(Retro) What have you been playing this week? Vol.2

[Wools]

I’ve been playing and really enjoying Master System Sonic the Hedgehog on my Anbernic handheld.

The game has had a rough ride thanks to the US narrative saying the Master System was **** and people retroactively saying the same about Sonic, sadly. But **** those guys! It’s a lovely little platformer with some beautiful level design, nice controls and fantastic music. Best 8-bit music soundtrack? I think it’s close.

Only annoyances is some low frame rate at moments you wouldn’t expect and a few technical issues such as overscan and some glitching. But overall it’s my favourite 8-bit platformer bar none and I’m always pleasantly surprised how well it holds up.

[paulus]

I’ve been playing and really enjoying Master System Sonic the Hedgehog on my Anbernic handheld.

The game has had a rough ride thanks to the US narrative saying the Master System was **** and people retroactively saying the same about Sonic, sadly. But **** those guys! It’s a lovely little platformer with some beautiful level design, nice controls and fantastic music. Best 8-bit music soundtrack? I think it’s close.

Only annoyances is some low frame rate at moments you wouldn’t expect and a few technical issues such as overscan and some glitching. But overall it’s my favourite 8-bit platformer bar none and I’m always pleasantly surprised how well it holds up.

Check out the excellent C64 conversion of this game on YouTube.

[Wools]

Check out the excellent C64 conversion of this game on YouTube.

I didn’t know there had been a (Fan made?) version on C64 before?! Thanks, will take a look!

[Hirst]

Master System Sonic is great, it was handled by Ancient. Sega were so impressed with it that they agreed they could do Streets of Rage 2 on the Mega Drive afterwards.

[Colin]

Decided to set the PS3 back up as I’ve re bought a couple of games I fancied replaying. Before I get to those though I forgot I had Gradius V downloaded on the console so decided to first have a good play of that instead. My. God. Was it always this ****ing hard or is it just my 49 year old reflexes are shot to ****? (I know it’s the latter!) I really need a stick to play this one again as I’m finding it a bit tricky doing the fine movement adjustments needed at times, still a bloody stunning game though despite the PS3 Vaseline-o-vision picture you get with PS2 games.

[jonathan_ingram]

Decided to set the PS3 back up as I’ve re bought a couple of games I fancied replaying. Before I get to those though I forgot I had Gradius V downloaded on the console so decided to first have a good play of that instead. My. God. Was it always this ****ing hard or is it just my 49 year old reflexes are shot to ****? (I know it’s the latter!) I really need a stick to play this one again as I’m finding it a bit tricky doing the fine movement adjustments needed at times, still a bloody stunning game though despite the PS3 Vaseline-o-vision picture you get with PS2 games.

Gradius V is the absolute best, what a game.

[Hirst]

I’ve been playing the maligned, barely-remembered isometric action vehicle shooter Crimewave on the Saturn. It was given a bit of criticism for the frequent frame rate issues (caused by how the levels stream off the disc), but I don’t think it hurts it as bad as people say. I’m even quite fond of it. In a great moment of timing I’ve finally figured out how to use my recording setup and have got my video settings to a state where I’m happy with it so if you want to see some test footage and let me know if it looks/sounds as you’d expect you’d be doing me a favour: https://youtu.be/Ke7YXncXcA4

I only found it slightly annoying to figure out that my obsession with why the colours didn’t look right (for months) was down to my monitor being set to the wrong range of HDMI. The actual video output was fine. What a moron.

[wakka]

Looks and sounds good to me mate. The game looks pretty fun, too.

[Colin]

Never heard of that game but really like the look of it!

[CMcK]

Updated the Pocket and got wired in about some CPS goodness. Final Fight and Dimahoo on the move is awesome.

[mmmonkey]

Crimewave video looks and sounds spot on - good quality. Game seems good fun too

[endo]

Looks great! A quick watch of that video is giving me APB vibes.

[Hirst]

Cheers everyone! It's a great little game, deserves a bit more attention so I'll be knocking out a review in due course.

APB isn't a bad shout, it's basically like a sort of cross between APB and GTA1/2. Except you don't ticket people for littering, you just blow them up!

[fallenangle]

Started a run through of PC Tomb Raider 1 again - I was getting withdrawal symptoms after not having played any TR for more than month..

Not played TR1 on PC in full for quite some time although I did Unfinished Business (the expansion pack levels) only a few months ago.

I think the last full run through I did of TR1 was actually the OpenLara version on the original Xbox, early last year but maybe even longer.

[Atticus]

Is the Vita retro? I love this system so much. I started a 3rd playthrough of Hotline Miami this week. It's so perfect on the Vita ... headphones on ... it's the best.