upgrading characters, nor with the diversion from more
traditional fantasy themes seen in older games. Whatever your take on the
game itself, though, the Triple Triad card game still remains the best mini-
game to ever have featured in the franchise. The infectious music (and
impending threat of the Random rule spreading) still haunt us to this day.
SAGA OF MANA
The unexpected success of the NES Europe), arriving once again on
original in Japan and the sudden uptake Game Boy only a year later, planted
of the Game Boy led Square to quickly the seeds for the Mana series. With
turn its attention to the system and while only one overseas success in RPGs
the original plan was to create an RPG at the time, Square elected to slap
for the handheld (it didn’t have any at the Final Fantasy labels on everything. Legend
time), this would lead to the first handheld got two sequels, again carrying the FF
Final Fantasy game thanks to a name brand (SaGa as a franchise never really
change for the Western market. Makai took off outside of Japan), while the more
Toushi Sa-Ga, despite its localised name, action-based combat of Adventure would
would kickstart the SaGa RPG series, while find a new home on SNES via follow-up
Final Fantasy Adventure (Mystic Quest in and all-time favourite Secret Of Mana.
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gamesradar presents classic gaming vol.3
FINAL FANTASY
CRYSTAL
CHRONICLES 2003
SYSTEM: GAMECUBE
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The ulTimaTe guide: final fantasy
You can tell just from playing it that XII is a game created by a team
with MMO experience – to all intents and purposes, this is a single-
player MMO in much of its approach, design and combat. The Gambit
system grows in strength as the game goes on, starting out as a way
to have struggling characters quaff Potions in a pinch but ultimately
developing into a system of such complexity that you can pretty much
code your party to act independently and rarely even require your
input. Many design decisions showcase a time where developers were
trying their best to prevent trade-ins while retailers looked to upsell
with guides and such – in one of the rudest RPG missables of all time,
Vaan’s ultimate weapon can only be obtained if you leave a handful
of select chests around the world unopened, something that probably
wouldn’t have been discovered to this day if it weren’t for the official
strategy guide. Japan got a greatly enhanced version of the game in CRISIS CORE: FINAL FANTASY VII 2006
the form of the International Zodiac Job System version, which we’d SYSTEM: PLAYSTATION PORTABLE
love to see localised in HD form as the team has done with the updated
versions of X-2 and the Kingdom Hearts games. A far more fitting tribute to the FFVII legacy than Dirge Of Cerberus,
this PSP action-RPG does a great job of fleshing out the back-story of
the PSone classic. With Zack stepping into the starring role, you’re able
DIRGE OF CERBERUS: FINAL FANTASY to experience first hand what it’s like to actually be a SOLDIER badass,
VII 2006 which proved to be enough of a hook to keep us playing. It certainly
didn’t hurt that it was one of the best-looking games on PSP, and strong
SYSTEM: PLAYSTATION 2
sales reflected both that and its core quality.
The less said about this the better, so we’ll keep this brief. Missing the
point of both newly appointed lead character Vincent Valentine and VII
itself, this turgid shooter made it abundantly clear that the old adage FINAL FANTASY
is indeed true – you can’t please all the people all the time. Series fans TACTICS A2:
were let down by janky gameplay with only loose ties to FF canon while GRIMOIRE OF THE
shooter fans were left raising their eyebrows at the wildly convoluted RIFT 2007
narrative and bizarre structure. Nobody had a nice time, basically. SYSTEM: NINTENDO DS
13
GAMESRADAR PRESENTS CLASSIC GAMING VOL.3
CHOCOBO’S DUNGEON 2
YEAR: 1999 SYSTEM: PLAYSTATION
FINAL FANTASY IV: THE AFTER YEARS
CHOCOBO RACING 2008
YEAR: 1999 SYSTEM: PLAYSTATION
SYSTEM: VARIOUS
CHOCOBO COLLECTION
YEAR: 1999 SYSTEM: PLAYSTATION The sequels keep on coming, although it’s
clear that less effort went into this strange
CHOCOBO ON THE JOB episodic effort than into many of the others.
YEAR: 2000 SYSTEM: WONDERSWAN
Assets are largely reused from the various
CHOCOBO ANYWHERE remakes of the SNES game and despite
YEAR: 2002 SYSTEM: MOBILE a few interesting new mechanics (such as
a lunar cycle that affects combat), it’s still
CHOCOBO LAND: A GAME OF DICE
YEAR: 2002 SYSTEM: GAME BOY ADVANCE an extra chapter to a book many would be
happy to simply leave closed or read fresh.
CHOCOBO ANYWHERE 2: ESCAPE! GHOST SHIP
YEAR: 2003 SYSTEM: MOBILE
14
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE: FINAL FANTASY
FINAL FANTASY:
THE 4 HEROES OF
LIGHT 2009
SYSTEM: NINTENDO DS
While XIII showed a Square
desperately trying new things
to keep the JRPG afloat, this DS
release instead saw the company
fall back on what it knows so
very well. As traditional a JRPG
as you’re likely to find in the 21st
Century, this is perhaps most
notable as the game that spawned
the excellent Bravely Default as a
non-branded follow-up.
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gamesradar presents classic gaming vol.3
If you adore the music of the Final Fantasy series, then congratulations
on having ears that work. Uematsu’s compositions and indeed some
of his understudies’ works are among the most recognisable in all of
gaming, making a rhythm action game that uses them an exceptional
idea. Dividing tunes into Field, Battle and Event stages, each with
different mechanics, Theatrhythm was a superb title that has since been
rendered basically redundant by Curtain Call.
16
The ulTimaTe guide: final fantasy
FINAL FANTASY
LIGHTNING RETURNS: FINAL EXPLORERS 2014
FANTASY XIII 2013 SYSTEM: NINTENDO 3DS
SYSTEM: VARIOUS
Stop us if you’ve heard this one before…
If you didn’t want one sequel to Final Fantasy XIII then it seems this is an action-RPG where four players
unlikely that you’d have wanted two. An odd marriage of the can team up to slay monsters, earn loot,
Paradigm system from the core game and X-2 ’s Dress Sphere craft better gear and repeat that cycle
mechanic, this action-heavy twist on the usual combat made until they have stumps for hands. Yes,
switching outfits at the right time the key to victory. With a goal of it’s a Monster Hunter clone, but we’re not
saving as many people as possible within a restrictive time limit, going to say no to a slice of FF-flavoured
it’s all about making the best possible use of your time and the hunting. Released in Japan in 2014, it
combat is actually pretty damn tech – just watch some YouTube eventually made its way to North America
exhibition mode stuff and try to claim otherwise. and Europe in early 2016.
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gamesradar presents classic gaming vol.3
The Secret Of
Monkey Island
JAMES GOLDING, LEAD ENGINE
PROGRAMMER (UNREAL), EPIC
My favourite game
ever is The Secret Of
Monkey Island – it’s such a
great mix of clever mechanics
and intelligent design. It’s
funny, too, which a lot of
games weren’t back then. It
wasn’t ever trying to beat you,
either, just entertain you. I
think there’s only one way
to die throughout the whole
game – it was about playing it,
rather than it playing you. It
felt like such a complete world,
too, and few games have
made such a compelling and
complete fantasy world
as that did. I will still find
myself humming the music
to myself, too, years later.
Everything about it just invited
you to come and play, and not
a lot of games have that
any more.
18
WHY i love: the secret of monkey island
GOD OF WAR
Who would you get behind? An orange marsupial, a hovering
space car, or a furious half-naked demigod with chains grafted
to his wrists? God Of War director David Jaffe reveals how
Kratos was a really angry blessing for PlayStation 2…
20
behind the scenes: god of war
MASCOTS COME IN all shapes and sizes. III, the one that Miyazaki did,” Jaffe continues. “How
If there were some perfect creation process, could we make a game that puts you in that same
chances are the most successful gaming kind of feeling of high adventure?” The spirit of this
heroes of all time wouldn’t be an out-of-shape plumber project seemed to make it into the final game, even
and a hedgehog that isn’t even the right colour. No, if the original pitch never really got off the ground.
there’s no science to it all, hence why we probably Indeed, there was always a clear front-runner for
shouldn’t be all that surprised that Sony’s unexpected some of the team, it would appear, and Jaffe confirms
mascot for the PS2 era came in the form of gaming’s as much. “Those were competing for the longest time
angriest man. The last great example of a platform but then I think it was ultimately Ken Feldman, who
holder giving one of its studios almost full creative was the art director on all of them, who said that out
control over a project could easily have gone so badly of all of the ideas, it was the God Of War universe that
wrong, but the history books tell us otherwise – God we’d best be able to realise in a really spectacular
Of War managed to make ancient history exciting for way. That was when we finally said ‘Fuck it, let’s go
a whole new audience, just as Clash Of The Titans with this one’.”
had done nearly 25 years earlier, with cutting edge Hell, it wasn’t even God Of War back then. “After
technology once again at the forefront of bringing Twisted Metal Black shipped, we spent probably four
legends back to life and capturing the imaginations or five months iterating about four ideas – talking to
of a generation. the team, seeing what they would be into, fleshing
Strange to think, then, that God Of War might out some of the concepts to see which one had the
never have existed had one of the other options on greatest potential. From that, ultimately Dark Odyssey
the table at the time been given the green light first. – which became God Of War – won out, kicking off
Founding father of the franchise, game director and with the high concept of ‘What if Paul Verhoeven had
personable semi-automatic cuss rifle David Jaffe talks directed Clash Of The Titans?’ but we changed that
us through some of the other options and, with all to ‘What if Ridley Scott had directed Clash Of The
due respect, it isn’t hard to see why Kratos came out Titans?’ for the second document because nobody
on top. “I was looking at a game – we were calling it knew who Paul Verhoeven was.”
Dead Man at the time – and it was an open-world first- Lack of cinema knowledge on the production
person game,” he reveals. “It wasn’t exactly survival team’s end aside, it seems as though Jaffe and his
horror – it wasn’t so slow-paced – but it was trying team had prepared concepts for God Of War that
to do like an action-adventure set in the Louisiana differed radically from that original seed. “I still have
swamps and bayou about voodoo and supernatural a document showing the very adult, edgy and violent
powers, so the character would have these abilities version of what this game could be, which is obviously
and powers. I liked the idea of doing an open-world, what it became, but also all the way down to sort of
first-person game and there hadn’t been a lot of those Disney’s Hercules… maybe we’d do something that
at the time.” Given that Shadow Man never exactly was a little more Mario,” he tells us. “We originally
took off to the degree Acclaim would have hoped and started out with the idea of doing first-person melee,
the technical limitations of PS2, we can’t say we’re so God Of War was originally going to be first-
entirely surprised to hear that Dead Man never got person. It didn’t get very far – we talked to some of
off the ground. the programmers about it and did a lot of research.
“Another one that didn’t get as far came from us Dreamcast had a game out at the time that was kind
talking a lot about trying to create a way for gameplay of the best in breed for first-person melee, called
to evoke the same kind of emotions as watching Lupin Maken X. We studied that a lot trying to figure out if we
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gamesradar presents classic gaming vol.3
DELETED SCENES
out, so we were kicking around the idea of
open world. So yeah, it really was a very broad initial
conceptual phase while we were looking at this idea
David Jaffe on the sequences that didn’t quite make the cut and a couple of others, and it just sort of evolved into
God Of War through a great deal of combat and
THE LIFT exploring, combat and flying and less
about that kind of tunnel where you’re just
fighting and yelling at each other.”
“We built a wonderful level Even though Jaffe is clearly talking about the
which you can see on some dodging obstacles. But that’s one fucking
beautiful tunnel in God Of War III.” design process there, he’s done an equally good job
of the behind-the-scenes of describing the game the team ended up making
materials – an elevator
– loud, brash and with precious few pulled punches.
through the desert level.
With that elevator level, we
THE LABYRINTH That said, the game’s violent streak was all kinds of
“Tobin designed a level that I ended up intentional and for a number of reasons. “As a kid I’d
couldn’t figure out how to get the sand to ripping off for Twisted Metal [2012]. It was
trap the elevator, so we had to table that.” seen and read family-friendly Greek mythology, but I
a maze that started with Kratos in this big
was reading Edith Hamilton to research a lot of this
open environment, with the walls coming
THE WINGS up and down in real-time and changing stuff before we went into development and the stories
“We had the Icarus wings in the first game the level layout. So it was about being in themselves can be easily read to be very gruesome
too and even though I think they look this space that was constantly changing and violent. It was definitely a good fit,” explains
beautiful in the third game, I liked the way and having to adjust. So we ended up Jaffe. “It wasn’t like we were saying we wanted to
we were talking about using them in our using that for the arena level in Twisted do an ultra-violent Lego game – it was more about
game. It was more of a Joust mechanic, Metal on PS3, but I regret that not going taking that mythology and playing up the angle that it
more about full three-dimensional because that was such a cool idea.” was really violent, which seems to be something our
audience really responds to. It was just having the
■ Brutal finishing moves were the perfect way to end any awareness to spot that match and allow us a better
encounter, especially considering the extra rewards in the shot at retail.”
form of Orbs. Man, that Kratos really loves his Orbs…
22
behind the scenes: god of war
has been something that I’ve loved since I was in like who made it but clearly they were hampered by
fourth grade,” he shares. “Clash Of The Titans was budget issues.”
an extremely flawed, wonderful movie – when you’re
ten years old and watching it, it’s just, like… wow. ■■■ WHETHER HE’S TALKING about Rygar or
That was the summer of ‘81 when Clash Of The Titans Shadow Of Rome or any number of the nine million
came out, Raiders Of The Lost Ark had come out, and other PS2 games we’ve forgotten is kind of irrelevant
when you look at God Of War, there’s clearly a great – it’s a classic scenario that we see to this day (albeit
deal of influence from both of those films. It’s
like superheroes – it’s totally ready to go for
videogame creation, with all these amazing
powers, monsters, abilities and locations. And I WAS HEAVILY
very few people had trodden that territory at INFLUENCED – AND I’M
SURE I’M NOT ALONE –
that time.”
Since nobody had done a proper
mythological adventure in quite some time,
it stands to reason that another would be
BY RAY HARRYHAUSEN
God Of War announced while Sony Santa Monica’s baby AND HIS WORK
was still in the womb. “I remember once,
manages we were waist-deep in development of God
to keep the Of War and we saw a story online about a game… to a lesser extent, now that budgets on triple-A
what the fuck was that game called? It came and games have gone daft) where lesser publishers
pace slick, it went and it got horrible reviews but to see it and and developers will sniff out popular themes for
the settings to see their concept art and to read their PR, we upcoming hits and try to outrun them. We can count
just thought we were gonna be so fucking dead,” on one hand the number of times it has really worked
beautiful, the recalls Jaffe. “They beat us to the punch, those sons out, so maybe the budget hike has actually helped out
action fresh of bitches!” Fortunately for Sony, this is the games in that regard. But even so, how was it that God Of War
industry, and not every title has the heavyweight stumbled upon this content goldmine that every other
and the body credentials or the vision to turn a great concept into game just strolled past on the way to work each day?
count high a great game, and Jaffe tells us about the moment “I guess it has to do with influences, right?,” reasons
the competition stopped… well, competing. “We Jaffe. “I was heavily influenced – and I’m sure I’m
NowGamer, 2005 saw it at E3 and breathed a sigh of relief – it wasn’t not alone – by Ray Harryhausen and his work. That
all that great, not to be disrespectful to the people was always something that appealed to me and
23
gamesradar presents classic gaming vol.3
something I wanted to play with. It was around That was the reason I went away after that game and
the time that we were doing God Of War that moved onto more mechanics-based titles. You’re only
we were starting to see a shift towards budgets as good as your tech on that day. I want our games
going up pretty significantly. There was that time to stand up even after the visuals aren’t as hot as they
too when PSone was still out towards the beginning once were, where the core mechanics are something
of PS2 and development was still inexpensive you could come back to ten years later and say ‘Okay,
enough that you would see all these different games, it’s really rough but fuck, it’s still really fun’. I don’t
things like Second Sight and Psi-Ops – there was this think I’ve achieved that yet but working with that game
game on PSone, Tale Of The Sun or something,
about a fucking caveman! – which are the
kinds of subjects that are now more the I WANT OUR GAMES
world of indies, because they’re affordable
and you can take those kinds of chances. We TO STAND UP TEN
came at the end of that, when most games
had started having to play safe, whether it was
YEARS LATER
military shooters or, at the time, crime sims
like GTA. But Sony being Sony was always so
great about letting their developers explore things that showed me that for me, that was sort of the North
Difficult to resist aren’t just marketing-sanctioned safe genres and we Star to follow. If you just chase the spectacle, the
were still allowed to play in those waters.” applause you get for it is pretty fucking cheap.”
the urge to Today’s market, of course, is somewhat different.
simply genuflect Big name studios and publishers have shut up shop ■■■ SPECTACLE MUST HAVE been fairly high on
and others have tightened purse-strings, while the agenda in creating God Of War, mind. But were
and be unrealistic goals have seen successful games be there any examples of tech not being able to match
humbled to be judged otherwise. “I think it’d be really hard and concept? “The game was so scripted that there wasn’t
expensive to compete today purely on spectacle,” a lot,” Jaffe muses. “When we asked for something
in the presence Jaffe nods. “But what’s cool is that there are elements and they said they couldn’t do it, usually that was
of such digital of God Of War that have nothing to do with the coming from production rather than tech.” One issue,
spectacle – level design, story, characters – that you though, would have given Digital Foundry a collective
divinity can do with two or three people with a copy of Unity heart attack. “There was the giant crusher at the
Game Informer, or Game Maker Pro. That’s phenomenal and in that bottom of Pandora’s temple and [the guys] just kept
way, the market is wonderful today. But I think if you’re throwing enemies in until it dropped to like 12fps. But
Issue 145 talking about building a game where the total reason we all thought it was fucking awesome – we didn’t
May 2005 for it to exist is spectacular setpieces… it’s still doable care that it was 12fps ’cause the idea was so cool and
for sure but you have to have a lot of fucking money. it still worked. But then Tim came over and you’d have
24
behind the scenes: god of war
> A GAMING EVOLUTION Legacy Of Kain: Soul Reaver > God Of War > Bayonetta
thought that his head was about to explode. We fought camera close so it was more dramatic. Almost every
about frame rate. I care about frame rate only when other game out there was making the characters and/
it hampers the game. So we fought about that, but or the environment go semi-transparent, but you’d
there was one fight I did lose. I just couldn’t convince have thought I was asking him to go assassinate his
Tim and Mike and even to this day I’m like ‘What the parents or something. It was not going to be done on
fuck?’ – I think he must have made a deal with the his motherfucking watch. It was fucking bad and even
devil saying ‘I will make you a great programmer to this day, you can tell I’m still a little annoyed by it,
but you must never use translucency in any game’ because we could have had some amazing cinematic
■ Petrified? Worry not – escaping is as
or something. I kept saying that we had to have the moments in that game if it weren’t for the fact that the easy as waggling an analog stick.
environment go semi-transparent or we’d have to pull goddamn engine didn’t support translucency.”
the camera too far back, and we wanted to keep the For all that it may seem like God Of War might today
be a case of style over substance – especially with so
many unlikely usurpers in the likes of Revengeance,
Bayonetta and DmC strutting their hardcore action
stuff – that absolutely wasn’t the case with the original.
Jaffe reflects on meetings of minds where gameplay
had to come first. “The guys at Santa Monica are some
of the best of the best when it comes to programming.
And whenever I asked for something or heard a great
idea from the team, most of the time a month later
it was in the game. They were a pretty impressive
group to work with.” Have the special effects guys kill
the rainbows and the twinkly music, though – this is
■ Sure, Kratos can use different weapons, but Jaffe we’re talking to, not Bono. “But they were a pain
the Blades Of Chaos are always most satisfying. in the ass to work with, and I’m sure they’d say the
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gamesradar presents classic gaming vol.3
ON LETTING GO
■ CREATING AN ICON games,” he tells us. But I don’t feel an
for a company you don’t “The others are titles attachment. I feel a
belong to can’t exactly that I have great connection to the first
be easy, but David respect for – friends two titles but post-
Jaffe is surprisingly of mine have worked GOWII, I’ve had zero
upfront about how he on them, some that I regrets. I’ve watched
managed to avoid hold in incredibly high them and cheered them
forging bonds with regard. I love to see on from the sidelines
Kratos as a character. them succeed, and but I don’t feel like it’s
“I feel an attachment as a company as well my character out there
to the first and second given the investment. or anything like that.”
26
behind the scenes: god of war
■ Combining area attacks and more powerful linear strikes makes for a
versatile move set – one where mashing is fine but there’s depth as well.
there was a line out the door at the game store,” Jaffe was we had focus-tested the shit out of that game and
tells us. “I thought he was full of shit but there totally it’s a linear process so by the time we got to focus-
was this line out the door. We had days when
we thought we were onto something and days
where we sat around figuring out what our
next careers were going to be ‘cause we were
[HADES] WAS THE LAST
clearly no good at this.” LEVEL OF THE GAME,
■■■ SOME CRITICS WOULD argue that there’s SO WE DIDN'T FOCUS
a case to be made for the latter, especially TEST THAT ONE, AND IT
BIT US IN THE ASS
in light of some of the game’s end-game
sequences. “Well, Tobin did the spikes,” smiles
Jaffe as his new studio explodes with enough
laughter to level a small village. The accused
interjects. “You were just supposed to get knocked testing Hades – which is where that area is, at
down the spikes a little bit, just so you wouldn’t get stuck the end of the level – we were just like ‘Nah, we
on them,” explains level designer Tobin A. Russell. got it, we’re good’. It was literally the last level of the
“You weren’t supposed to get knocked off entirely.” game so we didn’t focus test that one, and that was the
It’s set in The problem, it seems, was born of over-confidence. one that bit us in the ass. I regret that section, because
“The coders promised they were going to deal with the it really was a shelf moment for a number of gamers.”
Greece with collision on that,” Jaffe confesses. “But what happened Issues aside, it’s fair to say that God Of War carved
the mighty out a template for a generation of would-be mascots to
follow. But, as it turns out, some of the biggest names in
Kratos… the business can’t tell you when they’re onto something.
and we “It was all just a big fucking blur,” Jaffe admits. “There
were a lot of nights where we were there until three
loved every in the morning and those nights blend into the other
minute nights. There are people that you meet that you’d want
to work with for the rest of your career, then there are
of it people that I have wonderful memories of but won’t
Play, issue 129 speak to today. I can’t fucking stand some of them today
May 2005 and some of them I think are just amazing. There are
all these little moments that sort of add up to give you
a recollection of an experience that, in my mind, was
extremely hard but extremely fulfilling and extremely
■ Do it, Kratos. Give that guy a really nasty rope burn.
worthwhile. We made something that we’re really
The demigod’s violent streak can never be sated. proud of.”
27
GAMESRADAR PRESENTS CLASSIC GAMING VOL.3
28
BEST BOSS: MARVEL VS CAPCOM 2
29
GAMESRADAR PRESENTS CLASSIC GAMING VOL.3
GAME CHANGERS
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG Released: 1991 Publisher: Sega Developer: Sonic Team System: Mega Drive
There aren
’t
as many se
crets
in Sonic as
ther
in Mario, bu e are
t if you’re
prepared to
ex periment
you will fin
d them.
FLATTERY BY IMITATION is rife within the Michael Jackson to the blue of Sega’s corporate logo,
videogame industry, with one company often Mr Needlemouse was given a spiky ‘can do’ attitude
emulating the success of another to further that would appeal more to Western gamers. He was
its own success. By far one of the biggest examples is then handed over to Yuji Naka, who worked in the
Sega’s Sonic The Hedgehog ; a franchise created to five-man AM8 development team that would go on to
compete directly against Nintendo’s Mario series. become known as Sonic Team.
Sega’s Master System, while popular in Europe, Work began on Sonic The Hedgehog in April 1990,
had failed to make a big impact in the US or Japan, with Yuji Naka on main programming duties. The
where it trailed massively behind Nintendo’s NES. small team worked for just over a year, with Sonic
Sega already had a mascot by the name of Alex Kidd, finally making his debut on 23 June 1991. Sonic The
and while he had starred in several popular games, Hedgehog became an immediate success, and before
he was no Mario. Wanting to rectify this, Sega had long it had replaced Altered Beast as the Mega Drive’s
numerous developers submit character designs to its pack-in game of choice. The same thing happened on
AM8 department and eventually settled on a creation Sega’s 8-bit console, with the Master System version
by Naoto Oshima. It was a cute blue hedgehog who (which was completely different to the Mega Drive
was then known as Mr Needlemouse. Created from a offering) replacing Alex Kidd In Miracle World on the
number of inspirations that ranged from the shoes of Master System II.
30
GAME CHANGERS: SONIC THE HEDGEHOG
■ ■ ■ WHILE THE MASTER System version is an And yet there was more to Sonic than simply
incredibly slick platformer, it’s arguably the Mega KEY moving as fast as possible. While some would later
Drive outing that helped give Sega a much-needed
edge over Nintendo. The speed of Sonic was
FACTS go on to complain that the game was simply about
‘pressing right and jumping at the right moment’, the
absolutely blistering, making Mario look decidedly ■ Reach the end of level design proved to be every bit as memorable
sluggish and old hat in comparison. Sonic was an Act with 50 rings as Sonic ’s glorious visuals. Although the levels
cool and spunky and had a much-desired attitude or more and Sonic lacked the sheer depth and variety that Mario games
that Nintendo’s plumber simply couldn’t match. Of gets the chance to offered, they still proved a joy to navigate. Let Sonic
course it also helped that Sonic was an exceptionally collect a precious explore his environments instead of simply racing
Chaos Emerald.
fantastic platformer, and while it lacked the depth of through them and you soon discover all sorts of
Collecting all
Super Mario World (which had debuted some seven delightful secrets tucked away that would lead to
emeralds unlocks a
months earlier) it was quite clear that there was rings and various power-ups.
different ending.
nothing else like Sonic on any other system. The rings were also a key aspect of Sonic’s
Even if you ignored the breakneck pace at which appeal, being a way of earning extra lives or acting
■ The Master
Sonic ran, there was no denying that it was an as a useful shield. Whenever Sonic hit an enemy he
System version
aesthetic delight. The abstract designs of Sonic’s would drop rings if he was carrying them, allowing
has a different
different worlds (known as zones) further set it apart him to quickly recover any before they disappeared
story to the Mega
from the generic-looking environments of many Drive game, as completely. Hit an enemy without them, however,
other platformers of the time. Green Hill Zone was it’s set afterwards. and he’s robbed of a life. It’s a neat mechanic that
full of sharp-edged trees and chequerboard hills, It still features still holds up brilliantly today and remains a key
Labyrinth Zone had a distinctly Aztec styling to it, Dr Robotnik, but component of practically every Sonic game since.
while Star Light Zone offered sparkling backdrops many of the zones Equally memorable was Sonic’s nemesis, Dr
and huge loops to negotiate. Each and every one are completely Robotnik, who would attack Sonic at the end of each
of Sonic’s six main zones (split into acts) were full different in design. final zone with all kinds of crazy contraptions, only to
of detail and featured bright primary colours that flee in terror when he was finally bested. As Bowser
perfectly complemented the high speed action that was for Mario, Dr Robotnik proved to be the perfect
■ Such was the
Sonic Team’s game offered. foil for Sega’s new mascot and has hassled him ever
success of the
Mega Drive pack- since, gaining even more outlandish machines as
in that it enabled console technology has continued to grow in power.
With Sonic The Hedgehog, Sonic Team created an
SONIC HAD AN Sega to overtake
Nintendo’s market unforgettable platformer that built on the DNA of past
ATTITUDE THAT share for the first games but left its own distinct blueprint for others
to follow. Even now, over 25 years after its original
MARIO SIMPLY time in six years. In
1991 Sega counted release, numerous digital releases as well as 2017’s
COULDN’T MATCH for 65 per cent of
the console market.
Sonic Mania and Sonic Forces ensure that a new
generation are able to experience that 16-bit magic.
31
GAMESRADAR PRESENTS CLASSIC GAMING VOL.3
BEFORE NOTABLE
NOTABLE
SONIC SEQUELS
SEQUELS
PLATFORMERS BEFORE SONIC HAS APPEARED IN COUNTLESS GAMES.
SONIC CAME ALONG HERE ARE JUST A FEW OF THEM…
32
GAME CHANGERS: SONIC THE HEDGEHOG
33
gamesradar presents classic gaming vol.3
PAC-MAN
He’s over 35 years old, is one of gaming’s biggest icons and arguably
its first mascot. As star of numerous games and TV shows, we felt it
was time to revisit Pac-Man’s vast back catalogue
34
the ultimate guide: pac-man
This is it, this is where it all Created to cash in on the popular quiz genre, this is a baffling entry to
began. Pac-Man’s story origins are the series that features time-based puzzles you must answer as quickly
well told, with even Scott Pilgrim as possible by selecting one of three possible answers. Some of the
using Pac-Man facts to try and puzzles are quite clever, but it’s instantly forgettable, which may explain
ensnare the girl of his dreams. With why it got converted to Pac-Land machines a year after its release.
his iconic look being partly inspired
by a missing slice of pizza, and
his rampant need to eat, Iwatani’s
creation felt like a breath of fresh
air on release. Many arcade games
at the time were clones of Space
Invaders and other popular shoot-
'em-ups, so Pac-Man’s frantic rush
around a maze, gobbling pills while
he tried to avoid the intelligent
ghosts, was a welcome respite.
35
PAC-MAN PAC-MAN
2: THE NEW ARRANGEMENT
ADVENTURES 1994 1996
SYSTEM: MEGA DRIVE, SYSTEM: ARCADE
SNES Pac-Man’s first arcade game
Another unusual departure for in nine years was a huge
Pac-Man, but not a good one. It’s improvement over the basic Pac-
a slow-paced quasi-adventure in Man formulae. There’s a new
which you must travel around Pac- ghost by the name of Kinky, who
JR. PAC-MAN 1983 Land solving various Pac-In-Time can combine with the others
fetch quests. You have no direct to create unique new forms
SYSTEM: ARCADE
control over Pac-Man and must that really change the way you
This was Midway’s last Pac-Man game before Namco regained control use a catapult to affect him. The approach their transformations.
of the franchise. It’s a quirky one as well, with impressive cut scenes and expressions Pac-Man pulls off are New Dash arrows either speed
a far larger maze, which required the screen to move to keep up with Jr. fantastic, but the slow pace kills it. Pac-Man up (letting him stun
Pac-Man. Another interesting touch is the random objects that marched ghosts) or slow him down, while
around the screen. Unlike previous games, they turn dots into bigger Warp Gates quickly transport him
ones, which gave you more points but also slowed Jr. Pac-Man down. An across the maze. It plays at a
interesting addition to the series that’s certainly worth investigating. nice pace and features gorgeous
presentation. Easily one of the
best Pac-Man games and one
that has turned up on numerous
compilations over the years.
PAC-IN-TIME 1994
SYSTEM: SNES
36
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE: PAC-MAN
37
GAMESRADAR PRESENTS CLASSIC GAMING VOL.3
38
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE: PAC-MAN
39
GAMESRADAR PRESENTS CLASSIC GAMING VOL.3
PAC-MAN WORLD 2
YEAR: 2002 SYSTEM: VARIOUS
PAC-MAN PINBALL
YEAR: 2005 SYSTEM: MOBILE
PAC-MAN PINBALL 2
YEAR: 2008 SYSTEM: MOBILE
LETTER LABYRINTH
YEAR: 2010 SYSTEM: IOS, MOBILE
PAC-MAN PUZZLE
YEAR: 2010 SYSTEM: MOBILE
PAC-CHAIN
YEAR: 2010 SYSTEM: IOS
PAC-ATTACK
YEAR: 2010 SYSTEM: IOS
PAC-MAN + TOURNAMENTS
YEAR: 2013 SYSTEM: ANDROID
PAC-MAN MONSTERS
YEAR: 2014 SYSTEM: ANDROID
40
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE: PAC-MAN
41
GAMESRADAR PRESENTS CLASSIC GAMING VOL.3
DESTRUCTION
DERBY Time to buckle up and keep your wits about you.
Destruction Derby certainly made you drive hard, as
makers Martin Edmondson and Robert Troughton explain
FROM THE
FORUM
Posted by:
SNAGGLETOOTH
Destruction Derby was great
fun but to me seemed like a
rushed job to get out to support
the first line of PSone titles.
DD2 to me is the high point
of the series. Great fun and it
would lend itself well to an HD
re-release with online Destruction
Bowl and racing.
Posted by:
RADIOFLOYD
Destruction Derby Raw was
one of my earliest games but I
vaguely remember being a bit
useless at it. I preferred Crash
Team Racing and Speed Freaks.
Posted by:
RAGNAROTH
Destruction Derby 2 ! That
brings back memories. First
ever racer and a good racer at
that with real damage – such a
good feature. Arena mode was
excellent. This game is about
pure fun. Play it with friends and
smash their cars into scrap!!!
Brilliant. I’d love to see a new car
smash-up with the Destruction
Derby name.
Posted by:
ANDY KUROSAKI
I loved Destruction Derby 2
■ The key was to crash and
crash often, causing some major because you could smash cars
damage to your opponents. to oblivion. The actual racing I
didn’t do much of, to be honest.
I preferred finding a narrow
piece of track, parking sideways
so no one could avoid me, then
laughing hysterically when all
the other AI cars came piling into
me, showering parts all over the
place. Good times.
43
45
GAMESRADAR PRESENTS CLASSIC GAMING VOL.3
Destroying a Destruction
villain’s car was Derby was
the order of the all about the
day in Taito’s crashes. The
classic coin-op, cinematic
Chase HQ, with cameras and
players being angles inspired
thrilled when it Driver ’s Film
set alight. Director mode.
44
46
BEHIND THE SCENES: DESTRUCTION DERBY
Bumper
also be a big drain on the physics engine.”
With two months to go before the nine-month
deadline was up, work was progressing well and
Sony snapped up the game for its PSone launch.
Edmondson felt the name Demolish ’Em Derby
was more complicated than it needed to be, and
to bumper
■ THE ACTION of Destruction
because, in America, such motorsports tend to be Derby was made even
called destruction derbies, the name was changed more frenetic thanks to the
again. It became known as Destruction Derby. claustrophobic nature of the
track designs. Edmondson
■■■ NOT EVERYTHING IN the game made the wanted a high density of cars
cut: a level editor was dropped due to lack of time. and, given that 20 was the
“The game was built on an eight-by-eight grid, highest comfortable number
which didn’t give us much estate to play with,” says possible due to the practical
Robert. “We really limited ourselves as to what we limits of the hardware, there
could do with the tracks, so small and large corners, had to be a way of ensuring
■ A nice close-up as a car smashes into the it all ran smoothly. By making
side of the track followed by other motors. crossovers and straights were pretty much it.”
the tracks narrow, slippery
But despite the uncharted waters and the time
and bordered with walls, the
drawn in its entirety. Rear-view mirrors require the frame, the team enjoyed working on the PlayStation. challenge was set.
whole scene or at least a simplified second version “It was a really nice machine to program for since “We could avoid scenery
of it to be re-rendered from a new viewport, so it it was so simple, relatively speaking, and the tools popping using our method
would have absolutely killed the frame rate. Almost were pretty good,” says Edmondson. “And when you but really the reason for the
halved it, in fact.” look back, it was nothing like the nightmares that tight tracks was to cram the
The game did have its features, however. the PS2 and PS3 turned out to be from an ease of cars together for as much
Although the premise of each session was similar, programming standpoint. So actually we had things action and destruction as
the approach to them was different. up and running pretty quickly, with the possible,” says Edmondson.
The Bowl, for instance, would see whole game delivered in something “I wanted this chaotic and at
you compete against 19 others in one like eight admittedly very intensive times almost claustrophobic
major arena. “It caused us problems, months from delivery of the dev kits to feeling of being surrounded
by that chaos. I also wanted
though,” says Robert. “There were so the game being finished. The speed
to limit the choice of cars and
many cars, collisions and bits flying and the responsiveness was down to
mechanical options because
around and the geometry was complex. a high frame rate of 30Hz and just a I felt the game would be
It was hard to get the frame rate right, pretty responsive – some might say better with some very simple
especially if lots of cars hit you at once. twitchy – driving engine. We had to presets: tricky, medium and
We also had to get the cars to drive spend a lot of time on optimisation, easy, which would give
intelligently when their steering was actually, to maintain the high frame you oversteer, neutral and
smashed, when they could only turn in ROBERT TROUGHTON rate, but this was absolutely vital to understeer. And these were
one direction, and so on.” Programmer the feel of the game and the feeling of early days, remember, so it
Stock Car Racing was more satisfaction from the collisions.” felt like enough at the time.
traditional than the Bowl in that you were earning The game was well received on release. Three cars and no tuning
points for a final finishing position. Wreckin’ Racing Play magazine covered Destruction Derby in its would be unheard of now,
I guess, but back then it
took that idea but added more points for causing first issue and awarded it 86%. Lee Buchanan, a
kept things simple and
damage, destruction, spins and so on. reviewer for PC Gamer, said the game was “a
delivered a consistent
“With Wreckin’ Racing, you could actually ‘win’ wild dose of racing madness, with enough wrecks, experience for the player. Also
by coming third or fourth over the line but having smoke and squealing tyres to satisfy the demon remember we had eight or
earned more points than the first across the line driver that lurks inside all of us”. nine months or so to go from
by causing damage,” says Edmondson. “This was None of this surprised Edmondson, whose dev kit delivery to finished
called spin and roll in the old days of real banger team went on to make Destruction Derby 2 (1996), game, so some things we just
racing and we included it to satisfy different players’ Destruction Derby 64 (N64, 1999), Destruction Derby couldn’t even consider.”
moods and the experience they were looking for. If Raw (PSone, 2000) and Destruction Derby Arenas
you just wanted a straight race you could have that, (PS2, 2004). “We had an early idea that the game
for instance.” would be received well since we had demonstrated
For all of its chaos, there were some simple AI it in early form to so many people and that was the
rules. Strike the rear quarter of a car and it would reaction we were getting,” he explains. “This was
cause a spin. Reverse ramming a motor would be helped, of course, by the buzz around the launch of
effective if the damage on the front was dangerously PlayStation and the fact that the whole experience of
high. “My favourite mode in the Bowl was called ‘it’, fast 3D games were new to many people outside of
where we had every one of the other 19 cars heading the arcade. It was still really exciting, though, getting
for you,” says Edmondson. “Now that was chaos. the final game into people’s hands and seeing
The one problem I can remember people enjoy it so much, and it’s nice to
was if all 20 cars effectively still be answering interview questions
■ Martin Edmondson is back at
collided at once they about the game after all Reflections, now under the Ubisoft banner.
would try and push these years.”
45
47
gamesradar presents classic gaming vol.3
Micro Machines
DAVID DARLING, KWALEE
My favourite game of
all time would be Micro
Machines. We had a lot of
fun while developing it, and
it’s one of those games that
you can enjoy with lots of
people in the same room. If you
look on Wikipedia it’s listed
under party games in general,
because it’s a game that
people enjoy playing together
in groups. It’s a very sociable
game, and people have a lot
of fun when playing it. You’re
constantly competing with your
friends during races because
of the way the camera would
follow all the racers on the
screen and reset them behind
the group if you happen
to die or fall off the track.
46
48
why i love:
whymicro machines
i love: micro machines
49 47
49
GAMESRADAR PRESENTS CLASSIC GAMING VOL.3
GAME CHANGERS
Metal Ge
Solid ha ar
million c s sold 6
opie
surpasse s, which was
d by M
Solid 2 ’s etal Gear
7 million
when it
was rele
back in as ed
2001.
Kojima created the modern stealth genre with this influential cyber thriller, as
well as introducing the iconic Solid Snake to audiences worldwide…
KOJIMA’S 3D TRANSLATION of his MSX Then you learn to be quiet. You learn how to choke
Metal Gear series was a landmark game enemies without accidentally throwing them with
due to its details and depth. You can see this the square button, you learn not to tread through
in the way it was initially promoted during E3 1997: the water on your way past guards and, crucially,
displays of Snake blowing up guards with about you learn to wait. And, once you’ve grasped these
20 consecutive C4 bombs, figuring out snowy land fundamentals, you get good at everything else
masses through the scope and machine-gunning an in Metal Gear Solid, too, including the combat.
invisible cyborg ninja while office debris flies through Understanding how to use everything in Snake’s
the air. It’s this extra dimension to design that makes inventory, like the scope, claymore mines and rations
Metal Gear Solid such a significant part of the history enables you to look at every environment laterally,
of our medium – this was the birth of the modern like a puzzle with many solutions, and be rewarded
stealth genre in all its details, all its possibilities in by the intricacy of the way you tackle the situation.
approaching situations however you liked. It’s still arguably Kojima’s most engaging piece
For many players, Metal Gear Solid was a shock to of work, on a par with MGS3 and far outstripping
the system in that Snake’s shooting and basic action Sons Of Liberty as well as, to a lesser extent, Guns
abilities were just alternative paths in the game – Of The Patriots. Each Metal Gear Solid game is
instead, sneaking around was the point. Stealth is an escalating journey from A to B, fraught with the
something players had to mentally adjust to. That first madness of a gauntlet of boss fights along the way,
scenario, when Snake is waiting for the elevator after increasingly bizarre environments and the promise
crawling out of the water, is a brilliantly disguised of an unpredictable climax. Metal Gear’s boss fights
tutorial. Approach it with open fists and you realise are the best in the field, frankly. In MGS, Kojima took
that enemies don’t die after they’re knocked over. You the time to underline the menace of each one.
have no guns, and once the alarm goes off, that’s They all have their own angle on insanity; Revolver
pretty much it for you. Ocelot opts for a gun duel in a close-quarters C4
48
50
GAME CHANGERS: METAL GEAR SOLID
METAL GEAR SOLID METAL GEAR SOLID 2 METAL GEAR SOLID 3 METAL GEAR SOLID 4 METAL GEAR SOLID V
★ Big Boss clone Solid ★ Snake finds out the ★ Big Boss (Naked ★ Snake is old. The ★ Kojima’s last and,
Snake is sent to stop US has built a Metal Snake) is dispatched to world is the subject of a arguably, best MGS,
Liquid, who’s holding the Gear, which Ocelot rescue a scientist. His war economy controlled V is made up of
US hostage. Snake tries steals. Jump forward, mentor, The Boss, betrays by Liquid Ocelot and Ground Zeroes and
to rescue people from and Raiden is looking him and defects to the presided over by the The Phantom Pain,
Liquid’s FOXHOUND to stop Solidus Snake. USSR. Snake is sent to Patriots. Raiden is a robot and transports us
unit but they die. Snake The game has been kill her, before the truth ninja. Big Boss turns up. back to before the
eliminates FOXHOUND an attempt by the about the manipulation of Meryl marries Johnny original Metal Gear.
one-by-one, saves Meryl Patriots to recreate the The Boss and betrayal by Sasaki. Raiden’s child More mental storylines
and Otacon, destroys the circumstances of Shadow love interest EVA lead to is the Milkybar Kid. The and truly open-world
robot Metal Gear then Moses with Raiden in the greatest videogame ending is too long. Snake experiences for both
beats Liquid. place of Snake. ending of all time. wins and has an iPod. new and old MGS fans.
trap, Psycho Mantis infiltrates the mind of love Yes, it’s full of cut-scenes, but the vast majority are
interest Meryl and puts a gun against her head KEY good cut-scenes, elevated by a fairly well-translated
to manipulate Snake, Gray Fox brutally murders
soldiers at random, Vulcan Raven cruises around in
FACTS script and a superb voice cast who were far and
above the industry standard at the climax of the
a tank and Sniper Wolf spends entire days picking ■ Metal Gear Solid CD-ROM age. The story was full of silly bits but there
out her targets. Then there’s the main villain: Liquid topped the United was conviction in the way it was presented, with
Snake. A clone of Big Boss like Solid Snake himself Kingdom charts for David Hayter’s dramatic gruff interpretation of Snake
and therefore his genetic equal, despite having an eight weeks when making him one of the first videogame characters to
inexplicable bizarre British-American accent and it was originally instantly be known on voice alone.
released in 1999,
a blonde mullet. They’re innovative in appearance, Just like the stealth mechanics, this cinematic
which was a record
thanks to Yoji Shinkawa’s character designs, as well presentation felt new to people. That Kojima
at the time.
as grotesquely charismatic in their portrayal. handled it so well was expected after such a broad
■ One of the only sweep of hype prior to the game’s release, and the
■ ■ ■ THEY’RE THE MAIN event in Metal Gear Solid, games in the series narrative became intrinsic to the reveal of whatever
each framed with this mythical feeling of threat, like to get a PC port – challenges the player would face next, including
each comes preloaded with their own torrid histories and actually the aforementioned bosses. It was by no means the
that have shaped them into these chaotic figures. quite a good one – first title to achieve this (Westwood’s Blade Runner
They all feel like they belong in Shadow Moses, this Metal Gear found was perhaps even more revolutionary with mo-cap
foreign-feeling icy kingdom of madness. It’s become its way to Windows in 1997), but for many of the six million gamers who
tiresomely popular to slate Hideo Kojima’s use of cut- in late 2000 and hadn’t seen videogames convincingly brush with
scenes, but the way bosses are presented in MGS works on Windows motion pictures, this would be a watershed moment.
is convincingly cinematic, right down to their names 7, though it’s not That’s just one part of why Metal Gear Solid
appearing on-screen with the actor’s in brackets. available on Steam holds up today, in fact, much better than its flawed
And that’s the other component of Metal Gear or GOG. successor, bogged down as it is by adolescent
Solid ’s DNA, the one that is often knocked and rarely conspiracy nonsense and a truncated narrative.
applauded when it’s good: the influence of cinema. ■ Metal Gear Solid The rebirth of the stealth genre prompted by MGS,
was remade as a feat shared with Thief: The Dark Project, led to the
49
51
GAMESRADAR PRESENTS CLASSIC GAMING VOL.3
GAME CHANGERS
TEN EXAMPLES OF
MAD GENIUS IN
METAL GEAR SOLID
THOSE MOMENTS AND IDEAS THAT
DEFINED KOJIMA’S PLAYSTATION
ORIGINAL, FOR BETTER OR WORSE
50
52
GAME CHANGERS: METAL GEAR SOLID
51
53
GAMESRADAR PRESENTS CLASSIC GAMING VOL.3
54
52
54
1981
198■1 DESIGNED
DONKEY KONG
BY a young up-and-comer called Shigeru
DONKEY KONG
Miyamoto and greenlit due to Nintendo’s desire to break into
the West, the original
■ DESIGNED Donkey
BY a young Kong was more
up-and-comer than
called just an
Shigeru 1982
addictive
Miyamotoway andto spend due
greenlit yourtomoney at thedesire
Nintendo’s weekend. Toying
to break with
into
visuals
the West,
been
and
thecut-scenes
doneway
in waysKong
original Donkey
before in gaming
that was
hadn’t
more than just an 1982
addictive to spend your money at the weekend. Toying with
and tying
visuals andthem directly in
cut-scenes into the that hadn’t
ways
DONKEY KONG JR
plot
been– done
a painstakingly simple one,
before in gaming ■ BUILDING ON what had made the
obviously
and tying –themit also gave into
directly birththe
to DONKEY KONG JR
previous game such a success, Donkey
Jumpman, aka Mario. simple
plot – a painstakingly Bizarrely, if it
one, Kong Jr ’s mostON
■ BUILDING interesting
what haddynamic
made the is
wasn’t for –the
obviously relationship
it also gave birthbetween
to portraying
previous game Mario as a
such a villain.
success, With the
Donkey
Bluto, Oliveaka
Jumpman, OylMario.
and Popeye, which
Bizarrely, if it giant
Kong gorilla
Jr ’s most caged by thedynamic
interesting Italian, it’s
is up
heavily inspired
wasn’t for the relationship Donkey
Miyamoto,between to his son toMario
portraying try toassave him, dodging
a villain. With the
Kong
Bluto, may
Olivehave never
Oyl and existed.which
Popeye, a similar
giant array
gorilla of obstacles
caged to those
by the Italian, it’s up
heavily inspired Miyamoto, Donkey that
to hiswere
son introduced
to try to savea year
him, earlier.
dodging The
Kong may have never existed. differences
a similar array came of in much faster
obstacles gameplay, a wider array of ways
to those
to get
that to the
were top of each
introduced screen,
a year the introduction
earlier. The of new enemies, and
fiddling
differenceswithcame
the format
in much so faster
each level was slightly
gameplay, a wideraltered.
array of ways
to get to the top of each screen, the introduction of new enemies, and
DONKEY KONG 3 fiddling with the format so each level was slightly altered.
■ DRAMATICALLY TRANSFORMED from its predecessors, Donkey
DONKEY
Kong 3 burst onto KONG
the scene3with plenty of raised eyebrows in
■tow. Leaving behind
DRAMATICALLY its platforming from
TRANSFORMED roots its
to predecessors,
embrace the waysDonkey
Kong of 3aburst
shooter,
ontoStanley
the scene– replacing Mario
with plenty – has eyebrows
of raised to keep Kong
in
away from his greenhouse by roots
blasting him with the
bullets
waysuntil DONKEY KONG
1983 tow. Leaving
of ahe’s
shooter,
behind
pushed
its platforming
off the–screen.
Stanley It was
replacing
to embrace
far –less
Mario hasengaging and
to keep Kong JR MATH
DONKEY KONG
1983
enjoyable
away from
entries,
he’sapushed
than
histhe
rare occasion
past two by blasting him with bullets until
greenhouse
off the screen. It was far less engaging and
■
JR
RELEASED ON
MATH
the
NES in the midst of Donkey
1983
where Nintendo’s
enjoyable
attempt
entries, a to rare
than the past two
breathe some
occasion
Kong ’s initial success,
■ RELEASED
Nintendo’s
NES in the desire
ON the
midst oftoDonkey
release 1983
life into aNintendo’s
where franchise didn’t constant content resulted in
goattempt
to plan.toRepetitive, Kong ’s initial success,
breathe some the edutainment
Nintendo’s desiregame, Donkey
to release
rigid and
life into a not anywhere
franchise didn’t Kong Jr Math. It was laughably poor, asking players to traverse a
near constant content resulted in
go to as successful,
plan. Repetitive, traditional DK level, answering mathematically
the edutainmentfocused questions
game, Donkey
Donkey
rigid andKong 3 remains a
not anywhere on theJrway. Not
flaw Kong Math . It only
was was it a nightmare
laughably to control
poor, asking players– everything
to traversefelt
a
near on as DK’s record.
successful, like a struggle
traditional – but answering
DK level, it just wasn’t very fun, questions
mathematically focusedbeing far too
questions
Donkey Kong 3 remains a easy
on theeven
way.for
Not the youngest
only was it aofnightmare
gamers. Itto bombed
control to such a degree
– everything felt
flaw on DK’s record. that
like aNintendo
strugglesoon– butchanged its mind
it just wasn’t very on
fun,the entire genre.
questions being far too
easy even for the youngest of gamers. It bombed to such a degree
that Nintendo soon changed its mind on the entire genre.
53
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GAMESRADAR PRESENTS CLASSIC GAMING VOL.3
1997
capped
to go offwhat is a fantastic
the beaten path. Ittrilogy.
ended
up with lower scores and sales but
DONKEY KONG LAND III
1997
capped what is a fantastic trilogy.
■ FOLLOWING ON from the approach of the first two,
DonkeyDONKEY KONG
Kong Land III ensured thatLAND
Rare endedIIIits trilogy of
handheld hits on a highON
■ FOLLOWING too.from
The the
straightforward
approach of method
Donkey Kong Land III ensured that Rare shrinking
the first of
two,
everything
ended its trilogy of DIDDY KONG RACING 1997
down formethod
handheld hits on a high too. The straightforward the small
screen returned,
shrinking
of
and
everything
■ SEEMINGLY HAPPY with forgoing sleep, Rare shocked
DIDDY
the world in KONG
1997 when DiddyRACING Kong Racing arrived. Not
1997
it’s a testament
down to
for the small only did it sacrifice the with
franchise’s lead in favour of his nephew,
■ SEEMINGLY HAPPY forgoing sleep, Rare shocked
the developer
screen that
returned, andit but the choice
the world in 1997of genre put it in
when Diddy direct
Kong competition
Racing NotMario
arrived.with
managed
it’s to make
a testament to this Kart,did
a game often imitated but never
only it sacrifice the franchise’s lead in favour of his nephew,
work
the on both the
developer thathome
it bettered. Imagine everyone’s surprise,
but the choice of genre put it in direct competition with Mario
and portable
managed consoles.
to make this Diddy
then,, awhen
Kart game oftenKong Racing
imitated but was
never
work on both the home good, andImagine
bettered. pinchedeveryone’s
Mario’s crownsurprise,
and portable consoles. off hiswhen
then, head.Diddy
Brilliantly
Kongbuilding
Racing a was
hub world
good, and into an oddly
pinched entertaining
Mario’s crown
narrative,
off his head. it even boasted
Brilliantly boss races
building a
and world
hub took you intointo
an the skies
oddly and water.
entertaining
narrative, it even boasted boss races
and took you into the skies and water.
56
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE: DONKEY KONG
1999
DONKEY KONG 64
■ CONTROVERSIAL FROM the off as it had
the dubious task of being the first game
to require the N64 Expansion Pak, Donkey
Kong 64 took the concepts that had made 2003 DONKEY KONGA
the SNES entries so popular and tried to ■ THERE ARE some truly obscure titles on the GameCube,
repackage them on Nintendo’s new console. Donkey Konga being one of them. Despite finding its fair
Realising how well Mario 64 had been share of popularity, a rhythm-action game co-developed by Namco
received, Rare put its unique stamp on was surely an entry no one could have predicted when the gorilla
the game thanks to an enlarged pool of debuted back in the early Eighties. Packaged with two bongo
characters, with five Kongs to choose from. As each had their own controllers, enabling you to smack each
set of moves, abilities and collectables, DK64 had a staggering in time with the music, the absurdity
amount of replayability, not to mention a multiplayer mode. While of the project continued with the track
the latter was a little hit and miss, it was yet another hit from Rare. listing – the likes of Queen’s We Will
Rock You happily sitting alongside
the theme from Zelda. Despite all
this madness, Donkey Konga was a
pleasure, even picking up an award
DONKEY KONGA 2 2004 for innovation along the way.
■ NINTENDO SENSED a
need to unleash more bongo-
hitting joy into people’s
lives, so 2004 saw a Donkey
Konga sequel released to
2004 MARIO VS DONKEY KONG
little fanfare. Retaining all the
elements of before, its only
2004
■ TAKING THE elements that had brought them both into
the public eye and then throwing some puzzle elements in
real reason for existing was means Mario vs Donkey Kong remains an intriguing Game
to offer more tracks, proof Boy Advance title to this day. Rather than avoiding barrels, the
that there was a time when DLC was not the all- plumber had to avoid a number of
encompassing monster it is today. more free-flowing obstacles in order
to get his hands on a specific item,
the collecting of which would then
unlock the next. It was a natural
evolution of the DK concept, but it
wasn’t until 2006 when this became
something so much more…
DK: KING OF SWING 2005
■ THIS DIVISIVE entry in Donkey Kong ’s legacy
almost seemed like Nintendo’s attempt to recapture
the simple and intuitive nature that brought the
series to prominence in the first DONKEY KONG: JUNGLE BEAT 2005
place. In many ways, this ■ REALISING THAT letting the bongo controllers
was achieved, with Donkey simply die was not an option, Nintendo found a way
Kong being asked to swing to take them and adapt the concept into a platformer.
around specific pegs in order Hammering the left and right drum would move Donkey Kong,
to get to his goal as numerous a swift smack of both seeing him jump
obstructions threatened to into the air. It resulted in a unique and
derail our hero. It was fine but compelling experience, polished off
heavily overlooked: when was excellently with a layer of depth that
the last time you heard anyone revealed further secrets the more you
mention it? experimented. It more recently bounced
back into view thanks to a Wii release.
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GAMESRADAR PRESENTS CLASSIC GAMING VOL.3
CLIMBER
DK: JUNGLE 2007 2007
■ THIS SEQUEL to DK:
CLIMBER DONKEY KONG: BARREL BLAST
King
light
Of Swing was never going to
■ THIS up SEQUEL
the planet, DK: the DS’s Jungle
to and
■ ORIGINALLY DESIGNED for the
DONKEY KONG: BARREL BLAST
GameCube, Barrel Blast was held
2007
Climber
King Of Swing
was a was
disappointment,
never going mostly
to offORIGINALLY
■ in favour of aDESIGNED
Wii release,for
a move
the
due to
light upit the
essentially
planet, andreworking
the DS’stheJungle
idea. that signalledBarrel
GameCube, Blast
the end of the
wasbongo
held
Climber
While this version
was was far superior,
a disappointment, the
mostly peripheral’s lifespan.
off in favour of Unfortunately,
a Wii release, a move
peg-based gameplay
due to it essentially had lost the
reworking some idea. the
thatWii Remotethe
signalled and
endNunchuk
of the bongo
of its charm
While in the was
this version three-year interimthe
far superior, proved to be lifespan.
peripheral’s a poor substitute.
Unfortunately,
period,
peg-based leaving this in had
gameplay the unenviable
lost some Relying on manyand
the Wii Remote of the staples
Nunchuk
position
of its charmof feeling
in the too light to interim
three-year deserve that
provedMario Kart
to be had for
a poor years,
substitute.
its full-priced
period, leaving outing.
this in the unenviable the racing
Relying on game
many wasof thea staples
draining
position of feeling too light to deserve that Mario Kart
experience as both
had controllers
for years, had
its full-priced outing. to
thebe constantly
racing gameshaken.
was a draining
experience as both controllers had
to be constantly shaken.
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GAME CHANGERS
TOMB RAIDER
Released: 25 October 1996 Publisher: Eidos Interactive Developer: Core Design
System: PlayStation, PC, Sega Saturn
Tomb R
actually aider
ha
inspired d locations
by
– Vilcab real history
amb
for exam a (pictured),
p
strongho le, was the last
ld of the
the Span Incas before
ish invad
in 1572. ed
Released back in 1996, Tomb Raider unleashed Lara Croft on the world –
who would become more than just a protagonist, but a legitimate celebrity
CAST YOUR MIND back to 1996 – in the world and exploration – taking its cues from the myriad
of gaming, 3D was new. It was unknown action-adventure films that popularised Hollywood
ground and a lot of console developers were during the early Nineties. Tomb Raider was an
still testing the waters. Moving away from the pre- archaeological fantasy – a benchmark game in the
rendered backgrounds and the isometric views of the evolution of action platforming and woven deeply
early PSone games, Tomb Raider was arguably the into the DNA of the likes of Uncharted, the Prince
first action-adventure game to do 3D properly. The Of Persia games and even more action-orientated
original instalment of Tomb Raider hit a laser-focused affairs like InFamous. Lara moved incredibly well for
sweet spot in the blooming Nineties games industry a character designed in 1996; her acrobatics were
– it presented a good, well-made, innovative game, expertly designed and everything always felt natural
while simultaneously appealing directly to the teen – flipping, jumping, side-stepping, scaling walls: it
and young adult market. Tomb Raider observed what was all a pleasure to do. Supported by clear visual
Super Mario 64 was doing with 3D platforming, and language – you always knew where to climb, what
took the genre to PlayStation’s gamers – a move, it to grab on to or how far to jump – Tomb Raider truly
would turn out – that would cement Tomb Raider and brought platforming into a safe 3D realm.
Lara Croft’s place in gaming history forever. The structure of the game was simple – explore
Tomb Raider’s release came six months after Super this, solve this puzzle, fight these enemies. Rinse,
Mario 64; a game that was, for a lot of people, perfect. repeat. But therein lay the game’s success – it
It introduced watertight 3D mechanics and presented didn’t overcomplicate things, it didn’t push its core
them in a familiar and accessible way. Tomb Raider mechanics too far. The game introduced you to a
went the exact opposite direction, appealing to few abilities and created puzzles in which every
the PlayStation’s more hardcore audience. Rather ability was fully explored. Tomb Raider had a sense
than applying to the cutesy, family-friendly template of skill progression that made the player feel smart
Mario had set out, Tomb Raider focused on violence for manipulating, even though it was mostly scripted
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64
game changers: tomb raider
– the illusion of this much control made everyone had seen and, while the original itself took care to
playing the game feel brilliant for solving this KEY treat her job as a protagonist seriously, her sexualised
fiendish puzzle or taking out this ridiculous enemy.
Tomb Raider’s other strength laid in its ambitious
FACTS appearance and infamous proportions were also
clearly marketing tools (albeit ridiculously successful
environments – looking back now, the textures and ■ Tomb Raider ones). Lara straddled an uncanny middle ground:
blocky objects seem amateurish, but at the time, turned the fortunes she was daring, inspirational and ferocious, but she
the visuals were breaking new ground. From the of Eidos around – also ran around the jungle in hotpants and a low-cut
claustrophobic confines of stone corridors and the year before the top. Lara’s physical presence caught the attention of
cave routes to grand, expansive halls forgotten for game’s release, Eidos Timberland and Lucozade – whether she liked it or
suffered a $2.6 million
millennia, each location seemed relevant and logical not, she was pushing gaming into mainstream media
loss. After Tomb
– the world building in the game was masterful. in ways the previous gaming mascots never could.
Raider, profits soared
Lara wasn’t for children; she was an advert for adult
to $14.5 million.
■■■ THE CONSIDERED ARCHITECTURAL approach gaming, something the console market hadn’t had the
to building the game sat alongside smooth animations, ■ There was never luxury of showing off before.
impressive loading speeds and movement, advanced a cheat code on Lara’s character was always admirably set up,
lighting and application of colour – all these elements console games to though; where Eidos could have thrown Lara at
combined to produce a game that was not just pleasant unlock ‘nude Lara’ – you and said ‘Look: sexy action lady!’ it didn’t, for
to look at, but was technically sophisticated. Compared but there was a patch the most part, opting instead to humanise Lara in a
to the low resolutions and primary colours of Mario, for PC that applied realistic and emphatic way. Lara was an upper-class
Tomb Raider was a visual masterpiece. the naked skin to millionaire, living in the lap of luxury and knowing
The game’s treatment of Lara as its protagonist Lara’s model. Eidos little of struggle. When her plane crashes on her
was both groundbreaking and controversial – Lara sent out a cease and return from a skiing trip, Lara becomes a survivalist
was the first female action hero the games industry desist to all sites – her return to civilisation bores her, so she sets out to
hosting the patch. globetrot, seeking treasure and excitement.
Chances are, back in 1996, you’d never been
■ The game was plonked in the middle of a jungle and been given
THE GAME’S originally developed the simple ‘Survive!’ goal before. You and Lara were
TREATMENT OF on Sega Saturn
development kits,
going through these learning curves at the same
time – and that narrative conceit made you associate
LARA AS ITS but Tomb Raider more with her situation, bringing you into the game
PROTAGONIST WAS
would eventually more. Lara was a determined lady, out for herself, out
find success on for plunder and glory. She was Nathan Drake before
GROUNDBREAKING PlayStation, and
the first instalment
Nathan Drake – the Indiana Jones of videogames,
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gamesradar presents classic gaming vol.3
GAME CHANGERS
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game changers: tomb raider
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gamesradar presents
gamesradar presents
classic gaminggaming
classic vol.3 vol.3
GOLDENEYE
GOLDENEYE 007007
Nintendo
Nintendo
64 [Rare]
64 [Rare]
1997
1997
■ SEAN ■ SEAN
BEANBEANCOULDN’T
COULDN’T have been
have massively
been massively impressed
impressed
that his
thatlikeness
his likeness
was was
used toused
create
to create
a character
a character
that appeared
that appeared
to have to Annie
have Annie
Lennox’s
Lennox’s
face wrapped
face wrapped
around around
a pineapple,
a pineapple,
but nevertheless
but nevertheless
his villainous
his villainous
Alec Trevelyan
Alec Trevelyan
is oneisofone
the of the
highlights
highlights
of Rare’s
of Rare’s
seminal seminal
N64 shooter.
N64 shooter.
TrevelyanTrevelyan
has almost
has almost
a Jaws-like
a Jaws-like
presence
presence
throughout GoldenEye
throughout GoldenEye
’s exceptionally
’s exceptionally
eclecticeclectic
campaign,
campaign,
the evasive
the evasive
one-time
one-time
00-agent
00-agent
emerging
emerging
for airfor
onairseveral
on several
occasions
occasions
to goadto goad
Bond Bond
beforebefore
disappearing
disappearing
once again
once again
into the
into the
ether. ether.
He’s aHe’s
suitably
a suitably
frustrating
frustrating
antagonistic
antagonistic
figure,figure,
mirroring
mirroring
Bond’sBond’s
uncannyuncanny
invulnerability
invulnerability
to to
bullets,
bullets,
oversized
oversized
arsenal arsenal
and supercilious
and supercilious
swagger swagger
right until
rightthe
until
very
theend
verywhen
end when
the nippy
the nippy
bastard
bastard
is chucked
is chucked
from the
fromtoptheoftop
a colossal
of a colossal
satellite.
satellite.
For England?
For England?
No. This
No.one’s
This one’s
for us.for us.
68 62
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best boss: goldeneye 007
best boss: goldeneye 007
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GAMESRADAR PRESENTS CLASSIC GAMING VOL.3
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THE ULTIMATE GUIDE: RESIDENT EVIL
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THE ULTIMATE GUIDE: RESIDENT EVIL
RESIDENT EVIL
OUTBREAK 2003
PLAYSTATION 2
Plans for Outbreak had circled
around the Capcom offices for a
good five years before the game
became a reality. It’s an interesting
addition to the series, featuring
online play, a large number of
characters (eight, in fact) and five
unique scenarios to fight through. RESIDENT EVIL
Sadly, the ability to play with three OUTBREAK FILE 2
other players was completely 2004
stripped from the PAL version of the PLAYSTATION 2
game, making for a horrendously
frustrating experience, as you Outbreak’s sequel is awesome
often find yourself ill-equipped because it features zombie
to deal with the large number of elephants. Okay, so it’s not
zombies the game throws at you. incredible, but it’s a far better
Mechanically it’s exactly what you’d structured game than Outbreak
expect from a Resident Evil game, thanks to better balance, more
RESIDENT EVIL ZERO 2002 but the pacing, carefully placed interesting scenarios and
scares and strong boss encounters numerous little tweaks to the
GAMECUBE
are nowhere to be seen. gameplay. The original eight
Many don’t like Zero, possibly because it has a far more characters return and this time
insectoid theme than previous games, with zombies taking PAL users got to experience full
a noticeable backseat to giant scorpions, giant centipedes online play. Despite both games
and other creepy crawlies. By far the best feature of Zero is its having their servers pulled by
excellent Partner Zapping mechanic that lets the player switch Capcom, fans have kept the
between both characters at will. Rebecca Chambers is versatile but Japanese versions going on
weak, while prisoner Billy Coen is built like a tank and can use a private servers.
lighter and push heavy objects. Both characters’ abilities must be
combined together to complete the many puzzles thrown at you,
making it a unique addition to the series. Originally planned for the
N64’s ill-fated 64DD, it was switched to the N64, before eventually
resurfacing on the Cube. A lazy Wii port showed up in 2008.
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gamesradar presents classic gaming vol.3
RESIDENT EVIL:
THE UMBRELLA
CHRONICLES 2007
WII
This was the logical evolution of the Gun
Survivor series and it works incredibly
well. The Umbrella Chronicles is a rather
enjoyable on-rails shooter that focuses on
the events found in the first three games
and Resident Evil Zero. It’s possible to look
around the playing area with the Nunchuk,
but you’re effectively mowing down classic
RESIDENT EVIL 4 2005 enemies as they continually assault you.
There are a large number of levels to
VARIOUS unlock and plenty of alternate routes,
Shinji Mikami’s sequel is while the new inventory ensuring that The Umbrella Chronicles
quite possibly one of the most system kept the tedious item has plenty of replay value. A HD version
important games of the last ten management of earlier games for the PlayStation 3 was released in 2012.
years. In addition to breathing to a bare minimum.
fresh life into the series, it Resident Evil 4’s set pieces
reinvented action games are still some of the best
and the third-person shooter, around, while its dynamic
influencing the likes of Gears Of pacing, sheer variety and tense
War and Dead Space. shepherding of Ashley (who
Mikami essentially Leon has been sent to rescue)
redesigned Resident Evil 4 make it stand apart from its
several times before he settled many peers. It’s arguably
on the cocktail of action and more action than horror, but it
horror that appears in the final was just what the series and
game. Moving the camera the genre needed. And it still
closer to Leon pulls you into managed to pull off a series of
the on-screen action, while the incredibly gruesome scenes, RESIDENT EVIL 5 2009
ability to specifically shoot out proving that while Mikami VARIOUS
body parts makes managing was content to take the series
The first Resident Evil game for the then next-gen consoles was a
the large crowd of enemies you in an exciting new direction,
long time coming and quite controversial, due to all the racism claims
face far tenser. Context-sensitive he hadn’t forgotten what had
that surrounded it upon release. What’s interesting about Resident Evil
buttons allow Leon to pull off an made it so popular in the first
5 is that it’s essentially two different games depending on how you play
impressive number of moves, place. While HD versions of the
through it. Play on your own and Capcom’s game becomes amazingly
from roundhousing enemies game do exist, we’d argue that
frustrating because newcomer Sheva is utterly useless as a supporting
to kicking down ladders and the enhanced Wii port is the
character. She constantly stumbles into trouble, easily gets herself
stabbing the necks of giants, definitive version to own.
surrounded by enemies and rarely gives you help when it’s needed.
Play with a second player, however, and the game transforms
dramatically. It lacks the well-structured pace of 4 of course, and the less
said about the lousy cover system the better, but it otherwise becomes a
lot of fun. There’s something immensely satisfying about exploring the
African setting with a friend, while the online version of Mercenaries is
arguably the best version of the mini-game yet. There’s a definite move
towards all-out action compared to 4 – it’s as action-packed as Chris’s
biceps are huge – and the final boss is a disappointment, but it’s a solid
addition to the series.
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the ultimate guide: resident evil
HIRABAYASHI
Capcom’s producer looks back at the
Resident Evil series
How many Resident Evil I think that the games remain
games have you been popular because they are
involved in now? enjoyable – not just as survival
I’ve worked on five titles – horror games, but also through
Resident Evil 4-6, Resident the story, characters and
Evil Zero, and the GameCube other aspects.
version of Resident Evil.
What do you feel Resident
What is it that drew you to Evil HD will bring to the
the series? series now?
I studied computer graphics I think it’s a great chance
at college, and was invited by for players to experience the
Capcom to try interviewing original Resident Evil title,
for a job there, so it was really which is acclaimed by many
something that I got into as a masterpiece, in amazing
initially due to the situation at HD quality.
Capcom when I joined. That
was the team I entered and Which of the Resident Evil
I’ve been involved with the series is your favourite
RESIDENT EVIL: REVELATIONS 2011 series ever since. game and why?
NINTENDO 3DS The GameCube version
Revelations was one of the first 3DS games to utilise the Circle Pad Pro What do you find most of Resident Evil – not just
add-on. While it makes a good attempt at recapturing the early horror of satisfying about creating because it was my first project,
the PlayStation games, it feels quite budget in places, particularly when Resident Evil games? but also because I think it was
the player is continually facing the same few enemy skins.
Creating the games is such a very well-rounded game and
Like the later Resident Evil 6, Revelations’ main campaign is split
a long process. With that in a great survival horror title.
between several groups of characters and takes in various locations,
from a deserted ship in the Mediterranean to an airstrip in the mind, seeing players enjoy
mountains. It allows the player to move and shoot, but also introduces the games after they come Who is your favourite
Metroid Prime-style scanning and the ability to switch between three out is the most satisfying and Resident Evil character?
weapons. The dodge move of earlier games returns, while StreetPass rewarding part of the job, and It’s difficult to choose just
support is also included. Revelations also introduces “Raid Mode”, an that goes for any game, not one, but I would say Ada. Her
excellent new game mode that sees you battling through arranged just Resident Evil. mysterious presence in the
versions of earlier scenarios. stories adds a certain extra
A HD version was released in 2013 for PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U and PC.
Why do you think Resident something to the Resident
While it added various bits of new content, it also highlighted the budget-
Evil remains so popular? Evil series.
like roots of the 3DS original.
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GAMESRADAR PRESENTS CLASSIC GAMING VOL.3
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THE ULTIMATE GUIDE: RESIDENT EVIL
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gamesradar presents classic gaming vol.3
Super Mario
World
TED TIMMINS,
LIONHEAD STUDIOS
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78
Why i love: super mario
Whyworld
i love: super mar
“Life would
“Life would
be very
be very
different
different
had I never
had I never
playedplayed
Super Super
Mario Mario
World”World”
TED TIMMINS,
TED TIMMINS,
LIONHEADLIONHEAD
STUDIOS STUDIOS
73
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GAMESRADAR PRESENTS CLASSIC GAMING VOL.3
STAR WARS:
KNIGHTS OF THE
OLD REPUBLIC
2003 was a long, long time ago in gaming, but BioWare’s first crack
at a sci-fi RPG has never been far, far away from its players’ hearts
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BEHIND THE SCENES: KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC
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gamesradar presents classic gaming vol.3
cover. There’s a quest involving a protocol entered the series, in Karen Traviss’s Boba Fett:
droid forced into a sex-slave relationship A Practical Man, and BioWare was still facing
with his owner after the death of her husband, controversy over this stuff as of 2012’s Mass Effect 3.
with it choosing suicide over returning to her warm This willingness to take risks and dig deeper
organic embrace. Also, Bastila gets captured by into the universe would go into overdrive for the
the baddies, tortured, and actually breaks under sequel, The Sith Lords, a game designed by Chris
it, turning to the Dark Side and ultimately facing Avellone and his team at Obsidian rather than
the restored Revan in a potential duel to the death. BioWare. It’s a troubled game, seemingly rushed
Perhaps most surprisingly though, given out long before it was ready, but it still stands out
the main universe‘s general desire to avoid the as a fan-favourite for its fantastic writing that’s
subject entirely, KOTOR featured the Star Wars less interested in playing in the Star Wars universe
universe’s first homosexual character – an initially then taking a serrated scalpel to its soft underbelly
fallen Jedi (that fall having nothing to do with and gutting it like a particularly warm tauntaun.
her sexuality) called Juhani. It’s not treated as a Again, it follows a seemingly random soldier with
big deal, with her main character trait being her a hidden destiny, only this time it’s a borderline
temper and fear of it leading to the Dark Side, war criminal who severed her own link to the
■ Training sabers are very tame
. but it’s not hidden either. For context, it wouldn’t Force and now travels as a wound in it, whose
be until 2006 that another homosexual character advisor is less Obi Wan than an evil mother-in-law,
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behind the scenes: knights of the old republic
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GAMESRADAR PRESENTS CLASSIC GAMING VOL.3
of the game. At the same time though, the BioWare made the most of it – boosting it with a
difficulty can spike in truly painful ways. little contrast. You start the game as an anonymous
The final battle is especially bad for that, with it schmuck who isn’t even allowed to think about
being quite possible to get to Darth Malak and tangling with a Dark Jedi, never mind the fact
be completely the wrong build for a one-on-one that you’re pretty much in your space-pants at
fight. Epic Star Wars music blares through the the time. Midway through, you’re a force to be
speakers when the Benny Hill theme would be reckoned with on both your own achievements
more suitable, as you run around in a big circle, and as an in-game legend, with every battle
landing cheap hits and trying to heal up for another potentially starting with the whole squad stepping
run to whittle him down for the end cinematic. up and igniting their sabers. Talk about fan-service.
This was, however, BioWare’s first attempt at Other weapons are of course available, and
creating cinematic action, and as much as that balanced to not be completely useless, but you just
side stumbled, it’s easy to see why it continued to can’t beat that kind of introduction. It also didn’t
evolve its style through its next games. Its previous hurt that while traditionally Light Side Force users
RPGs had used bird’s-eye views, and most
other single-player RPGs were following
In terms of
either the same path or had gone fully first-
person. KOTOR’s third-person camera though IT SHOWS ITS AGE, BUT
story, depth was built to get right into the action, with
lightsabers flaring, grenades exploding, and
ALSO THE HEART THAT
and simple active-pausing making it possible to control a MADE IT A CLASSIC IN
humanity, it is full party while still having access to tactical
options – a power shot versus a volley of shots
THE FIRST PLACE
the best RPG for instance, or a carefully thrown grenade,
even as the characters flip around
the Xbox has to and clash blades and choke get relatively dull powers, KOTOR makes it
offer. Arguably the life from their enemies possible for anyone to use anything, at the cost
just like in the movies. Give of it draining far more Force points to deviate
it’s Xbox’s best or take a few Will saves. from alignment. It’s not a good idea, but there are
game since certainly enough characters who deserve a quick
■■■ We’d never lightning bolt tickle prior to the most goody-
Halo: Combat seen anything goody flavour beat-down. Whatever your
Evolved like it before in alignment though, KOTOR’s combat was
games, and seriously impressive stuff back in 2003.
Xbox Nation 9/10
■■■ THERE IS ALWAYS A TRY
October 2003
For old-school BioWare fans,
this turned out to be somewhat
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BEHIND THE SCENES: KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC
OF KOTOR
Baldur’s Gate, its sequel, and by extension the games
that were based on the technology like Planescape
Torment and Icewind Dale, which BioWare didn’t make
but were rolled into its karmic CV anyway. Its games
were far from the most hardcore RPG experiences
ever made, but they got closer than most of the
time, and can even claim some credit for restoring
the genre to prominence at the end of the Nineties.
After KOTOR though, BioWare’s march towards
the mainstream became unstoppable. Dragon Age
was intended to head back to its roots, but the sequel
wasted little time bouncing back again, while Mass
Effect went from fighting an internal battle between
shooting and RPG mechanics to just throwing up
its hands and becoming a pure cover-shooter.
The biggest sadness for KOTOR fans though
remains KOTOR 3, the game that we’ll now never
get. Instead, The Old Republic sold itself as being
KOTOR 3 through 12 or so, though single-player fans
might disagree. A few murmurs have surfaced over
the years of what it was going to be though, which THE DESTRUCTION OF TARIS
was to finish Revan’s story with the idea that he On a strictly dramatic level, the villains glassing this tutorial planet just to kill you
(for he’s canonically male) and KOTOR 2 ’s really raises the stakes. But mostly, it’s because Taris is awful, so seeing it burn is
character (canonically female) would join actually darkly satisfying. On the PC version of KOTOR, there’s even a patch to skip
together to battle a ‘true’ Sith empire from the planet entirely.
another part of the galaxy. These wouldn‘t
simply be guys in Nazi-style uniforms,
but ‘True‘ Sith, with slave races and
Force mastery, described in
similar terms to Babylon 5‘s
Shadows. This all plays out in
some form as part of The Old
Republic’s backstory, with
Revan returning in a failed
attempt to raise a droid
army to fight the Emperor
in one of the game’s ANYTHING THAT THE EVIL
Flashpoints (dungeons). HK-47 SAYS ACADEMY
The ultimate end of his He’s just a quote factory. As just one The Evil Academy is a rare chance
tale has yet to be told. random example: “Explanation: You to get up close and personal with the
have all these squishy parts, master. baddies, as the team has to try to
The disappointment over
And all that water! How the constant keep its hands clean in a sick school
the lack of a proper KOTOR sloshing doesn‘t drive you mad, I have for Sith. Or not so clean, depending on
3 though is arguably one of no idea…” your moral tastes.
the finest compliments that
can be paid the original. It broke
ground for BioWare, turning it from
a beloved studio into a studio
to be reckoned with, and gave
the Star Wars series a shot in
the arm at a time when many
fans were recoiling from the
prequel films and the
sight of T-Shirts with
Jar Jar Binks’ face on
them. Over a decade
later, it’s still an RPG
DARTH REVAN THE DARK SIDE
Your identity is built up to via a series KOTOR plays it both ways, with the
that demands as much of mysterious flashes and hints of chance to redeem Bastila after she falls,
respect as it showed fans and the something going on long before the or embrace it yourself. It’s not a fun
franchise alike – a classic that big reveal. When it comes, though, it’s thing to deal with either way though,
shows its age, but also the heart that very obvious in retrospect, yet it’s still and blood can be spilled even with
made it a classic in the first place. utterly brilliant. good intentions.
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gamesradar presents
gamesradar presents
classic gaming
classic vol.3vol.3
gaming
SUPER
SUPER
STAR
STAR
WARS:
WARS:
RETURN
RETURN
OFOF
THE
THE
JEDI
JEDI
SNES
SNES
[JVC]
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1995
1995
■ While
■ While
we’rewe’re
also also
big fans of Super
big fans of Super
Star Star
Wars: Wars:
The Empire
The Empire
Strikes
Strikes
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’s hand-severing
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climax,
it wasit was
this this
elongated
elongated
encounter
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that that
pittedpitted
LeiaLeia
– decked
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in her infan-teasing
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slaveslave
girl garb
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– against
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her slimy
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in the
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that that
we decided
we decidedto gotofor.
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the disorienting
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of Jabba
of Jabba
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sail barge, Return
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level
’s level
designdesign
and and
fast-and-
fast-and-
looseloose
approach
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lore never
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to frustrate.
to frustrate.
Nevertheless,
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the final
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and and
the hedonistic
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Asit.Max
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Reebo’s
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bandbandstarestare
motionlessly
motionlesslyin theinbackground,
the background, Jabba’s
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barrage
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of attacks
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– vomiting
– vomiting
frog frog
snackssnacks
and and
thrusting
thrusting
his dais
his dais
into Leia
into Leia
– leave
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the Princess
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to run.
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eveneven
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it’s this
it’s freak.
this freak.
86 80
86
bestbest
boss: super
boss: super
starstar
warswars
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gamesradar presents classic gaming vol.3
SimCity 2000
OCEAN QUIGLEY, JELLYGRADE
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why i love: simcity 2000
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GAMESRADAR PRESENTS CLASSIC GAMING VOL.3
GAME CHANGERS
MORTAL KOMBAT
Released: 8 October 1992 Publisher: Virgin (EU), Midway Games (US) Developer: Midway Games (Arcade), Acclaim Games (Consoles)
System: Arcade, Amiga, Sega MegaDrive, SNES
Ed
Boon and John
ted heads
Tobias’ decapita
im paled on spikes
can be seen
Th Pit stage
e
at the bottom of
e best developer
–possibly th
cameo ever?
The original video(game) nasty, Mortal Kombat has had a much bigger impact
on the games industry than is immediately evident - we examine how a
game built in under a year shaped gaming forever
THERE ARE FEW games franchises as On top of that, Mortal Kombat also introduced
notably controversial as Mortal Kombat – it its unique five-button control scheme that has
was one of the first videogames to divide since become a standard in the series. A series of
gamers and the mainstream press, its bloody incredibly basic light attacks are complemented by
depiction of one-on-one violence a step too far for launchers, low moves and supers – all of which use
some of the more conservative commentators when simple left, right, up or down inputs, unlike Street
it was released in late 1992. Arriving first on arcade Fighter’s quarter- and half-circles. This, along with
machines, the game that would go on to spawn a slew the relatively shallow move pools, made it far easier
of proper sequels and licensed spin offs (and some for casuals to pick up than its genre rival: another
terrible movies…) almost wasn’t made at all. reason the game quickly gained mass popularity.
In 1991, Midway tasked developers Ed Boon and
John Tobias with creating a fighting game that ■ ■ ■ AFTER SUCCESS IN the arcades, Mortal
could be put together and ready for release within Kombat’s name began to circulate around gaming
a year – presumably to cash in on the hype that circles and, inevitably, the media – it matched even
Capcom’s Street Fighter II had initiated a year earlier. its inspirational peer, Street Fighter II, in terms of
Ten months later, the game was ready – an initial popularity, by 1993. Of course, the ultra-violence and
development team of four people taking on the bulk of over-the-top executions garnered the most attention;
development. Impressive considering the whole game with international press claiming the game glorifies
is crammed into 8mb of data, with a 64-colour palette murder and violence. It’s comic book violence, sure
and 300 animations per each of the seven characters. – something the action movies of the time easily
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GAME CHANGERS: MORTAL KOMBAT
★ Street Fighter II, Capcom’s seminal ★ In the very early stages of the game’s ★ The reason that Mortal Kombat had
fighting game, directly caused Mortal development, the studio had named Liu such a short time in development (only ten
Kombat’s creation. When Midway’s Kang ‘Minamoto no Yoshitsune’ – a name months) was because Midway only ever
rival launched, Capcom went as far as later dropped by Boon because he “just intended it to be a stop-gap in its other
advertising Street Fighter as the superior couldn’t deal with the name”. Goro, too, arcade plans... this then allowed Ed Boon
fighting title in an attempt to stem Mortal came from a Japanese myth – based on and John Tobias free rein on the project,
Kombat’s very impressive sales rush. Rokurokubi: demons with stretchy heads. and, as they say, the rest is history!
outclassed – but being able to enact it yourself didn’t KEY part (“Genesis does what Nintendon’t” was a genuine
sit too well with a lot of people, especially the parents slogan used at the time). Sega had tapped into that
of children who would wander into arcades and play
FACTS anarchic, ‘screw the man’ rebellious nature of the
the game without any kind of supervision. ■ Mortal Kombat Nineties with much aplomb.
The press backlash against the game’s trademark mainstay Jonny
‘Fatality’ finishers was in full swing by the time the Cage was ■ ■ ■ TRANSIENT PROFITS ARE all well and good,
game was ready to move into the home console supposed to be a but the decision to release the game uncensored
market. For publishers, this was a tantalising virtual version of would return to haunt Sega and Acclaim when
opportunity: all news is good news, and during Jean-Claude Van their game was taken to the Supreme Court under
Damme (hence
the Nintendo Vs. Sega console wars of the early accusation of being ‘a menace to America’s children’.
the ‘JC’ initials)
Nineties, Sega executives were licking their lips at Sega executives believed the case was pushed to
but the actor
the opportunity to get one over on their Nintendo court by Nintendo, though no solid proof of this exists.
dropped out during
rivals. Sensing the hunger for the blood and violence Without Mortal Kombat bringing the ‘problem’
negotiations…
Mortal Kombat offered in the now-maturing games leaving a parody in with violent videogames to the attention of the
community, Sega cannily released the home version his place general public, we wouldn’t have the Entertainment
on the MegaDrive with the ‘Arcade Edition’ dub: Software Association (a body that started out as the
something Nintendo’s tame, bloodless, murder-less ■ The game went Independent Digital Software Association). From
version didn’t on the SNES. through the names lobbying in Washington to fighting censorship, the
The result? Sega saw their market share climb Kumite, Dragon ESA vowed to self-regulate, setting up the ERSB
to 55% in 1993, the first time Sega had ever pulled Attack, Death Blow ratings system – which influenced our European PEGI
ahead of Nintendo in the console war, with thanks to and Fatality! before (Pan European Game Information) – and even led to
some particularly aggressive advertising on Sega’s the developers the creation of E3.
finally settled on Since then, aside from a little in-fighting between
Mortal Kombat hardware manufacturers, the games industry has
MORTAL KOMBAT’S after someone been largely united in its drive to present games as
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GAMESRADAR PRESENTS CLASSIC GAMING VOL.3
GAME CHANGERS
MORTAL KOMBAT’S
BLOODIEST MOMENTS
THE ORIGINAL MORTAL KOMBAT IS THE REASON OUR INDUSTRY IS
BOUND BY A SELF-IMPOSED RATINGS SYSTEM… BUT THAT GAME’S
VIOLENCE AND GORE WAS JUST THE BEGINNING. DON’T SCAN THIS
PAGE IF YOU DON’T WANT ANY HIGH-OCTANE NIGHTMARE FUEL…
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GAME CHANGERS: MORTAL KOMBAT
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the ultimate guide: teenage mutant ninja turtles
TEENAGE MUTANT
NINJA TURTLES
1989
SYSTEM: HANDHELD
Konami released several
handheld games based on Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtles in a broad
stroke of marketing to compensate
for the relative infancy of the home
videogame market. The gameplay
was unique enough that Konami TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES:
filed a patent, and while the few FALL OF THE FOOT CLAN 1990
modes, basic animations and
crude combat haven’t aged well, it SYSTEM: GAME BOY
remains another inspired artefact of The first Game Boy Turtles title is a slimmed-down version of the
the Turtles’ media supremacy. It was previous side-scrolling beat-’em-ups. Once again Shredder and Krang
released a few years later in Europe have kidnapped April O’Neil and the reptilian heroes have to battle
under the family-friendly ‘Hero through five stages to thwart their evil schemes. There’s a lack of fun, but
Turtles’ branding. plenty of pizza.
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gamesradar presents classic gaming vol.3
TEENAGE MUTANT
NINJA TURTLES DEDICATED
DEDICATED
III: SHREDDER’S
LAST STAND 1991
CONSOLES
CONSOLES
The Teenage Mutant
SYSTEM: HANDHELD Ninja Turtles didn’t
Another LCD game in the just appear on various
popular line of handheld
electronic games, this time
consoles over the years,
released by Tiger Electronics. but starred on their own
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: Rather hilariously the game dedicated systems
WORLD TOUR 1990 doesn’t actually feature Shredder.
THE WAY OF THE WARRIOR
SYSTEM: AMIGA, AMSTEAD, ATARI ST, COMMODORE 64,
DOS, ZX SPECTRUM Functioning in a similar way to
Part of a series of computer colouring books created by defunct PlayStation EyeToy games, The
developer Brian A. Rice, Inc. (it also produced similar Electronic Crayon Way Of The Warrior was a Turtles
titles featuring Mario and Sesame Street), this Turtles-themed instalment system featuring a camera that
features 30 pictures of famous landmarks to colour in, including the tracked player movements in the
Kremlin, Taj Mahal and the Alps. game. Featuring five modes, each
is just a variation on punching
things as quickly as possible.
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the ultimate guide: teenage mutant ninja turtles
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GAMESRADAR PRESENTS CLASSIC GAMING VOL.3
TMNT 2007
SYSTEM: MULTI
Ubisoft seized the rights to
TMNT, releasing its first major
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: console release to coincide with the
MUTANT MELEE 2005 decent animated movie. Given the
all-encompassing multi-platform
SYSTEM: GAMECUBE, PS2,XBOX, PC release, the quality varies massively
A novel spin-off that enables multiple TMNT characters to compete from console to console. The home
across four different game modes. It’s largely forgettable due to the console iterations are dull; the GBA
repetitive gameplay and the minuscule battlegrounds. version is the most enjoyable.
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THE ULTIMATE GUIDE: TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES
TEENAGE MUTANT
NINJA TURTLES 2013
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: SYSTEM: XBOX 360, WII, 3DS
TURTLES IN TIME RE-SHELLED 2009 Published by Activision, this effort proved to be another
SYSTEM: XBOX LIVE, PSN commercial misfire. Even the slavish dedication to its source
material and high-profile voice cast can’t save the Xbox 360
Having failed to bring the Turtles back to gamers in any
version from the usual woes of repetitive combat and uninspired
meaningful (read: financially successful) way, Ubisoft opted to
mission design. The 3DS iteration fares slightly better; however, the
give an HD touch-up to the most beloved entry in the franchise.
truncated campaign length and lack of meaningful challenge make
Inevitably, it couldn’t quite live up to the original game it was
it mediocre at best. Suffice to say that the Turtles’ halcyon days are
based on. The lack of drop-in/drop-out multiplayer was a sore point
long since past.
with fans and the overall art direction lacked the slickness of the
Nineties version. Nevertheless, the core gameplay remained mostly
unchanged (although animations were given a little extra whizz-
bang). It’s a testament to the timeless original that even with a few
poor design decisions Re-Shelled is as enthralling as ever.
TEENAGE
MUTANT NINJA
TURTLES:
ARCADE
ATTACK 2009
SYSTEM: NINTENDO DS
The Nintendo DS got its
own Turtles-flavoured beat- TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES:
’em-up in 2009. It takes in MUTANTS IN MANHATTAN 2016
aspects of the original Mirage
comics, as well as the most SYSTEM: VARIOUS
recent animated adventures The first TMNT game released on the new generation of consoles was
into consideration in this yet another disappointment – with the digital version being removed from
mediocre handheld title. digital stores less than a year after going on sale.
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gamesradar presents classic gaming vol.3
BEST INTRO
MEGA MAN 2
NES [CAPCOM] 1988
OFTEN THE MOST memorable openings in videogames are the ones that display the most
elaborate visuals, which is why contemporary games are often celebrated loudest – case in
point: BioShock’s maiden descent into Rapture. But even within the limited capabilities of basic
console hardware (in this case the NES) developers found increasingly distinctive ways to create
dynamic visual moments for players to marvel at. Mega Man 2 does just that with only a few lines
of text, flawlessly setting the scene for the ensuing experience; the camera sweeps up a skyscraper as
the music swells, revealing Mega Man standing proudly atop. It’s one of the most rousing moments in the
history of gaming, one that can’t fail to make gamers ridiculously pumped-up about what lies ahead. As far as
heroic entrances go, all other videogame icons should take note.
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BEHIND THE SCENES: WIP3OUT
BEHIND THE SCENES The success of Wipeout 64 showed how popular the
franchise had remained among gamers but the team
WIP3OUT
working on Wip3out at Psygnosis‘ Leeds studio was
afforded very few luxuries. It was hit with both a tight
schedule and a small budget because Sony needed
the game to be released before gamers gave up on
the PlayStation and moved to the PS2. But for many of
those involved, the opportunity was too good to pass
It may not have flown off the shelves and so they threw themselves into the task in hand
with great focus.
but Wip3out was the best of the games As if to underline how tight the schedule was, the
team had just nine months to get the game on to shop
in the franchise to hit the PlayStation. shelves (it was sold as WipEout 3 in the US). “It was a
very quick turnaround for a game, even considering
We discover how it was made that we had a solid foundation to start with in the
previous title, 2097,” says Imlach. “Because of this, we
had to be careful about features – anything too new
WHAT IS IN A NAME? Quite a lot, if or untried would be high risk and we couldn't afford
that name happens to be WipEout, the fast- to slip much. So the innovations were small, and the
moving, futuristic racer that had hearts focus was put on refining what already existed. The
pulsating and fingers twitching upon its debut in team was also quite small relative to other games.”
1995. Canny marketing by The Designers Republic The first task for the team was to identify any
and its unique in-game styling produced a game that niggles that had emerged with past games in the
transcended a still-young, nerd-labelled industry. In franchise and right them. The main problem with the
doing so, it put WipEout centre stage in bleeding-edge very first game was its difficulty, an issue that saw
nightclubs and the rave-infested underground culture, a great many gamer fail to progress further than a
ensuring the game pulled in sackfuls of dollars. couple of tracks before throwing their joypad down in
In 1999, some three years after the sequel WipEout anger at yet another stalled run. “The first game was
Released: 1999 2097, developer Psygnosis, which was by now under seminal and groundbreaking, but a little rough round
Format: PlayStation Sony ownership, decided to revisit the game as a the edges particularly with unforgiving ship handling,”
Publisher: Psygnosis PlayStation exclusive. It fiddled with the name by says programmer David Jefferies. To address this,
Key Staff: David Jefferies reversing the letter E to produce a number 3 for the Imlach says the game balance was evened up, giving
(programmer), Wayne Imlach European version – thus creating Wip3out – but the it a “shallower progression” than the previous games,
(lead design), Nicky Wescott game wasn‘t the third in the series. It was the fourth. “Yet retaining the insane skill requirements at the
(lead graphics), Gary McKill The third had been a Nintendo 64 exclusive put out a highest levels.”
(music and sound), Alan year earlier called Wipeout 64. ”It was seen as more Rather than write the game from scratch, the team
Raistrick (producer) of a hybrid of WipEout & WipEout 2097 rather than a took WipEout 2097 as its starting point, pulling out
standalone in its own right, even though it introduced a development version of that game so that it had
a bunch of game features unique to the N64 version, something to work on almost immediately. Imlach
which found themselves used in later iterations,” says headed up a team of three level designers and his
Wip3out lead designer Wayne Imlach. job was to redesign the game's basic elements and
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GAMESRADAR PRESENTS CLASSIC GAMING VOL.3
LISTEN UP
of the game. His team was not only able to
make use of a set of recently released PlayStation
code optimisation utilities, but they were also able to
DJ Sasha seized control of the music on Wip3out draw on years of experience that had given them a
strong insight into how far they could potentially take
THE WIPEOUT SERIES had already game's CD could even be played in a the PSOne.
gained a reputation for its musical standard CD player. “The music was
“We felt we could really push the technical
excellence, drawing upon the more cohesive – I think getting a single
underground rave culture, which gripped individual to mix and direct the various envelope of what was possible on the PlayStation,
the UK at that time. compositions gave the game a more adding some features that were missing, giving the
With Wip3out, DJ Sasha was asked to focused track list, without sacrificing the visuals a complete overhaul from The Designer’s
oversee the soundtrack and, so confident techno/club soundtrack that defined the Republic but keeping to the values of the franchise
was the game's developer that people series,” says lead designer Wayne Imlach so that fans of the previous games wouldn’t feel
would want to listen to the tunes, the on this revolutionary decision. alienated by the new game,” says Jefferies. Imlach
agrees. “One of the advantages of developing for
THE CHEMICAL PAUL VAN DYK a mature system is the refinement that comes from
BROTHERS (8%) knowing the hardware inside out, hence the hi-res
(8%)
without a sacrifice of frame rate which is something
PROPELLER- that wasn't possible with the earlier iterations.”
HEADS
(8%) ■■■ AS WITH THE previous versions of WipEout,
the game was written first and foremost for PAL
PlayStations running at 25 frames per second. It
ORBITAL was then converted for a NTSC audience at 30fps.
(8%) A side effect of this, says Jefferies, was that the
NTSC versions of the game ran a little quicker at
the expense of slightly lower resolution, but because
the game didn’t perform any timing conversions, the
SASHA race clock ran faster on the NTSC version. “This
UNDERWORLD (45%) explains why your race times are 20 per cent faster
(8%) than your American friends,” he exclaims.
But the team was also keen on using aspects
of the PlayStation that development teams had
MKL previously avoided. “One of our priorities was using
(15%) the PlayStation's hi-def and widescreen mode which,
On! for Wipeout 64, so up to that point, had been considered unusable
SASHA – Sasha UNDERWORLD – by development teams,” explains Jefferies. “By
was the musical director This British electronic giving Lethal Cut to
Wip3out was something of optimising the renderer we were able to increase the
on Wip3out and he group had its origins in
a natural progression. resolution of the game from the standard 256 x 240
dominated the game's the Eighties, but it was
audio, contributing no hugely popular in the to 512 x 256, which made for a much crisper image.”
fewer than six of the 13 mid-Nineties thanks to the THE CHEMICAL An interesting side effect of running the game
tracks including FEISAR, success of Born Slippy, a BROTHERS – No strangers in a widescreen 512 x 256 was that the technique
Icarus, Auricom, Goteki tune made famous thanks to the WipEout franchise, allowed for the rendering of two perfectly square
45, Pirhana and Xpander. to the Danny Boyle classic The Chemical Brothers
split screens side-by-side rather than the usual top
He also headlined a movie Trainspotting. had allowed Chemical
Beats to be used on the and bottom. Each split screen was therefore 256 x
club tour of the USA Underworld contributed 256, “Or to put it another way, they were both the
sponsored by developer Kittens to Wip3out. first game. Wip3out saw
the inclusion of the tune same resolution as single screen Wipeout 2097 and
Psygnosis. He told music
Influence as well. running on the same hardware. Impressive stuff,”
paper NME at the time: ORBITAL – Brothers
“The series has always Phil and Paul Hartnoll enthuses Jefferies.
had a huge underground made up the dance PAUL VAN DYK – The split-screen functionality allowed for one-TV
following – I'm certain that music duo Orbital, which German electronic dance multiplayer, an advance on the original version that
the crossover between recorded Know Where music DJ Paul van Dyk is
the people who listen to To Run for Wip3out. Paul no stranger to videogames
my music and those who must have been struck by today, having produced
enjoy games like WipEout the opportunity because, tunes for FIFA, Need For
is enormous.” following the break-up Speed, DJ Hero, Grand
of Orbital, he went on to Slam Tennis, Mirror's
MKL – With two dance record tracks for the 2005 Edge and more, but his
tunes – Surrender and game Wipeout Pure on first taste of a gaming
Control – MKL's decision the PSP. soundtrack came with
to switch from being a Avenue on Wip3out.
drummer to the producer PROPELLERHEADS
of electronic music – This big-beat musical
certainly paid off. ensemble had already
included the song Bang
■ The graphical boundaries of the PlayStation were pushed
with Wip3out, producing a game that was both high-res and fast.
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BEHIND THE SCENES: WIP3OUT
required players to connect two PlayStations via a when it came to rasterise the polygons, it discarded
serial cable in order to play against friends. “The any notion of depth and perspective and rasterised
drawback with the old system was that you needed the triangles as 2D textures,” he says.
two tellies, two PlayStations and two copies of the “It was this that caused the textures to ‘swim’
game – all in one room, which limited the number of unconvincingly as they approached the camera.
people who could experience it, especially given the These artefacts were compounded by the hardware’s
weight of old CRT tellies back then – they were not inability to clip polygons as they approach the camera
easy to carry around your friend’s house,”
Jefferies exclaims humorously.
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GAMESRADAR PRESENTS CLASSIC GAMING VOL.3
STAYING ON TRACK
From 20 to 8: how the Wip3out designers chose the best courses
■ TRACK DESIGN is one of which entailed much play- and disadvantages to the
the key elements to absolutely testing by the team to ensure different craft manufacturers
any racing game, so it comes that the tracks were as perfect with tighter tracks favouring
as no surprise to learn that as reasonably possible. the slower yet nimbler ships.”
the Wip3out team took it very According to lead designer Once the tracks were chosen,
seriously. The artists produced Wayne Imlach, the criteria for “They were worked up into the
around 20 tracks in total, but selection was not only down final tracks with environment
just eight of those were chosen to overall skill requirements, and buildings and spot effects
for the main game, a process “But to provide advantages and so on,” continues Jefferies.
(laden with like DR was on the team, which was massively THE TEAM HAD JUST
Designer’s
important,” adds Jefferies.
The levels were initially built with no dressingNINE MONTHS TO GET
Republic whatsoever – just basic polygon tracks floating
in space. The artists started “by lofting a racing
THE GAME INTO SHOPS
intervention line in SoftImage and exporting it into the game
engine,” says Jefferies, of a drafting technique
as in the rest that allows for the generation of curved lines. “You expectation of knowing to some degree how it
of the game) could race the tracks at this point but, visually, they might affect the game before you tested it. We didn‘t
looked like a ribbon of track going through space with have time for random design. You needed to know
to the flawless no background.” what you were doing and have a reason for every
injection- This was done because the team felt it was corner, curve and crossover.”
important to get the racing aspect feeling right before The artists distinguished the game from WipEout
moulded spending any time on set dressing, as changes to the 2097 by using a different palette and cleaner
smoothness layout would be expensive once scenery was built. lines, helped by the hi-res mode, but the game still
“We spent quite a bit of time analysing the tracks conveyed the futuristic cityscapes and environments
of the tracks, that defined the look of the game. “I think it felt a
supremacy of little more mature in terms of art style, which was
appropriate as it was the last of the series to come
construction out on the generation of consoles it was originally
is in evidence created on,” says Imlach. As a bonus, four more
unlockable test tracks were produced late in
everywhere development “using the vector art style as
PLAY, 1999 a cheap way to introduce more tracks without
the art overhead,” Imlach adds.
Wip3out was also given a replay function because
the team believed that the high-speed races deserved
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BEHIND THE SCENES: WIP3OUT
to be viewed from different camera angles. Jefferies praised the title for its graphics, split screen, new
says the technical concept behind replays on the weapons and soundtrack. And yet sales of the game
PlayStation was simple – “you recorded each button were sluggish. Not even a special edition released in
that the user pressed on each frame and then, for the Europe in 2000 could make it into an overwhelming
replay, you simply played back each button press and success despite bringing different craft physics, older
the race would unfold exactly the same as it did the courses and four-person multiplayer to the table. The
first time round” – but, in practice, retro-fitting replays problem, says Jefferies, was the European-centric
to a game that didn’t support them proved to be an nature of the franchise and also because attention
immensely fiddly and frustrating task. was switching to other, more advanced machines.
“All of the physics, artificial intelligence and random “WipEout was always a very European and UK
number generation had to be exactly deterministic, series and so the relatively low sales compared to
which is never the case,” he recalls. “If you feed titles that sold across the world wasn’t that surprising,”
the same values into an AI system twice then you Jefferies says. It didn't help, he continues passionately,
might expect it to give you the same result each that Wip3out was the first PlayStation title to ship
time but, in practice, AI and physics systems have a with a new form of copy protection that meant even
degree of randomness built into them to make them legitimate copies of the game would not play on a
unpredictable, so when you try and replay a race modded PlayStation. “People who had modded their
it looks different to first time around. When you add console had no choice but to acquire a pirated version
to this the fact that extensive randomness is used of the game, which had the copy protection stripped
throughout the particle systems – which are different from it,” he says. “I don't know if this meant that we lost
depending on camera angle (and of course camera lots of potential sales but later titles no longer used
angle is different in a replay) – then it becomes a huge that form of copy protection.”
■ The overall look and feel of Wip3out
spaghetti mess that you have to untangle to achieve Of course, Wip3out wasn't the end of the franchise. was of a PlayStation 2 game. This was
this feature.” It became Sony's baby, spawning more sequels important, however, in order to sell copies
at the end of the PSOne‘s life.
including WipEout Fusion, WipEout Pure, WipEout
■■■ NOT THAT THE end result suffered. Indeed, Pulse, WipEout HD and WipEout 2048. WipEout games
replays looked great and the process was so efficient have since appeared on the PS2, the PSP, the PS3 and
that the team was able to use some of the spare the PS Vita, and finally arriving on the PS4 in 2017 in the
processing time to put some flare and trail effects on form of WipEout: Omega Collection. “Everyone loved
the ships. The look and feel of the game was stunning WipEout,” says Jefferies. “The slickness, the visuals,
with the futuristic graphic design championed by The the graphic design, the music and the club culture had
Designers Republic and a render engine displayed perfectly captured the PlayStation generation.”
to its full potential. “The whole package ended up
working very well together and consequently the
game came away with the Best Design award at
BAFTA for 1999,” says Jefferies proudly.
The game coincided with the advent of the analogue
controller and so, for the first time, the series was
able to benefit from added support for these sticks.
It had proven to be a popular control method and,
given Sony's influence on Wip3out, it was something
the coding team could not afford to dismiss. Even
so, it was a controversial inclusion. “The nature
of analogue input is very different to digital input
and it ended up making the racing easier because
analogue controls afforded the player more control
over the input,” admits Jefferies. “This upset some
traditionalists who didn’t like us releasing a version
of the game where better times could be gained by
using the DualShock.”
But it wasn't as if the game was easy. It did have a
difficult learning curve and this went down well with
reviewers who raved over the game in both the
specialist and national press which also
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GAMESRADAR PRESENTS CLASSIC GAMING VOL.3
GAME CHANGERS
SPACE
INVADERS
Released: 1978 Publisher: Taito Developer: In-house System: Arcade
The Space
Invaders IP is
ned by
technically ow since
today,
Square Eni x
se corporation
the Japane e
majorit y shar
purchased a 05.
in Taito in 20
It conquered the arcades in the Seventies and Eighties and invented a genre,
but Space Invaders also became an axiom for creative engineering
THERE’S AN EXPRESSION often overused When Space Invaders arrived in arcades back
throughout videogame critique pointing in the late Seventies, it’s fair to say that no one had
towards an elusive ‘Citizen Kane moment’; ever seen anything quite like it before. Arcades were
a phrase that, despite its opaque and unashamedly teeming with cabinets that displayed a variety of
extraneous nature, insinuates rather prophetically experiences rooted in reality: sport simulators, racing
that – in a similar fashion to Orson Welles’ seminal games and the occasional Western showdown,
motion picture – one videogame will define its each either tangible or derivative in some way
medium as a serious platform for both technical or another. Initially creator Tomohiro Nishikado
excellence and creative expressionism. Now, we’re envisioned players fending off waves of tanks,
not here to debate whether such a thing exists or not, warplanes and soldiers, but soon a more fantastical
but there’s clearly a flagrant injustice highlighted approach replaced the war theme – due in part
by the very idea that the industry is still to this day to the questionable taste of exterminating waves
anticipating such a moment to arrive when it has of people, not to mention the sudden popularity
arguably already passed. Space Invaders, a title in 1977 of space movies like Star Wars and Close
that debuted in Japan in 1978, was a bold, innovative Encounters Of The Third Kind in the US. The idea of
and immensely influential title that not only laid the an alien onslaught captured the imagination of the
groundwork for some of the most important industry public like nothing else, maybe because it explored
developments to date, but to this day remains one of a generation’s pervasive paranoia, fear of invasion
the purest, most enriching pieces of software ever from a superior militant force and fascination with
created. It did then, as it still does now, perfectly the stars, or maybe it was just because it was, unlike
encapsulate the iconic nature symbolised by that the majority of coin-ops of the time, original. Beyond
aforementioned hoary phrase. its rudimental presentation, it was thematic in its
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GAME CHANGERS: SPACE INVADERS
INNOVATION CONTROVERSY
★ There was nothing like ★ One accolade that mostly
Space Invaders at the time of goes ignored by Space Invaders
its release. It presented several is the amount of controversy it
fresh gameplay ideas, a sense of courted after its release in the
the fantastical and even packed US. Newspapers ran stories
in a narrative in some form. Up about penny-pinching children,
until that point, most gamers zombified youth and health
were used to playing racing or issues all caused by the game. It
sports games. all sounds awfully familiar…
structure with an inherent tension borne by its keen return fire at the player, it introduced the idea of
design choices. It wasn’t the first game to be set in KEY assigning a number of lives to the player and it also
the outer reaches of the universe, but it was one of the
first to understand the excitement that can be drawn
FACTS popularised the concept of achieving a high score
– not only that, but it was the first game that actually
from looking beyond the realm of plausibility and ■ It’s rumoured recorded scores to its internal memory.
how the medium can utilise story effectively without that the arcade It’s impossible to over-emphasise how important
compromising urgency. version of the game the latter point was in both Space Invaders ’ success
was responsible and its ensuing legacy. That notion of competition
■ ■ ■ MUCH OF ITS success is down to the for Japan’s coin spurred a generation to gather around the hum
shortage during its
gameplay design as it is the choice of theme, or of the CRT screen and compete for a place on
time of release.
rather how they both naturally complement one a scoreboard, to pour coin after coin into the
another. Spacewar! may predate it, but Space mechanism for another opportunity to prove their
Invaders ultimately birthed the shoot-’em-up genre ■ The Atari 2600 resolve and their prowess; it was a way for players to
port of Space
as we know it. Enemies falling down the screen, the create a legacy.
Raiders was the
player having to repel their attack with weapons, The sense of community for anyone old enough to
first home licence of
clearing the screen to progress to the next stage. It’s remember was infectious, rallying together around
a coin-op game.
a template that would be adapted by other arcade a cabinet that offered an unlimited challenge.
classics like Galaxian, Phoenix, 1942, Xevious and ■ Being a good The difficulty increase, the open-ended nature of
Galaga, to name a few, and latterly inspire more port, it was one of the gameplay and the constant beckoning of the
modern examples like Blazing Lazers, Raiden, the Atari 2600’s scoreboard drove players – in fact, the world – into
Radiant Silvergun, and Ikaruga. Oh, and then it was killer app releases a frenzy.
more-or-less adapted into the horizontal-scrolling and helped Alas, the arcade may slowly be dying – its
space shooters like Gradius and R-Type. And if that’s shift millions of darkened halls replaced over the years by living
not enough, indulge us for a moment as we rattle off consoles following rooms and later fibre-optic broadband – but the
a few of the notable features Taito’s title pioneered: it the game’s home ideas Space Invaders presented still burn bright.
was the first arcade game where the in-game targets release in 1980. It didn’t take long for it to invade home consoles
(turning the fortunes around on the Atari 2600)
■ Space Invaders
SPACE INVADERS
and that’s where it continues to stay. And while the
introduced
international original has been adapted, remade and reinvented
ULTIMATELY markets to multiple times over the years to varying degrees of
success, it’s impact is embedded in today’s most
BIRTHED THE SHOOT- Japanese
videogames. lucrative franchises, celebrated indie darlings and
’EM-UP GENRE AS WE Previously
Midway, Atari and
experimental curios, so sprawling and multifarious
to even attempt listing, that continue to pass on its
KNOW IT Exidy ruled the legacy. A Citizen Kane moment may be a fallacy, but
videogaming roost. a Space Invaders one we can all believe in.
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GAMESRADAR PRESENTS CLASSIC GAMING VOL.3
GAME CHANGERS
THE INVASION
CHARTING THE EVOLUTION OF SPACE
INVADERS IN ARCADES OVER THE YEARS
DEBUTING IN 1978, SPACE INVADERS HASN’T REALLY LEFT
ARCADES IN THE YEARS SINCE. WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE MAJOR
ARCADE RELEASES IN THE FRANCHISE’S HISTORY
SPACE INVADERS
1978
The original is still the best in the series with its addictive gameplay and vibrant visual staples. As we’ve spent the last page discussing, it
pioneered modern game design to such an extent that its ideas are still prevalent today and it has been attributed with transforming the
industry as a whole from a novelty into a global industry. Remarkable really, when you consider it’s all the work of one man.
SPACE SPACE
INVADERS INVADERS II
PART II (MIDWAY)
1979 1980
Released just a year Confusingly titled Space
later than the original Invaders II – after Space
Space Invaders, Space Invaders Part II was
Invaders Part II is released as Deluxe
almost identical to its Space Invaders in the
predecessor aside US – this cocktail-table
from the more colourful iteration of the original
visuals and slightly was released in the US
modified gameplay. only. Developed in-house
One example is the two at Midway, it contains the
different flying saucer first two-player mode in
types, while there are the series; where players
also some variations can fight off alien waves
on enemy behaviour together, while also trying
once you manage to progress past the first wave of aliens – to eviscerate each other simultaneously. A superb twist on the
invaders that split into two and flying saucers that drop alien formula, the cabinet has been underrated in the years since
reinforcements to further exacerbate proceedings. (probably due to its rarity).
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GAME CHANGERS: SPACE INVADERS
MININVADERS SPACE
1990 INVADERS DX
Featuring precisely 1993
the same gameplay A fully-fleshed remake of
and similar black the original boasting a
and white visuals to range of modes (including
the original Space a colour overlay version
Invaders, there’s nothing that is purposely out of
to really distinguish alignment for fidelity's
this arcade entry from sake), it implemented
Taito’s 1978 release. a multitude of features
Well, in fact there’s that had appeared
quite a simple reason throughout the series
for that: Mininvaders in the years since the
was created by the franchise debuted in 1978.
developer purely for use However, it’s most notable
as a test board for other for introducing a parody
coin-op cabinets that mode that replaced the
were in production. It also only appeared in Japan and was bereft traditional Space Invaders sprites with characters from other
of any audio output or scoring system, making for a unique yet classic Taito games including Bubble Bobble, The New Zealand
dull affair. Story and Darius.
SPACE SPACE
INVADERS ‘95 INVADERS:
1995 THE BEAT
A departure from the ATTACKER
more grounded visual 2003
design of previous Space Invaders returned
instalments, this 1995 to the arcades in rather
edition instead embraces stylish form in 2003.
a vibrant, cartoony Lifting its concept from
aesthetic that paints the arcade rhythm-action
alien life forms as joyful titles like Dance Dance
little creatures dancing Revolution, players wield
merrily towards their a turret by stepping on
extermination – no doubt three floor-mounted
in a bid to skew younger control panels to fire
(it was also subtitled The shots at aliens. Ultimately,
Attack Of Lunar Loonies it’s a more streamlined
in the US). Given the interpretation of the
new art style, the use of other Taito characters (much like Space original, but the innovation is in the unusual controls and it’s one
Invaders DX) was once again included, this time adding in the of the few examples of the franchise branching out to attempt
likes of Silver Hawks. something unique.
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gamesradar presents classic gaming vol.3
Gradius
JONATHAN GORDON, EDITOR, GAMES™
106
112
whygradius
why i love: i love: gradius
“You
“You
cancan
seesee
thethe
beginnings
beginnings
of of
future
future
classics
classics
andand
many
many
spin-offs
spin-offs
in in
Gradius’
Gradius’
early
early
concepts
concepts
” ”
JONATHAN
JONATHAN
GORDON,
GORDON,
EDITOR,
EDITOR,
GAMES™
GAMES™
107
113 113
gamesradar presents classic gaming vol.3
BEST INTRO
108
118
best intro: oddworld: abe’s oddysee
109
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GAMESRADAR PRESENTS
GAMESRADAR PRESENTS
CLASSIC GAMING
CLASSIC VOL.3 VOL.3
GAMING
THE
THEULTIMATE
ULTIMATE
GUIDE
GUIDETO…
TO…
With Castlevania
With Castlevania
now nowin its
in its
thirties,
thirties,
wewe
take
take
a look
a look
back
back
over
over
its its
blood-soaked
blood-soaked heritage
heritage
KONAMI’S
KONAMI’SCASTLEVANIA
CASTLEVANIA SERIESSERIES Akumajo
Akumajo
Dracula Dracula
in its innative
its native
Japan, Japan,
whichwhich
has undergone
has undergone something
somethingof of translates as Devil’s
translates as Devil’s
Castle Castle
DraculaDracula
– hit the
– hit the
a resurgence
a resurgence
in popularity
in popularity
of of Nintendo
Nintendo
Famicom FamicomDisk System
Disk System
in 1986,in 1986,
we’vewe’ve
late, thanks
late, thanks
to MercurySteam’s
to MercurySteam’s critically
critically seen seen
instalments
instalments
on a whole
on a whole
host ofhostpopular
of popular
acclaimed
acclaimed
and commercially
and commercially successful
successful platforms,
platforms,
including
includingthe Mega
the Mega
Drive,Drive,
N64, N64,
LordsLords
Of Shadow
Of Shadowentries.
entries.
However,
However, PlayStation
PlayStation
and –and more – more
recently
recently
– the –iPhone.
the iPhone.
videogame
videogame
veterans
veterans
will bewill
aware
be aware The Belmont
The Belmont
clan’sclan’s
eternal eternal
war against
war against The The
that the
thatbloody
the bloody
historyhistory
of thisof this PrincePrince
of Darkness
of Darkness has featured
has featured
its fairitsshare
fair share
vampire-slaying
vampire-slaying franchise
franchise of twists
of twists
and turns
and turns
over theoveryears,
the years,
with some
with some
stretches
stretches
back back
over 30over 30 instalments
instalments
becoming
becoming genregenre
classics
classics
whilewhile
years,years,
right right
the waythe back
way back othersothers
fall painfully
fall painfully
short short
of theofexpected
the expected
to Nintendo’s
to Nintendo’s
8-bit 8-bit quality.
quality.
Despite this, Castlevania
Despite this, Castlevaniaboasts boasts
one one
hardware.
hardware.
SinceSince of theofmost
the most
packed packed
lineages
lineages
in videogaming
in videogaming
the original
the original history,
history,
and itsandpenchant
its penchantfor moody
for moody
settings,
settings,
Castlevania
Castlevania
– – whip-cracking
whip-crackingactionactionand brilliant
and brilliant
musicmusic
known known
as as has secured
has secured
it a legion
it a legion
of devoted
of devoted
fans. fans.
Over Over
the next
the few
nextpages
few pageswe’ll we’ll
chartchart
the the
sometimes
sometimes
tumultuous
tumultuous past ofpast
Konami’s
of Konami’s
gothicgothic
masterpiece,
masterpiece, covering
covering
all ofall
theofgames
the games
released
released
so far.so far.
120 110
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THE ULTIMATE GUIDE: CASTLEVANIA
HAUNTED CASTLE
1988
Most games series from the
‘80s usually appeared in arcades
before moving to consoles, but
Castlevania has never been one
to follow convention. Haunted
Castle took the core gameplay
of the original and dramatically
CASTLEVANIA improved the visuals and sound,
but sadly the end result wasn’t
1986 as spectacular as it could have
The first entry in the series was been. A Japan-only PS2 conversion
originally an exclusive release appeared in 2006.
for the Japan-only Famicom Disk
System, but it was released on CASTLEVANIA
the NES in 1987. Focusing on III: DRACULA’S
the heroic Simon Belmont and CURSE 1989
his quest to destroy Dracula, the
The third NES game is a real
game followed a linear route
gem, mixing together multiple
through six different levels. It
level paths, different playable
would later be ported to the
characters and some of the best
Amiga, C64 and PC, with a Game
music on Nintendo’s seminal
Boy Advance release in 2004.
8-bit system. It was also notable
for being the first game to
showcase Alucard, Dracula’s
famous offspring.
CASTLEVANIA:
THE ADVENTURE
1989 CASTLEVANIA
One of the very first Game II: BELMONT’S
Boy games, Castlevania: The
REVENGE 1991
VAMPIRE KILLER Adventure stands as one of
After Castlevania: The
the franchise’s most notable
1986 missteps. Sluggish controls, Adventure, Belmont’s Revenge
Despite sharing gameplay, poor visuals and terrible level was a complete surprise.
visuals and music with the NES designs made this one for Considered by many fans to be
original, the MSX2-only Vampire completists only. one of the finest of the “old school”
Killer – which was released in Castlevania titles, it pushed the
Japan, Europe and Brazil, but not host hardware to the limit. The
the US – actually turned out to soundtrack was especially good,
be a very different proposition. It with some truly amazing tunes
was non-linear, featured RPG-like courtesy of Hidehiro Funauchi.
elements and had special items
to collect.
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GAMESRADAR PRESENTS CLASSIC GAMING VOL.3
CASTLEVANIA:
THE NEW
GENERATION /
BLOODLINES
1994
Castlevania’s first Sega outing
was very special indeed. Set after
the events of World War I, the
game allowed you to control one
AKUMAJO of two heroes: John Morris (son
DRACULA 1993 of Quincy from Bram Stoker’s
CASTLEVANIA: DRACULA X 1995
original Dracula novel) and Eric
An exclusive for the Japan-only Lecarde. Level designs were
Sharp X68000 home computer, Based on the PC Engine Rondo Of Blood, Dracula X removed
inventive, taking the player to the non-linear progression and the additional playable character.
this was another remake of the landmarks such as Atlantis, The
original NES game. A PlayStation Released in Europe as Castlevania: Vampire’s Kiss, it's very hard to
Leaning Tower of Pisa and a find today, despite the rather negative reaction it received.
port – entitled Castlevania German munitions factory.
Chronicles – launched in 2001.
CASTLEVANIA:
DRACULA X: SYMPHONY OF
RONDO OF BLOOD THE NIGHT1997
1993 The game which gave rise to the
term “Metroidvania”, Symphony
One of the best titles for NEC’s Of The Night took the core
PC Engine CD-ROM system, Castlevania gameplay and added
Rondo Of Blood combined anime- in a huge, gear-gated castle, as
style cutscenes with a branching well as RPG elements such as
level design to great effect. It experience points and different
remained a Japanese exclusive weapons, armour and items to
until it was included as a bonus collect. Another twist was the
in the PSP remake in 2007. A Wii fact that the lead character was
Virtual Console release followed Dracula’s troubled son Alucard.
in 2010.
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THE ULTIMATE GUIDE: CASTLEVANIA
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GAMESRADAR PRESENTS CLASSIC GAMING VOL.3
CASTLEVANIA:
ORDER OF
SHADOWS 2007
Before iOS and Android turned
up, mobile phone players were
subjected to some pretty dire titles,
and Order Of Shadows was one
of them. Clunky controls, a narrow
screen, terrible music and irksome
action made this a Castlevania
CASTLEVANIA: entry to forget. Thankfully, few
ARIA OF SORROW know it even existed.
2003 CASTLEVANIA:
The third and final instalment
of Castlevania on the Game Boy
CURSE OF DARKNESS 2005
Advance, Aria Of Sorrow was seen Lament Of Innocence was followed by this PS2 and Xbox sequel,
by some as one of the best games but despite a move towards a more open-ended game world – like the
in the series to date, despite one seen in Symphony Of The Night – the same mistakes were sadly
an underwhelming commercial committed. For large portions of Curse Of Darkness you were simply
performance in Japan. battling the same enemies down identical corridors. An attempt to tie
in the action with the events of Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse livened
things up a little, but not much.
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THE ULTIMATE GUIDE: CASTLEVANIA
CASTLEVANIA: CASTLEVANIA:
ORDER OF THE ADVENTURE
ECCLESIA 2008 REBIRTH 2009
The final instalment on the DS is Alongside Gradius and Contra,
unique in offering the first female Castlevania was given the
lead since Castlevania Legends, “Rebirth” treatment on Nintendo’s
but some commented at the time WiiWare download service.
Despite the title, this had little to
of release that the Metroidvania
format was growing rather stale. do with the Game Boy original,
CASTLEVANIA PUZZLE:
and was instead a very impressive ENCORE OF THE NIGHT 2010
old-school outing complete with Those hoping for a true sequel to Symphony Of The Night were
fine 2D visuals, a soundtrack disappointed to discover that this iOS outing was little more than a
packed with famous tunes and a derivative puzzle game with assets stripped from the original 1997
beastly level of challenge. Worth classic. Fun for a while, but the Castlevania name felt entirely tacked-on.
every penny, then.
CASTLEVANIA:
LORDS OF
SHADOW 2010
CASTLEVANIA: With sales dwindling and fans
THE ARCADE becoming increasingly restless for
2009 a return to form, Konami took a
massive gamble with this 360 and
Castlevania’s return to
PS3 offering. Spanish developer
amusement arcades was
MercurySteam was brought on
something of a departure for the
board, and even Hideo Kojima
franchise. Instead of being an
was involved at one point. The
action platformer, it took the form
final product was exactly what
of a light gun game in the same
the series needed; packed with
vein as Time Crisis and Virtua
God Of War-style action and some
Cop, but with whipping replacing
stunning visuals, Lords Of Shadow
blasting. The game remains an
arcade exclusive. CASTLEVANIA: annoyed purists but delighted
HARMONY OF practically everybody else. It’s
DESPAIR 2010 the most commercially successful
Castlevania game to date, which
Xbox Live Arcade title Harmony speaks volumes.
Of Despair is indicative of just
how confused and rudderless CASTLEVANIA:
the Castlevania series was prior LORDS OF
to the Lords Of Shadow reboot. SHADOW 2 2014
Part online multiplayer title, part
Released to mixed reviews,
traditional Metroidvania, the result
Lords Of Shadow 2 places you
was a confused mess which turned
CASTLEVANIA out to be neither fun to play nor
in the role of Dracula as he
JUDGMENT 2008 particularly impressive.
navigates a Gothic, modern-day
city in an effort to reclaim his
This ill-advised attempt to turn former powers.
Castlevania into a 3D, arena-
based brawler was as bad as
it sounds on paper. Characters
are pulled from several games
CASTLEVANIA:
thanks to a hokey time travel
LORDS OF
plot line, and the anime-style SHADOW –
visuals – created by Death Note MIRROR OF
manga artist Takeshi Obata – FATE 2013
felt hopelessly at odds with the MercurySteam’s 3DS
Castlevania series. sequel is set in the middle of
the Lords Of Shadow trilogy
and pays fan service by
GABRIEL BELMONT DESMOND including Simon Belmont,
The hero of BELMONT Trevor Belmont and Alucard
– albeit in a drastically
Castlevania: The central re-imaging storyline which
Lords Of Shadow, character of pays little attention to series
Gabriel is voiced the mobile title canon. The 2.5D platforming
by Scottish actor Castlevania: Order action was combined with
Robert Carlyle and Of Shadows. methodical combat, making
is deeply troubled Desmond is notable for a game which was
by the death of predominantly for unique, even when placed
his beloved. his spiky haircut. alongside other 2D entries.
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gamesradar presents classic gaming vol.3
Nights Into
Dreams
LEANNE BAYLEY, CREATIVE
PRODUCER, REMODE STUDIOS
116
126
why i love:
whynights into
i love: dreams
nights into dreams
“Although
“Although it wasn’t thethe
it wasn’t
free-roaming
free-roaming 3D 3D
gamegamewewe taketake
forfor
granted
granted today, at the
today, time
at the time
thethe
illusion
illusionof freedom
of freedom
waswas
so compelling
so compelling ” ”
LEANNE BAYLEY,
LEANNE REMODE
BAYLEY, STUDIOS
REMODE STUDIOS
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GAMESRADAR PRESENTS CLASSIC GAMING VOL.3
GAME CHANGERS
The physics
Half-Life 2 in
are superb,
and you wil
l of
environmen ten use the
t to take do
enemies. Fu wn
el d
little more im rums are a
portant than
usual, then
.
WHEN VALVE ANNOUNCED a sequel to and has done so well that it’s not even necessary to
its hit shooter Half-Life at E3 in May 2003, have played the original game. Subtle narration fills
the gaming world predictably went nuts. In you in on all the key points of the original, so a player
addition to impressing with an amazing new game can be as disorientated as protagonist Gordon
engine called Source, Valve was revealing a sequel Freeman when he first makes his appearance and
to one of the most important first-person shooters of still know what’s going on.
all time. Expectations seemed to be impossibly high, Some might say that Valve had it easy because it
but once Valve’s magnum opus was released some 18 was essentially building on the groundwork it had
months later, it not only met the lofty hopes of gamers lain down with the excellent Half-Life. That’s not
everywhere, but smashed them with yet another really fair, however. Valve isn’t the sort of company to
landmark videogame. rest on its laurels, and it pushed every aspect of the
Valve had once again set a new standard for original game to deliver a title that, nearly a decade
the popular genre, a standard which is still being on, still manages to enthral those who play it.
felt in today’s games. BioShock Infinite, Homefront, This in part is down to the Source engine itself, a
Resistance 3 and Dishonored are just a few of the highly polished piece of coding that’s still heavily
titles to share DNA with Valve’s impressive sequel, in use today. There’s a cleanness and slickness
and developers continue to cite Half-Life 2 and its to Valve’s engine that is consistently impressive,
own groundbreaking predecessor as essential when regardless of how it has to scale. Valve even
it comes to implementing narrative into games. This managed a perfectly solid port on the original
stylish storytelling technique is rampant in Half-Life 2, Xbox, admittedly with lengthy loading times and an
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GAME CHANGERS: HALF-LIFE 2
occasionally erratic frame rate. Revisit Half-Life 2 the fact that Half-Life 2 is actually very linear, but
today, and it remains a spectacularly good-looking KEY as with the best games, it cleverly tricks you into
game, and while its textures might not be as detailed
as more recent games (there’s over a decade’s gulf
FACTS thinking the opposite, and that you’re instead inside
an epic believable world and not just traipsing down
in technology after all), it’s surprising how good it ■ Half-Life 2 was predetermined corridors.
still looks. It’s most notable in the lighting (which built using Valve’s This bait and switch continues with the excellent
was substantially improved in Half-Life 2’s two Source Engine. The gameplay, which continues to play with conventions.
episodic sequels) and the many characters you adaptable engine On the surface it appears to be a straightforward
meet, including Alyx; one of the most realistic and made its debut with first-person shooter, but in reality it’s so much more.
Counter-Strike:
believable characters we’ve ever encountered in Like its predecessor, Half-Life 2 is as much about
Source and has
a videogame. the adventure as it is about shooting down enemies,
been used in every
and while it has a variety of satisfying weaponry
Valve game since.
■ ■ ■ THE MOST STUNNING aspect of Half-Life (most notably the game-changing Gravity Gun), they
2, however, is how realistic everything felt. This should be seen more as tools designed to deal with
■ Alyx Vance is
in part was due to the dynamic lighting, but the each new challenge that Valve throws at you. Most
voiced by Merle
environments were also stunning pieces of work that enemies can be dealt with in a number of different
Dandridge, a
felt utterly believable as you explored them. There ways, and you’ll often find yourself experimenting
theatre performer
are no pointless dead ends in Half-Life 2, invisible in Spamalot and and discovering new methods of dealing with past
walls are largely absent (Valve simply blocks off Rent. If her voice locations you’ve visited before.
areas it doesn’t want you to go with suitable objects) sounds familiar Puzzles are also rife in Half-Life 2, and really come
and every building you go into appears to have you’ve probably to the fore once you’ve acquired the aforementioned
a distinct purpose. Every single inch of the game heard it in the Gravity Gun. They’re not as elaborate as those
world, styled on a dystopian Eastern Europe, feels excellent The Last promised in the E3 video, but you’ll still find yourself
completely real as if it’s a place from a long forgotten Of Us as Marlene. scratching your head. You’ll also marvel at just how
time that members of Valve has visited. It’s alien much variety can be found, especially when it starts
but also recognisable, and you can’t help but want straying into other genres (driving, survival horror,
■ Valve was
to explore every bit of it. Exploring does highlight squad-based shooting) and pulls them off with little
involved in a legal
battle with Vivendi effort. Half-Life 2 may have been a relatively rough
Universal over the ride for Valve during development (at one point the
FBI was called in after parts of the source code were
HALF-LIFE 2 IS AS distribution rights of
Half-Life 2 in cyber leaked), but you’d never tell from the final product.
MUCH ABOUT THE cafes. A settlement It’s as finely crafted a videogame that you’ll ever
come across, and deserves every piece of acclaim it
ADVENTURE AS was agreed with
Vivendi losing the has received. When the G-Man states during the E3
SHOOTING ENEMIES right to distribute
Valve’s games.
reveal that “We’ve been rather busy in your absence,
Mr Freeman,” he certainly wasn’t lying.
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GAMESRADAR PRESENTS CLASSIC GAMING VOL.3
GAME CHANGERS
HALF-LIFE 2:
DEFINING MOMENTS
VALVE’S SCI-FI SEQUEL REMAINS
AN ASTONISHING GAME OVER
A DECADE AFTER ITS RELEASE. WE
REVEAL THE MOMENTS THAT WILL
STAY WITH YOU FOREVER
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GAME CHANGERS: HALF-LIFE 2
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GAMESRADAR PRESENTS CLASSIC GAMING VOL.3
122
136
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE: BLIZZARD
BLACKTHORNE
1994
SYSTEM: VARIOUS
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GAMESRADAR PRESENTS CLASSIC GAMING VOL.3
Well this is an achievement. Against all odds, Blizzard made a “WARCRAFT II BOASTS THE SAME
Superman game that wasn’t terrible. Based on the popular comic
strip, Death And Return is worth playing because it allows you
BRILLIANT RESOURCE GATHERING
to control five different characters: Superman, The Cyborg, The AND CONTROLS THAT MADE THE
Eradicator, Superboy and Steel.
They all feel fairly different to each other, but there’s no denying
ORIGINAL SO POPULAR TO PLAY”
that this is nothing more than a game about hitting things and
hitting them hard. Now we’re normally fine with this, but the WARCRAFT II: TIDES OF DARKNESS
combat of Death And Return is fairly run-of-the-mill and the lack of 1995
a multiplayer means that anyone other than a Superman fan will
SYSTEM: VARIOUS
soon get bored. Still, being able to fly – albeit for limited periods –
is a rather nice touch. Blizzard’s sequel to its first strategy hit was another big success
eventually shifting over 2 million units. That’s a lot of Orc slaying.
Like the original game, Tides Of Darkness consists of two separate
single player campaigns, one for Orcs, the other for humans. It also
boasts the same brilliant resource gathering and controls that made
the original so popular to play. Simply replicating a past classic isn’t
enough for Blizzard though, so it introduced an insane amount of extras
that further enhanced its fantastic original.
The landlocked gameplay of the original is expanded with the
introduction of flying and seafaring craft; new races can be aligned
with; it is possible to build a huge number of new structures, while
the base resources of gold and lumber have been swollen with the
introduction of oil. The Fog Of War mechanic has also been
tweaked, making for a far better balanced game. In fact
WARCRAFT: ORCS & HUMANS 1994 everything about Tides Of Darkness screams
improvement, from its fantastic
SYSTEM: DOS, MAC
cartoony looking visuals to its slick
Warcraft certainly wasn’t the ability to group together small and versatile interface. The
first RTS game, but it was one parties and has a surprisingly console versions have new
of the first to really realise the slick interface for its age. control systems and include
possibilities of the still fledgling There’s no denying that it feels the expansion Beyond The
genre and help take it in new rather clunky to play now, but Dark Portal.
and exciting directions. The most the ability to host matches
notable difference to its peers is between Mac and DOS players,
the distinctive fantasy setting. compete in different scenarios
The sci-fi elements found in the and use spawn installations
likes of Command & Conquer felt incredibly fresh at the time.
and Dune 2 are entirely missing, This was a genuinely excellent
instead focusing on an age-old strategy game and in fact was
battle between humans and orcs. the title that’s largely responsible
It features similar resource for making Blizzard the success
management to its peers; the it is today.
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THE ULTIMATE GUIDE: BLIZZARD
DIABLO 1996
SYSTEM: VARIOUS
AN INTERVIEW
WITH DAVE BREVIK
Diablo is another example of
a Blizzard game that takes a
well worn genre and turns it into
something far more exciting.
Diablo’s co-creator on how it came to be
At its most basic Diablo owes What inspired Diablo? Is it true you wanted to
fealty to the likes of Dandy and There were many, many make Diablo as accessible
Gauntlet, early dungeon crawlers games that influenced as possible?
that allowed you to descend Diablo’s design, but if I had to We joked that Diablo needed
into the underworld and duff up narrow it down to a handful, to pass the ‘mom test’, so
a seemingly endless supply of I would say that Moria – a we asked ourselves: is it
monsters, but it feels far more Unix-based text game – and simple enough that my mom
epic. This in part is due to the Warcraft were the biggest. could play it, or will she not
three fleshed out characters: understand it? If it was too
Warrior, Rogue and Sorcerer Diablo isn’t like many complicated then we either
that all play differently to each traditional RPGs. Why changed it so that it wasn’t,
other and in turn offer plenty of is that? or introduced it over time in a
replay value once the game has I was never a big fan of elves, step-by-step fashion so that
been completed. It’s the story that unicorns and dragons. I complex concepts were broken
really sets it apart from other thought that a zombie-infested down over time. We made
games of the time, that and the game with demons was a the game extremely easy to
sheer amount of loot you can pick far more attractive prospect use and accessible to a wide
up as you play. than the Tolkien-esque stuff. range of gamers. This was
While Diablo has a fresh take We wanted a far grittier done to widen the audience
on the war between heaven and atmosphere to the game. I and make it more of a mass-
hell, it also allows you to find never really set out to make market kind of game.
a huge selection of insanely it strictly for a more mature
powerful items. While you’ll fear audience, but we made it the Why did you create random
exploring the deeper sections way we found most interesting dungeons?
of Tristram (the village where and different. I love random content,
Diablo is set) the sheer power to because you never know
be found there will spur you on Why create an action RPG? what’s going to happen. With
– often to your inevitable doom. Because of the mechanics planned-out levels, you can
It clearly plays best with four of Diablo’s real-time balance the game easier and
players, but Diablo still works environment, we had to create certain situations you
extremely well when playing solo. change how the numbers want the player to go through.
worked for this sort of game. But once the player goes
Diablo had to be balanced in through that content once,
such a way that it was action it’s far less interesting to go
packed and involving for through it again.
players. With pen and paper
RPGs, fights can take a very Why did you implement the
long time, because each round multiplayer mode?
can last ten to fifteen minutes Blizzard’s president
in a normal-sized group. As proposed Battle.net. This was
a result, the numbers are clearly a good idea and we
different. You don’t want agreed to it even though it
there to be 25 rounds, but meant extra work. We had to
you might want that out of a go back into the code to retro-
THE LOST VIKINGS 2 1997 Diablo boss monster. fit much of multiplayer into it.
SYSTEM: VARIOUS
Blizzard’s sequel is a rather unsatisfying one. It was released five
years after the original game and straddles generations (the Saturn,
PlayStation and PC versions were handled by Beam Software).
The structure of The Lost Vikings 2 is the same as the first game: use your
Viking’s unique skills to traverse the puzzle-like levels. Unfortunately, the
addition of two new characters, Fang the wolf and Scorch the dragon,
make the game feel a little messier. While you still only ever control three
Vikings at a time, the new abilities – Fang can climb walls and Scorch
can fly and throw fireballs – don’t gel as well together and it feels like
Blizzard’s game is trying to do too much. It works far better on the 32-bit
systems, due to a lack of competition on those platforms at the time, but
age has not been kind to it.
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GAMESRADAR PRESENTS CLASSIC GAMING VOL.3
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THE ULTIMATE GUIDE: BLIZZARD
HEARTHSTONE: HEROES OF
WARCRAFT 2014
STARCRAFT II: WINGS OF LIBERTY SYSTEM: VARIOUS
2010
SYSTEM: WINDOWS, MAC Blizzard’s latest game has been a resounding success. Like Magic:
The Gathering it’s a collectible card game, but unlike its digital peer,
Excitement for Blizzard’s sequel was so great that it sold over Hearthstone is not trying to gouge you at every possible opportunity.
three million copies in its first month on sale. The excitement was Granted you’ll have to start spending a bit of dosh if you want to
well placed, as Starcraft II is arguably one of the best examples compete in the big leagues, but it’s possible to build up respectable
of the genre to date. Unlike the original game, the campaign of decks without spending. Based on the Warcraft universe, Hearthstone
Wings Of Liberty focuses largely on the Terrans and is largely features 10 characters, each with their own unique spells and abilities,
non-linear. It’s also packed with variety, constantly challenging from Warriors to Priests. The addition of these heroes works far better
what you’d expect from a typical example of the genre and than the similar Planeswalkers of Magic, while their large number of
making it fresh and exciting. Wings Of Liberty delights in throwing unlockable cards ensures you’ll be dipping in for more. As well as one-
curveballs at you, but also makes you think on your feet thanks to on-one duelling, Hearthstone also offers a drafting option called The
many of the returning units having new skills to master. Arena. You draft a deck of 30 cards by selecting from a choice of three
each turn, then take on human opponents until you lose three times.
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