Ultimate 90s Retro Gaming Collection - 3rd Edition 2022

166 Pages·2022·71 MB·English

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WELCOME TO
The Nineties were an exciting time to be a gamer. Most of the hard work
had already been done by pioneering developers during the Seventies and
Eighties, meaning talented coders were able to take these existing themes
and ideas and build upon them. As a result some of the greatest games of all
time came from this halcyon period, including Super Mario World, Sonic The
Hedgehog 2 and Street Fighter II: The World Warrior.
That being said, the Nineties were a transitional period as well, as
3D gaming started to become the norm and many systems moved
over to formats like CD-ROM. The Nineties were also a time when home
computer gaming was on the wane as more and more gamers were
turning towards the exciting new consoles that were coming out, including
Sony’s PlayStation, which would not only shake up the industry, but
help shape it into what we enjoy today.
With that in mind, this new book is dedicated to the greatest games that
were available to play during this amazing decade, from the aforementioned
Sonic The Hedgehog 2 to Super Mario World, Tomb Raider and the excellent
Ridge Racer. Get ready for a serious nostalgia hit.

Future PLC Quay House, The Ambury, Bath, BA1 1UA
Ultimate 90s Retro Gaming Collection Editorial
Editor Darran Jones
Designer Emma Birch
Compiled by Dan Peel & Harriet Knight
Senior Art Editor Andy Downes
Head of Art & Design Greg Whitaker
Editorial Director Jon White
Retro Gamer Editorial
Editor Darran Jones
Art Editor Andy Salter
Editorial Director Tony Mott
Group Art Director Woz Brown
Cover images
Atari, Electronic Arts, Konami, Nintendo, Sony, Square Enix
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
[email protected]
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Production
Head of Production Mark Constance
Production Project Manager Matthew Eglinton
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Production Managers Keely Miller, Nola Cokely,
Vivienne Calvert, Fran Twentyman
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Ultimate 90s Retro Gaming Collection Third Edition (GAB4590)
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Part of the
bookazine series
8 WHY 90s
GAMING RULED
16 THE MAKING OF:
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2
88 32
26 THE T OP 25 SNES GAMES
146
32 THE MAKING OF:
NIGHTS INTO DREAMS
38 THE STORY OF:
STREET FIGHTER II
48 ULTIMATE GUIDE:
136
LEMMINGS
48
56 THE TOP 25 GAME BOY
GAMES
62 ULTIMATE GUIDE:
102 SUPER MARIO WORLD
68 38
6 | ULTIMATE 90s RETRO GAMING COLLECTION
68 THE MAKING OF: 122 THE HISTORY OF:
TOMB RAIDER ALIEN BREED
74 THE HISTORY OF: 130 THE MAKING OF:
ROAD RASH SUPER CASTLEVANIA IV
82 THE TOP 25 MEGA 136 THE MAKING OF:
DRIVE GAMES NBA JAM
88 THE MAKING OF: 140 ULTIMATE GUIDE:
TEKKEN MORTAL KOMBAT II
92 THE HISTORY OF: 146 THE HISTORY OF:
STAR WARS: DARK BANJO-KAZOOIE
FORCES AND THE JEDI
KNIGHTS SERIES 154 THE TOP 25
PLAYSTATION GAMES
102 T HE MAKING OF:
RIDGE RACER
108 THE TOP 25
NINTENDO 64 GAMES
116 ULTIMATE GUIDE:
DESERT STRIKE
ULTIMATE 90s RETRO GAMING COLLECTION | 7
8 | ULTIMATE 90s RETRO GAMING COLLECTION
WWWWHHHHYYYY 99990000ssss GGGGAAAAMMMMIIIINNNNGGGG RRRRUUUULLLLEEEEDDDD
The Nineties was an exciting time to be a gamer thanks to the
advancement of game design and the rise of 3D. Here’s our
guide to one of the most important decades of gaming
ne of the great things about gaming in the Nineties Raider, Final Fantasy VII and Daytona USA. It’s telling that
was that most of the heavy lifting had been done most of these games came from Japanese developers
in the decades before, allowing developers and because the Nineties represented another big shift in
publishers to simply concentrate on creating gaming, namely the dominance of Japan.
excellent new games. It was still, admittedly, a time for While Japanese giants like Nintendo, Sega, Namco and
excitement and new things to be discovered, and it was also Square were making good progress during the Eighties, it
a time where gaming began to make huge advancements, at was still a time where the likes of Atari, Ocean Software,
least from a technological point of view. Mastertronic and Codemasters ruled, mainly because home
Granted, the Eighties gave us an idea of what the future computers were generally more widely available than their
of games could look like with the arrival of isometric 3D console counterparts. That would all begin to change in the
and 3D polygons, but it was the Nineties, particularly the Nineties, however, and as consoles like the Game Boy, Mega
late Nineties where 3D gaming became the norm, rather Drive and Super Nintendo rose to power in the early half of the
than the exception. Some of the most important 3D games decade, the PlayStation and Nintendo 64 would find success in
of all time were created during this period, including Super its later half. Before all that though, let’s take a brief look back
Mario 64, The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time, Tomb over the previous decade.
UULLTTIIMMAATTEE 9900ss RREETTRROO GGAAMMIINNGG CCOOLLLLEECCTTIIOONN || 99
The likes of Doom, Myst
and The Seventh Guest saw
PCs really begin to dominate
during the Nineties.
END OF THE EIGHTIES Despite its advancing
age the Amiga was still
While we won’t stay in the Eighties for long, it’s attempting impressive stuff,
important to understand what the lie of the land as Alien Breed 3D proves.
was like if you were a gamer during that period.
Early consoles like Atari’s 2600 had proven to be
extremely popular with gamers, but the Eighties
was really the era of the home computers, which
appeared to be everywhere. Initially early systems
would come in kit form, allowing them to be built
from scratch, but as the Eighties progressed and
the systems became more complex, virtually all
were simply manufactured. Systems like the ZX
Spectrum, BBC Micro and Amstrad CPC proved
1991: INTRODUCING SONIC
hugely popular in Europe, while the likes of the Atari
THE HEDGEHOG
8-bit range and Apple Macintoshes appealed to
gamers in the US. The Commodore 64 was one of Although Sega already had two notable mascots
those rare systems that did well on both sides of the in the form of Opa-Opa and Alex Kidd, it knew
pond and would eventually go on to become the that neither was capable of taking on Nintendo’s
1990: NEW BEGINNINGS
most successful computer of the period. mighty plumber. As a result Sega held an internal
Arcade games were still a huge pull for gamers The start of the Nineties introduced one of the most competition to find a suitable new mascot for the
during the Eighties as they often delivered a gaming beloved games systems of all time: Nintendo’s Super company. The end result was a blue hedgehog
experience that was often extremely difficult to Nintendo. Released in Japan as the Super Famicom, called Sonic who starred in one of the most exciting
replicate in the home. That didn’t stop developers Nintendo’s machine hit the ground running with videogames of the year. Such was his success he
from trying however and as a result conversions two games: Super Mario World and F-Zero. One led to countless clones, as other developers were
of popular arcade games dominated most of the was an incredible sequel to its popular Super Mario desperate for their own ‘mascot with attitude’. Some
Eighties. There were still plenty of original games series; the other was a sensational racing game that would succeed, but many would fail and it’s no
of course, but publishers were quickly realising showed off the power of Mode 7. surprise that Sonic remains an important gaming
that even a lacklustre port could do good business Nintendo’s machine wasn’t the only system to get icon today while many of the others stay forgotten.
if it was released at the right time of year (typically released in 1990, however. The Mega Drive received Sonic aside 1991 was a fantastic year for games.
Christmas). 16-bit systems would also start to its official European launch and was released Puzzle games got a shot in the arm with the
appear towards the end of the Eighties, paving alongside the likes of Golden Axe, and Super excellent Amiga hit, Lemmings, which became
the way for some of the fiercest battles between Thunder Blade. Sega also released its competitor to such a success for DMA Design that it was ported
publishers that the industry would see. the Game Boy, the Game Gear in Japan. The colour to countless other systems. Another successful
handheld would eventually go on to compete against Amiga game was Alien Breed, which fused the
Nintendo’s portable, as well as Atari’s Lynx, which sci-fi thrills of Aliens with the arcade hit Gauntlet.
had launched alongside the Game Boy in 1989. SNK Cinematic adventure Another World would make its
also entered the console market with its Neo-Geo debut, Electronic Arts would unleash the excellent
AES, a magnificent system with games that were motorbike combat game, Road Rash, while AOL,
identical to SNK’s own arcade games. Sadly, the TSR, SSI and Stormfront Studios would join force
machine was prohibitively expensive, with games to launch epic MMORPG, Neverwinter Nights. One
costing in the hundreds of dollars, meaning it never of the most important games of the year however
made much of an impact in the West. would turn out to be Street Fighter II: The World
Game wise, LucasArts released the excellent Warrior, which reinvented the one-on-one fighter and
point-and-click adventure, The Secret Of Monkey would shape the genre for years to come.
Island, Wing Commander dazzled PC owners, In terms of hardware it was relatively quiet. Sega’s
Pit-Fighter and Smash TV proved the arcade add-on for the Mega Drive, the Mega-CD was
scene could still delight, while Nintendo released released in Japan, the Super Nintendo was launched
Although it was released the excellent Super Mario Bros 3, one of its last in the US while Atari’s Lynx tried to save face against
in 1989, the success of Tetris big games for the NES. the Game Boy with a sleek new makeover.
meant that everyone was
still playing it years later.
10 | ULTIMATE 90s RETRO GAMING COLLECTION