Category Archives: Videos

Atelier Arland Trilogy, New Game Plus, Videos

New Game Plus: Ghosts Don’t Have Feet – Atelier Rorona DX #8

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It’s time for our weekly visit to the kingdom of Arland, as our New Game Plus runthrough of Atelier Rorona DX on Nintendo Switch continues!

We’re well into the game’s second year now, and all sorts of interesting things are happening. Rorona is still devastatingly overpowered, however; can no-one provide her with a decent fight? She’s the Lu Bu of the Atelier world at this point.

Hit the jump to see how today’s crafting, gathering and Puni-splattering went.

Continue reading New Game Plus: Ghosts Don’t Have Feet – Atelier Rorona DX #8 →

Videos

Atari ST A to Z: Zombi

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One of the most interesting things about looking back over really old games is reminding yourself just how long certain companies have been around.

Today’s Atari ST game, Zombi, was actually Ubi Soft’s first ever game in its original Amstrad CPC incarnation. The ST version followed a little while later, but it was still early days for this up-and-coming French publisher at the time.

As for the game itself? It’s a first-person action adventure that gives you very little feedback on the actions you take, making it rather hard to work out what you’re supposed to be doing, even if you’ve read the woefully inadequate manual! Cool music, though…

Find a full archive of all the Atari A to Z videos on the official site.

Videos, Warriors Wednesday

Warriors Wednesday: Not Just a Woman – Warriors Orochi #31

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Having soundly kicked Orochi’s behind into next week with both the Samurai and Wu forces, it’s now the turn of Shu to suffer under my command as we once again take on Crazy Snake Guy.

All of the various forces in Warriors Orochi start in a fairly desperate situation of one form or another, but Shu seems to have it worse than most. Still, all is not as it seems in this strange other dimension, and a true warrior never gives up!

Hit the jump to see the beginning of a whole new quest…

Continue reading Warriors Wednesday: Not Just a Woman – Warriors Orochi #31 →

Atari A to Z, Videos

Atari A to Z: Elektra Glide

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Pretty much everyone who plays games can probably name at least one title that they respect, but absolutely can’t abide the thought of playing ever again.

For me, one of those games is Elektra Glide, an incredibly popular title developed by Adam Billyard and published by English Software. It’s a technical tour-de-force for the Atari 8-bit, for sure, featuring spectacularly speedy 3D-style graphics, parallax scrolling, wonderful use of colour and an incredibly memorable soundtrack.

I also despise playing it with almost every fibre of my being; I’d thought returning to it some thirty-two years after its original release might have caused my opinions to mellow on it somewhat, but nope! Still, it sure is pretty…

Find a full archive of all the Atari A to Z videos on the official site.

Split/Second, Sunday Driving, Videos

Sunday Driving: One Last Push – Split/Second #11

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It’s the penultimate episode of Split/Second!

Yes, this time around we do our best to get into a good position to enter the final episode of the season. There’s a championship to win, and I’m damned if I’m going to let any of those Elite bastards rain on my parade!

Hit the jump to see how today’s races went.

Continue reading Sunday Driving: One Last Push – Split/Second #11 →

Videos

Atari A to Z Flashback: Dominos

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Dominos, another black and white title from Atari’s early days, surprised me by not at all being what I expected.

I was anticipating a fairly faithful adaptation of the tabletop game Dominoes — which wouldn’t have been altogether difficult to put together even with the rudimentary technology of the time — but instead I got a rather enjoyable, addictive two-player game in the vein of what we now know as the Snake genre.

While most people are familiar with Snake from its late-’90s Nokia phone incarnation, the idea of one or more players moving around a field and leaving an impassable trail behind them has been around since the earliest days of video games. Dominos was a very early example, following the genre progenitor Blockade by just a year. As such, it’s very simple in execution… but that doesn’t stop it being fun, particularly alongside a friend.

Find a full archive of all the Atari A to Z videos on the official site.

Atelier Arland Trilogy, New Game Plus, Videos

New Game Plus: Medicine for a Verdant Land – Atelier Rorona DX #7

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Thus far our playthrough of Atelier Rorona DX’s New Game Plus mode has been going swimmingly, with one out of the three years down without breaking a sweat.

From here, things start to get more interesting and challenging… or, well, at least they might if you didn’t have all your nice upgrades from first time around. Instead, on a second playthrough and beyond the main challenge comes from getting all the playable characters up to standard, grinding friendship levels and triggering the events necessary for the endings you’d like to see.

Hit the jump to see how our first tentative steps into the second year of Rorona’s career went…

Continue reading New Game Plus: Medicine for a Verdant Land – Atelier Rorona DX #7 →

Videos

Atari ST A to Z: Yolanda

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Remakes and remixes of existing video games have been around for some time now, with some dating right back to the early days of home computer gaming.

One interesting example is 1990’s Yolanda from Millennium, a game that reimagines the well-regarded but atrociously presented 1984 Commodore 64 title Hercules for a slightly more modern audience. Well, in fact, it outright recreates Hercules with better graphics and sound, and puts a hot girl in the lead role instead of a badly drawn approximation of one of Greek mythology’s most famous figures.

Dubbed “the fastest and most difficult platform game ever” in advertising from the time, it’s… well, it’s quite something, for all the wrong reasons. Take a look.

Find a full archive of all the Atari A to Z videos on the official site.

Videos, Warriors Wednesday

Warriors Wednesday: I’m On a Boat – Warriors Orochi #30

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Well, okay, there was one more challenge left to undertake with the Wu forces… just like with the Samurai forces, Orochi needs a second kicking just to make sure he stays down for good!

This time around, the stage for the battle is a take on the Battle of Chi Bi, a Dynasty Warriors classic that sees both sides battling across a flotilla of warships, with a bit of fire to keep things interesting.

Gives a whole new meaning to “tiger, tiger, burning bright,” huh?

Continue reading Warriors Wednesday: I’m On a Boat – Warriors Orochi #30 →

Atari A to Z, Videos

Atari A to Z: Diamonds

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I do enjoy a good “dirt and boulders” game. And Simon Hunt’s Diamonds, published by English Software in 1983, is certainly a good “dirt and boulders” game.

Casting players in the role of Digger Dan, part-time member of Blue Man group and long-time precious stones enthusiast, it’s up to you to gather the titular diamonds while avoiding the unwanted attentions of Brian the Blob, Philip the Filler, The Fireflies, The Eyes, Simon the Snake and The Demon. Brian also wants diamonds; the others just want you dead. Which isn’t very nice.

This is a longstanding personal favourite of mine from the Atari 8-bit era, and a game I still like returning to today quite often! Check it out when you get the opportunity.

Find a full archive of all the Atari A to Z videos on the official site.