Turrican II - The Final Fight Released for Amiga AGA Machines

Turrican II remains one of my favourite platform games on the Amiga, so I was quite excited when I learned of the project to create an enhanced version for the AGA chipset. Essentially a conversion of the 1994 PC DOS release, the principle developer behind the endeavour is Alastair Murray (AKA Sonic Sloth). Various demos and pre-release versions have been available, but I wanted to wait until the final release before trying it for myself.

The obvious change between this new AGA version and the OCS release is the graphics. It incorporates the art assets from the PC DOS release which, being a VGA title, supported more colours and higher detail. The redesigned player sprite, with it's bulbous helmet and wedge-shaped boots, represents one of the more divisive changes from that version, so it's cool to see Alastair also included an option allowing players to choose between the PC and Amiga versions of the Turrican suit.

Of course, looks aren't everything, so I'm pleased to report that the game plays exactly as I would expect. I don't know how much of the original code was used, or to what degree of re-engineering was required to get this running, but it plays exactly like Turrican II should. I used an A1200 WinUAE config to play this and, aside from a few occasions where the framerate dips when things get really busy, it's pretty much flawless. There are also some quality-of-life improvements, including the ability to look down (reduce the need for blind jumps), sound enhancements and optional control tweaks

Perhaps my favourite addition is the inclusion of new secrets. Each of the platforming levels contains three special crystals, which can only be retrieved by finding hidden drones. The little blighters are invisible and only appear when shot, although they do emit a noise when you're in the vicinity. This is gives seasoned Turrican II players who already know the game inside out another reason to revisit the game and do battle with The Machine and it's space-faring minions.

Overall, Turrican II: AGA Edition is a great release. The strapline for the game over on Alastair's itch.io bills the game as "The best way to play the PC version of Turrican 2 is on the Amiga", and I couldn't agree more!

The download includes standard ADF disk images, a WHDLOAD package, plus a version compatible with the recently released A500 Mini console.

Archer Maclean: A Short Tribute

News broke on December 25th 2022 that computer programmer and designer Archer Maclean had passed away. He was 60 years old.

Archer had something of a Midas touch when it came to the Commodore 64. DropZone, a clone of the Defender coin-op, was an early technical showcase for what could be achieved with the machine, and Maclean would build on this success with International Karate and, even more famously, IK+.

As far as tributes go, International Karate + is a complete no-brainer simply because it's really the pinnacle of fighting games on the C64. The game retains the precision controls and fighting mechanics from its predecessor, but the secret sauce is the addition of the third combatant. This karateka threesome might seem like a really bizarre idea, but it adds a surprising level of dynamism, pace and enjoyment to a base design which was already rock solid. The fact it has a kick-ass Rob Hubbard musical score only adds to the enjoyment.

Something else which made Archer's games special was the irreverent and mischievous humour which crept into his games in the form of hidden Easter eggs. It didn't take long for the secret key combo to make the fighter's drop their pants to show up in the cheat sections of magazines.

RIP Archer Maclean - thanks for all the happy childhood memories.

Developer: Archer Maclean
Publisher: System 3
Year of Release: 1987 

Journey to Silius - NES (1990)

This game cropped up in my Twitter feed, with some extremely positive comments about the soundtrack. I'd always considered the NES Ricoh sound chip to have a pretty distinct sound which didn't necessarily result in the same level of melodic composition to feature on the Commodore 64, so I was pretty intrigued to check this out. What's particularly interesting is the game had, apparently, been slated to be a license based on The Terminator. The license wasn't awarded because the game opted to focus on the "Future War" aspect of the franchise, rather than following the plot of the movie; the post-apocalyptic backdrops and mechanical enemy design certainly play into the Terminator aesthetic, so this could have been truly huge with the weight of the move behind it.

Any preconceptions I had about the capabilities of the NES chip went out the window as soon as the title screen music kicked in - the whole OST is a masterclass of chiptune goodness. Although the title sequence features a great piece of music, my personal favourite is the stage 1 track; it's such a strong opener for the game, with a thumping drum beat and zinging synth lead which makes for such a strong opener; simply superb.

Fortunately, the actual gameplay is equally solid. It's a fairly standard run 'n gun affair with platforming, but it has great pacing, really tight controls and is just a well-crafted experience. The objective is to blast your way through each stage in turn, then take down an end-of-level boss to add a new weapon to your arsenal. These guns are supposed to add some utility when it comes to dealing with the various enemies, but I found the standard pistol to be more effective than most of the stuff I picked up, so I really just stuck with that.

Overall, this is a fun game with an absolutely awesome soundtrack; go check it out!

Developer: Sunsoft
Publisher: Sunsoft
Year of Release: 1990

Flip and Flop - Commodore 64 (1984)

One of the earliest games I owned back when I got my C64, Flip & Flop was one of the very first games I longplayed when I started my channel back in 2012. At the time of recording that particular longplay, I'd assumed incorrectly that the game had no ending when, in fact, it does. It turns out there are 40 levels in total and the game simply ends once the last one is completed. In my original video, I quit after 19 levels, which meant that the longplay was incomplete - there are additional cutscenes I missed. This new longplay includes all 40 levels and cutscenes.

Inspired by the likes of Q*Bert, the objective of the game is to help Flip the kangaroo and Mitch the monkey evade capture by completing a series of isometric puzzle boards. Each board features a series of interconnected tiles, with ladders connecting adjacent platforms. Flip and Mitch must bounce on tiles containing symbols, convering them to solid tiles - filling in all the tiles within the time limit completes the level.

The first few levels are simple enough, designed to ease players into the game. The only thing to worry about is getting used to the controls, navigating the grid, and learning not to fall off the edge of platforms - this happens a lot! Level 1 and all subsequent odd level numbers are played as Flip, while every other level is played from the viewpoint of Mitch. The mechanics between the two characters are identical, but the game changes the shading of the tiles during Mitch's levels to try and convey the sense that he's hanging from the grid, rather than bouncing on top of them as Flip does. In my experience, the altered perspective makes Mitch's levels considerably tougher than Flip's - even if you to train your brain to look past this, trying to keep track of which tile Mitch is occupying remains a constant problem.

The game quickly ratchets up the difficulty by throwing in adversaries which pursue Flip and Mitch, attempting to catch them. Flip is chased by a keeper, while Mitch must outwit a sentient net - both of these foes can be slowed temporarily by luring them on to the flashing squares of "fly paper", which root them to the spot for a few seconds. The same applies to the playe, however, so be very careful not to get trapped yourself.

For every four levels completed the game increases the difficulty. Levels become larger with more tiles to change and the speed of the adversaries increases. Both the player and the keeper or net must be occupying the same tile and stationary to get caught, so it's possible to move through the same tile as an enemy, provided you're both mid-jump when it occurs. The same applies to ladders, and you can use these to help put some distance between you and your pursuer.

Even after so many years, Flip & Flop remains a great little game. It's easy to pick up and play, looks great, and is fiendishly addictive - even when you've fallen off the grid for the umpteenth time, you'll find it difficult not to come back for one more go.

Developer: First Star Software
Publisher: Statesoft
Year of Release: 1984
Coding: Jim Nangano
Graphics: Jim Nangano
Music: Jerry White

Leatherneck - Commodore Amiga (1988)

One of the longplays I recorded a few years back and never got around to publishing, Leatherneck is a top-down shooter created by the late Steve Bak. It's a weird hybrid in these sense that, despite looking like a clone of Commando or Ikari Warriors, it's actually closer in design to pattern-based vertically scrolling shoot 'em ups.

The game is a "score attack" affair featuring a single level which eventually loops back on itself, and the sole objective is to earn as many points as possible until you eventually run out of lives. Enemy troops appear in pre-determined formations and move in series of patterns, shooting bullets and lobbing grenades as they move around. You have at your disposal a series of weapons with varying rates of fire and effectiveness, but these all have limited ammunition. You'll need to be extremely precise with your shots, making sure not to waste bullets and to replenish supplies at every available opportunity from the blue ammo crates left dotted around the screen.

It took me a few attempts to figure out that rushing in guns blazing, as you might feel inclined to do in military-themed arcade game, will result in almost instantaneous death. Enemy spawns are triggered as the screen scrolls, so the only way to avoid being hopelessly overwhelmed is to creep forward and ensure the screen scrolls only when the previous wave has been dealt with and you're in an advantageous position -- if such a thing exists -- to deal with the next.

I can't say this was Steve Bak's best endeavour; he'd go on to program and design far better games than this; it's punishingly difficult and often infuriating, and not a game that ever feels gratifying to play. That said, the wave-based approach to enemies does means Leatherneck isn't just another mindless button-bashing blaster - you need to take a far more cautious approach if you want to survive, which, if nothing else, makes it a somewhat interesting proposition.

Developer: Steve Bak
Publisher: Microdeal
Year of Release: 1988

The Untouchables - Commodore 64 (1989)

Released in 1989, Ocean Software returned to the tried-and-test mini-game formula for their take on Brian de Palma's classic movie. It's fair to say that Ocean's track record with these games was rather hit and miss. Zzap!64 magazine awarded the game a stratospheric 96% in issue 55, so clearly this must have been one of the better move licenses?

The game commences with a hellish game of cat-and-mouse as you chase down mob henchman among pyramids of stacked crates. The idea is to shoot the white-suited goons and get them to drop pieces of evidence to help you build a case against Al Capone and the Chicago Outfit, but this easier said than done. The targets generally spawn at the opposite end of the warehouse, necessitating a constant cycle of slogging through gun-toting gangsters, scrambling up a massive stack of crates, only to rush back down again when the suspect begins to flee. Your default pea-shooter of a weapon is so ineffectual, it actually plays to your enemy's advantage; it'll knock them off the platform they're currently standing on, giving them ample opportunity to escape while you deal with enforcers scrambling up from the crates below you and getting in the way.

The next section, if you manage to make it this far, is the first of several target shooting sections. Ness and his intrepid bunch of law enforcers must outgun mobsters in a shootout atop a bridge; your selected agent is always prone, so you'll need to roll side-to-side to move into position to take down targets, using the scope in the top right of the screen to determine when you have a bad guy in your sights. If you take too much damage, it's a good idea to roll off to the left of the screen, which allows you to sap characters. Wounded team members will regain health while out of combat, but the regeneration is very slow and you'll be eating dirt if you're not careful.

Success on the bridge sees the action move to the back alleys of downtown, where Ness and team must navigate their way between buildings literally heaving with mob shooters. It's another shooter section, with the difference being you spend most of the time hugging cover behind a wall, only popping out to shoot the thugs as they appear in the various windows and doorways ahead. As before, you can swap between team members when one gets low on health, but the never-ending legion of enemies you face mean you'll need luck and shooting skills to make it out alive.

Stage 4 references perhaps the most iconic scene from the movie, the shootout in the railway station. Ness must navigate his way down what must be the longest set of steps ever created, taking out mobsters and shoving a pram with swaddled infant ensconced within out of harms way. If the pram and it's occupant get shot or crash into the scenery, you'll lose a life and need to restart.

Scene 5 is so short it's barely worth mentioning, so we'll cut straight to the final section, yet *another* shootout section in which Ness confronts Frank Nitti on the rooftops of a high-rise. It's a duck-and-cover affair, with Ness taking pot-shots at Nitti, driving him closer to the building's edge, until he takes a little trip over the edge.

As with many Ocean games based on move licenses the production values are high, but the actual gaming content and satisfaction to be found therein is questionable. The various sequences are all rather boring, or contain mechanics so infuriating you'll be hard-pressed to raise a smile anywhere along the way. It's not the worst game I've ever played, but I honestly cannot understand how Zzap!64 awarded this such a high score, or why they decided to give it a gold medal award! Perhaps the only thing I do agree with is the 97% awarded for visuals; Stephen Thomson (SIT) really did a remarkable job here, particularly with the title screen (as seen in the thumbnail for this video). The graphics are a high point in a game which, in my opinion, isn't as great as magazines made it out to be.

Tom and Jerry: The Magic Ring - Game Boy Advance (2001)

 Tom and Jerry: The Magic Ring was released in 2001 to coincide with the release of an animated movie with the same name. I can't say I'd ever heard of it before, although I suppose this is hardly surprising, given its poor reception. The movie was released straight-to-video, this game really should have been released straight-to-garbage, because that's about all it's worth.

The game is a very basic beat 'em up style game that's clearly aimed at a younger audience, but kids are just as discerning gamers as anyone else, and the game leaves a bad impression, regardless of age. The plot makes very little sense at all, and the mechanics are just dreadful. Neither Tom nor Jerry can do more than paw ineffectually at the multitude of enemies standing in their way, and the collectible weapons are equally rubbish, thanks to some really bad collision detection.

On the subject of collision, the Z axis calculations are really out of whack. It's possible to get hit by enemies and hazards halfway up the screen, and some of your own attacks, notably the bombs in the sewer level, actually damage the player when caught in the blast.

The only saving grace here is the animation which, admittedly, is pretty decent, but this alone fails to make up for the litany of failings elsewhere. Tom and Jerry: The Magic Ring just isn't very good and is a game best avoided.

Developer: Cave Barn Studios
Publisher: NewKidCo
Year of Release: 2001

Riot - Arcade (1992)

Something that never ceases to surprise me when it comes to coin-op history is how many games took inspiration from Cabal. The idea of a target shooter where player's control an on-screen reticule to shoot bad guys and dodge incoming bullets wasn't exactly new, but TAD Corp's game certainly popularised the format.

Enter Riot, another Cabal clone released in 1992, and while it might appear otherwise unremarkable, it does things a little differently. What makes Riot particularly interesting is the fact enemies not only appear in the background, but also the foreground, requiring the player to hit a button to change their aim to swap between the two play-fields. The cover system works in similar fashion, with some items providing cover from enemies which pop up closest to the camera, whereas other objects provide protection from enemies in the background. The result is a game which can get pretty frantic very quickly, and you shouldn't be surprised when you get overwhelmed; the key to success comes from learning where and when enemies appear and getting into position early to deal with them.

So the game has some neat ideas and is technically proficient, but the execution and pacing is, perhaps unsurprisingly for a coin-op, too punitive for its own good. Sure, arcade operators want players to keep dropping coins to continue playing, but this ends up being one of those titles where my interest would definitely wane after the first credit.

Developer: NMK
Publisher: NMK
Year of Release: 1992

Rolling Thunder 3 - Sega Genesis (1993)

The original Rolling Thunder was something of a trendsetter. It's use of upper and lower play areas proved to be an inspiration for the likes of Sega's Shinobi and Shadow Dancer, Data East's Bad Dudes and more. The sequel, Rolling Thunder 2, was more of the same, but added extra weapons, a second playable character, and expanded on what made the original game a success.

Unlike the previous games in the series, Rolling Thunder 3 was not released in the arcades and was exclusive to the Sega Genesis. Having played through the game, this feels like a "straight-to-video" release from a franchise which had at one time been noteworthy and influential, but was now just being milked for a few last pennies before being consigned to the trash.

The only real additions added in RT3 is the ability to select a special weapon with which you start each round, plus a couple of chase scenes involving bikes and a jet-ski. The rest of the game is just more Rolling Thunder: shooting cybernetic clones, swapping between platforms and entering doorways to search for extra ammo and power-ups. Although I get these are the core design principles of a Rolling Thunder game, it really needed something extra to warrant the attention of gamers in 1993.

The plot involves a continuation of themes established in the previous games, with the World Crime Police Organization taking on the forces of shadowy terrorist syndicate Geldra. With agents Albatross and Leila otherwise engaged, it's up to newcomer agent "jay" to pursue one of Geldra's leaders and put a stop to whatever evil machinations are being concocted. The story plays out in a series of cutscenes which, in my opinion, seem rather amateurish, and it just gives more evidence to suggest the game was more about raking in some cash, rather than an attempt to expand the franchise.

I guess if you like Rolling Thunder then you might find some enjoyment here, but I found the whole thing boring and uninspired. The weapon selection really doesn't add any variety to the gameplay, especially when some of the items are pretty useless, and there's little to recommend this when there are far better arcade-style games on the system.

Developer: Namco

Publisher: Namco

Year of Release: 1993

Savage Reign - Neo Geo (1995)

If there's one genre with which SNK can be relied upon to deliver consistently, it's the versus fighter. The Neo Geo is practically awash with them, each jockeying for position in what, even by 1994, was a crowded marketplace.

To SNK's credit, Savage Reign is another fine example of the genre. The game boasts a roster of colourful characters with various fighting styles, impressive sprite artwork, plus combos and multiple different special moves to master. There's an emphasis on using your character's weapon in conjunction with more customary punches and kicks, which allows players to employ additional strategies with which to encounter their opponent. The character dialogue screens which precede each bout feature sassy exchanges between the various tournaments, which is a nice touch.

Unfortunately, with franchises such as Fatal Fury, Art of Fighting and Samurai Shodown already established by this point, Savage Reign struggles somewhat to forge its own identity. There isn't really anything here which similar games of this period don't do equally as well, if not better. This might be reflected in the fact the game received only one sequel (Kizuna Encounter: Super Tag Battle) in 1996.

Ultimately, I guess Savage Reign is a victim of SNK's own success - it's an accomplished game, but when the bar has already been set so high, making a splash becomes increasingly difficult. Even so, if you enjoy fighting games, this another fine example, one which I recommend checking out for yourselves.

Developer: SNK
Publisher: SNK
Year of Release: 1995

Xeno Crisis - Neo Geo (2019)

Given that Xeno Crisis has featured on Xbox Game Pass and other digital download platforms, I suspect that a fair number of retro fans will already be familiar with this excellent arena shooter. For those who aren't, Xeno Crisis is really a love-letter to arcade classics Robotron: 2084 and Smash T.V. The DNA of Eugene Jarvis courses through the game's pulsating, slime-filled veins, as players engage in close-quarter battles with a whole bunch of alien scum, lab-grown monstrosities, not to mention more than a handful of rogue scientists.

I picked up the Xeno Crisis Neo Geo ROM as part of Bitmap Bureau's Black Friday promotions for £10, which I really don't consider bad value, especially given the quality of the product. For those with deeper pockets and a desire to play the game on original hardware, you could pony up for the eye-wateringly expensive AES or MVS cartridge versions (with optional high-quality repro case and inlays), but the downloadable ROM version was perfect for me.

The reason why Xeno Crisis garnered so much attention, other than the fact it's a spiffingly fun game, is Bitmap Bureau released versions for the Sega Genesis, Dreamcast and Neo Geo. I covered the Genesis port a while back and was mightily impressed, but the Neo Geo version is even better. The enhanced hardware really gives the game room to stretch its legs. The audio quality is hugely improved, particularly the music, and there's also digitised speech which I don't recall featuring in the other versions I've played. The graphics also feel on par with the modern incarnations of the game; Henk Nieborg and Catherine Menabde did such a great job on the artwork - Xeno Crisis bears the hallmarks of a classic 16-bit game of old, but with modern flourishes and touches that help keep things fresh.

As for the gameplay, it's pretty simple. Choose a character, annihilate the bad guys, dodge the bullets and grab the loot. Upgrade your equipment at the end of each level after defeating a hideously grotesque boss, and just try and survive as long as you can.

The game supports dual analogue controls on modern platforms, and it's really a twin-stick shooter at heart. Fortunately, the gameplay doesn't really suffer on the "retro" releases; the difficulty feels like it has been tweaked to account for the control scheme, and everything feels very slick.

Provided you don't mind a stiff challenge, I'm pretty sure you'll find Xeno Crisis right up your alley.