There is one gaming company that I do remember from the 80′ies, Epyx. They made a lot of good games. One, which I’m very fond of, is Winter Games on Commodore 64. The games was released on ‘all’ formats under the sun. And since it’s time for the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, I thought it was time to digg the game up and make a small review of it.
This is the emulated Commodore 64 version on Nintendo Wii’s Virtual Console (only available in Europe I think).
Winter Games have 7 eventens, detailed bellow. The games was released in 1985 and is 25 years old this year. Is the game still good? Yes, I think so. The graphics is quite blocky by todays standards. But all those 8-bit games have some sort of soul that many new games don’t have. Remember that these games ran on a 64 Kb computer. It’s amazing what they achieved with so little memory.
The characteristic C64 sound brings back good memories. The game emulates very well, it only lack a Tac 2 joystiq.
Under my YouTube-video, you will see a small description of each event.
Hot Dog
This is a freestyle event. Make your twist and turns and try to land stright.
Biathlon
Find a nice pace with the left button to get a good rythm of your skier. Watch your heart rythm since you will get tired and slow down uphills. It will also be harder to hit your target while shooting. This is one of my favourite events.
Speed Skating
This event is pretty easy. Find a good rythm with the left and right buttons, and you will win easy.
Figure Skating
You have 1 minute to do your jump and spins. Sounds easy, but you have to land stright to get good score from the judges.
Ski Jump
The key in Ski Jump is to time your jump right, have a nice flight down the hill and try to land standing. As you see in my video, this is something I’m not good at.
Free Skating
My only criticism to this game is that this event is the same as Figure Skating, except that you now have 2 minutes to do your athletic movements.
Bobsled
This is my other favourite event. Learn the curves and when to press the button, and you will do great.
In other words: Play some Winter Games. It’s still a great game after 25 years.
Project Needlemouse is Sonic the Hedgehog 4. The new game will be released episodical on WiiWare, Xbox Live Arcade and Playstation Network. The Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 will feature HD graphics, while the Nintendo Wii version will use some sort of motioncontroll. The best part is that Sonic 4 is back to it’s original 2D roots, where Sonic belongs. The first episode will be released Summer 2010.
SEGA® Europe Ltd. and SEGA® of America, Inc. today announced the first game developed specifically for the download market from the world’s fastest hedgehog. Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I will be available via download on Microsoft XBLA, Sony PSN and Nintendo WiiWare, bringing with it the addictive classic 2D side scrolling action that Sonic fans have been waiting for.
Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I offers sublime 2D gameplay through beautifully rendered HD environments. Fans will be able to speed through each level with the classic Spin Dash move, and destroy enemies using the Homing Attack. Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I sees the return of the much-loved special stages and takes players through a variety of different Zones, all inspired by the Mega Drive era.
Each level from Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I is separately selectable from the main menu, making it easy for players to replay their favorite sections as they wish. Long time fans will not be disappointed as they rejoin the action and face all new intense boss battles against everyone’s favourite villain – the ever devious and evil – Dr. Eggman!
“Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I is a return to the classic game style of the original Sonic games” commented Gary Knight, European Marketing Director SEGA Europe Ltd. “It’s great to be able to offer fans of the Sonic series the type of game they have been asking for in a high definition experience.”
Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I will be available in Summer 2010 for XBLA, PSN, and WiiWare.
I know that issue 73 is allready out, but sometimes this post comes very late. Anyway, this is some of the things you can read in Retro Gamer issue 72:
Back to the Eighties – January 1988
Back to the Nineties – July 1992
Coin-op Capers: Nemesis
The Making of… Frenzy
The Classic Game – The Legend of the Mystical Ninja
Retroinspection: Sinclair ZX80
Why You Must Play: Flying Shark
The Making of… Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom og Shadow Over Mystara
