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retro gaming reviews

check reviews for the mega drive, super nintendo, playstation 1, dreamcast and just about anything retro related

Amiga 500 Mini (Review) - Is this the best Retro Mini yet?

2/5/2022

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Blog post by: Gemma @ Juicy Game Reviews / TheGebs24
amiga 500 mini review
The Amiga 500 Mini in 2022
The Amiga 500 Mini has taken 90’s gamers by storm! The A500 Mini:

​“A compact reimagining of the Amiga 500 home computer, featuring perfect emulation of not only the original A500 but also the Advanced Graphics Architecture (AGA) of the A1200.
Play one of the included 25 classic Amiga games, selected from a simple to use carousel, including all-time greats like Alien Breed, Another World, Chaos Engine, Simon the Sorcerer and Worms. Or play the games you own from USB stick.
Plus save and resume your game at any time to help you finish those punishingly difficult classics!” (Retro Games Biz)

What’s in the box?
  • The A500 Mini
  • X1 HDMI Cable
  • X1 Gamepad
  • X1 USB power cable (USB to USB C)
  • X1 Classic Amiga USB mouse
  • The manual is available as a PDF direct from the dev teams website here

What are the bundled 25 Amiga Games?

  • Alien Breed 3D
  • Alien Breed: Special Edition’92
  • Another World
  • Arcade Pool
  • ATR: All Terrain Racing
  • Battle Chess
  • Cadaver
  • California Games
  • The Chaos Engine
  • Dragons Breath
  • F-16 Combat Pilot
  • Kick Off 2
  • The Lost Patrol
  • Paradroid 90
  • Pinball Dreams
  • Project-X: Special Edition 93
  • Qwak
  • The Sentinel
  • Simon the Sorcerer
  • Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe
  • Stunt Car Racer
  • Super Cars II
  • Titus The Fox: To Marrakech And Back
  • Worms: The Director’s Cut
  • Zool: Ninja Of The “Nth” Dimension
Amiga 500 Mini Carousel
Scroll your game library with the Amiga 500 Mini Carousel
We were also lucky enough to have a secret game, Citadel, that is available for download straight from the support page. You can watch this video to find out how to add it. Providing you own the games, you can additional Amiga files to a USB stick and launch the games direct from your launcher. Be mindful that some of the additional games can run far too fast and as of yet the official work around is to keep updated with the WHD load package on your USB stick. There are other guides online that are not support ed by the dev team so ultimately, you need to decide which method you want to utilise should you come across this issue.

Attention to detail is not lacking in the A500 Mini. The colours of the cables, home computer, mouse and gamepad all remain true to the original beige colour of the Amiga 500 itself. Nice!

Straight out of the box and back to 1987
The Amiga 500 Mini really took me back to my childhood. I forgot how important this home computer was in defining the British Gaming scene. In a world that is shrouded by Nintendo, PlayStation and Xbox, we can easily forget where it truly started. I played an Amiga 500 before I ever played the Super Nintendo (my favourite games console) so diving back in to the Amiga 500 Mini in 2022 has rekindled my love affair to a lost part of my retro gaming childhood. I’m pretty confident that you will love it too. Whether you’re a Lemmings fan, a Speedball fan, a Sensible Soccer fan, you can relive your inner Amiga passion through the Mini. For me, this is the best Mini retro piece of kit on the market for this reason.

Check out my full unboxing and testing go every game in this video along with all of my other Amiga content.
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Glory Hunters - The all new action RPG for the Original Game Boy

18/4/2022

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Posted by: Gemma @ Juicy Game Reviews / TheGebs24
glory hunters original game boy
Glory Hunters original Game Boy
Mexican indie game developer César Arminio with his design studio 2think (creator of Pato Box) and software house Bitmap Soft are teaming up to bring you Glory Hunters, a new physical release for the Game Boy with their Kickstarter campaign. Glory Hunters is an all-new action-adventure RPG for the original Game Boy with a unique and original twist: you progress through the game by obtaining achievements.

Key Features
  • A unique experience in the action-adventure RPG genre. The only game where you progress by obtaining achievements!
  • A giant map (aiming to be the biggest one in a Game Boy game) for you to explore freely.
  • Nonlinear gameplay.
  • Over a thousand achievements.
  • An epic story in a world full of lore.
  • Many eccentric characters that will aid you during your quest.
  • 20 hours + of gameplay and high replay value.
  • Physical cartridges will feature battery-less saving! No more lost saves or soldering irons.
  • Digital rewards will include a .pocket file for the Analogue Pocket alongside a Steam Key to play it on your computer (PC only).

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10 Amazing Retro Games that I love and you need to play

21/2/2022

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Guest Blog post by Adam Foster @AngelicWiganer / @snoopfozziefozz
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Hey Team 24. I thought I’d do something a little different this time. I wanted to write a small piece about my ten favourite games of all time as of currently writing this piece. I’ve been gaming for around thirty years now. I started off back in the day with a ZX Spectrum 48k and I would say I’ve pretty much played at least one console on each generation since then.

Gaming has been so important to me over the years. It’s provided lots of entertainment and on some occasions, it has provided company for me when I’ve been alone or in darker times. The games I have played have given me lots of joy when I have played them. Whether it’s the fun mechanics, gripping storylines, or just plain silliness. Each one of these is special to me in its own way. So sit back, relax and have a good read. Who knows, there may be one here on my list that you have never tried.

Tekken 3 (PlayStation)
It’s mad to think that Namco’s biggest 3D fighting franchise has been with us for nearly thirty years. I believe and I hope that we get something for the 30th anniversary of Tekken. The epic saga featuring those mad Mishima’s has provided lots of action and innovative combat for a long time in homes and arcades all across the world. I’ll never forget when I first heard the cracking shoulder pop noise when Paul Phoenix did his takedown move back in the original game.

It holds so many memories for me. It was the first and only game I ever went to a midnight launch for. My dad was NOT happy, as he had to take me. Tekken 3 in my opinion is certainly the best 3D fighter for me of all time. It has a great roster of characters both old and new. Some of the soundtracks have really stood the test of time. I often play Jin Kazama’s stage theme through my smart speaker when I’m doing the dishes. The gameplay is wonderful, especially as the sidestep mechanic was introduced in Tekken 3. This gave a new edge to the combat and opened up many new ways to attack and also defend. There are so many modes to play the game, you can spend hours on it. I also have to add the cherry on top. Tekken Bowling. Absolutely awesome. If you’ve never played it, you really should.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii)
So it’s a no brainer that a Zelda game would make this list. The hardest choice was to just pick one. I could have filled this list with Zelda games but the one that really drew me in was Twilight Princess. Once you get over the pretty long intro/tutorial section then you enter into a wonderful story in Hyrule. I think what swayed this for me was the use of the Wii’s motion control. The excitement of swinging the remote to use Link’s sword is brilliant. How long had we imagined for years to be able to do that?

The basic premise is the same, save Hyrule from Ganon, go to dungeon, collect special item, use item to kill boss, move onto next dungeon. That’s what we love about Zelda. This game featured two awesome aspects for me. First of all is Midna. Midna is by far Link’s best companion he has had in any of the Zelda games, she is a character who is charming and witty from the start and her storyline arc really got me and made for a wonderful conclusion towards the end of the game.

The second…. LINK CAN TURN INTO A WOLF!  Yes, that’s right a wolf. The gameplay mechanics with the wolf mode are second to none and proved to be a wonderful experience. Again, if you haven’t played this one get it on the Wii as the GameCube version can set you back in the region of £50-£80 quid. Ouch
Axel punch streets of rage 2
Feel the wrath of Axel's punch Streets of Rage 2
Streets of Rage 2 (Sega Megadrive/Genesis)
I was so happy when Streets of Rage 4 got released a couple of years ago for the modern consoles. I can safely say it was a great game to play and offered hours of fun and replay value, it was such a throwback to the glory days on the Mega Drive and a true testament to the legacy of Streets of Rage.

To put it bluntly Streets of Rage 2 is my favourite brawler of all time. I can always come back to this game and still be as entertained as I was when I first played it back in the early nineties. We rented this game so much from our local Ritz Video store back in the day. I and my brother didn’t own a Mega Drive (we was Nintendo guys). But Dave over the road had a Megadrive and we would often swap consoles for a week at a time so we was all getting that 16-Bit goodness. I digress.
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Streets of Rage 2 is awesome. As soon as you hear the famous music by Yu Suzuki in Stage 1, you know this game is going to be a banging experience. The soundtrack is phenomenal and has been lauded by critics over the years, the gameplay is brilliant and without sounding like a psycho it’s thrilling to whack the bad guys with a lead pipe. It’s great as a solo game, but it’s more fun with a buddy teaming up in co-op action to sort out Mr X and his crew. It can be easily found on the plethora of compilation games out there and you should revisit it at least once a year.


Mega Man 2 (NES)
You’d be forgiven if you didn’t pick Mega Man 2 up back in the day. Have you seen that box art? Unforgiveable. Why Capcom couldn’t have done something else is beyond me. If you haven’t seen it, check it out on Google. This was my first experience with the Blue Bomber and I borrowed it from my friend John (who NEVER held his NES controller in his hands, he placed it on a flat surface and did it that way. Madness.) I and John would regularly swap and trade games as NES games were pricy in the early nineties.
Mega Man games are notoriously difficult, they always have been and always will be. Mega Man 2 though gave us all something that we craved, and in turn made the game a tad easier and much more fun to play. It had a password system and you could write the codes in the back of your NES manuals, so it was great to carry on where you left off. The simple action platforming is perfect here. Yes there are times when you get rage, but when you complete a tricky timed section in the game (We’re looking at you Quick man) it gives you a real sense of achievement.

It’s got an awesome 8-Bit soundtrack, a good challenge and in my opinion the best set of Robot Masters in the entire series.

Spider-Man (PS4)
Wow. What a game Spider-Man is. If you ever imagined the perfect way to play as Peter Parker then this is it. A 10/10 game for me in all aspects. Swinging all the way through the streets of Manhattan has never felt better. Insomniac and Sony got it spot on with this one. Marvel’s web slinging avenger has to save New York City from a clutch of the Empire State’s finest villains in a fantastic story.

It looks absolutely sublime, the soundtrack is something straight from the silver screen. However, Spider-Man really excels in the gameplay, especially the combat. Spidey moves around the screen with ease, he has a great melee combo system for straight up fighting, he has web kicks, he has web shooters, and he has gadgets. He’s your friendly neighbourhood Spiderman.

Even if you are not a fan of comic book stuff, this game is well worth a go in my opinion. This excellent game was followed up by the awesome (if too short) Miles Morales. We are highly anticipating the Spider-Man 2 which Sony showed off during the last State of Play. If it’s anything like this cracker, we are in for a treat.


WWF Wrestlemania 2000 (Nintendo 64)
Back in my younger days and up until recently I was a huge fan of the World Wrestling Federation. For years I would tune in regularly for Raw, Smackdown and stay up late on certain Sundays for the monthly Pay Per View events.  Now, there have been an abundance of wrestling games on many consoles over the years and the majority were crap, or lacked any real depth in gameplay. Roll onto the days of the N64. THQ and AKI had previously released two great WCW games on the N64, but when they decided to go with the lure of the WWF we was treated to a great game.

It’s specifically the same 3D engine but with better graphics, textures, movement and all the things you would expect from a follow up game. Its just got Steve Austin instead of Hogan, Triple H instead of DDP and so on. The roster is stacked with all your favourites from the Attitude Era. Every character has a specific move set and finishing move which is brilliant to see.
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By today’s standards it’s not held up as well as you would have thought, but it’s still a riot to play especially when you had three buddies round.
the rock
Can you smell what The Rock is cooking?
Final Fantasy 7 (PlayStation 1)
It had to be in here didn’t it?  The game will probably be in many gamers top 10’s. At time of writing I have not played the remake, but I am excited to do so. I feel FF7 is one of the most influential games of all time. If you look at a lot of games aesthetics through the years up to current gen, I feel the futuristic, steampunk, industrial setting of Midgar has influenced a lot of game devs. I also feel that FF& set the precedence for JRPG’s to be more of a mainstream genre rather than the niche it used to be.

Cloud’s adventure and story is on par with the most wonderful stories I’ve ever read, or seen for that matter. All of the characters have so much depth to them and you all probably know the scene, but that was the first time I ever cried at a video game. The cut scene and music which accompanied it truly set the tone for what had happened. The game is turn based combat at its finest. The Summons and Limit Breaks add another layer to making the combat fun, and the use of Materia made for great, simple gameplay as RPG’s can get too complicated. FF7 does not.

If you haven’t played it you should. If you haven’t played any Final Fantasy games, then this is where you should start. You can get this and FF8 on the Switch for around £30 for the pair. That’s a bargain. !

Sensible World of Soccer (Commodore Amiga)
In the 90’s if you had an Amiga you was a legend. I only knew of two people who had Amiga’s. One was my Uncle who lived 200 miles away from us. We had great memories of playing Jimmy White’s Snooker there. The other was a lad in our friends group. On occasions we would all get together and just play games all day. Then one day we had access to SWOS.

For me it is the perfect football game, the gameplay actually playing the football matches was simple but so so addictive, you could pull off some absolute worldies just using the joystick. I’d love to see it come back for modern consoles. What also was great about SWOS for me was the manager mode. It was the first time I can ever recall being a football manager. Buying and selling players in the transfer market was a real hoot.

Granted the graphics are very simplistic and minimal and it certainly isn’t no FIFA. But it didn’t need to be back then and still doesn’t need to be now. If you can play any version of Sensible Soccer please do. This version for me is the king.


Gears of War 3 (Xbox 360)
If you are into all of Microsofts IP’s then chances are you either sway to Halo or Gears as your go to shooter. As much as I like Halo, I much prefer the third person, cover shooting that Gears offers. I love the Gears franchise. I do feel that the peak was Gears of War 3. In my opinion it’s the best game on Xbox 360 and nothing would change my mind.

Once again we have Marcus Fenix and his crew armed with their lancers trying to take on the evil alien forces. Everything about the game is great. The action is frantic at times but that just adds to the experience for me. The story is sublime and again we had a scene which brought a tear to this gamers eye. I even enjoyed the online experience and it was a firm favourite for a lot of hours for me
You could pick this game up for a quid physically now, and I am pretty sure it’s available on the wonderful Gamepass as well now. There is no excuse not to play this game….. Well unless you don’t own an Xbox?


Super Mario 3D World (Wii U/Switch)
I could not finish this list without having a Mario game. Super Mario Bros was the first game I ever played on a Nintendo Console. We got the Action Set at Christmas 1990, we lost so many hours to Mario and Duck Hunt. I think Mario has had so many great games over the years it’s very difficult to say what is the best.

My favourite is 3D World on the Wii U and now recently ported Switch. It offers the best of both worlds for me. 2D Platforming in a 3D environment. The whole idea and concept felt very fresh at the time and I loved the cat suit power up which definitely changes the physics of the game. Combine that with the 4 Player Option, the absolutely stupendous soundtrack (Check out Bowsers World Map theme, genius Jazz.) and all the collectibles in the game, you have a winner.

I’m so glad Nintendo ported it to the Switch along with the wonderful Bowser’s Fury as it gave the game out to a wider audience as well all know the Wii U did not sell so well.

So there you go. There are my top 10 games of all time at time of writing. What do you think? Agree with any? Disagree with any? I love hearing feedback and other people’s opinions. Bear in mind I am always playing games from all generations, so who knows this could change next year.
Until Next Time. Keep Gaming.

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Guest Blog post by Adam Foster @AngelicWiganer / @snoopfozziefozz
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5 Super Nintendo Games you need to play

26/7/2021

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Guest Blog post by Adam Foster @AngelicWiganer / @snoopfozziefozz
5 SNES Games you need to play
 The SNES has a humungous library that’s for sure and often we can miss titles that we didn’t play, or didn’t get a chance to play. I wouldn’t say the five titles I picked are hidden gems or particularly on the rare side. However, I do think each one of these has its own merits to be welcomed into any retro games collections. Let’s take a look at five Super Nintendo Games you need to play.

Super Tennis
In my opinion no other tennis game has come close to replicating the fun and simplicity of Super Tennis. It’s still the best tennis game out there.  I LOVE the main theme tune for the game, and I often listen to it time to time just on YouTube. In fact I just LOVE everything about Super Tennis.
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It’s easy to play, not complicated and provides a ton of fun in either single player, co-op doubles or battling a friend. The best thing about this now, is that we have access to it on the Switch online service. I recently completed the World Tour and was overjoyed with it. However if you are a collector and would like the physical version of it, it won’t hammer your wallet too much. Anywhere between £5-£12 depending on box and condition. Go and play it NOW!

Batman Returns
We all love a game with the Caped Crusader, well I do anyway. If you haven’t checked out any of the Arkham games then you really should they are a treat. However back in the early 90’s our mates at Konami (remember them) made this fantastic side scrolling brawler. Imagine Batman bashing up baddies in Gotham in a similar vein to Final Fight.
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I think it often gets overlooked as do most movie licensed games. They can’t all be tarred with the same brush. Its got good lovely graphics and that classic Konami music which adds to the experience. This one is more on the expensive side. I’ve seen prices for as low as £20 loose, going up to nearly three figures for a boxed copy. Keep your eyes peeled on the boot sales and see if you can get this on the cheap.

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Gorgeous Retro Games (series) you NEED to play

12/7/2021

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Posted by: Gemma @ Juicy Game Reviews / TheGebs24, Blog by Sean (SkiJumpNose)
retro games
Pure Nostalgia. Retro Gaming is in our blood
Retro Games! What are they? What era is retro? Who cares right?! I love retro games just as much as anybody. Why? Retro Gaming allows me to be transported back in time to those Childhood bedroom moments when we were all crowded around a 16" CRT TV waiting for a go on Street Fighter 2. Or maybe I am back in my friends watching them setup the Amiga 500 and then waiting for Lotus Turbo Challenge 3 to load. Gaming is life and that's why I like to hear from my readers, about their favourite retro games and series'. A Big thank you is in order to Sean (skijumpnose) for sharing his love of his favourite Retro Games below.

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A Hedgehog called Sonic

1/7/2021

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Guest Blog by David Morley
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My older brother grabs the good controller. It’s the enhanced one as it’s been used more and it’s not as rigid apparently. “Hold on, let me get comfortable.” EA Sports it’s in the game! The early nineties were hard, a lack of money for my parents being the main issue. So when my oldest of two older brothers bought me a Sega Mega Drive for my birthday and gave it to me early. It was a big moment.

It’s 1993 I’m about a week away from my fourteenth birthday and forever being lifted into 16bit gaming heaven. A back story for my gaming knowledge previous to this day would be the commodore 64, my friend Paul’s bedroom and a Peter Beardsley manager game called… wait for it: Peter Beardsley’s International Manager. I recall the day like it was yesterday; the brand new Sega Mega drive box with images of the games that you could buy like Hang On, Sonic the  Hedgehog, Italia 90 and Columns, pictured on the back. My first ever game was, of course, Sonic the hedgehog. The little spiky- haired dude who would refuse to jump lava in the marble zone levels consistently for about a week. The SEGA start up title blasted out and I was addicted.
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​Even now, that little blue Sega intro is etched on my brain forever, instantly transporting me back to that moment in time. Out of the box, the Mega Drive was instant gaming. My older brother showing me how it’s done, his skills came from spending his time in the very place from where the Mega Drive evolved. Driven by the arcade generation before it, the games were in now in your home and on your television. There is a show on streaming platforms which charts the history of gaming. I urge you to check it out.

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First look at EVERCADE VS - Everything you need to know

23/4/2021

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 Posted by: Gemma @ Juicy Game Reviews / TheGebs24
Evercade VS - Everything you need to know
Evercade VS - Everything you need to know

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Tomb Raider: The Lasting legacy. The PS1 and beyond

11/2/2021

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Blog post by: Gemma @ Juicy Game Reviews / TheGebs24
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I recently completed Tomb Raider during a live stream. Fifteen brutal yet beautiful levels packed full of puzzles, wild animals, water, sand, oh and Pierre. Never before have I live streamed a game that stirred such strong feelings of nostalgia. This was something that I reflected on with my chat throughout every stream. What exactly was it that made the original Tomb Raider so special? Let’s take a Swan Dive in to the Core Design of Lara Croft’s Tomb Raider.

Solitary. That is how you / I start out on the very first level of Tomb Raider. After my Sherpa met an early death, I set out in the cold caves of somewhere in search of something. Even at this early stage of this beautiful work of art, Tomb Raider felt special. As I learnt the basic moves I felt confident in wanting to take my adventure further. The complex jumps across treacherous gaps still wreaked havoc with my vertigo but jump by jump I learnt to trust the process that Core Design had so perfectly built.

Tomb Raider introduced Lara Croft as their main protagonist. A female protagonist?! This was game changing back in the 90’s. More so, that Lara had a very pronounced triangle top half. Triangle tits became a slang phrase with my friends. Triangle tits? Did Core Design really do this? Was it on purpose? No matter what the intention, Lara’s breasts were a serious talking point that arguably helped to carry the Tomb Raider brand a long way.

Back in the 90’s we never left the UK. I did not travel abroad until I was an adult. Tomb Raider opened my mind up to the world, cultures and adventure. Jungles, tombs, sculptures, pyramids, waterfalls! Tomb Raider had it all. Some of my favourite memories are thinking back to playing Tomb Raider and feeling like I could escape and be in a foreign land.
Lara Croft Tomb Raider Dinosaur
Lara Croft taking on the iconic Dino of The Lost Valley
I often hear a lot of Tomb Raider fans discuss how difficult the mechanics of swimming are. I found it to be a simple mechanic to pick up. I would go as far to say that Lara’s walking and jumping mechanics are much more difficult to master. I fell many times whilst trying to walk to the edge of a ledge (even whilst holding dow the walk button) and then there’s the moments when I jumped backwards and accidentally fell to my death. Swimming was the least of my problems. Back in 1996, we did not realise at just how blocky the controls were because there was nothing to compare it to. I am so tuned in to the fluidity of playing Shadow if the Tomb Raider that when I went back to Tomb Raider, I had to devolve my play style. Luckily, my muscle memory reverted back to my mid-90’s love affair with Tomb Raider. I was kicking ass!

Everybody has as least one memory from playing Tomb Raider on the PS1 or Sega Saturn. Or perhaps you played Tomb Raider on the PC? Back in the 90’s level five was my nemesis. I remembered the dreaded verticality and four doors. You had to unlock each of the four doors to progress to an area. At the end of the area you would obtain a key. During steam I was dreading this level but it turned out to be a breeze. I felt like I played through it seamlessly. My nightmare levels turned out to be, seven (Palace Midas), thirteen (Natla’s Mines), fourteen (Atlantis) and fifteen (The Great Pyramid). How did we manage to beat this game as kids? Natla’s mine had far too much fiery danger for my taste and an incredibly annoying mini boss that took me at least ten times to kill. Level fourteen felt like a level from Doom what with flying demons. I kept getting in to a new area and thinking “this has to be it. This has to be the end right?”. Nope. Level fourteen seemed to go on and on forever. Fortunately I had my live stream viewers to keep me company along the way.
Despite the difficult levels, there’s no denying the majestic nature of Tomb Raider and its long pasting legacy on my life. During my recent play through I could not help but think at how clever the level design was. Even more mind blowing was that Tomb Raider was created by six people from the original Core Design Team in Derby. Derby has a special place in my heart as it is my home city so I have often bragged that “me and Lara Croft were born in the same city”. As much as the game still resonates with gamers today, little can be said about the Core Design studios. Sadly is was closed and turned in to flats. Nothing is left of the original studio aesthetic.

The question is not about how much of an impact Tomb Raider had on me; it’s what would have been different if Tomb Raider had of never existed? Obviously I cannot give an exact answer. Perhaps Naughty Dog’s Uncharted series may never have existed? We certainly would not have had any Tomb Raider films. It was through the Tomb Raider films that I discovered Cambodia and the beautiful Temples of Angkor. Later in life I ventured to Cambodia to teach English. If the games had never been developed I wonder if I would have ever gone to Cambodia. Perhaps not. One thing can be said in all certainty, Tomb Raider is tremendous and I love it!

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Blog post by: Gemma @ Juicy Game Reviews / TheGebs24
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Customising and Modding Retro Game Consoles with R.A.W Talent Art

15/7/2020

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Interviewed by: Gemma @ Juicy Game Reviews / TheGebs24
Custom Consoles Interview
Console modding and customs with R.A.W Talent Art Interview
Retro Gaming is a huge passion of mine. There's nothing better than going to a retro gaming market and seeing your favourite childhood games and consoles neatly lined up ready for you to browse through and buy. More intricately, over the last five years I've noticed some gorgeous custom Super Nintendo's, Game Boy's, Game Cube's and more. Adding a splash of colour to a SNES Shell certainly adds a level of personality and charm I would have never expected. So when Rob from R.A.W Talent Art approached me to collaborate I jumped at the chance. I got the chance to catch up with Rob to talk about some of his work in the console modding community and we find out just what is it that inspires him?

So Rob, tell us a bit about yourself?
I'm a 37 year old father of two. I live in Norwich, Norfolk but without the accent, luckily. I'm a creative sort that's a bit of a perfectionist who is currently learning the art of patience. I enjoy playing consoles with my kids and revel in showing them the Retro games I grew up with. Only when they get older will they realise that not every child has access to almost all consoles every released!

How would you describe Console Modding to someone who didn't know about it?
To me console customising and modding is a passion, an escape, therapy, hobby and a job I guess. Its most peoples wish to be paid for something they are passionate about and I've worked hard for almost 8 years to get to the level I'm at now.

What got you in to console modding?
Before I customised consoles I was an illustrator/artist. I was commissioned to make paintings of various things, namely Marvel characters, books covers, abstract work. I became disillusioned with the way I had to acquire work, bidding for jobs against other artists who could afford to do the work for less as they still lived at home with few commitments. I couldn't survive this way so buckled and became a driver for a big supermarket for a few years. This was OK but not my aim in life and soon felt like something was missing from my life. It dawned on me that that thing was creativity. With a full time job and two young children spare time was almost non existent. I started to think of a way to get back into being creative artistically with limited time. The paintings I made previously were VERY time consuming. I asked myself what my passions were, art was an obvious one and the other was gaming. So I came up with a way of combining my passions into a hobby.​

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Resident Evil 2 Board Game Review

27/4/2020

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Guest Blog Post by Jack @ThePnutbean 
Resident Evil 2 Board Game Review
Resident Evil 2 Board Game
Remember the hype? The real genuine hype, not this meme hype of today. Hype like people buying Zone of the Enders mainly for the Metal Gear Solid 2 Demo? The hype around Tomb Raider and how channel 4 did a show during the release of ‘Last Revelation’ of Lara’s history? Remember that hype?

The cynicism behind todays marketing feels more like Stockholm syndrome than real, honest hype. As the hundreds of suites with a default face pound on my door, telling me “You like this game, buy this game, you like it”. Or maybe it is I, who is cynical, looking for something to connect me to my past, to simpler times, to fell once more.

One game always stood out during those times, a game every magazine publication could not stop talking about well after its release. That game was Resident Evil 2. A game today still loved by many.

Naturally, in today’s climate, such a classic cannot remain in its original form, and a remake was inevitable.
Most people will already know of the Capcom Resident Evil 2 Remake that garnered critical and commercial success.

But there was a second remake some gamers may not know about, more akin to the classic- SteamForge’s Resident Evil 2 The Board Game.

Upon opening the box, you are greeted with ‘This game contains scenes of explicit violence and gore’, the exact frame from the original Resident Evil 2; a fine detail any fan would admire.

Inside the box you will find over 20 tile pieces designed with Racoon city and Police Department. Over 30 pieces to create the terrain elements such as walls, stairwells, doors, corpses, typewriter and item box. 30 sustained effects and gameplay tokens such as item tokens and wound tokens. Then miscellaneous tokens such as the weapon dials to count your ammo, boss health dial, health/poison condition marker, ink ribbons, side pack, and your health tracker.

After the tiles, you will find various cards, 50 item cards (item deck A and item deck B) with explanation of items use- like handgun ammo giving you 8 bullets.
Weapon cards display more information- such as the weapons range, how many and/or what attack dice are needed.

Each character has a specific character card that indicate what weapons they can use along with a evade counter (number of evade dice the player uses), and how many items they can carry. The card also displays the characters special ability, a once a turn or round ability to aid the team’s survival. But mindful, enemies have their own reference card with special traits too.

Last set of cards is the tension deck, a card where after each player turn that alter the game world; some cards do nothing, others spawn enemies or other various effects that can foil your plan. Later scenarios will see you replenishing the cards with ink ribbons and typewriters, otherwise it’s game over. ​

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