Table Of Content

This issue of Classic Gamer Magazine is freely distributable under a Creative Commons license, but we suggest that you pay what it is worth to you. Click the PayPal link above, or send payment to [email protected]. Thanks for your support. Classic Gamer Magazine Vol. 3, Issue #1 Editor-in-Chief Chris Cavanaugh Managing Editors Scott Marriott Skyler Miller Layout and Design Skyler Miller Contributors Mark Androvich Chris Brown Jason Buchanan Chris Cavanaugh Scott Marriott Skyler Miller Evan Phelps Kyle Snyder Jonathan Sutyak Brett Weiss Contact Information feedback@classic gamer.com Products, logos, screenshots, etc. named in these pages are tradenames or trademarks of their respective companies. Any use of copyrighted material is covered under the "fair use" doctrine. Classic Gamer Magazine and its staff are not affiliated with the companies or products covered. -2- contents 24 Cover Story: The Pac-Man Legacy 4 Staff 5 Classic Gaming Expo 2010 6 Nintendo @ E3 7 Batter Up! A Visual History of NES Baseball 8 Super NES vs. Sega Genesis 13 Bringing the Past Back to Life 16 It's War! Classics vs. Remakes 18 Five Atari 2600 Games Worse Than E.T. 21 Podcast Review: RetroGaming Roundup 23 Revenge of the Birds 34 Shovelware Alert! Astro Invaders 35 Pixel Memories 39 Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands 41 Arcade ... To Go 46 Another Trip Inside Haunted House 47 3D Dot Game Heroes Review 49 What's New in Arcades? 51 Words from the Weiss 54 Scott Pilgrim vs. CGM 56 Happy Birthday Pac-Man! -3- staff Mark Androvichhaswrittenover13videogamestrategyguides, beenacontributortoHardcoreMagazine,reviewswriterandeditor forPSE2Magazine,andthefirstU.S.editorforGameindustry.biz. Christopher Brownlearnedtowriteatapproximatelythesame timehelearnedtoplayvideogames,andhehasenjoyeddoingbothforthelast25years.Hereceived abachelor'sdegreeinjournalismfromEasternMichiganUniversityin2002,andsince2007has workedasafull-timewriterandeditoratAllgame.com,wherehehascontributedmorethan2,000 originalreviewsanddescriptions.BrownhasalsocontributedtoVideoGameCollectormagazine, donefreelancetravelwriting,andwrittenforDetroit-areasportsmagazinesandblogs. Jason Buchananisadie-hardhorrormoviegeekwhosefirstvideogamesystemwastheAtari 2600.He’samemberoftheDetroitFilmCriticsSociety,andafull-timewriterforAllmovie.comand TVGuide.com.He'salsocontributednumerousreviewstoAllmusic.comandAllgame.com. In additiontoworkinginfreelancetelevisionproductionforoveradecade,herecentlyfinishedhisfirst independentfeatureentitledTrueExtremes. HelikesOvaltineonhisicecream,andhischildhood friendswererepulsedbyhisloveforcreamedtunaandpeasontoast. Chris CavanaughistheleadeditoratAllgame.comandthefounderofClassicGamerMagazine. Hepreviouslyservedaseditor-in-chiefforVideoGameCollectorMagazine,haswrittenarticlesfor GameSpy,TipsandTricksMagazine,contributedtoDigitalPress,andeditedLeonardHerman'sABC totheVCS2ndEdition. Scott MarriottworkedasAllgame.com'ssenioreditorandisanactivecontributortoG4Media'sX- PlayandViacom'sGameTrailers.HehasalsowrittenforVideoGameCollectorMagazine. Skyler MillerhaswrittenforGamespot,Salon.com,X-PlayandAllgame.com. Evan PhelpsisafrequentcontributortoGameWorldNetworks,andhaswrittenforAllgame.com andVideoGameCollectorMagazine.In2005,heworkedasafloorcorrespondentforG4television’s E3coveragealongsideSpikeTV’sGeoffKeighleyandMicrosoft’sTinaWoodandLauraFoy. Kyle Snyderbeganwritingaboutgamingcultureduringthemid‘90sinFrankPolosky’sVideo Magicfanzine.HecurrentlywritesacolumnforGameRoomMagazinecalled“LostArcadeClassic.” Kyleisalsoanavidarcadecollector,andowns14cabinetsincludingMs.Pac-Man,DonkeyKongJr., Mousetrap,Turbo,Millipede,GunsmokeandArkanoid2:RevengeofDoh. Jonathan Sutyak graduatedArizonaStateUniversityin1998andshortlythereafterbecamea regularcontributortoAllgame.com.HebegangamingontheIntellivisionandexperiencedmany classicsforthefirsttimeatthebrilliantFunspotarcade.HeisalsoabigfanofSega's8-bitand16-bit consoles. Brett WeisshaswrittennumerousarticlesthathaveappearedinComicBuyer’sGuide,Fangoria andAllgame.com.Brettrecentlyauthoredtwobooks:ClassicHomeVideoGames:1972-1984and ClassicHomeVideoGames:1985-1988. -4- Classic Gaming Expo 2 0 1 0 Itwas“Gameon!”oncemoreasClassicGaming Expocelebratedits12thanniversaryinstyleatthe freshlyremodeledTropicanaHotelinLasVegas. Neitherbikergangsnorrollerderbygirlsnor searingdesertheatcouldstopvintagegaming enthusiastsfromenjoyingtwodaysofpixelated bliss.Asidefromthealwaysentertainingpanel discussionsfeaturingspeakersfromgaming’spast, attendeeswerealsotreatedtoashowingofthe movieJoysticksandthedocumentaryGetLamp. Couldn’tattend?Neverfear.Plansareunderway forClassicGamingExpo2k11.Visitwww.cgexpo .comandwww.digitpress.comtostayupdated. -ChrisCavanaugh -5- Nintendo@E3 Despite revealing a next-generation portable system with a 3D screen, Nintendo didn't forget its roots at E3. Not only did the company announce new titles for long- time favorites Donkey Kong and Kirby, but it also reached back to the early days of the NES to revive a certain mythologically inspired character. KidIcarus:Uprising intoavarietyofusefulitemsand vehicles,includingaparachute, Oneofthebiggestsurprisesat submarine,andUFO. Nintendo'sE3keynoteaddress, outsideofthe3DSsystemitself,was GoldenEye007 thereturnofKidIcarus,nowa3D actiontitlefeaturingbothaerialand Xbox360fansdespairasRare's groundcombat.You'llguideangel belovedGoldenEyegetsamodern PitinhisfightagainstMedusa's updateforWii.Developedby sinisterarmy,usingalimitedability Eurocom(007:NightfireandN64’s tofly(thepoweronlylastsfive TheWorldisNotEnough), minutes)toreachbattlesonland. GoldenEyereplacesPierceBrosnan Thehandheld'sslidermovesKid withDanielCraigandintroduces Icarus,whilethetouchscreen multiplecontrolschemes,fromthe controlsthecamera.Shooting WiiRemoteandNunchukcomboto arrowsisaccomplishedbyholding theClassicController.Split-screen downtheleftbumper.Designedby supportforuptofourplayersis themanresponsibleforbothKirby onceagainavailable,thistimewith andSuperSmashBros.,Uprisingis achoiceof40Bondcharacters. thefirstKidIcarusgamesince1991. Shootitoutonfivemapsthatcan betailoredover500waysbyusing DonkeyKongCountryReturns 16modifiers.GoldenEyealso featuresonlinesupportforupto DonkeyandDiddyreturntorumble eightplayers. inthejunglewiththisside-scrolling follow-uptoRare'sDonkeyKong TheLegendofZelda:Ocarina Countryseries.Bananaseekerscan ofTime3D playsoloorteamupinco-opmode tolocateKong’sstolenhoardwhile Link'smostcriticallyacclaimed ridingminecars,swingingfrom gameisslatedtoappearon vines,andground-slappingenemies Nintendo'snext-genhandheld, outoftheway. alongwithseveralotherN64 favorites.GuideLinkinhisfirst3D Kirby’sEpicYarn adventure,onethatallowshimto musicallyaltertimebyblowinginto Everyone’sfavoritepinkpuffball thetitularinstrument.Itisunclear returnstoweaveanall-new whetherthegamewillbeastraight platformingadventureonWii.Now portwithenhancedcontrolsorone composedofyarn,Kirbycanchange featuringrevampedvisualsand thefabricofhisenvironments addedbonuses.Eitherway,fansof (literally!)bypullingloosethreads thesword-swinging,arrow-slinging torevealhiddenlocationsand herowillwantto"listen!"carefully neededobjects.Plusitjustwouldn’t forthegame'seventualreleasedate beKirbyifhedidn’tmorphhimself announcement. -6- Batter Up! A Visual History of NES Baseball Sportsgameshavealwaysbeenanimportantpartofaconsole'slineup,andthiswasespeciallytrue fortheNES.Fromthesimply-titled"Baseball"in1985to"BasesLoaded4"sevenyearslater, Nintendo'sfirsthomesystemwasgracedwith20versionsoftheUSA'snationalpasttime. Baseball,1985 BasesLoaded,1988 MajorLeagueBaseball,1988 R.B.IBaseball,1988 BaseballStars,1989 TecmoBaseball,1989 BasesLoadedII,1990 BaseballSimulator1.000,1990 BadNewsBaseball,1990 DustyDiamondAll-StarSoftball,1990 LittleLeagueBaseball,1990 R.B.I.Baseball2,1990 BaseWars,1991 BoJacksonBaseball,1991 R.B.I.Baseball3,1991 RogerClemensMVPBaseball,1991 BasesLoaded3,1991 BaseballStarsII,1992 LegendsoftheDiamond,1992 BasesLoaded4,1992 -7- Super NES Sega Genesis By Scott Marriott In an industry where originality is at a premium, it is not surprising to see the same games appearing on as many platforms the market will support. After all, companies need to be profitable and not every console system has the user base to justify spending the added time and expense associated with retooling an already existing game. So it is surprising when two versions of a game — released by the same publisher — end up being different. Though cross-platform releases have been a part of the console industry since third- party publishers like Activision, Parker Brothers, and Imagic welcomed the Atari VCS’ competition with open arms, the trend became increasingly popular during the 16-bit era, where the two titans of the time, Sega and Nintendo, battled neck and neck for the ultimate in bragging rights: the number-one selling console in the United States. If history is any indication, there are two types of multiplatform releases. The overwhelming majority are near-identical titles offering slight improvements on the more technologically advanced system, which in the case of Sega versus Nintendo, typically meant the game enjoyed more colorful graphics and more pleasing sound on Super NES. Thus, by and large, most players would want the Nintendo version of the same game. Yet there are also those titles that cater to a specific platform, with the developers changing key design features to accommodate a perceived difference in audiences or to simply play up a system’s strengths. The latter approach is obviously of most interest to classic gamers, since it means there is potentially a better title out there worth experiencing. The two main competing systems at the time (the third, NEC’s TurboGrafx-16, simply didn’t have the third-party support to draw suitable comparisons) also presented unique challenges to developers. The Super NES, in the hands of inexperienced programmers, could suffer from bouts of slowdown, earning the system the derogatory nickname of “sneeze” for its comparatively slower processor. -8- TheGenesishadmoreproblems.Thoughithadafasterprocessor,itwashandicappedwitha limitedcolorpalette,alackofwhiz-bangfeatureslikehardwarescaling,andaninferiorsound chip.Anotherveryrealissuepublishershadtofacewasthecostdifferenceinmanufacturing cartridges,withNintendoaskingforabiggercutofroyaltyfees.This,coupledwiththecompany’s longstandingtraditionof“decency,”oftenledtosomeinterestingdecisionsand/orchanges. Sowithoutfurtherado,ClassicGamerMagazinepresentstengamesthatofferdifferent experiencesdependingonwhichsystemtheyappeared.Someareslight,somearesubstantial,and somearejustsilly.Ofcourse,thislistisfarfromcomprehensive.Alsokeepinmindthattheseare gamesreleasedbythesamepublisher,sosametitle/differentgameslike JurassicPark,Disney’s Aladdin,andShadowrunwerenotconsideredforcomparison. Shaq-Fu 1994, Electronic Arts Whilemostwouldconsider subdueddeathgrip).The thewinnerofthismatch-up Genesiscartalsoweighsinat thelesseroftwoevils,there aShaqtastic24-megabits arenonethelessdifferences (eightmorethanthe worthmentioningbetweenthe Nintendogame),offeringfive twocartridges.Thepackaging morecharactersandfive isdifferent,withtheGenesis additionalenvironments.The coverfeaturingan firstfightinggamefromthe unintentionallyhilarious Frenchdevelopersof imageofShaqwithhisteeth FlashbackandOutofthis clenchedandhisoutstretched Worldwasalsobundledwith handinsomesortofdeath aCDsamplerof Shaq-Fu:Da grip(theSuperNESwentfora Return,butonlyinthe moresolemnlookfromthe Genesisversion. basketballstar,andamore Mortal Kombat 1993, Arena/Acclaim Entertainment The “Mortal Monday” would irritate enough release of Mortal Kombat potential consumers that it (September 13, 1993) was a helped changed Nintendo’s pivotal one for Nintendo longstanding policy against fans, as it showed a violence. No amount of changing attitude in games sweat droplets could that could no longer be disguise the fact that ignored. Though the Super playing Mortal Kombat on NES version has the edge in the Super NES was like version, Nintendo refused terms of visuals and sound, watching Pulp Fiction or to make the same mistake including more voice Scarface on network twice, relaxing its stance on samples, the drastic edits to television — what’s the violence — at least for the finishing moves and point? After Acclaim’s sales third-party publishers — absence of a blood code figures showed more people with the release of Mortal found in the Genesis game purchasing the Genesis Kombat II. -9- Earthworm Jim 1993, Arena/Acclaim Entertainment One of the most critically treacherous path of gurgling acclaimed games of its time, intestines (Intestinal Earthworm Jim stars an Distress). While the Super average worm who happens NES version has a few extra upon a super-powered space visual effects, the control, suit and uses it to exact his music, and sound lack the revenge on those punch of the Genesis game, responsible for killing his which was more a testament dirt-dwelling family. There to great programming than are even more offbeat things any advantage in hardware. to see and do in the Genesis Things would even out in version, however, with an the sequel, but this first entirely new level that finds battle has the Genesis the hero using his head as a version wiggling out in propeller to negotiate a front. The Pirates of Dark Water 1994, Sunsoft Themostunusualreleaseon standardbeat-‘em-up bookandHanna-Barbera thislist,sincebothversions reminiscentofFinalFight, animatedseries,the16- arecompletelydifferent.The RivalTurfandothersinthe megabitSegagameisasolo- SuperNESgameisa kick-and-punchgenre.The affaironly,withtheabilityto Genesisversion,however, swapoutcharactersatthe offersamixofplatforming, beginningofeachnewstage. puzzles,lightrole-playing IguanaEntertainment,the elements,andfastsword- teambehindAerothe swingingaction.Whileboth Acrobat,developedthe gamesfeaturethesame Genesisgame,whileSunsoft threecharacters(Ren,Tula, handledthe8-megabit andIoz)fromthecomic SuperNESgame. Tecmo Super Bowl 1993, Tecmo The 16-bit upgrades to names in the endzones, the NES blockbuster hit which were inexplicably were both equally absent from the Sega underwhelming in terms title. Since neither of presentation, though pushes the system to its the Super NES version limits, it’s puzzling why features some minor there are even Mode-7 effects and team differences at all. -10-