Retro Gaming Magazine #1

CROSS PLATFORM GAMING Which system has

PREMIERE ISSUE

the better version?

Genesis VS SNES starting on page 5

POST MORTEM GAMING Dead systems receive new games C64, PC-Engine and Genesis Turn to page 30

JOINING US:

All Things Retro

Here We Go. . .

Writing these things is not easy, anyone that thinks they are should try writing one someday. This is usually where you hear about great things coming to the mag, or in this particular issue or some other rambling of random thoughts.

Our cover is a professional piece by Bones. For more of his great art, check out his website www.artbybones.com

What this magazine represents is something that started over half a decade ago. I was fortunate enough to come into contact with Bill “The Game Doctor” Kunkel through the forums over at J2Games.com, we discussed many things publicly and privately, we Co-Founders: discussed stuff like gaming magazine direction and a lot of “what if” Nick Abrams Carl Williams scenarios.

One of those scenarios is now a reality. While it was not called Retro Gaming Magazine at the time, the idea was planted way back in those discussions with the Doctor. Joining up with Nick Abrams, former co-founding/co-host of The Retro League podcast and the man responsible for the name of this magazine, RGM was born.

This was around 2011. RGM was originally planned for release in early 2012 but due to various problems internally, it just got pushed to the wayside.

Editor in Chief: Carl Williams

Creative Direction Michael Crisman Bill Loguidice Christina Loguidice

In Memory of Bill “The Game Doctor” Kunkel

Nick mentioned giving it one more shot around the middle of 2013, one last shot– do or die. Put up or shut up type thing. A post (“Rise Questions, concerns from your grave”) was posted on the RGM Facebook page and or plain ready to rant various forums and interest swelled immensely from there.

contact us at retrogamingmag@gmail.co m

Content was crafted, as much as possible, through comments, votes and suggestions from readers. Essentially, this is truly YOUR magazine. This brings up the fact that our PDF is free, it is the only Turn the page ands way to give back to those that helped create this tome of retro. start enjoying the mag

We brought in a new staff, joined forces with Bill Loguidice and the already!

Armchair Arcade team and now, we set forth taking the first step into history with Retro Gaming Magazine.

For more retro fun check out Joining us on this adventure:

Retro Gaming Magazine on the web.

Retro Gaming Magazine is published on a six week basis, eight issues per year with the PDF being freely distributed if unaltered. For subscriptions and single issue purchases please visit www.retrogamingmagazine.com/buy-rgm Retro Gaming Magazine is a Hyper Focused Media Group publication, copyright 2011-2014

Interview with Susan Jaekel Former Atari Box Artist If you ask gamers what is one striking thing about the early days of gaming they will probably bring up the box art of the Atari 2600 games. These were not simple pieces of digital art, they were full on paintings by true artists. The box art was quite contradictory of what was actually provided in the game since the systems of the time were extremely weak in graphics power. Here at Retro Gaming Magazine we are extremely interested in this early era of gaming.

Getting the chance to interview someone from this era was a nobrainer for us. We were able to get Susan Jaekel, who is still a professional painter, for a few questions.

Retro Gaming Magazine) Please introduce yourself.

Susan Jaekel) My name is Susan Jaekel, and I am an Illustrator who has worked in the Bay Area of California since graduating from the San Jose State Art program. My focus for my illustration work has been mainly in the children’s market, illustrating text and trade books, games, stickers, and Ravensburger puzzles. I also have done work for Apple Computer, Sunset Magazine and Books, and Atari.

RGM) How did you come to work on Atari cartridge art?

SJ) My friend Rick Guidice was doing several covers for Atari and suggested I show them my portfolio. (Years later we became husband and wife.) I really enjoyed the Atari work as it was so much larger in scale and I had so much freedom to do what I wanted with the artwork, as opposed to the restrictions of textbook work.

RGM) What games did you do artwork for?

SJ) 3-D Tic-Tac-Toe and Adventure for Atari, Hunt & Score, and for the Sears label Adventure, Circus, and Brain Games. There was also a Math game- I don’t have the cover for that and can’t remember the title.

RGM) What do you do to fill your time today?

SJ) I have been working on my new fine art career. I’ve been commissioned to do several dog portraits, and am also painting botanicals and making giclee prints. I miss the illustration work but find that it is really rewarding to work larger and have new subject matter. I just exhibited a piece in the Filoli botanical show this Spring (Filoli is a beautiful estate and gardens in Woodside, Ca.), also exhibited illustration pieces in the Los Gatos Museum in a show featuring the Art of the Children’s Book and help put on the shows for our museum.

RGM) Where can fans of your work see more?

SJ) Go to my website, www.susanjaekel.com or look at my rep’s website , www.annremenwillis.com

It is human nature to want to pick a winner whenever the opportunity arises. This happens a lot in life, especially if you are a gamer. Very rarely are things so cut and dry that picking a winner is easy when it comes to opinions, feelings and “rose colored” nostalgic glasses. This article originally began life as a two page spread in our preview issue that was released way back in 2011. When we decided to reboot Retro Gaming Magazine, that two page spread was shown online to various groups and it sparked quite a bit of conversation and got us to thinking– maybe we need to answer the question of which was better between Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis. Voting was conducted on many forums on-line, in many Facebook groups (both private and public) and votes were tallied amongst the staff of RGM to arrive at the package of games that follow.

Now it would not be fair to compare the Genesis and SNES in a no holds barred contest because the SNES clearly has an advantage later on, especially with many Japanese exclusives that never arrived in the United States. Nah, that would clearly be unfair so we decided to keep this article true to the original, only games that appeared on both consoles could be considered for contention (over 250 titles total). Even narrowing down the list to only those games available on both systems still left us with a daunting task– which games were to be chosen for this article?

Through the votes we were able to narrow down the list considerably. The titles that are featured are based on those votes, votes by our readers and friends. We understand that your favorite game may not have made the list, that is fine, we are always interested in hearing comments on the matter. In these cases, just remember, the final list is compiled from the votes we received. In the future we will have more opportunities to vote and help shape what we feature.

Get ready to get mad because we answer the question– which system rocked more- Sega Genesis or Super Nintendo?

Thunder Force III by Technosoft liams

Thunder Force III is a very special title to me, it marked the first real side scrolling shooter that I had to have in my collection. Sure I had played Gradius, Life Force and many other titles over the years leading up to my owning a Sega Genesis but they failed to captivate me into actually wanting to search them out and own a copy. Maybe it was the level selection, maybe it was the enemies (the bosses are quite memorable).

I am not sure what that special intangible thing about Thunder Force III is that makes me love it so much.

First up, the Sega Genesis version. Setup similar to a Mega Man game, you are free to choose your starting level and much like that Capcom classic series, the order does matter. Graphically, this version is simply beautiful for a scrolling shooter, they simply don't make them like this anymore- literally. Each level has tons of parallax scrolling but check out the backgrounds of the Gorgon level- talk about line scrolls out of control.

Flicker and slowdown are very slight on the Genesis while they run rampant on

Words by Carl Wil-

Thunder Spirits by Seika Super Nintendo—1991

Words by Carl Williams

the SNES. This is a downer for many reasons, particularly due to the jarring effect it causes. While the SNES does stumble several times in key locations it is admirable that this game even exists on the slower machine.

The problems, other than slowdown and flicker, arise in the first boss of the SNES version, Hydra. On the Genesis, this boss is colorful and intimidating taking quite a bit of firepower to bring down- a true behemoth. On the Super Nintendo, we are treated to a golden hued monstrosity that is quickly brought down. Quite a let down considering the color palette that the SNES can push compared to the Genesis.

It must be mentioned that the SNES version is based on the arcade port, Thunder Force AC, not directly on the Sega Genesis version. Some levels have had surgery which does make the game feel different than the Sega Genesis version but the downfalls far outweigh the few bonus items.

Thunder Force III, and Thunder Spirits, is hard as nails and only the best will see the deeper levels, enemies and bosses. Since we have to pick a winner here, it is easily the Genesis version.

Thunder Force III just shines better on the Genesis.

Zombies Ate My Neighbors by Konami Words by Michael Crisman Every nightSega Genesis—1993 Words by Michael Crisman mare you can imagine from the walking dead to Martian invaders, killer dolls to chainsaw maniacs, mummies to werewolves, is out to get you! The police can't stop 'em. The army can't kill 'em. It's up to teenagers Zeke and Julie to use their knowledge of horror film monsters and their weaknesses to rescue their neighbors from grotesque, slimy death spread over more than fifty stages of horror in LucasArts' cult 16-bit action/adventure title, Zombies Ate My Neighbors! But when you pit the Super Nintendo version against its Genesis/Mega Drive brother, who winds up in a hollow grave?

While both versions of the game are identical in terms of content, featuring the same monsters, stages and weaponry, the Super Nintendo version decapitates the competition in every area. Its wider color palette showcases the nightmarish freaks that much better, the hardware does scaling and transitional effects Did You Know...? 

...in the UK the game is just called “Zombies,” and the chainsaw maniac is instead an ax-wielding lumberjack?

 ...the password system is all but useless – it takes you to the given level but doesn't give you any weapons or items you would have picked up along the way?  ...the first bonus level is the only place you can see the Purple Tentacle monsters, an easter egg referencing two previous LucasArts games: Maniac Mansion and Day of the Tentacle.  ...LucasArts created Ghoul Patrol for the SNES by re-using the ZAMN engine for an unrelated game and called it a sequel in the hope of driving sales.  ...after finishing the game, players are treated to a final “credits” level, where they meet all of the people involved in its development, some of whom actively try to kill the players?

Words by Michael Crisman

Zombies Ate My Neighbors by Konami Words by Michael Crisman Super Nintendo—1993 and Wii Virtual Console—October 2009

like the giant baby more smoothly, and Nintendo's superior sound processor makes every chainsaw, scream and menacing musical number sound 16-bit perfect. And the six-button SNES pad makes it that much easier to change weapons and items on the fly why slaying armies of the undead.

Super NES buries the competition That's not to say the Genesis/Mega Drive version is a bad game, because it's freaking awesome. But you really need the six-button controller to enjoy the game―without it, you're forced to hold down A and tap B or C to cycle your weapons or items, an utter nightmare when you're neck-deep in giant ants. But the simple truth is ZAMN looks, sounds and plays better on Nintendo. If Sega's console is your only option, then by all means, enjoy what it has to offer. But if you have the choice, the SNES version is the better bang for your buck.

TMNT: Hyperstone Heist by Konami Words by Sega Genesis—August 1992 Carl Williams

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was one of those licenses that had a huge following. On the NES, TMNT games were popular, spawning four titles- one action, two scrolling brawlers and one fighting game like Street Fighter II. Sega Genesis got The Hyperstone Heist while the Super Nintendo got Turtles in Time. Similar games in execution but different enough to warrant those lucky enough to own both platforms to own both games. That is not the point of this feature though, one shall win and one shall fall to the side as the winner continues on.

Both games are based on the second TMNT arcade game, Turtles in Time, but each took liberties on their respective system. Changes were made to the home versions that differed on each platform and in effect, changed them from the arcade game. Levels were added and in the case of Turtles in Time, new bosses were added.

The Genesis version loses some luster with lack of flinging enemies into the screen and that sound chip. Those quirks are made up for by having more parallax scrolling, harder and longer levels and cleaner animation than the Super Nintendo version. SNES got a completely new level, Technodrome, along with cut scenes to progress the story. All missing from the Genesis version.

The enemy artificial intelligence (A.I.) is obviously more aggressive in the Sega Genesis version. Enemies definitely take advantage of their superiority in numbers which can be

Turtles IV: Turtles in Time by Konami Words by Super Nintendo—August 1992 Carl Williams

frustrating at times. On both platforms there are, at most, four Foot Clan members onscreen at once with two turtles max. The arcade original had more Foot soldiers onscreen and the ability to be played by four players at a time.

Turtles in Time is closer to the arcade game in level design and enemies that populate them.

The special effect of throwing an enemy into the screen is preserved but the last boss is changed to take advantage of the capabilities of the SNES. Other additions to the SNES version include five extra bosses an additional stage (Tehcnodrome), two extra level enemies, and a time trial, and versus, mode. The blue Foot Clan member also carries his Sai's and sword in the Super Nintendo version (he carries just a sword in the Genesis version).

The Super Nintendo version adds so much to the game that the Sega Genesis version (which was released second) lacks.

While The Hyperstone Heist holds its own, it pales in comparison to Turtles in Time on Super Nintendo.

Verdict: Turtles in Time on Super Nintendo.

Contra Hard Corps by Konami Sega Genesis—August 1994

Words by Carl Williams

Contra is a game series that started out in North America on the Nintendo Entertainment System, had Nintendo's invasive contracts held, would have stayed. Konami was not one to rock the boat with Nintendo at all, unlike Capcom who had no problem licensing out arcade titles to Sega (Strider, Ghouls n Ghosts, etc), Konami was a Nintendo hold out, at least in the United States.

Japan was slightly different where they supported the PC-Engine (Turbo Grafx-16 in North America). With their flagship run and gun series, it was all Nintendo and the same was true for their other titles as well. For the most part, Sega was left out of the Konami game offerings. Sega offered up titles such as Midnight Resistance but it never caught on with gamers either in the arcade or at home.

Even with Contra: Hard Corps, the Genesis version was released a good two years after the Super Nintendo got Contra III: The Alien Wars. The question is, did Konami use that two year difference to improve, innovate and incinerate the competition? In a word, yes. The Genesis version just comes off more gritty, more dangerous appearing and more like you would think a post apocalyptic devastated world would look like.

The Super Nintendo version is not as gritty and dark which lends to a weird contradiction of the idea and the execution.

Hard Corps is more than just a run and gun affair, there is a storyline that plays out, some control over the outcome and how you get there is in your hands. With Alien Wars, it is a pretty linear endeavor to complete, simply go through the levels and hope you survive. Hard Corps offers branching paths that will bring you in the line of fire of different enemies, level challenges and a different storyline depending on your choices. This is the evolution of Contra, not just a prettier version of the 8-Bit classics.

Explosions are a Contra staple and here the Genesis version just feels more satisfying. Things blow apart nine ways to hell in the Hard Corps. When you take

Contra III: The Alien Wars by Konami Words by Carl Williams Super Nintendo—April 1992 down a huge, five story tall boss in Hard Corps, it is an accomplishment, even blowing up a smaller enemy is something to revel in- the superior sprite control of the Genesis is evident here. That is another thing Hard Corps has in spades over Alien Wars, there is stuff going on ALL over the screen like the junkyard level, enemies come out of the background, a mini boss slings trash everywhere and basically, your butt will be handed to you quickly. That is the key to Contra, challenge and that urge to play one more game. Hard Corps has that.

The Super Nintendo Contra III is still a great looking game, it pays homage to the original Contra with a mini boss in the first level but plows new ground with other facets. Mode 7 plays a role with an early enemy and in the alternating levels that are overhead clusters (heralding the style of 32-Bit versions of Contra, shudder).

Enemies do come out of the background, though differently than how Hard Corps handled them. Some are passively going about life till you pass them and then, wham, you lose a man and whatever weapon he was actively carrying. Others are bosses that literally tear the background out and present themselves, and their version of pain, to you. Nice effect.

Many purported that the Super Nintendo could not handle multi sprite based characters on-screen. This is disproven with the first boss, a giant radioactive turtle looking thing. The problem is, it is not used very often, not nearly as much as Hard Corp used it. Hard Corps used this effect throughout to create menacing enemies that were a real threat while Alien Wars sparingly driveled it out to players.

This is like watching a Hollywood remake in reverse. We got what, now, feels like the "updated", watered down, version of a classic that was darker, grittier and edgier. Contra: Hard Corps is tougher, graphically more appealing and feels more rewarding than Contra III: Alien Wars.

Y’s III by Renovation Games Sega Genesis—1991

Words by Michael Crisman

While journeying with his best friend Dogi, swordsmanfor-hire Adol stops to have his fortune told in the town market. The seer peers into her crystal ball to divine Adol's fate when suddenly the crystal shatters and she perceives a darkness sweeping over the land – Galbalan, a powerful fiend imprisoned long ago, has returned! Adol and Dogi rush to Dogi's home town to Redmont, which lies closest to Galbalan's resurrection site, and discover that trouble is already brewing in the nearby quarry. Adol volunteers his services, but certain townsfolk are convinced the only way to survive the impending arrival of Galbalan is to make a deal with the devil. Both 16-bit systems present identical quests for gamers, but only one can emerge from the lava-soaked Underground Caverns as the champion.

SNES victorious!

This fight was over before it began. While the Genesis/ Mega Drive and Super Nintendo carts each tell the same story, and each has their own unique elements, Sega's cart just can't match Nintendo's in any of the critical areas. Graphically, the Super Nintendo version

Y’s III: Wanderer from Y’s by American Sammy Super Nintendo—1991 Words by Michael Crisman

looks cleaner and sports a larger frame for its play area, smoother in-game sprites, and animated cut-scenes at the ntroduction and epilogue – the Genesis/ Mega Drive instead relies on static pictures with scrolling text describing what's happening.

And while Sega's music programmers made the game sound remarkably good for a Genesis/Mega Drive title, there's no denying the richer depth of musical quality found in the SNES soundtrack.

The Graveyard The third game in the Ys series is enjoyable on either system, and gamers familiar with only one version would do well to experience what the other has to offer. The Sega version's controls feel slightly more responsive and tighter than the SNES's, and I'd even go so far as to argue Sega's translation from the Japanese is a bit easier to read (even if it does have some annoying misspellings).

When put side by side though, the SNES version walks away the clear winner.

Did You Know...?

・ ...this version marks the Ys series change from top-down RPG to sidescrolling action/adventure? ・ ...Y's III was remade/re-imagined in 2005 for the PSP as Ys: The Oath in Felghana? ・ ...the series title is pronounced like ease, not like wise, according to developers Nihon Falcom?

Shadowrun by Sega Sega Genesis—1994

Words by Michael Crisman

Sega geeks the opponent.

Welcome to Seattle, Washington. The year's 2050, the mega-corporations control everything, and the most exciting (and dangerous) way to make a living is to be a Shadowrunner. Part mercenary, part hacker (and completely insane, truth be told), 'runners handle the dirty work of industrial espionage, theft of secrets, and even kidnapping and assassinations for anybody with the Nuyen to pay. Physically wiring their minds up to the internetlike global communications network known as the Matrix, Runners become virtual gods in the world of cyberspace, and the exploits of some 'runners are legendary (even if the stories have outlived the legend him- or herself). Based on the best-selling cyberpunk pen and paper RPG from FASA, Shadowrun came to both 16-bit systems courtesy of two different development houses with two different ideas on how they should tackle this world of covert ops and backstabbing. But only one can jack out unscathed when push comes to shove.

Tabletop gamers flocked to the Shadowrun RPG for its grim and gritty setting, where life is cheap and the

Shadowrun by Data East Super Nintendo– 1993

Words by Michael Crisman

hardware to upgrade your 'deck is expensive. While both versions recreate the dystopia of future Seattle, the Genesis/Mega Drive version wins out for lack of censorship. While the SNES Shadowrun is hardly My Little Pony, Nintendo's censors made sure nothing too family-unfriendly wound up on your TV screen, toning down to cutting out references to booze, sex, and death\three staples of the Shadowrun universe\with gleeful abandon.

Because of this, Sega's version just feels grittier.

Combined with some other nice features like auto-targeting during battle sequences, the utterly awesome hacking sequences (especially the battles against Black Ice security systems that could garner you some impressive gear if your Runner could batter them down), and all the random mischief you could get up to aside from the main storyline, the Genesis/Mega Drive version brainfries its opponent.

The Chop-Shop Nintendo's Shadowrun is no slouch: in the areas of graphics and sound, it puts up a solid battle, besting the Genesis/Mega Drive in both categories. But there's more to a game than just looks, and Nintendo just can't match Sega's atmosphere, playability, and overall superior presentation with their isometric, point-and-click style of game play. ・ ・ ・ ・

Did You Know...? ...Sega's version of Shadowrun was released one year after the SNES version? ...Shadowrun Online, a Kickstarter-funded MMO based in the Shadowrun universe, should be entering the beta phase around Q1 of 2014? ...'geek' in Shadowrun doesn't refer to a techobsessed person, but is slang for 'killed' (as in, gHe got geeked by a gang of orks.h)? ...a common (yet dangerous) job for 'runners is the Extraction, where 'runners are paid to 'help' a worker from one megacorp defect to another (preferably with as many insider secrets and data files as possible)?

Ghouls n Ghosts by Sega Sega Genesis—1989

This is an article I was dreading because of how tough the games in question are. Pick your platform of choice, it doesn't matter, at least if you are simply going for sheer difficulty that is. The best overall package is a little tougher to choose though so we will have to weigh the merits of each version and come to our conclusion.

Sega licensed the arcade version from Capcom and released it for the Genesis in 1989, a good four years ahead of the Super Nintendo version hitting. This was enough time back then to have completely forgotten about the Genesis version and focus on the much better looking Super Nintendo version that Capcom brought out. The problems arise when directly comparing the titles against one another in the various categories.

If you are simply wanting the arcade game at home, get the Sega Genesis version. It is closest to the quarter muncher. The Super Nintendo version took a slightly different approach and left behind the arcade choosing an all new inspiration for its design. Graphically, the Super Nintendo version wins by a long shot, though this is due to not being tied to an arcade game that is at least half a decade old by the time Capcom released this version.

What about game play? This is where the Genesis version holds the high ground firmly. Why? Because of the ability to shoot upwards and downwards. This HELPS

Words by Carl Williams

SO MUCH in the game and is sorely missed in the Super Nintendo version. Capcom did see fit to add to Arthurs repertoire though. Super Ghouls n Ghosts has Arthur showing off a nifty double jump. Power ups are more fun and interesting in the Super NES version, again, not bridled by the classic arcade game and freely able to explore new avenues.

Levels are unique in the SNES version too. Capcom took full advantage of the color palette and shading that the SNES offered. Watery waves raise and lower in the background threatening to overtake Arthur, enemies appear in floating coffins and explode in satisfying fashions when struck down by your weapon of choice.

Levels will routinely change shape as you approach

Super Ghouls n Ghosts by Capcom Words by Carl Williams Super Nintendo– 1993 different segments and the bosses are menacingly evil looking (looking at you giant Albatross type bird).

Those looking for a better home version, through emulation, Capcom has placed the arcade version of Ghouls n Ghosts on two compilations so far Capcom Classics Collection: Reloaded for the Playstation Portable and Capcom Classics Collection Volume 1 for Playstation 2 and Xbox. Since these are emulated versions of the arcade game they are obviously closer than Sega's slightly limited version.

In the end, Super Ghouls n Ghosts just takes more of the cake and double jumps away with it. While the Genesis version does an admirable job of replicating the arcade game, it was just not enough to keep me coming back.

Most level backgrounds are simply black while the Super Nintendo version really rocked with thickets, animated waves and thunder clouds.

Simply put, if you are not after the arcade experience the SNES version wins.

Verdict: Super Ghouls n Ghosts for the SNES.

Micro Machines by Sega Sega Genesis—1993

When Codemasters decided they wanted a piece of the video game pie, they icensed Micro Machines from Galoob, one of the hottest toy properties from the late 80s and early 90s. The first version produced was for the NES in 1991, but over the next five years this title showed up on virtually every gaming platform known to man, including the Amiga, the Master System, Phillips CDI, and Game Boy to name but a few. In 1993 Sega owners got to experience the fun for themselves on Genesis and Game Gear. Next year, Nintendo's 16-bit machine got a piece of the action with Ocean handling the porting duties. With both versions based on the NES original, you could argue all day on the playground who got the best upgrade. Twenty years later, RGM is settling the fight.

And they're off!

Micro Machines is all about racing at a scale making RC cars look positively kaiju by comparison. Most racing games of the time limited you to one vehicle, or one type of vehicle (car, truck, boat, etc...) through the course of the game. Not Micro Machines. Part of this game's charm comes from the myriad vehicles with which a budding driver had to familiarize him or herself. Racing 4x4s across the breakfast table presents far different hazards from blowing apart rival tanks on your bedroom floor.

Each vehicle responded uniquely in terms of acceleration, top speed and handling–zipping a speed boat through treacherous bathtub waters required an alternate finesse from flying a helicopter through a greenhouse.

You get three races with each of the eight vehicle types for a total of 24 races, with the 25th being a Formula-1 finale to determine the champion. There are also three bonus levels with a ninth vehicle type, a Ruff Trux monster truck. These are timed, single-lap races that earn you an extra life if completed. You also get to choose your driver from one of eleven different kids, with ratings from gAce!h (the best) to gDireh (the worst). All the kids drive equally well (or poorly) under your control\the ratings reflect how the CPU plays them. After every third race, the worst-performing kid gets cut and you select a new rival for the vacant seat. Simple to learn, challenging to master. That's Micro Machines.

Words by Michael Crisman

Micro Machines by Ocean Words by Michael Crisman Super Nintendo—December 1994

The checkered flag drops on… ...Sega's incarnation, by a respectable lead. While the SNES version's cars handle more tightly, features options for 3- and 4-player races, and has slightly better sound, the Genesis/ Mega Drive is overall more enjoyable due to a betterprogrammed (and more equitable) AI that enables you to build up sizable leads and doesn't allow the CPU drivers to dominate you on the third lap if you make a simple mistake.

Codemasters also maps the tank's gun to the C button on Sega's console, but requires you to press B + Y together on the SNES controller. Not a huge deal, but still an odd choice.

While normally the ability to race with more than 2 players would be a major advantage, Ocean didn't code for the Multitap, opting instead for a bizarre '2 players on one controller' scheme that defies all logic. Both games are enjoyable single-player experiences (this editor loved the hell out of the SNES version growing up), but side-by-side, Nintendo's version is sideswiped by Codemasters' superior work on the Genesis/Mega Drive. Rose-colored nostalgia glasses officially shattered.

Did You Know...? ・ ...Sega's version includes several cheat codes not available on other platforms, including one for infinite lives and another to severely increase the difficulty level? ・ ...while the game only included 9 different types of vehicles, the Micro Machines toy line featured models licensed from such franchises as Star Trek, Star Wars, TNT Motorsports, and Aliens? ・ ...in the early 1990s, Micro Machines eclipsed the combined sales of Matchbox, Hot Wheels and Majorette, its three closest competitors? ・ ...gamers familiar with the NES original will notice several of the drivers have received skill make-overs in the 16-bit versions?

Dwayne takes the biggest shafting, diving from a comfortable place in the middle all the way down to just above Walter in terms of AI performance.

Castlevania Bloodlines by Konami Sega Genesis– March 1994

The obvious choice for this face-off would involve Super Castlevania IV, but that's like comparing apples to wrecking balls, so screw 'obvious.'

Bloodlines and Dracula X are more evenly matched when it comes to style, and that makes for a more interesting contest.

Two different takes on one similar premise? We've got a lot of work to do.

Storyline: Dracula X introduces Richter Belmont, Maria Renard, and her sister Annet, who serves as the 'damsel in distress', to the Castlevania timeline.

Wicked townsfolk from Transylvania, possessed by the darkness of Dracula's spirit, conspire to return him from the grave via arcane rituals.

And while Simon Belmont has been dead for hundreds of years, it doesn't take the vampire king long to decide Richter is a suitable target for his vengeance.

Bloodlines tells a completely different tale, set during World War I, featuring two would-be vampire killers in Eric Lecarde and John Morris, and using the real-world figure of Elizabeth Bathory (renamed in the game to Bartley) as a primary antagonist to push the story, even though it takes some liberties with history. In this case it's a tale of revenge in reverse: Lecarde's out to avenge his lady friend, who became a vampire shortly after

Words by Michael Crisman

Bathory worked her dark ritual, and John Morris has a bone to pick with anybody who resurrects Sir Fangs-A-Lot for more personal reasons, so it's off to Romania for the first leg of a mission that will take them all over Europe.

Winner: Bloodlines.

While Dracula X serves as the psuedoprelude to the piece of gaming badassery that is Symphony of the Night (see 'Did You Know...?' for more on this) and the backstory is better than many of the other games in the series, Bloodlines' use of historical events, ties to Bram Stoker's novel, Countess Bathory/Bartley, and a then-unique lack of Belmonts gives it all the edges it needs to win this fight.

Graphics: Extremely tough call. Both 16-bit systems push the graphics envelope, with cinema-style intros, parallax scrolling, and other bits and bobs.

On the one hand, Bloodlines seems to run a bit smoother and it's uncensored so there's more overall grotesqueness to be seen when destroying your enemies (zombies spill their guts everywhere, bats burst into flames as their skeletons fall to the floor, and so forth). On the other, the Genesis/Mega Drive has to work hard to fake the sorts of Mode 7 effects the SNES pulls off without breaking a sweat and Dracula X's sprites rank slightly larger than those of Bloodlines.

Castlevania Dracula X by Konami Super Nintendo—September 1995

Words by Michael Crisman

couple of hours to finish until you get really good at the game. And while Dracula X uses the power of the SNES wisely, what is up with that heart counter in the upper-right corner of the screen, Konami? How about keeping it with the rest of the life bars so we can keep track of all the needed info in one place on the screen?

Winner: Dracula X. But only by a hair. Bloodlines is a gorgeous-looking game with plenty going for it in the graphics department, it's just hard to argue with the SNES's expanded color palette, larger monsters, and more robust animation.

Presentation: When it comes right down to it, most Castlevanias are a retread of the same formula: travel across a level from right-to-left (or occasionally from left-to-right) whipping, stabbing, frying and destroying everything your path. Both games follow this 2D trend to the hilt, featuring familiar areas as well as entirely new sequences for your gaming pleasure, both games offer a password feature to pick up where you left off, and both are nice enough to even give you a password after each successful stage completion so you don't have to kill yourself to get one. And both of them offer you a quest that will take you a

Bloodlines scores some major points for the awesomeness of its boss battles. As an example, both games have an encounter with a fire-breathing dog as their first major boss – in Dracula X, you have the dog lunging at you, jumping back after it takes a hit, and spitting a fireball. In Bloodlines, you have a three-headed Cerberus monster that midway through the battle howls loudly enough to shatter the background windows in addition to all the fire-spewing.

One game's clearly doing something the other isn't.

The other place Bloodlines reigns supreme is level design. Morris and Lecarde trek through some extremely innovative places in their quest, including an overgrown Paris garden, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and a mirror room that wrecks havoc with your perception in the game's final level.

Winner: Bloodlines. While Dracula X's level design is decent enough and follows the standard Castlevania formula to a T, Bloodlines leapfrogs it with all the awesome things it throws in on top of that formula: the swinging blade in the torture chamber that destroys enemies in addition to damaging you, crossing a gap on the crumbling skeleton of a massive

Castlevania Bloodlines continued

dinosaur, minotaurs that rip up parts of the scenery to attack you, and levels that takes you all over Europe in the hunt for the Countess gives gamers far more to see and enjoy. Too often, Dracula X feels like you're climbing stairs and running back and forth through the same areas for no reason other than to pad play time.

Bloodlines is relentless in making sure gamers never get bored.

Sound: Both games do their best to pack in as much nostalgia factor as possible when it comes to the music. No matter which one you're playing, expect to hear 16-bit retreads of classic tunes like Vampire Killer and Bloody Tears. No slouching when it comes to tunes played while killing your way through hordes of undead on either system.

But the sounds...oh dear me, the sounds. While the Genesis/Mega Drive music is just fine, there's no excuse for the weak as all hell sound effects.

Slashing whips, dying enemies, breaking candles, picking up items, opening doors, it all sounds so utterly pedestrian and clunky. The SNES handles the game's sound effects like a champ, as well it should with its superior hardware.

Winner: Dracula X, for all the reasons mentioned above. The tunes in Bloodlines are good enough you'd be hard-pressed to tell it was playing on Sega's hardware, but Nintendo's dominance when it comes to the clarity and appropriateness of sound and music wins this category for them hands down.

Challenge: Castlevania isn't known for being a cakewalk, especially earlier incarnations, and these 16-bit entries carry on the noble tradition of making gamers break a few controllers before getting good enough to make a run on the Count himself. Dracula X in particular is noted for being one of the most challenging games in the entire series\it's not uncommon for the final encounter with the King of Vampires to consume 20 minutes of playtime by itself, because your margin for error is non-existent. And that's assuming you get there in the first place. Bloodlines pulls no punches either, with a built-in ability to select your difficulty setting and number of starting lives. Input the Konami code on the title screen to unlock 'Expert' difficulty level for all you masochists who think 'Normal' is for sissies.

Winner: Tie game. Dracula X is straight-up yank-out-your-pubes hard like any good retro Castlevania title should be. Bloodlines lets you tailor difficulty and starting lives to give novice gamers a fighting chance, but that 'Expert' mode?

Wimps and posers need not apply.

Death of the first boss, Sega Genesis version

Castlevania Bloodlines by Konami Sega Genesis– March 1994

Words by Michael Crisman

Replay Value: This is a frequent stumbling block for some older Castlevania titles which offer only one set path through the game. You'll fire them up again for nostalgic reasons, to beat a high score, or practice for a speed run, but that's about it. Not the case with these two 16-bit hits, which each offer reasons to plug the cart in anew.

Winner: Bloodlines. Two playable characters with two distinct playing styles, four different endings, Expert mode, and some subtle level differences depending on the character you choose–Sega's entry drops the hammer on Dracula X's pair of hidden pathways and trio of endings.

Final Winner: Bloodlines earns the championship belt er, whip–but not without a struggle. Nintendo's graphics and sound capabilities put up a valiant fight, but in the end, the Genesis/Mega Drive entry stands triumphant for its superior presentation and storyline, locking Dracula X back in the crypt with a wreath of garlic hanging outside the doorway.

Did You Know...? ・ ...Elizabeth Bathory, a countess from 16th century Hungary, became known as The Blood Countess due to her predilection for bathing in the blood of virgins, a practice which resulted in the demise of over 600 young girls before she was imprisoned in her own castle? ・ ...to comply with Nintendo's long-standing policies concerning depictions of religious icons in games, all crosses and references to Christianity were altered/deleted from Dracula X in the US? ・ ...John Morris is the son of Quincy Morris, who (SPOILER ALERT!) delivers the death blow to the fanged one at the conclusion of Bram Stoker's novel? ・ ...the European version of Dracula X recolored all the blood in the game white due to fears the game would be seen by parents as too violent for their children? ・ ...the SNES Dracula X is loosely based on the Japanese PC Engine game Dracula X: Rondo of Blood, which is the true precursor to Symphony of the Night? ・ ...John Morris's own son Jonathan stars as a protagonist for the 2006 Nintendo DS release Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin? (*) - International readers may know Dracula X as Castlevania: Vampire's Kiss and Bloodlines as either Vampire Killer or Castlevania: The New Generation depending on where you live. For simplicity's sake, the editor used the names he was familiar with as US-based retro gamer, but the points raised apply no matter where in the world you played.

Death of the first boss, Sega Genesis version

About the Author: Michael Crisman is the resident “retro scribe” of RGM having been a leading team member since before the magazine was even thought of.

Retro flows in Michael’s veins proven in his articles.

Read · Enjoy · Game http://www.retrogamingmagazine.com

Soulless (Commodore 64) (By Georg ‘Endurion’ Rottensteiner (programming) Trevor ‘Smila’ Storey (visuals) Mikkel ‘Encore’ Hastrup (audio) Published in 2012 by Psytronik Software) Review by Bill Loguidice

01 Draconus (1988, Zeppelin Games). It’s from the former game that Soulless gets its mostly non-violent, somewhat puzzle-centric gameplay, while from the latter it gets its aesthetics.

Soulless opens powerfully enough, with a story told through animated cutscenes backed by a dramatic musical score. The premise is that a powerful warrior king, Rizek, brings peace to his land, which does not sit well with his generals. The generals enlist the aid of an evil wizard who curses the king, stealing his soul and twisting his image into that of a beast. The cursed king is locked away for a thousand years as unending war ravages the land. Finally, one day, a great quake shakes the land and smashes Rizek’s tomb. Now free, you take control of the cursed king as you attempt to reclaim his soul and once again bring peace to the land.

It’s a suitable premise for a game, with the graphics and music of the cutscenes well rendered. Unfortunately, there are a few typos in the text, along with some missing punctuation. While certainly not a deal breaker, between that and the same types of issues in the printed materials, slightly disappointing in the context of an otherwise stellar homebrew package.

The object of the game is simple, collect 12 randomly dispersed spirit stones and place them in the correct order in the Soul Chamber. You accomplish this task by exploring dozens of lushly illustrated temple rooms to the beat of continuous background music and sparse, but effective sound effects.

Over the past several years, there has been a renaissance of sorts in the Commodore 64 homebrew community, with regular releases of commercial quality games on cartridge.

Whether it’s with graphics, like with C64anabalt (2011, Paul Koller), which looks nearly as good as the modern mobile and Flash game, Canabalt (2009, Adam Saltsman), which it’s officially converted from, or with audio, like the haunting soundtrack in Fairy Well (2012, Wide Pixel Games), which proves the enduring timeliness of the Commodore 64’s SID Programmable Sound Generator chip as a unique instrument, these new homebrews easily equal the production quality of the best releases during the platform’s commercial prime in the mid -1980s.

One of the more high profile of this new batch of releases is Soulless, a “Metroidvania” (in the style of Metroid and Castlevania) adventure platformer, though its actual inspirations are Impossible Mission (1984, Epyx) and

With the joystick plugged into port 2 on the Commodore 64, the fire button jumps, pulling down crouches and activates spawn points, which also heal you, and pushing up searches an object. While Rizek has no offensive moves, he can uncover helpful items, including gold and rubies for points, magic that either destroys all enemies

02 (red), slows down enemies (green), or freezes enemies (blue), potions that heal, and stone amulets that provide temporary invincibility. Finally, certain doors require finding keys to open.

Besides environmental hazards, like falling stones, Soulless is filled with a wide variety of flying, floating, running, crawling, and shooting enemies that all must be avoided.

Each screen has no lack of challenge. Because Rizek’s jump distance is always a fixed length, Soulless forces you to get creative when landing on certain platforms. Unfortunately, it’s this fixed jump mechanic and sometimes all-too-specific landing spots that lead to the greatest frustration with the game. For greater accuracy, a soft touch and a joystick with a shorter throw distance works better helpful for jotting down the order of the stones, the combination map and poster, stickers, and a companion CD containing 600MB of bonus material. The CD’s jewel case also contains a combination16 page comic and instruction booklet. Needless to say, it’s quite the formidable retail package.

While the commercial versions of Soulless are well worth checking out, it’s notable that the game has now been made free to download for use in your favorite Commodore 64 emulator. Soulless was tested on a British (PAL) Commodore 64c and an American (NTSC) Commodore 128DCR, as well as in the C64 Forever Plus Edition (2013, Cloanto) emulator package, which was used to capture this review’s screenshots. There were no notable performance variations on any of the test platforms. for jumping than a looser joystick does. This jump mechanic also plays a role in getting past certain obstacles, sometimes requiring alternate plans of attack, and is a puzzle element of its own. If you’re not careful, you can even fall through to a previous screen. Those easily frustrated need not apply!

Soulless is available in a wide range of formats, including 5.25” floppy disk, cassette tape, cartridge, and digital download. Most formats are also available bundled with a companion CD-ROM and combination poster and map, as well as other paper work, though these are also available for purchase separately. For those who own the companion CD-ROM, the digital download files and copies of the printed material are all included, which makes playing in your emulator of choice trivial.

Soulless is both NTSC and PAL compatible, and its joystick-only control means that it's even playable on the Commodore 64 GS console. The version reviewed came with an internally LED illuminated purple transparent cartridge shell, three printed spirit stone sheets, which are

If you don’t mind Rizek’s lack of offensive capabilities, the finicky jump mechanic, and puzzle-centric nature of the gameplay, there’s little not to recommend about this polished production. It’s an incredibly challenging action -adventure game that makes a fine addition to the Commodore 64’s immense library.

Sacred Line Genesis by Sasha Darko Sega Genesis/Mega Drive Digital Distribution through www.sashadarko.com Review by Michael Crisman his earlier

I don't know about you, but I'd be pretty upset if my sister up and vanished, leaving me responsible for running her failing Eastern European detective agency. Family is family, and poor Ellen is bound and determined not to let her sister Sarah down, but unfortunately bills are higher than income, and Ellen's prepared to hang up the 'For Sale' sign. Until she receives the mysterious phone call, that is.

With no idea who is on the other line, or why he would call her in particular, Ellen decides to give this private investigator thing one last go-around. She agrees to take a trip into the woods in search of a particular log cabin. Ellen herself isn't sure why she's doing it. Maybe it's just hope...hope that her sister's still alive, hope that this could be the key to bringing her back home. Oh, Ellen. If only you'd disconnected the phone line a day earlier. You wouldn't be in this mess...

Sacred Line is a visual novel for the Sega MegaDrive/Genesis, written and programmed by Sasha Darko, and based on

Windows game of the same name.

Being a VN, it doesn't rely on action sequences or sophisticated graphics to get its point across.

It plays much like a Choose Your Own Adventure story, where your options are limited to produce a streamlined story where success is not a guaranteed outcome, and death lurks around every corner. If you're not familiar with the genre, it's very much an acquired taste. Gamers who dig the idea of immersing themselves in a story without having to memorize confusing controller layouts, on the other hand, will feel right at home.

That said, Sacred Line is most definitely a straight-up horror game, and not for the squeamish.

Violence, death and gore pervade the scenes (at least as well as Sega's machine can render them), and the text is filled with descriptions of the sadistic and grotesque. Early on in the story, Ellen finds herself wading through a foul river tainted with blood, excrement and body parts from what has to be the biggest, longest, nastiest blood orgy in human history, and that's one of the tamer bits.

Mature gamers only, please.

Storywise, I really dug Sacred Line. Darko's native language is not English, but he had an awful lot of help with proof-reading.

While it's not Stephen King-quality prose, it's eminently readable with no confusion. The text is delivered in short snippets, suitable

for the screen resolution, and while it's pretty linear, there are still plenty of choices to be made, items to be found, and deaths to be met. Impatient gamers will enjoy the lack of saving/reloading when a death happens, as Sacred Line just rewinds a couple of pages to the most recent checkpoint, letting you re-think your actions and try something different. This removes any real sense of urgency, but compared with other console adventure games like Uninvited or Shadowgate which delighted in the unrepentant slaughter of the protagonist, the superiority of this system becomes apparent. It's no different than holding your

fingers at a certain point in a CYOA novel, which is something we all did, so don't try to deny it.

Most importantly, there aren't a whole lot of options for this sort of game available to Sega enthusiasts. Snatchers does it all with greater pizazz, but take away Hideo Kojima's involvement and the massive budget and you'd get something that looks a lot more like Sacred Line. Perhaps the best connection you can make to the game is the Japanese-only Play Novel: Silent Hill which takes the PS1 classic and boils it down to a series of story-based choices and dialog between characters (look for more on this and other visual novels in a future issue!).

Before you make a purchase, you have to decide which version of the game you want as Darko offers two options. The standard

version of the game is $5.99 and features the complete version of the ROM, a version of the Fusion emulator so you can play it, and the high-res manual and cover artwork.

Kick in an extra four bucks though, and Darko pours on the bonus features including the complete soundtrack for the PC version in 320k MP3 format, five earlier builds (so you can see the game's progression for yourself), some promo artwork of the main baddie, discount coupons for two of his other offerings (one PC game and one music album), and the full version of Sacred Line personalized to you with any name or nickname you desire in the game's text and credits. This is a steal for game collectors at $9.99.

I feel comfortable awarding Sacred Line a solid 7/10. While graphically inferior to the original PC game, the story itself benefits greatly from the text-based format. Darko's

models and backgrounds are effective if a little minimalistic on the 16-bit screen, and his vocabulary is more than up to the task of telling the tale of Ellen vs. the madness she stumbles upon in her ill-advised trip to the forest. It's a short trek to be sure, and once you've beaten it there's little to compel you to play it again, but homebrew games are impressive simply for being made. If you manage to create a game that's not only playable but also entertaining, that's sauce for the goose and well worth supporting with your gamer bucks. And that's exactly what Darko's done here.

Sacred Line http://sashadarko.com/genesis.html

The Turbo Grafx-16 was a system that has almost slipped into being a byline in history, almost as forgotten as the Halcyon or the Watera hand held. There are some developers out there that will not let the Turbo Grafx-16 die so easily and are working hard day and night to create new games for NEC/TTI's misbegotten system.

One such developer, Aetherbyte Studios, has released two titles for this little 8/16-Bit hybrid

Insanity and Pyramid Plunder Turbo Grafx-16 Super CD-ROM Aetherbyte Studios www.aetherbyte.com Words by Carl Williams system's Super CD-ROM expansion. The cool thing about these releases is that gamers can enjoy them on a computer that is properly equipped with the necessary files.

Sorry, we cannot tell you where to get things like BIOS files which are required to emulate these CD based systems. Aetherbyte is headed by Andrew Darovich who is also the lead programmer for the company.

First up is Insanity, a homage to the classic Berzerk but with updated graphics and sound with two soundtracks available- chiptune or CD audio. The story is pretty basic here, you play a humanoid that is imprisoned by robots on a space station filled with maze like rooms designed to confuse and disorient prisoners.

Since robots are all like rigid in operation they have no problem traversing the electrified walls, you on the other hand will probably meet a few up close and personal while playing. This adds to the challenge of playing Insanity, doesn't help that the robots are armed too.

Classic arcade fans will feel right at home and Turbo Grafx-16 purists will probably agree that

Insanity joining the meager North American releases.

Another Aetherbyte original release is Pyramid Plunder, also for the Turbo Grafx-16 Super CD-ROM. This time, Pac-Man is the title being paid homage to and in a big way. While Pac-Man, in most of his iterations, was quite limited in graphical prowess, Pyramid Plunder takes advantage of the platform to offer up level aesthetics that break up the monotony of trolling through mazes avoiding enemies. For one thing, greed plays a big part in why Lootin' Larry is in the pyramids in the first place, no he is not there for some altruistic reasoning, just simple want of money. Plain and simple.

Lootin' Larry is also not dragging along his whole family either, at least not yet. This is a solo adventure of one man against the guardians of the pyramids and the perils of not collecting all of the loot. Speaking of guardians, instead of escaping attacks by the same ghosts level after level, Larry has to contend with mummies, scorpians and skeletons. Levels are tailored to the enemy from sandy looking walls to those clearly made of rock and stone.

As with Pac-Man, when Larry collects the power -ups that are scattered around the maze, the enemy on that level will flash blue to show their vulnerability. Catching the enemies while they are blue will add to your score, as usual for these styles of games.

The levels are large and sprawling affairs that allow the enemies to get around, and out of sight, complicating matters. At the top of the screen is a handy mini map of the whole level that does show enemy location, power-up location and the current position of Larry.

Without this little detail, Pyramid Plunder would be frustrating and easily cheap and unfair.

Fans of Pac-Man will feel right at home with Pyramid Plunder. While neither Pac-Man or Berserk hit the Turbo Grafx-16, Aetherbyte are more than happy to oblige retro fans looking for something similar, but original.

Pyramid Plunder and Insanity are available on www.aetherbyte.com

Mega Man has been on of those titles that Capcom has not been scared to get out there in front of gamers over the years.

Capcom’s blue bomber dude has also been the focus of many independent developers that are just wanting to expand on the lore, nearly as popular as Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog in this respect. Our love of all things Mega Man made it a requirement to grab the developers behind Mega Man 2.5D for PC, that and this is shaping up to be a really cool title– check out our interview to find out why.

Retro Gaming Magazine) Please introduce yourself to our readers.

Edgar: I'm Edgar, lead (and only) programmer of Mega Man 2.5.D, I'm a game programmer and I do research on A.I. for a living.

Peter: I'm Peter, a designer working on Mega Man 2.5D. I work part time to sustain myself while working on interesting projects, mainly Mega Man 2.5D.

RGM) Why the Mega Man franchise?

Peter: We're both big fans of Mega Man and grew up with the games. Back in 2009, I put together an animated mockup of Mega Man 2.5D, for fun. The response to the mockup however was way more than I had expected. It seemed that there were a lot of people out there who would like an actual playable game.

Shortly after putting out the video, I got in contact with Edgar, as well as a couple of other guys who were willing to work towards that goal of making it a playable game.

RGM) The demo you released was limited to two player co-op. That is a unique position to take on a demo, what was the reasoning behind it considering Mega Man has historically been a single player experience?

Peter: Mega Man 2.5D consists of two experiences, single-player and co-op. However, because there are no other Mega Man co-op games (not in our style at least), we decided to focus on what sets our game apart. Although we do have things we want to implement for the single-player mode (which you can see in some of the previous trailers), the co-op took priority over it.

RGM) Which Mega Man game is your favorite?

Peter: For me it is a toss up between Mega Man 2 and Mega Man 3. I'm also a big fan of Mega Man 9 and Mega Man 10.

Edgar: I love most of them, but I'm particularly fond of Mega Man & Bass, I like the difficulty of it, the lack of E-tanks, playing with Bass (which is a completely different experience) and the bosses.

RGM) The framework of Mega Man 2.5D is slightly different depending on how it is played (single or co-op) were these differences that are planned purposefully chose to encourage playing both modes?

Peter: It wasn't really planned from the get go. Originally we wanted to work with perspective changes both in the single -play and co-op mode. However, it proved challenging just to try and implement it well in the single-player mode, not to mention in the co-op mode. Because of this, we decided to limit the perspective changes to the single-player mode and keep the co-op a bit more traditional.

RGM) Will there be an option to have single-player co-op (the computer controlling the second player for instance)?

Peter: That would be interesting from a programming point of view, but we're not sure if we could make it work, seeing as how the game requires a lot of co-operation among players. It's more likely that we'll include an online mode so you can play with other people.

RGM) How high is on-line multiplayer on your list of options to include?

Peter: It is very high, although it has lower priority than having the game finished. So, for now the priority is to finish the game, and then try to add on-line capabilities. Although, if we find an easy way to implement it, we may have it before the game is finished. We're not making any promises though.

RGM) What game engine is Mega Man 2.5D using? Proprietary, Unreal Engine, etc.

Peter: We are using a proprietary engine using XNA as a framework and BEPU for physics. We are considering moving it to MonoGame to support Linux and MacOS but it is not a high priority right now.

RGM) When is the next demo planned to be released?

Peter: We're aiming for a February release. Our goal for that release is to include at least one more co-op stage (Snake Man's stage) as well as at least one single player stage.

RGM) Will we see an original game from your team in the future? Maybe one funded through Kickstarter?

Peter: It's hard to say. We make a pretty good team so it would be nice to work together again if possible. Right now however, our focus is to keep building Mega Man 2.5D, to make it as good as we possibly can.

To check out more on Mega Man 2.5D please visit www.petersjostrand.com