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WEEKLY DOSE OF GAMING NEWS: Super Metal Hero, Tournament Arkanoid ZX, and Starfox EX

Posted by Write Meow · 11月 22, 2022

2022 brought its fair share of triple-A sequels and reboots, and it's no different when it comes to the retro side of things. Classics were made to be appreciated, and sometimes, reimagined. Thankfully, the retro dev community has enough passion to make all our dreams come true. We'll be taking a look at something new, something we thought was lost in time, and something we didn't think we needed until now.

First up, another surprise for all the Amiga owners and enjoyers out there. The ever-awesome Colin Vella is coding the much-awaited awaited kickass game Super Metal Hero In Blitz Basic.

Working on graphics we got Tenshu and JMD is in charge of bringing the music to life. The development videos are live, and they're looking hot. The game has definitely come a long way since its first few times featured online. Not only has the dev team been optimizing it to work on a stock Amiga 1200, but the game also includes a new world, new levels, new backgrounds, new enemies, and a lot of firepowers. If you're into heavy artillery, and a whole lot of action, then Super Metal Hero just might be the game release you've been waiting for!

Now, it's time for a blast from the past courtesy of a sweet mod for the ZX Spectrum, made by Martyn Carroll. We all remember Arkanoid, and it's about time it got something new. That comes in the form of Tournament Arkanoid, a tribute and callback to the classic.

There's a lot of great artwork to go around, and Jarrod Bentley never disappoints. This mod comes in with a new loading screen crafter by Jarrod Bentley himself, and along with it, everything you've come to know and love about the original game. By that, we mean 32 levels of great difficulty, just like the arcades! It's a recreation of Taito’s official game from the old-school Tournament Arkanoid arcades. Since it was only available in 1987 in North America, it's nice to have it available on a larger scale in the modern 2020s.

So, this one's a bit of a different case. It's not a remake, a reboot, or a brand-new game. It's a ROM hack, but a cool one, if we're completely honest. It's for the classic arcade-style rail shooter Starfox and best believe we're doing a barrel roll into Starfox EX.

What we get from this is a brand new story for the game and dozens of amazing features that take full advantage of the Super NES and the SuperFX chip We also get a brand new map with 17 new levels, new bosses, music, backgrounds enemies, a 3+ page pre-game menu to customize your experience, and a whole lot more. One of the best features is the Multi-Tap, which allows you to play the game a whole new way. It's straight-up old-school multiplayer, either with friends, Al-controlled teammates, or just you controlling ALL the ships. If you want a challenge, you got it. The 90s lives on, and always will, through games like this. Starfox EX opens the door to a variety of possibilities for so many other retro games-and let's be honest, we can't wait to see what comes next!

Check the video here:

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WEEKLY DOSE OF GAMING NEWS: Submarine Warfare, Tiny Deathmatch, and Castle Escape

Posted by Write Meow · 11月 15, 2022

Whether multiplayer or solo 2D platformers, the retro sidescroller will always be a classic. Now, we've covered our fair share of titles in the genre, but it's always nice when a few good games align, like the planets, and not like the blood moon that we all saw recently. Halloween is done, people. We're all looking forward to Mariah Carey coming back. So, as we wait, let's take a look at a few retro games that could both pass and kill time.

The Commodore64 has some nice new homebrew, thanks to Mirazulado. Submarine Warfare is an arcade game that has you piloting a submarine to destroy everything up top. Kind of like that game that involves a world full of ships used for war. Yeah, that one.

This game feature lots of levels to play through, with the warships up above becoming stronger as you progress. There's also a level of realism as you got to keep an eye on your oxygen supply that starts to drop the longer it takes for you to complete each mission. It's pretty intense and a bit of fun if you're up for the challenge. So if you’re looking for a game that literally blows everything else out of the water, make sure to check out Submarine Warfare!

Something new for everyone! Tiny Deathmatch just dropped its latest downloadable release for the Amstrad CPC, and it's all thanks to Francesc Alcaucer. It's a brand new game where you either fight against other players or the CPU in a multiplayer deathmatch game programmed by Locomotive Basic. It's a four-player game that's apparently inspired by a game called Gorillas, a turn-based artillery game first distributed with MS-DOS 5 and published in 1991 by Microsoft.

It's the perfect retro game for anyone who's gotten tired of going solo and wants to try a bit of old-timey PVP. A very refreshing concept that gamers often leave by the wayside. It doesn't always have to triple-A fragging. You can always assert your dominance in a classic "Tiny Deathmatch" manner

The ZX Spectrum welcomes a new title to their lineup, Castle Escape, by IrataHack has you playing as a Wee Knight, a struggling warrior who's cursed by the weight of his armor.

You make your escape from a haunted Castle, and progress by collecting lots of loot and avoiding dangerous enemies. Yes, this ain't your usual hack-and-slash. It's a challenge of managing your weight and surviving at the same time. Fall damage is a thing, so tread carefully Purple Eggs are the solution to most of your problems, giving you a quick anti-gravity boost to counter your massive weight, in tum, you prolong your life by collecting the hearts so you don't die instantly when you crash to the ground.

This version for the ZX Spectrum Next includes a few enhancements, like better color attributes, more colorful sprites, more sprite animation frames, and of course, more bad guys. It's a good thing, trust me if you're looking for a game that puts the action in the backseat for a while, and puts your platforming skills to the test, then Castle Escape just might be the game for you!

Check out the video here:

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