RetroGameCrunch (Part One) (PC/Mac)

RetroGameCrunch was a Kickstarter project born out of the Ludum Dare Game Jam held in August of last year. What's a RetroGameCrunch you say? What's a Kickstarter? What's a game jam and is it anything like a pearl jam?

Well to take them in reverse order, Pearl Jam are a popular beat combo who were particularly successful in the early to mid 1990s and were named after the jam made by one of the band member's grandmothers. A game jam is a relatively new concept where a group of developers get together and make a game in a strict amount of time. Think of it like a group of musicians jamming until they produce a song, but with video games instead of music. Except video game music, obviously.

Kickstarter, meanwhile, utilises another relatively new concept called crowd-sourcing and allows artists and developers of all sorts of gadgets and gizmos the opportunity to pitch for funding from the general public directly without needing to resort to a middle man - except for Kickstarter of course. The site has grown massively since it was launched and has now expanded from its original technology-based origins to reach out to all sorts of creative artists.

Video game development is one such medium suited to online crowd-sourcing and retro video gaming in particular has done well due to its target demographic of thirtysomething+, male gamers with a disposable income and (obviously) internet access.

Which brings us, at last, to RetroGameCrunch, the product of a game jam that was such fun to the people involved they decided to go to Kickstarter and extend their game jam over six long months, producing a game a month in return for up-front funding from the public. RGCD was one of the many backers and this post will look at the first three of the promised six games, with a future post covering the remaining games.

KRUNCH (PC/Mac/Linux)

It's difficult to not be immediately intrigued by the dark, foreboding atmosphere of KRUNCH, an indie game by LeGrudge and Rugged that puts a new spin on the familiar twitch platformer genre. In fact, this game of stressful close calls and peril-filled levels isn't a platformer; rather, I'd call it a 'floater'. Birthed from a Ludum Dare prototype, KRUNCH has an awful lot to offer gamers who really enjoy punishing themselves.

Mok Force (PC)

[This review was originally written by J. Monkman for indiegames.com, and has been reposted here with the editors permission].

Arguably inspired by the works of Kenta Cho, Deathmofumofu's Mok Force is an endless procedural doujin shmup that has one foot set firmly in the past and the other boldly stepping forth into a neon-coloured abstract future. The game design is strictly old-school with no power-ups, no gimmicks, no shields nor health bars and the only goal is to beat your previous high score. Combined with a deep DnB soundtrack (by Japanese producer Gu-Dara) that perfectly compliments the relentless action and high-speed low poly-count 3D visuals, the end result is an elegant, accessible and enjoyable shooter experience.

Jagware Collection 1.0 Available! (Atari Jaguar CD)

Jagware presents a new Atari Jaguar CD compilation of four puzzle games from four groups; Do The Same from Cerebral Vortex, Diamjag by Orion, Atomic Reloaded from The Removers, and Beebris by Reboot - all four of which support online scoreboards. But that's not all - also included is an exclusive early look at the alpha build of 'Project II', Reboot's ambitious forthcoming horizontal scrolling shmup.

CVSD's Do The Same is a beautifully presented tile-rotation game where your goal is to match a given pattern of blocks in as few moves as possible (and before the time runs out). A highly polished release featuring backgrounds based on hand-crafted clay models and 112 levels to beat, Do The Same was previously available on CD in very limited quantities - now those who missed it in physical form have the chance to grab it again!

Next up is Atomic Reloaded, a logic puzzle game inspired by Thalion's Atomic in which you are tasked with creating molecules from their component atoms by moving them around a maze. Described as 'Atomic as it should have been', Atomic Reloaded features 82 original levels guaranteed to challenge even veterans of the original!

Diamjag is an early release from the prolific Jaguar coder Orion, in which you must guide a ball-like character around 28 single-screen mazes collecting diamonds - the catch being that when your ball starts rolling you wont stop again until you hit a wall!

Reboot, the organisers of this project have contributed Beebris, their updated Jaguar conversion of one of Law's old Atari ST releases based on a 'popular tetronimo game'. With four game modes, each with forty levels of difficulty, Beebris remains one of Reboots more popular additions to the Jaguar homebrew catalogue.

Jagware Collection One is a superb compilation of games, but if you want further incentive to pick up a copy you may wish to consider that all profits made through sales of this Jagware release will be going toward funding future Jaguar hardware development by SCPCD, creator of the JagCF and the Jagtopus 4-cart programmer - the format on which future cartridge games will be distributed.

The physical release comes cellophane wrapped in a clear DVD box with full colour, double-sided printed inlay on a full face printed, glass-mastered CD, direct from the factory (100% professionally produced in the UK). Instructions for each game are included on the inside of the inlay. It requires no additional hardware to run other than the Jaguar CD console itself. As an added bonus, a vinyl Reboot sticker will be included with every order.

Priced at £24 (plus £4 UK/Europe shipping, £5 rest of world) Jagware Collection 1.0 is available to buy from our shop page today!

Mojon Twins 2-Games-In-1 Cartridge Available! (C64)

It's been a long time coming, but we have finally completed our official cartridge compilation of The Mojon Twins Nanako in Classic Japanese Monster Castle and Sir Ababol, and it is available to buy now from our shop!

Although the plan was originally to put them out as separate releases, it seemed a shame to waste the ROM space, so we've managed to squeeze both games and a menu onto a single 64KB cartridge. Changes over the previous versions available on CSDB include two minor NTSC bugs fixed, as well as Nanako now being fully playable via joystick - making it available at last for GS owners. The 64KB PCB is housed in a transparent purple cartridge shell illuminated by an internal LED, and the game comes complete with a printed manual and a vinyl Mojon Twins sticker.

The cartridge version is available in two packaging types, a standard card carton and a more expensive 'deluxe version' that comes in a plastic case (a Universal Game Case with a specially cut foam insert to hold the cartridge as shown below). The standard version is priced at £22, whereas the deluxe version costs £27. Shipping is £4 for UK/Europe and £5 for the rest of the world. A digital version of the game will also be sent out to all customers following receipt of payment.

As a joint RGCD/Mojon Twins/Psytronik production, we've handled the cartridge production whereas Kenz at Psytronik has compiled a three game pack on disk and tape, including UWOL: Quest For Money (a game we previously released on cartridge last year). Psytronik Software are selling the game on premium/budget disk and tape for £9.99/£4.99 and £3.99 respectively (plus shipping) via their Binary Zone Retro Store.

To celebrate the completion of this project, we've put the UWOL cartridge temporarily on sale, with £5 off the cost price. Not only that, but fans of Assembloids might want to check out Dr. Martin Wendt's previous game Not Even Human - which has also been dramatically price slashed! This promotion won't last forever, so grab them now.

But sadly it isn't all good news. Royal Mail have raised their postage costs for the new financial year, so I've had to change some of our shipping methods and push up the prices by £1 across the board. Whereas international post was previously insured for up to £46 by default, this now needs to be purchased as an extra (see the 'Shipping Insurance' category of the store). For UK customers, from now on I'll be sending parcels 'Second Class Signed For' in order to keep the price low but still offer adequate compensation for up to two games per package (additional cover up to £500 is also available). I've been as fair as I can with this.

Sorry to end on a downer... On the positive side there is more news and reviews to follow soon!

Sir Ababol / Nanako In Classic Japanese Monster Castle (C64) (2013)

System Requirements

* A Commodore 64/128/GS (PAL/NTSC).
* A joystick/joypad.
* A VDU preferably connected to a loud sound-system.


Downloads

Download Sir Ababol & Nanako in .crt cartridge format HERE!
Download Sir Ababol & Nanako in .prg program format HERE!

BONUS! Check out the original ZX Spectrum versions HERE!
BONUS! Check out Onslaught's cracked version of Sir Ababol in .d64 disk format HERE!
BONUS! Check out Onslaught's cracked version of Nanako in .d64 disk format HERE!

EMULATOR PACKAGE! Download the game ready-to-run combined with the Windows 32-Bit version of the VICE emulator HERE!


Introduction

Following on from last year's authorised C64 cartridge release of UWOL: Quest For Money, RGCD is back with a compilation of two more Mojon Twins game conversions coded by Woodmaster - the classic run 'n jump collect 'em up 'Sir Ababol' and mind-bending platform-puzzler 'Nanako in Classic Japanese Monster Castle'.

UWOL: Quest For Money (C64) (2012)

System Requirements

* A Commodore 64/128 (PAL/NTSC).
* A joystick/joypad.
* A VDU preferably connected to a loud sound-system.


Downloads

Download UWOL: Quest For Money in .crt cartridge format HERE!
Download UWOL: Quest For Money in .d64 disk format HERE!
Download UWOL: Quest For Money in .tap tape format HERE!

BONUS! Check out the original ZX Spectrum version HERE!

EMULATOR PACKAGE! Download the game ready-to-run combined with the Windows 32-Bit version of the VICE emulator HERE!


Introduction

Despite being super rich and earning 90% of Spain's national income from the videogame industry, year after year, Uwol wasn't satisfied. The money just wasn't enough - what he craved more than anything was adventure (in addition to yet more wealth), so he decided to become a treasure hunter and follow in the footsteps of his gaming heroes.

After already collecting valuable rewards such as the fire that doesn't burn (which looks great in the hall of his house), the proton pistol and proton charger, three pairs of Gremla's knickers, Miner Willy's book of bills, Wally's pajamas, the Sword of Power (although this is just a copy because the real one is still in use) and heaps of Saimaza coffee, Uwol learns that a mysterious and eccentric millionaire has hidden a huge fortune of stolen gold coins within a deserted manor next to Canutos Forest - the so-called Storm Palace. So he decides to emulate his idol Goodie and begin a new quest... A Quest For Money!

Encyclopedia Galactica (ZX Spectrum)

Gone are the heady days of adventure and exploration, here on our tiny planet, where anyone could strike out on a voyage of discovery to make their name, make a fortune. Long gone. The days when Darwin set forth in the Beagle and sent back specimens of exotic flora and fauna. The days of the great plant hunters like Sir Joseph Banks, who sailed with Captain Cook and introduced plants like eucalyptus and acacia to Europe. I am sure that even today there are innumerable undiscovered species lurking under rocks, in the deepest jungle, or clustered around deep sea vents. It's just that... well, it's too much like hard work to find them, isn't it? Wouldn't it be better if we could cross the next great frontier and get out there to explore the rest of the universe?

That is what Encyclopedia Galactica, the new game from Jonathan Cauldwell, imagines: it is, quite literally, exploration on rocket fuel. That's not to say it is adrenaline soaked or delivered at a breakneck pace. On the contrary, the game plays at a gentle trot, and patience and methodicalness are rewarded over an itchy trigger-finger. Galactica puts you in the shoes of Dr Theo Rao: one scientist with a whole galaxy in front of him, star systems to explore, and new lifeforms to discover. All in a tin can of a spaceship that's like a GTI version of the one those kids made out of junk in Explorers. You must scour the galaxy and catalogue all life, from microscopic plankton in the oceans to intelligent - and sometimes aggressive - aliens. Many lie somewhere in between: fungi, herbs, fish, molluscs, birds... but mostly it's a menagerie of weirdness, as you'd expect.

Not Even Human - Inhumane Edition (C64) (2011)

System Requirements

* A Commodore 64/128 (PAL/NTSC).
* A joystick/joypad (two for two-player).
* A VDU preferably connected to a loud sound-system.
* A friend to play with (optional, yet strongly recommended).

Note that the game is also playable on the GS, but is limited to two-player mode only.


Downloads

Download Not Even Human - Inhumane Edition in .d64 program format HERE!
Download Not Even Human - Inhumane Edition in .crt cartridge format HERE!
BONUS! Download the original 2008 version of Not Even Human HERE!

EMULATOR PACKAGE! Download the game ready-to-run combined with the Windows 32-Bit version of the VICE emulator HERE!


Introduction

Back in 1977, the first Voyager probe was launched towards the far reaches of our solar system bearing a golden disc containing information on our species and the location of our homeworld. The disc also doubled up as a vinyl record (the most popular media of the era), holding further information on our civilisation in an audio format; an initial message to any alien race whom was to discover it.

In 1985, we received an answer.

Subacuatic (MSX/ZX Spectrum)

An entry into the MSXdev'12 challenge, Subacuatic by the Mojon Twins is difficult to pigeonhole into a single category - I'd perhaps call it an "action-adventure," but I wouldn't want to give the impression that there's lots of action going on, so let's go for "underwater exploration game." Maybe that's better.

Moving along, in Subacuatic players take the role of Ferdinand W. Templeton, an archeologist who must dive underwater to rescue his 4 prized artifacts so he can marry his lover and have enough money to keep on going. He has a phobia to water as well.  This does not bode well for Mr. Templeton, as the perils of this particular undersea world are everywhere. Even the seaweed will actually kill him, as no doubt many players have already discovered the hard way.

Ramiro El Vampiro (ZX Spectrum)

The website 'World Of Spectrum' lists over thirty titles credited to The Mojon Twins published over the last six years. It is pleasing to see that their impressive output doesn’t show any signs of slowing and the lovely Ramiro El Vampiro is their latest, and quite possibly one of their greatest so far.

Cheril the Goddess (ZX Spectrum)

I can only apologise for my crassness, but I don't think it is going to be possible to review the Mojon Twins' Cheril the Goddess without addressing her bosoms. So, I'm just going to get this over with: you see, she has a rather large and prominent pair (see the tasteful loading screen above). And, for reasons unexplained, she is apparently buck naked for the duration of the game - or at least wearing an article of clothing so skimpy as to make no difference.

Despite a discernible bounce when Cheril moves, there's really no need to shy away from playing when your partner/mum/grandma might see. Her sprite is so tiny that no, erm, details are on show - and despite having lovely hair she certainly does not titillate. Think Atom Ant with big boobs. On second thought, don't - it's a bit wrong. Now, there's an image I wish I had never conjured up...

Knights & Demons (ZX Spectrum/MSX/Amstrad CPC)

Being a retro geek and a high fantasy nerd, seeing a new game on the ZX Spectrum called Knights & Demons (from Kabuto Factory) naturally got me all aflutter. You can imagine then, my disappointment when I realised it was actually a puzzle game based on the old Light's Out toys from the 1990s. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but I did have to readjust my expectations somewhat.

Light's Out was a puzzle game featuring a grid of lit tiles, where the aim was to switch off all the lights on your board. By selecting a tile on the grid you switch the status from on to off (or vice versa) as well as those tiles directly adjacent to the one you have just selected. Knights & Demons essentially takes this concept and replaces the lights with, you guessed it, knights and demons. It also introduces 'pikes', which allow you to switch off a tile without flipping any of the other tiles around it, which is useful for dealing with individual tiles when you don’t want to switch the others adjacent to it. As you progress through the game the number of pikes you possess doesn't reset, so the game becomes progressively harder as the number of pikes dwindles and you have to rely on your skill alone to clear the gameboard.

Berzerk Redux (C64) (2013)

System Requirements

* A Commodore 64/128/GS (PAL/NTSC) (6581 SID Recommended).
* A joystick/joypad.
* A VDU preferably connected to a loud sound-system.


Downloads

Download the Final RGCD build of Berzerk Redux (1.18) in .crt format HERE!
Download the Final RGCD build of Berzerk Redux (1.18) in .d64 format HERE!

BONUS! Check out the source code HERE!
BONUS! Check out Onslaught's cracked version in .d64 disk format HERE!

EMULATOR PACKAGE! Download the game ready-to-run combined with the Windows 32-Bit version of the VICE emulator HERE!

Introduction

The astro date is 3200 and you are the last survivor of a small group of Earth people who came to the planet Mazeon. Soon after landing, you discovered the planet is a dark and apparently uninhabitable place, but by then it was too late to turn back because your space craft had been destroyed by Automazeons!

Now you are a prisoner here, trapped in a maze where even the walls are death to touch. Grim robot thugs known as 'Automazeons' stalk you relentlessly and you must systematically pulverise them with your laser gun before they eliminate you with theirs.

Sn4ke / Grazer (PC)

Games that use procedural generation, either random or from a seed value, have always fascinated me. Ever since first playing Elite as a child and wondering how on earth a eight galaxies could fit on a single disk, the concept of a game world or design structure unfolding itself from an algorithm into memory seems like the ultimate solution to the limitations imposed by the time consuming, manually-crafted alternative. By using procedural generation, games can be huge (even endless) yet developed and delivered by small teams with minimal assets. The lack of bulky level data means that huge games can also be tiny.

Now, before you get excited about the prospect of n.h.k.'s Sn4ke and Grazer featuring gigantic, expansive worlds, let me set the record straight. They are not huge at all. In fact, they are incredibly simplistic, so much so that if judged on the playing experience alone it could be argued that they don't really deserve feature space at RGCD at all. Yet, nonetheless they are special little games, with 'little' being the key word here; combined, Grazer and Sn4ke take up less than 8KB of disk space.