Professional Documents
Culture Documents
ULTIMATE
RETRO
HARDWARE
GUIDE REDISCOVER THE GREATEST
25+
retro
machines
As much as we love playing video games it’s important to remember that it’s impossible to enjoy them
without the very machines they appear on. Ever since the late Seventies various companies from all around
the world, including Sony, Atari, Nintendo, Sega, Sinclair and Commodore, have been in an arms race to
create the most exciting, most powerful games machines of all time. Some of these systems have fallen
by the wayside, forgotten by all but the fiercest of fans, while others have gone on to shape our childhood
memories and help define the industry itself. Our latest book not only looks at some of Retro Gamer
readers’ most favourite consoles and computers but also goes one better, examining some of these classic
systems and revealing how they were created. You’ll discover how machines like the Commodore 64, Xbox
and NES were made, learn how the Amiga 500 rose to power, and find out why there’s still so much love for
the humble ZX Spectrum. Better yet, there’s a plethora of fantastic photography of your favourite machines
and peripherals, meaning our latest book is a feast for the eyes as well as the mind. We hope you enjoy it.
Future PLC Quay House, The Ambury, Bath, BA1 1UA
Editorial
Editor Darran Jones
Senior Designer Adam Markiewicz
Compiled by April Madden & Adam Markiewicz
Senior Art Editor Andy Downes
Head of Art & Design Greg Whitaker
Editorial Director Jon White
Photography
All copyrights and trademarks are recognised and respected
Advertising
Media packs are available on request
Commercial Director Clare Dove
International
Head of Print Licensing Rachel Shaw
licensing@futurenet.com
www.futurecontenthub.com
Circulation
Head of Newstrade Tim Mathers
Production
Head of Production Mark Constance
Production Project Manager Matthew Eglinton
Advertising Production Manager Joanne Crosby
Digital Editions Controller Jason Hudson
Production Managers Keely Miller, Nola Cokely,
Vivienne Calvert, Fran Twentyman
Printed by William Gibbons, 26 Planetary Road,
Willenhall, West Midlands, WV13 3XT
Distributed by Marketforce, 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HU
www.marketforce.co.uk Tel: 0203 787 9001
Ultimate Retro Hardware Guide Fifth Edition (GAB4270)
© 2022 Future Publishing Limited
We are committed to only using magazine paper which is derived from responsibly managed,
certified forestry and chlorine-free manufacture. The paper in this bookazine was sourced
and produced from sustainable managed forests, conforming to strict environmental and
socioeconomic standards. The paper holds full FSC or PEFC certification and accreditation.
All contents © 2022 Future Publishing Limited or published under licence. All rights reserved.
No part of this magazine may be used, stored, transmitted or reproduced in any way without
the prior written permission of the publisher. Future Publishing Limited (company number
2008885) is registered in England and Wales. Registered office: Quay House, The Ambury,
Bath BA1 1UA. All information contained in this publication is for information only and is, as far
as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Future cannot accept any responsibility
for errors or inaccuracies in such information. You are advised to contact manufacturers and
retailers directly with regard to the price of products/services referred to in this publication. Apps
and websites mentioned in this publication are not under our control. We are not responsible for
their contents or any other changes or updates to them. This magazine is fully independent and
not affiliated in any way with the companies mentioned herein.
Part of the
bookazine series
82
6
48
196
100
7 7
TH E AL
8
GREATEST GAME SYSTEMS
L TI M E
9
Your say...
Not as expeNsive as the
C64 or as Cheap as the
speCtrum, but it had the
BEST OF BOTH WORLDS -
aNd it did well eNough for
amstrad to aCtually
buy out siNClair
eNtirely”
- gunbladelad
TURN
TO
PAGE 92
■ Despite being an all-in-one answer to the Commodore 64 So, despite a lot going for it, why do you feel the Amstrad
and ZX Spectrum, Lord Sugar’s machine still found itself was less popular than its 8-bit peers?
trailing behind its peers, which explains why it’s so low down PO: It was less popular than the Spectrum and C64 because it came
on your list. Having said that, everyone loves an underdog, which a couple of years later and was more expensive. But because it
probably explains why it still managed to break into your top 30. was a complete package, most buyers would tell you it was worth
the extra, and they were quick to defend their purchase against the
more popular Spectrum and C64. Fundamentally, the Amstrad was
Philip and Andrew Oliver, a souped-up Spectrum, running the same Z80 CPU with a variety of
Former Amstrad programmers graphic modes and a little more RAM.
What did you think about Amstrad entering
the computer market? How did Dizzy benefit from appearing on the Amstrad?
Philip Oliver: We really liked the computer and thought it was a AO: The Amstrad was a less crowded market with fewer
great opportunity for us to make many games on, with far less established names. As a result it was easier for the new guys like
competition from the top game developers on Spectrum, C64 and us to break in – and break in we did! Dizzy was seen by many as the
the BBC Micro. mascot character for the Amstrad, because we always prioritised
the Amstrad version to the ported versions as it was always the first
How did the Amstrad compare to its rivals? and had slightly more colours, no colour clash and better music.
Andrew Oliver: We loved the real keyboard, disk drive and monitor
– it was a very good package for a fair price. Having its own screen The Amstrad has a vibrant community today, why do you
meant most people gave it a dedicated setup, and didn’t have to think it still strikes a chord with its fans?
contend with a poor quality RF (aerial) signal and fuzzy display. We PO: People who bought the Amstrad, had a complete, easy-to-use,
were quick to buy a plug-in Z80 assembler, called Maxam, that gave computer. There was no sharing of the TV and no messing with
us the ability to write very fast arcade-style games in assembler. cables. It was there to be switched on and instantly enjoyed.
10
GREATEST GAME SYSTEMS
Your say...
I CAME TO THIS
LATER THAN THE
REST, BUT NEO TURF
MASTERS, SHOCK
TROOPERS AND NEO
DRIFT OUT ARE IN MY ALL
TIME TOP TEN GAMES
ON ANY SYSTEM”
- ulala
■ Legendary for both its price and power, SNK’s development of fighting games. the development team
luxury machine achieved mythical status due to its spent most of their time developing games for the MVS Alex Trowers, Ex Bullfrog designer
arcade-perfect games, including a huge number system. that meant we did not get many chances to What was your first memory of
of one-on-one fighting games. Few can afford to develop other game genres for other platforms. encountering the Neo-Geo?
seriously collect Neo-Geo games, but those that do take It was playing World Heroes II at
the plunge quickly become devotees, explaining the Why do you think players stayed with the Laserquest in Guildford. Well, that and seeing lovely
machine’s appearance here. hardware for so long? shots of Viewpoint in magazines. I bought one shortly
We really feel grateful that we were able to continue to afterwards when I realised (mistakenly) that my salary
release our titles until 2004, and we have the support would allow me the freedom to buy these games.
Yasyuki Oda, Producer at SNK of our amazing fans to thank for that. around 2000 to
The Neo-Geo featured powerful, 2003, SnK went into bankruptcy and there was a very Did the Neo-Geo deserve its luxury status?
arcade-quality hardware and a high distinct lack of both human resources and equipment. absolutely. It was an arcade machine for your home.
price. Why did SNK choose this even during that situation, we managed to continue to
approach when designing it? develop neo-Geo games for our fans. Why do you think so many of the system’s
as you mention, we wanted our fans to play our games games remain so desirable today? TURN TO
at home with the best arcade quality, just as they Which games do you feel best represent the exclusivity. On a related note, if anyone sees PAGE 148
FOR OUR FULL
experienced at their local arcade centre. as a result of Neo-Geo as a whole? a Samurai Shodown IV for the neo-Geo cD LOOK AT SNK’S
this, the prices for both the games and the neo-Geo In my opinion, it would be Art Of Fighting, which at a reasonable price, do please let CLASSY
CONSOLE
hardware were quite expensive. released as our first ‘100 Mega Shock’ title. me know!
Why were so many fighting games released on Why do you think retro Gamer’s readers still What do you think is the Neo-Geo’s legacy?
the system? think highly of the Neo-Geo? It’s got to be the beat-’em-ups. Sure, none of them
In those days, the fighting game genre was the most neo-Geo simply had a very long production run. We ever really captured the mainstream attention of Street
successful genre in terms of profit in the arcade market. believe the fact that we supported the hardware for so Fighter, but the wealth of characters and interesting
as a result of that, the company decided to focus on the long helped to leave a strong impression on our fans. systems still prevail today.
11
19 PC ENGINE Filled with eastern promise
MANUFACTURER: NEC | YEAR: 1987
■ This tiny console designed, by Hudson Soft, boasted the USA was a big problem. Many of the Japanese games
amazing arcade conversions and many excellent that would do very well in the USA today – anime, RPGs, Matt Risley, Artist formerly of
shoot-’em-ups, as well as the first CD-ROM add-on. etc – seemed to be a niche, and we survived for a while System 3 and Argonaut Software
If its American release as the Turbografx-16 had met catering to that niche. But it was very hard to convince Could you tell us about your first
success, it could well have done on this list, but importers marketing at NEC America to do this. We basically had TV encounter with the PC Engine?
were more than sufficiently impressed to vote the system in. and VCR people selling our products. It all definitely started with my mate Dave Langley. I
This began to change when we formed Turbo remember us travelling into London to a shop which sold
Technologies, Inc, which allowed us to have our own imports. It was an incredible shop of goodies. That day
John Brandstetter, game-focused sales teams. But this again was a bit of a Dave got a PC Engine and quite a few games. I remember
Formerly of NEC and Turbo Technologies, Inc problem, as TTI was not as well funded as Nintendo and unpacking it and wondering what this little white machine
What were the best things about the Sega. So, we lost out on big titles like Street Fighter and could do. Once we switched it on, I was hooked!
PC Engine/Turbografx hardware? many others. Even though many of these titles existed in
The PC Engine had an amazing small size, and a high Japan and are amazing, being a US division we had to do Why do you think games magazines at the time
performance display processor with the ability to do things separately from Japan and could not offer the cash were so excited by it?
very large sprites for the time. It was the dominant game that Sega or Nintendo could to third parties. I don’t think anyone could believe the screenshots in the
system in Japan because it had a huge library of excellent magazines and that this was an 8-bit machine. We’d also
arcade ports – it was the ultimate arcade game console How did it feel to know you were going to be the never seen sprites so large before. We had never seen
for its time. face of the TurboDuo ad campaign? anything like that at home, it was like being in the arcades!
Tony Ancona and I had kind of come up with this when
How important was it to be the first platform we met with our marketing company. We wanted to You’ve got a large PC Engine collection, what is it
with CD technology? do a similar thing to what had been done in Japan, as you like about the system?
At Hudson, we had been the innovator of this technology Hudson’s hero for the system was Takahashi Meijiin (or It is my favourite console for sure. What I love is the
and it allowed us to bring games out faster. Initially, the Master Higgins). This is how it came about, and Tony and variety of the games, pretty much all of the games were
games benefited from better game audio, and later we had I became the mascots of the TurboGrafx brand. Most really colourful and beautifully designed.
better, bigger games – we could fit hundreds of cartridges people in the industry know me as Johnny Turbo, and I am
of data on a CD. Being first in Japan was a huge success as pretty okay with that. How do you think it stacked up compared to the
almost all the best games are CD games in Japan. home systems of the time?
What are your favourite games for the PC Engine At the time it was head and shoulders above any system.
What do you think was the main thing that and Turbografx systems? All my friends had a Master Systems, but once they saw
prevented the US Turbografx from achieving the R-Type, Castlevania, Bonk, Gate Of Thunder, Lords the PC Engine games in the magazines, everyone really
same success the PC Engine had in Japan? Of Thunder, Bloody Wolf, Gunhed, Legendary Axe, wanted it, but I remember many were put off with it being
I was in the trenches with this. Money to licence games for Splatterhouse, Bomberman, Galaga ’88 and many more. an import and the difficulty in getting hold of the games.
Fun fact
The PC
engine is The
only maChine in
your ToP 21 ThaT
never received an
official release
in the UK
12
GREATEST GAME SYSTEMS
Your say...
so many arcade
games! how did They
make arcade-perfect
games on an 8-bit
sysTem?!”
- Treble
13
TURN TO
page 196
■ Microsoft’s debut console was powerful and had incredible about a consumer device and there’s a budget for it,’ and we would
financial backing, but never became a market leader. Regardless, just turn up to the meeting with our demo, uninvited. We learned every
the console found an audience that champions it to this day, thanks to Microsoft building and sampled every cafeteria, and drove around in
the allure of gaming over broadband on Xbox Live and games like Halo, our various cars – I had a red pickup truck, because our demos were
Fable, Ninja Gaiden and Project Gotham Racing. pretty big, and we’d put it in the back and ride around with everyone
in the back of the pick-up, even in light rain. It was absolutely renegade.
I remember going with Kevin [Bachus] to tokyo Game Show, we
seamus Blackley, Xbox codesigner rode the train in and when we got out, the entire train station was
You previously mentioned that Microsoft jumping plastered with Xbox logos. We got there and we just started crying.
into the console market was “fucking ludicrous”, It was the DirectX Box and then the Xbox and had this silly X logo and
so how do you think it all worked out in the end? it’s all in this colour green, because Horace Luke only had green left
It worked out because it was pure. up until the thing got approved after everyone stole his markers. We’re remembering all of these
and we really started staffing up, Xbox was less than ten guys, all fucking improbable things, and all the guys telling us it wouldn’t work
passionate gamers who knew this was going to work – we clearly saw in Japanese publishers and uS publishers, and Microsoft guys trying
this was going to work, it was not in question. It was like the kind of to shut it down. and then we’re in a subway station in a foreign country
fervour you can usually only get from religions. We would literally go and it has this logo which is like a joke to us, but it’s everywhere and
through schedules and be like, ‘Hey, craig Mundie is having a meeting it’s a serious thing. It was absolutely crazy. I still don’t quite believe it.
Fun fact
READERS
WHO VOTED
FOR THE XBOX,
WERE 50% MORE
LIKELY THAN AVERAGE
TO VOTE FOR THE
XBOX 360 AND
XBOX ONE
14
GreaTesT Game sysTems
17 MASTER SYSTEM
THE ARCADE MASTER
Manufacturer: SEGA | Year: 1985
■ During the late Eighties, Sega carved out its own slice of the Of course, the rest of the world was more focused on playing
console world with conversions of hot arcade games including the games than creating them. the Master System did have a broad
Hang-On, Shinobi, and Wonder Boy. This powerful 8-bit system was collection of games, from quirky to outstanding. Some of these titles,
particularly popular in Europe and South America, and survived well into the such as Alex Kidd, were created by names you probably wouldn’t
Nineties as a cheaper alternative to the Mega Drive. recognise today. But the Master System was also the training
ground for huge talent, such as Yuji naka. If memory serves, he was
responsible for the ports of Sega’s biggest arcade titles while still
Mark Cerny, Former Sega programmer/designer finding time for amazing original work, such as Phantasy Star.
Turn To
PAGE 94
You spent some time at Sega working on the after I pitched the Master System’s 3-D glasses to management for our look
Master System, Mark, what do remember and prototypes were floating around the office, I came back from back aT seGa’s
8-biT console
from that period? the new year break to find that naka had programmed a full blown
for me, when I think back to the Master System, what I remember ‘canyon run’ flight simulator, in 3D! Quite impressive. the only bad
is… fun! I transitioned from arcade games to console games just as news being that in order to keep the framerate up, he had to shrink the
it was coming out, so it was the first console I ever programmed. It size of the screen to the point where the graphics were just a postage
was amazingly fast to get up to speed on it – the manual was a few stamp-sized area in the centre of the tV, and the rest was black. He
dozen pages of handwritten instructions, and there were so many volunteered that it was a bit too small, asked if I shared his opinion,
tricks you could use once you had familiarity with the hardware. and then reluctantly dropped the project. What a talent, though!
Your say...
MY FIRST CONSOLE. I
USED TO BE JEALOUS OF
MY MATE SO BEGGED MY
PARENTS FOR ONE. SONIC
IS STILL BETTER
ON THIS THAN THE
MEGA DRIVE”
- kebabinho
15
Your say...
My first real love.
after the Pong clone,
to have a vcs with so
Many arcade games
at home seeMed like
luxury and the
future”
- kiwimike
Fun fact
voting
for other
atari systeMs was
45% higher than
average aMong
those who included
the atari 2600 in
their toP tens
16
GREATEST GAMING SYSTEMS
TURN TO
PAGE 48
TO LEARN MORE
ABOUT ATARI’S
■ The oldest machine to make it into your list was a What tricks could the Atari 2600 pull off that set it met FCC emission rules. But it had greater flexibility than
phenomenon, selling millions and remaining viable apart from its rivals at the time? we expected as well.
for over a decade. Atari’s power in the arcade industry We had no real rivals until much later, but the platform
provided the system with ready-made hits, and the was amazingly flexible. What did the Atari 2600 have that made other
company innovated by licensing additional games from its games systems shiver in fear?
arcade rivals, including the million-selling Space Invaders. What aspect of the machine’s development did you There was no frame buffer and there was very little
most enjoy? support hardware, so it meant the programmers could be
I enjoyed the early design aspects. The trickiest part was more creative.
Nolan Bushnell Atari Inc cofounder keeping the costs down to be able to hit sub-$200.
Are you surprised the Atari 2600 We asked Nolan this and he said Combat… what’s
continues to attract attention today? What do you think about the plans to launch a new your favourite Atari 2600 game?
I am somewhat surprised, although the Atari console – the Ataribox? My personal favourite game for the Atari 2600 is Chess.
games for the Atari 2600 were well designed, even though It’s predictable. I’m happy to see the brand has traction. It was technically very challenging to create a very good
the graphics were primitive. chess algorithm in 2K of ROM and 128 bytes of RAM,
and displaying that many objects on the screen. It was
Did the Atari 2600 achieve everything you set out Allan Alcorn Designer of Pong probably our least successful game, though.
to fulfil at the time? What do you think makes the
It heavily exceeded my expectations. When the system Atari 2600 so revered today? Let’s go back to when you were making the 2600,
was initially designed we thought it would get up to 20 Few consumer products can claim a what was your standout achievement back then?
cartridges at most and I felt the machine would have a dedicated following for 40-plus years. I think it is still My most biggest achievement on the project was putting
three-year life. We thought it would need to be replaced loved due to it being the first popular game platform and the teams together of ‘all-A’ players. Steve Mayer and
with better hardware and more memory within that time because many new games were first on that platform. Ron Milner created the prototype in three months, while
frame. Warner thought it was a record player and it only It also helped that the initial design goal was to have the Jay Miner led the chip effort. We also had the top product
wanted to focus on cartridges. lowest manufacturing cost. team from National Semi which was led by John Ellis.
Of all the games for the Atari 2600, which were We think we know the answer, but as a project, Has anything else come running back to you?
your personal favourites? would you say the Atari 2600 was a success? I remember going over to consumer engineering on
I really liked Combat and later on I enjoyed Pitfall! – even The Atari 2600 was a very successful project. The Monday mornings to see who got injured that weekend,
though it was not an Atari label game. Combat was the hardware architecture was very cost effective, the because most of the hardware engineers were into
most successful. programming model was very primitive and the machine motocross and would often break and arm or leg.
17
15 PC The eTernal plaTform
Manufacturer: VARIOUS | Year: 1981
■ As home consoles rise and fall throughout countless Why do you think the 486 era is so popular
generations, the PC remains a constant in the market, with our readers? Michael Latham,
through big-boxed floppy disk games to today’s era of Why is the 486 so well loved? I’m not really sure, Formerly of Activision and Sega
digital distribution. for many of you, the era that evokes because my first Pc was actually a 486. My money is Why has the PC been your
the most nostalgia is that of DOS games running on 486 on Doom being the driver of its popularity. most-played platform?
processors, but we’re celebrating everything to do with Pc One of the key moments that made me want to make
here – all the way through to digital platforms like Steam. What developers do you feel define the PC as a games was when I when into a computer store and
gaming system? saw a IBM Pcjr, a horrible computer, playing King’s
today, Valve, epic, Bethesda, Mojang, and riot are the Quest from Sierra. My mind was blown! I’d never
Wright Bagwell, companies I most closely associate with the Pc – they’re seen details like that. there were small touches of
Formerly of EA, Visceral and Valve companies that embrace user-generated content, and animation going on all around the background, unlike
What one game made you realise the idea that the content that players generate and any game I had seen. the story was movie level. I
the importance of PCs as a share is the most valuable part of their business. was seeing the proto-Assassin’s Creed and Uncharted.
platform for videogames? My first Pc was a compaq Portable with a green
Quake was the game that brought us all into the future, What is it that you personally love about PCs? monochrome screen, and I played a load of games
and showed how so many emerging technologies I love that Pcs are an open platform for developers on it that I loved. from there, it was upgrade after
could come together on an open platform to do to build whatever they’re interested in. It’s where upgrade, Pc gaming just got better. now it’s so good
something revolutionary. I loved playing Quake, but I all the cutting-edge software and hardware shows it threatens to push out consoles, which are being hit
enjoyed making content for it on my Pc and sharing it up first, the hardware is the most powerful, and the from the Pc and mobile side. It’s also the best solution
with the world even more. communities are far more passionate than any other. for Vr/ar gaming right now.
Fun fact
The PC is The firsT
maChine so far To
have an average of
over six points per
vote and The only
maChine ouTside of The
ToP Ten To have an
average ThaT is
so high
18
GREATEST GAME SYSTEMS
Your say...
The ulTimaTe 2d
gaming PorTable
deviCe. The CaTalogue
is full of classics,
and The sP’s sCreen is
brillianT, esPeCially
on the rarer aGS-101
models”
- Alix Bergeret
TURN TO
PAGE 194
19
13 SATURN GaminG from another world
Manufacturer: SEGA | Year: 1994
■ Non-fans might remember the Saturn as a flop, pressure. We knew we were helping Sega out of a bit systems through reduced functionality, so you could
albeit one with great conversions of Virtua Fighter 2 of a Sonic hole left by Sonic X-treme, so we didn’t really program without that worry.
and Sega Rally, but the console’s diehard fans knew feel the pressure of making a Sonic game so much as
something the general public didn’t – Japanese getting it finished on time. What memories do you have of coding
imports were where the real action was. that Shenmue on the Saturn?
international appeal accounts greatly for the Saturn’s What’s your best Saturn-related anecdote? Going into 3D functionality development, we did a
strong showing on your list. I always liked to impress Sega with a cool new effect variety of basic experimenting to push the limits of
each time they visited, so I worked really hard on what we could do. It was thrilling, and my pulse was
making amazing reflective water for the first track in pounding the whole time through development.
Jon Burton, Sonic R. On his next visit I proudly let our producer Kats
Founder of Traveller’s Tales Sato play the newly polished level, and he didn’t even What game do you feel defines the Saturn?
What were the strengths of the notice it had changed… gutted! I think that would be the Virtua Fighter series. after the
Sega Saturn? title launch of Virtua Fighter, the year after we came out
In my mind, the strengths were that it had a lot of with VF2 which sold a record 1.7 million copies.
separate chips that you needed to work hard to get the Yu Suzuki,
best results. anything that put off lazy developers left a formerly of Sega, founder of YS net Why do you think that the Saturn remains so
nice advantage for us to exploit. Why was the Saturn so great for popular with our readers?
2D games? I think that was because the hardware itself sold
What is it you personally love about working I think that was due to the good balance the machine well, and over 1,000 titles came out for it, giving
on the system? had for distributed processing. the setup did not put a players increased choice.
I loved thinking up ways to get the best out of the burden on program processing, etc even if you did not
hardware. the chip diversity gave you lots of options pay attention to the graphics or sound.
on how to tackle a problem, and so you could create
really novel solutions. for instance, you couldn’t make What was it like to code for?
transparent polygons (well, you could but the hardware My design philosophy extended to
corrupted them), but I figured out a completely all facets of the system so writing
different way of doing it so we had several stages of code for it was fun.
transparency to fade out polygons in the distance.
What is it that you love
What was it like making the only new Sonic about the Saturn?
games for the system? using any one system did
Both games had such tight deadlines that it was more not adversely affect other
of a time pressure than a, ‘We’re making Sonic games!’
Fun fact
Sega’S the
Second moSt
popular hardware
manufacturer among
our readers – its turn to
PAGE 168
consoles accounted to learn more
about sega’s
for 18% of all votes 32-bit console
cast, behind only
nintendo’s 33%
20
GREATEST GAMES SYSTEMS
Your say...
this was my
first non-portable
nintendo console – i
bought it for Zelda: the
wind waker, and loved for
the rest of the games. like
the dreamcast, it had a
catalogue of great
gameS that was
easy to collect”
- smac
21
TURN TO
PAGE 126
Fun fact
14% OF THE
TOTAL VOTES
WERE ATTRIBUTED
TO HANDHELDS. FOR
COMPARISON, HOME
CONSOLES RECEIVED 68%
OF THE VOTES AND
HOME COMPUTERS
HAD 16%
22
GREATEST GAMING SYSTEMS
Your say...
not including
a second-Hand
commodore, tHis was my
First gaming system brand
new. it died From overuse
and Had to be replaced
seven years later!”
- RetroMartin
23
Your say...
STILL CAN’T BELIEVE
HOW MUCH GAMING
GOODNESS CAN BE
PACKED INTO A DEVICE
SO SMALL WITH
TECHNOLOGY FROM 35
YEARS AGO”
- the_hawk
24
GREATEST GAMING SYSTEMS
TURN TO
PAGE 82
9 NES THE EVERGREEN FAVOURITE TO LEARN MORE
ABOUT HOW
THE NES WAS
CREATED
Manufacturer: NINTENDO | Year: 1983
■ Even though it fared poorly in Europe that hasn’t everything up. I’d seen it in advertisements, but not Sounds like you took to it instantly! Was there
stopped Nintendo’s console from powering its way up close – and, wow, it didn’t disappoint. It had taken anything else that made you fall in love with it?
into your top ten. We’d argue that its inclusion is down some time convincing my parents that our family’s atari the graphics were a big leap, but what really sold
to the enduring nature of its excellent library of games, had become a relic, and that the neS was the wisest me on the neS was the gameplay. the games felt so
the fact those games are accessible on so many modern investment they could possibly make. thankfully, they responsive, and their worlds were massive. there were
systems and that the console laid the foundation for finally listened to reason. some exciting peripherals, too. Lightgun games were
some of nintendo’s biggest franchises, some of which the neS quickly established its place in my and my unheard of outside of arcades, and while r.O.B. the
are still going strong today. Hey, maybe it’s not such a friends’ minds as the replacement system for all those robot might not have been very practical (or even very
surprise after all. aging atari 2600s most of us still had. By the time I fun), he seemed impossibly advanced back then. even
was negotiating for a neS in 1986, the Sega Master the controllers felt high-tech – we’d never seen anything
System had launched in the uS, but it was too late – all like them. the neS inspired me to design videogames
Chris Crawford, the kids in my peer group had already declared for the of my own for the first time, which eventually steered
Videogame designer neS. It wasn’t just timing, though. nintendo was also me to my current profession. I used to sketch out levels
Can you recall your very first producing much better original titles than what atari and and characters for my own Zelda-esque adventure
encounter with the NES for us? Sega could muster (it’s tough to compete with Shigeru games, and my brother Kyle and I would incorporate
My earliest memory of the neS was playing Super Miyamoto), and top-tier developers like Konami and ideas and characters from neS games into our own
Mario Bros. on the family tV right after my dad set capcom were making their own classics for the system. imaginary worlds. It was a really inspiring and fun time.
Your say...
THE SYSTEM THAT
I GREW UP WITH AND
MADE ME FALL IN LOVE
WITH GAMING. SO MANY
GREAT FRANCHISES
STARTED HERE”
- Nathan Riggins
25
TURN TO
PAGE 74
COMMODORE 64
TO LEARN MORE
ABOUT HOW
8 BREADBIN BELOVED
THE C64 WAS
CREATED
Your say...
THE FIRST COMPUTER I
COULD CALL MY OWN. I GOT
MINE IN 1987 WHEN I WAS TEN,
AND I STILL SWEAR TO THIS DAY
THAT THIS MACHINE GOT ME
IN TO COMPUTING, AND HAS
RESULTED IN ME DEVOTING MY
LIFE TO USING AND WORKING
WITH COMPUTERS”
- Stuart Wilson
26
TURN TO
PAGE 184
TO LEARN
■ The Nintendo 64 marked the beginning of the that next phase had finally been reached. The instant some graphics [on certain games] look a bit dated but
end of Nintendo as the dominant player in gaming, loading afforded to us by the games being stored there’s a core of games there that can still amaze and
but it nevertheless leaves behind a legacy of truly on cartridge was also a welcome luxury. I was also are still a joy to play even 20 years later.
exceptional games. The influence of Super Mario 64, quite ill for a period I owned my N64 and was holed
Ocarina Of Time and GoldenEye can still be felt in games up in my house, not being able to go out much, so Ah, so it was the games. So how impactful
today while its bespoke controller also set a trend that having a machine kept me as sane as I could under do you think games like Super Mario 64 and
would be repeated in its later systems. the circumstances and my day would consist of Ocarina Of Time are to the industry?
the copious cups of coffee, 20 Marlboro Lights (I Hugely. They showed everyone what was needed to
did give up the evil tobacco eventually) and my N64. make a perfect game and what was possible. Both
Mark R Jones, I worked through most of Donkey Kong 64 during this those games are still amazing to load up and play and
Former 8-bit graphic artist and N64 collector period, though I still have never managed to finish it. still will be in a hundred years’ time. Nintendo got it
You’re a big collector of the system, so right. Not only did everything look jaw-droppingly
what do you like about it? What legacy will the N64 leave behind? gorgeous, they got the playability, difficulty levels,
The big thing for me was that I felt games had actually It has a comparatively small library of titles compared sound and music spot on. At the time of their release
entered the next phase with the introduction of proper to other consoles but that collection contains some of there really was nothing like them. Nothing came
3D. With the SNES we were still really getting souped- the best games ever produced. I do see the machine close. We were witnessing the second coming and
up versions of games I’d played on the Spectrum, just getting slagged off quite a bit due to its blurry graphics I was getting the same amount of wonderment I’d
with better graphics, smoother scrolling and more and some titles short draw distances but none of experienced over ten years ago when I was witnessing
memory. With the N64 and the 3D it was capable of that bothered me, back then or now. Admittedly, all the firsts of 8-bit gaming with my ZX Spectrum!
Fun fact
MORE
THAN 40%
OF READERS
VOTED FOR
THE N64
27
6 AMIGA 500
The 16-biT powerhouse
MAnUFACTUrer: COMMODORE | YeAr: 1987
■ The Amiga 500 felt like a quantum leap for videogames when
it was first launched in 1987, and we can imagine that seeing Andrew Braybrook,
demos of Batman or Shadow Of The Beast convinced many 8-bit Former Commodore 64 and Amiga coder
owners that they finally needed to upgrade to Commodore’s How was the Amiga to work with?
supercharged system. It’s high placing in your list suggests that There was a big time difference between when I
your jaws were dropping just like ours when you first encountered it. first saw an Amiga and when I was allowed to start writing code
professionally, something like four years, which is a long time to
watch the greener grass on the other side of the fence. When I
Martyn Brown, Cofounder of Team17 did get to write for the Amiga, there were a lot of new toys to get
The Amiga is the highest-voted computer in to grips with: the blitter, the copper, more colour choices, more
our list, why do you think that is? memory, four-channel sampled sounds and a great CPU. I was
It doesn’t surprise me, there’s just something about then a tad disappointed that the machine was slightly
the Amiga that bonded so many people and brought so much underpowered to just use as-is, so we had to find
entertainment. It’s probably responsible for a massive interest ingenious ways to make best use of the hardware.
surge in both gaming and a gaming career. Finally, the Amiga flowered into the A1200 AGA
machine. And all too briefly after, she was taken
How important has the Amiga been to your career? from us. She was though by far the best at the time.
The Amiga was hugely important for me in terms of a career.
The timing, my age and associations, as well as the flavour of the
machine, made it pretty much perfect in all walks of my life at the Allister Brimble,
time. It was great to be associated with the machine and a number Amiga composer
of pretty good games at the time. Without the Amiga and great Why have you chosen the Amiga
friends around me at the time, I’m not sure I’d have really made it – as your favourite system?
it was a real catalyst. I love the Amiga because it was a huge step in both
graphics and sound, which brought us into the 16-bit
You must have a fun story from when you were working era, and allowed a new generation of audio, graphic a
on Amiga games, surely. and coding artists to explore their creative potential.
I have a lot because we used to work hard and play harder. But my
favourite one that perhaps can be printed was a briefing down at
Commodore where everyone in the meeting went quiet when the Stuart Atkinson,
tea lady came in, then as she left, we were shown the prototype Former Amiga artist
CD32 controller. Well, it amused me that they didn’t want her to see Why do you love the Amiga?
it, I’m not sure what damage it would have done. I suppose the main reason I
loved the Amiga back then was for its graphics
Why do you think Team17 games became synonymous capabilities. DPaint was bundled with it and I
with the Amiga? couldn’t stop using it, it’s a brilliant art package
I think it’s because we went over and above for the machine, we on an amazingly fast machine. That’s what was so
shot for one-meg-only games and made crafted titles that used good about the machine – it was all about creating
the best of the machine. There were a lot of ports at the time and your own stuff, art, music, animation, programming and
we always tried to make colourful, smooth scrolling and great not just for playing games.
sounding game experiences. Given our independence, we were able The demo scene was a major part of owning an
to make the games we wanted to play. Amiga for a lot of people, too, They were such
a vibrant creative bunch, it’s what lead to
What is it you love about the Amiga? me and several of my friends to getting
I loved the Amiga because of its open architecture and the fact that jobs in the industry. And I got to develop
you could achieve great things, with great sound and visuals. I loved a couple of games professionally on
the spirit of community that the Amiga brought and the passion, I’m the machine I loved so much, TURN TO
not sure there’s ever been a computer like it before or since. which was awesome! PAGE 100
TO LEARN MORE
ABOUT THE AMIGA
500’S RISE TO
POWER
Your say...
A mAgnificent
All-round gAming
mAchine and a very
noticeable upgrade
on the 8-bit
systems”
- PostieDoc
28
GREATEST GAMES SYSTEMS
Fun fact
80% OF
VOTERS that
picked a 16-bit home
computer chose only
the amiga, with 12%
preferring the
atari st and 8%
neither
29
PLAYSTATION 2
5 THE Fun fact
TITANIC TOWER THE PS2 JUST
MANUFACTURER: SONY | YEAR: 2000 MISSED JOINING THE
■ As the bestselling games console ever it was sometimes a challenge to figure out how FOUR CONSOLES ABOVE
made, with over 155 million sold, the things worked. I’d say I had something of a IT IN THE ELITE CLUB OF
appearance of the PlayStation 2 in this list love-hate relationship with it. MACHINES THAT APPEARED
was inevitable. Massive hype gave way to a
slow launch, but eventually games arrived to So what’s your best memory from when
ON OVER HALF OF ALL
satisfy every taste you could imagine, ensuring you were working with the PS2? BALLOTS, WITH 49.9% OF
that Sony retained the market dominance it had I think my best memory from the PlayStation 2 YOU PICKING IT IN
established in the Nineties. was ICO. It was such a radical step away from YOUR TOP TEN
most games and beautifully executed. And I
grew up with Disney all around so Kingdom TURN TO
v
Andreas Axelsson, Hearts was one of my favourite games. PAGE 192
Former Digital Illusions and PS2 FOR MORE
INFORMATION
programmer Why do you think it’s currently the ON SONY’S
You’ve described the PS2 as bestselling console of all time? CONSOLE
having “mad architecture” – what do you I think the complexity of the PS2 also made it
mean by that? more interesting than other machines, both
While the PlayStation 2’s Emotion Engine was to players and to developers. That developers
very capable it was also very hard to harness its could evolve and learn over such a long
power, and in a way I think that’s what gave the time, and learn how to squeeze even more
console such longevity. It just took a very long performance out of it, helped ensure it was
time for developers to figure out how to best worth making games for it for a very long time.
utilise it, and when they did they could keep up
with the evolution of other platforms for longer Despite your love-hate relationship
than was otherwise normal. It gave highly professionally how did you feel about the
complex parallel processing to programmers PS2 as an entertainment system?
who were used to a single CPU, with possibly a With the PlayStation 2, Sony took what they
GPU on the side. started with the PlayStation and made a real
powerful machine. The controller was great on
What was the machine like to work on? the PlayStation and the PlayStation 2 made it
Just as with the original PlayStation, the better. There were so many great games, which
development tools were very basic, while the is the biggest reason for any console selling
development kits were expensive and complex well in my opinion. And as I mentioned, the
to set up. Many of the tools felt half-finished, and challenges of developing on it were appealing to
with documentation translated from Japanese, the programmers that were around.
30
GREATEST GAMING SYSTEMS
TURN TO
PAGE 188
DREAMCAST
4 BURN
TO LEARN MORE
ABOUT SEGA’S
FINAL HOME
CONSOLE
BRIEFLY, BURN BRIGHTLY
Manufacturer: SEGA | Year: 1998
■ Few consoles inspire the passion that Dreamcast fans and left. the manager came out and asked me why, so I told
hold for their machine. there are many reasons it’s an him. Sure enough it was released much later.
all-time great – an astonishing run of great games in a short
time, the arcade focus that would never be seen again, a What was it about the Dreamcast that made you enjoy
vibrant homebrew community, and, of course, its status as working on it? Your say...
Sega’s hardware swan song. I liked working on the Dreamcast because the video looked so
much better than the nintendo 64, and it did not suffer from an THREE WORDS:
issue with the polygon edges tearing that the nintendo 64 had.
Ed Logg, Former game designer PHANTASY STAR
at Atari and Atari Games What’s your best Dreamcast-related anecdote? ONLINE. OH MY FRIGGIN’
You saw the Dreamcast early on, behind I added some security to our code to keep hackers from GOD, THE ULTIMATE KILLER
closed doors, what was that like? breaking the security and making free pirated copies of San APP, THE NUMBER ONE SYSTEM
My first encounter with the Dreamcast is when I was called
to Sega Of america’s headquarters to have a meeting with
Francisco Rush 2049. So when players placed high scores or
uploaded any data, it would include a flag that said this was
SELLER. I PUT AN UNGODLY
all the parts manufacturers and major developers for the a hacked version. We never used this data, and I have never AMOUNT OF TIME INTO THIS,
announcement. after they gave their talk, which included seen it mentioned in any literature. One hacker once told me UNFATHOMABLE RAGE AND
a launch date, I asked a few about when we could get that this game was the hardest to crack, but I just did not have BOTTOMLESS DELIGHT”
development systems, etc. It became immediately clear the heart to tell him I could easily detect the hack and that - smac
there was no way they could make their deadline so I got up Sega had this information.
31
Fun fact
BETWEEN
THE
PLAYSTATION AND
N64, 45% OF VOTERS
CHOSE ONLY SONY’S
SYSTEM, 23% CHOSE
JUST NINTENDO AND
THE REST PICKED
BOTH
32
GREATEST GAMING SYSTEMS
3 PLAYSTATION
NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER
MaNUFaCTUrEr: SONY | YEar: 1994
■ Sony’s first entry into the console market was How important were games like Grand Theft Auto Why do you think Sony was able to
a game-changer in every sense possible. Its 3D to the success of the system? immediately disrupt the established companies
power was incredible, blowing away the competition, Grand Theft Auto itself did pretty well on the machine, in the console market?
and developers used it to create longer, more cinematic but other games did even better. It was, however, the First and foremost they had great hardware. For
games. The PlayStation also took gaming into the first step in truly moving gaming from the bedroom to the time, it was leaps and bounds ahead of the
mainstream, becoming the first ever console to sell over the living room. 16-bit consoles were still pretty geeky, competition. Second, the Sony brand: they may not
100 million units. but the PlayStation elevated the perception of gaming. have had the ‘oomph’ of Nintendo or Sega in the
Games like WipEout made it ‘cool’ and that was a big game space, but Sony was a huge electronics brand
step into acceptance by the world at large. with a cult following. If you took that and some very
Mike Dailly, Former programmer impressive launch titles it was hard for them to fail.
of DMA Design and Realtime Worlds How do you think the PlayStation will be
Why do you think the PlayStation remembered by gamers? Which games do you feel defined the platform?
was such a success? The PlayStation had some great games, and helped birth It’s kind of an eclectic mix; WipEout was the first
The PlayStation was a massive step for a home some amazing series. WipEout, Grand Theft Auto, Metal ‘killer app’, although I’d argue that WipEout 2097 was
console, the jump from 2D to not just flat 3D – which Gear Solid, Tomb Raider and Ridge Racer all appeared on a better game. I loved Tekken and still do – I was
was still what people were mostly used to at the time the machine, and while they didn’t all start life on there it actually really impressed at how quickly they could
– but fast, fully textured 3D. This was phenomenal, got the masses interested in them, and this helped bring pull in so much animation data between rounds. The
jaw-dropping, in fact. Ridge Racer – the first game I saw them into the hearts of gamers. Spyro series really showed off what lovely visuals
and bought – was a literal clone of the arcade machine, could be achieved. Finally I thought Neversoft’s
which is astounding for its time. original Spider-Man was an absolute tour de force,
Paul Hughes, Former programmer seamlessly combining story telling with the third-
How did the PlayStation compare to other at Warthog Games and Traveller’s Tales person action adventure genre.
systems at the time from a developer viewpoint? What was your initial reaction to the
The 3D nature made it a fair jump in development PlayStation when you first saw it? What do you feel is the PlayStation’s
processes from PCs and 2D games. Not only did It’s going to sound a bit cliched but the first thing I lasting effect on gaming?
everything take much longer, but it was a lot more saw was the now infamous dinosaur demo. You were For me, it was the first piece of consumer electronics
complicated to do as well. Performance-wise, the CPU looking at the dev boards and thinking, ‘This little box in the games space that forced its way into the living
wasn’t hugely powerful, and it had a small cache so to can produce this? Holy shit!’ Everything about the room setup, alongside your TV/VHS/ Hi-Fi.
get the best out of it, you did still have to drop down to PlayStation experience dragged you in, right from Its elegant design ‘fit in’ – something
MIPS to get the best from the machine. For a tech head, the initial boot sequence with its swooping, echoing only Sony of that era could TURN TO
it was great fun, full of tinkering and cool new tech. sounds. It just screamed, ‘Welcome to the future.’ have pulled off. PAGE 170
TO READ ABOUT
THE IMPACT
OF SONY’S
CONSOLE
Your say...
THE PLAYSTATION WAS
THE START OF NEW
EXPERIENCES IN HOME
GAMING, AND WHILE THE
3D IS UGLY BY TODAY’S
STANDARDS, THE GAMES
ARE STILL EXCELLENT”
- Graham Plowman
33
2 MEGA DRIVE TO BE THIS GOOD TAKES SEGA
MANuFACTuRER: SEGA | YEAR: 1988
■ For all its achievements, the Mega Drive will I’d known for all those years that to make the games with the controllers, only a few buttons and so the
perhaps be best remembered for being the first I really wanted to make and to play, we would need a environment was as pure as it could be. Interestingly,
console to finally break Nintendo’s ironclad grip of the 16-bit system with custom graphics and sound chips. I never personally made a PC game through my entire
market (even if it was for the briefest of moments). For there to be a meaningful market a lot of them career. I did learn how to program 8086 assembly
It might have trailed behind the PC Engine in Japan, but would have to be sold, which made pricing critical. The language, but never got around to making a PC game.
things were very different for Sega’s console in the West, Genesis/Mega Drive was the first machine to have all
thanks to strong developer support from the likes of that. Other choices at the time were either inferior 8-bit How important was the Mega Drive to the
Electronic Arts, a string of killer arcade conversions and a systems or too expensive. Also, the Mega Drive was success of Shiny Entertainment?
little blue hedgehog by the name of Sonic. perfect for EA Sports, where it is ideal to play with a Shiny was funded by Playmates Toys, they made the toys
friend in the same room and to have enough graphics for Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles and wanted to invest into
speed for team sports. It even came with two joysticks! games. The Mega Drive was the perfect platform as it
Trip Hawkins, allowed us to make games for their target audience. The
Founder of Electronic Arts result was not only getting to make Earthworm Jim on
Why was the Mega Drive so David Perry, Mega Drive, but we also got a line of toys, a TV show,
important to EA’s early success? Cofounder of Shiny Entertainment Marvel comic books, even licensed Halloween masks
Way back at Apple in 1978, Steve Jobs and I agreed Can you recall your first encounter and underpants!
on the need for a 16-bit processor and targeted with the Mega Drive?
the Motorola MC68000, which was in some ways Nick Bruty and I were a two-man team making games Why was Sega able to briefly top Nintendo with
the spiritual successor to the 6502. While the 6502 for ZX Spectrum, Amiga and Atari ST. The main flow the Mega Drive?
dominated through the Eighties, we put the 68000 in the of games we created was for Probe Software (run by Nintendo has always focused on the younger gamers
Lisa and Mac. My biggest love affair was with the Amiga, Fergus McGovern), games like Teenage Mutant Hero and so when Mortal Kombat had blood and violence, they
but Commodore mismanaged the business and it did Turtles, Dan Dare III and Paperboy II etc. Fergus managed created a red line. While that made sense, all I saw was
not help that it cost over $1,000. Of course, I also cared to get us a Mega Drive and the licence to the movie The gamers wanting to sell their ‘Nintendos’ and buy ‘Segas’,
about graphics and sound chips and had seen what great Terminator by James Cameron. Most exciting day ever! let’s just say they didn’t welcome censorship.
things Rob Hubbard and others had done with the SID Of course, we accepted the project, but we had no
chip in the C64. The Amiga was so great that we were experience on this device, I had no idea how to program Why do you think the Mega Drive remains so
able to licence the coin-op code base for Marble Madness it and the manual was mostly Japanese. We also had no popular with our readers?
and do a simple translation to port it to the Amiga and tools to make games for it. Back in those days, we felt Mega Drive was the source of countless hours of
have it look and play the same. In 1988 I heard that Sega invincible, so we just started typing! entertainment for people. Wherever I go, people that
would be bringing a console to market at a price under grew up with it remember our games like Earthworm
$200 that would have a 68000 and good custom graphics What was it like to work with compared to Jim and Disney’s Aladdin and gush about how much
and sound chips. I led EA to make a bet on it and we home computers? they loved Mega Drive gaming as a kid. This was before
helped it take off. The rest was history. You could say it Programming on consoles was the best because they iPhones, iPads and Netflix, it was the centre of many
was an overnight success that took more than a decade. were a walled-garden, not constantly changing. Same people’s entertainment universe. TURN TO
PAGE 116
TO LEARN MORE
ABOUT SEGA’S
MEGA DRIVE
34
GREATEST GAMING SYSTEMS
Your say...
I SPENT LOADS OF
TIME IN THE ARCADES
GROWING UP IN GREAT
YARMOUTH AND FOR ME THIS
WAS THE FIRST CONSOLE,
WHICH really felt like
arcade-quality
gaming AT HOME”
- JamesC
Fun fact
THE MEGA DRIVE
APPEARED IN
over 70% OF
READERS’
VOTES
35
Fun fact
in the 16-bit
console battle,
59% OF YOU REFUSED
TO PICK A SIDE and
chose both the mega
drive and snes. 20%
chose sega’s machine
alone and 21% chose
just the snes
Your say...
THE PINNACLE
OF AFFORDABLE
2D GAMING at home,
with many timeless
classics… street
Fighter ii in your
lounge anyone?”
- Alix Bergeret
36
GREATEST GAMING SYSTEMS
37
Your say...
arguably NINTENDO’S
GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT,
and yet the hardware itselF
was lacking in one or two
areas. but the principle mantra
is that a platForm is only as
good as the games released
For it, and that’s where the
super nintendo comes
through in spades”
- Mayhem
Fun fact
70.5% OF
READERS INCLUDED
THE SNES IN THEIR
TOP TEN LISTS, and it
received an average oF
6.9 points per vote –
both higher than
any other
system
38
GREATEST GAMING SYSTEMS
number of colours they can be in or even the complexity of the Mike Dailly, Former programmer at DMA
visuals. But like with all things, once you dig deep enough there Design and Realtime Worlds
are ways you can work around some of those limits. Tell us a little about the first time you laid
eyes on a SNES.
What was it like to code for, compared to other systems? The first time I saw one was at work [DMA Designs] when we got
TURN TO
It was (as the name suggests), a much boosted version of the
PAGE 136 one in with Super Mario World, at which point I got totally hooked.
TO DISCOVER earlier NES – Nintendo had refined and honed the technology It was clear it was a big step up from the older platforms, even
MORE ABOUT used in their earlier system based (I’d assume) on how they had
NINTENDO’S from others like the PC Engine. I played Mario for a year solid,
CONSOLE seen it being used over a number of years. It had more video getting 100 per cent and all the hidden areas it had to offer.
RAM, more colours, more sprites than its predecessor (and even
more buttons on the redesigned controllers). It also had more When did you start developing for the SNES?
‘graphic modes’ of operation. These were different settings that After I’d finished Shadow Of The Beast on the PC Engine I moved
allowed you to trade off one feature, such as number of colours, onto the SNES for writing Lemmings 2. There were some really
against another, such as the number of independently scrollable cool toys in the SNES that meant I could pull off some nice tricks.
layers, the most well known of which was Mode 7, which allowed I utterly loved the three levels of parallax I could get with the
the screen to rotate or give an illusion of depth. machine, which is why the SNES is the only one to have the (very
As a result, we benefitted from the familiarity of working on cool) dual-playfield gameplay, making it much nicer looking. I had
systems, such as the NES or Game Boy, and a lot of the tricks we great fun with Lemmings, from adding snow in the polar levels,
used there could be brought directly across to this new machine. to allowing the Super Scope to be plugged into port two so you
Compare this with when we moved to N64 which required a lot of could shoot the lemmings and blow them up.
new learning and development methods.
You also worked on Uniracers, which we really like.
What game, for you, best defines the SNES? Uniracers was a much more natural SNES game, but we still found
It’s often the earlier games that define a console, and for me it some really nice tricks. It’s a two-player split-screen game and we
would be either Super Mario World or The Legend of Zelda: A Link wanted as thin a split as possible. Using an old C64 trick, however,
To The Past; I’d choose Super Mario World, as it was there right at I got the guys to ‘rip’ the sprites and this gave us a ‘perfect’ raster
the start and was just packed with colourful and fun elements. split with no gap between the play areas. Nintendo had never heard
of this trick and insisted Nintendo R&D test it on every hardware
What was it like rebooting Donkey Kong for the system? revision of the machine to make sure it worked. It did, so we were
At the time I don’t think we all fully appreciated the scale of the allowed to keep it in which was a relief! We also started a Kid Kirby
task in being handed one of Nintendo’s key characters to develop game for Nintendo, but it got canned.
with, which is probably just as well as if we had we’d have been
too terrified to do anything! We had two advantages: first that You’ve coded for a huge range of machines over the
we had people with a lot of experience working on Nintendo years – is the SNES one of your favourites?
systems, and second that we’d done some sample tests to prove I loved the SNES. It had enough toys to allow some really neat
out the idea of getting rendered images onto the SNES. When effects and allowed you to push the boat out compared to other
we started we weren’t entirely sure of making an entire game platforms. In fact, I loved it so much, I wrote my own assembler
like this was even possible, but the goal was promising enough on the Amiga and download tool to the ‘hacker’ device, the
from the sample tests that it seemed worth trying anything to Magicom, so I could develop at home.
make it work. We knew these prerendered images, even when
crunched down, would eat up the available video RAM of the
system, but fortunately our experience with Nintendo systems Julian Eggebrecht,
meant we could use a lot of tricks we’d built up over the years to Cofounder of Factor 5 and TouchFactor
work around that. What did the SNES represent to you, as a
game developer?
What’s your clearest memory from the SNES days? The SNES was a revelation in colour and possibilities for me. I
Paying about £90 for an import copy of Street Fighter – that’s the always loved the Amiga for its 4,096-colour palette and the ability
kind of thing you don’t forget! Apart from that, it would have to to display even pastels, so the SNES with 32,000 colours was the
be the reaction from people when we announced Donkey Kong next step upwards while the Mega Drive and PC Engine felt like
Country. Nintendo’s next console was rumoured to be around the taking somewhat of a step back in that area. Mode 7, of course,
corner and people thought that the visuals must have been from was the other big revelation, with so many possibilities for 2D
that, but in fact they were all generated by the humble little SNES! games as well as the 3D games of that generation. The SNES
simply upped the ante on so many levels: it facilitated whole new
genres with the technology palette it provided.
John Romero,
Cofounder of id Software, Ion Storm and more
Why do you think the SNES has topped our Simon Butler,
reader poll? Artist at Ocean, Team17 and more
The SNES was the perfect console of its time, eclipsing the What does the SNES mean to you?
previous gen. Developers enthusiastically made hundreds of The SNES for me was the finest gaming console
games for the SNES just like they did on the NES, but this time ever. Consoles have come and gone, but the SNES is easily
there were more colours, more speed and more interesting number one. Its titles covered all genres. Every game I played has
graphic modes – like Mode 7 employed by the classic F-Zero. influenced my approach to development, but SNES titles figure
The killer apps of the SNES were undoubtedly what made the larger than most. They had an accessibility and boldness about
console legendary: Super Mario World, A Link To The Past, Final them. It was designed to entertain and it did that with aplomb.
Fantasy VI, Chrono Trigger, Earthbound, F-Zero, Super Metroid – the It was a product of a time when something just felt right about
list is long. This was my favourite console of the past 40 years. games. The fun hasn’t gone out of gaming, but it’s never been so
I’ve never had so much fun on any other console. pure. It’s a great machine that never let me down.
39
Apple
History of
G
iven Apple’s gargantuan profits and its foundations rest on one man’s desire to ‘program a
global reach, it’s easy to forget it BASIC version of Breakout’. But soon Woz was tinkering
started life as two people in a garage. with his computer, adding colour, BASIC commands,
Much of the tech wizardry back then paddle controllers, and sound. Building primarily for
was down to Steve ‘Woz’ Wozniak, while Steve Jobs himself, he was also kickstarting a computing revolution
was tactician and visionary. – the Apple II captured the imagination of wannabe
The first breakthrough occurred in 1976, with home programmers, and the machine’s initial success
what would become the Apple Computer 1 (later bankrolled Apple for years.
referred to as Apple I). The machine was offered to Prior to founding EA, Trip Hawkins was director of
HP, which declined, and so Apple Computer was strategy and marketing at Apple Computer, and recalls
born. Apple already was ‘thinking the Apple II fondly. “It was so far ahead
different’, its debut hardware being of its time that photographers setting
the first single-board computer, up images of the future would include
sold fully assembled and utilising a an Apple II in the shot because it
television for output. looked like it came from the future, not
But Woz was thinking bigger. the present!” Ultima creator Richard
Inspired by his work on arcade Garriott was similarly impressed.
games, he wanted to create He’d previously battled with teletype
a computer that was faster, terminals, but then found himself sat
more colourful and noisier than anything else. before an Apple II.
Ultimately, as he recalled in a 1986 interview with “I was in wonder. Suddenly, instead of invoking a
Call-A.P.P.L.E.: “A lot of the features of the Apple command and waiting minutes for it to process and
II went in because I had designed Breakout for Atari. print the results, I had a computer that in real time
I had designed it in hardware. I wanted to could visually display to me any fantasy worlds and
write it in software now.” other fantastical ideas I could think about to program. I
With Apple rarely being equated immediately saw it as the key to the future – or my own
with gaming, it’s surprising to discover future, at least!”
40
APPLE
Apple II programmers
knew everything about
the platform
Robert Woodhead
41
© Matthieu Riegler, CC-BY
» The childhood home of Steve Jobs has now been added to the list of historic sites in Los Altos.
at a business-focused follow-up, the Apple III, was mouse allowed a shift from ‘asking the computer to do
a failure. And although the Apple II line eventually something’ to just being able to do it.” In other words,
transformed into the next-generation Apple IIGS, it lacked this was a computer designed to enable users to perform
a champion and was superseded by the Macintosh. Even actions directly, rather than type commands and hope
so, that didn’t stop people wanting to create games for for the correct interpretation to take place. Christopher
the Apple II in its twilight years. Having used his Apple was so taken aback that he quit a computer science grad
II to create Karateka, Jordan Mechner unveiled Prince program, because “programming for the Mac was so
Of Persia on what was considered a dying platform. His much more interesting and real than anything I was doing
reasoning? “The Apple II was a platform I understood – it in school”.
was a lovely machine.”
I remember being
T
he early days of the Macintosh were
fraught with problems. Even today it’s » Shufflepuck Cafe was a killer app for the early Macs.
hard to get a handle on precisely which
events occurred and in what order, on
disappointed at how few developers initially found getting to grips with the iPhone
account of the people involved having very different
recollections of what actually happened. The basic
games were made for tricky, Christopher notes those few who did start working
on Mac games rarely tried to innovate with the controls
facts, at least, are that the project was started by
interface expert Jef Raskin, who wanted to create a
the Mac they found available to them: “Having a mouse by
default didn’t really shake things up. I remember being
Christopher Gross
consumer-oriented low-cost computer named after his disappointed at how few games were made for the Mac,
favourite apple, the McIntosh. Over time, the scope of but also how few used the mouse beyond the most
the Mac shifted, Steve Jobs jumped on board from the Quickly, though, the Mac found a niche and it certainly obvious ease of being able to directly point at things on
beleaguered Apple Lisa project (causing Raskin to quit), wasn’t games. “Macs soon became mostly used for the screen.” This was in part what drove Christopher
and the boxy little Mac finally said ‘hello’ in 1984. desktop publishing and artwork,” remembers Jon. “They to use the mouse as a games controller in Shufflepuck.
Although the Mac was different from Raskin’s became typecast.” And in wanting to stop its computer The game was also ‘blessed’ with the happy accident of
concept, aspects of his vision remained intact. Inspired from failing, Apple did little to dispel this notion, reasoning ‘weight’ being afforded to the puck through a time delay
both by technology developed at Xerox PARC and also in- that any focus on games might find its hardware in the graphics that occurred whenever a sound played as
house at Apple, the Mac boasted a revolutionary visually- dismissed as a toy. In a piece of insight mirroring how the puck was hit!
oriented operating system, based around a now-familiar Bill Dugan, at the time a producer at Interplay,
desktop with windows and folders. The all-in-one main also recalls issues with Apple’s lack of interest and
unit had a small but sharp 512x342 pixel display. And the system’s reliance on the mouse. “Computer
the only things you needed to plug in were a power games were developed on a lead platform, released
cord, keyboard and mouse. immediately and ported to whatever other platforms
Much like the Apple II before it, the Mac would sell,” he begins. “The Apple II or C64 was
offered a bold take on the future of computing, usually the lead platform in the USA, and you’d then
and people couldn’t help but be seduced. see ports to the PC, Mac, and other systems.
“It struck me as a qualitative shift,” recalls Publishers wanted ports to be fast and cheap.”
Christopher Gross, who designed air hockey For some platforms, a low-cost approach
titles Shufflepuck and Shufflepuck Café for worked reasonably well, but this was less
the system. “The graphical interface and so for more powerful platforms, due to the
Selective Timeline
1 APRIL1976 11 APRIL 1976 10 JUNE 1977 19 MAY 1980 19 JANUARY 1983 22 JANUARY 1984
■ The now-corporate giant ■ Apple Computer 1 (later ■ The Apple II is launched, and ■ The Apple III hits the market ■ The Apple Lisa launches. The ■ The Ridley Scott-directed
that is Apple is founded by known as the Apple I) is its success bankrolls Apple for and fares poorly, not least due UI was revolutionary, but the 1984 ad plays at Super Bowl
Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and released, each unit hand-built a decade, giving the company to iffy Apple II compatibility. It computer was sluggish, and XVIII. It’s hailed as one of the
Ronald Wayne. by Steve Wozniak. breathing space. was later reintroduced in 1981. the sales were poor. best adverts of all time.
42
APPLE
A
interaction was pointing and clicking, s years passed, the
not keyboard commands. Direct Mac solidified its hold
STEVE ‘WOZ’ game ports to Mac therefore had on desktop publishing
WOZNIAK a tendency to feel alien, lacking and creative industries,
■ Cofounder, engineer a mouse interface, or having a but ceded most other ground to
An amazing engineer, Woz was ‘fake’ one awkwardly welded on. PCs. “And as a big fan of the Mac
the brains behind the Apple I and “You’d essentially click on keyboard and an avid games player, I became
Apple II computers. Although still command equivalents. In the lower frustrated I couldn’t play more
technically an Apple employee, Woz levels of the code, the programmer could then pretend games,” says Peter Tamte, who co-founded MacSoft to
has had little to do with Apple since there was no mouse at all, and use the same interface redress the balance. Peter’s team approached publishers
the mid-Eighties. code that had been written for a non-mouse original,” to license rights and bring their games to the Mac. “And
explains Bill. after showing how these games generated profits for
Photo of Steve Jobs © Matthew Yohe
STEVE JOBS The display was a brighter spot. Christopher notes that their original publishers, and brought in new fans without
■ Cofounder, CEO it was “high-res, which allowed a relatively high mouse diluting their brands or PC revenues, we were able to
Steve Jobs saw the potential in resolution”, and Bill says its monochrome nature forced bring more and more games to the Mac from a wider
Woz’s work, and became Apple’s anyone porting games to take care. “The Mac’s black- selection of developers.”
vision and taste arbiter. Ousted in and-white monitors made it unconscionable to copy Apple wasn’t blind to these issues, and there had
1985, he went on to found NeXT, he and paste graphics from another platform. You’d have been efforts to boost Apple’s profile in gaming. Craig
then triumphantly returned to Apple ended up with an awful, lumpy mess of unacceptable Fryar worked in evangelism at Apple during the Nineties
as CEO in 1997, reinvigorating a grey. So pretty much everyone recreated graphics for the and exposed senior management to key games. “When
then-flailing company. Mac.” Having noted all these things, and with the Mac they saw the likes of PGA Tour and Sim Ant, they were
press howling at terrible ports, Interplay hit upon the idea amused, and the point wasn’t lost on them that games
JEF RASKIN of making an effort on presentation, UI and graphics, could show off a system’s horsepower.”
■ Interface expert thereby making games more Mac-like and attractive. The Craig says things started changing, and he was able
Although many people were MacPlay label was born. But, from a games perspective, to secure hardware to feed to developers, along
responsible for the original Mac, Jef
» Prince Of Persia had stunning animation. A colour version was eventually released on later Macintoshes.
Raskin instigated the entire project,
noting computers at the time were
for geeks, and wanting to create
something that was much more
usable and friendly.
SUSAN KARE
■ Graphic designer
Photo of Susan Kare © R. J. Muna
24 JANUARY 1984 17 SEPTEMBER 1985 15 SEPTEMBER 1986 2 MARCH 1987 17 MARCH 1988 20 SEPTEMBER 1989
■ The first Mac arrives, ■ Steve Jobs resigns from ■ The Apple II hits its zenith ■ The Macintosh II arrives, for ■ Apple sues Microsoft for ■ The Macintosh Portable
providing the foundation for Apple, and starts work on new with the IIGS, which blends the the first time bringing colour copyright infringement becomes Apple’s first battery-
Apple’s subsequent personal venture NeXT, Steve would Apple II and Mac experiences displays to the Macintosh line relating to the Mac OS and powered portable Mac. It didn’t
computing endeavours. return to apple in 1997 as CEO. and uses a colour GUI. of computers. Windows interfaces. sell to well despite critical acclaim.
43
The influence of
Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs impact on gamers is still
felt today. Here are just a few of the
developments he was involved in…
» The superb Lode Runner is one of the Apple II’s most recognisable games.
MENU
with demonstrating new technology in exchange for We did prove there
games incorporating key features. One example was
Hellcats Over The Pacific, a flight sim developed by was a market, which
Pixar iPod
Formed in 1979 as the The iPod not only
Parsoft Interactive: “They were shown a system able
to support multiple monitors out of the box. In return for almost doubled in terms
Graphics Group, Steve Jobs
bought Pixar from Lucasfilm
revolutionised the way we
listened to music, but also
them getting the hardware, they created a three-display
180-degree version of Hellcats, which was great for of sales
in 1986, eventually selling the music industry itself. As showing off the system. We got serious bragging rights, Erik Klein
it to Disney for roughly $7.4 with many Apple products it because at the time this just wasn’t possible on a PC.”
billion, making him Disney’s was continually refined over Erik Klein was working as an evangelist at the time, proto-web, with a card-based system housing interactive
largest shareholder. the intervening years. and remembers a slow turnaround in perception. components) and Apple’s QuickTime video technology.
“Games companies fondly remembered the Apple II Another Mac first was Marathon, an innovative and
days, but didn’t think they could make money on the exciting FPS that you’d have usually expected to instead
Mac. It was a difficult task, because you had new arrive fully formed on the PC.
audiences to market to, different channels to sell the Bungie co-founder and Marathon developer Alexander
product, and different press to woo. But we did prove Seropian remembers being drawn to the Mac because
there was a market, which almost doubled in terms of of how visual it was. “I was jealous of all the games
sales during my time at the company. This was especially you could get on the PC. Gaming on that platform was
the case during the transition to PowerPC chips, which growing tremendously, and there was this pent-up
iPhone iPad helped the Mac become a powerful system that could demand for games on the Mac that wasn’t being
The iPhone had a massive Apple’s iPad wasn’t the first run state-of-the-art PC ports.” addressed.” Hence Marathon? “Well, I’d like to say that
impact on the mobile phone tablet device, not by a long Although ports remained the most common kind was a conscious strategy on our part, but the reality is the
market, and was one of shot. It did, however, change of Mac game, the platform did get the occasional Mac was what we used and liked, so we chose to work
the first devices that the way tablet devices were first. Pioneering immersive CD-ROM adventure Myst there out of convenience more than anything else! But
genuinely allowed you to play perceived by the general debuted on the Mac, primarily the Mac community was very receptive to Marathon –
‘proper’ videogames without public. It has gone on to sell because it had been developed we’d travel the country visiting user groups and going to
any fiddly buttons. millions of units. on the platform, utilising Macworld shows. We met many gamers who helped
HyperCard (a sort of localised inform what we were putting into the game.”
21 OCTOBER 1991 16 AUGUST 1993 25 OCTOBER 1993 14 MARCH 1994 28 MARCH 1996 7 FEBRUARY 1997
■ Three new PowerBooks, ■ Digital assistant Apple ■ Macintosh TV becomes ■ Power Macintosh arrives, ■ Pippin appears to universal ■ Apple finalises a deal to
with dark grey cases and Newton is released. Innovative Apple’s first crack at based on the PowerPC indifference. Apple’s first stab acquire NeXT, which brings
built-in trackpads, provide a but flawed, it would be axed by integrating computers and TVs. processor created by AIM at gaming hardware is very Steve Jobs back to the
blueprint for notebooks. Steve Jobs in 1998. Few are made and sold. (Apple-IBM-Motorola). quickly discontinued. company he cofounded.
44
APPLE
ANGRY BIRDS
■ iOS ■ 2009
Obviously inspired by online flash game Crush The Castle and in-house Rovio designer Jaakko
Iisalo’s designs of limbless avians, Angry Birds exploded on to the iPhone. Its
bite-sized slingshot gameplay was perfect for brief mobile
sessions and touchscreen control, quickly
catapulting the game towards iconic status.
LIFELINE…
■ Apple Watch ■ 2015
The first of a new generation, Lifeline… is a
game that actually works better on Apple
Watch than a smartphone. Essentially
a Choose Your Own Adventure with you
assisting a stranded astronaut, the narrative
is compelling and has emotional clout. Playing
on a watch feels oddly futuristic and natural.
7 MARCH 1997 20 MARCH 1997 7 AUGUST 1997 15 AUGUST 1998 21 JULY 1999 19 JULY 2000
■ The eMate, based on ■ The Twentieth Anniversary ■ Microsoft comes to the aid of ■ Apple wows the tech ■ The iMac goes mobile ■ The Power Mac G4 Cube
the Newton, finds Apple Macintosh is released. It’s a struggling Apple, giving it a industry with the audacious with the iBook, a colourful, proves a step too far regarding
attempting to appeal to the ostentatious, yet foreshadows cash injection and boosting iMac G3. Its translucent shell friendly notebook with marrying design and
education market. future consumer tech. its confidence. becomes a meme. surprising tech smarts. computing. Sales are poor.
45
Pipsqueak Far from an also-ran, Marathon helped define what
a FPS could be. It focusses more on narrative, using
levels to tell a story, and had one of the earliest ‘free
Apple versus its rivals look’ systems. Naturally, it became a major influence
on Bungie’s Halo, although it didn’t go as far as to
Pipsqueak revolutionise Mac gaming. Instead, Mac ports would
Apple vs. Microsoft increasingly arrive when PC originals hit the bargain bin,
and Apple in 1996 made a misstep with its only full foray
■ Microsoft started out as a Apple ally but Windows drove a wedge into Mac-based dedicated gaming hardware, the risible
between the companies. Apple fumed at Microsoft’s perceived Pippin, which was poorly architected, overpriced and
plagiarism, but many lawsuits later Apple was almost bankrupt. In 1997 lacking in developer support and consumer interest.
Microsoft injected cash and shored up its ailing rival, seemingly to retain In fact, around that time it looked like Apple might
‘competition’. Apple subsequently blazed past, predicting and driving vanish entirely, and buy-out rumours regularly circulated.
consumer hardware trends in a way Microsoft couldn’t match. Pangea’s Brian Greenstone recalls “developers left in
» Saucelifter for iOS harks back to and subverts Apple II classic
droves,” which was good for Pangea and the few Choplifter, with an alien rescuing kin from evil humans.
Pipsqueak others who “became big fish in a small pond for a
while”. But questions started to be asked whether
Apple vs. IBM Apple could recover. Its future looked bleak. the time Apple recovered, there was no-one left, except
■ Big Blue killed any hope Apple had of mainstream success in the for a few companies porting two-year-old PC games, and
t was co-founder Steve Jobs who a few of us still making original Mac games,” says Brian.
I
Eighties. The PC’s arrival in 1981 provided an affordable alternative to
anything Apple had to offer. But, over time, the rivalry thawed, arguably saved Apple from the brink. “Games development had gotten so expensive and the
showcasing the tangled relationships between tech companies. For years, Having in 1985 quit the company he Mac’s market share was so small that it wasn’t feasible to
PowerPC chips from an Apple-IBM-Motorola alliance were found in Macs. founded, he returned, ruthlessly culled a keep developing games for it.”
Today, Apple and IBM are increasing the iPad’s corporate reach together. messy product line, and set Apple on the course It would need an entirely new platform to transform
it still finds itself on today. This sleeker, leaner Apple’s fortunes in gaming. It would need the iPhone.
Apple prized high-quality hardware that appealed Initially dismissed by the tech industry and pundits alike
Pipsqueak to consumers and pros alike. From a games perspective, as an overpriced trinket, the iPhone and its multitouch
though, it’s arguable the Mac never bounced back. “By display was an instant hit with consumers. The
Apple vs. Samsung
■ One of the oddest modern-day tech relationships, Samsung and Apple
are both butting heads and yet are reliant on each other. Samsung still There was no-one left, except for a few
manufactures many Apple device components, and has spent many
years merrily being ‘inspired’ by the iPhone and iPad. Additionally, companies porting two-year-old PC games
Samsung’s TV ads often rip into Apple, arguing its customers are Brian Greenstone
brainless fools taken in by Apple’s marketing machine. Long-term,
expect Apple to split entirely from Samsung.
Pipsqueak
Apple vs. Dell
■ One of the most famous tech quotes of all time occurred in 1997 when
Dell CEO Michael Dell opined if he was put in charge of Apple he would
“shut it down and give the money back to the shareholders”. He argues
this was misunderstood and that he was mulling from the position of
still being Dell CEO. Still, it showcased a stark difference in thinking
between the two organisations.
Pipsqueak
Apple vs. Adobe
■ Once, Apple and Adobe were close. But as Apple’s grip on the design
industry loosened and Adobe became more bullish, cracks appeared
in the relationship. This came to a head when Steve Jobs refused to
support Flash on iOS, arguing it was unstable technology. Adobe griped
Apple was taking away people’s freedoms, but, in reality, Flash was
terrible on mobile. Apple eventually won the battle, and Flash’s presence » The iPad was first released in 2010 and has become an incredible success for Apple.
online is rapidly diminishing.
9 JANUARY 23 OCTOBER 2001 31 AUGUST 2004 9 JANUARY 2007 29 JUNE 2007 15 JANUARY 2008
2001 ■ Apple revolutionises ■ The iMac goes all-in-one, ■ Apple TV kickstarts Apple’s ■ iPhone upends the entire ■ Steve Jobs pulls a notebook
■ iTunes appears, initially as portable music with iPod, essentially a monitor with a so-called ‘hobby’ product, mobile phone industry, with a out of an envelope at a
an MP3 player. It evolves to be bettering existing players in chin. All subsequent iMacs muscling in on the space revolutionary interface others keynote. MacBook Air invents
a cornerstone of Apple. terms of UI and storage. follow this design. under your telly. soon clamour to ape. the term ‘Ultrabook’.
46
» Apple’s range of home computers and notebooks may be expensive, but they’re easy to use and highly versatile.
groundbreaking smartphone marked a turning point in to-play mechanics spread throughout the platform like a “Anyone who says that is out of touch with gaming,”
the industry, forever changing how you interacted with virus, robbing many games of their purity. argues games creator and artist Zach Gage. “Just
devices. Initially, third-party apps weren’t part of the Even so, iOS (the platform that now encompasses about every major studio is developing for iOS, as are
picture, although a community flourished to support iPhone, iPod touch and iPad) has many positives, not only thousands of talented indie developers. And often,
‘jailbroken’ iPhones freed from Apple’s restrictions. A year for Apple (given that the games category is typically the App the freshest IP comes out on mobile.” Rami agrees:
after the iPhone’s release, all bets were off: the App Store Store’s most profitable), but also for developers. Veteran “I’m tired of people saying certain things aren’t games.
arrived and with it a gold rush that the software industry coder Ste Pickford reasons that iOS lacks gatekeepers in Beautiful things exist at the edge of what people would
had never before experienced. the way most other platforms don’t: “There’s no concept call ‘videogames’, and iOS has offered many such titles.”
Steve Demeter’s Trism utilised the iPhone’s approval, where someone decides whether or not your Now, Apple is setting its sights towards the living
accelerometer, the player moving triangular tiles about game can be released. We became indies because we room again, with the Apple TV. The little black box is far
in a variation on popular match puzzlers. Within two wanted the freedom to design videogames without being from revolutionary, but could it herald another gaming
months, Steve had made over $250,000 from an limited to what marketing departments wanted to sell!” revolution from the company that often pretends games
investment of some spare time and paying a designer Vlambeer’s Rami Ismail adds that iOS also remains a way to don’t exist, despite its first hardware hit being built to play
$500. Elsewhere, rhythm game Tap Tap Revenge hit a potentially reach a huge audience, without requiring massive one? “I do find it ironic that in the Mac days, gaming was
million downloads two weeks after launch, reaping huge investment: “There are few barriers to entry, although the such a low priority for Apple, but now with its mobile
rewards from in-game advertising. Major developers also platform does have a problem with clones, which can systems, gaming is the biggest usage and revenue
clambered on board, trying to make sense of this new seriously knock your motivation if your game is driver on those platforms,” says Alexander, now-
platform, Sega perhaps doing so most successfully with ripped off.” CEO of mobile games developer Industrial
a tilt-based Super Monkey Ball. The trickle became a Despite its success, there are Toys. “Things have changed, and
flood, and suddenly Apple found itself with if not a games many who question iOS’s while a flooded market
platform then at least a platform people were playing an validity as a gaming means it’s a lot harder to
awful lot of games on. platform. get noticed, it’s still a great
Sometimes, the tide turned. Apple struggled with time to be making games.
censorship issues, banning titles for seemingly arbitrary And Apple’s now a major
reasons. A small handful of games began to dominate player in that ecosystem,
the charts, making life tough for indies. And then free- which is great to see.”
10 JULY 2008 3 APRIL 2010 5 OCTOBER 2011 24 APRIL 2015 26 OCTOBER 2015 11 NOVEMBER 2015
■ The App Store radically ■ iPad is launched. More ■ Apple cofounder Steve Jobs ■ The Apple Watch releases ■ The fourth-generation Apple ■ iPad Pro and Apple Pencil
transforms the iPhone’s scope, or less a giant iPhone, it passes away at the age of and becomes Apple’s first foray TV brings Apple apps to your positions themselves at the
ushering in an age of truly kickstarts a revolution in 56, having since 2003 battled into wearable computing for telly, games sharing progress high-end iPad as a device
mainstream mobile apps. tablet computing. pancreatic cancer. the masses. with their iOS siblings. for creators.
47
ALTHOUGH INTENDE
Atari
D T
E
O
C
H
TA
A
T
V E
IO
A
N S
S H
A
O
N
R
D
T
S
L
T
IFE SPAN, THE
IL L REM AINS
2600 DEFIED ALL E XP R . R O R Y M ILNE CHARTS
A D E S L AT E
P O P U L A R F O U R D EC P IO N E E R IN G C ON S OL E
S OF A TA R I’S
THE HIGHS AND LOW
major milestone in
48
ATARI 2600
2600
CLASSICS
49
CLASSICS
50
ATARI 2600
T
he drive to better their doesn’t play like either coin-op. The game’s
previous 2600 titles, the need seemed to me like the ‘golden period’ DEMON ATTACK three lasers each fire in one fixed direction:
to create original games and of some of the best 2600 games was ■ An early Imagic release, and the subject up-and-left, straight-up and up-and-right,
the cumulative knowledge the second half of 1981 and 1982. of a lawsuit brought by Atari, Rob Fullop’s which makes timing and accuracy the keys
Demon Attack became a bestseller for the to your success.
they had accrued while at Atari It was certainly the period in which
third-party developer. Inspired by Namco’s
resulted in Activision becoming a graphics techniques got refined. There
Galaxian, but closer to Taito’s Phoenix, Rob’s
huge success in short order. The were much better thoughts about how
multicoloured shooter constantly reinvents
firm’s fortunes ultimately persuaded to reuse sprites multiple times on the its challenge by rotating a cast of winged
the majority of Atari’s remaining 2600 screen in order to get better-looking opponents from round to round and tweaking
developers to establish or join third-party displays. Also, by 1982, there were bank- their offensive capabilities on each repeat
firms, and two years later, Atari had switch cartridges for 8K games. Empire appearance. As well as varied gameplay,
a fresh set of coders facing a steep Strikes Back came out May 1982, or Rob’s game boasts slick presentation and
learning curve, as Larry Kaplan points something. There hadn’t been a huge high-res sprites.
out. “After we left, the Imagic guys left amount of games out at that point, but
and then the 20th Century Fox guys. By Activision had published some of their FATHOM
1981, all Atari had, basically, were new great stuff – Tennis and Ice Hockey. ■ Although in some respects a triumph of
style over substance, Fathom does provide
compelling gameplay and an interesting
premise to complement its striking visuals.
Specifically, the game has you switching
between a dolphin collecting sea horses
and a seabird collecting clouds in order
to assemble a trident required to rescue
COSMIC ARK Neptune’s daughter from a prison on the
■ The sequel to Atlantis – if you believe ocean floor. Fathom is far from easy, but
Cosmic Ark’s manual, but actually the there is a smooth difficulty curve to its seven
two games only have a starship sprite in colourful stages.
common. More importantly, Rob Fullop’s
title excels in gameplay terms by alternating
between shooter and rescue mission, and
becoming progressively harder from level
to level. Cosmic Ark’s main appeal lies in its
unpredictable cuts between shootouts in a
mothership and beaming-up aliens in a drone
ship, and from the interactions of these two
disparate challenges.
51
the GraphiC artiSt
artist alan Murphy on the limitations of 2600 graphics
What were your first Was designing high-res 2600
impressions of 2600 graphics more rewarding?
game visuals? of course i preferred high-res visuals,
i first saw the 2600 when but it was a real pain in the ass to
i was hired at atari in make anything look good on that piece
1980. i had been playing arcade games of shit. as we used to say, it was like
and wasn’t too impressed with ‘Stella’, trying to draw with a bar of soap and
as the engineers called it. i actually your hands tied behind your back. Bugs
thought most of the games sucked. Bunny was a little better: it had more
until atari brought in artists, all art memory set aside for the art compared
was done by programmers, most of to other 2600 games i had worked on.
whom had little or no art training.
the art was so bad in most games How did you feel after moving on
you’d be forgiven for not wanting from designing 2600 graphics?
anything to do with them. i moved over to coin-op after the video
game crash in the early eighties and
How did creating 2600 art quickly got into 3D, so i was no longer
compare to designing visuals for
other systems?
doing much raster art. i didn’t miss it at
all. polygons were cutting edge in the
the 2600 games themselves
i worked on 5200 and arcade games
as well, so when i was assigned a
eighties, and my passion was 3D. received more intense effort
2600 game i would kinda groan. at How do you feel now about your in development
first, everything was established on time as a 2600 artist? Rex Bradford
graph paper, and it wasn’t clear if art it was a lot of fun; i was in the right
or animation would even work until the place at the right time. what bothers on the Intellivision at the same time, at Yars’ Revenge, which was the first
programmer coded it. Later on, artists me a little is that when people refer I remember it had superior graphics game that I did, I think I definitely saw
used an emulator, so we had a pretty to retro gaming they don’t think of capability. Although it may not have been some things in a new way or was able
good idea how art would look on the the 2600 anymore. people think of fantastic, by that era it was quite good. A to produce a few things that were high-
system ahead of time, and that proved Nintendo or even Sega. it’s not a big lot of factors go in, but the 2600 games impact. Which was where I was coming
to have a dramatic improvement on deal, but early games on the 2600 don’t themselves received more intense effort from. I wanted something that was going
the quality. get much credit. in development. I think the focus of to grab the eye and the attention, and
Activision had a big role in that, because then hopefully this fun spirit.”
they came out with some really good As 1982 drew to a close, however,
2600 games early on that fired people two unexpected events loomed on the
up and created some momentum. There horizon that when combined would all
was a progression where the games just but end 2600 game development: the
got better. It was an exciting time to be announcement of a $1 billion dollar loss
buying games as well as making them.” at Atari and the collapse of the entire US
videogames market. Larry Kaplan blames
espite its superior Atari for these related events. “By the
52
atari 2600
CLASSICS
PArKer brotHers the licensing pioneer that played to the 2600’s strengths
sPider-mAn frogger ii: tHreeedeeP
■ Although it borrows from the coin-op Crazy ■ For its Frogger follow-up, Parker
Climber, Spider-Man distinguishes itself by Brothers wisely chose to use the arcade
having Spidey web-spin rather than crawl up original as the basis for three distinct stages
skyscrapers. Thugs appear at windows and featuring fresh visuals and mechanics. The
try to cut the hero’s webs, but swinging into trio of tweaked levels share the original
them tops-up limited web-fluid supplies. The game’s objective of safely ascending the
superhero’s webbing is also replenished by screen, but with tweaks to the specifics
defusing bombs set by the villainous Green of how you achieve this goal. The first two
stAr WArs: tHe Goblin, but the game’s main appeal lies frogger stages play like expanded ocean-based
emPire striKes bACK in trying not to fall and correcting falls by ■ One of the most fondly remembered versions of Frogger’s river and road sections,
■ Based on the Star Wars sequel’s set-piece snagging buildings with a web as Spider-Man Atari 2600 arcade conversions, Parkers while stage three involves bouncing Frogger
Battle Of Hoth scene, Parker’s Empire Strikes plummets to the ground. Brothers’ adaptation of the Konami smash-hit skyward into screen-top clouds.
Back puts the player in the pilot’s seat of coin-op is about as accurate as 2600 owners
a snow speeder and pits them against an could have possibly expected. In terms of
unstoppable fleet of imperial walkers. In concessions, Frogger on the 2600 has more
terms of gameplay, Empire clearly takes rudimentary graphics than the original and
influence from Williams’ seminal coin-op lacks in-game music, but more importantly,
Defender, but its focus on attacking one Parkers’ translation faithfully replicates the
gigantic foe at a time instead. It’s a great arcade classic’s gameplay. The Atari 2600
game that’s still fun to play. port also offers long-term value with its
frenetic ‘Speedy Frogger’ mode.
for Atari’s financial misfortunes or the can do a decent job of an initial design,
US videogames crash of 1983. “I
think the degree to which Pac-Man
was responsible is exaggerated. I think
but no good videogame goes from initial
design to release. I don’t think anyone
really saw the crash coming. There
the CoDer / DeSiGNer
Developer howard Scott warshaw remembers the 2600
if there was a factor it might have wasn’t a sense of impending doom,
been something along the lines of nobody expected things to reverse as What was your so remarkable, that i really needed
disenchantment with videogames. I don’t quickly as they did. People had incredible earliest encounter some rest. i knew that was the end of
think that Pac-Man was anything more denial over the idea that there was a with the 2600? a way of being that was absolutely life
than a fellow traveller in that area, one of crash. And the only thing Atari knew to well i first came to the changing and so profoundly positive,
a whole trend of disillusionment. A lot of do at this point was to sell 2600 games; 2600 when i started validating and indulgent – and that
people really loved the game, but there that was their only money vehicle.” working at atari. i hadn’t really been was a loss.
was a momentum; the press hated the However great Atari’s liability was, getting into videogames that much
shit out of it. And then E.T. hot on its events outwith the firm’s control were at that point. when i saw the 2600, How did developing games for
heels, which did not help – Howard was equally responsible for the decline of and started to see the games, i just the 2600 and other consoles
given like five weeks to make E.T. So the the 2600 games market. Rex Bradford thought: ‘this is kinda cool!’ i was actually compare?
Atari brand was besmirched by 1983.” reflects on how third-party 2600 a huge fan of television, and i just i was still on the 2600 when things
development self-destructed in 1983. thought this was a great thing to do died at atari. at the next gaming
O
n E.T., Howard Scott “If I’m remembering correctly, January with television. company i did, we were doing games
Warshaw explains the main of 1983 was when things started to go on the playStation and pS2. the 2600
problem with developing his completely haywire. We were going to Why do you think that early 2600 was one of the last platforms where
2600 movie adaptation in a consumer electronics shows, and there titles weren’t more original? you had an individual developer, and
little over a month, and on the crash, were so many third-party companies Quite simply, creativity is a tough thing. that’s one of the biggest differences.
he recalls Atari’s blinkered response with games. It was Custer’s Revenge there’s also a fundamental rule that But it just got bigger and bigger as the
to the 2600 games market imploding. – all these crazy games. It was insane. the first thing anyone does in any new consoles got later and later – so those
“E.T. was really kinda proof of this: you Later, some of us left Parker to join medium is recreate everything that’s became collaborative works.
been done in past media. prior home
games were ridiculously elemental, Why was the 2600 commercially
but arcade games had variety and viable for so long?
potential, and so it made sense to the decade after its release, the mass
recreate those. also, it was a prior market had left the 2600, but 2600s
identification thing and became almost were still there. the game prices had
the dominant mode of marketing. dropped substantially, but there was
still a market. By the late eighties,
How did you feel when you there weren’t many systems you could
moved on from the 2600? make a game on yourself. for most
when atari fell apart, there wasn’t systems, you needed a team and a
another place to go to do the 2600. tremendous amount of money to make
also, i was kinda burnt out. My a game. So the economics of the 2600
experience at atari was so intense, still worked.
53
CLASSICS
SEGA
The coin-op giant that brought arcade hits to the 2600
UP’N DOWN Activision. And so in 1983, I was
■ Although hardly an arcade sensation,
working on a game called Kabobber.
Sega’s isometric obstacle course racer
That was how I experienced the crash.
received quite a few conversions. The
game’s objective is to steer a VW Beetle Activision at that time had about 60 titles » River Raid’s success on the 2600 led to it being ported to
through a maze of intersecting roads, in development. The word came down many other systems.
collecting flags and either leaping over or that they were going to publish only,
onto obstructive traffic. Sega outsourced like, five of them because of the market. the market with games at bankruptcy,
the 2600 version to US developer Steve Mine didn’t make the cut. It did seem like fire-sale prices. That Christmas, over
SPY HUNTER Beck, and although Steve’s port doesn’t an unexpectedly swift decline; one year 20 million game cartridges were in
■ Developed in the US by Sega Electronics, accurately replicate the arcade title’s high- was white-hot, then the next year the bargain bins at the front of toy stores.
the 2600 Spy Hunter nails the coin-op’s res multicoloured visuals, it captures its whole thing was in collapse. There were Dad, bringing $40 in to buy his kid the
speed and gameplay while making very bump-and-jump design nicely. a lot of factors for the decline – including latest Activision or Atari game on his
few concessions. Jeff Lorenz’s adaptation
of Midway’s top-down vehicle shooter
the flood of lousy games, but part of Christmas list, stopped at the bargain
squeezes in the original’s main road and the story is that people really did peak bin and bought eight games at $5 each
river sections, its hostile vehicles – including out what you could do with the 2600 by rather than the new game his kid asked
the helicopter – plus the oil slick, smoke 1983. The games were also expensive.” for. Not until all 20 million bargain games
screen and missile power-ups. These are On the collapse of the 2600 games sold through would new, high-quality
triggered by the second controller’s fire sector – and the US console market as games sell. That put a lot of companies
button, but given the game’s overall quality a whole – David Crane traces events out of business, causing the shutdown of
this is a tolerable workaround. back to the formation of Activision, the Imagic and almost destroying Activision.”
firm’s success as a third-party developer Following the fall of the 2600, Atari
THUNDERGROUND and the fate of those that followed its itself entered a downward spiral. In
■ Technically a 2600 exclusive, except Jeff lead. “By showing that there was a early-1983, a newly appointed CEO cut
Lorenz’s Thunderground is pretty much a viable third-party videogame business, the firm’s staff by 80 per cent, and then
conversion of the second stage of Sega’s Activision – and later Imagic – helped in 1984, Atari was sold to Commodore
coin-op Borderline. Besides concessions to cause the videogame crash. We had founder Jack Tramiel, who reduced
to the top-down arcade game’s visuals, trade shows – CES – every six months. Atari’s employee count by a further
Thunderground also swaps the original’s In one six-month period, 30 new 90 per cent. Jack’s intension was to
enemy jeeps for tanks, but in gameplay companies showed up trying to follow in create a 16-bit computer, but he needed
terms it plays almost identically to
TAPPER Activision’s footsteps. Each got a couple funds, and so in late-1985, he hired
Borderline’s level two. Besides blasting
■ A by-product of Sega’s distribution of million dollars of VC money, and they Mike Katz to market an inexpensive,
tanks and digging through terrain Dig Dug-
relationship with Midway, the 2600 style, the game’s tricky core objective is to
designed and built game cartridges. cost-reduced 2600. “Jack Tramiel had
conversion of Tapper was ably developed destroy six nuclear bases per stage. Those companies all failed, and flooded bought Atari for debt from Warner,” Mike
by Steve Beck. As with Steve’s 2600 Up’n recollects, “and he approached me to
Down, 2600 Tapper faithfully translates the try to resurrect it. Our opportunity for the
mechanics of its arcade counterpart, but 2600 was to come out with as low a
unlike Up’n Down, Steve’s Tapper has nicely price version as possible, with the least
rendered high-resolution graphics. More expensive software. We had a very good
impressively, sliding pints down its bars to commercial, which had the jingle, ‘Under
customers is as compelling a prospect as it is
$50.’ Everything we did in marketing
in the coin-op, and the 2600 port reproduces
was intended to be not extravagant, but
four of the arcade game’s five levels.
fit the bill of creating awareness that
Atari was back.”
54
atari 2600
H
one of, if not the best,
strategy was paying the games kept getting better, because out the sheer creativity and inventiveness racers on the 2600.
dividends. Tod Frye was the designers and the programmers kept of 2600 coders and the fun provided
working for Epyx at the time, being able to eke more out of it.” by their games. “Many people claim
and remembers the thinking behind Commenting on the contemporary that 2600 games are still more fun to
porting computer classics, such as 2600 homebrew scene, Howard play than any modern game. If true,
Summer Games, to the 2600. “Epyx Scott Warshaw identifies the system’s that is due to versatile hardware and
had these Commodore 64 games, and challenging architecture as its ongoing creative game designers. The 2600 both
was going horizontal with them out to attraction. “People are still making pioneered and embodied that wondrous
the other platforms. At the time, the 2600 games. Their games aren’t really time in history.”
thinking was still that there were a lot of commercially viable; they’re not making
2600 machines in people’s living rooms. a shitload of money with them, but it’s Thanks to Larry Kaplan, David Crane,
While technology had moved ahead, we about the challenge. There is Warren Robinett, Rex Bradford,
knew a lot more programming tricks for something really kind of magical about Howard Scott Warshaw, Tod Frye,
the 2600, so you could actually make a meeting that challenge.” Mike Katz and Alan Murphy.
55
EDITOR’S CHOICE Night Stalker
This is amongst the most highly regarded of the Intellivision originals, and
it’s easy to see why. Night Stalker casts you as a man trapped in a deadly
labyrinth filled with bats, spiders and deadly robots, with the goal of
amassing as many points as possible
by shooting these enemies. It’s not
an easy task, though – you’re not
armed to begin with and each gun
you collect only holds six shots, so
you frequently flip roles, playing both
hunter and hunted. It’s simple, but
tension increases greatly as the game
progresses thanks to the introduction
of smarter and tougher robots.
56
57
Intellivision
» Manufacturer: Mattel Electronics » Year: 1979 » cost: £199 (launch), £25+ (today)
hen the toy giant Mattel decided the will to take on Atari. A team of engineers
to investigate the possibility for headed by Dave Chandler then worked to build
a home videogames console the final Intellivision hardware for a test launch
Intellivision Fact in 1977, it was looking at new later that year.
■ although it’s still a digital controller, the directional disc on the ground that nevertheless had a big flag The console itself would fit into any late
intellivision controller recognises 16 distinct directions – twice as many
W
already planted on it. The arcade colossus Seventies living room thanks to its mixture of gold
as a regular joystick. Atari was getting ready to launch its 2600 and woodgrain panels. The gold carries over to
RAM: 524B main memory, 932B graphics memory console, and although Mattel had identified a the two built-in controllers, each of which includes
PROCESSOR: general instruments cp1610 16-Bit cpu (894.886 Khz) suitable product from General Instruments (the a directional disc and number pad, with a slot
GRAPHICS: standard television interface chip Gimini 6900) that it could base its own console for game-specific overlays. This classic design
(general instruments ay-3-8900-1)
on, the company decided that it would instead would be abandoned in favour of the significantly
AUDIO: general instruments ay-3-8914
focus on handheld games. These sold well and uglier Intellivision II prior to the videogame market
established the Mattel Electronics brand, to the crash in 1983, but later formed the basis of INTV
(three-channel mono)
point that by 1979 the company had mustered Corporation’s INTV System III.
MEDIA: rom cartridge
Celebrating
the
58
ZX SPECTRUM
I
behind the counter of his computer shop on Bradford Street, sold out quickly, with queues of people appearing
Walsall. The man’s name is Steven Wilcox, and he will soon whenever there was news of fresh stock.” The computer’s
have a big role to play in the 8-bit computer game market; for popularity took Sinclair aback. “We were surprised, as it exceeded
now, however, Steve is excitedly trying to calculate how many our highest expectations in terms of demand,” continues Rick,
ZX Spectrums he can sell in one day. “and despite our factories theoretically being able to meet demand,
“Whenever I hear these days of consoles such as the Wii being it was more a question of the supply chain and how quickly stock
in huge demand and selling out,” he says today, “I’m always could be replenished.” It was a popular rumour within Sinclair that
reminded of the Spectrum and the frenzy there was about it.” during these early days, there were at least three lorries laden with
Somehow, the future founder of renowned publisher Elite Systems Spectrums on the road at any one time, and a reported 12,000 units
had managed to secure a large stock of the immensely popular sold in each week of 1983.
computer for the Christmas period of 1983. Word had escaped and Also working in sales early in the Spectrum’s life was Gary
families were travelling from miles away just to get their hands on Bracey, future software development manager for Ocean. “I started
one of the iconic micros. Steve’s younger brother, Richard, was in a computer games retail business in Liverpool, basically because
the shop as normal, experimenting with the computers and games. of the ZX Spectrum,” says Gary. “Although I had previously
“For me, as someone who had been into computer gaming for experienced the ZX81 and Acorn Atom, the Spectrum was really
some years,” he says, “it was like a validation. It was the beginning the one that brought these machines into the mainstream.”
of gaming becoming mainstream.” The Spectrum, released in April Future Ocean colleague, artist Mark Jones, was also captivated
1982, was still causing a sensation over a year later. by the computer, although frustratingly for him, as with many
others, the machine lay tantalisingly out of reach. “I was one of
On the frontline the last of my friends to get a Spectrum,” he recalls with an air of
This is one of many stories from the ZX Spectrum’s early days at mock sadness, “until one day I came home from school and my
the frontline. 165 miles further north, in Stockton-on-Tees, was Ian mother motioned me towards a box in the living room: there was a
Richardson, who would go on to work for well-known software brand new 48K Spectrum!” Despite his excitement, Mark quickly
houses such as Ocean and Gremlin Graphics, and he tells a similar discovered the problem that afflicted many Spectrum owners: most
tale: “It really felt that Sinclair drip-fed the market, plus there weren’t homes still only had one television! “I set the Speccy up as quick as
many places stocking them at the time, other than WHSmith and I could, as I knew I didn’t have long before Dad came home,” says
Dixons.” Ian worked in his father’s shop, TopSoft Computers. Mark wistfully. “Danger Mouse and Newsround I could do without,
“My dad was interested in starting a retail business, and my love but I just had to cram some time in getting to know my new toy!”
of computers – and especially gaming – persuaded him to open
a computer shop. I explained carefully to him that it was not easy A world of colour
getting software in our hometown, as you were restricted to places Others were impressed on a technical level. Sinclair Research
such as Smiths and Woolworths. employee-in-waiting Rupert Goodwins, having previously purchased
Sinclair Research designer Rick Dickinson, responsible for the a ZX81 kit directly from Sinclair, remembers receiving a flyer through
look and feel of the Spectrum, remembers the situation clearly: the post for the new machine. “I devoured the leaflet for every last
59
scrap of information and immediately started pestering my parents,”
says Rupert. “And when it arrived – oh, the colours! I loaded up the
bundled tape and was awestruck by the saturation on the solitaire
card game. All the things I’d wanted from my ZX81 were there:
sound, lower case, multi-statement BASIC, proper graphics, colour
60
ZX SPECTRUM
The ultimate developer Philip Oliver, one half of the Oliver twins, who were responsible
Despite the phenomenal success of Ghostbusters, the software for some of the bestselling games on the Spectrum, emphasises
house that undoubtedly had the most consistent sales over the the importance of the Ultimate games. “The Spectrum saw many
majority of the Spectrum’s life was Ashby Computers & Graphics varied and experimental games, probably more than any other
Ltd – more commonly known as Ultimate Play The Game. After computer,” he says, “and games popular today are often inspired by
a clutch of 16K titles that themselves became iconic, Ultimate games on the Spectrum. For example, the 3D isometric game style
established a line of software of such pedigree that retailers were is still popular, and used in all sorts of games such as FarmVille.”
able to continue selling them well into the late Eighties, despite a This new and exciting market for computer game software,
hefty price tag of £9.99 for the majority of Ultimate’s output. despite causing a shortage of ZX Spectrums, didn’t exactly go
Ocean’s Mark Jones describes his first encounter with Ultimate’s down well at Sinclair headquarters. “I think it’s fair to say Sir Clive
famous isometric 3D engine: “I rushed round to a friend’s house, was disappointed that the Spectrum’s main market was the games
who had been showing off his new purchase at school. We went industry,” says designer Rick Dickinson, “but to be honest we saw
upstairs and there was Knight Lore, already loaded, and I was this even with the ZX80 and ZX81. Sir Clive fought it for a while,
totally amazed. Back then it was like controlling a cartoon.” but I guess eventually he just accepted it for how it was, and I don’t
61
suppose he minded the business it brought in.” Rick empathises
THE with the Sinclair chief: “I guess I’d be similarly disappointed that
the early computers were mostly used for entertainment, but today
GRAPHIC I think we should be thrilled that so many people in the industry
ARTIST learned their trade on a Spectrum.”
By late 1984, with the 48K models still selling well, work began
Simon on the next step up: the 128K Spectrum. Joining the Sinclair team
at this point was Rupert Goodwins, who would become a key
Butler member of this machine’s development team. “My first task was
ocean Software in March of 1985,” he begins, “and it was to get the 48K source
code into an editable and rebuildable state.” Rupert then spent
When did you first encounter the most of the remainder of 1985 working with a number of other
Spectrum and what were your
initial impressions? programmers on the 128K additions such as the new sound chip
Simon Butler: I saw my first Spectrum and improved BASIC editor. One of his final tasks prior to the
when I went to work at Denton release of the machine was the onerous-sounding compatibility
Designs. Although I was developing testing. “That was me, a joystick, a working 128K prototype, and a » Arkanoid clone and famed Your Sinclair cover tape game, Batty.
graphics on the C64, it was by then
very large cardboard box of tapes,” he grimaces. “And to be honest
my gaming machine of choice. Anyone
could see the obvious advantages the
C64 had from a graphics point of view,
but for some reason I was a Spectrum
it burned the desire to play games right out of my system!”
128K rising
The Spectrum saw
fan from day one.
62
ZX SPECTRUM
psj3809
production of the +3 ceasing in 1990. With the Commodore Amiga I had heard about computers but only saw
and Atari ST now firmly established, it seemed obvious, however, them in catalogues or on display in Dixons. I
that the end of the Spectrum was fast approaching. went round my best friend’s after Christmas
one day and saw he had a 16K Spectrum
A new decade and loved it. I was amazed you could just
keep swapping in different tapes to load in so
“By 1990, the world was changing,” says Gary Bracey. “The many different games!
16-bits were now dominating, and it was clear the Spectrum
was on the wane and only really viable for budget software. As sirclive1
far as Ocean was concerned, a significant factor was probably Christmas Day 1984 was the most amazing
resources: if we made a game on the Spectrum then perhaps we day ever. I’d had my Spectrum
for a year but had really been scraping
couldn’t make an Atari ST version due to the drain on manpower.
around for games, typing in listings from
And, of course, all the best programmers wanted to be involved magazines, reading Crash and imagining
with the latest formats.” how they all played, borrowing games
Philip Oliver also felt the tide was fully turned by 1990: “We off mates and having a great time but not
had decided at that point to switch to console games, first to the owning many games as money was tight.
» There were some excellent arcade conversions I had only written ‘Spectrum games’ on
NES and Master System, then the Mega Drive. This was mainly on the Spectrum like Elite’s Bomb Jack. my Christmas list, but got The Lords Of
because of their popularity in North America and our grander Midnight, Daley Thompson’s Decathlon, the
ambitions for our future games. The Spectrum had done incredibly Automania/Pyjamarama double pack,
well in the UK, but not so well elsewhere.” Booty and Ghostbusters, and I don’t think I
It’s an oft-discussed subject, the perceived lack of support for moved off the Speccy all day apart from a
the Spectrum in non-UK territories, yet perhaps not as clear cut quick break to eat my Christmas dinner! I still
have all those games on a separate shelf at
as many people assume. “The United States was always a market
home. Great times.
that attracted Sinclair, if just for the sheer scale of its economy and
the potential sales,” recalls Rick Dickinson. “Yet despite opening greenberet79
a sales office in Boston, the Spectrum was never as successful My childhood = my Spectrum.
there as we hoped.” Back then, games were a thing of mystery
A deal had already been struck with US company Timex for and exploration!
distribution of the ZX81, and a similar agreement was negotiated
for the Spectrum. Timex re-engineered the computer, including deadpan666
an effort to make the external appearance more ‘American’, but Being a bit late to the Speccy scene,
I bought a lot of games pretty cheap and
it ultimately faced exceptionally tough competition from local
the magazines bumped up my collection
manufacturers, specifically Commodore. However, in Europe, pretty quickly. I managed to persuade four
the story was different, with countries such as the Netherlands, » The shooter Light Force, an excellent example of how of my mates and my brother to all have a
Spain and Germany all enjoying varying degrees of Spectrum love programmers found new ways of getting around old problems. game of Chaos one day, and playing it as
thanks to both Sinclair Research and Amstrad. Nonetheless, with was intended with lots of real-life players
was a gaming memory that will be with
competition from not only the aforementioned cartridge-based
me always! I think it ended with loads of
consoles but also the 16-bit computers, it’s incredible that the Gooey Blobs and Magic Fires pretty much
Spectrum could still maintain a market share at all by this time. So consuming everything on the screen…
what was the key to its success?
Fawltykog
The secret to its success Ahh, the sweet smell of burning as the mains
“Simplicity,” states Rupert Goodwins with unassuming candour. power pack for my Speccy overheated on a
» Raffaele Cecco programmed blazing hot summer day in 1984. Yep, that’s
“It was simple and it was cheap. And because it was cheap, it many famous and colourful my most remembered memory of the
sold heavily, and with lots of users there was a big market and games such as Exolon.
wondrous ZX Spectrum…
a lot of wannabe programmers all teaching themselves how to » The Speccy had its share of Oh, and Sabre Wulf, Atic Atac, Manic Miner,
write games. And because it was simple, it didn’t take them long clunkers like Highlander. Jet Set Willy, ad nauseam.
63
The
Spectrum
demystified
computing
SinClAiR RESEARCh And
AmStRAd’S RupERt goodwinS
64
ZX SPECTRUM
Spectrum forever
Richard Wilcox of Elite Systems acknowledges the influence of the
Spectrum today. “There were so many different types of people
making games for the Spectrum,” he says, “and new gaming
genres arrived on an almost weekly basis. Many of them were really THE FAN
explored. Even games that failed could perceived lack of popularity over the C64 I
embryonic and wouldn’t reach fruition until many years later on
more powerful machines. But just about all the staples of gameplay Martijn van spawn other games of a similar ilk. regard as American revisionism!
seen today were on the Spectrum in some form or other.”
Philip Oliver agrees: “The success of our Dizzy games was
Der Heide You’re obviously a huge fan. What do How would you explain the Spectrum’s
Owner, World of Spectrum you love most about the computer and longevity today?
down to the success of the Spectrum. That success has led us which model in particular? MVDH: I’m not really sure, to be honest!
to create our own games studio, which today employs over 200 What were your early memories of the MVDH: I started with the 16K version, Perhaps the interest in Eastern Europe is
ZX Spectrum? but the 48K rubber-key Spectrum is where responsible, although the adventure and
creative and talented developers – many of whom were inspired
Martijn Van Der Heide: It really feels all my best memories are from. What PD scene also kept it going for a number
to join the games industry from playing games on the Spectrum in like yesterday! One of my friends got a I loved was the means to create your of years. Nowadays, everything retro
their youth.” Spectrum for his birthday in 1984 and we own software without hassle. I never is hot; the Spectrum might have an
But perhaps the biggest compliment to Sinclair and the ZX all gathered around while he unpacked it had an assembler until I started World of advantage in that the proper tools to
Spectrum is the way it has influenced us all, from the parents who and loaded up the Horizons tape. We saw Spectrum, so I learned about it through develop new software are freely available.
it as nothing short of a miracle: colours, hex-editing memory – after some efforts
stood wide-eyed, like Steve Wilcox in his computer shop back in sound and lower-case characters! A very in BASIC, of course. Another aspect was How did you feel at the end of the
1983, as their offspring sat glued to the latest game, to those who memorable day. to learn more about the hardware. How Spectrum’s commercial life?
programmed, played and wrote about the games. it all worked was a magnificent learning MVDH: I felt really sorry to see the Speccy
“There are two kinds of people in life,” muses Richard Wilcox. What do you think made the computer episode and prompted me to get a college go when its commercial span ended and
so popular with the public? education in computer science. the magazines closed their doors. At the
“Those who owned a Sinclair Spectrum and those who didn’t. If
MVDH: I believe the prospect of fortune time I was a student and still used
you are one of the former then you’ve probably spent the last 30 is what struck us most; reading about Why do you think the Spectrum wasn’t Tasword Two on the Spectrum daily…
years always feeling slightly ahead of the curve when it comes to programmers like Matthew Smith so popular outside the UK?
gaming, and all because the Spectrum was the most amazing test driving around in posh cars while writing MVDH: Actually, I don’t buy into that. For But of course it wasn’t the end…
bed for new ideas.” We heartily agree with you, Richard. Here’s to successful games showed something of instance, the Spectrum was well supported MVDH: For a moment I thought it was.
remarkable promise to us. And the games in my country, Holland, until at least 1989. But then I’d access newsgroups and found
the next 30. themselves were very varied; everything Software was available in shops, as were comp.sys.sinclair. That was the moment
was open and all manner of genres were the magazines such as Your Sinclair. Any when I knew I had to keep the flag waving!
Special thanks to Martyn Carroll and all our interviewees for their time.
65
Intellivoice
» Platform: IntellIvIsIon » released: 1982 » Cost: £20 (boxed) / £10 (unboxed)
W
hen Mattel Electronics announced the Intellivoice, anticipation
was high. After all, speech in games was an enormous
novelty – even arcade games had only been able to do voices
for a couple of years. Initial reviews were positive too, thanks
to the strength of early games and the unique features that speech gave
them. However, the unit failed at retail and was discontinued after just a
year on shelves, and plans to recoup the investment by integrating the
unit into an Intellivision III console were never realised.
Why? Well, the Intellivoice module was an expensive item – $100 on
launch, with no pack-in game to demonstrate the device’s capabilities.
Worse yet, the Intellivoice itself only contained generic phrases, so
anything game-specific had to be included on the cartridge itself. This
meant bigger ROM chips were required, meaning that the games that did
support the add-on were also expensive. Even the popular Tron licence
couldn’t push the unit’s fourth game to 100,000 sales, so existing projects
such as Magic Carousel were shelved. In the end, just five games made it
to shelves – B-17 Bomber, Bomb Squad, Space Spartans, Tron: Solar Sailer
and the ECS-enhanced World Series Major League Baseball.
66
INTELLIVOICE
ESSENtIaL
GaME
B-17 Bomber
This innovative game casts you as
a bomber pilot during World War II,
flying out from a base in England
to strike targets across continental
Europe. Of course, you’ll have
to fend off attacks from enemy
aircraft in order to carry out your
mission, and this is where the
voice feature comes into its own
– you’ll receive spoken warnings
about incoming fire, approaching
targets and the like. With multiple
views from the plane and a variety
of gauges to check, this is an
impressive air combat game for its
era and platform and arguably the
only essential Intellivoice game.
Intellivoice Fact
■ An international version of the Intellivoice with
support for French, German and Italian speech was
planned. Space Spartans was even translated in
preparation for its launch, but the unit never made it
beyond the prototype stage.
StatS
VoIcE chIp: XGenerAl
InStrument SP0256
FrEquENcy raNGE:
150Hz – 5KHz
roM: 2Kb
oN-Board wordS: 36
67
way from the searing bright lights of
the Consumer Electronics Show in Las
Vegas in 1982, Al Nilsen was standing
in the sales meeting room of the Coleco
booth, his ears resonating to the sound of an
enthusiastic business pitch about a brand-new
games console. As the assistant buyer for JCPenny – a
huge chain of department stores – his potential backing
was judged to be crucial. Yet all Coleco had to show him
was a binder containing a plastic sleeve with an image
of the machine and some screenshots of games it could
run. In the end, it was all he really needed to see.
Back then, the videogame market in the US was
worth an estimated $5 billion and there was a clamour
for companies to grab a slice for themselves. Al’s hunch
that Coleco was on to something good was confirmed
when he ventured to the firm’s offices in Hartford,
Connecticut for a proper look. “I saw the actual system
this time and I liked it,” he says. “They seemed to have
done their research and they had a good offering of
software.” Once again, he was caught up in Coleco’s
enthusiasm. “They convinced us to carry it,” he adds.
But he wasn’t alone in seeing the console’s potential.
68
COLECOVISION
On the face of it, the ColecoVision looked good. able to make use of 16 colours and 32 sprites on the » The excellent port of
Donkey Kong was a huge
Bruce Popek, the former director of design at screen at once), and lots of appealing licences. coup for Coleco at the time
Coleco, said the company’s Advanced Research And The graphical ability of the ColecoVision was obvious of its release.
Development team “had a clear vision of where they to all those who saw it, not least to artist Dave Johnson
wanted to go”. Bruce’s job was to produce an attractive who met Eric Bromley, a designer and engineer at
machine which would load game cartridges from Coleco in the hope of securing a job. He recalls being
the top into the PCB and allow for accessories and pointed towards several monitors. “He showed me a
expansion packs via a front port. Most of the design video loop of an early Smurf animation and assured me
details were determined early on. “There were very few that it was a demonstration of the actual ColecoVision
aesthetic models and design changes but we made hardware,” recalls Dave. “Once I saw that, I was
an early decision to have storage for the controllers. convinced that there was major graphic potential.”
Keeping the cords and both controllers stowed and neat Dave quickly came to believe that the console was
helped convey the message that our gaming system in a position to faithfully convert virtually every major
was thought out, self-contained, and easy to use. It was coin-op title, regardless of whether it was originally
the next step forward.” in raster or vector graphic form. But if the graphics
But what was it about the ColecoVision console were to be Coleco’s gun, the company needed
that actually made it so special? Was it the 3.58MHz something to fire. Licences would be the effective
Zilog Z80A CPU, the Texas Instruments’ TMS9928A bullet and the company went after them with dogged
video processor and the power to output at a pixel determination. “Licences made ColecoVision
resolution of 256x192? In many respects, yes. Talk to special,” reflects Bruce Popek, the former director
those involved in the machine, though, and they of design at Coleco. “Since Coleco was
effectively boil the ColecoVision down to two a toy company, it knew full well that
things: “Graphic superiority”, as the Coleco proven licences of the top arcade
president Arnold C Greenberg told the games would draw sales and
New York Times in 1982 (games were users from the start. We
video game
system
69
had already seen the success of our tabletop arcade
games with Pac-Man, Galaxian and Frogger.”
Among the licences that Coleco managed to secure
was Donkey Kong which ended up being included
with every console. Bromley had stumbled across the
arcade machine when he nipped to the loo on a visit
to Nintendo in Japan. He immediately told Nintendo’s
president Hiroshi Yamauchi that he wanted the game
for the ColecoVision which sparked some intense
negotiations and ended with Coleco wiring an advance
of $200,000 to Nintendo and agreeing to a $2 per unit
royalty. But it proved not to be so straight-forward, as Space Panic, Venture, Lady Bug, Cosmic Avenger,
Yamauchi went back on the arrangement and decided Zaxxon and Carnival. Deals had been struck with Sega,
to hand the rights to Atari instead. Exidy, Universal and, of course, Nintendo, and the
Only by stressing that the power of his console graphics of these games were striking a chord with
would do greater justice to the look of the game than consumers. Retailing for $199.99 in the US and £149
the Atari 2600 was Bromley able to persuade him to when it went on sale in the UK in 1983, the console
change his mind back. And that, says Bruce, was a began to shift hundreds of thousands of units.
defining moment. “It was not just a generic homespun
game cartridge,” he affirms. No, it was a blockbuster. ehind the scenes, though, there was a
Donkey Kong was released along with 11 other lot of pressure. The company had made
games including Smurf – Rescue In Gargamel’s Castle, massive investments and it leaned on the
development teams to ensure the games
were at their very best. “Coleco was a fiery environment,
filled with many large personalities at the top and hard
dedicated workers below,” admits Bruce. “We were
asked to do a lot in a short time and it was a very
aggressive endeavour for any company of any size.”
Luckily, it delivered. Zaxxon, for instance, wowed
games in the arcades with its state-of-the-art graphics
and it not only looked fantastic on the ColecoVision,
it was arguably more playable too. ColecoVision soon
gained a reputation for being a console which surpassed
its hype. “ColecoVision was way better than Atari or
Intellivision,” says Dave. “It had more colours, a higher
resolution and hardware sprites. That is what intrigued
me and it had convinced me to take the job.”
Converting those early games was no easy task,
though. “We were initially designing for hardware that
wasn’t complete and it was very difficult to predict the
final graphic output,” Dave says. “We were working
■ Turning the tables on its predecessor, Donkey Kong, by putting ■ Bigger doesn’t always mean better yet 11 levels of platforming ■ Inspired by the classic 1983 movie, this ColecoVision had
Junior on a mission to rescue his caged father from Mario, this greatness awaited anyone playing Big Five Software’s creation, and defending the US from enemy missiles in real time. With six sectors
highly-innovative arcade conversion may have had just three levels that was one more than ColecoVision’s rival machines. The premise to take into account, and a frantic battle to intercept the onslaught,
but it made up for it with colourful graphics, decent sound and was simple – to fill each section of flooring by walking on it – but it was certainly stressful - although the fast-paced action and
some solid platform-to-vine-traversing, fruit-collecting action. perilous jumps, time limits and enemies conspired against you. extensive use of the controller created a classic.
70
» Although DragonFire was ported from the Atari 2600 to the ColecoVision,
anyone with Expansion Module 1 could have played the original.
■ Data East’s arcade original relished the chance of turning ■ This blistering coin-op sequel to the 1980 arcade game ■ Released as a launch title for the console, this complex treasure-
burger-making into a game and it ported very well to Coleco’s Berzerk was only ported to ColecoVision and the ZX Spectrum. hunting arcade game took place over 12 tombs and it was a great
console. The delicious idea was to drop the right ingredients on top It showcased excellent animation and solid artificial intelligence showcase for what the machine was capable of. Despite the poor
of each other and avoid Mr Hot Dog, Mr Pickle and Mr Egg, fending which made shooting at enemies tough, and there were nice quirks controls, it was a faithful conversion with a good array of high-
them off with pepper if you needed to. such as blasting away at some of the walls to form an escape hole. pitched tunes to enjoy too.
71
was the only one of the three big console makers
to turn a profit. Atari and Mattel made losses. But
The ColecoVision’s expansion modules good marketing helped. “The name of the game was
made it stand out amongst its rivals games,” says Alfred Kahn who led the licensing division
Coleco made a big play on for Coleco and marketed the console. “Getting the best
the fact its console could be possible games for the ColecoVision on an exclusive
expanded straight away. “The basis – at least initially – was important and there
front port for accessories and was an expectation they would be good because the
expansion packs was pretty ColecoVision had better graphics than its rivals.”
much there from the start,” Third-party devs were also making games for it. Big
says Bruce Popek, former Five Software’s Miner 2049er was converted to the
director of design at Coleco. “It system and there was a great mix of coin-op translations actual arcade game and, if possible, more authentic
made us different.” And yet, ironically, it helped make the including Mr. Do! and Frenzy along with sporting titles than the 5200 version that was already out,” he says.
ColecoVision into a makeshift Atari 2600 anyway. including Baseball and Football. Atari peripherals could “To accomplish that, the game needed its signature
Expansion Module 1 took advantage of the fact Atari’s be used with the console and the Expansion Module 1 flickering multicoloured star field smoothly scrolling
console used standard, off-the-shelf components. By enabled the machine to play Atari 2600 games. It behind an armada of multicoloured dancing and
stuffing a recreated 2600 into the sizeable module using became an important console and even Atari saw the attacking space bugs. It was all done in hardware
the hardware only, the reproduction was so faithful it ran benefit of selling games for it. on the arcade version of Galaxian. Unfortunately, the
almost all of Atari’s games for the machine, substantially “When I started programming the ColecoVision ColecoVision hardware wasn’t designed for anywhere
expanding the ColecoVision’s catalogue. console at Atari in 1982, it was far more powerful than near that level of visual complexity.”
It had a slot where Atari cartridges could be inserted the Atari 2600 and Mattel Intellivision,” says coder
as well as the necessary switches and controller ports Jim Eisenstein. “The Atari 5200 was the only real he problem was that the hardware provided
for 2600 compatibility. What’s more Atari was powerless competition in the USA in terms of graphics capability.” a way to scroll a star field background yet
to stop it being sold. It tried to sue but it lost and, to As he found out, though, coders sometimes had to there weren’t nearly enough sprites to
make matters worse, Coleco then went on to produce work hard to get the best out of the machine. display the fully-animated space bug force
a standalone, cheaper 2600 clone called the Gemini. Jim’s first game for the ColecoVision was Galaxian. in front of it. Worse, several sprites would be needed
Meanwhile, it launched the Expansion Module 2 which “I was committed to reproducing the arcade game to display each multicoloured bug. Rather than make
brought a steering wheel and pedal to the ColecoVision experience, making it look and feel as much like the sacrifices to the game and have fewer space bugs,
allowing gamers to play driving and racing titles including single-coloured bugs and a stationary background star
a port of Turbo which was bundled in the box. This field, Jim noted the Texas Instruments graphics chip in
peripheral was plugged into the controller port rather the ColecoVision had a unique character map mode. “It
than the Expansion Module area. could be coerced into providing the desired outcome.
The third module was also interesting. It allowed the There was no equivalent mode on the 5200,” he says.
console to be turned into Coleco’s ADAM computer and “By playing a lot of tricks with the graphics controller,
it was rather comprehensive, coming with a keyboard, a scrolling and animating the star field background in
memory unit and a letter-quality printer. There was even software and compositing animated software sprites
a built-in word processor although Smart BASIC needed into the background with really tight assembly code
to be loaded in by tape. Completing the set of expansions that used both banks of Z80 registers to avoid memory
was the Roller Controller trackball which could also be access delays, I was able to get a flickering star
used with the ADAM and came with a port of Slither, and background smoothly scrolling vertically behind the
the Super Action Controller Set.
The latter was a mind-boggler, since it appeared to
add everything bar the kitchen sink: the new controller
had a 12-button keypad, an eight-directional joystick, a
speed roller and four customisable triggers on a
pistol-like grip. It’s almost as if Coleco was
talking criticism of the original controllers
to heart and figuring it would leave no
stone unturned.
» The ColecoVision version of Zaxxon was the first home port to make use of isometric graphics.
72
COLECOVISION
SOCKETS
■ There were sockets at the back for
It’s a striking design, but what did what on the ColecoVision? the power supply and game cable. The
latter plugged into an Aerial Switch Box
to toggle between the TV and console.
CONTROLLERS UNDER THE HOOD
■ There were two controllers which ■ The console was powered by a 3.58MHz Z80
plugged into inputs located within the CPU, a Texas Instruments TMS9928A video
console’s storage compartment. processor and a Texas Instruments SN76389A CART SLOT
sound chip. It had 1KB RAM and 8KB ROM. ■ Game cartridges went
into this slot, with the name
of the game facing the front.
BRANDING
■ This model is from North America
but those distributed outside were
branded the CBS ColecoVision.
EXPANSION BAY
■ Expansion Modules were inserted
into this slot. They could make it
compatible with the Atari 2600 or
turn it into a full computer.
POWER
NUMBER PAD ■ The switch to the left powered
■ Each controller had 12 buttons, an eight-directional the machine while the one to the
control stick, side buttons and the ability to use overlays right was used to reset it.
for some games.
whole armada of space bugs dancing n that sense, some developers felt more
and attacking at 60fps.” It got around the comfortable working for other machines. “Decades
graphics chip’s poor scrolling abilities. later, I had the chance to sit in the audience of a
Such efforts highlighted another panel of the Blue Sky Rangers, Mattel’s videogame
problem, though. While all of these efforts were going design team,” Jennell says. “They had fewer graphics
into faithfully converting games from the arcades, there to work with, but far more freedom to explore designing
was no widespread attempt to truly push the console’s games that maximized what the system could do.”
» Here’s a look at the innards that helped
capabilities. “We were never given the freedom to Jim also bemoans the closed graphics architecture of power Coleco’s 8-bit console.
explore original designs,” says Jennell. “The best we the ColecoVision. “It wasn’t designed for flexibility,” he
managed along those lines were intended to support says. “I don’t feel that there was much more capability we were the in-house experts on that system,” says
movie or cartoon character licences which came with to squeeze out of it.” He cites Pole Position on the Atari Jim. “The NES platform was far less impressive than
just as many restrictions on design. So, I don’t think 5200 as an example. “The programmer had control of Coleco’s but they had Shigeru Miyamoto, the Walt
we pushed it as far as we could go. We were always each scanline on the screen and could use the same Disney of videogames.” In fact, Nintendo began to
budget-limited by the cost of ROM parts, often forcing techniques Namco had used to make the track appear dominate, closely followed by Sega as a two-horse race
us into lower graphics modes for some games. And the 3D and very fluid,” Jim explains. “We were working on emerged. This continued until the PlayStation arrived – a
emphasis on arcade knockoffs kept us from exploring a version of Pole Position for the ColecoVision before the console, like ColecoVision, which seemingly came from
more complex types of gameplay.” videogame crash of 1983 and had been unable to get nowhere. The Coleco dream was over.
an acceptable track with that graphics controller.” Attempts were made to revive it with the Coleco
That videogame crash came at a bad time for Coleco. Chameleon, announced on 17 December 2015.
It had released an home computer called ADAM But questions over a ‘prototype’ emerged at the
in 1983, promoting it as the best machine for word Toy Fair in 2016 and, after a huge kerfuffle, it was
processing and games. At the same time, it launched canned. Yet the original console still has lots of fans
an expansion module for the ColecoVision which and a good community following (be sure to check
turned the console into the same computer. It flopped. out colecovisionzone.com), and there’s also a
Bruce says it was “never available in numbers” but, comprehensive book on the machine called Coleco –
to make things worse, sales of the ColecoVision were The Complete History written by Antoine Clerc-Renaud.
declining. In March 1984, Coleco posted a $35 million “I feel the ColecoVision is wrongly classified as a
fourth quarter loss and there was talk of discontinuing second-generation console because in terms of power,
the ADAM. The company pulled out of gaming in the it was closer to the NES than the Atari 2600,” Antoine
Summer of 1985 – the same year the NES arrived. says. “It also set out to accomplish one goal: to bring
» In Tapper, you played a barman, but this version was one of the few arcade “Our ColecoVision team was slated to begin the arcade games at home and it did so beautifully. For
conversions to fall short of the original coin-op. developing for the NES as it was also Z80-based and me, the ColecoVision will always be special.”
73
Commodo
The C64 was born to play games. Albert
Charpentier and Yash Terakura tell Rory
Milne how custom chips intended for a killer
games console instead powered the world’s
bestselling computer
74
COMMODORE 64
75
» The C64’s
function keys are
typically used
for controlling
a program or
activating often-
used routines.
J
three or four voice chip that has all ust months later, however, The graphics were still a key part; it was Thanks to Jack Tramiel’s keen eye
the fundamentals of a synthesiser impressive sales of the VIC-20 going to be a home computer so it had to for market trends, Albert next found
keyboard?’ So we essentially copied a saw the pair switch from have entertainment features.” himself reworking a variant of the 6502
lot of the things that were done in those games console design to The sound chip that Bob Yannes was processor used in the VIC-20 so that its
keyboards; we didn’t look at audio chips home computer development. “Within working on was just as important to the successor could handle more memory.
from our competitors,” says Albert. six months, everyone saw it was going entertainment credentials of the VIC- “Jack would come in once a month and
But Albert and Bob still needed to to be a computer. It was clear that the 20’s successor – although its advanced we’d give him a report. 64K RAM chips
get the go-ahead from Jack Tramiel to VIC-20 was a wonderful success – it nature was causing a few headaches. were just becoming available, and Jack
develop their respective chips, which sold, I think, close to a million units. So “It was the first time something like said: ‘Listen, put 64K into it. Everyone is
they secured with the support of Charles we said: ‘Rather than doing a game that had been done on a chip”, explains going to be producing that RAM, it’s
SID MAESTROS The six musicians who made the C64 sing
ROB HUBBARD BEN DAGLISH MARTIN GALWAY JONATHAN DUNN DAVE WHITTAKER MATT GRAY
MEMORABLE GAME: MEMORABLE GAME: MEMORABLE GAME: MEMORABLE GAME: MEMORABLE GAME: MEMORABLE GAME:
Master Of Magic The Last Ninja Wizball Platoon Glider Rider Last Ninja 2
■ At times, the ■ Preferring ■ Likely ■ A late ■ Perhaps the ■ Like Jonathan
arrangements to freelance remembered arrival to the busiest of all Dunn, Matt Gray
of Rob rather than work as much for professional SID SID musicians; arrived late to
Hubbard’s SID in-house, Ben the amazing music scene, Dave has gone the SID tune
compositions Daglish was sounds he Jonathan Dunn on record to say party in 1987,
make them sound almost nothing if not prolific during coaxed out of the SID chip as took over from Martin Galway that he has wrote tunes for but he made up for lost time
orchestral, although quite how his C64 days. Ben produced for his compositions, there’s no when he left Ocean Software over 400 C64 games. Dave’s with epic compositions for the
this is possible given just three over a hundred SID tunes, doubting that Martin Galway in 1987. Jonathan’s first gig SID tunes have a uniquely likes of Driller. An exclusive
synthesiser voices to work which typically get described made the C64 sing. Martin’s at Ocean was side-scroller ‘electronic’ sound reminiscent contract with System 3 and
with remains a mystery. Rob’s as ‘feel-good’, but his often- Wizball title tune sees the C64 Platoon, for which he created of the music that pervaded the arguably Matt’s finest SID work
Master Of Magic score spans understated work on The rock out to the synthesised a memorably atmospheric title pop charts of the Eighties and followed with his Last Ninja 2
multiple musical styles and Last Ninja proves this to be strains of a weeping guitar with tune. His body of work has a typified by his upbeat Glider soundtrack. Matt is working on
techniques to great effect. something of a generalisation. keyboard accompaniment. distinctive, clean sound. Rider title music. remastering his work.
76
COMMODORE 64
VIDEO CHIP
INSIDE THE COMMODORE 64 The low-down on the C64’s key components ■ The multi-coloured
sprites that define C64
gaming are produced
CASSETTE PORT and managed by the
■ Slightly redundant in the US RF MODULATOR VIC-II. Albert Charpentier
where the preference was for ■ Although the C64 has a video port that designed this custom
disk drives, the C64’s cassette port supports compatible monitors, thanks to its RF graphics chip to emulate
was essential in the UK where modulator, the system also offers the cheaper arcade visuals in the home.
cassettes were the primary option of using a TV set as a means of display.
storage format for games.
RAM
■ Typically filled to its 64K
capacity when in the hands of
a seasoned games developer,
the C64’s RAM is best thought
of as a largely empty space
used to load software into.
ROM
■ Essentially the C64’s permanent
storage space, in gaming terms,
the ROM stores the BASIC language
used to load games and the font
used to display commands like SOUND CHIP
‘LOAD’ and ‘RUN’. ■ Inspired by synthesiser
keyboards rather than the
computer sound chips that
had come before it, the C64’s
revolutionary SID chip was
CPU given three ‘voices’ by its CONTROL PORTS
■ The 6510 CPU puts the ‘64’ in C64. Unlike the creator Bob Yannes. ■ Technically for all sorts of peripherals, the
Spectrum or BBC’s CPUs, the 6510 can manage C64’s twin control ports were designed for two
64K of RAM by disabling access to BASIC and joysticks and the two-player gaming that would
everything else stored in the C64’s ROM. allow. The ports also support mice and paddles.
77
product and not focus on selling the old
stuff. I got the first silicon right before
Christmas and then I found a bug in the
video chip that wouldn’t allow the sprites
to smoothly move over the background.
They had to redo the masks and run the
entire chip through the process in the
[chip] fab downstairs. They did that over
the Christmas vacation. They got us
the chip around the first of the year. We
» Albert is currently involved in developing electronic » The AV Jack is on the left, while the serial port on the
devices for the renewable energy market. right handles devices such as printers and disk drives. carved up a VIC-20 case to fit everything
in and painted it up – it was insane!”
going to get very cheap and it would touches on the architecture and work up By the January 1982 CES, the
be a great marketing position.’ The 6502 the software. Dave Ziembicki was the VIC-40’s name had changed and Jack
could only address 64K, and that had to technician. Bob Russell basically took Tramiel had received a demonstration of
be ROM, RAM, video stuff and so forth. the VIC-20 software and remade it for the ‘C64’ and approved its presentation
So that started the design of the 6510 the VIC-40. We put the two joystick at the show. “I think that Jack
where you could bank-switch pieces of ports on for two-player games. I loved understood that if the presentation
memory around [to] access the hidden games – so even though it was going was mediocre you would never be
32K of RAM underneath the ROM.” to be a computer I still wanted it to be a able to win back that excitement. If
Of course, three custom chips and good games machine!” the demonstration software wasn’t
64K of RAM don’t make a computer, right he would have probably
G
and so Albert started on a circuit board ood progress was being pulled it from the show. I liked
» As you’d expect, this lights up
to accommodate these and other made, but a decision by Jack the name change since it when your Commodore 64 is turned
components. As more engineers joined Tramiel in late-1981 would distanced it from the VIC-20 on. Don’t accidentally unplug it!
the project, their prototype became see Albert and his engineers – the C64 was going to be
known as the VIC-40. “It was the working around the clock to finish the so far superior. I remember
VIC-40 initially because the VIC-20 had VIC-40 by the New Year. “Jack really that CES very well – it was
20 characters on the screen versus the wanted us to have something at the a whirlwind! We were
VIC-40 which was going to have 40 January CES in 1982. We worked like introducing this product
characters, “ Albert continues. “The maniacs. The SID chip was a little bit that we had just spent 18
VIC-II chip was done, but Bob was still behind schedule, but Bob Yannes was months developing, and
working on the SID. So I started working killing it and Bob Russell was trying to it was just fantastic. We
on the PCB and getting the schematics get the software done. Marketing did showed two things. I
and everything ready for that. When Bob not learn about the VIC-40 until probably remember one side of the
finished up the SID he started working November. I think Jack was worried that booth was showing the
with Bob Russell to put together the final they would get excited about this new C64 doing computer-like
C64 COMPARISON CHART The key stats of the C64 and its UK competition
UK Launch Date September 1982 April 1982 December 1981 June 1984
UK Launch Price £350 £175 £335 £249 (with green screen monitor)
Processor 6510 @ 0.985 MHz Z80A @ 3.5 MHz 6502 @ 2 MHz Z80A @ 4 MHz
RAM 64 KB 48 KB 32 KB 64 KB
Display modes 320x200, 160x200 256x192 160x256, 320x200, 320x256, 160x200, 320x200, 640x200
480x500, 640x200,
640x256
Colours 16 8 8 16
Sound 3-channel synthesiser Internal speaker 3-channel sound chip 4-channel sound chip
Joystick Ports 2 0 2 1
78
COMMODORE 64
A
team became the nucleus of an s part of its production I was handling all aspects of C64 When asked to look back at the C64,
industrious company-wide effort to get process, the C64 received engineering between the US and Japan. Yash Terakura offers a succinct and
the C64 into production. “Basically the a distinctive brown case, The housing was made based on the humble analysis of the system. “The
team was expanded, we got a lot of help which Albert remembers as production PCB. The mould was the design was pretty much limited to the
from the manufacturing team in Santa being the most expedient design choice. same as the VIC-20 – just with a simple availability of electronic parts; we had to
Clara. Yash Terakura was very important “Yash Terakura took my PC board – that colour change – and it was done in Hong design with what we had and we had
in that role. He was moving [the C64] went right into manufacturing. Yash Kong, but the injection was done in to make it cheap. It was fun designing a
out of the lab – out of the prototype was involved in putting it in the case. Japan. I did work with a design engineer computer in the old days. I can safely say
– and getting it into manufacturing in Yash did work at the periphery during in Japan, Mr. Nishimura, on details such that I did my best at that time.”
Japan. Charlie Winterble was running the PCB development, but his job was as ventilation and the locations of the Albert Charpentier’s final words on
with our designs and working with the mainly to get the whole thing moving input/output ports. Mitsumi was the the C64 are to give credit to the late, and
rest of the company so that we could into Japan because the higher volume [keyboard] supplier; we used the [VIC- great, Jack Tramiel and reflect on the
manufacture it. Charlie was essentially manufacturing of cases was all in Japan. 20] keyboard.” millions that the system defined home
a project manager for the whole thing. The VIC-II video chip got pretty hot, so Although he didn’t have a hands-on computing for. “Jack Tramiel simply gave
Commodore had a PCB line in when we put it in we had a little foot that role in the production of the C64, Jack us free reign to do whatever we needed
Santa Clara where the C64s came down and that touched on the Tramiel did manage its costs and curbed to do, and we executed. I give Jack a lot
were built initially. I stayed up chip – this would act as a heat sink. That Albert’s desire for more expensive parts. of credit; he gave us that target price,
there for a few weeks while became part of the FCC shield. The only “I remember working with [Jack]; he’d which we had to hit. It was him who had
they brought it up and case that was available that we could come in every two weeks or so and the guts to say 64K. He felt he could
actually use was the VIC-20 case, so we we’d go over the bill,”recalls Albert. “It still hit the price point that we needed
modified that. We had to go quickly, was always a fight because I wanted to hit, which is obviously why we were
» An essential and it was available and the right to put a better quality something in. He fighting over pennies every day. The
device for anyone size. We essentially gutted went through every penny on that bill. C64 just took the world by storm at that
that loves playing
games. the inside, but He was figuring on making millions, price. I really feel that it introduced so
the outside was and I remember him saying to me: ‘It’s many people to computers that may not
pretty much the a million pennies, if you don’t want a otherwise have been introduced to them
same.” million pennies I’ll take [them]!’” as quickly as they were.”
The In keeping with Jack’s cost-conscious
Japanese-born, approach was a fateful marketing Thanks to Albert and Yash for telling
US-educated decision that forced Albert to pair the story of the C64.
79
Kempston
Competition Pro
» Platform: Various »released: 1983 »Cost: £25 (launch), £10+ (today, unboxed), £20+ (today, boxed)
t’s said that imitation is the sincerest form including Atari and Commodore computers
of flattery, and if that’s the case then some as well as the Kempston Joystick Interface
designers at Kempston Micro Electronics for the ZX Spectrum.
I must have been very flattered indeed, The popular design was soon copied –
as the Competition Pro joystick was one imitators differentiated their products from
of the most frequently imitated pieces of Kempston’s by altering the buttons with
hardware during the Eighties. The distinctive different colours and shapes, but the basic
layout features a rectangular base, with layout was retained. Over the years, the
a red pommel joystick protruding from a original Competition Pro sticks would be
square platform. At the cable end of the replaced with the Competition Pro Extra
base two circular, bright red fire buttons series, which replaced leaf switches with
with the same function offer a comfortable microswitches. Of course, these were
experience for both left-handed and right- no longer produced by Kempston – the
80
handed players. A standard DE9 connector Competition Pro far outlived its originator,
ensured compatibility with the majority of appearing on all types of accessories up until
systems that were on the market at the time, the early part of this decade.
M
asayuki Uemura, the NES’ creator, UK the NES itself never sold in the huge numbers
gives his head a little shake and it did in America, we all know what came next. Its
laughs. “I thought the NES taking off worldwide success – 62 million units shifted puts it in
was impossible,” he admits. “I think the top ten of bestselling consoles of all time – led to
Mr. Arakawa, [first president of Nintendo Of the SNES, N64 and the Wii and first introduced us to
America], never thought it would either. But in the such perennial favourites as The Legend Of Zelda, Final
entertainment industry, the unexpected happens. Fantasy and, of course, the all-conquering Super Mario
I feel so grateful people still play the NES. I can’t Bros.. The NES truly announced Nintendo’s arrival in
believe I’m here!” the console business.
Professor Uemura is sitting opposite us in the Retro Gamer has been granted a meeting with the
conference room of the National Videogame Arcade man behind Nintendo’s first cartridge-based machine
in Nottingham, speaking through his affable interpreter before his talk later in the evening. Uemura and Aki,
Akinori ‘Aki’ Nakamura. He has been invited by the both dressed in smart suits, bow politely and offer us
NVA to give a talk about the creation of the Famicom, their business cards. We nod awkwardly and in lieu of
renamed the Nintendo Entertainment System or a calling card of our own, we present them with some
NES for its Western release, and seems genuinely locally brewed ale, which elicits slightly bemused but
surprised with the love that the console still generates appreciative smiles. The mood suitably
three decades after it made it to our shores. The event lightened, Uemura explains that just like
has been sold out for weeks because though in the Ralph Baer, the father of the home
82
NINTENDO ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM
Official
Seal of Quality
83
SPOT THE console, his background was in television
DIFFERENCE
The many faces of Uemura’s 8-bit console
technology rather than games.
“I went to Sharp as an employee before
Nintendo because I wanted to develop TV
hardware,” he says. “The fact I knew a lot about
the hardware of a TV really helped when developing
videogames. TV engineering is a good background for
TOP LOADER
■ The remodelled NES-101 came
out in 1993 as a cheap ‘entry level’
console and allowed cartridges to
be inserted from above, hence
its nickname.
84
NINTENDO ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM
KONG
© Matt Taylor
STORY
If you’ve read David Sheff’s excellent
history of Nintendo, Game Over,
you’ll be aware that Nintendo initially
approached Atari about distributing
its console in the United States,
and Uemura was one of the people
tasked with showing Atari its work in
progress. “They were really surprised
we were making our own hardware
[for a home console],” he recalls. “We
had to show them the blueprint of the
PCB to prove we had made it. They
» Super Mario Bros. was an important release for Nintendo and » Uemura has been travelling the world talking about his famous didn’t believe it was our work! But the
massively boosted sales of the system. console. He remains staggered by its incredble success. reason we could make such hardware
is because we had made such amazing
arcade hardware. That was very
approach. Repurposing the ‘fire’ button as a ‘jump’ The huge success of Nintendo’s handheld series,
important. We weren’t just looking
function, Donkey Kong was a huge hit in 1981 and had particularly at the beginning of the Eighties when titles
at other consoles. We were thinking
a profound effect not just on Nintendo’s fortunes in the like Turtle Bridge and Snoopy Tennis sold over a million about Donkey Kong!” Indeed, it was a
coin-op world, but in its console ambitions too. units, may have hindered progress on his console squabble over the rights to the home
“We licensed Donkey Kong to Coleco for their home plans in the short term, but it gave Uemura valuable conversions of Donkey Kong which
console and of course we needed to evaluate it,” smiles thinking space. “Because of the lack of personnel [in my contributed to the deal breaking down.”
Uemura. “Coleco was a toy company, like Nintendo, division], I couldn’t work, which meant I could talk to a Does he think a partnership between
so we had a long history of looking at what they were lot of people outside of the company to find out what Atari and Nintendo could have ever
doing, not just with videogames. We looked at the was going on. Of course, I talked to Atari. I could get a happened? “That’s unimaginable now,”
specifications of their hardware and what they’d done lot of information about console games. This research laughs Uemura. “I wasn’t in charge of
with our licensed product. They had done a very good time was very precious if you think about it. I could making decisions like that so I can’t
really say.” What he can say is that
version of Donkey Kong, [quite] like the arcade game. come up with a specific idea of what I wanted to do.”
Donkey Kong remains his favourite
That was a surprise! It made us feel confident…” Uemura leans back in his chair and starts to explain
game. Taste and technical nous,
The commendable version of Donkey Kong that the thought processes which would determine the
Professor Uemura…
appeared on the ColecoVision not only became the internal workings of his console. He wanted a CPU small
‘killer app’ for that console, it suggested to Nintendo enough to allow a sound chip to be integrated onto the
the commercial viability of producing its own machine. board, thus keeping costs down, and Nintendo had a
Uemura, who at this stage was heading up the relationship with chip manufacturer Ricoh, whose 6502 would be needed to recreate his games,” says Uemura,
videogame division, certainly saw the potential of a processor would fit the bill. “But it was a huge problem “and he would tell me how many colours the console
cartridge-based system and, as early as 1981, began within the company because Donkey Kong was made would need [to display]. I would ask and he would
work on designs for what would become the Famicom, with a Z80,” sighs Uemura, “so using a 6502, we answer. That was how we worked!”
though not everyone shared his optimism. couldn’t use the source code. It was like throwing away With some key hardware decisions made, Uemura
“Back then at Nintendo, no one was imagining we’d a precious resource! I decided to do it anyway as chief and Nintendo also settled on cartridges as the storage
make a console with interchangeable cartridges because engineer. Others said I could only do that because I medium for the console. “We had decided its sole
Game & Watch was huge,” he says. “Everyone wasn’t programming it myself! It did mean we had to function was to play videogames. If it’s dedicated
thought that was the kind of product we’d make in the do Donkey Kong from scratch…” to that, we won’t need to alter data, so we chose
future. All the engineers I had were dispatched over to At least Uemura considered the needs of those poor ROM over RAM but then in 1983, the USA had a big
that division to help them out. I couldn’t do the work I programmers tasked with converting the game to a new videogame shake-up with Atari. The media thought a
wanted to do because of that.” processor by consulting colleague Shigeru Miyamoto, games-only console was out of date. There was a buzz
the man behind Donkey Kong, when determining the about home computers and Apple was getting big, too.
colour palette of the Famicom. “He knew which colours I was afraid we wouldn’t get media attention so I
85
FRANCHISE STARTERS The hit game series’ that started on the NES
SUPER MARIO BROS. LEGEND OF ZELDA FINAL FANTASY
■ Of course he had appeared ■ After Mario, Link must surely ■ With the 15th instalment
in Donkey Kong, albeit with a be Nintendo’s best-known due out this year, not to
different name and profession, hero and he too began his mention the host of spin-off
and Mario and Luigi had princess-saving career on titles, this may seem the
already starred in an frenetic the NES. The original game most inappropriately-named
coin-op, but this is where was a launch title for the franchise in gaming history
the brothers really showed Famicom Disk System in 1986 but when Hironobu Sakaguchi
the world what they could MEGA MAN before appearing in cartridge CASTLEVANIA created the original for Square METROID
do. Super Mario World may ■ Rock hard – that’s the form for the NES a year later ■ Another game that first in 1987, it was reputedly his ■ The series with the most
have topped our chart of your man himself and the level of and established the action appeared on the Disk System, last gasp attempt to have a hit famous reveal, in both senses
favourite games of all time but difficulty typical in this long- adventure template for this it arrived on cartridge for the game. Its success means we’ve of the word, in videogame
this is where it all began. running series which debuted superlative series. NES in 1987 and introduced been playing them ever since. history, began on the Disk
in 1987. The side-scrolling run- Simon Belmont, vampire System in 1986. Combining
and-gun action of the original hunter and whip-cracker exploration, combat,
has you leaping platforms and extraordinaire, to the gaming platforming, atmospheric
blasting foes with a weapon world. The first game is a solid aesthetics and a little
handily attached to his arm. platformer but if you’re new brainwork too, this laid the
Defeating bosses rewards you to the series, you may want to foundations for some truly
with new weapons and so the start with Symphony Of The excellent episodes, particularly
carnage continues. Night on the PlayStation. Super Metroid for the SNES.
86
© Matt Taylor
NINTENDO ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM
87
EXPANSION PORT
UNDER THE ■ This expansion port was included for the possibility
of any extra add-on devices for the console, such
as disk drives and modems. However, none of the
LOCKOUT
CPU ■ The 10NES lockout chip
■ The Ricoh 2A03, a modified enabled Nintendo to control who
version of the popular 6502 CPU, had the ability to release NES
is an 8-bit processor running at games, as well as enforcing
1.79MHz. It’s a close relative of the regional lockouts between North
CPUs used in the Atari 8-bit range, American and European consoles.
the Commodore 64, the Apple II and It’s also a cause of the infamous
the BBC Micro. ‘blinking light’ error.
RAM
■ The biggest limitation of the NES is its
limited RAM: 2KB for reserved for general
usage and 2KB for graphics. Cartridges often
supplemented this with their own onboard CARTRIDGE SLOT
RAM, according to their needs. ■ Using a 72-pin connector rather than the 60-pin one
for Famicom cartridges, the NES cartridge port was
designed to replicate a video recorder’s front-loading
mechanism. However, the pins can easily become bent
and dirty, leading to errors.
88
NINTENDO ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM
© Matt Taylor
main thing I remember from that
time is the defective consoles
being returned,” sighs Uemura, who
estimates a staggering 100,000 faulty
Famicoms came back during that first year.
“All these problems we had to overcome! The
whole company had to get involved to resolve them.
Yes, I felt pressure but it was exciting because everyone
was helping us out.”
The company rallied round its new venture, partly,
suggests Uemura, due to increased competition in
the handheld market previously dominated by Game
& Watch, and by the end of 1983, its stocks of the
Famicom had sold out. “I thought that was the end of
it,” he shrugs. “Personally, I was pessimistic but then
in February 1984, distributors started asking me when » Like several high-profile releases, The Legend Of Zelda started » “We didn’t want the sound to be too annoying in the house, even if it was
we were making more! Kids were asking for it. There off life on the Famicom Disk System. played repeatedly,” says Uemura of the Famicom’s audio.
89
© Matt Taylor
MORE FROM
UEMURA
COLOUR TV GAME SYSTEM
■ Nintendo took its first tentative steps
as a console manufacturer in 1977 with
the Color TV-Game 6. Featuring half a dozen
versions of Pong, it was shortly followed by
TV-Game 15, which served up more bat-and-ball games
and added wired controllers, making it considerably more
user-friendly. If you have a white version of the original
unit, you have a real rarity as, apparently, only a few
hundred were ever produced.
DISK SYSTEM
■ This Japanese-only peripheral allowed a
disk drive to be attached to the Famicom
console via the cartridge port and used
bespoke floppy disks called ‘Disk Cards’
which could store 112K, which was a
considerable size on its release in 1986.
“Based on results, the disk system wasn’t a good idea,”
acknowledges Uemura, “but from a developers [point of]
view, it was rewritable and it did reduce costs.” A release
in the West was mooted but never materialised.
ZAPPER (BELOW)
■ Originally resembling a revolver when released in Japan
to tie-in with the cowboy-themed Wild Gunman game, this
lightgun was remodelled for the North American market,
adopting a futuristic blaster look. Initially produced in NES
grey, a version came in fluorescent orange, presumably to
distance itself even further from an actual firearm. Many
pixelated birds succumbed to its firepower when Duck
Hunt was bundled with the console.
SUPER FAMICOM
■ What Uemura did next. He was lead
designer again on what would become
one of the most beloved consoles of all
time and home to some of the best games
ever made. Uemura politely declined to
answer any questions about his follow-up to
the NES during our interview, though alluded to many
intriguing tales concerning its creation. Perhaps when the
SNES also reaches 30 we’ll get to hear them.
Kids were calling our HQ in done anything different with his console.
“Characters were only 8x8 pixels.”
90
NINTENDO ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM
TO THE MAX The games and chips that expanded the NES’ capabilities
Bros. came out about the same time as it entered left by Atari’s fall from grace. Was timing a key factor in
America. The rest is history.” the colossal success of the console, we ask?
New hardware needs a ‘killer app’, a piece of “You understand the meaning of the word
software that captures the public imagination and makes ‘Nintendo’?”, Uemura replies. “Leave luck to heaven,”
consumers snap up a machine. Super Mario Bros. must we answer. He looks us right in the eyes and chuckles,
rank as one of the best examples of this, becoming the “Well, there you are.”
biggest-selling title in videogaming history at the time and As our time with Uemura draws to an end, an
igniting America’s love affair with all things Mario. There orderly queue forms of National Videogame Arcade
was a real buzz about this new console from the East staff politely asking if he might autograph various bits of
and Uemura remembers tales of phones ringing off the NES hardware. We dutifully join the line along with our
hook at Nintendo Of America. “Kids were calling our HQ photographer Matt, who clutches a boxed console in
in Seattle if they were stuck in a game or asking about mint condition. Neither of us owned the machine back
secrets. Our employees couldn’t work effectively! We in the day but, as with so many Europeans, we have
had letters from parents, too. I remember getting some come to love it in retrospect. As Uemura gets busy with
that were really unhappy we hadn’t included Stage 2 [the a magic marker, we ask him how important it was to
pie factory] in the NES version of Donkey Kong. We had him that his console was embraced not just in his native loved [the NES] because their kids loved it. Children will
to say sorry, it wasn’t possible, but it made me realise Japan but across the globe? be excited by similar things despite cultural diversity.
parents were really evaluating the NES.” “From a management perspective, of course we I’m teaching at the university in Kyoto right now and
So despite the initial predictions from want to sell to everybody in the world,” he says, after a [the word] ‘jump’ is used in Japan, taken straight from
experts that Nintendo was foolhardy long pause, “but it’s not about that from an engineer’s English. Kids, anywhere in the world, want to jump! We
releasing a console after the so-called perspective. It’s about whether the hardware they could integrate that into videogames. It’s about play. The
videogames crash of the mid-Eighties, produce will be loved and esteemed by everyone. That’s NES also had an important role in transmitting Japanese
the NES ended up dominating the American what we struggle to do. Personally, I thought it was culture to the world and we received influences from
and Japanese markets for the rest of the great hardware but I didn’t think it would be accepted the rest of the world. If America hadn’t invented
decade, ably filling the gap [in the way it was]. And remember, the people that consoles, we wouldn’t have the NES!”
made the games did not grow up playing videogames. The Nintendo Entertainment System as a symbol of
Creating something in their minds and interacting with peace and understanding may be pushing it slightly but
it on a TV screen was really exciting for them. That it undoubtedly makes us look at the unassuming grey
excitement was passed on from the developer to the breeze block in a different light. As we shake hands
player at home. Hardware can allow you to go beyond with Uemura and Aki and say our goodbyes, fellow
your imagination. Like [James] Watt invented the steam journalist Gemma asks its creator what the console
engine and it set other people’s imagination free…” symbolises to him?
It’s a powerful point and Uemura’s answer gives us “It’s the device that changed my life,” he laughs. “It
the required confidence to ask him one final question. made it go crazy! After all these years, I’m still talking
What role does he think videogames have played in about it, coming here, all over the world.”
fostering an understanding and collaboration between More than thirty years from its UK release and the
the nations of East and West? A gentle smile spreads NES is still bringing people together.
across Uemura’s face.
» Before
the Wii, “Childhood is universal,” he says. “We are different Many thanks to the National Videogame
the NES was cultures but we share that universal sense of childhood. Arcade, Uemura’s translator, Aki, Gemma at
Nintendo’s most
successful system, with
To children, it didn’t matter if this software was coming juicygamereviews.com and Matt Taylor at
over 60 million units sold. from the East or the West. Kids loved Mario and parents bit.ly/1SVZX3t for the photography.
91
Amstrad CPC 464
» Manufacturer: Amstrad » Year: June 1984 » cost: £239 (green-screen monitor) £349 (colour monitor)
rriving late to a hardware generation is never a smart move
92
AMSTRAD CPC 464
Hardware Fact
■ The CPC 464 was the first of six models released
by Amstrad over a seven-year period. It was
succeeded by the CPC 664, CPC 6128, 464 plus, 6128
plus and the GX4000, Amstrad’s only console.
RAM: 64kb
PROCESSOR:
ZIloG Z80A (4MHZ)
OPERATING SYSTEM:
loCoMoTIve bASIC
FORMAT: CASSeTTe/floPPy
dISk (3”)
TOTAL SOLD:
3 MIllIon
93
EDITOR’S CHOICE
Alex Kidd In Miracle World
Sega’s pre-Sonic mascot made his debut in this fantastic platform adventure.
The monkey-like hero is memorable for running, jumping and punching his way
through the kingdom of Radaxian, and occasionally hopping onto a motorbike
or pedal-powered helicopter. This is one
of the very best early Master System
games and thanks to being built into many
consoles, it’s also the first Master System
game that many players would have
experienced. Just be warned that you’ll
probably need to track down a cartridge if
you want to play it on the original Master
System, as it was much more commonly
built into the Master System II.
94
Master systeM
Master System
» Manufacturer: Sega » year: 1986 » cost: £99.95 (launch), £35+ (today)
uch like Nintendo, Sega chose to these were also phased out. The Master System
95
Light Phaser
» Platform: Master System » released: 1986 » Cost: £30 (Boxed) - £10 (Unboxed)
hen Sega was looking to create an export version of
96
LIGHT PHASER
ESSENTIAL
GAME
Operation Wolf
While the Light Phaser might
not have the recoil action of
the arcade cabinet’s fixed
gun, it does allow players
to enjoy a rather excellent
version of Taito’s shooter,
featuring all six stages and
between-level cutscenes. In
fact, it was so good that it
became the bundled game
in the Master System II Plus
pack. While you can play
it with a standard control
pad, the gun offers a much
better experience – and you
can even use both in tandem
to allow for grenades to be
thrown. Rambo III runs it
close, but this is our pick for
the best Light Phaser game.
Phaser Fact
■ In North America, this tip was painted orange
during later production runs in order to distinguish
the Light Phaser from a real firearm. Some
Brazilian models use blue plastic instead.
300mm
322g
97
ZX Spectrum +2
» MANUFACTURER: AMSTRAD » YEAR: NOVEMBER 1986 » COST: £149 (LAUNCH), £30+ (TODAY)
W
hen Amstrad bought the Sinclair brand name and the
ZX Spectrum along with it in 1986, it’s understandable
that there would be fear, uncertainty and doubt over
the future of Britain’s most popular computer. However,
Amstrad’s first impression as a steward of the brand was a positive
one – the ZX Spectrum +2 added some rather splendid new features
to the existing ZX Spectrum 128K base. The biggest was the inclusion
of a built-in tape deck, known as the Datacorder as it had been on
Amstrad’s computers. While it didn’t have a tape counter (a fairly big
oversight), it did mean that there was no more need to mess around
with volume controls.
The other big new feature was the first-time inclusion of joystick
ports, which conformed to the Sinclair Interface II protocol. However,
Amstrad changed the pin-out of the joysticks, meaning that you’d
either have to buy a converter or one of the new SJS1 joysticks
introduced by Amstrad. The machine also looks a lot less cluttered
thanks to the omission of the BASIC keywords that had always been
dotted around the keyboard of older models, but you’ll be hard-
pressed to program in 48K mode as a result.
98
Hardware Fact
■ The revised ZX Spectrum +2A used the same
motherboard as the ZX Spectrum +3. The BIOS detected
which machine it was being used in by checking the
attached storage devices.
RAM: 128KB
PROCESSOR: Z80A (3.55MHZ)
AUDIO: AY-3-8192 SOUND CHIP (3 CHANNEL, 8 OCTAVE)
OPERATING SYSTEM: 32KB ZX SPECTRUM +2 BIOS ROM
FORMAT: BUILT-IN CASSETTE TAPE DRIVE, SUPPORT FOR
OTHERS THROUGH EXPANSION PORT
EDITOR’S
CHOICE
Midnight
Resistance
As games grew more demanding
into the late Eighties and early
Nineties, the added capabilities
of 128K Spectrum models
were necessary to ensure the
best experience – and that
was especially true of arcade
conversions. Sure, you could play
Midnight Resistance on a 48K
Spectrum, but the 128K version
was the version of choice thanks
to its music and the fact that all
of the levels loaded in one go.
Additionally, with the +2 you could
get joystick control without having
to fork out for the Interface II,
which was essential for a game
like Midnight Resistance.
99
The Rise Of The
Kim Justice details how the the price for Commodore’s failings. Previously the
top dog in the computer market, thanks to the C64,
A500 survived company Commodore was now on the ropes – and its latest
computer, the Amiga 1000, had floundered and sold
defining computer of the shores where it would truly make its name. Indeed,
the Amiga was so popular in the UK that it’s hard not
to think of it as a European computer, considering how
late Eighties much of the best games and best software for it
101
Killer games
BATTLE SQUADRON BLOOD MONEY
1989 1989
■ This vertical shoot-’em-up received ■ One of DMA’s first successful titles,
a very poor port to the Mega Drive, but the folks who gave us Lemmings also
was one of the best on the Amiga – a gave us this tough shooter, where
classically difficult old school space enemies fly at you from all sides. It
shooter with plenty of travelling comes with an iconic spoken intro,
through fortresses, cityscapes and the classic soundtrack and DMA’s typically
APIDYA innards of aliens. BILL’S TOMATO GAME zany sense of humour. HUNTER
1992 1992 1991
■ A very colourful, Gradius-inspired ■ Essential Rube-Goldberg-esque ■ This game was pulling off an open
horizontal shooter where you control puzzle game where you have a brief world in 3D long before anyone else,
a deadly bee and blast the hell out of time limit to try and position platforms, allowing you access to multiple types
other insectoid-based ships. Apidya trampolines and lord knows what of vehicle and the ability to interact
is notable for coming with a killer else in order to get a tomato from A with people and bribe them for
soundtrack, courtesy of composer to B. The Bill in question is Bill Pullan, information. It’s considered a precursor
Chris Huelsbeck. designer of the game. to what GTA would eventually become.
Making
came from Europe. In America, it remains something
of an obscurity – the Amiga line would struggle for
momentum in a slowly-recovering market where IBM
“I had a battle
waves PC-compatibles were gradually taking over businesses
and Nintendo held a near-monopoly on videogames
every day with
We chat with ocean’s Gary with the NES. It took until 1989 for the computer to
receive one final major advertising push, after which
the US sales
Bracey about the Amiga
What did the Amiga
it effectively ceased to exist in its own country – a
far cry from what happened to the Amiga in Europe
company”
Jeff Porter
500 offer over earlier during the same period. Those people who’d worked
Amiga models? so hard on building the system were all too aware of
T
I think price was a major what was occurring elsewhere, in places like Australia, he man who would inherit Commodore’s
feature, and the form factor Germany and the UK. Jeff Porter, Commodore’s sad state of affairs was Thomas Rattigan,
was very attractive, too, as it was an all-in- director of product development, and the man who led former CEO of PepsiCo. Thomas’
one’, with disk drive, etc.. the creation of the A500, recalls “All of the Apple Guys main aim was to cut costs and bring
thought that the Amiga needed to be sold in high-end Commodore closer to profit, but also to oversee new
What made Ocean focus on the business computer stores! Really? It’s a friggin’ games plans for the Amiga line that would keep it going. The
Amiga 500? machine. Sell it in Toys ‘R’ Us like the C64 and they’ll fly solution, as announced by Thomas in January of 1987,
When Commodore shared their plans with off the shelf. That’s one thing that Commodore knew was to introduce two new computers – one of them,
us, we believed it would be a very successful how to do – sell low-cost home computers. So I had a the Amiga 2000, was a high-end model, a powerful
home computer and so we offered our battle every day with the US sales company to buy into machine built for businesses and those who wished
support in terms of making compatible that strategy. Fortunately, Germany and the UK, for the to create. The other was the low-end model, entirely
games for it. most part, bought into that vision lock stock and barrel – catered towards the home market with the requisite
Winfried Hoffmann [CEO, Commodore Germany] took power at a competitive price – this computer would
Where you concerned about given one look at the A500 and said, ‘I know how to sell this be the Amiga 500. Jeff Porter would head up the
Batman away from free in the baby. Give me one. I’ll show you.’ And he did.” production of the A500, in spite of protests from the
Batman Pack? original Amiga team. “The biggest challenge was
Not at all as they paid us per-unit! Obviously that the guys that built the A1000 thought I
we didn’t receive as much for each sale as was ‘killing their baby’. It was already dying.
retail, but we knew that the quantity would After investing $55M and only selling 77,000
be significant. machines, the ROI (return on investment) was
not too good.”
Did Amiga games require more
development?
No, not that I recall.
Pushing pixels
We have a chat with Ocean’s graphic artist, Simon Butler
What was it like creating They really did push things graphically, but for me
graphics on the Amiga, after that was also their main fault. I saw them as being
moving from the 8-bit systems the perfect example of style over substance. The
of the time? Bitmap Brothers were also a team that truly stamped
I recall it was a shock to the system their own graphical style across every title they
to have so many colours and for sprites to be so developed. There were some amazing graphics
» Lemmings was a huge success for Psygnosis and it soon had much bigger after the horrible constraints of the 8-bit during the 16-bit era, but benchmark teams?
DMA Design creating sequels and add-on disks. machines. It took a bit of getting used to, but it was Psygnosis and the Bitmaps.
just another part of the learning curve. I know that I
The main difference between the A500 and the relished the opportunity to push the animation a lot Which of the Amiga games that you worked
A1000 was in the streamlined design – the A500, more than I had previously. That was great fun. on are you most proud of?
much like the earlier Commodore 64 and 128, would It would have to be Addams Family. It’s the game I
have an integrated keyboard and external ‘brick’ power What art packages (if any) did you use and enjoyed working on most in my entire career. Great
supply. In most other ways, however, the insides of the how effective were they? team, amazing design and freedom to do whatever I
500 were similar to the original A1000, with the same It was the standard, Deluxe Paint. It did everything a wanted. Fantastic times.
512K memory out of the box and Motorola 68000 games artist or even a hobbyist could ever require. I
chipset. The big difference between it and the A2000 was still using it long after I had moved onto PC titles Why did you return to the Amiga in 2012 to
was expansion – the A2000 came with several slots for and was only forced to move onto another package start work on the Sqrxz series?
the likes of Video Toaster cards and extra floppy drives, many years later in order to retain a contract. To be Money, pure and simple. Being a 2D pixel pusher
whilst the A500’s expansion capabilities were mostly honest, I was marginally proficient compared to a I have painted myself into a very small pixelated
limited to upgrading the RAM. But this fit the A500’s lot of people, and when I see some of the artwork corner of the industry where I have struggled for long
streamlined philosophy – it would have everything a created by today’s artists it takes my breath away. periods without work. In 2012 I was approached to do
user needed out of the box, with all possible upgrades some pixels for a game I knew nothing about called
being completely optional. It was also considerably What companies managed to get the best Sqrxz. It was quick, cheap and cheerful and, over the
cheaper for Commodore to produce. out of the Amiga in terms of visuals? years, I have been called upon to change the graphics
“Because I came from the Commodore side of I suppose the first name you think of is Psygnosis. for a variety of versions.
things, I knew Commodore’s manufacturing very well,”
Jeff elaborates. “External brick power supplies were
super cheap. Integrated keyboards were super cheap.
Two-layer motherboards were super cheap. I got MOS
Semiconductor (Commodore’s chip fabrication division)
Ret
to put the chips in plastic packages and improve the ro
Ga
yields. And I knew the speed of all of the equipment in m
the factories, so I optimised the component selection to
never have a bottleneck in the production line. Bottom
line: Costs for the A1000 at $600+ got reduced to
$200 for the A500, thanks to me! We sold it for $400,
and street price was $500. That’s pretty amazing
margins, and the rest is history.”
In spite of much-needed production improvements,
there was always a level of disarray back home
L
scaling). Also, the consoles held on to Commodore’s world-renowned engineers.“UK and ooking at the main statistics, the Amiga
character modes that the C64 had, and that Europe got it,” Jeff says. “The US did not. It should’ve and Atari ST are very comparable, with
arcade games had used so well. All platforms fired all the Apple execs that didn’t know how to both computers based on the Motorola
tended to have a software and hardware sell a $500 games machine, and given the product 68000 microprocessor. Indeed, when you
development kit, so they were getting more to the C64/C128 sales guys that sold computers consider that most computers were marketed based
expensive. Being locked to bitmap modes on by the semi-trailer-load to retail.” Thomas Rattigan’s on memory at this time and Atari was already offering
the Amiga, although it gave a lot of freedom, announcement of the new Amigas was just about 2MB and 4MB ST models before anybody else, it
meant that the screen was much bigger the last thing he did before inexplicably being fired by could be said that the ST – in this very sellable regard
(typically 16K), and needed a lot of attention. Irving Gould, who then took over the CEO job from his – was the more powerful machine. But the Amiga
home in the Bahamas. While there was always trouble had a couple of tricks up its sleeve that, before too
What’s your favourite Amiga 500 on the home front, Commodore’s international hubs long, would start to show the difference – it’s ‘Agnus’
game by another developer? were largely run autonomously, only ever seriously chip was very powerful, and, in particular, included
Turrican II for sure. The Factor 5 guys pulled communicating with Commodore HQ a couple a dedicated blitter that could run graphics routines
out all the stops, with Chris Huelsbeck doing of times a year. And so, Commodore’s UK without any strain on the computer’s main memory,
seven-channel music, hardware sprites hub enjoyed a comparatively serene and a copper chip that allowed for multiple video
aplenty, ingenious scrolling technique that they existence – it hadn’t topped the resolutions and colour depths to happen on the same
shared with us for Uridium 2, big play area, market up to this point, but screen. The main video processor (’Denise’) could
great playability – very nice. the C64’s sales were split the screen area into multiple bit planes, allowing
enough to make it one for as much as 32 unique colours on the screen at
104
THE RISE OF THE AMIGA 500
» Team17’s frenetic Alien Breed from 1990 was one of many games that defined the Amiga 500.
er
once. David Mowbray, previously a programmer at
r o Gam
Flair Software, explains how this benefited games: Ret
“The Amiga, like the C64, was fundamentally a games
machine. The machine was just more friendly [than the
Trouble in paradise
ST] when you’re making a game – even on the screen Jeff Porter talks about turbulent times at Commodore
itself, everything was separated onto different Bitmap
planes, so, for example, you could have 16-colour art What was the coming from the Los Gatos team… ‘Are you
but have one of the planes just for your parallax layer.” situation like at kidding me? Did he really just say that to
Alongside Agnus and Denise was the third chip – commodore before the the entire senior R&D staff of the Amiga?’
‘Paula’, which was responsible for sound and contained announcement of the Yes, he did.
four sample-based sound channels, wholly different A500 and 2000?
to the Atari ST which relied on a four-channel AY Things were pretty dire. The A1000 was Was there any perception inside
synthesiser chip. Chris Huelsbeck, a composer who critically acclaimed but financially a bomb. commodore that the A500 was a
worked on games such as The Great Giana Sisters At $1,295, it was too expensive as a home downgrade from the A1000?
and the Turrican series, explains the possibilities. “The computer, and wasn’t expandable enough Lots of fights with the Los Gatos crew. I
Paula chip was really straightforward,” he begins. “Its to be a business computer nor did it have kept hammering on the $500 price point at
great power was in the capability to play recorded or mainstream business apps. So the A500 at retail – $20 more for a detachable keyboard,
digitized instruments and sound effects… essentially $500 filled the home computer void, and the $30 more for an internal power supply, $20
there was nothing in terms of audio or tones that you A2000 filled the ‘can’t expand this sucker’ for a keyboard garage, you just blew the
could not get out of the Amiga – the only limitation void. Although it took the better part of a budget, guys! Sorry. Plus Jack and the Atari
was memory and channels, and even then on that year to pivot that way… the results speak for ST were just starting to eat our lunch and
front we found ways to enhance it.” One of those themselves. It was the right thing to do. we had to attack with a product that could
ways, funnily enough, would involve the use of an kill the ST. That last argument cleared the
Atari ST – the A500’s fiercest rival was an integral As head designer for the A500, how way with everyone at Commodore to let me
part of Chris’ ‘seven-voice’ system that seemed to, often would you interact with ceo build the A500.
as if by magic, nearly double the amount of channels thomas rattigan?
the Amiga had,” Chris says. “My colleague and He was relatively hands-off. Of course there in what ways did you feel that the
would be high-level meetings where the end A500 improved on the A1000?
result was, ‘Jeff and his team just need to Obviously the cost was the major
work a little harder and faster.’ I remember improvement – same circuitry and same
one meeting where him and Marshall Smith performance, but at a way cheaper price.
had summoned everyone from R&D both I personally selected the keyboard – NMB
in PA and CA to West Chester. Rattigan real key switches… I loved that keyboard.
put his feet up on the boardroom table I’m a pretty quick typer and I could just fly
and said, ‘Marsh, what do you think the on that baby, that got cost reduced after the
most important thing for engineering to first year, but hey, the A500 was already a
be working on now? I think it’s the cost- huge success by then to create very faithful
reduced C128D.’ You can imagine the gasps emulations of those games.
» Odds were, if you saw Defenders Of The Crown running on an Amiga 500,
you’d most likely try to work out a way to own one.
105
friend Jochen Hippel coded the kickass core of the
Marketing magic [ST] CPU mixer in order to play back four-voice Amiga
music on the ST. With his blessing, I ported that back
Commodore marketing director David Pleasance on the Amiga onto the Amiga and it was used first in the Turrican II
Title Theme, which to this day remains one of my best-
What gave the Amiga 500 a was going to cost them a further $1 million to actually known pieces.” Essentially, a four-voice piece of music
better commercial edge over produce the game, and were concerned this activity would be programmed on the ST, mixed down and
previous systems? might affect the volume of games they had calculated then played back on the Amiga using only one of its
My belief is that it was the way we they needed to sell in order to [make] a profit. channels, leaving three extra channels open.
positioned our marketing – aimed I explained to them that I personally felt – if the Together, these chips would make up Amiga’s
squarely at out target audience – which was the slightly promotion was successful – the dealers would actually ’Original Chip Set’, or OCS for short. While the OCS had
older child, perhaps getting ready to study for critical be delighted, as they would be selling lots of £400 packs so much potential, it took time to fully realise this. The
exams, from middle class or higher socioeconomic instead of lots of £40 games. I explained that with my Amiga’s earlier games, while flashy, were still traditional
families whose parents wanted to be seen to be massive marketing budget added to theirs we would computer titles – a game like Cinemaware’s cutscene-
responsible enough to equip their child with the latest take over the retail channels completely, and I was filled strategy title Defender Of The Crown, for example,
and best technology. confident they would do better overall if they decided to was impressive compared to other computer games,
work with me. but still very much a computer game – a strategy game,
How did strike the deal for the Batman pack? Well they did have the balls to do it and the net result and one not very different from its Atari ST version.
I had heard that Ocean Software had just been to was, 1) Their dealers ended up much more than happy; Arcade ports, on the other hand, were often worked
Hollywood and had paid out $1 million just for the rights 2) Ocean sold five times the volume they had estimated on by small teams with limited time and resources at
to use the Batman movie title for the game they intended they would sell; 3) Commodore did not take just 10.000 their disposal, so with the Amiga and ST both being
to produce. So I set up a meeting with David Ward and pieces of Batman – we ended up taking 186,000 pieces – 68000-based computers, ports of arcade titles – such
Jon Woods (joint managing directors of Ocean) along because that is how many Batman Packs we sold in the as Out Run and Super Hang-On – were similar on both
with Colin Stokes (sales director) and Paul Patterson 12 weeks period to Christmas!!! platforms and would not take advantage of the Amiga’s
(sales manager). features, often leading to them being described in
I told them, ‘I am going to make you a proposition What was commodore’s relationship like with magazines as ’ST ports’. It would take a couple of years
that you will either have the balls to go along with, or ocean after that? until people would harness the Amiga’s power to make
you will send for the men in white coats to come and Absolutely fantastic. I can also say after the success of original arcade-style shooters and platformers that were
take me away.’ I told them that I planned to produce a the Batman Pack I was approached by a vast number of of similar quality, if not better than anything that could be
pack – which if they said yes to me – [that] would feature games developers and publishers who would do almost found on consoles at the time.
Batman all over the box, and that the fact that there was anything to have one of their products included in [our]
an Amiga 500 inside was almost incidental. I promised forthcoming packs.
we [Commodore] would be spending a massive amount
of money marketing and promoting the pack, in Why do you think the system is so fondly
conjunction with their own marketing parameters so we remembered by gamers?
had a massive joint approach. My opinion is that we released this incredible (easy-
I said, ‘1) I want you to give me the game exclusively to-use) multitasking technology at exactly the right
in my pack for two months before you release it is as a time. The world’s youth were desperately hungry for
game on its own; 2) I want to pay you very little money something new, something which allowed them to show
for it, and 3) I am only prepared to commit to 10,000 off and illustrate their creativity – and just take a look –
pieces.’ Ocean expressed concern on two fronts: they all around the world we have many thousands of Amiga
were worried their dealers would be angry that the only fans, many of them now holding senior positions in huge
way their customers could get hold of the game would companies. I am so proud to have contributed my small
be by buying a Batman pack [and they] had estimated it part in this legacy. » On the surface, Ocean’s Batman is just another licensed game. As a pack-in
title in 1989, it would make the Amiga into a superstar.
Defining developers
BullFroG Gremlin interActive
FIRST AMIGA RELEASE: 1988 AMIGA DEBUT: 1988
■ The land of Peter Molyneux, and home of ■ A studio that was successful throughout the
the God game in the form of Populous. Not Amiga’s lifespan in a wide variety of genres. It
content with just that, it also released games made racing series such as Lotus and Top Gear
like Powermonger, Syndicate, and Theme Park. and sports games like Premier Manager, but
Ultimately, Bullfrog was acquired by EA. arguably its most successful title was 1992’s Zool.
106
AMIGA 500
T
hings really started to shift in favour of
the Amiga in 1989, as several games
showed just what power the Amiga
had lurking within. Psygnosis’ Shadow
Of The Beast is a major example, using the Amiga’s
copper chip to create a multi-layered landscape filled
with parallax scrolling that ran smoothly. Simply put, the
Atari ST didn’t have these tricks at its disposal – while
it could handle vertical scrolling fine, horizontal scrolling
required almost everything on screen to move at once,
making it slow and jumpy by comparison. While the
development of the original Amiga had happened
outside of Commodore, the A500 was in many ways
an evolution of the C64, sharing a lot of its more coder-
friendly aspects, such as hardware sprites and scrolling, » Games like Turrican proved that the Amiga 500 was more than capable of delivering arcade-like experiences.
107
The inside
story
Commodore engineer Dave
Haynie talks Amiga 500
What was your
involvement on the
Amiga 500?
I was brought onto the fairly
early Amiga 500 project from
the 8-bit world, in 1986. I had already been
learning to program the Amiga, as I bought
an A1000 in 1985, not too long after they came
out. We were trying to interest management in
some new version of the C128, but most things
were moving [towards the] Amiga at that time.
So I spent most of that month learning the
Amiga and A500 architecture, helping track
down problems, that kind of thing.
D
sores found the C64 being sold at a discount Pack contained three games – Batman (naturally), The uring the Nineties, the Amiga continued
store for less than they paid their distributor. New Zealand Story, and F/A-18 Interceptor, filling the to hold its ground against the 16-bit
Commodore screwed up their own future by roles of the very popular licensed game, the popular consoles of the day, further augmented
thinking about short-term gain in volume. arcade port, and a game that your dad would probably by new models such as the A500+
enjoy more than you did. But, of course, Batman was (featuring the ‘Enhanced Chip Set’), the A600, and the
Why do you think it had so much the main event, and quite a coup to get in such a pack CDTV – a consolised A500 capable of running CD-
success in Europe? – not only had the game just been released by Ocean, ROMs. However, these products were beset by old
Kind of the opposite [to the USA] – they were but 1989 itself was the peak of Batmania – the film Commodore issues, such as a lack of marketing sense
marketed and sold correctly. Also, a different was the highest-grossing movie of the year, and the and serious overspends on production – the original
set of competition, less Apple, more smaller aisles of toy stores were filled with Batman merch. CDTV’s CD-ROM drive, for example, cost 500 dollars.
computers like Sinclair, Amstrad, Acorn. And Batman toys sold in their millions, and the Batman Pack When Jeff Porter headed up production on a revised
an actual marketing budget… in Europe, you model, he found a different mechanism for the drive in
knew about the A500 if you read magazines or Japan that cost $15 for similar performance. The A600
watched TV. was an even greater horror show – one that spiralled
somewhat out of control. “Mehdi [Ali, then-CEO of
What’s your favourite A500 game? Commodore HQ] hired a guy named Bill Sydnes to cost
Marble Madness. It blew me away when it came reduce the A500... good luck!“ says Jeff. “He claimed
out, and I spent lots of time testing it in the lab he could half the cost of the A500 and Mehdi agreed.
on new hardware. It’s totally the case that, over In the end, the A300 had to be renamed to the A600
the years, I got busier at Commodore and didn’t since it was more expensive than the A500!” A lot of
play games much. I love computer games, but this was down to events back home – as Commodore
the problem is, they got so good, you could continued to lose ground, it chose to squeeze as
spend days solving one game. much as it could from its existing products rather than
budgeting enough money for engineering and R&D to
» The gameplay wasn’t amazing, however Shadow Of The Beast’s stunning build better models. By the time the A1200 and 4000,
visuals certainly captivated gamers. Amiga’s 32-bit line of computers, arrived in late 1992,
Ret
ro
Re Ga
tr me
o r
Ga |
108 mRETRO GAMER
er
108
THE RISE OF THE AMIGA 500
Dungeon Master
If you’re going to play a
role-playing game on the
Atari ST, the best selling one
of them all is probably a good
Atari 1040ST
» Manufacturer: Atari Corporation » Year: 1986
» cost: $999 (lAunCh), £30+ (todAy)
shout – and Dungeon Master
is that game. All the traditional While Atari had already launched the 16-bit 520ST in 1985, the company’s introduction
fantasy elements were in of the 1040ST in early 1986 was a watershed moment for the home computer market
place, but the game broke with – for the first time, a complete computer with one megabyte of RAM was available for
the tradition of the genre by less than $1,000. However, for gamers the most attractive inclusion was the built-in
making your actions much less floppy disk drive, which carried over to the new Atari 520STF, and then the later
abstract. Instead of taking part inclusion of an RF modulator for TV output in the STFM models.
in turn-based action, players Thanks to its affordability, always a key part of the business model that Atari owner
could explore and fight in real Jack Tramiel employed, the Atari ST line was particularly popular in the home computer
time, meaning that if a monster market of the late Eighties – and this was especially true in European countries. While
was approaching it was doing the Amiga’s audiovisual hardware made it preferable for some players, high value
so right then. Likewise, skills software bundles such as the Power Pack and Mega Pack positioned Atari’s machine
were developed simply by strongly with gamers. However, the rise of the PC market and Atari’s decision to focus
actually using them, rather than solely on the Jaguar saw development of the ST line discontinued in 1993. Despite this,
building experience points. the machine remains popular with hobbyists, particularly amongst musicians due to its
utility in the production of MIDI music.
110
Atari ST Fact
■ the digital hardcore group atari teenage riot took its name from the atari st
it used to make music – and still uses it to compose and perform to this day.
RAM: 1MB
PROCESSOR: Motorola 68000 (8MHz)
AUDIO: YaMaHa YM-2149 sound cHip (3 cHannel square wave,
1 cHannel wHite noise)
OPERATING SYSTEM: 192KB tos roM
MEDIA: Built-in douBle-sided floppY disK
drive (720KB capacitY)
111
NES Advantage
» PlAtform: NES » rElEASEd: 1987 » CoSt: £39.95 (lauNch), £30+ (today, boxEd), £10+ (today, looSE)
Nintendo’s official joystick for the NES progress. This feature was unheard of at the
might not seem like much given the time, but soon became a popular inclusion on
standard of arcade-style controllers that controllers for all formats. Finally, the controller
would follow, but for the late Eighties it actually includes two connectors and a switch
was a trailblazing product. As well as the to choose between player 1 and 2, so that
small joystick and four regular buttons, the both players can use the NES Advantage in
NES Advantage had some neat tricks of its multiplayer games where players take turns.
own. First of all, the A and B buttons offered The NES Advantage is a treat for any fan of
a turbo fire option, with individual activation the NES aesthetic, as the design and colour
switches and adjustable speed dials to achieve scheme mimic those of the console itself. The
the optimum rate of fire. There was also large buttons are satisfyingly springy, and
a switch marked ‘Slow’, which achieved a while the joystick isn’t microswitched, the ball-
slow-motion effect by rapidly hitting the start top design is at least a familiar one to regular
button, pausing and resuming the game in arcadegoers.
112
NES ADVANTAGE
NES
Advantage
Fact
■ The NES Advantage makes a
memorable cameo during the climax
of Ghostbusters II, as it was used to
control the Statue Of Liberty as
it walked through
New York.
113
Control Stick
» Platform: Master systeM » releaSed: 1987 » CoSt: £14.95 (launch), £10+ (today)
s a major manufacturer of arcade However, the bigger and more obvious break Control
A games for the whole of its history, it
should come as no surprise that Sega
would introduce an arcade-style joystick
for any of its home consoles. What is surprising
is this Master System controller, which broke
with convention is Sega’s choice to place the
buttons to the left of the stick. While it might
be a boon to left-handed players, it’s a totally
bizarre design choice which was almost never
replicated. In fact, the only other controller we
Stick fact
■ Unusually, some boxes for this peripheral
advertise its compatibility with a number
of non-Sega consoles and home
convention in a number of ways. At the time, can think of that did this was the Sega Sports computers, including the Atari
most joysticks used either the classic ball-top Pad, a Master System trackball peripheral 2600, Commodore 64
design that’s common in Japan, a straighter which was discontinued after a short time. A
and more.
stick as was more common in the West, or a more traditional successor called the Arcade
flight-style design with integrated trigger-style Command Stick was advertised in 1988 but
buttons. Sega opted for none of these, instead ultimately never released, and future Sega
employing a unique, but somewhat unwieldy, arcade sticks would all use more traditional parts
T-grip design with a large cuboid top. and layouts.
114
ESSENTIAL GAME Bubble Bobble
The Master System is well-served with arcade conversions and
arcade-styled games, so in truth, most of the console’s library would work
well here. However, we’ve got a soft spot for Taito’s excellent conversion of
the classic platformer Bubble Bobble,
which feels pretty good to play on
the stick. This conversion is very
faithful to the arcade original, with
graphics and sound that are as close
as possible on Sega’s 8-bit hardware.
It also added new secret rooms, new
items and extra boss fights, giving it
something unique to boast of when
compared to other conversions.
115
Inside the
I
f there’s one thing that characterises Sega during
its years as a console manufacturer, it’s a relentless
pace of technological development. By the middle of
1986, the company had put together the SG-1000, an
exterior redesign in the form of the SG-1000 Mark II and
the vastly upgraded Mark III. The design of the Master
System, the export version of the Mark III, was finished
and manufacturing had started. Having released four
pieces of hardware since 1983, it might have seemed
like Sega should take a break. However, none of the
company’s releases had helped it to claw market share
away from the dominant manufacturer, Nintendo.
To try to make an advance in the market, Sega began
work on a ‘Mark V’ console designed to achieve a true
generational leap. In the book Sega Mega Drive/Genesis:
Collected Works, Masami Ishikawa explains that the
primary goals in producing the Mega Drive were to retain
compatibility with the Master System, and to provide
the basic performance of its relatively new System
16 board. This board was already powering hit
games like Fantasy Zone, and would remain an
active part of Sega’s development plans for
the remainder of the Eighties, hosting games
such as Shinobi, Alien Syndrome, Altered
Beast and Golden Axe. This project would
ultimately become known as the Mega
Drive (or Genesis, in North America).
116
MeGa
faCT
■ The Mega Drive hardware
formed the basis of three Sega
arcade boards: Mega-Tech and
Mega Play ran Mega Drive
games and System C-2
hosted new ones.
Sega Superstars The developers who made the Mega Drive shine
Rieko Kodama Trip Hawkins Mark Cerny Matt Phillips Takashi Iizuka
Artist and director, Founder of Founder of Sega Director of Big Evil Game designer
Sega (during the Electronic Arts Technical Institute and Corporation (Golden Axe 3, Sonic 3,
Mega Drive years) programmer Sonic & Knuckles)
117
you’ve been framed
The Mega Drive’s multilayer display was a new feature for consoles –
here’s the complex process that goes into creating a frame…
01
The Mega Drive VDP draws three Scroll B, Sprites, Scroll a,
graphical layers, named Scroll B, Priority 0 Priority 0 Priority 1
Scroll A and Sprites. The Scroll
layers are background tilemaps that can be
scrolled in any direction and have limited
animation, while the sprite layer is for the
in-game objects that need to move around
quickly and animate fully. These layers are then
passed to the priority controller.
SPRITeS, PRIoRITy 0
02
The priority controller ensures that items are drawn in
the correct order. It starts with a fixed order of Scroll B ■ This is where the main action happens – your character and the
at the back, Scroll A next and Sprites on top. However, if enemies all appear here. This layer has its own priority system, too.
part of any layer has a priority bit set to 1 instead of 0, it is cut out and
placed in front of everything with a lower priority, in the same SCRoll B, PRIoRITy 1
B/A/Sprites order. Here’s how it works: ■ The free space on the lower part of Scroll B has been used to create
a foreground, with the priority bit pulling it in front of even the sprites.
SCRoll B, PRIoRITy 0
■ This is the furthest part of the background, and the slowest SCRoll a, PRIoRITy 1
moving. Note that the lower part of this layer isn’t used because it ■ Areas not needed to draw the main background have been used for
wouldn’t be visible. the HUD – although not all of it, curiously.
03
The frame is fully assembled, ready for display.
If you’re using a 32X, there’s an extra layer
added before the picture goes to the TV – and
the regular Mega Drive graphics can be either overlaid or
underlaid, depending on the needs of the game in question.
118
MEGA DRIVE
MeGa
faCT
“I did not care for ■ The largest official Mega Drive
cartridge is Super Street Fighter II:
a
back when I was making arcade games – for t the time, we felt that Nintendo on the hardware spec for a 16-bit system. We
had really opened a window of both loved the Motorola MC-68000 and it went
opportunities for other platforms into the Lisa and Mac. When I founded EA we
by not shipping the Super NES bought Sun workstations for our best developers
in the US until 1991,” Mark agrees. “Console and they also had the 68000,” he explains. The
sales peak around Christmas and New Year, and CPU perfectly fit the company’s focus on home
we had two full holiday seasons to show the US computers, too. “We had extensive experience
audience what the Mega Drive could do before and an enormous code base for the 68000 and
the Super NES ever showed up!” From Mark’s had a great deal of content that also knew how to
perspective within Sega, it makes sense that the take advantage of a GPU and sound chip.”
Mega Drive would be the best choice to take Matt Phillips is a developer with credits
advantage of the 16-bit open goal. But from the including Homefront: The Revolution and Lego
outside, electronics giant NEC and its PC Engine/ City: Undercover, whose love for his first console
Turbografx console could have seemed like the has led him to develop the original Mega Drive
safer bet. Trip didn’t believe so, though. “I never game Tanglewood. “It’s relatively very simple
considered NEC a consumer company and never compared to the likes of Xbox One and PS4,
considered the Turbografx a real 16-bit system,” which is both a curse and a blessing. Coding
he explains. “From a marketing and software needs to be done to-the-metal, the machine
standpoint I knew that NEC had no chance has no operating system, no device drivers,
against either Nintendo or Sega.” and if you’d like to squeeze any kind of
Ultimately, EA’s backing was won performance out of its tiny 7MHz CPU then
» Takashi Iizuka counts Comix Zone as one of on technical grounds. “Sega’s design everything needs to be done in raw
his favourite Mega Drive games, but has never
played the final game.
119
“I was very excited
to work on a
system which had
new features”
Rieko Kodama
W
hile the CPU benefited from Drive could also display two background cost reasons, and I think that was a big
familiarity, Sega created layers alongside sprites, and was capable mistake.” This was a decision made late in
a custom visual display of manipulating them with a priority the hardware design process – the larger
processor (VDP) for graphics, system and line scrolling for further capacity had been experimented with,
an evolution of the Master System’s VDP. complexity. “It became possible to show but the benefits were felt to be merely
“I was very excited to work on a system which depth,” says Kodama. “With two-layer incremental gains. It’s also worth noting that
had new features. I remember when I saw the scrolling and rastering and so on, we were able by mid-1988, a RAM shortage caused prices to
» American and
European copies of Mega Drive board for the first time, this was to create roads with depth in driving games, or quadruple since the beginning of the year.“Another
Sonic didn’t include before it was made more compact, it was bigger show floating under water. Talking about my issue is its very limited palette size,” Matt
the line scroll effect
Rieko Kodama than the table,” remembers Rieko Kodama, a work, the Labyrinth Zone in Sonic The Hedgehog continues. “It can only display 61 colours at a time
mentions… veteran artist whose graphics appear in Mega used these features. I think we were able to add (excluding a shadow mode and some hardcore
a little more weight to Sonic’s movements. I hope tricks). Thankfully I’ve been working with artists
you’ve enjoyed the underwater action and the who have managed to squeeze the very best out
atmosphere of the labyrinth.” of so little, but it’s not been easy.”
For Matt, the Mega Drive’s graphical
T
capabilities have been a constant thorn in the side. he actual process of creating art
“The small video memory has been the project’s for the Mega Drive varied from
company to company. At Sega’s
internal studios, the increased artistic
JPN demands changed the development process.
“Compared to the Mark III/Master System days,
we certainly increased development time and
design staff. As ROM capacity increased, so did
the work for the designers,” recalls Kodama.
“However, we now had less pressure with the
number of colours and how to draw the objects,
since we had more leeway from an artistic point
of view due to the evolution of the new system.”
Artists at Sega used a custom workstation
known as the Sega Digitizer System. This
hardware, which had evolved through the SG-
1000 and Master System generations, consisted
» …the Japanese game uses it to create wavy distortions that
of a graphic tablet and a puck, a light pen for
ROW convey the feeling of being underwater. working with the screen, and two CRT monitors.
120
Graphic scenes
Getting the best visuals from the system required artistry,
programming and smart hardware use
DITHeRING
■ Thanks to the blurry RF and composite
connections frequently used during the
late Eighties and Early Nineties, nearby
pixels would blend together on a TV set
to create new colours and transparency
effects. Artists used this technique on
SHaDoW/HIGHlIGHT
■ This hardware feature enabled the
brightness of on-screen colours to be
modified, and was most often used to
create transparent lighting effects, as seen
in Ristar, Vectorman and Ranger-X. Because
this produces shades outside of the normal
Mega Drive palette, it allows developers to
break the 64-colour limit – this Toy Story
cutscene achieves 163 colours.
SCalING
» Electronic Arts was a prolific Mega Drive publisher, and built much ■ The Atari Lynx and Neo-Geo had the
of its sports empire on the console. ability to scale sprites built into their
hardware, and the SNES could scale and
Third-party studios used a variety of solutions, with rotate a background layer, but the Mega
Deluxe Paint on the Amiga proving particularly Drive had no such hardware function.
common amongst Western devs. However, the machine was in fact capable
On the audio front, Sega opted for the YM2612 FM of producing scaling effects with clever
synthesis chip from Yamaha, noting in its development software programming – this image from
manual that it resembled the YM2151 chip used in Skitchin’ is just one example of that.
its arcade games. An 8-bit Z80 CPU was included to
drive this chip, which had the dual effect of replicating
the System 16 set-up and enabling Master System
compatibility. The chip provided six channels of FM
sound, a low frequency oscillator to distort those PolyGoNS
sounds, and the capability to replace one of those ■ Although the Mega Drive didn’t have
channels with a channel for 8-bit digitised audio – often dedicated 3D hardware, the console was
used for speech effects or sampled instruments. capable of producing a limited number of
That was two fewer channels than the YM2151, and filled polygons using software alone. This
was no big deal compared to what was available in was commonly used in flight simulators,
the computer market as any fan of the Amiga’s Paula as well as a limited number of racing
sound chip will tell you. However, this was still a huge games. Virtua Racing doesn’t count though,
advance for console sound. Bear as it used the Sega Virtua Processor
in mind that Sega had enhancement chip.
121
Under the hood
Take a peek at the chips that power your 16-bit dreams
rAM
■ Two 32KB chips supply the Mega Drive’s
memory. RAM prices and availability were
volatile in 1988, so the PCB is designed to
accommodate both wide and narrow chips
to hedge against shortages.
MoTorolA 68000
■ This is the main processor
for the Mega Drive, a 16-bit
CPU that had been a staple
of Sega’s arcade games
since 1985.
Zilog Z80
■ This 8-bit CPU is included as
a sound coprocessor, though
not every game actually
uses it. This chip’s inclusion
is crucial for providing
backwards compatibility with
Master System games.
SegA 315-5313
■ This is the visual display
processor – the graphical
heart of the Mega Drive,
which handles two scrolling
background layers plus sprites.
YAMAhA YM2612
■ This is the sound synthesiser chip
used by Mega Drive games, providing up
to six channels of FM sound. Sampled
PCM sounds are also supported, for
effects such as drum beats and speech.
122
MEGA DRIVE
MeGa
faCT
■ Because the Mega Drive
removed SG-1000 graphics modes,
it can’t run the Master System
» Konami was one of the many publishers that took a few years to game F-16 Fighting Falcon –
hop on the Mega Drive bandwagon. even with a Power Base
Converter.
only adopted FM sound chips in any capacity
in 1985, and the FM sound add-on for the Master
System (released in 1987) cost more than any
standard game for the console.
Two dominant sound engines emerged for the
Mega Drive. Sega developed SMPS in Japan,
which was compatible with both the Z80 and
68000 but required composers to essentially be
programmers as well. Sega’s American branch
had GEMS (Genesis Editor for Music And Sound
Effects) developed, which supported a sequencer
setup that was much easier on composers. This
became used in many non-Japanese games.
However, many third parties chose to use their
own sound engines – Krisalis wrote a popular » Landstalker’s isometric visuals were remarkable to Rieko Kodama back in the Nineties.
123
“We kept our plans
secret and had been
developing games
for a year before our
debut at CeS”
Trip Hawkins
MeGa
programmer’s knowledge and ingenuity which
unlocked the potential of the Mega Drive.”
faCT
■ Unofficial clones of the Mega
Having joined a renowned group of Japanese » The Puyo Puyo games were easily ported as the
arcade games used Mega Drive tech.
Drive were in circulation as early
colleagues at STI, Iizuka was able to aim high. as 1993, with the Scorpion XVI
“There were technical limitations to the Mega infamously appearing on
Drive hardware, but there were also ways of The only ones who had access to the UK TV show Bad
creatively finding a solution. So, when I designed Sega’s Digitizer were the artists who Influence.
games I never forced myself to consider spent their days drawing pixel by pixel,
limitations. If I put these restrictions in place not the designers.”
from the beginning, all I would end up doing is Sega didn’t have the means to satisfy a mass
limiting my ideas and imagination,” he recalls. audience alone, so third-party support was crucial.
“For example, the large airship that flies by in However, it was slow to arrive. By the Mega
the early part of Sonic 3 – there was no way Drive’s first anniversary in 1989, the only non-
the Mega Drive could have displayed a sprite Sega games in Japan were Thunder Force II and
that large, but we were able to display the Super Hydlide. Third-party releases didn’t become
airship in the game. We did it by removing one a monthly occurrence until the middle of 1990.
scrolling layer in a way one wouldn’t notice At that point, EA would show its hand. “We kept
a bit before we wanted to show the airship, our plans secret and had been developing games
then we used that extra layer to show this for a year before our debut at the June 1990 CES a set of guidelines that prohibited certain themes.
airship flying right past Sonic.” in Chicago,” recalls Trip. EA’s reverse-engineered As a result, many companies were late entrants
‘Sprobe’ development kit enabled the company into the market.
S
till, hardware limitations were to get the jump on the competition – but as Trip EA’s demonstration of its ability to create
far from the only challenge saw it, the competition wasn’t fierce. “In theory, Mega Drive games without a licence earned it
Sega’s designers faced. “People that gave us a one-year lead; but for the next two major exemptions. “We were not subject to any
nowadays may find this hard to years the industry continued to be sceptical about of Sega’s rules, most of which they had copied
believe, but we didn’t even have Windows Sega while I was forcing my producers to start at from Nintendo. We were entirely outside their
PCs back when we were developing Mega least three new Sega games every month.” program, doing our own thing – we only had to
Drive games. Game design all happened Why did teams shy away from the growing take care in the use of their trademarks in our
with only a pencil and some paper,” Iizuka platform? “Of course, all console software marketing materials,” Trip explains. EA was able
reveals. “We would draw a map out on graph companies were counting on Nintendo,” Trip to manufacture its own cartridges (with distinctive
» The arcade paper all taped together, then match up the points out, “and many of the computer yellow tabs) and get around concept approvals,
board that ran
Golden Axe used the desired map design with the boxes on software companies continued to avoid and the company would go on to publish over
same CPU as the the graph paper and try and mentally consoles due to the restrictive licences 100 Mega Drive games between 1990 and 1997.
Mega Drive
did, albeit at simulate how that would look when and costly ROM chips.” Indeed, Other companies would eventually get their own
a faster speed. digitized for display on a screen. Sega was not much friendlier to deals along these lines – Acclaim and Konami had
third parties than Nintendo – the their own cartridges that followed Sega’s specs,
company typically wanted to control while the likes of Accolade and Codemasters
cartridge production and asked for created cartridges with distinctive shapes.
hefty licensing fees. Sega also had
W
ith hundreds of games having
been developed for the Mega
Drive, we’re curious to know
which games caught the eyes
of the developers. While Matt cites Mark Cerny
and Yuji Naka as programming heroes, it’s a UK
development that awes him. “A game that has
stuck in my mind is Sonic 3D, for its FMV running
from cartridge,” he explains. “I’ve been exposed
to the delights of ROM access times, and the
glitches and lockups caused by trying to stream
data from the cartridge too fast. I’ve since learned
of the tricks they used to stream that FMV, and it
only makes it more impressive.”
Iizuka didn’t have to look far to find
» Amongst her own games, Rieko Kodama counts Altered Beast and
something impressive. “At the time I was
Phantasy Star IV as favourites. working on Sonic 3 with other Japanese
124
MEGA DRIVE
liberty vs security
Security was one of the most controversial aspects of the
Mega Drive – here’s how one third party broke through it
One of the interesting things about the Mega
Drive is its security system. Mega Drive
consoles featuring the Trademark Security
System (TMSS) expect to read the word ‘Sega’ at
a specific ROM address, and the word also must
be written to a designated RAM address before
the VDP can be accessed. If these conditions
are met, the system will display a message
stating that the game was “Produced by or under
license from Sega Enterprises Ltd” Originally,
this was intended as a region locking measure
– developer manuals referred to it as the “US
» It was Accolade’s Ishido: The Way Of The Stones that
security code” and early Japanese games were caught Sega’s eye and provoked a legal case.
not designed to pass the check. This didn’t
matter to begin with, as early consoles didn’t when I went to visit them and compare notes I
implement the check. learned that they lacked legal sophistication,”
However, third parties wanted to develop for Trip remembers. “I gave them some advice and
the Mega Drive without agreeing to the costly offered to collaborate but they went their own
official licensing terms. Electronic Arts was one way.” Sega implemented the TMSS check in
of those, and had reverse-engineered the console newly manufactured Mega Drives, and Accolade
– with Trip Hawkins confident that EA would win coded its next releases to pass the check.
if Sega tried to sue. “I had great lawyers and took Sega launched a series of legal actions in
the law very seriously. We understood how to response, alleging unfair competition, copyright
correctly manage a clean room to avoid copyright infringement for using the TMSS code, and
infringement,” he explains. “We waited patiently trademark infringement because Accolade’s
to confirm that the Genesis that debuted in the games triggered a message stating that
US in 1989 and as the Mega Drive in Europe in they were licensed by Sega. Accolade filed a
1990 did not make any changes to the Japanese counterclaim, alleging that Sega’s TMSS screen
version that we had figured out. By comparison, falsified the source of its games. Judge Barbara
while we also reverse-engineered the NES, we A Caulfield initially ruled in favour of Sega,
did not release any games based on this work dismissing Accolade’s argument of fair use due
because we could not find a way around the as its games were made for profit and competed
patented NES security chip.” in the marketplace with Sega’s games. However,
Ultimately, this wasn’t a fight that EA had, as the decision was appealed. Judge Stephen
its reverse-engineering earned the company a Reinhardt overturned the earlier verdict, noting
preferential licensing deal. However, Accolade that non-expressive functional principles are not
took the unlicensed route when it released Ishido: protected under US copyright law and that the
The Way Of Stones and incurred Sega’s wrath. “I TMSS code was required for a game to function.
» In lieu of early third-party support, Sega would license games from
Capcom for conversion to the Mega Drive. was not surprised by Accolade’s approach but Any trademark infringement was considered to
be inadvertently triggered by this fair use act,
staff at Sega Of America, and in the room next to and that Sega was at fault for designing a system
ours the American staff were working on Comix Zone. that would falsely label the product.
I thought the idea of having an action game happen Sega was dissatisfied with the outcome and
within the frame of an American-style comic was fresh petitioned for a rehearing, but ultimately the
and interesting. I played the game a lot when it was two sides settled under undisclosed terms in
in mid-development, but I have never played the final April 1993, bringing a year and a half of legal
retail version of the game.” Kodama’s favourite came wrangling to an end. Accolade became a licensed
from Climax Entertainment. “I remember that I was so Mega Drive developer, TMSS remained in Mega
surprised to see Landstalker for the first time,” she tells Drive systems, and a more specific method of
us. “Its pseudo 3D graphics with the quarter view was region locking was ultimately
so unique and the background art and character art » The screen you were greeted with if everything was implemented.
was fantastic.” working correctly.
It’s fascinating to look back at the design choices that
shaped one of the defining consoles of the era. But
the truth is that the Mega Drive is so much more than
a black box of chips. “Certainly a lot of the nostalgia
derives from the software library, but that’s not all, Sega
crafted such a fun brand image as well! Remember
WELCO METOT HENEX TLEVEL? I certainly do,” Mark
reminisces. “Hard not to smile when you think back to
those days.” Indeed, three decades on, the Mega Drive
still makes us smile – and as non-developers,
that doesn’t take a 68000 CPU.
125
BOY
WONDER
A GAME BOY RETROSPECTIVE
It’s been nearly 30 years since the world first glimpsed the Game
Boy, the creation of veteran designer Gunpei Yokoi and his team at
Nintendo. To celebrate, Retro Gamer looks back at that most modest
of handhelds and finds out what made it such a massive success
t’s often said that there are no surprises in deputy editor Julian Rignall got his own hands on a
126
GAME BOY
127
I found the Game Boy to be a very
simple and easy machine to code for
R-Type II programmer Bob Pape
When the Game Boy finally Game Boy exclusive sequel Metroid II: byte out of a 1K ZX81 or 48K Spectrum give companies an edge, things like
arrived in Europe, almost 18 months Return Of Samus. There was also plenty through tight coding then it was almost how to multiplex the sprites or give
after its Japanese debut, there were just of decent and undeniably attractive like coming home.” the appearance of seven shades of
half-a-dozen games released alongside licensed fare like Teenage Mutant Ninja grey. Other ways of programming the
I
it. Of these, Super Mario Land, Tennis Turtles, RoboCop and Batman. Coin-ops n the past Nintendo has been hardware were so obvious they didn’t
and Golf were the must-have titles. were converted too with varying results, accused of providing developers with need documenting.”
One title you didn’t have to buy was the as you might expect, although Double vague or incomplete documentation, Another Z80 developer who gladly
revelatory Game Boy version of Tetris Dragon, Nemesis and R-Type were all but in Bob’s experience this wasn’t moved over to the Game Boy was Ken
as it came bundled with the console. admirable attempts. too much of an issue as the hardware Murfitt. “In many ways the Game Boy
This smart move had worked wonders The Game Boy’s custom processor, was pretty much an open book. “Well was easier to program that the other
for Nintendo in the US, leading to stellar which was essentially a Z80 with some if you don’t know what’s missing Z80 platforms,” says Ken, who came
sales (a reported million units were sold bits missing and others added, ensured then you can’t say it’s not there!” he chiefly from a Amstrad CPC background
within weeks of its launch). European that many programmers could move comments. “It’s more likely that certain and developed Double Dragon 3 and
gamers could now dream of falling over to the machine with little problem. coding techniques were kept quiet to The Lawnmower Man for the Game
blocks too as Tetris fever took hold. Bob Pape, who coded the celebrated
It really was the perfect pack-in – the Spectrum version of R-Type, went on » You won’t get very far without
ultimate game on the go. to develop R-Type II for the handheld. “I using these.
The success of the hardware quickly found the Game Boy to be a very simple
led to flood of fresh software that and easy machine to code for,” he says.
identified the Game Boy as a diminutive “The hardware of course had limitations
yet capable contender that could punch but then that was the same for all early
above its weight (which was a lean 8-bit consoles and computers. Some
300g including batteries, if you were people may have had problems dealing
wondering). In its first couple of years with the limited instruction set of the
the handheld was home to some custom Sharp processor that the Game
fantastic original titles such as pinball Boy used, compared to the Z80, but I
sim Revenge Of The ‘Gator, platform think for those programmers who were
adventure Gargoyle’s Quest, and the used to having to scratch for every last
MUSCIAL INTERLUDE Jonathan Dunn composed for many Game Boy titles, including
the RoboCop theme used on that washing machine advert…
What were your immediate » RoboCop. Great game, superb soundtrack. Did you encounter any technical
thoughts on the Game Boy as a challenges at all?
gaming platform? I coded my own driver for the C64 and
When I first tried a Game Boy I thought NES and SNES, but at the time didn’t
it was a great little device. Of course the have enough knowledge of Z80 to do
first thing I played was Tetris and I was the audio driver that we needed. So
hooked. I also remember that you could Ocean’s John Brandwood was roped in
connect two Game Boys together and to convert the Spectrum driver, with a
play two-player Tetris. That was the first few modifications. I wasn’t happy with
time I’d seen anything like that. the hardware volume envelopes, so I got
John to add a more versatile software
How would you rate the Game envelope system that gave me more
Boy’s audio capabilities? accurate control. It had disadvantages as
The Game Boy had some interesting we effectively reduced the bit resolution
characteristics. It had a waveform placement, though I wish I’d used that of the volume, but it did allow me to
that you could program yourself – 32 a bit more in the work I did. Quite often sync the envelopes with other note-
4-bit samples that you could define. the stuff I did for the Game Boy was a based events.
I remember getting it to make some port from another version so I didn’t get
» Music man unusual noises. I also liked the fact to spend enough time experimenting Your RoboCop title theme is still
Jonathan Dunn.
that you had some control of stereo with the possibilities. used and sampled to this day.
128
GAME BOY
GAME BOY
BOLT-ONS
Some of the not-so-silly accessories
you could buy for your Game Boy
BATTERY PACK
■ Not the most exciting accessory, or
most essential seeing as the Game Boy
was the least power-hungry handheld.
But when your AAs did finally give up,
this add-on was good for up to ten hours
of extra play. And if you were more likely to be found playing
Game Boy at home, it also doubled as a handy AC adapter.
» Programmer Ken Murfitt
is seen here developing Gam
the PC was plugged into the e Boy games at The Sales
cartridge slot of a retail Gam Curve in London in 1992. He
as such – you would test and
play the game on the Game
e Boy. Inside the PC was a says: “The wide ribbon conn
card that simulated the vario ector coming out of GAME LIGHT
assembled into machine code Boy itself. On the PC, I type us cartridge sizes. So there
and the binary image was d in the actual assembly code was no emulation ■ The Game Boy was unplayable in low-light
cartridge and begins to exec downloaded to the memory using a PC text editor calle
ute it. It would usually take on the PC card. At this point d Brief. It was
me about nine months to finish the Game Boy sees the new
game image as a
conditions so there was no shortage of third-party
a Game Boy title.”
add-ons designed to brighten up the display. The
Game Light from Nubi was one such solution that
Boy on behalf of The Sales Curve. bolted on to the front of the screen. It required
“It was exciting to use real sprite and seasoned programmers, but Ken notes four AAs batteries so it was probably cheaper to
background-scrolling hardware, after there were a couple of unexpected find a decent light source instead.
so many years of squeezing every last considerations. “The first was battery
instruction out of platforms like the CPC life. The processor was put to sleep AMPLIFIER
and Spectrum. No more pre-shifted using the HALT or STOP command after ■ Another accessory from Nubi, this device plugged into the
sprites that hog memory, sprite masking processing had been completed for a headphone socket at the bottom of the Game Boy
» Tetris was the Game Boy’s or the Z80 stack tricks required to frame, and this would minimise battery and boosted the audio output. Sound was louder
killer app. It was the perfect fit for perform background scrolling. You could drain until the next vertical blank, 60 and also in stereo. With so many ridiculous-
Nintendo’s new handheld.
just set up the sprite buffers one time times per second. It was surprising to looking add-ons available for the Game Boy, this
and scrolling hardware registers once me at the time that the battery life could one deserved points for at least trying to match
per frame and go. Obviously it was a be extended by saving power during the Game Boy’s style and form.
step backwards in terms of colour count these tiny slices of CPU down time.”
– there were four levels of grey against And then there was the odd entity GB CAMERA
the Amstrad’s palette of 27 colours. known as ‘Version Zero Game Boy’. ■ This quirky add-on was released in 1998 and turned
You could get in-between greys using Ken explains: “There were these early the Game Boy into a compact digital camera (shortly
flickering but it was visually distracting production Game Boys of which only before digital cameras became commonplace). In
and so I preferred dithering.” a few thousand units existed in the addition to snapping and reviewing photos, there were
» Tetris went on to sell millions, So developing for the Game world and Nintendo insisted that any a number of built-in ‘games’ that would feature the
benefiting nicely from being a
pack-in title. Boy wasn’t particularly difficult for submitted title must run perfectly player’s grinning mug. They were borderline terrifying
in all honesty.
Does its continued popularity ever What are you up to these days? GB PRINTER
surprise you? For the last two years I’ve been living in ■ If you had a burning desire to print the grainy,
I don’t think anyone could have guessed Slovenia working as COO for a games black and white photos you’d taken using the
that the RoboCop theme would become company called IBZooT. I’m also the GB Camera then you clearly coveted this tiny
so memorable. At the time it was just co-founder of Fatleg Games, a mobile thermal printer. Otherwise, a bunch of
another game. It was the norm to games start-up. I still code, I still write games supported the device, allowing
produce stuff very quickly and there music. It’s fun to make small games for you to print out high scores, screenshots
was always another project looming mobile. It feels a little like it did in the old and the like.
at Ocean, so you didn’t really get time days. You don’t need massive teams to
» Yes, the BoosterBoy
to think about it. If I look back at all the produce something fun. is just as impractical to
different versions of the same piece of use as it looks.
music I had to do, I wonder how I did it. » Not just any old Game Boy. This
one, owned by RG’s Paul Drury, is
That tune in particular has been sampled signed by Alexey Pajitnov.
a lot and it’s great that it’s still around.
129
» If you want to play
multiplayer games or
use peripherals you’ll
need this port.
Nintendo created games that the graphics from the start. I would have
four separate palettes of four colours
worked well on a small screen with each. I used to work on the Spectrum
so the eight-by-eight character colour
» If there was a craze then it was all over the Game Boy.
There were three Turtles games in total.
no colour issues weren’t new to me, but Super
Game Boy graphics were a pain. The
Graphics artist Elliot Curtis number of people who were ever going
on them. The difference was that other consoles at the time were actually logos are boring enough to draw without to actually see them was so small it
the video memory was slightly slower a bigger struggle to create graphics for. spending all day editing them to make seemed like a bit of a waste of time. I
in some respect and problems would The first time you created a sprite and them actually work on the screen.” actually put a footballer in the border for
be apparent with partially scrambled saw it running on a Game Boy screen Elliot’s later games were specially FIFA 98 in a Watford strip and got away
background tiles appearing in your game was amazing. It always looked way optimised for use with the Super Game with it!”
due to memory contention. It was a better than it did in Deluxe Paint!” Boy, the device that enabled Game Super Game Boy games at least
shame because it further restricted how The biggest headache occurred when Boy carts to be played on the Super looked better in magazines – as anyone
many background blocks you could creating full-screen images, such as Nintendo console, often with added who tried to screen-grab original Game
update during the video blank. title screens, due to display limitations. colour. Explaining the process, Elliot Boy titles will tell you. Nick Walkland
Due to the Game Boy’s small screen “A Game Boy screen is divided into an says: “Colour would be designed into worked on Europress’s GB Action,
and limited colour palette, it was the job eight-by-eight grid and each square in
of artists to ensure that the graphics, that grid is a character,” he explains.
and in particular sprites, were as clear “When you create a full-screen picture
and defined as possible. It was a you can actually only use about 21
challenge that Elliot Curtis relished. unique characters. It was nowhere near
Working for Tiertex Design Studios, he enough. We had tools from the coder
created Game Boy graphics for various to highlight individual characters once
Disney licences and FIFA entries. “To be we drew anything, and then we had to
offered the chance to make games on a be creative by using flipped and rotated
console was a dream,” characters within the picture. It’s always
he says. “Yes the depressing butchering a nice picture
Game Boy was but often it was required assets for a
limited but the licence and there wasn’t any scope » Bob Pape’s R-Type II conversion was an improvement » Street brawler Double Dragon 3 supported cooperative
for creativity. Publisher or licence over its already fantastic predecessor. play on the Game Boy.
130
GAME BOY
» ‘Epic’ is not a word you’d ever associate with Game Boy For this he also had to contend with
games, but Link’s Awakening came pretty close.
Nintendo’s famously dim view on
videogame violence. “Nintendo had “I WANNA
WANT TOBE
BE THETHE
these policies where no-one ever died
in a Nintendo game,” he says. “So
for Prince Of Persia the first thing we
VERY BEST”
BEST”
How the sales of two
huge hits stacked up
looked at was the slicer. We raised this
and Nintendo said it was okay as long 32.52
as we didn’t show any blood. Even
on the Game Boy they didn’t want POKÉMON (RED,
a big black puddle oozing out! The BLUE, GREEN)
pop-up spikes on the floor were also VS TETRIS
a problem. Years later I found out that
Nintendo didn’t like what it called ‘body 35
the UK’s first dedicated Game Boy deforming violence’. It was okay to get
magazine which debuted in 1992. killed but not have the spikes popping
“Game Boy games were a complete out of your back.” SALES (MILLIONS)
pain to screen-grab,” says Nick. “We For Ed and other developers, whether
T
actually took photos because it was so they were fans of the hardware or not, he Game Boy quickly The reasons for its success are
tricky. The Game Boy was placed in this it was clear that Nintendo had devised a established itself as the world’s fourfold. Firstly, the Game Boy was
glorified cardboard box, with a black hugely popular platform. The Japanese number one handheld, and this the fastest to market so it was the first
cloth around the entrance, which you firm had hit gold with the Game Boy. was in the face of competition portable to capture the interest and
put your head inside. Like a Victorian “It was my daughter who actually got from rival machines that arrived shortly imagination of the public. And not only
snapper but without the phosphorous me started on Nintendo,” says Ed. “She after. The Atari Lynx, Sega Game Gear was it first but it was the least expensive
flash. But there was always motion blur was in kindergarten and I was out of and PC Engine GT (TurboExpress), too. Prices obviously varied from region
and when you tried to pause games work as the company I’d just finished with their colour screens and superior to region, but in anyone’s language the
they tended to come up with a pause a game for had gone out of business. hardware, looked like a clear generational Game Boy undercut the competition
screen. To make matters worse the It was hard to find a job and my leap over the Game Boy. It really was significantly. Further discounting would
Game Boy looked, well, awful. A bland daughter said ‘Dad you should be doing men against boys, on paper at least. But push the Game Boy towards an impulse
greeny-grey, with shades in-between.” Nintendo!’. And she was right. All of the the Game Boy subverted expectations purchase price point. The third factor
Nick is not alone in his lack of love kids had one!” and emerged as the clear winner. was battery life. Four AA batteries would
for the Game Boy. “It was awful!” power the Game Boy for up to 15 hours
laughs Ed Magnin, a programmer (and possibly longer if the speaker wasn’t
» Hear the Game Boy’s
who’d previously worked for music in all its glory. Or too troubled). Rival handhelds were much
MicroProse and Cinemaware on Apple cover it with your hand. hungrier, requiring more batteries and
II and IIGS software before moving exhausting them far sooner. Having to
onto the Game Boy at Virgin Games. continually buy or recharge batteries was
“The processor was like a Z80 but it never ideal.
wasn’t a complete one, and there were Finally, and crucially, there was the
banks of memory and the memory had Game Boy’s vast library of games.
to be switched in and out. So if you More than 700 titles were released
had a piece of artwork it wasn’t just a over a period of ten years. Third-party
question of whether it would fit into the production was plentiful and Nintendo
cartridge, but where you had a hole to itself continued to support the machine
put it where it wouldn’t straddle banks. throughout its lifespan. Three Super
You know, up until the Nintendo DS, Mario Land sequels appeared in 1992,
I’ve always said that it was our job as 1994 and 1998, while the release of The
programmers on Nintendo platforms to Legend Of Zelda: Link’s Awakening in
make bad technology look better than it 1993 showed that the Game Boy could
should have.” deftly entertain sprawling adventure
Despite his aversions, Ed was games. There was a brace from
responsible for the fantastic and faithful » There’s no back light on the original Game Boy, so » The On button for the Game Boy also acts as a very
Game Boy version of Prince Of Persia. adjusting the contrast is a must. handy cartridge lock. Not like they’d fall out…
Double Dragon 3 programmer Ken Murfitt reveals One of the most popular uses of the link cable
that developing co-op play was tough. “There were was transferring Pokémon between the Red and
some interesting lessons,” he says. “It required the Blue versions (if you were determined to catch ’em
efforts of myself and another programmer, Tom all then linking was mandatory). Battles could be
Prosser, to test the game – you couldn’t flush out all staged between collectors too. A special four-player
of the synchronisation bugs by yourself. I learned adapter was also available, although it was only
about packets and timing issues. For example, no supported by a small number of games. Notable
two Game Boys run at exactly 60Hz – one will be titles included F-1 Race (with which the adapter
slightly slower. This may sound obvious now but was bundled), Super RC Pro-Am and Gauntlet II. A
you could not rely on only the vertical blank to mention must also go to Faceball 2000, a Game Boy
synchronise your two-player game.” FPS that included support for up to 16 players!
131
» Donkey Kong (1994) featured enhanced graphics and a » In Gauntlet II, four players could work together – just like
retro border when played on the Super Gamer Boy. in the arcades.
» Prince Of Persia
programmer Ed Magnin
gets to grips with the
Game Boy Advance.
everyone’s favourite gorilla too, with then you could also play Mario. Nintendo portables, his appreciation of the Game over the years – from the Game Boy
the arrival of Donkey Kong in 1994 and created games that worked well on a Boy did not diminish. “If anything, the through to the Game Boy Advance,
the first of Rare’s Donkey Kong Land small screen with no colour. Everybody more I played the competition the better DS and now 3DS. “Just one look at
games in 1995. And just when the Game else seemed to be making versions Nintendo’s little grey brick looked,” he Nintendo’s numbers show how much
Boy was starting to look tired, along of existing games that were inevitably says. “Anything with a colour screen revenue handhelds have brought in. The
came Pokémon in 1996. The Pocket inferior to the ‘proper’ version.” ate batteries as fast as you could shovel importance of those numbers has varied
Monsters phenomenon ambled its way them in. The Game Boy was relatively from generation to generation, but when
West over the next few years and gave rogrammer Ken Murfitt frugal, making it much friendlier on the Nintendo’s flagship console hasn’t done
the Game Boy a shot in the arm.
Nintendo would refresh the hardware
too. The Game Boy Pocket arrived in
1996, sporting a sleek new form and
clearer LCD screen. This was followed
P agrees: “Something that
Nintendo understood well
was that consumers enjoy
straightforward products that are
accessible, robust and low cost, but if I
pocket, energy-wise. It was also nicely
designed. These days it looks hefty, but
you could hold it and play it for hours
comfortably. It was also built like a tank.
The Lynx and Game Gear were fragile
so well, handheld success has been
critical. The 3DS is a good example of
that. Remove its figures from Nintendo’s
financials from last year and things would
be looking pretty dismal.”
by the Game Boy Light in 1998, a had to sum up the success of the Game by comparison. I never had any qualms So what now for Game Boy? When
Japanese exclusive that featured a Boy in one word it would be ‘Tetris’.” about bunging it into a bag and taking it the DS was introduced in 2004,
backlit screen. The long anticipated Having experienced the Game anywhere. I loved the PC Engine GT but Nintendo made it clear that the Game
colour screen Game Boy arrived later in Boy before most, Jaz Rignall is ideally it was expensive, and some of its games Boy name was not being retired. Given
the same year and effectively replaced placed to comment on how it held up were unplayable because they’d been the firm’s current difficulties with the Wii
the original model. Prior to the release of over time. Despite the arrival of flashier designed for a big screen. It was also U, there’s a possibility we may see a
the Game Boy Color, Nintendo revealed one of the all-time greats for consuming new Game Boy at some point. Imagine
that the original Game Boy had sold in batteries. Ultimately it’s a stripped-down handheld designed
excess of 64 million units worldwide. about the games specifically for playing retro games –
For graphics artist Elliot Curtis, the key and not the tech, essentially a portable Virtual Console
reason why the Game Boy was such a and the Game Boy with access to not just Game Boy
sales success in the face of ‘superior’ proved that. It had games, but titles from those rival
competition was down to its gaming a range of really fun handhelds that once tried to outmuscle
library. “It was Nintendo so it had the carts – and Tetris the small but mighty Game Boy. That
best games,” he says. “Obviously Tetris was a killer app.” would be a nice surprise.
shifted the units in the first place, but Jaz also notes
the importance Special thanks to Warez,
of handhelds to Bournemouth (retrowarez.co.uk)
Nintendo’s business for its help with this feature
132
GAME BOY
NINTENDO’S HANDHELD
HERITAGE An essential timeline to gaming on
the go – Nintendo style
1989
GAME BOY
1998 1998 1996
NINTENDO DS
2004 2006 2008 2009 2011 2012 2013
133
Lynx
» Manufacturer: Atari Games » Year: 1989
» cost: £199 (£30+ today)
I
t’s easy to see why Atari thought the Lynx was going to steamroll
Nintendo’s Game Boy. It was not only ridiculously powerful compared
to Nintendo’s rival handheld, it also boasted full colour graphics, a
selection of truly stunning arcade conversions and all sorts of cool
innovations that ranged from a backlit display to rotating the system 90°
for vertical games and even the option to flip the control scheme so you
can play it left or right-handed. In short it was a powerful, funky bit of kit
that should have been the most desirable gadget of 1989.
History painted a different picture, however, and we now know that
the Lynx lost out spectacularly to the Game Boy, and eventually came in
third, behind Sega’s Game Gear, which had launched several months later
in 1990. Atari may have had sheer grunt on its side, but a lack of varied
games, limited battery life and steep price drop simply couldn’t save it,
even when Atari redesigned it. Atari’s console bowed out of the market
with around 3 million units sold, but has gone on to become a great
console to collect for due to its small library of games that include many
impressive arcade conversions.
134
Hardware Fact
■ The Lynx was created by Epyx and was known as the
Handy during development. It was pitched to Nintendo,
which revealed that it was working on its own hystem, the
Game Boy. Needless to say Nintendo’s console won out.
EDITOR’S CHOICE
S.T.U.N. Runner
The Lynx was an incredibly powerful little machine, and
no game proved it more than the excellent S.T.U.N. Runner.
Coded by D Scott Williamson, it’s an astonishing port that
captures all the thrills and spills of the original coin-op. The
level design, digitised speech, gut-churning tunnels – it’s all
there and runs and an insanely fast pace. Yes it’s light on
substance, being a simple tunnel racer, but what it loses in
bells and whistles it makes up for in sheer playability. It not
only highlights the Lynx’s impressive hardware specs, but also
shows just what was possible in talented hands.
135
Damien McFerran speaks to
developers and fans to find out
what made Nintendo’s legendary
16-bit console so special
PLAYING
WITH POWER
CELEBRATING THE SUPER NINTENDO
136
SUPER NINTENDO
M
have been branded
iconic over the years, but
that term seems almost
inadequate to describe
the Super Nintendo,
a console which is perhaps the
finest ever produced by industry
veteran Nintendo. The Kyoto-based
company's sophomore home system
had the hardest of acts to follow; the
NES – or Famicom as it was known in
its native Japan – was a commercial
success in North America and Japan,
essentially granting its maker a
monopoly on home console-based
interactive entertainment. Post-NES,
Nintendo's job was made harder by
the fact that rival firms had upped
their game and entered the market
with powerful challengers, such
as the NEC PC Engine and Sega
Mega Drive, which launched in 1987
and 1988 respectively. By the time
Nintendo was ready to officially
announce its 16-bit console, the
aging NES was losing audience share
to these spritely new systems, and
something drastic was required to
put Nintendo back on top. Looking
back now a quarter of a century later,
it's impossible to deny that the SNES
did just that, and much more besides.
By the time Nintendo moved onto the
N64, its 16-bit system was home not
only to some of the finest games of
the generation, but of all time – and
they've endured in the years that have
elapsed since then.
137
DIFFERENT VERSIONS The SNES had a number of forms…
SUPER
FAMICOM
■ Sleek, playful and undeniably
classy, the Super Famicom boasted a design
which was far removed from the plain and boxy
Famicom. The controllers were revolutionary and the
four-colour logo has become a cult icon – Nintendo
even resurrected the colours for its recent New
Nintendo 3DS handheld. On the base of the console
an expansion port exists that allows it to connect
to the Japan-only Satellaview add-on.
The PAL version (shown here) looks
identical, but it sports
SNES branding.
SNES JR/
SNES MINI
■ Launched in 1997 – a time
when most players had moved onto
more powerful hardware – the SNES Jr was
marketed as a cheap, entry-level proposition for
younger players. Smaller in size and cheaper to SNES (NORTH
produce, this revised system lacks RGB output AMERICA)
as standard but can be modified to obtain it. ■ For some unfathomable reason,
The power LED and eject button – both Nintendo used a totally different case
hallmarks of the original design – are design for the SNES in North America. Designed
also absent, as is the expansion by Nintendo Of America’s Lance Barr, the boxy
port on the bottom. and unattractive system dropped the four-colour
buttons in favour of a purple and pink pallette. The
cartridges were also changed, with the US versions
adopting the same squared-off design to match the
console itself. Thankfully, the European model
reverted to the Japanese design, but many
misguided American fans swear
their version looks best.
138
B
ack in the early Nineties
when the news came that
a successor to the all-
conquering NES was in the
works, it wasn't just
gamers the world over who were
rubbing their hands with glee –
developers who had made a living on
Nintendo's 8-bit system were also
keen to see if it could live up to the
hype. "It was exciting to see the specs,"
recalls Chris Sutherland, a former Rare
developer who is now working on Yooka-
Laylee at Playtonic Games. "Previously
I'd developed on Game Boy and many
others at Rare had worked on NES, so
this was a chance to develop games
that had far fewer technical limitations."
Fellow Rare alumni Brendan Gunn
agrees. "It felt like a natural progression » The front of the SNES is elegant. It
from the NES that I was already very sports power, eject and reset buttons
in front of the cartridge slot.
familiar with. This made it very easy
to get up to speed. The hardware
features were far more advanced, but
in ways that seemed like a very natural
It felt like a natural progression from the
progression." Other developers simply
couldn't believe what Nintendo was
NES that I was already very familiar with. This
telling them. "I was given a preliminary
outline of what the machine could do,"
made it very easy to get up to speed » Pilotwings highlights what the SNES
could achieve using Mode 7.
Brendan Gunn
remembers Nick Jones, the former
Shiny Entertainment staffer responsible disappear." Compared to rival hardware SNES over everything else. I thought it
for the SNES versions of Earthworm of the time the SNES' gaming-focused was an amazingly cool machine."
Jim and Alien 3. "It seemed impossibly internals allowed for some amazing
W
optimistic and with no hardware or full experiences. "The SNES felt much easier hile Rare's staff was
manual, it was hard to really make out to work with, but that may be because arguably in a privileged
what the machine could do. It was like it was so much like an enhanced position, having gained
somebody took every programming NES," says Brendan. "It helped that the valuable experience of
restriction I’d ever had and just moved hardware was designed very specifically Nintendo hardware via
» Many thought Donkey Kong Country
the limits an order of magnitude ahead." with things like scrolling and parallaxing its wide selection of games on the NES was a next-gen game.
For Brendan and Chris, the SNES in mind, where the Amiga hardware and Game Boy, other developers had
represented the next step in the was designed to be a more general to muck in and learn the hard way. "I
evolution of the games console. "The purpose computer." Mike Dailly – who went from the C64 which had a 6502
level of restrictions on the NES and was employed at DMA Design when the processor straight to the SNES which
Game Boy had been raised, which is SNES launched and worked on Unirally had a 65816 processor," explains Nick.
why SNES games tended to have larger – feels that the system was head and "They are almost identical except that
characters," says Chris. "Back then, shoulders above its competition. "It was the 65816 is 16-bit and the 6502 is 8-bit,
characters were typically built from a better than the Amiga and PC by miles, so you’d think the transition would have
number of 8x8 sprites, and if you had and the hardware was better than the been easy, but it wasn’t. I was stuck in
more than a certain number of sprites Mega Drive," he says. "There were just this mindset that I needed to optimise » Super Mario Kart remains our
in a row, you'd see parts of your sprite so many toys to play with. I preferred the every byte. The hardware was a favourite game in the series.
FRANCHISE STARTERS Just some of the brilliant franchises that began on SNES
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
ACTRAISER
139
STAR POWER Ten legendary developers that made the SNES sing
■ Unsurprisingly, Nintendo ■ The arcade conversion of
itself was the company which Street Fighter II remains one of the
did the most to define the most important SNES releases,
SNES, releasing some of the and gave Nintendo a massive
console’s best games. advantage over rival Sega.
■ Responsible for
some amazing
■ The undisputed master of the arcade and action
RPG, Square produced some games for the ■ Titles like NBA Jam and the Mortal
of its finest work on the SNES, SNES, including Super Kombat series made Acclaim a household
but sadly many of its titles Castlevania IV, Axelay, Parodius name in the Nineties, and it scored many
remained exclusive to Japan. and Turtles In Time. commercial hits on the SNES.
lot more complex which took a little managed to secure a chunk of the North
getting used to. The manual was written American and European markets with
in English by what I assumed to be a its Mega Drive system. What occurred
Mode 7 made the headlines, but was of limited Nintendo engineer who wasn’t entirely
fluent in English, so I had to be a flexible
next has become the stuff of legend,
forever ingrained in the consciousness
use for the kind of games we wanted to make. The when reading how something worked. I
still have my manuals and I prize them."
of the gamers who lived through it: the
industry's first real console war. "It was
other features were far more exciting to me interesting because this was a time
T
he SNES heralded a new when there was a difference between
Brendan Gunn era of trickery thanks to each platform," says Jonathan Town, a
the inclusion of Mode 7, former Nintendo community manager
a graphical mode which and retro-gaming aficionado. "These
allowed it to smoothly scale days it doesn’t matter too much whether
and rotate a single background layer. It you have a PC, PS4 or Xbox One as the
was put to good use in titles like F-Zero, majority of titles are the same and the
Pilotwings, Super Mario Kart, Super differences are negligible. The SNES and
» The SNES pad was surprisingly Castlevania IV and ActRaiser. While Mega Drive had a charm to them and
comfortable and a big improvement
over the NES pad. it was an impressive visual trick, its even the same game would be different
effectiveness was restricted outside depending on which console you had.
of certain genres. "Mode 7 made all Instead of arguments over frame-rates
the headlines, but was of limited use we had Sonic vs Mario, Final Fight vs
for the kind of games we wanted to Streets Of Rage, Star Fox vs Silpheed;
make," explains Brendan. "The other each console had a clear personality."
features were far more exciting to
N
me. Multi-layered parallaxing and aturally, Nintendo's console
colour blending made for much was compared directly to
richer backdrops, while bigger Sega's hardware, and the
sprites gave us far greater respective strengths and
capabilities for big, colourful weaknesses of the pair
characters," Chris agrees. were highlighted in the magazines
"We actually stayed clear of the period. "They were both very
of Mode 7 for the most part comparable machines," says Nick Jones.
because the ability to scale "The Mega Drive had a faster processor,
and rotate was so new and slightly bigger screen resolution and
shiny, it felt like it was obligatory a synth chip for audio. The SNES had
for games to use this mode. It complex graphics modes, a higher range
also had limitations in its use that of colours, the video signal was a lot
made us veer towards using cleaner and it played audio samples for
the other modes with some sound – which was a disadvantage and
tricks to appear to add more an advantage at the same time." While
'layers' of movement than the the SNES boasted superior capabilities,
hardware supported." much was made of the console's slower
The SNES was cutting- CPU – a trade-off Nintendo made to
edge, but the market into ensure it cost less to manufacture. The
which it was thrust was very weaker chip is often blamed for the lack
different to the one the NES of fast-paced shooters on the platform,
had dominated so effortlessly. but Chris Sutherland insists that it was
Sega was no longer content with rarely an issue from his perspective. "The
second place and thanks to savvy speed issue wasn't something that we
marketing and an earlier release it encountered too much with the Donkey
140
SUPER NINTENDO
MORTAL KOMBAT
■ Family-friendly Nintendo was always going to
have an issue with Midway’s gore-filled fighter.
Ironically, the SNES got the best port in technical
terms but at Nintendo’s behest the gore was
» Handily, the AV lead for the SNES’s expunged. While the Mega Drive version also
output can also be used on a suffered censorship, a code could unlock the
GameCube if you own one.
gore – making it the version everyone wanted.
141
PERIPHERALS
The SNES had some cool add-ons…
SUPER
GAME BOY
■ This nifty device not only allowed
you to play Game Boy games on your TV,
but expanded a fair few games in interesting
ways, too. The most obvious was that you could
add borders to games you played or change the
traditional four shades of green to different
colours. Some titles featured enhanced
sound, while certain games let you use
a second SNES controller to play
two-player games.
SUPER
EVERDRIVE
■ If you’re a fan of homebrew or
backing up your own games then the
Super EverDrive is an essential piece of kit.
It plugs into your SNES and allows you to add
ROMs to it via a SD card. There are various
versions available and they included Game
Genie cheat codes, with optional USB ports
being available for homebrew devs. It’s
certainly not cheap, but it’s very
good at what it does.
142
SUPER NINTENDO
SUPER
NES MOUSE
THE COLLECTOR
Roughly how many SNES
Stuart Brett on collecting Super Famicom games
What item do you
■ Originally packaged with Mario Paint,
and Super Famicom treasure most from
the SNES Mouse proved to be quite a well-
games do you have in this collection?
supported peripheral. Although a large number
your collection? I enjoy playing my Super
of games were only released in Japan, over
I have just under 400 now. Famicom Box. It’s a special
30 titles were released in the West, including
Around a quarter of my version of the console that
Cannon Fodder, Eye Of The Beholder, Pieces
games are stored away. I Nintendo developed for
and Powermonger. The only thing that
sold off quite a few games use in Japanese hotels.
really lets it down is the relatively
last year, mostly games I They contain some unique
short lead that connects it to
never play. They were taking versions of some classic
your SNES.
over my games room and games, including Star Fox
filling my wardrobe and I and Mario Kart.
was running out space to
store my clothes so I sold Can you tell us a little
some off! about your book, Super
Famicom: The Box Art
What single item has cost Collection?
you the most? I wanted to design a book
Spider-Man: Lethal Foes. that celebrates the art and
It was around £280. That effort that went into game
was a recent purchase. design in the Nineties.
All the other games I have There will be over 250
which are worth thousands games inside and editing
(according to ebay sellers) the book with me is Steve
were never that price when I Jarratt, ex-editor of Edge.
bought them. I have The book will be published
always tried to not by Bitmap books and
overspend and I enjoy pre-ordering will be
hunting down a bargain. announced later this year.
143
SEQUEL THIS Ten SNES exclusives that deserved sequels
AXELAY 1992 ARCANA 1992 SOUL BLAZER 1992 PLOK 1993 E.V.O.: SEARCH FOR UNIRALLY 1994
■ Konami’s superlative shooter ■ Unkind observers might ■ While many fans lump this ■ The work of Ste and John EDEN 1993 ■ Known as Uniracers in North
was not only the perfect brand this little more than a RPG in with fellow Quintet titles Pickford, Plok is a typically ■ Arguably one of the most America, this fast-paced racing
advertisement for the console’s shameless clone of Sega’s Illusion Of Gaia and Terranigma zany platforming epic original games on the console, title focused on stuntwork
amazing graphical capabilities, Shining In The Darkness, but as a trilogy, the titles are which apparently gained E.V.O. is a superb mixture of and earned critical praise at
it also played like a dream – no it’s actually a much better actually self-contained the appreciation of Shigeru action and role-playing, with the time of release. However,
small feat when you consider game that doesn’t get near offerings. Out of the three, this Miyamoto himself. Colourful, the player assuming control due to the similarity between
how unsuited the SNES was enough credit. Turn-based is perhaps the most underrated action-packed and delightfully of various beasts from Earth’s the main character and the
to this kind of game. Amazing battles and dungeon-crawling and most deserving of a playable, Plok has since been past. Success in combat allows unicycle in Pixar’s animated
music, gripping gameplay and make for a stern challenge, sequel. It mixes exploration resurrected by the Pickford you to level-up and evolve your short Red’s Dream, Nintendo
timelessly attractive visuals while the gorgeous visuals and with real-time action, and the brothers in a webcomic, and creature which means they can was forced to bow to legal
make for a true classic – a a painfully beautiful soundtrack notion of rebuilding a world the 16-bit original remains one better deal with environmental pressure and not manufacture
sequel was hinted in the end ensure it looks and sounds as through your actions lends the of the most unique platformers changes. It’s bonkers, but any more copies once the initial
credits, but never came. good as it plays. game additional appeal. of the period. compelling all the same. 300,000 run had sold out.
L
ike the Mega Drive, the
SNES was supposed to get a The popularity of the SNES has
hardware expansion which ensured that it is in high demand with
leveraged the incredible collectors even today. Starting your own
capacity of CD-ROM discs, and while collection isn't expensive, and recent
Nintendo partnered with electronics giant developments have lowered the barrier
Sony to work on the unit, it ever made to entry on the more common releases.
it to market. The recent discovery of a "A lot of the games have dropped in
SNES PlayStation prototype has put this price fairly dramatically due to availability
ill-fated venture back in the headlines and on emulators or via the Virtual Console
jogged the memories of developers who on Wii and Wii U," says Jonathan. "US
were shown the tech at the time. "During and UK RPGs still command ridiculous
the winter 1992 CES show, I was lucky prices, but there are plenty of great
enough to attend a private demonstration games to be had for less than £20. The
of a CD-based Sony prototype," says real problem is finding them in good
Brendan. "The demonstration took place condition – the cardboard packaging
in fancy hotel room well away from the sadly doesn’t fare very well if not looked
show, and it was to a small group of after." While finding some common
Nintendo representatives along with games at a decent price isn't going to
a small contingent of top Rare people be hard in today's market – providing
– and me! The demo consisted of a you’re happy with just a cartridge – the
144
SUPER NINTENDO
POUND SAVERS
Excellent Virtual Console options for
SKYBLAZER 1994 SECRET OF MAJYUUOU: KING OF BAHAMUT LAGOON those that can’t collect the real deal
■ A rare case of Sony EVERMORE 1995 DEMONS 1995 1996
Imagesoft making a decent ■ Following the success of ■ Konami’s shooter was not ■ One of the last great RPGs CASTLEVANIA: VAMPIRE’S KISS / DRACULA X
game, Skyblazer is an Secret Of Mana Square decided only the perfect advertisement of the SNES era, this Japan- £200 (US) / £90 (JPN) / £225 (PAL) / (VC) £5.49
attractive action platformer to found a North American for the console’s graphical only release was tipped for ■ While it’s not a patch on the PC Engine CD title from
which made good use of the studio and produce an RPG capabilities, it also played like a western localisation but it which it is derived, Vampire’s Kiss is insanely collectable
console’s Mode 7 capabilities. aimed squarely at western a dream – no small feat when never happened. It has been in its physical form, and demands a steep price for the
Coming towards the end of the audiences. While Secret Of you consider how unsuited the fan-translated in recent years most committed Castlevania fan. As such, this download
console’s lifespan Skyblazer Evermore wasn’t up to the SNES was to this kind of game. and is well worth seeking out, is a much better choice for anyone interested in playing it.
was perhaps unfairly ignored, standard of its Japanese Amazing music, gripping if you’re happy to dabble with
and certainly deserved a 3D siblings, it was unique gameplay and attractive a spot of emulation. Bahamut FINAL FIGHT 3 £130 (US) £120 (PAL) / (VC) £5.49
sequel which would have compared to a JRPG. It’s a visuals make for a true classic Lagoon sold almost half a ■ The third Final Fight outing on the SNES may not be as
made better use of the shame Square didn’t produce – a sequel was hinted in the million copies in Japan but no refined as Streets Of Rage 2, but it’s the finest example of
game’s flying sections. more titles of this type. end credits, but never came. sequel was forthcoming. the genre on Nintendo’s console. Haggar returns with new
allies and Street Fighter-style moves. Its pricey second-
hand but this digital release is infinitely better value.
DEMON’S CREST £170 (US) / £125 (JPN) / £260 (PAL) / (VC) £5.49
■ A commercial disaster upon its release in North
America, this spin-off from the Ghosts ‘N Goblins series
focused on Firebrand, an enemy in the original games
who was elevated to hero in Gargoyle’s Quest. A mixture
of platforming and RPG, this is a true hidden gem.
more desirable titles are rising in value.
"Videogame culture is embedded in the MEGA MAN X2 £160 (US) / £25 (JPN) £240 (PAL) / (VC) £5.49
mainstream," says Stuart. "It’s lucrative ■ The second Mega Man X game is notable on the SNES
now. I think the Internet has made the as it’s the only home version of the game (a cut-down
retro gamer’s world smaller. The chances mobile game also exists). It builds upon the groundwork
of finding a genuine bargain online are of Mega Man X, being far more action-packed than the
growing smaller. I can remember paying earlier NES games and quite a bit easier too.
£60 for Majyuuou: King of Demons back
in 2007 for my Super Famicom. I thought WILD GUNS £350 (US) / £160 (JPN) / £250 (PAL) / (VC) £5.49
that was expensive. I’ve seen copies on ■ A steampunk Wild West shooter with an excellent co-op
eBay now for over £1,300." mode and some brilliant, screen-filling boss battles,
The SNES is one of those machines » You can use this device to connect to Wild Guns is yet another in-demand SNES release which
the Satellaview. It reminds us of the old
that simply grows in stature as the pictures of the CD-ROM add-on. requires deep pockets to own. Thank goodness, then,
years roll by, and there's a good chance for this Virtual Console release.
that people will still be talking about it
in respectful tones in another quarter was almost the de facto machine for EARTHBOUND £500 (US) / £20 (JPN) / £N/A (PAL) / (VC) £6.99
of a century. But why did Nintendo's creating 2D games. Later consoles could ■ Recently available on the Wii U Virtual Console,
console make such a massive and still do that, but people started to veer Earthbound is a quirky and endearing RPG which, instead
long-lasting impact on gamers? Why towards 3D as it was the new thing." of featuring the usual fantasy setting, boasts a modern
is it so fondly remembered when the For hardcore fans like Stuart, it's world invaded by aliens. The game never got a European
hardware which followed ushered in the all about the software. "It introduced release, and the American version is incredibly expensive.
era of revolutionary 3D realism? "It was so many franchises for Nintendo,"
the final hurrah of the classic era of 2D he concludes. "To have new games
gaming," replies Brendan. "It was a high like Mario Kart, F-Zero, Starfox, and
point before the shift into the modern era Pilotwings released within the space of
of 3D polygons. As exciting as the N64 a few years was exciting. There was a
and its contemporaries were at the time, drive behind Nintendo in those days to
those games look dated. SNES games try new ideas, particularly in Japan and
by comparison look gloriously retro. Also, that enthusiasm was instilled across
the move to 3D created a huge increase third-party developers. Most games
in the complexity of games and their were coded by teams, so creativity and
controllers which only enhances the lack of interference was in full flow.
charm of the 16 bit era." Chris Sutherland Enix, Square, Konami, Capcom and
also feels it was the system's mastery of countless others developed some truly
2D which makes the SNES so beloved. stunning titles for the console. Recent
"I think it was the last home console that fan translations have also breathed a new
used custom hardware devoted to 2D lease of life back into the console, with
sprite games," he explains. "After that lots of Japanese-exclusives now being
there was a transition to more general available to Westerners for the first time."
purpose CPU/GPU architectures. I think So here's to the continued success of
that's one of the reasons it stands out – it Nintendos legendary console.
145
EDITOR’S CHOICE
Popils: The Blockbusting Challenge
This block-punching puzzle game was originally intended to come to a variety
of platforms, including PC Engine and Famicom, but Tengen only ever released
it for Sega’s handheld platform, making it one of the few great Game Gear
exclusives. The game is the brainchild
of Bubble Bobble designer Fukio
Mitsuji, and contains 100 levels in which
your goal is to rescue the princess.
Unfortunately walls, portals, spikes, bats
and slime monsters stand in your way,
making for a brain-busting challenge. And
if you somehow finish all of those, there’s
an edit mode which allows you to make
your own levels.
S
ome retro systems are remembered fondly
by the players of today because they offer
vibrant and engaging gameplay experiences
that continue to resonate throughout the
years, but in the case of SNK’s Neo-Geo system
– which turned 25 last year – the opposite is often
true. It is famous not because gamers owned and
savoured it, but because it was always so tantalisingly
out of reach. Due to the high cost of the console
and its games, to be a Neo-Geo owner in the early
Nineties was to be part of a very exclusive club, and
unfortunately for the vast majority of those teenage
players who gazed longingly at screenshots of SNK’s
latest games in magazines of the era, membership
was something they could only dream of. ”The
Neo-Geo was the console that few people I knew
owned and was mostly only ever seen briefly in the
pages of videogame magazines or in an arcade at the
seaside,” says Jonathan Town, a former Nintendo
UK community manager and fully-committed Neo-
Geo devotee. “It was a living myth, but without the
internet or YouTube to clarify any childish claims,
we never knew what was true and what was not.
I think here in the UK, because the Neo-Geo never
really had a proper release, it was largely an unknown
entity. We all wanted one.”
149
The reason the Neo-Geo AES (short for launched at $6499 in the States in 1990. The SNES
Advanced Entertainment System) cost so much in comparison launched a year later at $199. A Silver
was because it was effectively an arcade machine System package did arrive without a second controller
in console clothing. The idea was simple: instead or game for $399, but it was still an expensive
of having to replace the entire arcade board inside proposition, particularly when you consider that the
a cabinet, amusement centre owners could simply games themselves were around four times as much
invest in a Neo-Geo cabinet which contained the as their competitors’. SNK’s premium price, for an
hardware required to run the games and swap admittedly premium console ultimately meant it could
out the bulky cartridge to keep things fresh. The never be a huge commercial success.
arcade version of the Neo-Geo – known as Multi Another issue that affected SNK’s success was the
Did You Video System, or MVS for short – used massive, machine’s software library. Without the support of
Know? hardback-sized cartridges which could be
replaced quickly, easily and – compared
coin-op heavyweights such as Capcom, Konami and
Namco, SNK set about creating its own franchises
■ While the Neo-Geo was marketed typical arcade boards – relatively cheaply. In which would attempt to cover all the major genres,
as a 24-bit system to differentiate it comparison, standard JAMMA arcade boards but it would be the one-on-one fighting genre where
from its 16-bit rivals, it was actually were large, delicate and fiddly to replace. While it would arguably find its most success, although
sported a 16-bit, 68000-chipset AES and MVS carts weren’t interchangeable, even this wasn’t without drawbacks. “The first
twinned with an 8-bit Z80 the software on them was identical. When SNK SNK game that stuck in my head was Samurai
coprocessor. said ‘arcade perfect’, it really meant it – and the Shodown II, because it was installed at my local diner,
system’s arcade pedigree would make the AES so so I played that a lot,” says James Mielke, a games
desirable in the eyes of players. journalist-turned-developer who has enjoyed tenures
“In the Nineties, arcades were still pretty common at Q-Games, Q Entertainment and now resides at
in the United States,” explains hardcore Neo-Geo Square Enix subsidiary Shinra Technologies – as
collector Jeremy Forrest. “Neo-Geo was literally well as running Japanese indie development event
everywhere. I would go to the grocery store with BitSummit. “Later, if memory serves, SNK popped
my parents and Ninja Combat was there to greet on to my radar once again when my local pizza place
me. When I would sneak deeper into town than I in NYC’s East Village installed a World Heroes cabinet
was supposed to, crossing dangerous intersections next to Street Fighter II.” In terms of timing, it was
against the will of my parents, it was because League just perfect. One-on-one fighters had become the
Bowling and Samurai Shodown II were there at genre of choice off the back of Street Fighter II ’s
the bowling alley, waiting for me.” To the kids of success, and SNK capitalised on this superbly.
the Nineties, the sheer notion that it was possible Even today many consider the Neo-Geo to
to purchase a home console that was capable be a one-trick pony, and it is to a point due to its
of replicating the same performance of a arcade overwhelming, but diverse range of fighting games.
machine was absolutely mind-boggling.” It lacks the killer RPGs, platformer and racers that
That mind-boggling performance came at a price, were so popular on its rivals, but other genres are
though - it was simply too expensive for the average well represented thanks to the likes of Blazing Star,
consumer. The Gold System (two controllers and a Metal Slug, Cyber-Lip, Magical Drop, Pulstar, Shock
choice of Nam-1975 or Baseball Stars Professional) Troopers, Windjammers and Twinkle Star Sprites.
NUMBER OF
Franchise Starter The Neo-Geo kicked off a lot of popular games series GAMES RELEASED
THE KING OF SAMURAI THE LAST ART OF SUPER WORLD
FATAL FURY FIGHTERS SHODOWN METAL SLUG BLADE FIGHTING SIDEKICKS HEROES SENGOKU
150
XXXXXXXX TITLe
Neo-Geo:
XXXXXXXXX
AeS
Did You
Console war
Key Stats for the Neo Geo, SNeS and Mega Drive
Know?
■ Official software support for the
machine ran from 1990 until 2004,
but unofficial, unlicensed games
are still being produced for
NEO-GEO the console.
H CPU: Motorola 68000 (12 MHz),
Zilog Z80 coprocessor (4 MHz)
RAM: 64KB SRAM (main),
84KB SRAM (video)
H CoLoUR PALLeTTe: 65,536
H CoLoURS oN-SCReeN: 4096
H SPRITeS oN-SCReeN: 380
H YeARS ACTIve: 1990-2004
UNITS SoLD: 980,000 (as of 1997)
PRICe: $649
SNES
CPU: Custom 65c816 (3.58 MHz)
RAM: 128 KB (main), 64 KB (video) H
CoLoUR PALLeTTe: 32,768
CoLoURS oN-SCReeN: 256
SPRITeS oN-SCReeN: 128
YeARS ACTIve: 1990-1999
UNITS SoLD: 49 million H
PRICe: $199
MEGA DRIVE
CPU: Motorola 68000 (7.6 MHz),
Zilog Z80 sub-processor
RAM: 64 KB (main), 64 KB (Video)
CoLoUR PALLeTTe: 512
CoLoURS oN-SCReeN: 64
SPRITeS oN-SCReeN: 80
YeARS ACTIve: 1988-1997
H HIGHEST
STATISTICS
UNITS SoLD: 40 million
(estimated)
PRICe: $189 H
151
Did You
» SNK left owners with no doubt that its new console While the Neo-Geo’s library is Know? a lot more attention, but I think Garou
was, “A quantum leap forward in video entertainment.” somewhat small, it’s packed with ■ The AES home system was is the better game.”
classics – making the act of picking initially intended for commercial While other systems have come
out one title which defines the locations such as hotels and bars, and gone, the Neo-Geo continues to
system near-impossible. “You might but consumer reaction convinced make its presence felt in collector’s
as well ask a mother which child is SNK to produce a domestic circles, generating intense interest
her favourite!” Jeremy laughs. “If I had version. among hardcore players and videogame
to pick one it would have to be The Last fans in general. “I reckon this is because it
Blade. All the characters are appealing and fun was one of the purest, most hardcore gaming
to master. The animation is smooth, and the controls systems around,” says James. “It was all about the
are spot-on. I also absolutely love the deflection games. Also, the underdog always tends to hold a
system, it makes the game so much more tactical. higher reputation, and it stuck around for a long time.
To me, The Last Blade is one of the few games The system was loaded with classic games, and the
of the era that transcend just being a game, and controllers and arcade sticks were iconic.” A huge
experimented being a work of art. In a time when factor in this prolonged fame is down to the sheer
games were just trying to be profitable, The Last desirability of the console, but there’s more to it than
Blade was trying to be an interactive, masterful work that. “A lot of Neo-Geo fans would tell you Neo-Geo
of art.” Indeed, this seminal fighting title is a shining is special to them as it represents something they
example of the level of perfection SNK had managed could not obtain as a child,” says Jeremy. “In a way I
to achieve within the genre, and, unsurprisingly, can understand this because I remember begging my
remains in high demand among collectors. For parents to get me one, and the feeling I received after
James, another famous Neo-Geo fighter is close to obtaining one as an adult. I feel the console is still
his heart. “Garou: Mark Of The Wolves is still one of beloved today because the Neo-Geo has such a solid
the best 2D fighting games, and it really stood out library of games. If the console consisted solely of
from the rest of the Fatal Fury series,” he says. “Its titles like 3 Count Bout and Legend Of Success Joe
primary competition at the time, Street Fighter III, got we wouldn’t be having this discussion.”
Inside the Neo-Geo A look at the guts that powered SNK’s console
GRAPHICS
PROCESSING UNIT THE CPU
■ This custom chipset gives the ■ The brain of the Neo-
Neo-Geo a real edge over its 16-bit Geo is a Motorola 68000,
rivals, allowing the console to scale although some units had
and manipulate sprites smoothly. equivalent chips produced by
380 sprites can be rendered Toshiba or Hitachi. The CPU
simultaneously. is clocked at 12 MHz.
152
Neo-Geo: AeS
s the Nineties wore on, SNK’s console Part of SNK Playmore’s strategy during this period » Here’s another view of the memory
2001 brought with it financial problems. Following AES hardware the chance to enjoy SNK’s library at
SNK’s purchase by pachinko machine maker Aruze, a lower cost. In Europe, these titles were published
SNK founder Eikichi Kawasaki left the company by Ignition Entertainment. Former Ignition employee
to form Playmore, and when SNK slipped into Jim Philpot recalls that SNK Playmore was quite
bankruptcy that October, Kawasaki would purchase stringent when it came to quality, although some
SOUND CHIP much of his former firm’s intellectual rights and ports, particularly the PS2 compilations, were far
■ Responsible for all of the tempt back many of the developers who had since from perfect. “We had to use the original Neo-Geo
lovely audio you hear in your jumped ship. Thus SNK Playmore was formed, code – we weren’t allowed to re-code the games so
Neo-Geo games, the Yamaha and the Neo-Geo brand was revived once more. essentially every release was a Neo-Geo emulator. All
YM2610 offers 15 channels of we ever got as our starting point was the Neo-Geo
sound, with seven of those assembler code. Sound effects and artwork were
reserved exclusively for MEMORY ripped directly from this data. It’s the only option
sound effects. CARD SLOT we had, but it did mean the games were perfect
■ The Neo-Geo was the first replicas. It’s not well known that it was the work of
console to use removable memory one programmer – one of the best I’ve ever worked
cards for save game data. The with then, or since, Ade Scotney. Ade has worked in
card slots into this port on the the industry from the very beginning and has quite an
front of the machine and it impressive back catalogue, but he’s always preferred
can also be used with a low profile. Without him the games would never
MVS cabinets. have made it to console – it’s as simple as that.”
Blazing a trail
How SNK set a trend with its Memory Card
Modern machines may have done away with the archaic concept of
memory cards thanks to their roomy internal hard drives, but when
CD systems first arrived in the Nineties such items became utterly
essential for saving in-game progress. However, despite what you
may assume they didn’t actually originate with the likes of Sony’s
PlayStation and Sega’s Saturn – SNK beat both to the punch by
THE almost half a decade. The memory card which shipped alongside
COPROCESSOR the Neo-Geo had a slightly different aim to the one which would
■ Clocked at 4 Mhz and become such an intrinsic part of our lives when the PlayStation
working in tandem with the arrived – it was designed to allow arcade players to carry over
main Motorola CPU, this their progress on the home console, and vice versa. It could hold a
chip is also used for whopping two kilobytes of data. A built-in lithium battery keeps the
controlling audio. data alive, but replacing it is tricky.
153
Ten Great Games (That weren’t beat-’em-ups)
LAST RESORT 1992 PUZZLE BOBBLE 1994 PULSTAR 1995 TWINKLE NEO TURF MASTERS 1996
■ An early shooter release for SNK, ■ A spin-off of Taito’s famous Bubble ■ The Neo-Geo never got a port of STAR SPRITES 1996 ■ Proof that the Neo-Geo was
but arguably one of its finest. The Bobble franchise was renamed Bust-A- R-Type, but then it didn’t really need ■ One of the most unique titles on the capable of handling effective sports
gameplay may not offer anything Move in some regions and went on to one as Aicom’s 1995 shooter Pulstar Neo-Geo, this puzzle/shooter hybrid simulations, Neo Turf Masters is an
particularly original but it’s addictive become a considerable hit on consoles does a pretty fine impression of Irem’s is also one of the system’s premier arcade experience which offers short-
and compelling, helped in no small part like the PlayStation and Saturn. The seminal arcade classic. Pre-rendered two-player experiences. The screen is burst challenges rather than a lengthy
by the unique visuals which possess a match three bubble-popping gameplay sprites give the whole experience a divided in two with each player taking career, but is all the better for it. Golf
grim and foreboding atmosphere. One means instant playability, and the very clean and shiny appearance, while a side, and shooting down waves of is often derided as being a pedestrian
of the more underappreciated gems concept has been cloned many times the intense and challenging gameplay enemies allows you to plant them on sport, but Nazca’s take is fast-paced
in the Neo-Geo library, Last Resort is over the past few decades. A 1999 make this a real test for fans of the your rival’s screen – the last player and thrilling, making this one of the
well worth a look for shooter fans. Neo-Geo sequel is also available. shoot-’em-up genre. standing is the winner. jewels in the Neo-Geo’s crown.
» The controllers were excellent, feeling like proper Ignition quickly found that these ports became
arcade sticks. They were obviously expensive, too.
a key revenue stream. “It’s likely that had we not
have had those titles, Ignition wouldn’t have lasted
as long as it did,” says Jim. “It was the SNK games
that provided the revenue that kept the development
side fuelled. SNK were very hands-off in the end. We
had such a smooth operation going that all they used
to do in the end was send us source code and then
start phoning up chasing royalties!”
While Ignition’s ports found a largely receptive
audience, dedicated fans remain adamant that the
only authentic way to experience the Neo-Geo library
is on the original hardware. As is the case with any
classic system, the Neo-Geo and its software are
in constant demand in today’s second-hand market,
but seeking out SNK’s platform requires a level of
financial dedication that is arguably unmatched in the
realm of videogaming. “In the world of Neo-Geo AES
collecting, most of the older games are the cheapest
while newer games being more expensive, roughly
speaking,” explains Jonathan. “Although that’s not
always the case, you’ll find that many of the launch
window titles can be picked up for less than £100 –
however, move along a few years and you’ll quickly
find games shooting up over the £200 price point.
Some of the later entries, such as the amazing Garou:
Mark Of The Wolves will easily set you back between
£500 to £800 and most people are aware of Metal
Slug’s ridiculous £1,000+ going rate. If you’re tight
on budget but just want to play, the Neo-Geo CD
system is a good choice as the prices are reasonable,
just be aware that not all the games made it to CD
format and some of the loading times are really
bad. Finally, if you’re really not too fussed about the
presentation of the packaging, get yourself either a
Did You Supergun or a cheap arcade cabinet and an MVS
system; MVS games are cheap as chips. Metal
Know? Slug can be found for about £25, for example.”
■ The system’s launch price in While Jonathan is a cautious advocate of the
the US was $649 (two controllers, AES route, Jeremy feels that anyone looking
one game) for the Gold System to begin a Neo-Geo collection should totally
and $399 for the Silver (one ignore the home variant and instead opt for the
controller, no game). arcade MVS format. “Home cartridge games
are way too expensive,” he says. “You will spend
more money on a MVS setup opposed to an AES
154
Neo-Geo: AeS
NEO BOMBERMAN 1997 MONEY SHOCK TROOPERS 1997 BLAZING STAR 1998 METAL SLUG X 1999
■ One of only two games released IDOL EXCHANGER 1997 ■ Saurus’ take on the tried-and- ■ The sequel to the equally excellent ■ Essentially a remix of 1998’s Metal
by Hudson Soft on the Neo-Geo – ■ A puzzle title where you match tested Commando template is a Neo-Geo shoot-’em-up Pulstar, Slug 2, Metal Slug X is considered by
the other being puzzle game Panic together coins to clear an ever- graphical tour de force packed with Blazing Star boasts a combination of some fans of the run-and-gun series
Bomber. Neo Bomberman is, as falling flood of currency, Money Idol explosions, gunfire and it is absolutely pre-rendered and hand-drawn to be the best offering. One of the
you would expect, a fairly traditional Exchanger is one of those games packed with character. Massive sprites, and uses the host hardware’s franchises which arguably defines the
take on the established Bomberman which is easy to pick up but difficult to sprites, varied environments and an scaling capabilities very effectively Neo-Geo format, Metal Slug’s appeal
concept. It benefits from excellent put down. Aided by some incredibly excellent two-player mode all combine indeed. Weighing in at a considerable remains undiminished even after all
visuals and sound, but lacks an AES cute visuals, it’s another often to make this feel like a top-down Metal 348 megabits, this is one of the these years thanks to its fusion of tight
edition – if you’re interested then you’ll overlooked classic in the Neo-Geo Slug, and it’s one title that should be system’s most beloved blasters, and gameplay, amazing visuals and over-
have to pick it up on an MVS cart. library. Sadly, no AES version exists. high on everyone’s list. with good reason. the-top carnage. Essential.
» The Neo-Geo catered to two-player gaming little thing can become a challenge,” he explains. “In
with two available ports on the system’s front. some aspects it’s easier though, as we not only have
full control over everything, we also know every bit of
the system. With newer game systems everything is
abstracted; developers neither have access to it nor
do they know what is going on under the hood of
the machine. Developing for Neo-Geo is kind of like
working on a classic car.”
NG:DEV.TEAM goes the whole distance when
it comes to making new Neo-Geo games, not only
manufacturing MVS carts but also creating unique
AES editions – complete with case, inlay and manual
– for home collectors. The prices are eye-watering,
Developing for Neo-Geo is with AES versions costing around £390. You might
assume that it would be financially impossible to keep
kind of like working on a this kind of software support going, but that isn’t the
case. “There’s enough demand to build a successful
classic car business from it,” states Timm. “We have slow
but steady growth in the market. The high cartridge
Timm Hellwig prices help to make this possible. At significantly
lower prices, the business model would not work.” » Although some games are insanely
setup initially, but it will pay for itself when you save New software is just one way in which the Neo- expensive, it’s possible to get plenty
thousands of pounds on games.” Geo brand is being kept alive. Christopher Taber’s of decent titles at reasonable prices.
155
Non-Ported
Exclusives
Five fantastic Neo-Geo games that
never reached other systems
CYBER-LIP 1990
■ Despite the odd name
and rough visuals this
remains a classic and it
is said that some of its
developers would go on
to work on Metal Slug.
Borrowing concepts from
Konami’s famous Contra » Many Neo-Geo owners prefer to
get their hands on earlier machines, Did You
franchise, Cyber-Lip is
packed with action and is still pleasantly challenging.
as the output is better on them.
Know?
■ 2004’s Samurai Shodown V
ZED BLADE 1994 machines come with RGB, component, S-Video has ended in a bitter legal Special is the last official game for
■ Also known as and composite output, ensuring that they work on battle, as SNK Playmore the system published by SNK. It
Operation Ragnarok, Zed practically any television set you could choose to hook has ordered Tommo to shipped on a 708 megabit
Blade is a shooter which them up to. This is the very upper tier of Neo-Geo remove stock from shelves cartridge.
has largely been forgotten collecting. “Every single Analogue CMVS is entirely and cease production. At the
by the SNK faithful. It’s hand-crafted,” Christopher explains. “Every piece of time of writing the Neo-Geo X is still
not in the same league as wood is hand selected by our woodworker and we widely available. “Neo-Geo X is still fine to sell,” says
Blazing Star or Viewpoint, only use the most beautiful pieces of each board FunStock general manager Andy Pearson, the main
but its status as a true foot – the ones with the most stunning grain patterns. retailer of the console in the UK. “We continue to sell
Neo-Geo exclusive makes it worth a closer look. The Everything is entirely built and assembled by hand in it on a regular basis and all of the new consoles ship
visuals are also eye-catching, especially for 1994. the USA. Our Neo-Geo products are very special to with the latest firmware, which resolved a lot of the
us and that is the only way we will ever build them.” issues.” This confusion has only served to muddle
WINDJAMMERS 1994 Ironically, Christopher says what could have been a genuine
■ Another solid Neo-Geo that the impetus to produce revival of the legendary brand.
classic, Windjammers is
a sports title where the
these incredibly expensive
systems was borne out of
Everything The Neo-Geo X furore is
perhaps indicative of the kind of
object is to hurl a disc
into your opponent’s goal.
the fact that collecting for the
AES format was so prohibitive.
is entirely company that SNK Playmore has
become – but the story continues
Crazy power-up moves
and trick shots make
“Being able to explore the
Neo-Geo library with an AES
built and to twist and turn. In August 2015
SNK Playmore was purchased by
this souped-up take on
Pong compelling when two players are involved, and its
is unreasonably expensive,”
he says. “With MVS, not only
assembled Chinese investors with the intention
of using the company’s vast library
reputation ensures it is in constant demand. are the games much easier to
find, they are a fraction of the
by hand of IP to create a media empire
which will cover games, anime,
Christopher Taber
NEO DRIFT OUT: NEW TECHNOLOGY 1996 cost. Out of all the Neo-Geo movies and much more besides.
■ The Neo-Geo hardware platforms, the MVS library represents the most Time will tell if this grand vision can be pulled off,
couldn’t handle 3D complete, too. MVS is pretty much unanimously but it’s highly unlikely we’ll witness another console
visuals so driving games regarded as the best way to play Neo-Geo. Problem as unique as the Neo-Geo. “Releasing a console
usually adopted a fixed is, you either have to play with an arcade cabinet or which is purely for gaming for a hardcore fanbase is
perspective – like this rig up your own DIY Supergun system to play MVS going to be an exceptionally rare thing,” says James.
rally title from Visco. without a cab – which is unreasonable for most “I think the closest thing to that right now would be
Fluid controls and short people.” To overcome this, Christopher took the the PlayStation Vita, which seems to be a bastion
courses make this the guts of the MVS system and placed them inside a
ideal pick-up-and-play racer, and it’s surprising how console-like shell, as well as adding a whole range of
authentic the rallying experience feels. outputs. The result is easily one of the most desirable
Neo-Geo systems currently available, yet it offers
NIGHTMARE IN THE DARK 2000 access to the cheaper world of MVS collecting.
■ Playing a lot like Taito’s In 2012 it appeared that SNK Playmore was getting
Bubble Bobble and Don ready to give its famous system a new lease of life.
Doko Don, Nightmare In By far the most audacious attempt to revive the
The Dark boasts the kind brand, the handheld Neo-Geo X was billed as the
of visuals you’d expect to second coming of the Neo-Geo line. Manufactured
see Tim Burton come up by US firm Tommo with SNK Playmore’s blessing,
with, and also showcases the system is designed to slot into a docking station
a superb soundtrack. shaped just like the original AES console, and even
Exclusive to the console, AM Factory’s excellent title has comes with a joystick which is based on that one
» As with many consoles of the time, the Neo-
sadly been ignored by a great many gamers. which shipped with the famous machine. What Geo AES sports a reset button.
should have been a glorious resurrection of the brand
156
Neo-Geo: AeS
Collector interview vinnie Stokes of Facebook’s G.G.G. shares his love for SNK’s console
What drew you to collecting for arcade experience, only true I've never played it. Can't beat
the Neo-Geo AES? gamer/collectors appreciate blowing a cart in my opinion.
I always wanted a Neo-Geo as a them to justify the expense of
teenager, but I could have never collecting them. What ten games would
afforded one back then. Neo- you recommend to those
Geo (in the arcade) always Do you think the games are on a budget?
had the edge as a teen… I loved worth the money they go for? There are lots of £30-£50
Super Sidekicks. Everything has a price I guess, games you can pick up, mainly
but yeah, they are worth it. If you fighting ones, to be honest.
How complete is your want arcade quality then there is Sidekicks is a must-have for
collection, is there anything no competition. footy fans though.
you're still after?
My AES collection isn't that big, Do you have a Neo-Geo CD? Do you feel the Neo-Geo X is a
around 15 games. I also have the How does it compare? good compromise for those that
Neo-Geo pocket, Colour (with I do have a Neo-Geo CD, but can't afford the real deal and just
games), CD, Neo-Geo X and want to experience the games?
a full-size arcade cabinet, the The Neo-Geo X is another I just
cabinet has a 150-in-one cart. had to have in my collection but
it's still sealed in its box, never
Why do you think the machine played. So my answer to that
remains so collectible? is, nothing compares to firmly
The Neo-Geo for many pushing that big old cart into the
collectors is the ultimate Nineties slot and flicking the switch.
157
6
Did You
Know?
■ The Neo-Geo’s colour palette
was 65,536 colours, and it could 7
display 4096 colours on-
screen at any time.
Special thanks to The National videogame Arcade and vinnie Stokes for supplying their Neo-Geo consoles for
the photography in this issue. Check out vinnie’s Facebook page Game Gear Group for more information.
158
Neo-Geo: AeS
159
Super Scope
» Platform: SNES » releaSed: 1992 » CoSt: £59.99 (lauNch), £20+ (today, boxEd), £10+ (today, looSE)
f there’s one thing that console manufacturers The Super Scope came bundled with a
160
SUPER SCOPE
161
Atari Jaguar Fact
■ The atari Jaguar may have had a short commercial life but the
system’s casing at least lived on in the form of a dental camera
manufactured by imagin systems.
Atari Jaguar
» Manufacturer: Atari Corporation » Year: 1993 » cost: £229 (launch) £80+ (today)
tari Corporation’s last console is a fascinating one. It has a rabid fan base that
A comes close to the Dreamcast in terms of its sheer ferocity for championing the
system, but the Jaguar is also equally unfairly derided as being a spectacular car
crash of a console that was doomed from the start. Both of those viewpoints have
done nothing to soften the negative image that Atari’s console has built up over the years
and the truth lies somewhere in the middle of those two polarising views.
Regardless of whether you sit in the ‘Jaguar was the first true 64-bit console’ camp
or not, there is no denying that Atari’s machine was a powerful bit of kit at the time of its
release and Atari Corp released it at a competitive price as well. It wasn’t enough, though
and despite some solid looking 3D games and some quality conversions of older 16-bit
classics such as Flashback and Zool, Atari’s console failed to gain traction. Even a later CD-
ROM add-on couldn’t inject life into the system and it was eventually discontinued in 1996.
The relatively short commercial life of the system, and the fact it was Atari’s last console,
has now made the Jaguar a rather desirable console from a collector’s point of view and the
system and games are now rising in price as a result. With the machine rapidly approaching
its 25th anniversary it’s the perfect time to discover Atari Corp’s hardware swan song.
162
EDITOR’S CHOICE Tempest 2000
It’s a clichéd choice for sure, but Jeff Minter’s eye-blistering update of
Tempest really is as good as everyone says it is. With a soundtrack that’s
every bit as intense as the game’s
blisteringly fast pace, Tempest 2000
is an astonishingly good tube shooter
that not only highlights the strength of
Dave Theurer’s original game design,
but also Jeff Minter’s deftness at taking
those existing mechanics and refining
them for a new system and more
expectant gamers. A true triumph
every Jaguar owner needs to own.
163
Amiga CD32 hen the first AGA (Advanced
» YEAR: 1993
» MAnufActuRER: Commodore
» cost: £250 (launch), £150+ (today)
164
AMIGA CD32
165
Super Game Boy
» Platform: SNES » released: 1994
» Cost: £49.99 (LAuNch), £10+ (TodAy, uNboxEd), £15+ (TodAy, boxEd)
A
fter five years of dominating the support could be added to every game, and
handheld console scene, there was certain titles added extended support for the
only one market left for the Game peripheral, allowing for more complex colour
Boy to conquer: the home. While schemes and customised border illustrations.
the Super Game Boy didn’t quite hit the As good as it was, the Super Game
world-conquering heights of the portable Boy wasn’t perfect – the device ran ever
machine, it did allow millions of SNES so slightly faster than an actual Game
owners the opportunity to play some rather Boy, and didn’t include a port for link-up
excellent games they previously didn’t have communications with another console.
access to. There were good reasons to do so, These issues were rectified by the later
too – displaying the games on a traditional Japan-only Super Game Boy 2. The device
TV rather than the Game Boy’s LCD screen proved popular, though, and Nintendo would
completely removed all of the display blurring later return to the same concept of handheld
problems that hampered fast-scrolling games games at home with the Game Boy Advance
on the portable machine. Limited colour Player for the Gamecube.
166
SUPER GAME BOY
Super
Game Boy Fact
■ Certain games from before the Super Game
Boy’s launch were given special palettes within the
Super Game Boy hardware – these include Metroid II:
Return Of Samus, Kirby’s Pinball Land and Super Mario
Land 2: 6 Golden Coins.
167
Sega Saturn
» Manufacturer: SEGA » Year: November 1994 » cost: £399 (UK
launch), £15+ (UK today - unboxed), £30+ (UK today - boxed)
S
ega had the pick of the pack when following up the
Mega Drive – the company was offered both the 3DO
technology and the Silicon Graphics Inc. architecture
that powered the Nintendo 64, as well as the chance
to collaborate with Sony. Instead the company went down its
own path, placing its faith in its own hardware engineers.
The result was the Saturn, a complex piece of hardware
featuring two processors, two video chips and a custom
sound chip. While this unusual arrangement delivered a high
level of theoretical performance, it came with real downsides
as the hardware was expensive, and programmers
struggled to grasp its idiosyncracies.
Despite some excellent games, the Saturn’s drawbacks
kept it from repeating the success of its predecessor on the
international stage. However, it became a popular machine in
Japan and gained a hardcore following among import gamers
as a result, becoming well known for its excellent conversions
of 2D arcade games, particularly shoot-’em-ups and fighting
games, as well as original RPGs. So while the Saturn wasn’t
the success that Sega had hoped for, it did find an audience
that appreciated its strengths, and the lessons it taught would
prove invaluable in designing the Dreamcast.
168
SEGA SATURN
Hardware Fact
■ the Saturn was the only console of its generation to
come with built-in memory for saving games. However,
it depends on a cr2032 battery, so it’s worth getting a
memory cartridge anyway.
169
HOW THE
170
PLAYSTATION
CHANGED GAMING
It was the console that n 2000, some six years after the of its Sony rival. The Nintendo 64
PlayStation had launched in was about to be set aside in favour
arguably killed the arcades, but Japan and with the PS2 finding
its way into the sweaty hands of
of the GameCube. Atari had long
been cast into the wilderness as
revolutionised the way we played smitten gamers, Phil Harrison,
then senior vice president for
its final console, the Jaguar, was
discontinued in 1994 and its name
at home. David Crookes looks Sony Computer Entertainment
Europe, spoke retrospectively of the
was on the verge of being sold by
Hasbro Interactive to Infogrames.
at why, two decades on from its ambition of the console brand that
shook the dominance of Nintendo
But Harrison had a different
company in mind when he
western launch, we shouldn’t and Sega to its foundations.
At this point in time, Sega was
reflected on the manner in which
the PlayStation had cleaned up
underestimate the months off throwing in the towel as
its acclaimed yet largely shunned
the opposition and made the fifth
generation entirely its own. “We
power of PlayStation Dreamcast flopped in the shadow wanted it to become the Hoover of
videogames,” he said, of the aim
to make the console late-comer a
proprietary eponym. “And, in many
ways, it has.”
It is fair to say that no gaming
machine up until that point had ever
had the widespread, mass-market
impact of the attractive, CD-playing
grey plastic box of tricks that became
the PlayStation, as controversial as
that may sound. Countless amazing
consoles had come before it, but
none of them were able to truly
break into the mainstream and
171
» Although it catered for two players
out of the box, it was possible to add none were able to say that, nine years and six
more pads with a Multitap. months after launch, they had sold 100 million units. PAUL RANSON
“I think really, the legacy of the original PlayStation is FORMERLY OF BIG RED
that it took gaming from a pastime that was for young “Levels, cutscenes and music previously squished into carts could now
people or maybe for slightly geeky people and it turned be developed with panache and in a style that we thought emulated the
it into a highly credible form of mass entertainment, movie business. PS1 for me was the proper start of the Hollywood style
really comparable with great legitimacy with the music entertainment in the videogame business. ”
business and the movie business,” says Sony’s current
European boss Jim Ryan.
Yet how did a console made by an outsider make CDs and it took advantage of its permission to create
such an impact? How did it become so successful its own standalone console which it called the Play
that the stars of its games would adorn the covers of Station (note the space), a machine that allowed for
fashionable magazines? And why do people talk of the playing of both CDs and cartridge. Sony showed
the period between 1990 and 2000 as the era of the off its creation to great fanfare at that year’s Consumer
PlayStation Generation when the console wasn’t even Electronics Show in Las Vegas in 1991.
around for a good third of that time? But within mere hours of the unveiling Nintendo got » Nightmare Creatures tapped into
the survival horror genre.
cold feet. It believed Sony could potentially pull the rug
he answer is about to unfold. “I think Sony from under them and steal a portion of the industry so
did a fantastic job in presenting PlayStation it cancelled the deal, announcing the day after that it
as a brand new way of playing and making was instead bringing rival Philips on board. Eager not to
games,” explains Nick Burcombe, the lead waste the huge amount of time invested in the project,
MARTYN designer of seminal title WipEout. “Sony’s message Sony’s president Norio Ohga ordered that development
BROWN about how powerful the PlayStation would be prior to would continue without the experience of Nintendo.
VIDEOGAME launch did enough to get gamers looking at them, even Ken Kutaragi who had begun his career in Sony’s » Cliff Bleszinski’s favourite ever
DEVELOPER AND though Sega’s Dreamcast also had 3D capabilities and digital research labs was given the task of designing PlayStation game is Jumping Flash.
CONSULTANT used discs too. Dreamcast was a good console but the machine, which Sony codenamed PSX.
“Back then it was all about the message was loud and clear: PlayStation was even Kutaragi pooled the resources of engineers who
3D and especially the T-Rex better. The message worked well.” had been working on a geometric computer graphics
demo that was doing the The story of the PlayStation’s origin has been well engine called System-G that was capable of real time
rounds – but we had our told. It’s an intriguing tale of two companies; Sony and 3D texture mapping for broadcasting networks. By
greatest PlayStation hit Nintendo striking a deal in 1988 to create a CD-ROM 1992 he had a prototype ready to show his bosses, but
with a 2D game: Worms.” add-on to the SNES that would use Nintendo “Super it wasn’t an easy ride for Kutaragi and his team. There » Pandemonium was an early
Discs”. Sony went further and added support for Video was much internal resistance to the idea, with platformer that used 2.5D.
20
19
18
18
17
17
16
SPYRO THE DRAGON
CRASH BANDICOOT
14
14
12
12
11
10
TOMB RAIDER
50,000,000
39,000,000
42,000,000
30,000,000
29,000,000
19,000,000
3,900,000
4,800,000
8,500,000
8,000,000
ODDWORLD
9
SILENT HILL
8
SUIKODEN
6
TENCHU
DRIVER
4
4
2
0
172
PLAYSTATION
DARREN FALCUS
MANAGING DIRECTOR OF
HIPPO ENTERTAINMENT
“The 3D technology and internal
structure meant that it was a much
easier technology to develop for.”
» That’s right, even the power button » PlayStation’s additional ports let Sony
managed to look sexy on Sony’s new console. add various peripherals to the console.
24
22
23
20
19
PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER
18
16
PARAPPA THE RAPPER
14
MEDAL OF HONOR
14
15
TWISTED METAL
12
GRAN TURISMO
SYPHON FILTER
RESIDENT EVIL
31,000,000
70,020,000
60,000,000
70,020,000
86,800,000
31,000,000
10
2,000,000
10
KING’S FIELD
10
8,000,000
2,200,000
8
600,000
MEDIEVIL
WIPEOUT
6
6
4
3
2
2
173
Sony still, overall, reluctant to become a player in the The components that made the magic happen
games industry. Yet Ohga’s anger at Nintendo was all
that was needed to overrule any doubts.
For Sony’s president, it was a case of winning at
all costs. He kept the project on track, agreed the
purchase of British development house Psygnosis (a
startling move, given Japan’s previous tendency to RAM
invest internally) and, with some refinement and a bit ■ The PlayStation packs a
of design prodding, the machine was geared up for whopping 2MB of RAM, which might
launch, first in Japan on 3 December 1994 and then in be next to nothing by today’s standards
September 1995 in North America and Europe (selling but it proved to be more than enough. An
for £299 in the UK). The console turned heads. “Two additional 4k data cache meant that lesser
words: dinosaur demo,” remembers Brian Baglow, commands could be handled elsewhere,
writer of the first Grand Theft Auto, of the 3D graphic freeing up a little more memory, while
display Sony had slapped on a disc for those who had 1MB of graphics RAM also exists
pre-ordered the console. “As soon as I saw the giant for visuals.
walking T-Rex, I was astonished and awed.”
But the dino demo wasn’t the only thing that stood
out. The PlayStation, which would – thanks to a small
redesign and relaunch in 2000 eventually become
DAVID DARLING
KWALEE CEO & FORMER CODEMASTERS BOSS
“It was the first proper 3D games console to gain
significant market share and [Sony was] very active
in supporting and encouraging developers. It was fun
making games with 3D models and polygons rather
than the 2D games we’d made for years on machines
like the Sega Mega Drive.”
LASER
■ Consoles are never
built using top-end tech and the
PlayStation was no exception. While
certainly fit for purpose, the disc-reading laser
used in its CD drive was the cause or some of
the most common hardware failures. It could
be replaced, but enterprising gamers often
instead resorted to the cheaper option of
balancing the console at all kinds of
precarious angles to make it
read discs.
» There was no doubting the significant role that the tomb-raiding Lara Croft
played in pushing Tomb Raider high in the charts.
174
PLAYSTATION
MOTOR CONTROLLER/
■ That satisfying whirring MEMORY CARD
sound when booting up a new SLOTS
game came from this x2 bad boy, ■ Four front-mounted slots allow for up to
capable of transferring data at 300kb per two controllers and a pair of memory cards.
second. After extended use, the motor could The controller ports are capable of relaying
wear out and result in disc read errors, information and commands from multiple
while overuse of the swap trick (to play controllers and not just one, as evidenced by
import games, naturally) could the existence of the Multitap. Despite the
weaken and break the existence of a second Memory Card
plastic spindle. slot, some games only allow
use of the first.
TRANSFORMER
■ Some consoles use external
transformers to keep both size and
heat down, but the PlayStation had it all
on-board which helps explain its size. Sony
was able to shrink the console down for
the PSone model in part by moving to an
external power transformer on the
plug lead rather than having it
in the box.
CPU CHARLIE
■ Rocking a 32-bit R3000A CHAPMAN
processor clocked at just over NET YAROZE
33MHz, the PS1 is capable of PROGRAMMER
rendering around 360,000 polygons per “There’s no doubt that the
second. It serves just as well for 2D move from cartridges to
games, mind, but few would deny a CD format reduced the
that 3D was what made this barriers to entry and led to
console so exciting. the release of more games
which perhaps wouldn’t
have made it before.”
175
The reasons PlayStation was such an important console
NIGHTCLUBS
■ Placing consoles running stylish and exciting PIRACY
games like WipEout in bars and nightclubs taught ■ What better way to hit the mainstream
an entire generation one very important lesson – than to have games available for free? With
games aren’t for kids any more, and there’s a lot the web in its infancy, blank discs constantly
more to gaming than you might have thought. falling in price and several simple solutions
for running unsigned code on PlayStation,
piracy was undeniably a huge part of the
PlayStation boom.
GAMES OF SUBSTANCE
■ With so much more storage space, it wasn’t
just visuals that could be more impressive –
worlds and mechanics could be far more intricate
than ever before. Only a handful of 16-bit games
lasted upwards of 20 hours, but PS1 RPGs would
commonly come in closer to 100 hours.
MATURE GAMES
■ The better graphics got, the
more developers were able to
use games to tell grown-up
stories and faithfully cover
topics that simpler visuals
perhaps wouldn’t do justice.
Between visuals, audio and
ADVERTS scale, we finally entered
■ It used to be that advertising agencies an era where games could
would target the same demographic as move and affect players on a
toy retailers when producing campaigns similar level to movies. This
for games. But by making interesting and more emotional connection to
original shorts that broke free from that, games meant that they could
Sony’s marketing proved to generate both be taken a lot more seriously
conversation and interest in the brand. as an entertainment medium.
NET YAROZE
■ The Net Yaroze provided students and
hobbyist programmers with a chance to
make PlayStation games, opening up the
traditionally closed console development
scene. A small community of bedroom
coders sprang up as a result.
3D GAMING
CD FORMAT NINTENDO/SEGA ■ Clever coding allowed 3D (or 3D-style)
■ It used to be that taking a few games around ■ A lot of Sony’s success came down to a visuals on some of the oldest hardware, but
to a friend’s house would involve lugging around fresh approach to gaming – its competitors it was the scale on which the PS1 hardware
a bag full of chunky cartridges. With the rise of had been butting heads for years, leading was capable of rendering 3D worlds and
disc-based media, one game case could hold a them to contest the same market. But environments that really blew us all away.
collection, plus the format also allowed for better this just allowed Sony’s new audience to Early polygon visuals haven’t aged well, but
audio quality than older hardware could manage. appreciate something new even more. it was so impressive at the time.
176
PLAYSTATION
» With the tunes from Parappa The Rapper staying with players forever, » With a gorgeous opening that showed the power of the » Although it was an below-average release,
little wonder it helped kickstart the whole rhythm-based genre. PlayStation and great moves, Tekken II was a revelation. Porsche Challenge didn’t half look good.
Sony shift 100,000 PlayStations on the first day in uelled by Namco’s racer, sped along by checklist, and this step in turn helped to develop a
Japan. Before long, impatient punters were splashing WipEout and propelled to a higher platform pretty solid barrier to entry from a quality perspective.
out £700 or more to import the console into Europe by Jumping Flash (which Cliff Bleszinski “I found the initial transition pretty painless,” he
and the US and the momentum began to build. Those says remains his favourite game), 3D says. “I’d been writing 3D engines since the late
3D capabilities were a major draw and suddenly became the PlayStation’s hallmark and it led to an Eighties, so I had a reasonable grasp of rendering
gaming began to look more mature, moving away insatiable demand for three-dimensional titles. Most pipelines – if anything, it was mind-numbing that it had
from the perception of kids playing in their darkened releases for the console were 3D (the occasional hardware that would draw textured and lit triangles
bedrooms to something trendy adults wanted to share Oddworld game aside) and the likes of Tekken and for me rather than having to obsess about every clock
while sitting on their sofa. Battle Arena Toshinden continued to feed cycle of a software triangle rasteriser. From a visual
“The PlayStation introduced the idea the appetite. effects perspective, it had proper, honest-to-goodness
of true 3D gaming to the living room and, This changed videogaming in another alpha blending which really helped up the ante for
beyond that, the mass market,” says Cliff way. Given that 3D was more complex, particle/trail/post effects.”
Bleszinski, whose first game The Palace larger development teams were needed. Despite the advancements, however, the
Of Deceit: Dragon’s Plight was released Programmers and artists who struggled mainstream press cast doubt on the companies that
in 1991. “The PlayStation shifted the to work with 3D found themselves were newly emerging to take a slice of the digital
console from having an almost toy-like floundering as the new way of presenting pie. In May 1995, the New York Times ran with the
quality into the consumer electronics that games became expected on all platforms, headline “Video Game War Looms In Hardware” and
are just as desired by 12-year-olds as and not just the PS1. “The switch to 3D it spoke of the challenge to be dominant in the $4
they are by 35-year-olds.”Key to this was was a ton of work and it required the billion videogame market by “introducing better, faster
getting developers on board and helping relearning of new skills,” laments one machines with 32-bit microprocessors that can deliver
them through the transition from 2D to MARTIN HOLLIS half of the Pickford Bros development three-dimensional graphics and quicker and more
3D. Before the PlayStation, creating 3D WORKED ON team, Ste Pickford, who designed a kids intricate action than the current 16-bit machines.”
on consoles was no easy task but the PC GOLDENEYE:007 cartoon game called DragonTales: Dragon Sony, the 3DO Company, and Sega were scorned
had shown the possibilities with Doom, “Sony cultivated the Seek. “The massive 512 MB CDs we for offering what were now seen to be comparatively
Wolfenstein and Descent. machine’s association with had to fill meant tons more graphics. expensive machines. “Nintendo of America and the
The SNES, for instance, had a Mode 7 music and club culture. It was more a feeling of ‘Aaargh!’ than Atari Corporation are producing machines that retain
playfield which allowed for some pseudo- Without this it is difficult being blown away.” the familiar cartridge format and sell for considerably
3D with games such as Mario Kart and to imagine Dance Dance Sony initially refused to grant concept less,” the piece continued, neglecting to focus on what
Pilotwings but it could only simulate a Revolution, SingStar, Guitar approval of any 2D game in its bid to was really important…
single flat-textured plane. “There were Hero, or Rock Band.” use the beauty of graphics to attract a
a handful of games using the SuperFX new breed of gamer. “It meant all game t was the CD-ROM drive that was so important
chip for SNES, which was a coprocessor developers had to make 3D games for Sony (which, after all, had invented the CD
that accelerated 3D rendering on the SNES, but it when we were all new to it. I think this sent games format in 1982 in collaboration with Philips)
wasn’t a fully featured GPU as found in the PS1, and backwards for a while because the PlayStation had and it was, as we saw, the entire reason the
it was quite limited,” explains Michael Troughton, power to burn for 2D stuff and there could have been company had got involved into the videogame industry
who worked on the Destruction Derby games for the some amazing 2D games as we all had the skills and in the first place. “Sony was our key partner when
PlayStation while at Reflections. tools to make them,” continues Ste. we were developing the first CD-ROM games on
“The consoles that were appearing weren’t making But as time went on developers gradually started to Genesis,” Tom Kalinske, the former CEO of Sega of
life any easier. Sega Saturn was a powerful machine pick up the skills. “I’ve definitely experienced the hard America tells us, “Back then, none of us knew how to
with 2 SH2 RISC CPUs and a number of dedicated work that comes with adapting game development develop on the optical disc media but we all thought
coprocessors to handle audio, video, sprites and to each new generation of consoles,” says Michiteru it could be great – the future for game machines.”
polygons but it was notoriously difficult to program Okabe who produced the art and graphics for It helped to lower the cost of game production,
for,” says Michael. “Programmers had little experience Armoured Core: Master Of Arena in 1999
with multi-processsing and it hindered them. The and has, more recently, been the producer on
PlayStation suddenly opened 3D up to a much Resident Evil Revelations 2. He recalls trying to JAMES RUTHERFORD
wider range of developers, with its custom graphics reuse textures to make a massive stage, NET YAROZE PROGRAMMER WHO LATER
processor and geometry engine in hardware. running out of memory and redesigning it all at WORKED ON STUNTMAN AND DRIV3R
“In fact, I remember thinking it was amazing that the last minute. “Net Yaroze added a whole new dimension to
the PS1 had the same CPU as the £5,000 Silicon Indeed, Paul Hughes, who was working the PlayStation and it was great to be able to
graphics workstation we were using to build the 3D for EA when the PlayStation was launched, create games on something that was current and
environments. Now almost any programmer with a tells of Sony’s excellent tools, documentation powerful. Having the games on a magazine cover
minimal amount of basic maths knowledge could and all-important development kit. Sony also disc was a major incentive for us.”
write a 3D game.” revolutionised the technical requirements
177
STEWART GILRAY
CEO OF JUST ADD WATER
“You’ll have to remember that 20 years ago games
simply didn’t do 3D at home, at least not as well as
the arcades did. So when we got our Japanese import
PlayStation at launch with Ridge Racer, we all sat around
with the joypad in our hands, loaded it up, and raced like
we were playing the arcade version. That blew us away.”
178
PLAYSTATION
x5 images © Evan-Amos
media rather than a MIDI track with less than stellar
instruments,” says Paul Hughes. “Everything about it But music and the PlayStation, in particular, went
just oozed quality – right from the boot-up sequence.” hand-in-hand. Developers started to experiment
PlayStation cemented CD soundtracks as the with audio, putting it at the heart of titles such as
standard throughout the industry. Until that point Vib-Ribbon and PaRappa The Rapper which led to Six of the best Sony
most gamers were content with the chip-music rhythm-based game crazes such as Dance Dance peripherals
that consoles offered, excellent as it was. “But after Revolution. They also tapped into the Nineties music
people started hearing tracks they recognised by the vibe of techno and house. The PlayStation ingratiated POCKETSTATION
Chemical Brothers and Leftfield in their games, chip- itself with the growing underground club culture and ■ Effectively a portable device
music became unacceptable really fast,” says Colin the sound of big names such as Orbital, Leftfield and akin to the Dreamcast’s VMU,
Anderson, who headed up the audio team at DMA The Future Sound Of London. PocketStation never saw the
Design from 1993 to 2000 before leaving to create In Liverpool, where WipEout was made, the light of day outside of Japan. Over
Denki, the world’s first digital toy company. emerging super-club Cream was positively surreal. 50 games supported this interesting
“It kicked off some sizeable investment in audio Bass pounded, strobes flashed, people danced and device, which plugged into the console
development as teams struggled to switch from chip- then, they stopped, they stared, they gravitated via the memory card port and had its own
music to full CD-quality soundtracks,” he continues. “I towards the PlayStation pods that had been placed LCD screen.
enjoyed a front row seat on that particular roller-coaster there, just as they had in dozens of other clubs up
as we were working on the audio design for the game and down the country, and they played. “We knew MEMORY CARD
that would eventually become Grand Theft Auto. something significant about gaming had changed,” ■ While cartridges sometimes allowed
When we started development we fully expected to continues Nick Burcombe, who now heads up Playrise game data to be saved to internal
be using chip-music, but within six months it became Digital. “It was pretty amazing really.” memory, the CD format offered no
clear we needed to up our game if we wanted to such luxury. Sony’s solution was
compete with all the other great games that were n London, New York, Tokyo and hundreds a proprietary storage solution – a
being released. WipEout was the straw that finally of cities in between, clubbers were relaxing 15-block 1MB memory card to which
helped me convince [boss] Dave Jones that DMA between DJ sets with a few rounds of Virtua game data could be saved.
needed its own music studio.” Fighter or WipEout, which was the first game
The PlayStation tapped into modern-day culture to incorporate licensed music. “PlayStation was MULTITAP
like no other games console had ever achieved bringing gaming out of the bedroom and into the ■ Two controller ports was enough
before, positioning itself in style mags and persuading mainstream in a way no other company had,” says for most games but to fully enjoy
celebrities to grab a joypad in the wake of videogames’ Colin. “That’s what changed gaming forever. It wasn’t something like Micro Machines
new cool status. (“I was getting carried away playing the hardware.” V3 (whose predecessor had
Tekken II and Tomb Raider for hours on end,” excused Aggressive infiltration of this kind, together with additional ports built into the
England goalkeeper David James when he conceded an approach to marketing that was wildly different to cartridge itself) or Bomberman,
three times against Newcastle in 1997.) much of what had gone before was repositioning you’d need more. Enter the Multitap.
GUNCON
■ Light gun arcade games were all
the rage around the time the PS1
DUALSHOCK 3 DUALSHOCK 4 rose to power, and this accessory,
■ As costs fell and tech improved, Sony was soon ■ The first full evolution in the life of the DualShock, originally released to allow Time
able to reintroduce rumble to the Sixaxis template the PS4 pad adds many new features. Sixaxis motion Crisis to be played at home, proved
and the DualShock 3 was born. It quickly superseded control remains, with a rear-mounted light bar allowing to be one of the most accurate home
its forerunner as the PS3 standard and Sixaxis was a camera to better place the handset for accuracy. It approximations of the arcade experience.
discontinued in mid-2008. also adds a touch pad and Options and Share keys.
GAMESHARK
■ Plugging into the console’s parallel
port, these cheat devices allowed
game code to be modified to
activate cheats, alter elements of
a game or even to access content
that wasn’t in the final build, including
additional scenes in Final Fantasy VII.
179
» WipEout was one of the
UK launch titles for the
PlayStation and it took both
the gaming and the wider
world by storm.
» As the sequel to
Flashback, the action-
adventure Fade To
Black only made it to the
PlayStation (and PC).
180
PLAYSTATION
fInAl fAntASy
JumPS ShIP
6 The only way for something
as epic as Square’s RPG series to
evolve was to go 3D and to go bigger,
a combination not possible on carts. don’t hAte the PlAyer, hAte the GAme Boy
With Nintendo still backing the old
format, Square had little choice, and it
was a huge coup for Sony.
12 Sony’s plan for Vita was simple – take on Nintendo’s handheld dominance by offering console-
quality games on the go. Despite huge Monster Hunter-fuelled success in Japan, neither PSP nor
Vita really managed to break the western market, but Sony still hasn’t given up trying just yet.
Sony GoeS It Alone
1 After talks with Nintendo to develop a
disc-based add-on for the SNES, Nintendo mArket AwAreneSS dVd reAdy PSn hAcked
shockingly revealed a partnership with Philips,
which ultimately came to nothing. Sony’s work
was not in vain, however – the groundwork for
7 Smart advertising made PlayStation the
coolest brand in gaming in the space of a few
relatively simple campaigns – Sony managed to
13 Choosing DVD as a primary format for
games was risky, but it also placed the PS2
among the most affordable DVD players available
17 In April 2011, Sony’s PSN network was
hacked and the details of around 77
million users compromised in the process. The
PlayStation had already been done. build the idea of gaming being something more during the format’s boom. Want a DVD player? downtime lasted for several weeks and while
than just a nerdy pastime in mere months. Might as well get one that plays games too... something of a disaster, it clearly taught Sony
some valuable lessons as it hasn’t fallen foul to a
ArcAde-Perfect PortS similarly devastating attack since.
JuSt dAnce
2 Flick through old magazines and you’ll find
the term ‘arcade perfect’ applied in so many
inaccurate ways. With Ridge Racer and the many 8 Cheap plastic dance mats are nothing
compared to the glorious coin-op stages PS PluS
coin-op ports that followed, though, it really was
true a lot of the time.
(assuming they work properly) upon which the
best perform, but bedroom pop stars didn’t care.
It just felt good to step on arrows.
18 With Microsoft hiding online play behind
a paywall, Sony played it smart – keep
online play free (at least on PS3) and instead
offer free games for recurring subscribers. The
cd cAPAcIty = model works, and even third-parties are getting
BIGGer GAmeS SwAP trIck leAP yeAr BlueS involved now.
Sony to sell it for less than the original console. It (including other modern
also did away with many popular piracy methods. major platform holders) loVInG the IndIeS
181
Sony’s PlayStation launch games are now two decades old. We were keen to see how they still fare…
NBA JAM:
TOURNAMENT EDITION
Visually, this isn’t too much of a jump up from the
previous generation, but as far as gameplay goes,
this still stands up today as a great game to play with
friends, even if I am still terrible at it even all these years
later… JON
182
PLAYSTATION
PATRICK BUCKLAND
CEO, STAINLESS GAMES
“I was actually involved with them pre-launch. Sony was determined
not to fall into the same trap as the CDi and the 3DO and try to be
everything to all men. They were clearly a games console through and
through, not a multimedia device. They also took the start that Sega
had made with the Mega Drive and made the PlayStation a games
console that you didn’t feel embarrassed of.”
183
Nintendo 64
» Manufacturer: Nintendo » Year: 1996
» cost: £249.99 (launch), £30+ (today)
hen home consoles were ready for the leap to Nintendo 64 Fact
W 3D gaming, the engineers at Silicon Graphics felt
that they had the right technology to make it work.
The company approached Sega with a console design,
but the company’s Japanese engineers were not convinced by the
product and opted for their own design, resulting in the complex and
■ the N64 is the only Nintendo console to have fallen to third place
within its generation in the Japanese market, having been outsold by
both the PlayStation and Saturn in that region.
184
NINTENDO 64
185
ESSENTIAL
GAME
Point Blank 2
While holding a gun might
automatically put you in mind of
military themes, we’d argue that
the G-Con 45 game you must
own is this collection of shooting
mini-games. Despite its family-
friendly comedic tone, the game is
an extremely diverse test of your
shooting skills. Whether you’re
trying to take out a moving target
with a single shot, attempting to
destroy a huge target with rapid
fire or even playing a gun-assisted
game of spot the difference, you’ll
have a whale of a time – and it’s
even better when played as a
party game, thanks to the two-
player support.
186
G-Con
45 Fact
■ Despite the availability of the
upgraded G-Con 2, some PS2
developers indulged in some
consumer-friendly behaviour by
supporting the original G-Con 45
in their games. Compatible games
include Endgame, Time Crisis II
and Vampire Night.
G-Con 45
» Platform: PlayStation » released: 1997 » Cost: £7 (unboxed) / £10 (boxed)
W
hen Time Crisis made its way to the PlayStation, Namco
decided that a gun was needed to support it – and boldly, it
also decided that the existing model introduced by Konami
just didn’t meet its requirements. The result was the creation
of a new peripheral, the G-Con 45 (or GunCon, outside of Europe) which
had a few new features over the old standard. For enhanced accuracy,
the gun hooked into the composite video signal of the console itself,
and two buttons mounted either side of the barrel allowed players to
perform secondary actions, such as hiding in Time Crisis.
Of course, the G-Con 45 wasn’t without its flaws. It wasn’t backwards
compatible with existing gun games such as Die Hard Trilogy, and
players who used RF or RGB SCART to hook up their consoles
often got home to find that they needed an extra adaptor to use the
peripheral at all. However, it received a good amount of support, as the
existing Konami standard was dropped and all new guns adopted the
Namco technology. For that reason it remains an essential PlayStation
peripheral , so long as you have the CRT TV necessary to run it.
187
EDITOR’S CHOICE
SoulCalibur
The sequel to Soul Blade had been an excellent
arcade fighting game, but it wasn’t arcade perfect
on the Dreamcast – it was better. The astonishing
visuals really showed off what the console could do,
and that was just the start of its charms. The game
featured a wide variety of unlockable characters,
stages and costumes earned through the Missions
Mode, and Cervantes De Leon returned from the
first game. It was one of the few Dreamcast games
to sell a million copies, and quite rightly, too – if you
like 3D fighting games, SoulCalibur is an essential
addition to your collection.
188
Dreamcast Fact
■ despite the dreamcast’s discontinuation in 2001, software support lasted
much longer – Sega’s last release arrived in 2004, the last official third-party
release was in 2007 and unofficial releases continue today.
Dreamcast
» Manufacturer: Sega » Year: 1998 » cost: £199 (launch), £20+ (today)
If your back’s up against the wall you need to pull off something
spectacular, and in hardware terms, Sega pulled that off with its successor
to the Saturn. The Dreamcast was everything its failed predecessor
hadn’t been – the sleek white box was aesthetically pleasing, the internal
hardware was both powerful and easy to develop for, and the price was
attractive. For PAL gamers, the capability to output a 60Hz signal brought
an end to years of second-rate releases. Multiplayer fans were well catered
for, too, with four controller ports and a built-in modem for online gaming
(so long as you were willing to pay the phone bill for dial-up access).
Thanks to its past woes, Sega didn’t have the financial ability to drop the
console’s price when it desperately needed to. This was compounded by a
lack of third-party support, the impending launch of the PlayStation 2 and
the discovery of an exploit which allowed easy piracy without a mod chip.
Dreamcast production ended in March 2001, and Sega left the console
hardware market. Machines are relatively easy to find today, though certain
faults are pretty common including random resets caused by power supply
problems, and controller port malfunctions due to faulty resistors.
189
Dance Mat
» PlatforM: PlayStation » releaseD: 2000
» Cost: £39.99 (launch, Packaged with Jungle Book: groove Party), £5+ (today)
onami’s introduction of the Dancing mat controllers were also compatible with
190
DANCE MAT
ESSENTIAL GAME
Dancing Stage Party Edition
Dancing Stage Euromix probably has the most nostalgic appeal, but this
2002 release has a bigger song list (a whopping 51 tracks!) and we’d argue
that it’s better. The game includes remixes such as Afronova Primeval, new
Konami tracks such as Drop Out and
Holic, and five licensed tracks including
Bad Touch by The Bloodhound Gang
and The Cardigans’ My Favourite Game.
Additionally, quite a few of the tracks are
returning fan favourites from Euromix,
such as Dead End, Dynamite Rave and
Paranoia. There’s also a bit more lasting
appeal, thanks to the fact that you unlock
songs as you play.
191
PlayStation 2
he PlayStation 2’s launch was
» Manufacturer: Sony » Year: 2000
» cost: £300 (launch), £15+ (today)
T accompanied by an unprecedented
wave of hype, and it would ultimately
go on to become the best-selling
console ever. Though great games were slow
to arrive, in part due to the difficulty of working
the logo on the motorised disc tray could be rotated
to match. Disappointingly, the system offered only
two control ports at a time when its competitors
had four, however it also included two USB ports
for peripherals and a FireWire port for linked play, as
with its complex custom Emotion Engine CPU well as a PCMCIA expansion slot for a hard disk and
and Graphics Synthesizer GPU, the console’s network adapter. DVD movie playback was also a
overwhelming commercial dominance ensured standout feature, bolstering the system’s popularity.
that it gained an enormous and diverse library with The hardware was produced in a variety of colours
many high quality games. and underwent a number of revisions over the
The black, boxy design of the hardware was years, replacing the PCMCIA slot with an expansion
considered to be something of an Eighties throwback, bay, losing the FireWire port and gaining an infrared
but it was unique and forward-thinking in that it was receiver for remote controls.
192
Playstation 2 Fact
■ In design terms, the PlayStation 2 owes a debt to the unreleased atari Microbox,
a computer that could stand vertically or horizontally and looked like two conjoined
boxes. atari’s design is actually referenced in Sony’s patent applications for the PS2.
193
EDITOR’S CHOICE
Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising
Turn-based strategy might not seem like the best fit for a handheld console,
but Intelligent Systems’ intuitive take on the genre is perfectly suited for
gaming on the go – each action is quick and it’s possible to save at any
point. To be honest, though,
this isn’t a game to take on the
bus – it’s the kind you take to
bed to finish a mission, only
to realise that you’re still up at
three o’clock in the morning and
work tomorrow is going to suck.
Both Advance Wars games are
great, but we slightly prefer the
expanded and refined sequel.
194
Game Boy Advance
» Manufacturer: Nintendo » Year: 2001 » cost: £89.99 (launch), £12+ (today)
hen Nintendo dropped the Game Boy capabilities. It was backwards compatible with the
195
I N S I D E T H E
MICROSOFT
MAESTROS
The developers who dared to
think outside the box
SEAMUS ED FRIES
BLACKLEY VP of Games Publishing,
Xbox CTO Microsoft Game Studios
196
XBOX
197
was going to do.” The only problem for Seamus
was the PC platform itself. “I’d been making PC
games at that point for many years. You have to
When it was looking bad, people called it
pander to the lowest common denominator, so ‘Coffin Box’ - Your career’s in the coffin if you
you can never make a game that actually uses the
full performance of any of these things, whereas work on that!
on console you can because obviously you’ve got Seamus Blackley
a single hardware target.”
The appeal of a single platform was somewhat up a plan for a “DirectX Box” console. “Our entire for about four years to grow Microsoft’s game
rooted in Seamus’ recent development history. goal was to make a box for developers, because business on the PC and we had done well there,
“I had nothing to lose but I was also passionate, we were all developers,” Seamus explains. so we were just starting to think about how we
because I had this titanic and horrible failure with could grow more and faster. That involved thinking
the game Trespasser,” notes Seamus. The Jurassic ather than using the custom about getting into the console world, where we
Park tie-in was ambitious – its environments,
physics engine and rendering techniques were far
beyond what most games had to offer in 1998, but
it was shoved out of the door early and required
a monstrously powerful PC to run acceptably.
R components of its competitors, the team
chose to employ largely off-the-shelf PC
parts in the hardware design. “At that
time, everybody made games on the PC. All the
PlayStation games – even Nintendo, the PC was
hadn’t really done anything yet. So that was what
was in my head when the guys from the DirectX
team first walked into my office and proposed the
original Xbox.” Ed would soon find himself as part
of that team, managing Microsoft’s internal Xbox
Together with fellow DirectX engineers Kevin the development platform. They would have a software development efforts, and after launch he
Bachus, Ted Hase and Otto Berkes, Seamus drew target, and then they would compile it for this became responsible for third-party relations, too.
other platform, because the PC had all the tools,” Selling the Xbox vision was easier said than
explains Seamus, explaining the philosophy done, in part because the Xbox as a consumer
behind this choice. “So the basic, simple entertainment device didn’t fit the company
thought is why don’t we just have the target culture of selling business software. “One of the
platform also employ that architecture? Then huge problems we had was that we were at the
it’s super trivial and nothing gets in your way. Windows company,” Seamus explains. “We said,
If we can do that, then we should have a huge ‘Hey, we want to make this games console,’ and
advantage in making better content, and in a every Microsoft guy who had been steeped in
content business that’s the win.” operating systems said, ‘Oh yes, Windows for
To get that content, the DirectX team would the living room – it’ll run Windows and we can
have to work with Microsoft’s established gaming upgrade it,’ and we would freak out and say, ‘No,
division. “I’m someone who loves games, and it’s fixed, that’s not how this business works.’ We
I had left the Office side of the company to run had to explain to them that the console business
Microsoft’s game business because of that,” was a business in which you sold content, and
» Instead of porting PC properties, existing Microsoft developers like
remembers Ed Fries, former vice president of made money from the content, not from the
FASA Studio worked on new games, like Crimson Skies. game publishing at Microsoft. “I had worked operating system.” Seamus and the Xbox team
would have to fight an uphill battle against
corporate caution, and soon learned that the best
way to fight it was to make out that there was no
battle at all. “There were a lot of people who said
it should be Windows for the living room, and we
surfed on that – we let people believe that because
it helped us. Members of our tiny little rogue tribe,
we understood that the end result was going to
have to be no operating system.”
While an internal political battle is no surprise,
what comes as a shock is that despite being aware
of the company’s power and resources, the games
industry was also sceptical of Microsoft’s chances
Xbox, as
Gates, seen here unveiling the
» Seamus Blackley credits Bill ole.
supporter of the cons
being a key internal
R
together and getting the project underway. To win the art team were working on characters and art styles that
other people wanted to have their say, contract, not only did it need to be a great compelling would bind everything together coherently. They took
and the Xbox team found itself fending game, we had to agree to have the game mastered by inspiration from the skaters and boarders scene and
off attempts to turn the project into the end of August 2001. Microsoft assured us things then we decided to give it a strong futuristic sport arena
Web TV, a tablet and other such things that would move fast from their side and so we immediately look, taking inspiration from films like Blade Runner
were closer to Microsoft’s comfort zone – as put developers on making minigames, as we only had and The Running Man. We worked with JD Alley, the
well as attempts to kill it stone dead. “When it ten months of development time. Microsoft Art Consultant to finalise the style.
was looking bad, people called it ‘Coffin Box’,”
remembers Seamus. “Your career’s in the coffin if how did you come up with the minigames how did you feel about Fuzion Frenzy’s
you work on that! People would say this to me and found in Fuzion Frenzy? sales and critical reception?
I’d say ‘No, it’s going to succeed’ and then I’d drive andrew: We had a team of about 35 people on the andrew: I think the reception and sales, around half
home crying.” game and split them into three subteams. Within these a million copies for the opening selling quarter, were
What ultimately kept the project from failing subteams we paired artists with programmers and each all pretty reasonable and justified. Obviously, we’d
was the support of the company’s old guard, from had to create a prototype game a week for the first two hoped for more, but the small install base, and cost
the early Windows days. “A few people who were months. Then, working with our Microsoft Producer, of additional controllers limited its potential. The
around from that era, and remembered what it Gordon Hee, we picked the ones that were working development team continued development with Fuzion
was like, were reminded of it by what we were best and dropped those that looked problematic or just Frenzy 2 with online play, as we knew that in the new
weren’t fun. The next phase was to work up the chosen year Microsoft would be launching the Live service
prototypes to more polished games, with depth, AI and Fuzion Frenzy would make an obvious launch title
and fitting the chosen art style. It was massive parallel for the service. Sadly, slow sales on the original boxed
version meant they halted development of this version.
Later, sales continued to rise and over a million
copies were sold. We were in constant contact with our
producer and we convinced them it was worth making
a sequel. However, due to internal politics at Microsoft,
whilst they agreed to a sequel, they put the game out to
tender and we had to bid competitively to win the rights
to develop it. Hudson Soft was chosen as the developer
of the sequel and they used a lot of our concepts.
We are extremely proud of Fuzion Frenzy and the
team that built it. Those ten months were a pretty
» Rare utilised the power of Xbox to make Conker look fluffier than intensive time for all involved, but it was fun to develop
ever before. and we so pleased that so many people found it fun to
» As of the 7 November 2018 launch of the Xbox One X, Fuzion Frenzy is
now backwards compatible on the Xbox One. play and still fondly remember it.
199
BAHRUGNATIN
» Knights Of The Old Republic was a big exclusive draw for Star Wars
ectIon
collar off thesae flyI
st t, check---------- out… doing with Xbox and helped us out,” Seamus
recalls. “Chief amongst them was Bill Gates, but
-----
-------------- ......... £0 also Rick Rashid who ran Microsoft Research and
.50 Rick Thompson who ran the hardware group, and
Amped............. boarding game, featuring free
-roaming
many, many others who loved the spirit of the
thing, and backed us up politically in ways that I
■ This is an enjoyable snow in the decade.
l later
action that wouldn’t become commonplace unti didn’t even understand that we needed.”
After getting the green light, Ed had less than
CH NIk:
RoIC ofpe
ClesesCA two years to put together a launch line-up. As
well as commissioning games from respected
0
fRom BUTCHeR BAy...... £1.0
RIdd
nture is a fantastic prison brea
k tale, which
external studios, Microsoft employed what Ed
calls an “all hands on deck” approach to game
■ This first-person adve y brutal brawls.
the shadows and enjo development internally. The teams that had been
allows you to both attack from
responsible for the company’s successes in PC
0
deAd oR AlIve 3 ....... £0.5
game boasts phenomenal
graphics and
gaming were involved, but for various reasons
didn’t bring the old properties across. “It didn’t
■ This fast-paced fighting really make sense to take Flight Simulator over, but
sh your opponents through.
multi-tiered arenas to sma it was certainly considered at times,” Ed recalls.
“The guys at Ensemble Studios looked at Age Of
fA Ble: lo..sT
TH..e.... ..........£0.50 Empires and had multiple Xbox prototypes that
CH Ap TeRs RPG has even they were developing, but none of those ended
■ This Classics version
of the ambitious Lionhead up turning into something real. The FASA group
the orig inal, with extra areas, quests and more.
more content than had a lot of contributions, Crimson Skies is a
0
HAlo: ComBAT evolved.. £0.5single-handedly propelled
the Xbox to
well-loved original Xbox game, and that came out
of a PC game that the group had developed a few
years earlier.” While not a conscious choice, this
■ The FPS which almost
hase for this craz y price.
success is an essential purc ultimately gave the Xbox an identity distinct from
0 Microsoft’s PC gaming heritage.
HAlo 2 .................... £0.5
x game ever! For this price,
you might as
For all of the gaming expertise that already
existed within Microsoft, the team that would
■ It’s the bestselling Xbo party going.
a good old fashioned LAN ultimately make the biggest impact was a new
well buy four copies and get
acquisition, Bungie. The team had a good
0
NINjA GAIdeN............ £1.0
revival of Tecmo’s classic fran
chise is a fast,
reputation from the Marathon and Myth games,
pRoj eC T2.Go
..TH..Am
.. ...........£0.50
RA CING el occupies the middle grou
nd between
■ Bizarre Creations’ sequ
core simulation.
arcade excitement and hard
ToTAl.......... .00
200
XBOX
As far as Bungie goes, I definitely bet a DVD drive. The machine also included an 8GB
hard disk – a first in console gaming. This was
everything on Halo… All I was going to get a big advantage, as former Bizarre Creations
programmer Stephen Cakebread explains: “The
was the team and Halo HDD was faster than a DVD, so if you copied files
from the DVD to the HDD you could load them
Ed Fries much faster next time around, with the additional
bonus that you could load from both the HDD
but had hit financial trouble and was up for sale. This was the biggest goal for the system, and and DVD at the same time! (eg, loading levels
“As far as Bungie goes, I definitely bet everything by all accounts the team delivered on this front. from one and streaming music from the other).”
on Halo,” says Ed. “I had to do a deal with Chris Sutherland was at Rare as the company Overall, the Xbox had the specification of a
[minority Bungie owners] Take-Two, and basically transitioned from GameCube to Xbox, and decent PC of the time (which still would have cost
the way we put the deal together was they got the remembers the move being relatively painless. twice as much as an Xbox on launch), but as the
back catalogue, all the old work and brands from “As you’d expect with Microsoft, there was plenty Xbox wasn’t burdened with the task of running
the past, and all I was going to get was the team of documentation so it wasn’t too tough to move Windows and its developers didn’t have to worry
and Halo.” The promising first-person shooter over,” the programmer recalls. Former Bizarre about supporting lesser systems, its gaming
had already been revealed for PC and Mac, but Creations developer Stephen Cakebread was also performance was astonishing.
Microsoft decided it’d be a great Xbox exclusive. impressed with the developer support, particularly When the press finally got their hands on the
when it came to tools. “They were a significant Xbox, reception was broadly positive though
id I know then that Halo would be the step up from the tools on other platforms, and there were some reservations about the console’s
looked at Halo and thought it looked like a PC a big win for the team, and one which Seamus
game, they thought it wasn’t colourful enough, considers to be a signature achievement for the
the characters weren’t cartoony enough. There platform. “Sony and Nintendo got away with
was a nagging feeling that because we had come treating their developers terribly,” he says of the
from a PC heritage, that this was the game that pre-Xbox years. “The thing that I’m most proud of,
appealed to us, but it wouldn’t to the regular that I think everybody can be most proud of, was
console audience.” Knowing that the office that Sony suddenly had to do developer support.”
favourite might not be universally appealing, the It also didn’t hurt that as a piece of hardware,
team made sure to back a safer bet too. “At the the Xbox was a beast. The system packed a
same time we were working with Lorne Lanning, 733MHz Intel Pentium III CPU, a custom Nvidia
who is a super talented guy with his Oddworld GeForce 3-based GPU, 64MB shared RAM and
franchise which had been proven successful on
the PlayStation,” Ed explains. “That was another
game we were excited about, so we launched Xbox at the Virgin
sells the UK’s first
both games with a pretty similar amount of » Richard Branson Megastore on Oxf
ord Street.
marketing support.”
What helped every team
was that the system was
easy to work with.
201
I think the improved
Q&a: MARTYN CHUDLEY environment for
The man in charge of the Project Gotham Racing series
remembers the start of the series developers is what
what did the Xbox offer over the made the most
competition in terms of performance?
what was it like to code on? difference
The Xbox was a dream to develop for. The PS2 was Seamus Blackley
crazy powerful for the time, but you had to work so
hard to get access to that power – with the Xbox, it was the naysayers and doom merchants who
all abstracted, allowing our coders to get far more of have ignorantly dismissed Xbox out-of-hand,”
the raw power with much less effort. We also had a opined Edge after taking delivery of the finished
stable development environment through Microsoft’s product. “It’s expensive, corpulent and the
pre-existing Windows development tools. We (Bizarre) joypads aren’t entirely ergonomic – but by the
also had direct access to the Microsoft guys and gals gods is it powerful.” What’s more, the software
who were 100 per cent responsible for the hardware accompanying the machine delivered. In particular,
and software, so this support was amazing. » Project Gotham Racing was warmly received on its debut, netting 8/10 Halo was hailed as “the most important launch
scores from Edge, Game Informer and Eurogamer. game for any console, ever” by Edge and received
how did your exclusivity deal on Project the magazine’s fourth 10/10 score. Other reviewers
Gotham Racing come about? how did you end up choosing the four city were similarly impressed, as evidenced by its
The deal for PGR came about as a result of Sarah (my locations you went with? score of 97 on review aggregator Metacritic.
other half) and Brian (Woodhouse – our Development The original locations (San Francisco, London and
he first territory to receive the system was
T
Director) doing a pitch to Microsoft for an ‘F1-style Tokyo) were chosen in conjunction with Sega as they
game in cities’, as way of a follow up to Metropolis were absolutely iconic, fit the key console territories North America, on 15 November 2001.
Street Racer. We ‘knew’ at that point that Dreamcast and were all visually (and layout-wise) unique. Propelled by the popularity of Bungie’s
was effectively dead and that Sega would be going to New York was, again, chosen for its worldwide Halo and demand generated as a natural
become a multiplatform publisher, but they refused recognisability and also it was relatively easy for us to result of the holiday season, the Xbox sold an
to acknowledge this to us. Ideally, we would have perform the research trips. In fact the cover art of the impressive 1.5 million units in the region before
taken MSR to both PS2 and Xbox with Sega, but they game was to feature the Ferrari F50 in front of the Twin the end of the year. It was an encouraging start
just couldn’t admit their situation to us in time for us Towers, but due to the catastrophic events of 9/11 we for a system that had faced so much scepticism,
to recoup some of our losses. Upon doing the ‘F1-ish’ had long discussions with Microsoft about whether to and North America would remain the console’s
pitch, the chaps at Microsoft saw a near-complete demo keep (as a tribute) or remove the towers from the game stronghold for the duration of its lifetime – for
version of MSR and simply said, ‘Why not give us that?’ (which we eventually did). every Xbox sold in the rest of the world, Microsoft
Upon examining our contract with Sega it transpired sold two on its home continent.
that we (Bizarre) owned all the code and data, whereas what improvements did Project However, things weren’t nearly so rosy in Japan.
Sega just owned the IP – essentially just the name Gotham Racing make over Metropolis Microsoft brought 250,000 consoles into the
Metropolis Street Racer. This meant that we could do a Street Racer? country for launch, and attracted some very high
‘homage’ game, using all of the cities and any new cars As far as I can remember, the biggest improvements profile Japanese developers. Tecmo jumped in
that Microsoft would license, just as long as we didn’t over MSR included the addition of New York, and higher with both feet and provided some great exclusive
call it Metropolis Street Racer! ‘perceived value’ cars – Ferrarri, TVR etc. Ultimately,
the game was a complete rewrite from the Dreamcast
was there much stress getting the game code – everything, not just the engine. Physics,
ready for launch? gameplay, UI, you name it. From a technical perspective
Oh yeah – it was mega stressful for the entire Xbox gave us an order of magnitude more polygons (in
production. We basically had well under 12 months the cars at least, the cities were just upscaled where
from start to finish. Our original plans for development it made most sense given our time pressures), shader
started at the tail end of 2000, targeting console release effects (mainly reflections in both car rendering and
of November 2001. This was a stupidly tight schedule circuit, and improved weather) and a doubling of the
given that we were doing a complete code rewrite, framerate to 60fps. I think we also made a conscious
remodel of all the cars, had to hire new staff, working effort to make the game more ‘mainstream’ than what
with a brand-new set of production people and to cap we perceived as a pretty hardcore MSR experience.
it all had multiple revisions of (usually underpowered)
preproduction hardware and libraries to aim at. why do you think Microsoft have never
created a fifth game?
I’m guessing that basically Microsoft felt they could
cover all bases with both the Forza and Forza Horizon
brands – they didn’t need a PGR hanging around in
between, not quite a simulator, not quite an arcade
experience. I think that if we had stayed with Microsoft
(and not been acquired by Activision) then a PGR5 could
have happened, but alas it was not to be…
Finally, on a personal note I’d like to add that PGR
couldn’t have happened without our coder Edmund
Clay, who sadly passed away in 2013. Edmund joined
us to work on PGR, and I don’t think there was an area
of the game that he didn’t touch – physics, rendering,
» We’re hoping that PGR will be announced as a supported title on the
Xbox One’s backward compatibility list. AI, shaders - you name it, he was a massive influence.
202
XBOX
203
November 2004, the service was extended to
include downloadable game distribution via the
new Xbox Live Arcade service, which allowed
If I had really known how powerful
players to buy small, download-exclusive games Sony and Nintendo were, I would have probably
such as Bejeweled and Ms Pac-Man for relatively
low prices. As it arrived late in the life of the Xbox, given up and there wouldn’t be an Xbox
this was a relatively short-lived service that hosted Seamus Blackley
less than 30 games in total.
While players looking for online console connection to whatever room you had your (some weeks after its original 15 April termination
gaming were undoubtedly best served by gaming system setup in was a big ask for a lot of date, thanks to some dedicated Halo 2 players).
Microsoft, it’s worth remembering that those people, while Wi-Fi is ubiquitous now.”
customers were still a relatively small market – By 2004, the Xbox had gone from office or all of Microsoft’s clout as a company,
Xbox Live picked up a million subscribers by July
2004 and doubled that to 2 million by July 2005,
but take-up of the service was never beyond ten
per cent of the total Xbox user base at any given
time. “I think Xbox Live truly took off with the
punchline to legitimate knockout artist. The
enormously popular Grand Theft Auto games
made their way to the platform, as did Konami’s
Pro Evolution Soccer. EA launched its first Xbox
Live compatible sports games, and in November,
F and its considerable financial expenditure,
the Xbox could only manage second
place in its generation. “If I had really
known how powerful Sony and Nintendo were, I
would have probably given up and there wouldn’t
360,” says Stephen, who points to the technical Halo 2 became the biggest entertainment launch be an Xbox,” admits Seamus. 24 million Xbox
limitations of the era. “Having a wired internet of all time. But despite its successes, the Xbox consoles were sold, scraping ahead of Nintendo’s
was not a tremendously long-lived console. On GameCube by just over 2 million units but falling
12 May 2005, just three-and a-half years after the massively short of the 155 million PlayStation 2
Xbox had initially gone on sale, Microsoft unveiled consoles that Sony sold. However, Microsoft
the next-generation Xbox 360 for release later gained many positive things from the original
that year. On the same day, Nvidia announced Xbox. It successfully established itself as a major
that Microsoft had ceased orders for the Xbox player in the console market, building consumer
GPU and wouldn’t be taking any more after 1 recognition and developer relationships that would
August – effectively shutting down production of pay dividends for the Xbox 360. What’s more, the
the original console for good. Xbox owners would Xbox allowed Microsoft to influence the wider
still enjoy a full slate of games into 2006 thanks console market, as the console shaped the future
to third party publishers, but releases dropped development of games consoles on a technical
off following that year’s holiday season, with just level. Every major console released since the Xbox
a handful of licensed games and annual sports has included some form of mass storage, built-in
updates arriving in 2007. The last Xbox game to broadband internet support and support for
» Dead Or Alive 3 looked absolutely astonishing in 2001, and holds up be released was Madden NFL 09, in August 2008, downloadable software.
well today. and original Xbox Live shut down on 10 May 2010 If you missed out on the system first time
around, now is a great time to catch up as the
Xbox is possibly the best value platform in retro
gaming right now. Very few games are anywhere
near their original price, and most are ridiculously
cheap – even the very best on the platform.
Original hardware isn’t too hard to come by,
and if you’re stuck for that the Xbox 360 will run
certain games (be sure to check before you buy).
Microsoft has also announced plans for original
Xbox backwards compatibility on the Xbox One.
Looking back at the impact of the Xbox, Chris
feels it comes down to the skills transferred
from Microsoft’s other business. “This was
really Microsoft’s first sizeable foray into gaming
» Big new Western gaming franchises, such as Splinter Cell, got their
big break on Xbox.
204
XBOX
SPECS BOX
Take a look at how the guts of the Xbox compared to other machines of its era
danced together to
her giant robot buddy
» In 2000, Raven and introduce the Xbox to
the world.
205
Steel
Battalion
Controller fact
■ There are two versions of Capcom’s
controller. The original game features
green buttons, while the Line Of
Contact version sports
blue ones.
Steel Battalion
Controller e wonder when the alarm bells started
» Platform: XboX
» releaSed: 2002
» CoSt: £129.99 (launch), £150+ (Today)
it’s arguably the one that makes you most feel
206
STEEL BATTALION CONTROLLER
207
Discover the
origins of all
your favourite
characters
Expert strategy
guides full of top
tips to improve
your gaming
Rediscover
some of the
greatest movies
ever made
Choose from over 80 magazines and make great savings off the store price!
Binders, books and back issues also available
Simply visit www.magazinesdirect.com
No hidden costs Shipping included in all prices We deliver to over 100 countries Secure online payment
ULTIMATE
RETRO
HARDWARE
GUIDE
DEVELOPERS CELEBRATE THE
GREATEST GAMES MACHINES OF
ALL TIME, FROM THE HUMBLE
SPECTRUM AND ATARI 2600 TO THE
ORIGINAL PLAYSTATION AND XBOX.
LEARN ABOUT THE SYSTEMS THAT
9021
S YSTE M S H A R D WA R E ICONIC
C E L E B R AT E D H E AV E N PERIPHER ALS