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 SONIC MEMORY?
LOADING…
CARBON TESTING • Josh Fairhurst and Dimitris Giannakis on creating a new retro engine for Switch
ZOMBIES RESURRECTED
ONE HOT POTATO
Just the two of us
Take it easy
FATHER’S DAY OFFER
Audacity Games • Activision legends tell Paul Drury about their new venture
THE LATEST NEWS FROM AUGUST 2004
NEWS AUGUST 2004 • AUGUST 2004 – Developers are worried about the PSP but cautiously optimistic about the Nintendo DS, and Spider-Man’s living it up in his latest film tie-in. It’s another month in gaming paradise, and Nick Thorpe is the man with the time machine to take you back there
THIS MONTH IN…
CHARTS
1942 • CAPCOM GOES TO WAR
30 YEARS OF SONIC THE HEDGEHOG • THE FASTEST HERO IN VIDEOGAMES IS 30 YEARS OLD, AND HE’S SHOWING NO SIGNS OF SLOWING DOWN. WITH SERIES PRODUCER TAKASHI IIZUKA, WE LOOK AT SONIC FROM A VARIETY OF ANGLES TO FIND OUT WHY HIS CAREER HAS BEEN A MARATHON RATHER THAN A SPRINT
INIMITABLE IMAGE • SONIC’S CHARACTER DESIGN AND PERSONALITY HAVE LONG BEEN PART OF HIS APPEAL – HERE’S HOW SEGA KEEPS HIS IMAGE FRESH
ERINACEIDAE EVOLUTION • HOW SONIC’S LOOK HAS DEVELOPED OVER THE YEARS
GOTTA GO FAST • EVERY SUPERHERO NEEDS THEIR DEFINING SUPERPOWER, AND SONIC’S IS SPEED – BUT HOW DOES SEGA KEEP HIM RUNNING OUT OF CONTROL?
BROKEN SPEEDOMETER • JUST HOW FAST IS SONIC, REALLY?
BUILT FOR SPEED • SPEED IS ONLY WORTHWHILE IF YOU HAVE SOMEWHERE TO GO. HOW DOES SEGA GO ABOUT BUILDING THE ENVIRONMENTS THAT SONIC INHABITS?
HEDGEHOG HEAVEN VS HEDGEHOG HELL • INSPIRED AND INFURIATING LEVEL DESIGN MOMENTS
TURBO TUNES • THE FASTEST HERO IN VIDEOGAMES NEEDS THE ULTIMATE RUNNING PLAYLIST, AND WITH CAREFUL COMPOSITION AND CELEBRITY CAMEOS, HE HAS IT
TOP TRACKS • THE SONIC SOUNDTRACK ALBUMS THAT EVERY SONIC FAN SHOULD OWN
RUNNING THE GAMUT • WITH PLENTY OF TOYS, TV SHOWS, A MOVIE AND MORE, SONIC’S WORLD HAS ALWAYS STRETCHED FAR BEYOND THE BOUNDARIES OF VIDEOGAMES ALONE
GET ANIMATED • SONIC HAS BEEN IN QUITE A FEW ANIMATED SHOWS NOW – WE SEPARATE THE MARATHON WORTHY FROM THOSE TO FAST FORWARD
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THE EVOLUTION OF SPY VS SPY • By channelling the slapstick comedy of a Mad Magazine comic strip, Spy Vs Spy raised the bar for two-player gaming, Co-creator Richard Spitalny reflects on his game’s evolution, and its influence on the sequels and successors that followed
STAGES OF EVOLUTION: HAPPY TRAPPERS • WATER BUCKETS, EXPLODING COCONUTS AND THUNDERBOLTS
STAGES OF EVOLUTION: CHORTLE COMBAT • HOW WOODEN CLUBS LED TO SNOWBALL FIGHTS AND PUNCH-UPS
STAGES OF EVOLUTION: HIDE AND SEEK • FROM SEARCHING FURNITURE AND COMBING BEACHES TO TREASURE CHESTS
THE MAKING OF OINK! • WE COULD SAY THIS VIDEOGAME TIE-IN WAS...