Videos

Atari A to Z: Warhawk

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The shoot ’em up is a genre of gaming with a long and proud history. While the best shoot ’em ups tend to be associated with arcades and consoles, home computers played host to some right crackers too.

One such example is Firebird’s Warhawk, a vertically scrolling shooter with big, chunky sprites and smooth, slick gameplay. It’s an immensely satisfying but challenging shooter — and one that still holds up really well today.

Plus the Rob Hubbard soundtrack on the title screen is absolutely iconic… but hang on, doesn’t it sound a bit familiar…?

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

Essentials, One-Shots, Switch

Doom on Switch Doesn’t Suck Any More

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Hey, so remember back in July of 2019 when Bethesda suddenly and unexpectedly released Doom, Doom II: Hell on Earth and Doom III on PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch?

Remember how it took barely a few minutes for this exciting announcement to be considerably dampened by the terrible discovery that these new ports had some sort of God-awful implementation of an “always-online” system in place for no apparent reason? Remember how this made the Switch version completely unplayable on the go if you weren’t connected to the Internet?

Yeah. Well. Not only has that been fixed, these ports have been given a considerable upgrade… plus a bunch of awesome bonus content, too. So it’s probably time to take another look, no?

Continue reading Doom on Switch Doesn’t Suck Any More →

Announcements, Community

Around the Network

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Good morning ladies and gentlemen! I’ve just enjoyed my final lie-in of my week off from the day job… not looking forward to going back to getting up when the first digit on the clock is 6. Ugh.

Anyway. It doesn’t do to dwell on that which hasn’t happened yet (though sadly I did not win the lottery last night, so it unfortunately definitely will happen) so instead it’s a good time to review what’s been going on around here.

Yes, it’s time for our weekly look at what you might have missed in the last week or so! Take my hand, and follow me beyond the jump…

Continue reading Around the Network →

Atari A to Z, Videos

Atari A to Z Flashback: Centipede

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It’s that time again! Yes, Centipede is back for a third time — this time in the form of the speedy and challenging Atari 5200 version.

Technically speaking, this version is probably closest to the arcade version, but it’s also one of the most difficult — particularly if you dare to play it with the original Atari 5200 controller, one of the most notoriously awkward pieces of technology ever created.

In other words, if you really reckon yourself at Centipede… then the Atari 5200 version is the one you should be challenging yourself with!

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

Cover Games, LAMUNATION!

LAMUNATION!: Welcome to Youkoso Saint Aria

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cropped-lamunation-header-7839609This article is one chapter of a multi-part Cover Game feature!
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LAMUNATION! is an absolute fever dream of a visual novel. It’s one of the most gleefully, joyfully chaotic narrative experiences I’ve ever sat through.

One thing I found particularly interesting about it was the fact that depending on the order in which you explore the three main narrative routes, you either start with material that is relatively easy to digest… or just throw yourself right in to the insanity.

The choices I made, as it happens, resulted in a gradual escalation of chaos — so that’s how we’ll take a look at things over the course of the next few articles.

Some NSFW content ahead.

Continue reading LAMUNATION!: Welcome to Youkoso Saint Aria →

Final Fantasy II, Final Fantasy Marathon, Videos

Final Fantasy Marathon: How To Train Your Wizard – Final Fantasy II #3

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Four-figure magic damage against Rank 2 enemies? It’s more likely than you think!

Yes, after suffering an embarrassing defeat in Kashuan Keep, I decide to take a bit of time to train up Maria as a specialised black mage. The results are very pleasing indeed. Very pleasing, indeed. I think we’ve established a suitable progression strategy for the rest of the game now…

We may not make a ton of story progress in today’s episode, but it’s a solid exploration of how Final Fantasy II’s much-maligned progression systems work. And a reminder that anyone interested in the SaGa series should check this one out — since Final Fantasy II is essentially the proto-SaGa.

Atari A to Z, Videos

Atari ST A to Z: Pengy

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Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and all that… or so they say, anyway. I wonder how Sega felt about Red Rat Software’s not-so-subtle take on Pengo… particularly given it came out quite a few years later?

To be fair, Pengy is a perfectly competent version of Pengo for Atari ST… but once we hit the 16-bit home computer era, people were starting to expect a little bit more from their computer and video games than knockoffs of arcade games from several years ago.

Still, looking back on it now, it’s an enjoyable enough game, so let’s spend a bit of time with it today!

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

Stranga Games

My Big Sister: Blood-Red Pixels

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I’m not sure exactly when a lo-fi pixel art aesthetic came to be associated with horror games, but I’ve always rather liked the juxtaposition between supposedly “primitive” visuals and the primal emotion that is fear.

We can probably trace the whole thing back to classic NES survival horror RPG Sweet Home, but it seems to have become particularly popular with the indie sphere in recent years, with titles such as Lone Survivor, Home and various rereleases of Corpse Party all fully embracing the “retro horror” aesthetic.

My Big Sister, a pixel art horror adventure for all the current major platforms, follows this mould, but does a few interesting things all of its own. So let’s take a step into the darkness and see what’s going on!

Continue reading My Big Sister: Blood-Red Pixels →

Waifu Wednesday

Waifu Wednesday: Katrielle Layton

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It’s interesting to see the trajectory that Level-5’s Layton series has taken over the years.

While remaining true to its roots as an interactive puzzle book with a narrative tying things together, each individual installment has experimented with the formula somewhat, even going so far as to replace the iconic protagonist Professor Hershel Layton with other leads in more recent installments.

Which, of course, leads us to Katrielle Layton, Hershel’s daughter and a wonderfully appealing character in her own right. Let’s take a closer look!

Continue reading Waifu Wednesday: Katrielle Layton →

Videos, Warriors All-Stars, Warriors Wednesday

Warriors Wednesday: The Ultimate Evil – Warriors All-Stars #13

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In today’s episode of Warriors All-Stars, several incarnations of “evil” struggle over the definition of that very concept.

Specifically, Darius, Laegrinna, Nobunyaga Oda and Arnice decide to investigate an offer of “the ultimate evil”… but it turns out that each of them are expecting something rather different from this supposed prize, and of course there’s a surprise waiting for them at the conclusion of their journey!

This Dramatic Battle mission shows some of the interesting things that Warriors All-Stars does by mixing up characters from different franchises with different but subtly related thematic content, and allowing them to interact with one another. It’s a lot of fun!

The best of overlooked and underappreciated computer and video games, from yesterday and today.