Retro games you (used to) play

Ronnie Rowlands · Sat 20 Sep, 2008 19.41

Tekken, anyone?

cwathen · Sat 20 Sep, 2008 22.53

I think it was the Master System that, when no cartridge was inserted, you'd be able to play Alex Kidd, which I was never any good at, always use to get frustrated that the character wouldn't jump when you wanted it to.

The (often forgotten) original Master System came with a much simpler maze type game built in. Only late production runs, just before the (usually remembered) Master System II was released included Alex Kidd. Alex Kidd continued to be the standard built in game for most of MS2's life until the very final days when Sonic I was built in instead. Does anyone actually own a cartridge version of Alex Kidd? It's rarity must make it worth a small fortune now.

I've got a Master System 1 and a ton of games myself. It doesn't look as sleek, but its actually a higher specification console - aswell as the standard noisey RF modulator the original version included a DIN connector which could output to RGB scart giving you a much better image. There was also a smartcard reader on the front which certain (usually older, since the MS2 didn't have a cardreader) games could make use of.

Glad someone mentioned some classic C64 games. Never had the full version of Mayhem in Monsterland, just a demo from a Commodore Force covertape. Seemed a pretty amazing game though - it's amazing what you can do with a 2Mhz processor, 32KB of RAM, 320x240 screen resolution, 16 colours, and mono sound when you put your mind to it isn't it? Oh, and have to read all the program files from a cassette which can only transfer data at 300Bps (over 150 times slower than DIAL UP internet). Mayhem must also have been one of the very last games released for the C64, with production of the machine ending less than a year later.

Netizen · Sat 20 Sep, 2008 23.16

Err what? 0.98Mhz and 64KB RAM I think you'll find! And as a further note of pedantry, the C64's SID sound chip did have stereo tunes written for it, but most examples of that were probably in the latter half of the 90's when the demoscene was the only thing left. As for tapes, pfft... I backed up all of mine onto 5 1/4" floppy with an Expert freeze cartridge with turbo loader, oh yes.

stu · Sun 21 Sep, 2008 04.49

There's a bloke not too far from me who publishes games on cassettes still for a vartiety of 8-bit formats! http://www.cronos.toucansurf.com/

Anyone read Retro Gamer magazine?

Dr Lobster* · Sun 21 Sep, 2008 10.23

Alexia wrote:
stu wrote: Amiga 500 (disks have succumbed to mould sadly)
Did you play Oscar?

i had oscar which i think came as part of the desktop dynamite pack. the reviews of the game were pretty poor but i found it really enjoyable.

when i got hold of a copy of trolls, i noted they were the two exact same games.

did you have soccer kid? i thought that was a pretty original platformer, it was hard to play at times with those dreadful joysticks (what ever happened to those) you used to get free with your amiga from silica systems or wherever - here's an advert which may bring back some memories: http://www.commodoreformat.co.uk/issues ... f21-21.jpg

cwathen · Sun 21 Sep, 2008 17.05

Err what? 0.98Mhz and 64KB RAM I think you'll find!

Quite right, I stand corrected. I was confusing the C64 with the BBC Micro model Bwhich was 2Mhz and 32K. Guess I should have got the C64 right from the name though lol.

Incidentally, when I was 11 (and the ultimate geek)I had both machines set up side by side on my desk - the C64's strength was it's superior graphics and sound, but the BBC with it's faster processor, greater display flexibility, and faster cassette interface (4 times the speed of the C64) made it a much better number cruncher.

Nini · Sun 21 Sep, 2008 17.07

*looks*

Pf, nerds.

Pete · Sat 11 Oct, 2008 11.36

Sorry to dredge this back from the dead but...

My dad bought me a second hand SNES back in about 96 and I loved it. Mario All Stars was my favourite, until I found super mario world at a car boot sale. My mate also lent me Mario Kart which I was shit hot at, not least because I discovered you could cheat by driving over the gravel therefore skipping a large bend and it not penalising you.

I bought my brothers a classic controller for christmas and they promptly downloaded mario kart and smw onto the wii. It was great fun playing them again and the emulation on the wii is damn good.

I still have the original snes somewhere along with another snes that appeared out of nowhere, about 6 controllers, the gun thing and a big box of random games some of which work better than others. One of the consoles at least still works fine but only some of the controllers do, not least because the smaller brother tended to throw the controller at the ground when he lost, I threw him down the stairs when I found what he was doing to my precious things.

lukey · Sat 11 Oct, 2008 13.21

I don't really remember a time before games - even before we got our Mega Drive when I was 4, my oldest brother's ZX +2 was around, as well as my Dad's 48k, Jupiter Ace etc.

I have good memories of that +2, actually. One of my favourite games was Chaos, even though mini-Luketh had no fecking idea what was going on.

For completeness, I bought my friend's Master System and his games for a fiver when I was 12, just so I could experience the wonder that was Back to the Future II - candidate for most laughably bad game of all time? OH! And Dragon...Crystal? I had a lot of love for that game. Oh noes! Black potion!
Go to sleep Luketh.

Malpass93 · Thu 16 Oct, 2008 16.48

Col wrote:Sonic 2 (could only get up to the boss of Wing Fortress Zone and no further without cheating) and Street Fighter 2 (the hilarity at the time of pausing the game when Chun Li did her Lightning Kick to see up her dress...).

I get stuck at WFZ on Sonic 2 as well. As for the SF2 thing, I'm not even gonna ask...

I still play Sonic 2. IMO it still kicks ass, 16 years after it was originally released.

Dr Lobster* · Thu 16 Oct, 2008 17.53

Malpass93 wrote:
Col wrote:Sonic 2 (could only get up to the boss of Wing Fortress Zone and no further without cheating) and Street Fighter 2 (the hilarity at the time of pausing the game when Chun Li did her Lightning Kick to see up her dress...).
I get stuck at WFZ on Sonic 2 as well. As for the SF2 thing, I'm not even gonna ask...

I still play Sonic 2. IMO it still kicks ass, 16 years after it was originally released.

agreed, it's a great game and as you say, fun to play. none of the 3d sonic games have been much cop, i was hopeful for sonic unleashed but the more i see of it the more i think it will be pants like the last one.

the 2d sonic games on the ds are pretty fun - i 've got sonic rush but it's a bit hard i haven't played it for a while now.