Retro Gaming Australia

One of my most loved games of all time.

Shenmue II is the second and currently final chapter of Yu Suzuki’s Dreamcast epic. It’s a much better game than its predecessor, combining the interactivity and atmosphere of the oriignal with a whole lot more action and fighting sequences. The second half of the game is truly magnificent, building up to an amazing final battle, quietening down, and then hitting you with a startling cliffhanger. This ad is for the Xbox port.

Vectors are awesome.

The Vectrex is a video game console with an in-built vector monitor, the only home video game system to ever use one. The result is some pretty amazing and unique visuals, although you have to use screen overlays for any kind of colour. Getting a system that works is becoming harder with each passing year, but it’s really something you need to see in the flesh.

Play the 3DO on your PC…if you have the exact specific hardware it requires.

With the licensing structure of the 3DO system, any manufacturer could build their own version of the machine, provided they paid The 3DO Company a royalty. Creative decided to build an ISA card that would give you the 3DO experience on your PC. Problem was, it only worked with one CD-ROM drive – the Creative CR-563. You also needed to have a Creative branded sound card. Novel idea, but not exactly practical.

Another series Capcom pretends doesn’t exist.

Set five hundred years after the first game, Breath of Fire II puts you in the shoes of Ryu, a 16 year old boy who finds himself alone in the world after demons kidnap his father and sister, and erase the memories of the local townsfolk. Of course, he turns out to be part dragon or something and sets off to save the world with a bunch of stereotypical J-RPG friends.

Somewhat unfairly maligned by a number of fans.

Tekken 4 is the fifth entry in the series, and arguably the most experimental thanks in large to a changed physics system and greater emphasis on environmental fighting. The home version also included another version of the awesome Tekken Force mode.

Great series, apart from the British kids show accents.

Ape Escape was the flagship title for Sony’s PlayStation Analogue Pad, which was later replaced by the Dual Shock, which was essentially the same thing (the tops of the analogue sticks are different, for one) with a rumble motor built in. The game is arguably one of the best on the PlayStation, and the two sequels (the ones released outside of Japan, that is) are even better.

Avenge your rabbit friend (seriously) in this fourth episode of Doom

The Ultimate Doom was the 1995 re-release of Doom (post-Doom II) which added an extra episode called Thy Flesh Consumed on top of all of the other improvements introduced post-release. However, due to id Software’s focus on other projects, the quality of the levels in the expansion is inconsistent.

Splat!

Carmageddon II: Carpocalypse now takes the pedestrian splattering and car smashing action of the original game, and rocks up the volume. It hasn’t aged particularly well due to the low polygon pedestrian models, but it’s still a heck of a lot of fun to play.

I think the comparison is the wrong way around.

Bad Dudes was a somewhat popular Data East beat ’em up that’s better known for the quote “Are you a bad enough dude to rescue the President?” (or President Ronnie in the arcade version) than its actual gameplay. This ad is for the NES port, which was rather watered down due to the difference in hardware power.

My favourite iteration of this series.

Harvest Moon 64 puts you in control of a young farmer who is tasked with rebuilding and maintaining a farm, raising animals and starting a family. It seems a ridiculous notion making a game about farm work, but it’s actually pretty engrossing and a hell of a lot more fun than the real thing.