Retro Gamer

Retro Gamer is the only magazine in the UK that’s fully dedicated to the halcyon days of classic gaming. If you’ve ever fondly blasted away at the Bydo Empire in R-Type, swung Bowser by the tail in Super Mario 64, or navigated all 20 levels of Matthew Smith’s Manic Miner, then this is the magazine for you. Created by a dedicated team of experts, Retro Gamer’s mission is to deliver constantly engaging and passionately written articles that cover a wide range of subjects. We offer our readership in-depth looks at classic games and franchises, behind-the-scenes glimpses of the software houses from yesteryear, and one-on-one exclusive interviews with industry veterans such as Archer Maclean and Hideo Kojima. Stylish, entertaining and beautifully presented, Retro Gamer is the ultimate guide to videogaming’s rich and diverse history.

THE RETROBATES • WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE LIGHTGUN GAME?

LOADING…

VERY SMALL VECTREX • David Oghia tells all about the upcoming mini console

BILLY HUDSON PASSES

The Bat Man of Best Buy

YOU CAN’T SPELL DEAL WITHOUT EA • THE GIANT PUBLISHER HAS BEEN ACQUIRED FOR $55 BILLION

Misery guts

A link to the past

Ratcheteer DX • Shaun Inman on converting a Playdate hit to Steam

NEWS MAY 2009 • MAY 2009 – A lack of hot releases suggests that the summer slump has started early this year, but Wii owners have a crowning moment and the other notable games are criminally good. Nick Thorpe returns to the past once more, and wants to stay

THE LATEST NEWS FROM MAY 2009

THIS MONTH IN…

CHARTS • MAY 2009

Atlantis • SO THAT’S WHY ATLANTIS SUNK

THE EVOLUTION OF BANjO-KAZOOiE • THE FINAL ITERATION OF RARE’S PROJECT DREAM, BANJO-KAZOOIE BECAME A BEST-SELLER THAT RECEIVED MULTIPLE FOLLOW-UPS. BANJO CREATORS CHRIS SUTHERLAND, ED BRYAN, GAVIN HOOD, GARY RICHARDS AND STEVE MALPASS EXPLAIN HOW THE SERIES EVOLVED

INTERVIEWEES

STAGES OF EVOLUTION: THE STOP ‘N’ SWOP SAGA • CHRIS SUTHERLAND RECALLS BANJO’S UNUSED N64 TECH TRICK

STAGES OF EVOLUTION: CRAZY CHRONOLOGY • GAVIN HOOD ON WHY GRUNTY’S REVENGE WAS ITS PREDECESSOR’S PREQUEL

STAGES OF EVOLUTION: CHARACTER BUILDING • Q&A WITH BANJO CHARACTER DESIGNER/ANIMATOR ED BRYAN

STAGES OF EVOLUTION: LOST LEVEL • DESIGNER STEVE MALPASS ON NUTS & BOLTS’ CUT STAGE

STAGES OF EVOLUTION: SPIRITUAL SUCCESSORS • CHRIS SUTHERLAND ON THE BANJO-INSPIRED YOOKA-LAYLEE TITLES

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AND ENJOY GREAT SAVINGS!

8-BIT JOBS • THIS MONTH SEES US LOOKING AT A NUMBER OF JOB-BASED ROLES YOU COULD PLAY ON 8-BIT HOME COMPUTERS. HOW MANY DID YOU GET TO EXPERIENCE?

THE MAKING OF MAGICLAND DIZZY • THERE WASN’T ENOUGH TIME FOR THE ORIGINAL CREATORS OF THE DIZZY SERIES TO HAVE A FOURTH CRACK AT PRODUCING A NEW DIZZY ADVENTURE FOR HOME COMPUTERS. BUT WITH THE BATON PASSED TO A NEW DEVELOPMENT TEAM, ANOTHER CRACKING QUEST EMERGED

DIZZY’S EGGS-TRA ADVENTURE • SPECCY FANS NEEDN’T PLUNGE STRAIGHT INTO MAGICLAND DIZZY

CONVERSION CAPERS • FEW MAGICLAND DIZZY BOUNCED ONTO A PLATFORMS

Mission Impossibubble • THE NAME GAME

The Great Escape • IT’S 1942 AND HALF-TIME IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR, WITH THE ALLIES AND AXIS POWERS LOCKED IN A BRUTAL CONFLICT. FOR YOU, THOUGH, THE WAR IS OVER. OR IS IT? JOIN RETRO GAMER AS WE DIG INTO OCEAN’S MAGNIFICENT WARTIME ADVENTURE, THE GREAT ESCAPE

Conversion Capers • A PEEK THROUGH THE BARBED WIRE OF EACH GREAT ESCAPE

Developer Q+A • RETRO GAMER DODGES THE COMMANDANT TO TALK TO DAVE THOMAS, DISASSEMBLER AND REMAKER OF THE GREAT ESCAPE

Papers Please • RETRO GAMER’S GUIDE TO A SUCCESSFUL ESCAPE

What Is It Good For? • RETRO GAMER’S OTHER FAVOURITE ZX SPECTRUM...