Retro Gamer

DARRAN JONES I absolutely adore Ridge Racer 2 on the PSP. The game is packed with great content and looks amazing when running on the RetroTink 4K. Expertise: Juggling a gorgeous wife, two beautiful girls and an award-winning magazine, all under one roof! Currently playing: Castlevania Dominus Collection Favourite game of all time: OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast ANDY SALTER Ridge Racer V is the only one I remember playing and that’s because it was a PlayStation 2 launch title. I was working on a tips mag at the time and had to map some tracks for it. Expertise: Modding games, no ‘vanilla’ versions for me, thanks! Currently modding: RTR: Imperium Surrectum Favourite game of all time: Rome: Total War although I guess it’s the Remastered edition now GRAEME MASON I have fond memories…

Few games were as impactful as Namco’s PlayStation port of Ridge Racer. While it’s not quite as arcade-perfect as many of the reviews would have had you believe at the time, there is no denying that it was an incredible-looking game that helped make Sony’s console an essential piece of kit. It quickly become emblematic of arcade racing quality on the PlayStation – most likely helped by the fact the console games felt so similar to the arcade originals – and a new game would often launch alongside a new Sony console. With that in mind, this issue will not only look at the evolution of the core series in arcades and in the home but also its numerous spin-offs, with insight from Namco staff who were just as impressed…

There’s been a flurry of retro activity recently, with all manner of excellent games, compilations and remakes in the works. The most unexpected reveal was System 3’s announcement of its The Last Ninja Collection, which has already smashed its 10K Kickstarter goal after just 40 minutes. The new collection includes the three The Last Ninja games, Ninja Remix, International Karate, IK+ and Bangkok Knights. “We’re in an era where nostalgia and retro games are central to gaming culture, and there’s a strong appetite for these classic experiences,” System 3’s Mark Cale tells us. “With advances in technology, we can now offer the definitive The Last Ninja retro experience on both Switch and PC, something fans have been eagerly awaiting years for.” The compilation includes multiple versions of each game and…

Who is Iain Lee? Iain Lee is a freelance counsellor who loves gaming, particularly retro gaming. You can get more information about Iain by visiting iainleecounselling.com or heading over to patreon.com/iainandKatherine I was lucky enough to be invited to be part of the Zzap! Live event in mid-August. My task was to interview the Graftgold team of Steve Turner, Andrew Braybrook and Iain Wallington. Stuff like that makes me nervous for a number of reasons. Firstly, it’s a Commodore-based event. And while I really do love that whole scene, as a BBC Micro man I felt like an infiltrator. Secondly, while I had done my research (including reading the new book that’s just come out about them) there will always be people in the audience who know way more about it…

Who is Paul Rose? Paul is probably better known as Mr Biffo – the creator of legendary teletext games magazine Digitiser. These days, he mostly writes his videogame ramblings over at Digitiser2000.com. If you want more Biffo in your eyes, you can catch him as the host of Digitizer The Show at www.bit.ly/biffo2000. I’m a bit late to the party when it comes to the current generation of consoles, but I was very kindly given a PS5 last year. There are aspects of PS5 gaming that I really enjoy, and there are other aspects… that I absolutely detest, and which make me yearn for a simpler time. Yes: yearning! I’m officially that old now that I yearn for the golden age of gaming! Take the game I got for my…

Multiplayer fanatics have been entertained by the Worms games for decades now, and Worms Armageddon may just be the best of the bunch. With Team17 and Digital Eclipse preparing Worms Armageddon: Anniversary Edition for a 26 September release on all modern consoles, we looked into how and why this project came together. Why is Worms Armageddon receiving a new console port? Stephen Frost: From my perspective, Worms Armageddon is 25 years old at this point and still has such an amazingly loyal and strong following of fans. However, most of that current audience are primarily PC owners who have grown up playing the series, so there’s this huge audience out there of console owners who haven’t really had an opportunity to to play a modern, updated version of this classic…