Latest Reviews of Interplay Games
Review Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2 (Switch) - An RPG Classic That Time Hasn't Been Too Kind To
Old, but gold?
Back in the early 2000’s, the Dark Alliance subseries of the Baldur’s Gate franchise was created as a means of bringing the Baldur’s Gate experience to console players. Either due to hardware limitations or a simple lack of audience interest at the time, the computer RPG design of traditional Baldur’s Gate wouldn’t work for...
Review Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance (Switch) - A Punishing But Pleasurable Vintage Dungeon Crawler
Baldur? Well, it has been twenty years...
It's been twenty long, long years since this Gamecube classic thrilled us all with its quasi top-down hack-and-slash dungeon crawling action. And time has not been kind... to us. This game is really hard! Have we been spoiled by much friendlier, less aggressive takes on the genre that have proliferated in...
Review J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings - Volume I (Super Nintendo)
Middle Earth is doomed
Before Peter Jackson came along and turned The Lord of the Rings into one of the most popular cinematic experiences of all time, the video game licence to J.R.R. Tolkien's literary epic was held by the now-defunct Interplay. The company pumped out related games for the Commodore Amiga computer and PC CD-ROM — the latter of...
Review Stonekeep: Bones of the Ancestors (WiiWare)
Rock-solid or balderdash?
Stonekeep: Bones of the Ancestors, a remake of Interplay's mid-90's first-person dungeon crawler, sounds pretty good on paper. The Wii is a bit short on quality RPGs — especially on WiiWare — and Stonekeep was a decent-looking, competent RPG back in its day. But pre-rendered 2D environments and FMV characters are no...
Maniacal. Deadly. Killer.
If we had to sum up Interplay's MDK2 in one word, we would choose "old-school." With a silly sense of humour, unforgiving difficulty and enough bullets to take down a small country — or in this case, alien invasion — MDK2 is a "game for gamers" through and through. And while it shows its age a...
Review Another World (Super Nintendo)
Simply out of this world
Poor old Lester Knight Chaykin (Les to his mates), an unwitting physicist, innocently went to put in some overtime in the lab during a thunderstorm one night. Who’d have thought that playing with a particle accelerator could magically teleport him to a strange alien planet when his lab gets struck by lightning? In the...
Review Legendary Wars: T-Rex Rumble (DSiWare)
An archaeopter-mixed bag
To play Legendary Wars: T-Rex Rumble is to take your emotions for a ride. When you first see its great graphics and hear the fantastic sound design accompanied by a lighthearted sense of humour; when you play the first level and realise that you've learnt its somewhat complicated framework in an easy and enjoyable fashion;...
Review Prehistorik Man (DSiWare)
A real dinosaur
Originally released for DOS as Prehistorik 2, Prehistorik Man has seen ports to the Game Boy, SNES, and GBA already, and it seems the GBA version has been ported to DSiWare this time around. In each version, the story is the same — hungry dinosaurs have snuck into a prehistoric village in the dead of night and eaten all the...
Review Rock n' Roll Racing (Super Nintendo)
Are you ready to rock?
While Rock & Roll Racing began life as a direct sequel to their original RPM Racing release on the Super Nintendo console, the guys at Silicon & Synapse decided to amp things up a bit for their new racing title. They added in a classic hard rock soundtrack, some unique race announcing from Larry "Supermouth" Huffman,...
Review Earthworm Jim 2 (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)
Groovy!
After creating the excellent Earthworm Jim videogame and subsequently making an awesome cartoon based on it, it was quite logical that Interplay would not give up on the franchise just yet. Not too long after the cartoon, they released Earthworm Jim 2, which was intended to be even better than the original game. As Queen Slug-for-a-Butt was...
Latest Interplay Articles
News Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2 Launches On Switch Next Week
But is it 2 or II?
Previously announced the 'Summer 2022' release window, it has now been confirmed that Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2 will launch on Switch on 20th July. Yep, next week! Teased by developer Black Isle Studios back in February, this will be the first time the action-RPG sequel comes to a Nintendo console after
News Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2 Launches On Switch This Summer
Coming to a Nintendo console for the first time
2004's sequel to the original Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance — which saw a remastered release on Switch and other platforms back in May 2021 — is getting the same treatment; Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2 is pencilled in for a "Summer 2022" release on Switch and other platforms. Developer Black Isle...
Talking Point Everyone Has A Bad Game They Love, So What's Yours?
"All that is gold does not glitter"
Recently, I set out on a quest to track down a copy of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings: Volume 1 for the Super Nintendo – a game that I awarded a paltry 3/10 to some time ago. I didn't seek out a copy as a strange kind of punishment, or to be ironic – I wanted to re-own it because, despite being pretty...
News Iconic Action-RPG Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance Isn't Out Today On Nintendo Switch After All
Update: "We’re going to have to delay the launch for a few days"
Update: And just like that, the Switch version has been delayed: Original Story: If you've been looking for more action-RPG games to sink your teeth into on the Nintendo Switch, you're in for a real treat today - with Interplay Entertainment and Wizards of the Coast re-releasing...
News Three New Collections Announced For Upcoming Retro Handheld Evercade
Namco are on board, plus new carts from Interplay and Atari
The makers of the Evercade, an upcoming handheld console that connects to your TV and plays collections of retro games which come on cartridges, have announced three new carts, each containing a fresh selection. The biggest news is that there's a new publisher on the platform in the form...
News Earthworm Jim 1 & 2 Getting A SNES Reprint Courtesy Of iam8bit
Woah, Nelly!
Recent news that the original team behind beloved 16-bit platformer Earthworm Jim is getting back together for a sequel on the Intellivision Amico confirmed that there's still an audience for the worm and his zany antics. His games on SNES and Genesis / Mega Drive were f
Weirdness This Has To Be The Most Underhanded Way Of Obtaining The N64's Rarest Fighter
The "old switcheroo"
ClayFighter is one of those series which can hardly be deemed classic, but the popularity of fighting games back in the '90s ensured that it sold pretty well, despite not being that much fun to play. However, by the time the N64 rolled around, the genre was on the wane and following the rather disappointing ClayFighter 63⅓,...
News Interplay Is Remastering Cult SNES Brawler ClayFighter
And its sequels, apparently
Veteran publisher Interplay has announced plans to remaster the amusing 16-bit title ClayFighter - and its sequels - for a new audience. The original ClayFighter was released on the SNES in 1993 - arguably the height of Street Fighter II's popularity - and gave the one-on-one brawler a humorous slant. It was later ported...
Weirdness Own The Manual To ClayFighter Sculptor's Cut? You Could Be Sitting On A Grand
Super-rare game has an even rarer instruction booklet
We'll forgive you for not being aware of this — because we certainly weren't — but ClayFighter Sculptor's Cut was a Blockbuster-only rental in North America. The 2D fighting title is therefore pretty rare already, but it's near-impossible to find with a mint instruction manual, mainly because...
News Nintendo Download 25th August 2010 (Japan)
The Wii takes a break with just two new DSiWare games as the only downloads next week
Apparently Nintendo has nothing new up their sleeve for the Wii at the end of August – odd, considering the 2nd week of the month was a holiday and we still haven't seen Mario Tennis published, which was previously announced for release this month. In any event,...
News Interplay Moulds Us Some ClayFighter DSiWare Screenshots
Morph is nowhere to be seen
The more seasoned gamers amongst our readership may remember the 16-bit ClayFighter from its original release back in 1993, or perhaps from its more recent outing on the Virtual Console. Those yet to discover the game's moulded delights will soon be able to see what they make of it when ClayFighter launches on DSiWare in...
News Murder, Death, Kill Again as MDK2 Comes to WiiWare
Classic adventure on the way
MDK2 is a game about a six-legged dog and a mad professor – that should guarantee your attention even if you haven't played the game in question. Developed by BioWare and released on Dreamcast, PC and PlayStation 2, the game was highly acclaimed but mostly forgotten, but publisher Interplay is set to revive the title...
News Earthworm Jim Creator Says Fourth Adventure Wii-Bound
New 2D game coming at some point
This is the age of retro sequels. With Sonic 4 on the horizon and Mega Man 9 and 10 nestled snugly on our hard drives, we're beginning to dream of which of our favorite games from the past might see the light of day again after all. That's why we're hoping that Earthworm Jim 4, recently confirmed to
News Interplay Straps In with Descent for WiiWare
Relive the classic PC game this fall
PC gamers might remember the flurry of Doom clones that just seemed to never end in the mid-90s. While a lot of them didn't try to break with the winning formula too much or only put a mild spin on it, where others put enough spin to make you motion sick and, at first, disoriented. Interplay's Descent was one of...
News Nintendo Download 15th February 2010 (North America)
Phoenix Wright, Art of Balance, Spaceball, Sonic and more in another big update!
Nintendo of America is certainly putting out a lot of original content for the Wii and DSi this year. This week we have four downloads for Wii and five for the DSi, so hopefully you'll be able to find something of interest. WiiWare: Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: JUSTICE...
News Nintendo Download 01-02 September 2009 (Japan)
Another WiiWare holiday, but a few VC games and some DSiWare makes up for it.
After last month's WiiWare windfall it shouldn't be a surprise that Japan is taking a little break from the service. Don't feel too bad for them, because there's three VC titles to tide over Wii downloaders and a few DSiWare titles from Nintendo as well. Virtual...
News Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2 Launches On Switch Next Week
But is it 2 or II?
Previously announced the 'Summer 2022' release window, it has now been confirmed that Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2 will launch on Switch on 20th July. Yep, next week! Teased by developer Black Isle Studios back in February, this will be the first time the action-RPG sequel comes to a Nintendo console after
News Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2 Launches On Switch This Summer
Coming to a Nintendo console for the first time
2004's sequel to the original Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance — which saw a remastered release on Switch and other platforms back in May 2021 — is getting the same treatment; Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2 is pencilled in for a "Summer 2022" release on Switch and other platforms. Developer Black Isle...
Talking Point Everyone Has A Bad Game They Love, So What's Yours?
"All that is gold does not glitter"
Recently, I set out on a quest to track down a copy of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings: Volume 1 for the Super Nintendo – a game that I awarded a paltry 3/10 to some time ago. I didn't seek out a copy as a strange kind of punishment, or to be ironic – I wanted to re-own it because, despite being pretty...
News Iconic Action-RPG Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance Isn't Out Today On Nintendo Switch After All
Update: "We’re going to have to delay the launch for a few days"
Update: And just like that, the Switch version has been delayed: Original Story: If you've been looking for more action-RPG games to sink your teeth into on the Nintendo Switch, you're in for a real treat today - with Interplay Entertainment and Wizards of the Coast re-releasing...
News Three New Collections Announced For Upcoming Retro Handheld Evercade
Namco are on board, plus new carts from Interplay and Atari
The makers of the Evercade, an upcoming handheld console that connects to your TV and plays collections of retro games which come on cartridges, have announced three new carts, each containing a fresh selection. The biggest news is that there's a new publisher on the platform in the form...
News Earthworm Jim 1 & 2 Getting A SNES Reprint Courtesy Of iam8bit
Woah, Nelly!
Recent news that the original team behind beloved 16-bit platformer Earthworm Jim is getting back together for a sequel on the Intellivision Amico confirmed that there's still an audience for the worm and his zany antics. His games on SNES and Genesis / Mega Drive were f
Weirdness This Has To Be The Most Underhanded Way Of Obtaining The N64's Rarest Fighter
The "old switcheroo"
ClayFighter is one of those series which can hardly be deemed classic, but the popularity of fighting games back in the '90s ensured that it sold pretty well, despite not being that much fun to play. However, by the time the N64 rolled around, the genre was on the wane and following the rather disappointing ClayFighter 63⅓,...
News Interplay Is Remastering Cult SNES Brawler ClayFighter
And its sequels, apparently
Veteran publisher Interplay has announced plans to remaster the amusing 16-bit title ClayFighter - and its sequels - for a new audience. The original ClayFighter was released on the SNES in 1993 - arguably the height of Street Fighter II's popularity - and gave the one-on-one brawler a humorous slant. It was later ported...
Weirdness Own The Manual To ClayFighter Sculptor's Cut? You Could Be Sitting On A Grand
Super-rare game has an even rarer instruction booklet
We'll forgive you for not being aware of this — because we certainly weren't — but ClayFighter Sculptor's Cut was a Blockbuster-only rental in North America. The 2D fighting title is therefore pretty rare already, but it's near-impossible to find with a mint instruction manual, mainly because...
News Nintendo Download 25th August 2010 (Japan)
The Wii takes a break with just two new DSiWare games as the only downloads next week
Apparently Nintendo has nothing new up their sleeve for the Wii at the end of August – odd, considering the 2nd week of the month was a holiday and we still haven't seen Mario Tennis published, which was previously announced for release this month. In any event,...
News Interplay Moulds Us Some ClayFighter DSiWare Screenshots
Morph is nowhere to be seen
The more seasoned gamers amongst our readership may remember the 16-bit ClayFighter from its original release back in 1993, or perhaps from its more recent outing on the Virtual Console. Those yet to discover the game's moulded delights will soon be able to see what they make of it when ClayFighter launches on DSiWare in...
News Murder, Death, Kill Again as MDK2 Comes to WiiWare
Classic adventure on the way
MDK2 is a game about a six-legged dog and a mad professor – that should guarantee your attention even if you haven't played the game in question. Developed by BioWare and released on Dreamcast, PC and PlayStation 2, the game was highly acclaimed but mostly forgotten, but publisher Interplay is set to revive the title...
News Earthworm Jim Creator Says Fourth Adventure Wii-Bound
New 2D game coming at some point
This is the age of retro sequels. With Sonic 4 on the horizon and Mega Man 9 and 10 nestled snugly on our hard drives, we're beginning to dream of which of our favorite games from the past might see the light of day again after all. That's why we're hoping that Earthworm Jim 4, recently confirmed to
News Interplay Straps In with Descent for WiiWare
Relive the classic PC game this fall
PC gamers might remember the flurry of Doom clones that just seemed to never end in the mid-90s. While a lot of them didn't try to break with the winning formula too much or only put a mild spin on it, where others put enough spin to make you motion sick and, at first, disoriented. Interplay's Descent was one of...
News Nintendo Download 15th February 2010 (North America)
Phoenix Wright, Art of Balance, Spaceball, Sonic and more in another big update!
Nintendo of America is certainly putting out a lot of original content for the Wii and DSi this year. This week we have four downloads for Wii and five for the DSi, so hopefully you'll be able to find something of interest. WiiWare: Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: JUSTICE...
News Nintendo Download 01-02 September 2009 (Japan)
Another WiiWare holiday, but a few VC games and some DSiWare makes up for it.
After last month's WiiWare windfall it shouldn't be a surprise that Japan is taking a little break from the service. Don't feel too bad for them, because there's three VC titles to tide over Wii downloaders and a few DSiWare titles from Nintendo as well. Virtual...