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Blog Post by Corey and Mike @BitBeamCannon
Daemon Claw: Origins of Nnar is a new fantasy retro side scrolling action game.
A big thanks to Gemma for letting us share this exciting news with everyone here!
We're Corey and Mike at BitBeamCannon and we we just teamed up with Neofid and PixelHeart to bring our retro arcade style game called DaemonClaw to Megadrive, Neo Geo, and modern systems! NeoFid have proven themselves to be great developers for Megadrive with their two previous games called Demons of Asteborg and Astebros which were recent successful Kickstarter campaigns. We'll be revealing some great footage of DaemonClaw running on real Megadrive hardware in a couple of days on our youtube channel here. PixelHeart have a long record of producing and publishing indie and retro games and are already making good progress with getting DaemonClaw up and running on the Neo Geo and we look forward to showing that off in the near future as well. One really cool aspect of these three distinct versions of DaemonClaw (Megadrive, Neo Geo, and modern systems) is that each one will feature an exclusive second selectable character to play as and no matter which version anyone gets they'll be able to play all three versions via an included Steam key! So now DaemonClaw's Kickstarter has been live since September 12th, and thanks to generous backers and others who love classic arcade and console style games the campaign is funded and now working towards the third stretch goal! You can check out the kickstarter here. For you fellow Amigan's out there who might be wondering why the Kickstarter doesn't mention the Amiga version of DaemonClaw, don't worry, the plans for DaemonClaw on Amiga have not changed. It will be made using the same code base as Metro Siege once it's finished, but with AGA features added to the engine to make sure the Amiga version of DaemonClaw looks and plays very competitively against any other version. Because it's unknown how long it will take to finish Metro Siege, the Amiga version of DaemonClaw can't be offered through this Kickstarter. For those wondering what Metro Siege is, Gemma actually covered it previous on her youtube channel here. Here are some new screen shots exclusively for Juicy Game Reviews, the last of which is the first ever public reveal of the intro to the level 2 boss (the Ram King)!
Thanks very much for your time, and thanks again to Gemma for this opportunity to spread the word.
Happy gaming everyone! Blog Post by Corey and Mike @BitBeamCannon
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The Simpson's Arcade was a classic
Do you love the NES as much as we do?
I have been a gamer ever since I was four years old. My earliest memories of gaming was back in the early eighties. I was then the proud owner of the Commodore Plus 4 computer. Amongst the games which I can remember playing in those early years of my existence were Fire Ant and a game called Icicle Works (in which you played as Father Christmas) collecting presents to form the main toy or gift you would make at the end of the level.
Following on from that I was then donated a Spectrum 48k and played all of those classics such as Wizball, Manic Miner, Jet Set Willy and Daley Thompsons Decathlon. As much as I enjoyed those formative years in gaming. No other console resonated with me as much as the fabled NES (Nintendo Entertainment System). The NES is and probably will be my favourite console of all time. It could be argued amongst the gaming community that the NES also had the best library of any console that has been released. So much choice, so much variety. What stands out more for me is how many IPs started out on the NES and are still going today. We just need Konami to get a wiggle on and sort themselves out with some of their creations. Some of the best gaming days and experiences I had with the NES. Back in the late 80’s and very early 90s hardly anyone had a NES or even a games console. Most people I knew had a Spectrum or a Commodore 64. It was a wonderful sight and treat when I was out shopping with my parents and if we ever walked past a Currys, Dixon’s and Toy and Hobby we got to play on a demo NES system which was in these stores. You could choose a game to play out of five or six I think, then get to play said game for five minutes before it would reset again. Suddenly I started noticing Nintendo everywhere. More shops had the NES in, it was featured more on television adverts and more than anything word of mouth was getting around my school about as we called it. “The Nintendo”. At Christmas 1990 myself and my brothers received the NES Action Set with the Zapper, Super Mario Brothers and Duck Hunt. My main present that year was a Yamaha Keyboard, it hardly got touched due to the NES. That’s how powerful and addictive it was back then . My parents resigned themselves that I was not going to be a world class pianist and I’m pretty sure they ended up either swapping the keyboard back at Dixons for more NES games. As a couple of days after Christmas we had gained Excitebike and Bubble Bobble to our library. What a Christmas. 
I'm getting straight to the point here: Here Comes a New Challenger, is the Street Fighter 2 documentary I never knew I always wanted. It's tremendous. But what is it? Here Comes a New Challenger is an absolute love letter to the global phenomenon; Street Fighter 2.
Directed by Oliver Harper, the documentary covers a wealth of Street Fighter information; literally starting with Street Fighter. Now, we all know that Street Fighter was nothing in comparison to the monsoon of fame, hype and hysteria that arrived with Street Fighter 2. Here Comes a New Challenger takes a deep dive in to this world and to help the story along the way, the documentary is packed with some big names. From the likes of Mick McGinty (artist), Yoshiki Okamoto (Street Fighter 2 Producer), James Goddard (Dev),Steven E. de Souza (SF2 Movie Director) and many more key players that facilitated the Street Fighter 2 craze of the 90's. Now I can assure you that throughout your two hours and twenty minutes with this documentary, there are some seriously juicy topics to sink your teeth into. The following synopsis is taken direct from the Here Comes a New Challenger website:
Immortal Joysticks are the new Sticks on the Block
Roguecraft is a new game coming to Amiga in 2023
The Amiga is the gift that keeps in giving. Why, I hear you ask? Indie Developers like Badgerpunch Games Studios, continue to churn out amazing games, and not just for the Amiga. No! The Commodore 64 is also supported with games like Rogue 64.
Badgerpunch Games caught my eye during some research I did for an Amiga Episode titled 6 Amiga Upcoming Games that will tickle your fancy. Perhaps I should change what I said here because it was shortly after I had edited this video that I learnt about an upcoming title called Roguecraft. What is Roguecraft? Rather than me sit here and whaffle; I decided to reach out to Ricki Sickenger (Lead Programmer) to find out more about what we can expect from this upcoming Amiga Game. 1/ So Rick, tell us a bit about your gaming history? I got a Commodore64 when I was 11 years old, with the 30-Games Collection from Argus Press. That was the start of a lovely relationship with the C64 and gaming. I started programming BASIC on the C64, and when I upgraded to an Amiga a few years later I made myself learn 68k assembly. I never made any games on the C64 or Amiga even though I was pretty active in the Amiga demo scene for a while. That was where I got to know Henning Ludvigsen, who makes the pixels in our games. I ended up getting a computer programming degree and in my mid-twenties starting my own gaming company with some friends. We wanted to make an MMO, and after 10 years of development we released Darkfall Online in 2009. After that I was pretty fed up with games development and started working as an IT consultant. It only took a couple of years before I started making games again, but in my spare time now. My friend Henning Ludvigsen and I started Badger Punch Games to make retro-inspired games. In 2019 I was missing the good old times I had with my Commodore 64, and decided to try to make a C64 game. Henning and I ended up making multiple games. The last game was a roguelike called Rogue64 that got quite a lot of attention, and excellent feedback from the players. It even got some mainstream gaming press attention, and it was nominated for multiple game-of-the-year 2022 awards. I never really had any consoles growing up. I used to play games on the C64 and Amiga, and then I got a PC and continued gaming there. I do have a Nintendo Switch though, and I love playing games on it. :-) 2/ What inspires you to create video games? Mostly the fact that creating video games is a way to express creativity that I do not have an outlet for in my day job. There is something about making something that needs to work, look ok, sound good, and on top of that has to be fun. My part of the job is programmer and game designer, and seeing all the parts come together to make a great game is magical! 3/ Badger Punch Games; Is this a game studio you created? Badger Punch Games is a studio Henning and I created to make retro-inspired games. We ended up making games on Retro systems (C64, Amiga and Mega65 so far), but we have also made games for modern platforms like Android and Windows. 4/ Roguecraft is your upcoming title for the Amiga (and other platforms). How would you describe Roguecraft? Roguecraft is a turn-based roguelike where the focus is simple and fun gameplay. A roguelike is often a dungeon crawler game where the aim is to get as far as you can in the dungeon. If you are lucky you might get to the end where a boss-monster and treasures await. You only get one life, but since the levels are randomly generated then every play of the game is a unique experience. There is an element of strategy to playing a roguelike, and as you learn the game mechanics you get further and further into the game. Roguecraft tries to balance keeping the mechanics interesting without making them too complicated, to maximize the joy of playing the game and the replayability of it. You should be able to complete the game in around 40 minutes if you have a perfect run. We are also making sure Roguecraft looks as good as possible for a non-AGA Amiga game. 5/ What kind of experience will players feel when they play Roguecraft? The players will hopefully feel joy, dread, a tiny bit of frustration, and lots of accomplishment playing Roguecraft. 
OLL23: TheGebs24, John Riggs, Dawbs and Olly (Retro Gaming Revival)
OLL '23 will once again be celebrating the biggest and best of the region’s gaming scene alongside Norwich's gaming communities, as well as showcasing the region's largest exhibition for indie game studios, curated by Debug.
Over the past weekend, Retro Gamers, content creators and vendors from across the world descended upon Norwich Showground to take part in the mighty schedule of OLL 2023. What is OLL I hear you ask? OLL is a popular Video Game Convention that brings thousands of people together with classic stage shows like The Retro Game Championships, Quizzes, independent retro game shops, traders, gaming artists, Indie Developers and much, much more. But before we talk about the tremendous lineup, let's take a moment to mention the Safe In Our World Charity; whom OLL teamed up with to promote this event. It's wonderful to have affiliations to such a wonderful cause. Well done to Jon and his team for this.
Lineup and Traders OLL was packed with us content creators from as far away as Seattle, USA to Sweden! The full lineup was:
Bitmap Bureau are an Indie Game company that recently released Final Vendetta; a side scrolling Beat 'em Up that was influenced by Streets of Rage and Final Fight. Of course, the lads at Bitmap Bureau have other games to their name, including Xeno Crisis, which is just about to release on the N64! I was lucky enough to be given one. I would personally like to thank Mike for this gift, along with the signed, framed Xeno Crisis poster. The Retro Game Championships took place on Saturday. We were placed in to teams of two and were pitted against another team of two. The games varied from round to round.
Now, I'm probably going to get roasted here as I may have gotten the order wrong! What I can tell you indefinitely are two things: John Riggs and I were team mates. We were playing Pilotwings with Dawbs and Olly from Retro Gaming Revival. Sadly we lost by two points. The mighty John Riggs took a massive gamble and attempted to land on the moving platform on Rocketbelt. Needless to say, we could not have conceded to a better pair to be honest. (SPOILER ALERT: Adam Koralik and Nostalgia Nerd won). Well done everyone. After 6pm, we all hung out at the after party with a small bar and a Super Smash Bros tournament rattled on in the background on stage. Jess, myself, John Riggs and his amazing wife Michelle, left before the quiz and music started pounding and off to dinner we went. Traders, vendors, Indie's and more OLL23 kept us all busy for the entire weekend. From the amazing RAW Talent Art to Sega Mags to Last Level Games to Wave Game Studios and more. For the full lineup you can click here. You'll see how the show was set out in my YouTube Episode from day one. Compared to OLL22, it felt clear that the organisers have gone much bigger this year. Every time I saw Jon, I thanked him for the amazing job him and the OLL Team had done. Well done from everyone here at Team24. I mean, anyone that can get a wall of CRT TV's at short notice is a legend in my eyes. I would love to see more Retro Video Game vendors at OLL24 (assuming there will be one). In fact, a few people said this to me. If you did not fancy purchasing any retro games, you could sit down and play them. Norwich Amiga Group had lots of hardware and new software on show, Game Cubes, N64's, PS1's, loads of retro games consoles were all free to play and it felt great seeing people relive their childhoods all over again. I close this blog with a huge and heartfelt thank you to you, the reader, the fans! Without you, none of this would have been possible. See you at the next one. 
Click to ENTER The Lady Lounge
Guest Blog by Marco Hibbins @Cultofniche_design
Long live the Sega Mega Drive
I'm sitting here with my fingers hovering over my keyboard. I'm staring at a blank word document like I'm staring into an abyss. I know what I want to talk about but where on earth do you begin talking about the Sega Mega Drive whilst giving it an ounce of the importance it deserves?
I keep hearing Bane's voice in my head: “You merely adopted the dark... I was born in it! Moulded by it!” And I was moulded by it! The Mega Drive that is, not the dark. But then the Mega Drive sort of was the dark side. And the devil's always had the best tunes! Or in this case, games! Sure, there was the NES and I had a ruddy good time on Duck Hunt with the Zapper. The Gameboy too ...even though I was essentially just playing Tetris on a big calculator display that I could barely see in daylight! It was still great fun though and impressive for the time. But the Mega drive? Now that was something else... I remember the first time I laid eyes on it. It was at a friend's house. His name was William and there, on the carpet just in front of his living room TV was this mysterious, black box. Somehow it looked both slick and futuristic yet rugged and imposing at the same time. Like if Honda had designed a tank. William switched the TV to channel 00 and we were met with static. But then... he reached for the power button on the mysterious console. He slid it to the On position. The static disappeared from the TV screen and for a few seconds... nothing happened. Then all of a sudden, the screen turned white and flooded the darkened living room with light! “SEEEAAAGGGAAAA!” screamed at me from the lo-fi TV speakers! The next thing I know, there's a certain blue hedgehog waving his finger at me and the sound of one of the most glorious chip tune songs ever programmed! Where had this been all my life?! I mean I was only 7, but still!
Guest Blogger: OG Money P @Philipkelly29
From pixels to perfection - FIFA Soccers' 30 year history with EA Games is ending
Back in 2022, a shock announcement made it's way to the ears and eyes of millions of FIFA Soccer players: EA Sports would lose the license to their immensely popular video game franchise FIFA, ending a thirty year reign with Fifa 23 but will then be called EA Sports FC. How did they get here? To understand this let us look where they started.
FIFA Soccer from EA Games is an incredibly popular soccer video game that offers a realistic experience of the sport. Players can customize their teams and compete in tournaments and leagues to become the top player. The game features detailed graphics, realistic ball physics, and a variety of game modes for single-player or multiplayer gaming. On top of that, players can also participate in online matches against other gamers from around the world. FIFA Soccer from EA Games is a must-have title for any soccer fan. Soccer games aren’t new. When EA Sports launched on the 15th of December 1993 there were already a slew of soccer titles on across pc and consoles, Amiga had Microprose soccer and sensible soccer, while Super Nintendo had Super Soccer and Sensible Soccer to name but a few. In this era, fans had the chance to see their teams represented as close to the real sport as possible, being able to set up player line ups and tactics provided some depth to what could seem as too simple a genre to provide a fanbase. Even in this early stage of gaming, innovation created competition: Sensible Soccer had personalisation options, it didn’t take itself too seriously though. Alongside actual football teams, players could have fun with fictional teams like Fish FC where you would have cod and haddock as your strikers. As kids playing this for the first time it was very funny and at the time a top-down view the gameplay was tricky to begin with but if you persevered with it became easier to play, score and win! And being able to gain couch co-op bragging rights at your friends' houses. The Striker Video game immediately responded with better graphics and an indoor soccer tournament sales of this title provoked FIFA to include indoor football in FIFA 97. 
The Evercade EXP has fifteen Secret Games
It wasn't until I reviewed the Evercade EXP that I realised there was an option for Secret Games. It got me thinking about how cool this actually was. At this time I had no idea how to access the Secret Games but that was until now. Someone reached out to me on Facebook with a link to the official Evercade Facebook Group with this post. It shows how to access fifteen secret games, pictures and more. (Side note: you will need to join the group to see the full post).
It's a fairly decent list of games that include titles like Pyramids of Ra (Game Boy), Arcade Rush (NES) and much more. It's worth noting that you will need some of the official Evercade Cartridges to access the secret games though. |
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