February2024
Review qomp 2 (Switch) - The Spiritual Successor That Pong Deserves
Ping-Pong
When Atari first announced qomp2 as a reimagining of the arcade classic Pong, we must admit to feeling somewhat sceptical of the similarities. Yet after completing all 30 levels in the Graphite Lab-developed puzzler, we’re convinced that it is very much the spiritual successor that Pong deserves. It’s a game that only increased its...
February2023
Review Akka Arrh (Switch) - A Scrapped Atari Shooter Gets A Psychedelic Llamasoft Refurb
A bomb in hand is worth two in the bathroom
Jeff Minter, international man of gaming mystery, is back in action. If you’ve never heard of him, the 60-year-old has been in game coding and development, and seemingly happily off his rocker since 1979. Going by the moniker ‘Yak’, Minter cut his teeth on the Sinclair ZX60 in the early '80s, going...
November2022
Graft from the past
Atari, and its exuberant founder Nolan Bushnell, were 1970s trailblazers who formed, established, and pioneered the video game industry. Brushing a near-century of mechanical coin-operated gaming aside and barging pinball into a dusty corner, Atari became the focal point of bars everywhere with Pong in 1972. It was the dawning of...
August2022
Mini Review Yars: Recharged (Switch) - A Relaxed, Repetitive Reinvention Of An Atari Classic
Yar she blows
The most recent in a line of Atari ‘Recharged’ re-imaginings, succeeding the likes of Gravitar and Breakout, Yars: Recharged sets about updating what was once the best-selling game on the Atari 2600. Originally released in 1982 and designed by Howard Scott Warshaw (also responsible for Atari’s infamous E.T. the...
May2020
Review PONG Quest - A Slapdash Attempt At Resurrecting A Gaming Classic
Same old back and forth
When it landed in arcades in 1972, Pong wasn't the first video game ever made – but Atari certainly based it on the game that was. There's a strong argument to be made that Pong needs a modern revamp more than any other gaming classic. But not like this. Not like PONG Quest. It's far from unusual to splice RPG elements...
December2018
Review Atari Flashback Classics - This Dusty Collection Sadly Opts For Quantity Over Quality
Going old, old, old school
Usually, when it comes to retro gaming compilations we tend to see two schools of thought: quality or quantity. The former usually consist of a modest helping of games, but each is given lots of care and attention and supported with heaps of extra content. Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection and the recent SNK 40th...
Park life
Who would have thought way back in the late ’90s – when PC gaming was producing some of its biggest and most beloved hits – that a simulator all about building and maintaining a theme park would prove to be an enduring classic in its own right? And while the RollerCoaster Tycoon games took something of a nosedive once creator and...
January2012
The bore gang
The Kore Gang has been a long time in the making, a fact reflected in the final result. At its best, it’s colourfully innocuous and fun, while at its worst it can be frustrating and infuriating. It’s likely to be divisive as a result, so we’ll do our best to break it down. You know what everyone likes, though? Good intentions,...
November2011
Review Centipede: Infestation (3DS)
Covered with scorpions
Modernised versions of old school arcade games are quite common; we've already seen two on 3DS so far, Frogger 3D and Pac-Man & Galaga Dimensions, the latter comprising even more classic call-backs of yesteryear, but one game that hasn't seen much love in the remake department is Centipede. Bucking the trend, Centipede:...
August2010
Review Retro Atari Classics (DS)
When classic compilations go wrong
Since retro compilations started to become a decent way for companies to earn money off their old IP, it's become the norm to see classics from some of the bigger names in the industry repackaged in each succeeding generation of consoles since the late 20th century. Unfortunately Atari has mis-stepped with its...
July2009
Review Godzilla Unleashed (Wii)
Up from the depths thirty stories high, breathing fire his head in the sky -- Godzilla! Godzilla! Godzilla!
Godzilla Unleashed is the latest in a string of Godzilla games from developer Pipeworks, the same folks that brought us Rampage Total Destruction, another giant-monsters-smash-everything game that is squarely targeted at the Kaiju-loving...
June2009
Review Ghostbusters: The Video Game (Wii)
Don your proton packs and answer the call.
For years, many of us had childhood dreams of being a Ghostbuster. We longed to don a brown jumpsuit, strap on a proton pack and take down some ghosts - and get paid for it. The days of dreaming are now at an end - besides the getting paid part, Ghostbusters: The Video Game allows us to finally live a day...
Who would have thought eating your fruits and vegetables would be so much fun?
We've already seen some strange stuff from Namco-Bandai in the past with their Katamari Damacy releases, but they appear to have outdone even themselves with their latest oddball outing for the Nintendo Wii console. The Munchables carefully weaves a zany world full of...
May2009
Does Namco's Klonoa remake manage to capture the magic of the original Playstation release?
Before true 3D platformers became all the rage, 2.5D platformers began showing up on Sony's Playstation console during the 32-bit era. These games featured 3D visuals, but kept the player on a 2D pathway through the game. This would allow developers the...
April2009
Ikaruga might not be quite as intricate as its predecessor Radiant Silvergun, but its added intensity more than makes up for it.
There are very few shooters that can bring a smile to a shooter fan's face quite like Ikaruga can - which brings me to my quandry. What can I say about Ikaruga that hasn't already been said a hundred times before. It's...
March2009
Review Ready 2 Rumble: Revolution (Wii)
Is Ready 2 Rumble Revolution capable of getting this brawl started?
Not all games are meant to be great, nor are they supposed to be blockbuster hits in terms of sales. With Ready 2 Rumble Revolution, it's obviously that the developers had high hopes - this is, after all, a sequel to one of the best-selling Sega Dreamcast games - but by toying with...
June2008
Review Alone in the Dark (Wii)
Spooky goings on in Central Park, would you like to know the truth behind the light?
Atari has taken it upon itself to resurrect Alone in the Dark, the quintessential survival horror game. It's been over 7 years since the last game in the series, not that it matters as this latest incarnation writes an entirely new contemporary story. The game's...
February2008
Review Asterix at the Olympic Games (Wii)
Asterix joins the race for Olympic glory, can he and Obelix gain the gold medal?
With Beijing hosting this years summer Olympic games it was no surprise that a number of Olympic themed games have appeared on this years calendar. Atari must of been kicking themselves when SEGA released Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, pretty much claiming all...
September2007
Review Dragon Ball Z: Goku Densetsu (DS)
Cardmehameha!
[screenshot=468bc2098dbeb]Card Based CombatSorry, I had the overwhelming urge to begin this review with a play on words involving DBZ and cards… and that was the best I could do! Anyway, to the point. Dragon Ball Z is quite easily the most recognisable cartoon to come out of Japan. I remember the days of my childhood where I would...
Review Tamagotchi Party On! (Wii)
Bandai's virtual pet franchise has now made the leap to the Wii and is attempting to steal Wario Ware's mini-game crown...has it succeeded?
Exploitation of children is a terrible thing. It’s a sad fact that in some parts of the world nefarious employers will think nothing of paying youngsters a pittance to work in poorly ventilated sweat shops in...
June2007
The DS certainly isn't short of puzzle games. Does Namco Bandai's latest release have enough charm to stand out from the crowd and represent a worthwhile purchase?
Handheld consoles and puzzle games go hand in hand. Through the history of portable entertainment every major machine has played host to at least one truly ‘essential’ puzzler. The...
October2006
Review Sonic Mega Collection (GCN)
When Sega and Nintendo had their rivalries in the 90’s some people never got a chance to witness some of the best that gaming had to offer due to owning only one of the two machines.
Fast forward fifteen years and how things have changed! What better way to begin new friendships than bringing out one of the best compilations to date.. Sonic Mega...
