mikeb

Yes, 4 pixels is correct, if you're using the playfield (which most games do.) --Will Great, thanks Will.

Hi Chaps, Can anyone elighten me, an ex-2600 programmer has told me that completely smooth horizontal scrolling was very difficult to achieve on the system, and that for an early game of theirs they didnt want to use horizontal as opposed to vertical scrolling as horizontally it would have had to have scrolled in either 4 or 8 pixel 'chunks', but they can't remember which. Anyone know which of those numbers is correct?

Dude, I've been pitching that Making of Star Raiders for ages...

Featuring: The Making of Panzer Dragoon Saga - An exclusive interview with ex Team Andromeda chief Yukio Futatsugi reveals the fascinating story of one of the Sega Saturn's greatest games. The Making of SWIV - Dan Marchant and John Croudy spill the beans on the development of Storm's popular Silkworm semi-sequel. The Making of Bounder - Craig Grannell chats to programmer Chris Shrigley about Gremlin's hit bounce-'em-up. Retroinspection: Atari ST - Retro Gamer talks to the ST's designer - Sharaz Shivji. Activisionaries - Alan Miller and David Crane talk about their time at iconic developer Activision. The Twilight Zone - Stuart Hunt looks at some of the weirdest, most bizarre games money can buy. Something Old, Something New - Metal Slug 7 interview with SNK Playmore The Twelve Games of Christmas - Our festive count-down to Yuletide - with added partridge. The Classic Game - Turtles in Time History of Shining Force - Ashley Day guides us through the history of Sega's cult tactical RPG series. History of Microprose Part II - We reach the era of Civilization as Sid Meier and 'Wild' Bill Stealey continue their memories of the famous company. Retro Revivals - Xenophobe & Citadel Why You Must Play Bonanza Brothers And all the usual stuff, letters, From The Forum, Backs to the 80s/90s, and, last but not least, Oli Frey!

Re the Retro Gamer piece and the modern PC hardware analogy, this was sourced from an interview with Dr Tim McGuiness, who was Sr. Research Engineer / Asst. Director Corp. Research Engineering at Atari, and co-designed the 1200XL and the GTIA video chip. As follows: "Would it surprise you to know that we still use a great amount of Atari technology in today's PC's? Our MSDOS floppies use Atari DOS format (undated by Microsoft of course). You can still read an Atari DOS disk in a PC with a 5.25in drive. USB is the grandson of Atari Serial (the interface between Atari peripherals)." More of the interview, mainly regarding the 1200XL: "There was another major (larger) factor in the marketing failure of the 1200XL - namely Atari Corporate Marketing and the CEO Ray Kasar. The company's bread and butter was the 2600VCS, and it took 98% of the attention of the Corp Marketing. They believed they could pump those boxes out forever. This was the single biggest factor in the failure of the Home Computer product line, and the death of the company in 1983/84. This is a text book example of a marketing channel blunder. They were saturating the market, and had no real upgrade in the wings (like an XBOX360). The 5200 came to late to save them (since it was the 1200 in new clothes). So it was the fact that Atari had $400,000,000 in product in the pipeline (that ultimately was returned/lost) that caused the death of the company. The Home Computer division was a passenger on this Titanic." "Another problem of the 1200XL product was the floppy drive. I was one of the designers on the 800 floppy drives, and they were great drives (at least the 1981 models I worked on - the 1980 models used a drive mechanism that had issues of alignment). But the 1200XL drive had a serious shielding problem - I still have to use aluminum foil on mine to get it to read floppies reliably.I was the principal designer of the floppy drives and developed a huge number of peripherals: from graphics digitizer products, to a mouse, to a hard drive, to an optical drive. I was also involved with the interfacing to option disks (Pioneer LaserDisc Players). "

Developer Lookback - Microprose (Part One) Founders Sid Meier and Wild Bill Stealey reveal the fascinating genesis of one of the world's finest strategy and simulation software companies. Level 9 Company Profile - Paul Rigby takes a look back at the life and times of family-run developer Level 9, one of the most highly regarded creators of text adventures in the UK... The Making of Panzer Dragoon I & II - In the first of a two part feature on the Panzer Dragoon series, Jonti Davis interviews ex Team Andromeda artist Kentaro Yoshido, and discover the influences behined the creation of Sega's unique Panzer universe. The Making of Alien vs Predator - It was the 'other' reason to own an Atari Jaguar, and still features regularly in top ten listings of the scariest games of all time. Rebellion founders Jason and Chris Kingsley, and Atari producer James ‘Purple’ Hampton talk to Mike Bevan about designing a cult console creature-feature. Videogames Nasties - Stuart Hunt examines the influence of the Horror film tie-in... The Making of International Soccer and International Basketball - Craig Grannell talks exclusively to Andrew Spencer, the genius behind the grand-daddy of ISS on the C64. Desert Island Discs - Eugene Lacey, long-time editor of UK multi-format bible Computer & Video Games, gives us the gossip on eighties game journalism and staff jollies to Bangkok... And more including Retroinspection - Acorn Electron, Xybots, Future Spy, Quake II...

Running the Gauntlet: Due for release on Nintendo’s DS we take a look back at Gauntlet’s rich legacy to find out who really shot that food. The Making of… Beneath a Steel Sky: Revolution Software’s Charles Cecil looks back at one of the company’s greatest Amiga release. The Big Interview… Hideo Kojima: The creator of Metal Gear takes time out of his busy schedule to talk to us about his hectic and prestigious career. Ultimate Exclusive!: No one knew who made Ultimate’s C64 games. Until now! Martyn Carroll delivers an amazing 8-bit exclusive. The Complete History - Castlevania: With the season of the witch approaching, Retro Gamer takes a look at Konami’s long-running Castlevania franchise and hopes some remembered the garlic. The Making of… Super Pipeline I & II: The boys from Taskset reveal how a simple dripping tap spurred them on to create one of their most successful franchises, the excellent Super Pipeline. The Making of… Rampage: Retro Gamer does the monster mash with Rampage’s developer and finds out why it nearly didn’t happen. Retroinspection - Commodore 16: It may not have been as powerful as the C64, but the Commodore 16 still had plenty of great games. The Making of… Samba De Amigo: With Samba recently hitting Nintendo’s Wii, we look back at the creation of the original rhythm-action. And much, much more including, Reader Revival, Gauntlet DS, Super Robin Hood, Terrormolinos, Mr Heli, X-Men, Shiny Entertainment, Skyblazer

We're gonna need a bigger magnifying glass... Ready for Remake - Sandy white looks back at the creation of his 8-bit isometric classic and reveals the sequel that nearly came to be. The Making of Defender - Defender blew minds when it blasted onto arcade machines in 1980. Creator Eugene Jarvis explains why. RetroInspection: Game&Watch - The simple idea that became a global phenomenon and sired the GameBoy and DS. Meet the Game & Watch. The Making of Soul Calibur - In an exclusive new interview, Namco reveals how it converted its huge arcade hit to Sega's Dreamcast and refined the concept of the coin-Op conversion. The Making of Night Shift - Mike Bevan goes behind the scenes of the biggest toy factory ever to feature in a computer game. Conversion Capers: Chase HQ - Ex-Ocean staffer Bill Harbison reveals the difficulties of cramming Taito's coin-op into the Speccy and Amstrad. The Making of Stunts (4D Sports Drivin') - Atari's Hard Drivin' may gave been the best, but 4D Sports Racing remains a great addition to the genre. Whatever Happenned To? Marble Man: Marble Madness II - Kim wild talks to designer Bob Flanagan about the lost sequel to Atari's famous arcade hit. Developer Lookback: Shiny Entertainment Part One - Dave Perry provides some fascinating background on how he started out the industry and his early work at Micro-Gen, Probe and Virgin Interactive. Something Old, Something New - Q&A with Rey Jimenez, producer of 1942: Joint Strike. Pixel Perfect - Celebrating the computer art of Super Mario World. And lots more including Planescape Torment, Jammin', Commando, S.T.U.N. Runner, Toki, Attic Attac...

As you can see from the cover, the highlight this month is Yu Suzuki talking Outrun The Making of... OutRun It's easily one of the best known arcade racers of all time, but what makes it so special? Creator Yu Suzuki has all the answers Retroinspection Intellivision Discover how Mattel's excellent Intellivision nearly beat Atari at its own game Developer Lookback Konami - Part 2 The final part of our Konami retrospective looks back at how the company's past has helped shape its future. The Greatest arcade games of all time With so many arcade games available it was virtually impossible to choose all of our favourites. That didn't stop us from giving it a good go though... the Making of... Cannon Fodder Jon Hare takes time out of his busy schedule to discuss the creation of one of Sensible Software's most popular games. The Making of Q*bert Discover how an orange blob with a panchant for swearing and isometric levels hit the big time. Arcade Inspection Neo-Geo MVS It's one of the oldest running arcade boards of all time and launched SNK into the big leagues. Meet the MVS. The Making of... New International Track & Field Pat Phelan of Sumo Digital explains how the company resurrected Konami's classic for a brand new audience. High Score: Joust 2 Robert Griffin reveals the finer points of Ostrich and Pegasus to Paul Drury And more including Ruff' N' Tumble, Bionic Granny, Forgotten Worlds, Salamander Deluxe Pack Plus, Back to the 80s/90s

Hundred-metre dash anyone? Developer Lookback: Konami Contra, Metal Gear, Castlevania - Just a few of the classic franchises that Konami has created over the past 39 years. The Definitive - Boulder Dash Stuart Campbell's latest indispensable guide reveals everything you ever needed to know about Rockford. Retroinspection - PC-FX Yes, it looks like a giant PC tower, but there was a lot more to NEC's PC-FX than first met the eye. The History of Star Wars Part II So here it is, the second part of our ridiculously exhaustive Star Wars feature is finally here. Prepare to feel the full force of the... um... force. The Making of - Marble Madness Not content with going behind the scenes of some of the best loved arcade games of all time, we've found yet another one to expose. Namely the excellent Marble Madness. Why you must Play - Enduro Racer Everyone remembers the brilliance of OutRun, Hang-On and After Burner, but where's the love for Enduro Racer? The Making of - Border Down Discover how G.rev created one of the Dreamcast's best shoot-em-ups in an exclusive new interview. Desert Island Disks - Ally Noble One of Denton Design's co-founders looks back at her impressive career and shares her favourite games with us. And much more including: Back to the Future, Alex Kidd in Miracle World, Guardians of the Hood, Superman 64, Kane, Sorcery+

Bit late posting this month... sorry STAR WARS SPECIAL includes a Making of Star Wars! (the original Arcade game by Atari) Complete History of The Star Wars Saga - Part 1 The Making Of Star Wars The Making of King of Kong - Billy Mitchell and Walter Day speak out in an exclusive interview! The Making of the Eye of the Beholder Trilogy The Making of Klax The Making of Ridge Racer Retroinspection Amstrad GX4000 The Classic Game - Streets of Rage 2/Saint Dragon Retro Shamer - Shaq-Fu Why You Should Play - Escape from the Planet of the Robot Monsters And all the usual stuff, back to the 80s, letters, Eastern Promise, etc Retro Revival - Spindizzy, VectorMan, Son of Blagger, Saint Dragon, Super Mario Bros 2

Hi guys. The current issue (and back issues) can be purchased online here: http://www.imagineshop.co.uk/products_show.php?typeID=65 Also, a DVD eMag of the first 30 issues can also be purchased here: http://www.imagineshop.co.uk/products_show.php?typeID=169

GOLD FOIL COVER SPECIAL EDITION! The Complete History The Legend of Zelda With the Phantom Hourglass still dominating the DS, Retro Gamer takes a look back at one of Nintendo's most famous heroes. The Making of… Contra 4 WayForward Technologies explains how it breathed new life into Konami's ailing Contra franchise. The Big Feature Families Reunited Stuart Campbell reveals the true lineage behind a collection of classic and not-so classic videogames. The Classic Game Dun darach With his imposing size and loping gait, Cuchulainn the Great makes for a memorable hero. This is his story. Retroinspection PC Engine GT NEC's PC Engine was so successful in its homeland that it eventually released a handheld model. Sadly for the Japanese developer, it was a case of too little, too late. The Making of… Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis With every film magazine going behind the scenes of the latest Indiana Jones film, we felt we'd do things a little differently... So here's the lowdown on The Fate of Atlantis. Enjoy. The Making of... R-Type Delta Find out why Irem took a five-year hiatus before returning with its stunning 32-bit blast-em-up. The Making Of Choplifter The helicopter rescue-em-up that spawned a Sega arcade game and dozens of clones gets a behind the scenes look with creator Dan Gorlin. Why you must play HeroQuest there have been many board-game conversions over the years, but this effort by Gremlin is easily the best. The Making of... Crystal Castles Creator Franz Xaver Lanzinger talks about isometric levels, dropping out of a maths degree and creating Bentley Bear. The Making of... Stellar 7 Damon Slye, co-founder of Dynamix talks about taking on Battlezone on the Apple II and Commodore 64. And much, much more including; Assassin, Who Dares Wins II, Super Star Wars, Pit-Fighter, Kid Icarus, The King of Kong

RG reaches 'middle-age' in style: The Dream Machine: Find out why Sega's innovative console didn't stop the Japanese giant from crashing out of the hardware race. The History of... Grand Theft Auto: one of gaming history's coolest franchises charted. The Making of... Retro Gamer: Martyn Carroll looks back at the making of the original version of the magazine. Reader special: Your favourite gaming moments. Zombie Nation: Sega's popular series, The House of the Dead, investigated. Desert Island Disks: Celebrity special! (Simon Munnery, Gaz Top, Lemmy (!)) The Making of... Gunstar Heroes: Retro Gamer talks to Treasure about one of its most influential 16-bit shooters. The Big Interview: Roger Dean, fantasy artist extraodinaire, cover artist for many classic Amiga titles, designer of the Tetris logo, and more, talks to Craig Grannell about his work. The Making of... Great Giana Sisters: Manfred Trenz talks about the C64 game that made Nintendo very angry indeed. AND! Collector's corner Back to the '80s Back to the '90s AND! Batman Thundercats Xor Yar's Revenge Silkworm AND! Some other stuff I've forgotten.

Funnily enough, the first ever Apple II game 'Making Of' feature appears in issue 51. Along with another one