Here we are again with another brand new game for the black cat, while this is a re-release of a game that was released 6 years ago there is a lot to be excited about as not only is this that same game but including over 100 new levels. Thats a total of 280 levels to play through making this one of the most extensive new games in the last 2 years for the Jaguar and a homebrew to boot. Is this game a must play if you have a Jaguar? Hell yes. It doesn’t look like much you say? Well it won’t compare to next gen games but it has a lot of appeal and I’m going to tell why you shouldn’t pass this one up.

Graphics: 60/100
First off this game isn’t going to win any awards for graphic intensity as the graphics are very simple but for the most part they are crisp and as clean as you would expect from small sprites and lines on a jet black background. This game in essence is very retro sharing much in common with an old game called Qix. It’s bright and clean thats all that really matters.

Sound: 78/100
The first thing you will notice about this title is the music, it’s pretty damn good for PCM mods of yesteryear and they generally do not become repetitive or ear wracking which is a big plus as generally some homebrew games lack in the audio department. The sound effects are clean and appropriate for the game including the very satisfying cheers you hear when you complete a level.

Gameplay: 89/100
Now this is where the game really shines, it’s a blast to play. The game play is simple, you have to fill in the spaces by outlining the shapes that make up the levels (remember Qix?) while avoiding the blue monsters that chase you around the grids. The tension really builds in the later levels where you have to deal with 2-3 monsters and the clock, it definitely adds to the excitement.

Replay: 95/100
This game has a lot of re-playability because it is massive, 280 levels will have you playing for quite some time plus it’s also a game that relatively easy to just pick up and play and a password system makes sure that you can pick up where you left off.

Overall this is one of the best releases for the Atari Jaguar in 2008 and a welcome edition to any rabid Jag fans collection, even for those who never really got into the Jag if you have a friend with a Jag then I’d definitely recommend you tell them to get ti and try it out as you won’t regret it.

The game can be purchased on Jaguar Sector II Forums

Believe it or not but a brand spanking new NES game has been released after over a decade thanks to Retrozone. the game in question is Airball which was ported to multiple computer systems back in 1987. The NES version was in the works at the time but was canceled however, Tengen’s lost game has been found and for the first time is being offered for sale at about $35 with full color manual, brand new parts and some legacy style packaging making this one hell of a piece of work for a mere homebrew production.

A commercial with in game footage can be found on Youtube and I can tell you, the game is impressive from the looks of it, this Editor may have to pick up a copy!

This is probably one of the few games with such a bizarre premise to make it state side, especially back in 1993 when most of the weirder Japanese titles stayed over in the land of the rising sun. However with the Turbo Grafx 16, having very little 3rd party support in the US market, Atlus brought this eccentric game to us. Somer Assault (AKA Mesopotamia) is an action title where you play as a sacred slinky like creature with guns mounted on it that hatches from a pink polka-dotted egg dropped by god.. bear with me.. it sounds very odd but the game plays surprisingly well.

The graphics are very nice, with color mixing used very nicely with the Turbo Grafx 16’s 512 color palette used to create a vibrant world with a mythological theme, as the design of the game follows the Astrological Zodiac for each level and it’s boss character which are a mechanical manifestation of their respective animals/figures. The animation of the slinky is pretty fluid however the enemies have only a few frames of animation and the bosses are pretty static but it doesn’t detract much from the presentation. While a late contender in the US on the cartridge media, the graphics actually show just how much the TG-16 could compete with the much more powerful SNES and the Genesis back when NEC was a contender in the 16-Bit War.

This game came out late in the era of the Turbo Chip (AKA Hucard), the credit card sized cards that they stored their games on before the Turbo CD, so it had the space limitations of any other cartridge media. Hence forth you wouldn’t expect much in the sound department but surprisingly Somer Assault’s soundtrack is steller and very catchy. The sound effects are clever but not all too impressive.

What sets this game apart from a lot of other action platformers from the early 16-bit days is that gravity works very differently, in that there is none. You move along the tops and bottoms of the platforms only jumping to attach to another surface. You start out with one set of turrets and rather slow but killing the enemies which include Knight Chess Pieces, Spiked Lanterns and other odd contraptions yield power-ups to increase your speed, make your bullets ricochet, increase your max vitality, give an extra life and increase your turrets to a set of 3 for killing on the move. There is also an negative power-up that reverses directions as well. The only thing about this game that is especially irritating is the timer, in the later levels you’ll find yourself losing lives to it because the developers gave you just barely enough time to get to the boss chamber in each level, it starts to make the game lose it’s appeal as it’s such a trivial way to lose a life when some key factors in the game play is finding your way through a maze with blocks that either teleport you, expand a bridge or flip you to the otherside. So more time is required to traverse the levels then is provided. Also you lose your gun and speed upgrades when you die..

The game has some replay, it’s fun, it’s challenging and the music is good. But once you beat it there isn’t much else to do but play through again. But then again, that was how most of the games from the early 90’s were.

Somer Assault is one of those obscure treasures from the golden age of gaming and if you ever find a copy at a flea market or online you could probly snap it up pretty cheap. So I would say keep an eye out for it if your looking for a bizarre but good time.

Back in 2004, the new Atari released the Flashback, it was a plug ‘n’ play unit shaped much like the Atari 5200. It was preloaded with a bunch of classic 2600 games along with a handful of 7800 games but alas the hardware inside that sleek new package was deceptive. The brains of the unit was nothing more then a Nintendo-on-a-Chip, the same chip that powers those cheaply made 100-in-1 controllers you may have seen in the mall. Hence all the games loaded into it were nothing more then poorly written ports. Flash forward to 2005 and Curt Vandel, the designer of the Flashback rectifies the problem with a sleek new chip that emulated the Atari hardware perfectly. The Flashback 2 is born.

Design: 80/100
Gone are the 7800 games but in their place several more classic 2600 games along with several Homebrew games Atari thought were good enough to be included with the classic collection for a total of 42 games (including 2 hidden ones). With authentic 2600 guts powering the games you had a brand spanking new Atari 2600 preloaded and gone is the need for those clunky Manual RF Switchboxes. As simple to set up as any modern console.

The design is great, not only do they capture the aesthetic look of the 2600, it’s sleek and tiny. Though the rather large bright orange buttons now on the faceplate of the unit are slightly garish but do not take away too much from the overall appeal of the unit. For those who relish the days of fake wood paneling (lol) they have included it as a retro sticker where the wood paneling was on original 2600 “Woody” model for added nostalgic value.

As for the hardware? It’s very solidly made, the games themselves play just like they did on the original hardware. As an easter egg for the purists, Vandel had included jumpers on the PCB for those adept with a soldering iron to attach a real working cartridge slot and play their old 2600 carts on it. Also the new video hardware does away with interference and other garbage that RF modulation caused back in the day.

The package also includes two new legacy style controllers, which are much more responsive then the originals and just as well built. Since they use DB-9 connectors they can also be used on an original Atari 2600. Pretty nice deal if I do say so myself.

Reliability: 89/100
The reliability of the unit is pretty high. there are no moving parts to wear out thus no motors or hard drives to worry about breaking down after years of play. Unlike the original Hardware however it’s not built like a beast. Some of the plastic case feels a little flimsy but it’s far from being cheaply made.

The controllers are without a doubt built like bricks, extensive play will not be an issue as these controllers will take a beating and still work. Definitely a nice factor if you go through controllers like a mad man.

Value: 78/100
While this may only really appeal to the older generation, it’s still a really sweet deal for those who want to try the games of their parents or those seeking a bit of Nostalgia. The 2 hidden games however are paddle games, the unit does not include a paddle controller so most gamers will find these games unplayable but other then that the rest of the 40 are playable right out of the box. The ability to modify the console to accept real Atari cartridges adds quite a bit of incentive as well.

With the trouble the new Atari has seen as of late, it’s sad that the proposed Flashback 3 (an Atari 8-bit computer/5200) and the flash based Atari Flashback Portable have either been shelved or indefinitely delayed till either Atari gets it’s act together or somebody better suited to run the company takes the reigns. So if your looking for a great way to play those old games without having to fish out your system and games, it’s quick and easy way to go back down memory lane. Also these can now be had for less then $20 so it could make a great present for that certain gamer on your list.

Does anybody remember Atari’s little handheld console? Probly not too many, but the Atari community sure has not for games continue to get made for it and the Atari Jaguar. What we have here is one of the most promising games in development for the long dead cat. Penguinet presents Zaku, which is actually a tribute to a great Turbo Grafx 16 game called Air Zonk. The game is beyond explanation.. the graphics are breathtaking considering the limitations of the Atari Lynx’s GPU, working with single 16 color palettes at a time can be a daunting task on such a small screen but Penguinet seems to have things well under control.

From the demo I played the Parallax Scrolling is smooth, the sprites are fast with next to no slow down with a lot going onscreen. However the Demo does not have sound yet so it’s not yet clear if the sound will match the visuals. The art style is slick, though the first level is VERY similar to the first level of Air Zonk but this is a tribute game as the Author has told me himself (helped me out quite a bit with my own Atari Lynx programming, a very nice guy). I can only imagine how the rest of the game will look.

Super Fighter Team, the publishers of 2005’s Genesis RPG Beggar Prince have picked this title up and plan on a 2008 release. So it might be due time to dust off your Lynx and enjoy what might be the biggest Homebrew release of this coming year.

For more information and a Demo playable on an actual Lynx (via BLL or Flash Cart) or in an Emulator such as Handy goto Penguinet’s Website. You won’t be disappointed with how this game is shaping up.

Yes, your eyes are not deceiving you, I am indeed reviewing a brand spanking new Atari Jaguar game. Charles Doty of Rastersoft has brought us a fine remake of the Intellivision classic: Frog Bog with better graphics and sound. I also had the pleasure of designing the box art for the cartridge run of this game, so it gives me great pleasure to present this game to you.

Graphics: 50/100
The game is colorful and cartoony though the graphics are not top notch for what the Jaguar could really do. (The system was capable of 24-bit colors simultaneously though most often 16-bit colors were more then adequate, Rayman is a great example of just how colorful a Jaguar game could be) and the sprites are on the small size. Though you must take into account that the game was first written for the Genesis and SNES, so it is a direct port of a 16-bit game.

Sound: 60/100
The music is catchy but only heard on the title screen but the in game sounds are sharp and cartoony. The reason for no music in game? Well the libraries used to port to the Jag are not very optimized and some things just didn’t work out too well, though it doesn’t detract from the game at all. You have ribbits, splashes and the sound of your tongue shooting out of you mouth to catch flies, and they all sound quite nice.

Gameplay: 75/100
The game plays just like Frog Bog and that is a good thing because well Frog Bog was a blast back in the day if you ever had the opportunity to play an Mattell Intellivision. But, the problem with this game is it’s just as simple as the original game it’s based on.. meaning that theirs only one level and only one match per game but that doesn’t make it any less fun to play.

The CPU is on the dumb side, you can usually beat the CPU 10:1. The 2 player option is a much welcome option for this game and playing with a friend is a blast especially if you love old games like I do.

Replay: 50/100
The simpleness of the game makes it take a hit in the replay department, it’s not to say that I don’t love this game it’s that besides 2 player mode there is not a lot to do but try and beat your previous score.

Overall it’s a new and welcome addition to any Jaguar fans collection though it is on the pricey side, though Rastersoft has lowered the price of the unnumbered carts to $49.99 which is alittle pricey but the package is very professionally made with glossy box, cart insert and glossy cartridge label, their is also a Jag CD version of this game if the cartridge release is too rich for your tastes. I’d recommend buying it if you have a Jaguar and want to help support the homebrew community.

The game can be purchased at Rastersoft’s Online Store. Check below the break for a video of Frog Feast’s gameplay.

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Discovery Channel premiered episode one of Rise of the Video Game tonight, a documentary about the history of gaming. I really liked this first episode, which covered Spacewar! up until Pacman. They interviewed such illustrious figures as Peter Moore, IGN’s Peer Schneider, Alexey Pajitnov (the Tetris guy) and Nolan Bushnell, the legendary founder of Atari.

The highlight of the episode had to be the piece on E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial for Atari 2600. How great was it to see that?

The epic precursor series that eventually led us to Halo, Bungie’s Marathon has been confirmed for Xbox Live Arcade! We mentioned this possibility a few weeks ago, but Microsoft has confirmed it in an E3 video reel, according to Xbox360Fanboy. Prepare for yellow alien blood splatter!

If you grew up with an Atari joystick in your hand, you are well aware of the Missile Command franchise. If you’ve seen the movie Terminator 2, you’ll notice that even John Connor plays him some Missile Command. This game is a classic, and is now available with updated high-res graphics on Xbox Live Arcade. I’ll have impressions here soon.

FYI - I blame my lack of updates to my DS and a certain Nintendo franchise that captures your soul as you catch ‘em all. But don’t worry, I’m not ready to start DS Topic just yet

Years and years ago, in the days when SNES was still king, and the Internet was still just a whisper, a studio named Bungie came out with a Macintosh only game called Marathon. Back then I was a complete Mac fanboy, having grown up with only Apple computers in my house. Marathon came around and totally blew away the Doom I was playing over at my PC using friend’s house. Marathon put you on an alien planet where you ran around shooting aliens into goo, with pseudo 3D graphics (amazing at the time) and fantastic gameplay. And there was quite a story too. You played a cyborg who crash lands on a planet with aliens who are attempting to take over your ship. You interact with the ship’s various AI’s to enable the defenses, learn the backstory, and fight off the invaders.

There were all sorts of interesting gameplay elements, such as the level where you have no oxygen and have to hurry between oxygen stations, or die. Marathon was my favorite computer game, and although it was extremely popular with us Mac heads, the rest of the PC world was pretty oblivious to it. Marthon 2 came out, followed by Marthon Infinity (which was awarded by MacFormat at the time for the “largest version number increase”), both bringing new advances to the games. There was even a level editor included, that allowed the player to create their own maps, and send them off to friends.

Following the success of Marathon, the studio went on to create a game you may have heard of, Halo. Originally going to be another Mac only title, Microsoft saw the promise of this property and scooped up the studio, so this could be their flagship title in their push towards console gaming. It is very possible that the Xbox would have been a failure without Halo, and there would be no Halo without Marathon. I was extremely late in the game on playing Halo. I didn’t own an original Xbox, and only played Halo once I bought it used shortly after getting a 360. But one of the first things I noticed was the Marathon logo on the captain in one of the first cut scenes. (The second thing was me remarking “What the hell kind of name is Master Chief?”)

Which brings me to the present. Halo 3 is on the horizon, but there is news that Bungie may be thinking of releasing Marathon as an Xbox Live Arcade title. My hopes are that they are not just going to port the original game, which, while it has the great gameplay, simply doesn’t have the graphics by today’s standards. Truth be told, Bungie distributes the old games for free on Mac and PC, but an updated, tight game, with perhaps actual creature and character models to replace the 2d sprites, and a cohesive integration with Xbox Live could be a fantastic way to hold everyone over until Halo 3.