Two horror franchises that have seen their share of iterations in film, literature, and gaming are Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Friday the 13th. Both made waves in the gaming industry (for better or worse) in the late 1980s with ill-received releases on the Nintendo Entertainment System. These games are widely considered to be overly difficult and poorly designed, and have garnered a plethora of reviews skewering all aspects of their terribleness.

The soundtracks of these two monsters, however, couldn’t be more different. Let’s take a closer look at the music that propels these terrifying (in more ways than one!) games straight to the bottom of many a gamer’s “must-play” list.

“Friday the 13th”

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Disclaimer: Composed by Hirohiko Takayama, Friday the 13th‘s score gives us a LOT less to work with than Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. There’s a massive amount of looping the same tracks during the game, which is pretty scary in itself…but here we go. You’ve been warned.

“Character Select/Room Theme”

We’ll start with the good one. Of only (apparently) four tracks in the game, this one actually has a melody that keeps a player interested. There’s a pretty rudimentary bass line underneath too, but that’s nothing to write home from Camp Crystal Lake about. It’s not unpleasant, which is nice in a game about trying to murder a serial killer before he can do the same to your friends at camp. Doesn’t exactly set the tone, but that’s what these other abominations are for…

“Walking Around”

Okay. Let’s put this in perspective: Friday the 13th wasn’t, by any stretch of the imagination, overly hard on the Nintendo Entertainment System’s processor. It wasn’t the ugliest game (visually), but it could have been better. Suffice it to say the graphics likely didn’t take up the whole cartridge. Long story short, there could have been so much more to the main theme of the game than a mere four bars of “music” that loops near-endlessly until a player either dies, fights Jason Voorhees, or wisely shuts off the console and finds a better game to play. It’s hard to listen to this one, but just wait until you hear the boss music!

“Battling Jason”

There’s not much to be said about this track — certainly nothing positive. It’s grating the first time, and it only gets worse. Thankfully (spoiler alert!) a player only has to defeat Jason three times to complete the game. Granted, that doesn’t mean only fighting him three times, unless he’s defeated on the first try each time. In the best-case scenario, we get to move on to the final piece of music as soon as humanly possible and don’t have to listen to this any more than we have to.

TERRIFYING!

“Jason Defeated”

Well, it’s finally over…or is it? Friday the 13th ends with this tune, and a cliffhanger. “Jason Defeated” isn’t much more complex than the previous two tracks, being just a short piece looping over and over. But like “Character Select/Room Theme”, it’s significantly nicer to listen to.

“Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”

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Since this game has nearly five times as many tracks, it’s worth speaking about more broadly. A few of the entries here are just extended sound effects and not really full-fledged soundtrack pieces, so I’ll highlight some of the better tunes.

“Title”

This one really sets the old-school horror vibe, but ends in a way that nicely illustrates the dichotomy between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. That might sound ambitious for such a limited sound chip, but the latter half of the track sort of shifts upward into a happier, more hopeful melody — and it’s a nice touch, particularly for some of the first sounds a player is likely to hear.

“Feuding Couple”

Hear me out on this one. Yes, we’ve got the same sort of repetition that we heard in Friday the 13th. But this one actually serves to set the scene for the game! The frantic pace of this melody excites a player and puts them on edge…and the best part? You don’t have to listen to it repeat several hundred times in a row!

“Elena McCowen”

This…thing (?) stands out due to its sheer dissonance. It’s not good, per se, but it’s strange enough to unnerve a player and create a general feeling of unease — which would be great if the gameplay stood up to the quality of the audio (Narrator: “It doesn’t.”)

“Mr. Hyde Stage”

It’s subtle and sinister without resorting to clashing notes or loud effects. The minor key, of course, evokes a wistful feeling that settles in nicely with the overall aesthetic and theme of the game.

“Ending”

Again, spoilers ahead: Upon finishing the game as Dr. Jekyll (reaching the church where he is to be married before Mr. Hyde can do the same), a traditional wedding processional will play. It’s nothing the player likely hasn’t heard, but it’s nice to finish the game with a happy ending. Note: This is apparently the “bad ending”, or at least, not the best one. For the sake of a complete picture, both endings can be seen below

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FINAL ROUND

It should be pretty apparent by this point that the winner of this showdown is Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In addition to being a somewhat deeper game, the breadth of its soundtrack just sets up a horror atmosphere much better than that of Friday the 13th. Not only that, but half of the tracks on the latter are barely even music, looping almost endlessly and chipping away at a player’s sanity. Friday the 13th never even had a chance.

The post Soundtrack Showdown: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (NES, 1988) vs. Friday the 13th (NES, 1989) appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

Imagine it – you are the representative rights holder to some obscure dusty old video game system that, for whatever reason, failed to hold its own during its original console generation, tumbling deep into the abyss of eBay obscurity.

Until recently, that was the fate of dozens of systems.  Only video game purists and ultimate researchers know of consoles like the Apple Pippin, the Amiga CD32 or the PC-FX.

I bring all of this up because we live in a time where a very intriguing trend has developed, almost accidentally – companies are finding they can create scaled-down cases of their original hardware, drop a fairly low-cost emulator system inside of the shell complete with a few dozen of the original console’s library and expect to sell units like hotcakes.  In some cases, projected numbers HIGHER than the number of consoles originally taken to market. How can this be possible? The answer is one of timing. Retro games and systems have become a hot commodity to both collectors and gamers alike who long for the simpler interactive experience (check out the proposed Intellivision Amico for more on this concept).

What this means, really, is that these modern “retro mini” consoles are being bought up by a large convergence of individuals; those who owned the original and wish to re-experience the nostalgia on a modern display (in a small form factor, and usually under $100 to boot), those who passed over the system the first time in favor of the more popular choices (explaining precisely why I must have a Turbo-Grafx 16 Mini despite not owning one in the 16-bit days), gamers who were not present the first time around who simply enjoy the unique gaming experience these things offer and of course collectors and completionists who must have one of everything.

In case you’re not following along, this trend is piping hot right now.  So if you were sitting on the rights to a console from the distant past, this would be the optimal time to capitalize.  That brings up today’s column discussion. There were two systems in the early to mid-1990s that, despite forward-thinking and early adoption of the then-advanced CD-ROM media in a time when the world was largely limited by cartridges, failed to make a dent in the industry.  The reason each of them failed was a bit different but in reality, the two concepts had more in common than they did differences. Let’s take a closer look at the CD-i and 3DO; two nearly forgotten entries in the halls of video gamedom’s history that just may be due for the retro mini treatment.

CD-i

Sometimes referred to as the Phillips CD-i on account of the fact that Phillips (Magnovox) was the first brand to release a dedicated CD-i unit to the market, the Compact Disc-Interactive concept wasn’t really so much a “console” as it was a media format.

Originally developed and designed by Phillips and Sony, a CD-i disc, though indistinguishable from a standard CD, could hold up to 744 MiB of digital data (a standard CD is good for 700 MiBs).  Its primary emphasis was to make better use of the potential for interacting with the data on the discs, be it graphics, audio, full motion video etc.

What all of this means is that while a CD-i machine was perfectly able to play standard audio CDs (at the time, a very big selling point), it could also run CD-i software; something a standard CD player could not.  The players included controllers and in time the primary focus of the machines moved away from the prospect of digital encyclopedias and learning exercises to become dedicated game machines. The irony of this is that Phillips was very careful with their initial marketing strategies, going as far as to avoid talking about CD-i’s video game potential to avoid going head to head with giants like Nintendo and Sega.

Regardless, Phillips may have released the first unit but the concept was such that they did not hold exclusivity to hardware production.  In a way, they were trying to do an early version of what Sony would later make successful with the blu-Ray Disc – a new standard that could be played on equipment of varying manufacturers.

As such units began arriving by manufacturers such as Sony, Memorex, Magnavox, LG (just to mention a few).  Pricing was outrageous. Initially a base model CD-i player retailed for $799 in 1991. Yes, that is still a lot of money for a console today but to account for inflation, that was actually closer to dropping $1,506 duckets on a system right now.  Keep in mind that this was in an era where you could pick up a brand new Sega Genesis for $150. The CD-i did drop down to $599 within the first year but it was still largely out of reach for a majority of gamers interested in checking out the potential of the CD-ROM media.

What’s especially interesting is that since CD-i wasn’t a console so much as it was a format, it enjoyed an extremely long support cycle.  Games began hitting store shelves in 1991 and were still being commercially released in 2002. Discounting homebrews, which are of course still being produced by fans of the system, CD-i managed to amass a library of 190 titles in that time frame, a majority of which were published by Phillips Interactive Media despite coming in from a wide variety of developers.

The vast majority of the game library consists of high-quality (especially in the audio department) ports of games that were being released for the contemporary hardware of the era.  However, and perhaps most famously, the CD-i would, as a result of an odd but brief collaboration of Phillips with Nintendo, receive three Legend of Zelda and one Mario title available absolutely nowhere else at the time and even to this day (Link: The Faces of Evil, Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon, Zelda’s Adventure, and Hotel Mario).  Perhaps even more intriguing is that Phillips was in the process of developing two more Mario titles (Super Mario’s Wacky Worlds and Mario Takes America) that were canceled before release. Wacky Worlds was intended to be the official sequel to Super Mario World no less. This has bonus game material (like Nintendo did with Star Fox 2 on the SNES Classic Edition) off the charts.

Is the world ready for a CD-i Retro Mini system?  Perhaps! Sales numbers are tricky to pin down on account of the fact that the hardware wasn’t produced by a singular entity but reports place the figure at about 400,000 units by 1996.  I am convinced that even if Phillips filled the hypothetical CD-i Mini with 20 average contemporary ports but managed to include the ultra-rare (and ultra-expensive) Nintendo titles on the system, it would be a massive hit for collectors based on that alone.

Bonus Fact – The CD-i could be viewed as the template for the PlayStation in a very roundabout way.  It literally came into existence when Nintendo sought to work with an audio electronics manufacturer about potentially developing a CD-based system for them.  Nintendo bailed before the hardware came to market but in this case, Phillips fought to retain rights to some of the properties they intended to collaborate on thus resulting in the Nintendo series that were developed entirely outside of N’s control. 

A nearly identical failed collaboration with Sony resulted in Sony, a few years later, deciding to pull a Phillips and enter the video game market with their CD-based hardware without Nintendo. We all know how that turned out.

3DO

Perhaps the most astounding thing about the 3DO is how little the individuals behind its development learned from the CD-i.  Somehow they managed to make nearly identical mistakes and hope that they would succeed where their competition failed. It didn’t work for them either.  But we’ll get to that.

Like CD-i, 3DO is not a video game console so much as it is a format; a set of specs that could be licensed to any manufacturer willing to pay to do so.  Also, like CD-i with Phillips, 3DO wasn’t actually exclusive to Panasonic though they did manufacture the first (and arguably most well known) unit: the FZ-1 R.E.A.L. 3DO Interactive Multiplayer.  Also like CD-i, brands like Sanyo and LG (GoldStar) signed on board to produce players of their own.

3DO hit the scene in October of 1993 and, again, like CD-i, its claim to fame was that it would capitalize on the potential of CD-ROM technology and do so at a cost that was exuberant in comparison to its contemporary competition.  A 3DO player’s 93 MSRP was $699. And even more discouraging is that the system launched with only a single game (Crash ‘n Burn). Unlike CD-i, however, 3DO would have its proverbial hands full due to the lateness of its arrival.

The 4th console generation was just winding down when the 3DO arrived, meaning its only CD-based competition coming from the much weaker Sega CD and Turbo CD were very short-lived.  In fact, it found itself dropped into battle with the 5th generation offerings in short order; two of which were also CD-ROM based, much better supported, and considerably more affordable: The Sega Saturn and Sony PlayStation. Suffice to say, the writing was on the wall. The system only lived from late 93 till 1996, moving about 2-million units worldwide.

In roughly three years of existence, the 3DO managed to amass a library of 162 domestic titles.  The bad news is that very few of these games were exclusive to the 3DO platform. As such it became known as a library of ports; many of which boasted superior soundtracks to their cartridge counterparts but again, once the Saturn and PlayStation hit the scene, even that advantage was nullified.

The idea of the concept actually dated back to 1991 when The 3DO Company was formed by Electronic Arts founder Trip Hawkins.  His vision was to alter the way the video game console industry made money; something that seems to happen across nearly every hardware generation only to fall into obscurity while the standard model of hardware manufactured by a single company and sold at a loss to recover profits on the licensing software back end runs away with the success.

Anyway, the Hawkins strategy was that 3DO would collect a very small royalty on each console sold and on each game manufactured. To game publishers, the low US $3 royalty rate per game was a fraction of the royalties paid to Nintendo and Sega when making games for their consoles.  As a result, many publishers signed on to the 3DO platform but with such a relatively small install base, most were reluctant to grant exclusivity.

Additionally, the reason for the ultra-high hardware MSRPs was that the manufacturers, who had absolutely no way of recovering capital on the software side of things, had to make their profits on the hardware itself.  No taking a loss on the system to make money on the games later on here. It should be noted that lesser manufacturing costs in subsequent incarnations did make the hardware cost come down considerably. The GoldStar model, for example, launched at a much more realistic $399 and within the first year, the price of the flagship Panasonic FZ-1 had dropped to $499.

All in all the entire tower of cards collapsed under its own weight just shy of three years and in the process once again reminded that regardless of how noble the intent, the standard video game manufacturing, and distribution process works.

So is the world ready for a 3DO mini?  Possibly. The 3DO lacks the appeal of CD-i’s rare Nintendo collection, there are about 35 titles that really can’t be found elsewhere (Captain Quazar, Blade Force, Tip’D, Soccer Kid).  Many of the ports were strong as well. Gex, for example, sold a whopping 1-million copies for the 3DO. Since there were only ever 2-million systems sold, that means it graced 1 of every 2 libraries.

Conclusions

All told nearly half a million CD-i players graced the world in a time where the generation leaders (SNES) moved 49.1 million units and (Genesis) 30.75-million.  The 3DO managed to fair slightly better in the following hardware generation with 2-million units out there though actually had a smaller market share comparatively as the leaders managed to post far more imposing figures:  PlayStation with 102.49-million, Nintendo 64 at 32.9 million, and Sega Saturn at 9.2 million.

What this means in terms of how well retro mini versions would do today – CD-i could actually plan to equal if not exceed original sales figures and 3DO actually managed a nearly double install base over the Neo Geo (980,000 units) the first time around.

If I had to choose one, though, I suppose the rarity of those Nintendo titles would make me lean toward the CD-i side of the equation.  While generally regarded as poor games in terms of technical merit, their sheer collectibility is such that it isn’t uncommon for the games to command several hundred dollars each on the secondary market (and keep in mind there are 4 of them).

While there is no official word of either console yet – Phillips actually had this to say regarding a tweet requesting a retro mini of the CD-i: Thank you for your love, encouragement and interest! We will try our best to fulfill your dreams and release something you suggest, but cannot promise anything yet. Please be a bit patient and stay tuned. Thank you in advance.

Here’s hoping!

The post RETROSPECTIVE: CD-i & 3DO – Two More Classics Ready For The Mini Treatment appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

Here are some of the consoles we would have loved to see get the high def mini, form factor, plug & play treatment:

N64 Mini

When Nintendo quickly followed up the NES Classic Edition with the SNES, many of us hoped we were witnessing the birth of a new trend.  Perhaps they’d go back into the archives and create retro mini consolized Game Boy units, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Virtual Boy.  The possibilities were endless.

The most exciting of these of course would be an N64 Mini.  When Sony went ahead and released a Playstation Classic in 2018, it seemed the 5th generation of home consoles were ready for a new war of living room supremacy.  Unfortunately neither Nintendo nor Sega took the bait, leaving Sony’s entry into the classic edition segment the most recent console to receive such treatment.

As for Nintendo, it makes sense why they didn’t go all in with an N64 Mini – and the reason is their own Nintendo Switch Online service, which hopes to attract gamers of all disciplines to their Switch platform through the availability of abundant retro titles (many from the N64).  It’s a shame too because an N64 Mini would have been spectacular.

CD-i

While CD-i refers to a media format more than a single piece of hardware, Phillips replied to Tweets from users begging for a CD-i Mini with a response that sounded like such an announcement might actually follow.  Sadly, at present, it never has.

The CD-i library is surprisingly robust – with 214 total games released from 170 different developers.  Perhaps most famous among these coming in the form of the officially licensed Nintendo titles:  Hotel Mario, Link: The Faces of Evil, Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon, and Zelda’s Adventure.

3DO

From afar 3DO is remarkably similar to CD-i; it refers to a media format that could be licensed so that actual console hardware could be manufactured and distributed by a wide variety of brands.

While CD-i encompassed a wide variety of multimedia applications (encyclopedias on CD, edutainment titles, etc.), 3DO was more game-centric.  Over 200 titles were officially released by the end of its run, including some very faithful ports of arcade titles like Super Street Fighter II Turbo.

Amiga CD-32

Did you know that back in 1993 Commodore tried its hand at a 32-bit console to do battle with the likes of Sony, Nintendo and Sega?  The CD-32 was based upon their Amiga computer line but failed to make much of a dent in the market.

Now here’s where things get interesting from a Mini perspective.  Retro Games Ltd. has already done all the heavy lifting in creating an HDMI mini version in their Amiga A500 Mini.  All they would need to do to drive we console gamer types crazy with desire is develop a second shell shaped like the CD-32 and give the A500 controller a black paint job.  Here’s hoping they’ll consider it.

PC Classic

Back in 2019 a company called Unit-e announced a PC Classic console, one that would come chock full of games from the DOS era of home computing.  Despite a very strong public reaction, the PC Classic has yet to manifest and even updates from the company have gone cold.

Of all the possible mini classic editions, the PC would certainly be the easiest to achieve as there would be no licensing to procure from a hardware or branding standpoint.  The only licensing involved would be that of the games themselves and with tens of thousands to choose from even from a single era, finding a few dozen titles interested in participating is all but a given.

Here’s hoping Unit-e sees this one through to fruition.

Sega Saturn

We’ll end this list with what is perhaps the system most likely to see the light of day.  When Sega threw its hat in the classic edition ring with the Genesis Mini back in 2019, the talk of where they could go from there was immediate.  After all, why not go on with a Sega CD Mini, a Saturn Mini, a Dreamcast Mini?  To the surprise and delight of many, Sega listened and, in 2022, followed up with the Genesis Mini 2, a unit packed with different Genesis and some Sega CD titles (and a 6-button controller rather than the 3-button of the original Genesis Mini).

All of this to say, Sega clearly gets the demand here and, of all the brands mentioned on this list, has everything needed (including the massive back catalog of titles) to continue producing these things.  And, unlike Nintendo, doesn’t have any current hardware on the market to be concerned with competing against.

The post A Look At Those Mini Classic Editions We (Probably) Won’t Be Getting appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

Sega has finally released the Genesis Mini 2 through Amazon exclusively and the initial feedback has been very positive.  Perhaps even more fascinating, the inner box flap of the Japanese edition includes a QR code that leads to a survey asking buyers if they’d like Sega to continue producing retro minis and if so, which console they would like to see done next.  The options include all of the usual suspects – Saturn, Dreamcast but the list also extends back to Sega’s earlier hardware entries: The SG-1000, 1000 II and the Mark III (Master System to we American types).

If given my vote, I’d be all for the continued Sega evolution: Saturn, Dreamcast and it would be great if they pulled a Nintendo and gave us the 8-bit Master System as well.  Another option was for a Genesis 3 Mini; as, after all, the original Genesis did end up being offered in three different hardware packages and a library of games (especially when sprinkling in offerings from the Sega CD and 32X) large enough to fill at least three minis.

All of this to talk not just about Sega but about an interesting little system we almost got just prior to the pandemic.

This device was going to be called the PC Classic from a company called Unit-e.  In 2018 they built the prototypes and attempted to go through the crowdfunding route of realization.

This particular retro system targeted PC games (as the name suggests) of the DOS era – think Commander Keen, Jill of the Jungle, Doom, and Quake II.  The software list, as is often the case with these systems, was far from finalized, though many suspected it would contain other classics of the era such as Oregon Trail, Civilization, Myst, etc.

Sadly, the system was set to debut just as the pandemic swept the world and the resulting economy/ global chip shortage has left Unit-e struggling to devise a strategy to get the machines to the public.  The project has not been canceled, however.

We’ve been following along with updates on the company’s Facebook page and those interested can watch the initial video presentation for the PC Mini here.

Here’s hoping as the world settles into a new rhythm and chips become increasingly more available, the PC Classic will come to join the ever-expanding fray of retro mini plug ‘n plays.

The post PC Classic – A DOS Era Plug n Play appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

In the time since many, many brands have followed suit – everyone from arch-rival Sega to Konami (flying the NEC flag) to SNK with the Neo Geo and even a pair of Commodore computers turned HDMI-equipped mini.

It’s become a bit of a guessing game around here to try and figure out what retro hardware will be the next to receive the modern treatment (we keep hoping for CD-i and 3DO) but it looks like the next big one to arrive will be another 80s era personal computer – this time 1987’s Sharp X68000.

The Japan-only computer originally boasted a Motorola 68000 CPU running at 10 MHz, 1 MB of RAM, custom sprite hardware and an 8-channel sound chip (later iterations of the line would increase these specs).  While that may sound pretty limiting by today’s standards, the original 68000 was known for some of the most accurate home arcade ports of the era.

In fact, so in line with the arcade hardware of the era, the Sharp X68K actually served as Capcom’s CPS system development machine at the time.

Like with most computers of the era, the actual number of game titles released is fuzzy (there was no need to seek the official seal of approval to develop and release computer games, unlike the contemporary console counterparts), there are still several hundred officially recognized games.  Some of the machine’s big hitters include Gradius, Strider, Final Fight, Alien Syndrome, Street Fighter II: Champion Edition, and Castlevania Akumajo Dracula (ported to the PlayStation as Castlevania Chronicles).

While the final games list to be included on the mini is yet to be announced, it looks like Zuiki Inc. would be responsible for the manufacture and release of the new unit (they may not sound familiar to you but they actually produce most of the mini consoles on the market today for the commonly known brands).

While the pics released on Zuiki’s Twitter feed (shown here) seem to show a very completed hardware design, it’s not clear whether or not the US will ever receive an official release (after all, the original upon which it’s based never left Japan).

We’re hopeful, however, that Amazon of Japan will make ordering the hardware as easy as it has been to import systems like Sega’s Astro City Arcade Mini to the US.

Expect updates here as more information is released.

The post Sharp X68000 Retro Mini Edition Announced appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

In the event that you missed it, Sega has confirmed a new retro mini console follow-up to its 2019 Genesis Mini. While the new Mega Drive 2 looks a lot like the second iteration of the Mega Drive (Genesis) hardware, the real claim to fame over the first is an entirely new list of preinstalled games, this time taking from both the Genesis Cartridge and Sega CD libraries.

They initially announced 11 game titles (click here for a refresher), and now they’ve followed up with an official announcement naming games 12-22.

Genesis Cartridge Games:

After Burner II
Columns III: Revenge of Columns
Megapanel
Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water
Out Run
Puzzle & Action: Ichidant-R
Splatterhouse 2
Star Mobile

SEGA CD Games:

Night Striker
The Ninja Warriors
Starblade

Also of note is that while Sega has announced an official Japanese release date for the new system (October 27) for roughly $70 US, they have yet to officially announce a North American counterpart to the Mega Drive 2. It’s a safe bet they will give the success of the 2019 Genesis Mini and, given that some of the text-heavy RPG titles would be extremely difficult to play without localization, simply importing a Japanese unit isn’t a foolproof workaround.

The post Sega Announces 11 More Titles For Upcoming Mini appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

I envisioned a miniature standalone piece of hardware that does its best to look like an actual Sega CD to plop next to your Genesis Mini chock full of Sega CD titles. What Sega is apparently putting out is another Genesis (Mega Drive), this time mimicking the Genesis Model 2 hardware.

The Model 2 Genesis was what we now call a “slim” incarnation of a console – a more cost-effective, scaled-back version of the original hardware with a smaller form factor. The original was released in 1993 and eliminated the headphone jack, used a smaller AV-out, and ran off a simpler, cheaper board.

However, separating the new Genesis 2 Mini from its predecessor will be the inclusion of a preinstalled library of 50 different titles from the 42 games that came on 2019’s Genesis Mini, among these several Sega CD exclusives such as Sonic CD and Popful Mail.

While the entire list is yet to be finalized, Sega is promising the inclusion of more 3rd party titles this time around and some of the more hardware-intensive Genesis titles like their 1992 home arcade port of Virtua Racing.

It looks to aim for around a $79 MSRP (the same as the 2019’s asking price) and, while it will include 7 additional games, will only include a single 6-button controller this time compared to the former’s inclusion of a pair of 3-button units.

The confirmed games list so far:

• Silpheed (CD)
• Shining Force CD (CD)
• Sonic CD (CD)
• Mansion of Hidden Sls (CD)
• Popful Mail (CD)
• Virtua Racing (Genesis)
• Bonanza Bros (Genesis)
• Shining in the Darkness (Genesis)
• Thunder Force IV (Genesis)
• Magical Taruruto (Genesis)
• Fantasy Zone (Genesis)

Here’s where things get interesting. While the unit itself may again look like a miniature Genesis, Sega plans on offering a miniature Sega CD add-on that can attach, to look just like the original Genesis/CD combo (complete with replica cartridge for the slot and disc for the drive). This will, of course, all be non-functional as the board inside the Genesis will be responsible for the game emulation but collectors will likely appreciate the ability to have a complete miniature for nostalgia. The add-on will cost $35.

I’m really thrilled that Sega is going to continue on with producing miniature incarnations of their legacy hardware and have felt all along that after the Genesis, the Sega CD was a very natural course of progression. I’m not, however, thoroughly convinced the way they are approaching it will be entirely clear to users. The idea of being able to purchase the mini CD drive add-on is neat but it would have made more sense to me to either produce the unit out of the box with the two combined or even just make this unit a miniature CD attachment that hooks up to 2019’s Genesis Mini. And while it’s cool they are mixing and matching titles from both platforms, I think it would have been even better if it just included 50 Sega CD titles.

The Sega CD is one of those systems that is falling away to obscurity at an alarming rate, some purity in its Mini incarnation would have been very welcome here.

All such minor complaints aside, that Sega is returning to the retro mini ranks like this is a very encouraging sign that fans may get a Saturn and Dreamcast Mini yet.

The post So We’re Getting a Sega CD Mini – Sorta appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

As hard as it is to imagine now, when the Amiga line of computers came on the scene in 1985, the Commodore 64 was only three years old. And, contrary to common misconception, the two Commodore personal computer platforms coexisted all the way until 1994, when the C64 was finally discontinued. The Amiga line would go on another two years, finally getting its plug pulled in 1996.

What makes its early debut so impressive is that when you go back to personal computers of the early to mid 1980s, they feel, for the most part, like computers from the early to mid 80s. Interfaces were clunky and complex, tasks were difficult to achieve, processing was painfully slow. And, by and large, the specs out of the box were what you’d be working with for the duration of the hardware’s life cycle.

Amiga turned a lot of these institutions on their head – they came packing 16 or 32-bit processors in 85, packed in 256kb of RAM (compared to the 64k for which the C64’s name was derived), and incorporated a mouse-based, visual click operating system interface; one that, not unlike Windows, is still being used and updated to this very day.

If you’re wondering why any of this matters, Retro Games LTD, the guys behind 2018’s THEC64 Mini (then later the full-size variant THEC64) are at it again. This time they’ve turned their attention toward the Amiga in an all-new piece of miniaturized, emulation-based plug and play hardware: THEA500 Mini.

The naming in this one is a bit complex, so let’s break that one down right away. The first Amiga from 1985 was called the 1000 – the 500 didn’t come on the scene until 1987. We’re guessing this was the model for which the new mini classic edition was named because it quickly became the best-selling Amiga model.

However, while THEA500 Mini looks just like the original Amiga 500 (only much, much smaller – 10x7x3 inches) and boasts perfect emulation of the Amiga 500, Retro Game LTD had the presence of mind to design the new architecture around the later Amiga systems as well including the Advanced Graphics Architecture (AGA) of the A1200 (which didn’t come out until late 1992). Why does this matter? Simple – it gives the player access to Amiga’s entire game library. And like most long-standing personal computer lines, it is a massive library.

Unboxing and Setting Up

When you dig into THEA500’s box, you get the HDMI output, high definition console (25 games preinstalled), USB gamepad, USB optical mouse (each with 6-foot cords), HDMI and USB (A-C) cable and documentation. Everything you need to get underway except for the wall adapter, but in this, the era of the smartphone, having a cube or two laying around is all but a given. Note that the recommended wall adapter should output 5 volts/ 1 amp.

Setting the system up is as simple and plugging it into the wall, running the HDMI to the back of your TV and plugging the controller and mouse into two of the three available USB 2.0 ports. That’s all there is to it – game on.

Interface

The graphical user interface harkens back to some design cues of the original AmigaOS but much more simplified and user-friendly. Out of the box, the system comes with 25 games from which to select from a rotating carousel. Games launch with console-like efficiency. However, some (as is commonplace with computer gaming) request that the player input a name – for this an onscreen keyboard that can be operated with the controller is but a button-press away, or that third USB port can be used to support any USB keyboard. Keep in mind that the keyboard on the unit itself is far smaller than it appears in photos and is thus non-functional.  Also of note – THEA500 Mini is designed to support most USB game controllers out of the box as well so your favorite PlayStation or PC controller can likely follow you over).

As is all but standard fair these days with retro minis, the unit, which outputs in 720p with selectable 50/60Hz refresh rates (meaning the same unit was released for PAL and NTSC regions) comes standard with a variety of filter and aspect ratio options to play with.

The Games

If, like us, the original Amiga glory days managed to pass you by while you obsessed over NES then Genesis and SNES then finally PlayStation, let us assure you that gaming on the Amiga line had ironed out all of the rough spots of its computing contemporaries.

The polish that really became standard fair by the latter portion of the 16-bit era of consoles is present here in terms of graphics, scrolling, control and difficulty. The 25 games selected represent a pretty decent sampling of the spectrum – with everything from a flight sim, a pinball entry, Worms, a few race titles, pool, Battle Chess, California Games, even a couple of mascot platformers in Titus the Fox and Zool: Ninja Of The “Nth” Dimension.

More useful than trying to tell you which of the included games will be your favorite, let me instead comment that we’ve tried each and every one and they ran beautifully. We don’t have an original Amiga around here for comparison sake, but found no artifacting, glitches or tearing. Everything felt tight, precise.

The included controller is surprisingly adequate for gaming as well. We spent a lot of time with THEC64 Mini and, while the second incarnation of the Competition Pro joystick (with the microswitches) was a vast improvement over the first, often found that the precision required for many games was additionally frustrating due to the imprecise nature of the joystick concept.

Such concerns are null and void this time around. The 8-button gamepad is easily on par with what Sega and Nintendo were doing at the time. In fact, we’re impressed enough to where the long-term plan around here is to use this new pad on our C64 Mini when we tire of the Amiga. Going back with this type of input precision should make a lot of those games much more playable.

Save states are also present with THEA500 Mini, so starting over again at the start of each play session is completely left to the user’s discretion.

The 25 Included Titles:

Alien Breed 3D • Alien Breed: Special Edition 92 • Another World • Arcade Pool • ATR: All Terrain Racing • Battle Chess • Cadaver • California Games • Dragon’s Breath • F-16 Combat Pilot • Kick Off 2 • Paradroid 90 • Pinball Dreams • Project-X: Special Edition 93 • Qwak • Simon the Sorcerer • Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe • Stunt Car Racer • Super Cars II • The Chaos Engine • The Lost Patrol • The Sentinel • Titus the Fox • Worms: The Director’s Cut • Zool: Ninja Of The “Nth” Dimension

Game Library Access

What separates THEA500 Mini (and THEC64 family) from just about any other modern plug-and-play retro mini console on the market is the ability to add games from the system’s library. The process here is drag and drop files onto a USB drive simple using the WHDload package, which, when installed includes a free 26^th game in the first person shooter Citadel.

In the event that you tire of the included titles, do keep in mind the Amiga has amassed a library of some 2,200 official games and estimates placing the real-world number closer to 6,000.

Conclusion

THEA500 Mini takes everything we’ve come to expect from Retro Games LTD (excellent build quality, bulletproof performance, plug and play simplicity, spot-on emulation) and elevates it to the next level.

The only downside we could find after two straight days of playing nonstop is that the $140 MSRP places it at the top of the modern retro plug-and-play hardware chart. The cost of entry might be a bit steep for some in these trying times but the way we look at it is video gaming hardware remains on the lower end of the entertainment spectrum in even the worst case scenarios (after all, the PS5 is $499 and Sony can’t get one to reach a store shelf due to demand).

Another way to say it? If you can swing the $140, you will find countless hours of quality gaming entertainment here – and, for us, across a library of titles that we had no prior experience playing. Like traveling back in time. If you’re a fan of retro gaming in general, this is a must-buy.

And though this next one is a long shot – we’d love to see a further iteration of this hardware available in the CD32 shell as well. What’s a CD32 you ask? In September of 1993 Commodore entered the console video game market by releasing their own CD-based 32-bit home video game system based on their Advanced Graphics Architecture chipset from the Amiga 1200 personal computer – exactly like the setup of THEA500 Mini. A CD32 Mini, even if it was no different from the internals and game selection of THEA500 would be a console collector’s dream.

Specs

All Winner H6 ARM processor (Cortex A53)

512mb Ram DDR3

3 x USB 2.0 ports

HDMI Port

USB-C Port (Power )

256mb Flash Rom (OS/25 games)

$139.99 / Available Now

https://retrogames.biz/products/thea500-mini/

The post Console Review: THEA500 Mini appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

The saga thus, for those who care, is well documented throughout the web, so I will not spend much of my column space reiterating the multiple hardware delays, the cringy tactics of selling people empty boxes to serve as the (vague) promise of forthcoming games, and the recent CEO swap-a-roo that, to the eyes of many, represents the final nail in the coffin for the system’s ever seeing the light of day.

The finger of blame for what is turning into quite a disaster can be divvied up to point in several directions, and, while it seems most rewarding to blame Tallarico entirely, the truth of the matter (according to SEC filings) is the company, despite several successful crowdfunding campaigns, has been chasing zero from the onset.

In fact, according to the latest intel, not only has Intellivision reported having made no revenue since its resurrection in 2018, but it may also not be able to operate beyond July of this year. Not only has it apparently been unable to turn a profit, it seems they’ve managed to chock up a chunk of debt to the tune of $3.1-million in outstanding loans in that same period of time.

This is, of course, very bad news to anyone who put up cash to fund the project. Whether or not they would be entitled to any sort of recompense should the whole company fold this summer is yet to be determined.

Additionally baffling is what happens to consumers who preordered the Amico hardware from reputable gaming dealer franchises like Gamestop or through Intellivision’s official site.

Aside from the obvious investor financial turmoil, the fact that the hardware is degenerating toward the realm of vaporware in a hurry is a loss for the entire industry. Why? Well, mostly because it was attempting something that seems so logical on paper: To offer a piece of modern technology designed to replicate the gaming experience of yesteryear.

So what, you say? There are dozens of ways to do that on the market already? You wouldn’t be wrong. Anyone with a Nintendo Switch or a Steam account can tell you about retro game titles (both old and original alike) at the modern gamer’s disposal. Yet even still, we know the market for modern (HDMI-ready) equipment designed to play retro video games is red-hot. One need look no further than at the ongoing list of “retro mini” consoles released in recent years for confirmation.

Why is this, you ask, given that most any modern system is both capable of playing and typically has libraries of retro games collections available? Well, I can think of a few reasons. First of all, it’s self-contained. There’s something very different about plugging in a Super NES Classic Edition and gathering around the big screen when compared to the process of docking a Switch, syncing up multiple controllers, going through your personal game library, hoping nobody erases any of your save files.

Next is the appeal of the original hardware coupled to modern amenities. For many of us purists, playing on the original hardware represents much of the experience. The trouble is the original equipment is often quite old now and mostly incompatible with modern displays. Modern systems account for the advances in technology with HDMI output and aspect ratios not only designed to fill the much-larger screens of today but to also reduce input lag that is present with composite/ RGB connections outside of a CRT.

The Amico, of course, functions a bit differently than the retro minis in that while it owes its namesake and some design cues to the classic Mattel Intellivision, it is a fully modern piece of hardware. Sure, it had a host of Intellivision classic collections (as well as modern reimaginings) announced, the reality is that its specs (8 core, 1.8Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor with 2GB RAM, 32GB Flash) and its ability to run external software mean it’s just a modern piece of console hardware like any other.

The real restrictions placed upon it were those enacted by Intellivision Entertainment themselves – things like an MSRP under $19.99, E for Everyone ratings and inclusion of couch co-op multiplayer modes.

The idea behind this is admirable – after all, any company could slap an HDMI output jack on a smartphone board and call it a day; Intellivision was hoping to capture a bit of the good, clean simplicity of the gaming of yesteryear with its new system.

About the best news, though, for potential Amico devotees was exclusive titles. It is this, and this alone, that separates Amico from nearly every other retro targeted piece of hardware on the market. Rather than be relegated to retro titles, reimaginings and ports, the Amico promised games that would be available on no other system. Some of these games were heavy hitters, too – like the latest Earthworm Jim.

If the Amico project truly fails, this is, what I would consider, the biggest loss to the industry. A modern ecosystem designed around retro titles, complete with new exclusives, is something no one else has tried for. Even the recent Atari VCS has proved quite unable to deliver on such an idea, instead serving as a modern Linux PC designed to run emulated retro Atari titles.

If there were one company (and piece of hardware) out there truly capable of picking up the Amico torch and carrying on with the promise of its ambition should it falter, it would have to be the UK’s Blaze Entertainment and their Evercade VS.

For the unfamiliar, the system (which just released Feb 25^th) is the home console version of their popular Evercade handheld – meaning HDMI output, corded controllers with four inputs and (twin) cartridge slots for playing their impressive (and ever-expanding) library of titles.

8, 16, 32-bit and arcade game collections make up a majority of the console’s 300-game library and, of late, are even seeing releases of original titles designed for retro hardware (things like Sega Genesis’ Tanglewood, NES’ Micro Mages).

All of their games come on physical cartridges, in boxes with full-color manuals.

If these guys were to secure some developers willing to release exclusive titles via Evercade cart, they will have managed to accomplish everything the Amico set out to do. Best of all, with a retail cost of $99 with one game and $129 for the two controller and dual game bundle, they are managing to keep the concept well within the budget of the average consumer. Plus, no concerns of vaporware here, the VS is in stores as we speak.

The post What The Fall of the Amico Really Means appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

On account of a seemingly endless series of non-gaming related distractions (sometimes referred to as life), I’ve been regretfully slow at responding to some of the great reader questions that find me on social media.

Let’s take a look into the digital mailbag and see if we can’t rectify that situation.

Q) Regarding your coverage of 16-bit fighting games, wondering if you’re planning on continuing on with 3D titles (some of my favorites to date).  Also what was the worst fighting game you played back then?

I honestly gave consideration to carrying on with the fighting game coverage into the 3D foray when titles like Virtua Fighter and Tekken and Battle Arena Toshinden came onto the scene.  In fact, it could be argued that the transition to pseudo 3D began even earlier than these when games like Ballz 3D came to the 16-bit platforms.  The trouble, I soon discovered, was that there is no definitive point to stop.  It could very easily be argued that 3D fighting games from those days never stopped being produced and still exist today.  One of the problems of writing for a retro-centric mag is that there is no clear and concise line between what separates modern from vintage.  And if there were, it would be forever advancing as newer hardware is a very frequent cycle.

In short, this is the long way of saying that while I do remember that transition to 3D well and respected it at the time for what it was, stopping the coverage at the conclusion of the 2D era made for a good bookend.

As for the worst – that’s tough!  I had some very dubious titles in my Genesis collection while waiting for SFII; Street Smart, Fighting Masters, Slaughter Sport.  I think one of the worst though had to be the home port of Pit-Fighter.  Atari had beat Mortal Kombat to the punch (no pun intended) on the whole digital scanned characters in a one-on-one fighting game but abysmal controls and some of the choppiest animation in existence at the time made this one of those rare instances where it couldn’t go back to the rental store quickly enough!

Q) You seem to cover the Amico a lot but rarely talk about the new VCS.  Why play favorites?

I do try to treat all new retro-themed hardware equally but the VCS is a tough sale for me.  While it is admittedly nice to once again see the Atari logo on a new piece of hardware – especially one with some wood veneer face plating; the price and purpose of the new VCS really make it difficult for me to even understand what they are attempting or who it’s for.

It is essentially a very pricy Linux box with an included 2600 emulator.  Already there are instructional videos appearing online on how to get the UI to work on any PC.  Worse still, at $300 without a controller, and the fact that titles purchased outside of their Vault system aren’t cheap, it’s really encroaching on next gen prices to play some titles that are available just about anywhere else these days (for considerably less).

Again, no bias intended but unless the hardware cost comes down substantially or they begin to get some exclusive killer apps, the Flashback 9 Gold with its 110 titles, two controllers and 720P output that I picked up for $50 will probably retain its entertainment center location.

Q) What is your feeling on this Next Generation madness?

I am usually a sucker for the latest and greatest hardware but have bowed way out of the mess that has been the Playstation 5 and XBox Series X launch.  Sony and Microsoft did consumers no favors when releasing (just before the holidays, no less) hardware that they knew couldn’t keep up with consumer demand.  It’s no industry secret that Covid has severely limited raw material production and stymied shipping times and, as predicted, resulted in a situation where demand severely outweighed supply.

This isn’t the first time we’re seeing this and it surely won’t be the last (a very famous example of this technique being used to manufacturer extreme demand would be Nintendo with the NES Classic Edition) but it feels like the public in general is extra antsy of late – due, in no small part I’m sure, to political unrest, Covid-induced isolation stir craziness and the arrival of government stimulus checks.  It’s all adding up to a fever pitch where product is being purchased up by scalpers who are demanding (and getting) exuberant money for the hardware.

The worst part about this all is that this is possibly the most unnecessary hardware generation in the history of home gaming – the reality is that 85% of consumers don’t even own displays powerful enough to capitalize on the hardware’s increased video output and there is no exclusive “next gen” software slated to be released for the next two years.  In short, waiting on this one makes a lot of sense.

Q)  Why hasn’t Nintendo released an N64 Mini yet?  What do you think will be the next retro console to get a mini?

As to why Nintendo hasn’t released an N64 Mini, I can only speculate.  The most likely answer is that Nintendo, being Nintendo, marches to the beat of its own drum.  They don’t seem overly concerned with what’s going on in the industry at a given moment, instead opting to release products that no one sees coming.  Another way of saying it is they generally like to be trend setters, not followers of trends (even the ones they create).

Aside from that, Nintendo is in a strange position.  Unlike many of the other retro minis being produced, Nintendo is still a very active company in the current console and handheld generations.  They still manage to make millions upon millions in selling their retro games across all of their platforms (both physically and in their e-shops).  Often times their biggest competition on these things is themselves.  So while no one doubts an N64 Mini would sell extraordinarily well, it’s very possible Nintendo doesn’t see the need to open a factory to manufacturer the new hardware when they still have many of the titles available from the system’s library available for purchase already.

As far as what will be the next retro mini – this logic is the opposite of my answer above.  Companies that are not currently active in the industry have a great opportunity to capitalize on licenses and hardware that has been lying dormant for decades right now.  If you were a rights-holder to something like 3DO or CD-i or Amiga CD32, this would be a gold mine opportunity.  Strike while the iron is hot.

If you wanted my prediction, I’d take the easy way out (since it was already confirmed) and say it’ll be another from Sega.  Which one, however, that’s a bit tougher.  Most are hopeful it will be a Dreamcast Mini but I’m not so sure they would leapfrog to the very last piece of hardware they manufactured.  I would hope they would do a Saturn Mini next with plans to follow that one up with the Dreamcast a couple years after.

The post The RETROSPECTIVE Mailbag appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.