January 2016 – Page 2 – RETRO GAMESMASTER

Cruis’n USA

15th January 201624th May 2021 Peter Ward

Published by Nintendo of America Inc. Developed by Midway Games, Inc. Released Oct 31, 1996 Also For Arcade, Wii Cruis’n USA was released for the Nintendo 64 in 1997, a conversion of the arcade game that falls short compared to rival games on other consoles (namely Ridge Racer) but still has much to enjoy. Firstly the graphics are nicely done with chunky cars and very detailed colourful backgrounds spanning several landmarks on the North American Continent, there are 10 tracks in total including San Francisco, Chicago and Washington DC. The sound effects and music are…

Battle Arena Toshinden

14th January 201624th May 2021 Peter Ward

Published by TAKARA Co., Ltd. Developed by Tamsoft Corporation Released Jan 01, 1995 Platforms DOS, PlayStation Released alongside the Playstation in Europe in the autumn of 1995 Battle Arena Toshinden madea massive impact upon all those early adopters largely due to the stunning graphics for the time. The game features massive sprites and texture mapped backgrounds which were way ahead of the competitors of the day (namely Sega’s Virtua Fighter), the sound is also decent although a little raw at times. The gameplay is simple and fun, essentially a 3d beat em…

Streets of Rage 3

13th January 201624th May 2021 Peter Ward

Published by SEGA of America, Inc. Developed by Sega AM7 R&D Division Released Mar 17, 1994 Also For iPhone, Wii, Windows Released in late 1994 Streets of Rage 3 was the final game in the legendary series and despite being a decent game it is easily my least favourite of the 3. Firstly the good points, graphically the game is superb with massive sprites and very colourful and detailed backgrounds. The actual stages themselves are also impressive ranging from a seedy nightclub, a construction site and even an elevator. The basic gameplay is unchanged from the…

Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped

12th January 201624th May 2021 Peter Ward

Published by Sony Computer Entertainment America, Inc. Developed by Naughty Dog, Inc. Released Nov 04, 1998 Also For PlayStation 3, PSP, PS Vita Released in late 1998 Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped was the final game in the series created and developed by Naughty Dog (not including spin off games such as Crash Bash and Crash Team Racing), and what a way to exit! This game is superb. This game has all the best points of the previous Crash Bandicoot games such as the awesome pick up and play game mechanics and inventive level design whilst adding…

Spyro The Dragon

11th January 201624th May 2021 Peter Ward

Published by Sony Computer Entertainment America, Inc. Developed by Insomniac Games, Inc. Released Sep 09, 1998 Also For PlayStation 3, PSP, PS Vita Released in the summer of 1998 Spyro The Dragon is a superb 3d platform game that shows the original Playstation is just as capable as the Nintendo 64 in the right hands. This game has so much to offer, superb graphics with no glitches or imperfections, a cute as can be main character and some of the best gameplay mechanics available on the console. Unlike other 3d platformers of the time this game…

Super Mario Land

8th January 20168th April 2022 Peter Ward

Developed by: Nintendo RD&1 Published by: Nintendo Platforms: Game Boy and Virtual Console Released: April 21, 1989 (Japan) July 31, 1989 (North America) September 28, 1990 (EU/PAL) The Year: 1989! The System: Game Boy Brick (original)! As any hardcore Nintendo fan will tell you; a Mario game (or any character from the Mario universe) will have a launch title for its respective console: this side scrolling title got that coveted prize: Super Mario Land!The 8-bit wonder (yes I say 8-bit because it looks like Super Mario Bros. 1 except it…

Night Warriors – Darkstalker’s Revenge

7th January 20168th April 2022 Peter Ward

Published by Capcom Entertainment, Inc. Developed by Capcom Co., Ltd. Released 1996 Also For Arcade Night Warriors – Darkstalker’s Revenge was released for the Sega Saturn in 1996 and is an absolutely fantastic 2d beat em up. The gameplay is very similar to the Street Fighter Alpha series (no surprise as this game is also made by Capcom) but the difference here is rather than using the likes of Ryu, Guile and Ken you have access to a wide range of supernatural based characters (including a Yeti and Vampire hunter). The graphics are superb…

Final Fantasy Mystic Quest

6th January 20168th April 2022 Peter Ward

Published by Square Soft, Inc. Developed by Square Co., Ltd. Released Oct, 1992 Platforms SNES, Wii, Wii U Published by Square in 1992, Mystic Quest is known as “The beginner’s Final Fantasy” or beginner’s RPG in general. Our protagonist, Benjamin is given the quest to save elemental crystals to restore balance to the world. Reviving and saving crystals from falling into the wrong hands is a staple to Final Fantasy storytelling. Apart from that feature, Mystic Quest does not share many of the same elements as other titles in the franchise. One of…

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time

5th January 20168th April 2022 Peter Ward

Published by Konami, Inc. Developed by Konami Co., Ltd. Released 1992 Also For Arcade Being a huge fan of The original cartoon series I was very excited at the release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time on the Super Nintendo. This game is absolutely fantastic, for many many reasons. Firstly the graphics are fantastic! Massive chunky detailed sprites, bright vivid backgrounds and superb animations. Also worth mentioning is the incredible 3d scaling effects, where you can throw an enemy into the screen (not possible on the Megadrive due to the lack…

Soul Calibur

4th January 20168th April 2022 Peter Ward

Published by Namco Hometek Inc. Developed by Project Soul Released 1999 Also For Android, Arcade, iPad, iPhone, Xbox 360 Released by Namco for the Sega Dreamcast in late 1999, Soul Calibur was a sequel to the excellent Original Playstation game Soul Blade. Many people rate this as the very best Dreamcast game ever released and I would put it right up there as well. Firstly the graphics are totally fantastic! Massive detailed sprites, colourful backdrops full of life and superb animations. The music matches the action perfectly, the controls are very responsive and…