After a childhood of SEGA - Master System and then Mega Drive - I joined team PlayStation for the next generation, before going back to SEGA with the wonderful Dreamcast. I discovered the Saturn years later and it hasn't been disconnected from my TV ever since. Thanks for the heads up, I will be buying this ASAP.
Hah, I bought a 3D printed TATE grip from Etsy some time ago that is basically identical to the official one! Look forward to the TATE mode firmware for the VS though.
Yeah, the word 'Classic' seems to be used to basically mean 'Old' these days. This game was a pretty much a cd-rom tech demo. The PC version wowed me at a friend's house for about half an hour before I realised that the gameplay was terrible!
I own far more of their wonderful books than I don't own. The Mega Drive cancellation was a real shame, although part of me feels like a Master System book without any mention of Wonder Boy is perhaps worse than no book at all.
Would love a PC Engine Visual Compendium, for someone to write a book about the Acorn Archimedes series (and the fabulous output of the Fourth Dimension) and maybe an in-depth book about Falcom and their wonderful action RPG series like Ys and Dragon Slayer.
Anyway, happy 10th birthday Bitmap Books! Keep up the wonderful work and don't let any legal issues or cancellations get you down too much. You deliver beautiful work that I am proud to own most of.
My original Steam Deck doesn't creak but the B button does get momentarily stuck at times. It's rarely an issue in 3D games - where I use the shoulder and rear buttons more than the four face ones - but in things like fighting games it can be a pain. I should have reported it when the machine was new but I was having so much fun with the thing that I didn't want to send it back off for repair. May take it apart and see if I can fix it myself at some point. Otherwise my only complaint is that it isn't the OLED model!
@Steel76 Yeah, I had the exact same thought when I saw this thing. A clicky NEOGEO Pocket style stick and proper d-pad would be great but an analogue stick and a four button d-pad?! Nuts!
@MARl0 Thanks, that's done it. I copied them over without ever opening the folder and looking inside! Model 2 all working now. Still not seeing Model 3 games in Rom Manager though, which is weird as I saw them there at first.
@MARl0 I'm having the same issue with Model 2. Can't get that working at all. Oddly Steam Rom Manager recognised my Model 3 games at first and I added them but now it can't see them anymore. The Model 3 games are all running fine in EmulationStation in gaming mode though. Model 2 I've had no luck at all with.
Haven't had much time to play around yet but I ran the update and updated all emulators and now EmulationStation doesn't seem to want to launch from Gaming Mode. Will investigate later.
I love my Saturn. This is a pretty nice list. Some of my favourites that didn't make their Top 10 are... Saturn Bomberman, Bubble Symphony, Die Hard Arcade/Dynamite Deka, Shining Wisdom, Shining the Holy Ark and Dark Savior.
I find it amazing that anyone would describe RoboCop Versus The Terminator as risible. I also remember the MD version getting good reviews here in the UK when it came out. Mean Machines and CVG both scored it over 90%. I have the game for both Mega Drive and Master System and enjoy both versions. Even if you find it a bit generic or dislike the level design or whatever, I can't see what would make it risible.
This game looks like good fun and I will definitely give it a try at some point.
I'm going to try and look past this and enjoy the fact that we will soon be able to play Bubble Bobble, Rainbow Islands and Parasol Stars on Switch. We also have various Puzzle Bobbles.
Not to sound greedy, but can we have Bubble Symphony and Bubble Memories next please? Pretty please?
Brilliant update! I've been wanting turbo fire for shmups for an age, but especially since the EXP came along with TATE mode. Anyone who can comfortably hold that thing by one end and rapidly hit the fire button cannot have human hands!
I'm going to be honest, I read the opening paragraph of this article, stopped reading and ordered the book!
They had one of these in a small independent games shop in the place where I grew up. I always wanted to try it but I think it was something like £5 a go back then, which seemed like madness to a school kid like me. Look forward to reading the chapter in the book.
I love the Wipeout series and it has such iconic design that it is well suited to a nice hardback book. I really want to like Read Only Memory, as I love books about classic games and buy basically every Bitmap Books release, but I have always been put off by their fondness for blank space. Every one of their books I have ever looked at has loads of pages with a single image at the top and then half a page of blank white space beneath it. The Street Fighter II book has pages that are mostly text (with a small cartoon of the person speaking) where the top half of the page is just empty white space. I've always found it quite jarring and it has put me off picking their stuff up.
I never owned an Atari back in the day and had no interest in this when it was first announce... but since then it has managed to sneak into my head and I now really want to get one. The impulse buy price tag helps.
@michaelf I'm guessing it will be like the two versions of the C64. As in essentially the same as the Amiga 500 Mini but in a full size box with a functioning keyboard.
As above I will remain reasonably sceptical about this until I see a more varied demonstration, but it is interesting news nonetheless. I'm also intrigued by a Retron FPGA console in general, as I've never been interested in their software emulation devices.
I had to vote for Ultima IV as the Master System version had a huge impact on me as a small child. My brother bought it (and boy was it pricey!) and the different classes and terrain and general size and complexity of it blew me away. Not to mention the books and maps that came with it! I bought Ultima Underworld 1&2 CD collection in the EA budget range for PC years later but they already felt a little old fashioned by then so were harder for me to really get attached to as an impatient teen. I also played some Pagan at that time but I mostly took the GTA approach and just messed about in the world, blocking people into rooms with items and getting in trouble. It was fun but never gripping or awe inspiring like Ultima IV was.
Nice idea. It would be nice if a single site had one section for old games that have received modern official localisations/remakes and one section for games that have received fan translations.
Comments 212
Re: New Book Aims To Celebrate Saturn, Sega's Beloved 32-Bit Console
After a childhood of SEGA - Master System and then Mega Drive - I joined team PlayStation for the next generation, before going back to SEGA with the wonderful Dreamcast. I discovered the Saturn years later and it hasn't been disconnected from my TV ever since. Thanks for the heads up, I will be buying this ASAP.
Re: Numan Athletics Is The Next Arcade Archives Release On Switch And PS4
This one is great! I recommend the Gaming Hell feature on the game of you're interested.
https://gaminghell.co.uk/NumanAthleticsMachBreakers.html
Re: Evercade EXP-R And Evercade VS-R Consoles Launch This July
Hah, I bought a 3D printed TATE grip from Etsy some time ago that is basically identical to the official one! Look forward to the TATE mode firmware for the VS though.
Re: This GBA Is Built With (Almost) Entirely New Parts
I'm hoping they produce an FPGA GBA at some point, like their lovely FPGBC.
Re: Galaga '88 Comes To Analogue Pocket And MiSTer FPGA
Stone cold classic.
Re: Classic PS1 Star Wars Title Coming To PS4, PS5 This April
Yeah, the word 'Classic' seems to be used to basically mean 'Old' these days. This game was a pretty much a cd-rom tech demo. The PC version wowed me at a friend's house for about half an hour before I realised that the gameplay was terrible!
Re: Poll: What's The Best Shinobi Game?
@TheWingedAvenger Ah yes, not sure where that 3DS came from! Edit made, thanks.
Re: Bitmap Books Celebrates 10th Anniversary, And We Were There
@Sketcz It is indeed very nice, I have the lovely boxed edition in my collection! It's great because you see so few books on PCE/TGFX.
Re: Poll: What's The Best Shinobi Game?
Alex Kidd in Shinobi World! I jest, but I do love that game. Shinobi III is my favourite though.
Not sure why the GBA game The Revenge of Shinobi is on here. Pretty sure that game has nothing to do with the series!
Re: Bitmap Books Celebrates 10th Anniversary, And We Were There
I own far more of their wonderful books than I don't own. The Mega Drive cancellation was a real shame, although part of me feels like a Master System book without any mention of Wonder Boy is perhaps worse than no book at all.
Would love a PC Engine Visual Compendium, for someone to write a book about the Acorn Archimedes series (and the fabulous output of the Fourth Dimension) and maybe an in-depth book about Falcom and their wonderful action RPG series like Ys and Dragon Slayer.
Anyway, happy 10th birthday Bitmap Books! Keep up the wonderful work and don't let any legal issues or cancellations get you down too much. You deliver beautiful work that I am proud to own most of.
Re: Wrestle War's Unauthorised Hulk Hogan Cover Got Sega Into Legal Trouble
Revenge of Shinobi (aka The Super Shinobi) also initially featured Sonny Chiba's likeness on the title screen until it was edited in a later revision.
Re: Donkey Kong-Esque Platformer 'Mouser' Heading To Switch & PS4
It's Mappy Kong!
Re: Hands On: This $20 JSAUX Transparent Back Plate Fixed My Biggest Gripe With The Steam Deck OLED
My original Steam Deck doesn't creak but the B button does get momentarily stuck at times. It's rarely an issue in 3D games - where I use the shoulder and rear buttons more than the four face ones - but in things like fighting games it can be a pain. I should have reported it when the machine was new but I was having so much fun with the thing that I didn't want to send it back off for repair. May take it apart and see if I can fix it myself at some point. Otherwise my only complaint is that it isn't the OLED model!
Re: ZX Touch Is A £220 Portable ZX Spectrum With A 7-Inch Screen
@Steel76 Yeah, I had the exact same thought when I saw this thing. A clicky NEOGEO Pocket style stick and proper d-pad would be great but an analogue stick and a four button d-pad?! Nuts!
Re: EmuDeck 2.2 Is Live, Offers Sega Model 2 And 3 Arcade Support
@MARl0 Thanks, that's done it. I copied them over without ever opening the folder and looking inside! Model 2 all working now. Still not seeing Model 3 games in Rom Manager though, which is weird as I saw them there at first.
Re: EmuDeck 2.2 Is Live, Offers Sega Model 2 And 3 Arcade Support
@MARl0 I'm having the same issue with Model 2. Can't get that working at all. Oddly Steam Rom Manager recognised my Model 3 games at first and I added them but now it can't see them anymore. The Model 3 games are all running fine in EmulationStation in gaming mode though. Model 2 I've had no luck at all with.
Re: EmuDeck 2.2 Is Live, Offers Sega Model 2 And 3 Arcade Support
Haven't had much time to play around yet but I ran the update and updated all emulators and now EmulationStation doesn't seem to want to launch from Gaming Mode. Will investigate later.
Re: Check Out Dreamblade, An Awesome 'Dreamcast Mini' Mod
Pretty cool, but the Dreamcast was always such a lovely compact console that mine still fits just nicely on my TV stand as it is.
Re: Full Atari 400 Mini Game List Revealed
And now I will have the Mysterious Cities of Gold TV series theme stuck in my head for the rest of the day!
Re: We're One Step Closer To A "New" Sega Neptune Console
I would love an 'all-in-one' Analogue console that takes Mega Drive and 32X cartridges as well as having a CD drive for Mega CD games too.
Re: Japanese Saturn Fans Pick The Console's Best Games
I love my Saturn. This is a pretty nice list. Some of my favourites that didn't make their Top 10 are... Saturn Bomberman, Bubble Symphony, Die Hard Arcade/Dynamite Deka, Shining Wisdom, Shining the Holy Ark and Dark Savior.
Re: Tecmo's Silkworm Is This Week's Arcade Archives Release
Loved SWIV on the Acorn Archimedes and even have the GBC version. Always been interested to try this game, so might just pick it up.
Re: 27 Years Later, Saturn Bomberman Fight!!'s Odious Hardware Lock Has Been Defeated
The Amiibo of the 90s!
Re: Toxic Tomb Is A New Master System-Inspired Action Platformer, Available For PC
This looks great. Wonder if they'd do a port to the Master System itself...
Re: This Game Boy-Style 'RoboCop Vs Predator' Game Is Totally Free
I find it amazing that anyone would describe RoboCop Versus The Terminator as risible. I also remember the MD version getting good reviews here in the UK when it came out. Mean Machines and CVG both scored it over 90%. I have the game for both Mega Drive and Master System and enjoy both versions. Even if you find it a bit generic or dislike the level design or whatever, I can't see what would make it risible.
This game looks like good fun and I will definitely give it a try at some point.
Re: So, What Music Will Rainbow Islands Use On Nintendo Switch And PS4?
I'm going to try and look past this and enjoy the fact that we will soon be able to play Bubble Bobble, Rainbow Islands and Parasol Stars on Switch. We also have various Puzzle Bobbles.
Not to sound greedy, but can we have Bubble Symphony and Bubble Memories next please? Pretty please?
Re: Sony's Lost NES Game, Super Sushi Pinball, Has Been Found And Preserved
That opening text crawl is amazing!
Re: Rainbow Islands Is Coming To Switch And PS4
@Futureshark I'm with you on Rastan! I wonder if there will be a third Milestones collection too.
Re: Sega Mega Drive/Genesis Port Of 'Real Bout Fatal Fury Special' Shows Amazing Progress
Looks stunning. Great effort.
Re: Konami's Arcade Classic 'Mystic Warriors' Finally Arrives On Consoles This Week
Yes! This is a brilliant addition! Day 1 buy. Really looking forward to this one.
Re: New Evercade Update Adds Turbo Fire, High Scores, And More
Brilliant update! I've been wanting turbo fire for shmups for an age, but especially since the EXP came along with TATE mode. Anyone who can comfortably hold that thing by one end and rapidly hit the fire button cannot have human hands!
Re: Sonic Wings / Aero Fighters Joins Arcade Archives On Switch And PS4
Thanks for the heads up. As I own Aero Fighters 2 and 3 on Switch already I should probably pick this one up too!
Re: The Making Of: Virtuality, The 1990s Pioneer That Sold The World On VR
I'm going to be honest, I read the opening paragraph of this article, stopped reading and ordered the book!
They had one of these in a small independent games shop in the place where I grew up. I always wanted to try it but I think it was something like £5 a go back then, which seemed like madness to a school kid like me. Look forward to reading the chapter in the book.
Re: Digital Eclipse Announces Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story
I am super excited for this! Without a doubt this is a day 1 purchase.
Re: Blast Arena Is A Brand New Arena Shoot 'Em Up For Your Sega Master System
Just had a quick game on my Mega Drive using a Power Base FM and a flash cart. It worked perfectly and was really good fun! Thanks for the heads up.
Re: Pole Position II Skids Onto Nintendo Switch & PS4 Later This Week
The driver in that video would have racked up about 900 years in jail!
Re: Random: This Incredible Website Celebrates The Time When Big Boxes Were King
This looks great, I'm going to have a serious dig through the site when I have some time. Thanks for sharing!
Re: Poll: What's The Best WipEout?
I hate this style of 'poll', so I'll just say 3 SE.
Re: Read Only Memory's WipEout Book Is Finally Coming Out
I love the Wipeout series and it has such iconic design that it is well suited to a nice hardback book. I really want to like Read Only Memory, as I love books about classic games and buy basically every Bitmap Books release, but I have always been put off by their fondness for blank space. Every one of their books I have ever looked at has loads of pages with a single image at the top and then half a page of blank white space beneath it. The Street Fighter II book has pages that are mostly text (with a small cartoon of the person speaking) where the top half of the page is just empty white space. I've always found it quite jarring and it has put me off picking their stuff up.
Re: Molyneux And Minter - The Story Of The Lost GameCube Exclusive 'Unity'
Great article. I love Jeff's games, so it's a real shame this one never released. Moose Life VR is a favourite of mine.
Re: Review: Atari 2600+ - The Grandaddy Of Gaming Is Back
I never owned an Atari back in the day and had no interest in this when it was first announce... but since then it has managed to sneak into my head and I now really want to get one. The impulse buy price tag helps.
Re: We're Getting A Full-Size Amiga 'Console' In 2024
@michaelf I'm guessing it will be like the two versions of the C64. As in essentially the same as the Amiga 500 Mini but in a full size box with a functioning keyboard.
Re: Evercade's Atari Carts Are Being Discontinued
Shame there wasn't an Atari Arcade 2 before this happened.
Re: Ex-Metal Slug Developers Announce Black Finger Jet, A New Run-And-Gun Game
It's Metal Slug 8!
Re: Yuzo Koshiro's Mega Drive / Genesis Shmup 'Earthion' Coming To Current-Gen Systems In 2024
Really want this for Mega Drive, shame it's coming from Limited Run Games and their Japanese company, as I'm really not a fan.
Re: The Keyboard-Packing Aya Neo Slide Is Available To Order Today
I'm a sucker for a slide out keyboard, but I'm guessing I can't afford one of these and likely never will be able to!
Re: Sega Saturn Mini Could Become A Reality, Thanks To Retron FPGA
As above I will remain reasonably sceptical about this until I see a more varied demonstration, but it is interesting news nonetheless. I'm also intrigued by a Retron FPGA console in general, as I've never been interested in their software emulation devices.
Re: Poll: What's The Best Ultima Game?
I had to vote for Ultima IV as the Master System version had a huge impact on me as a small child. My brother bought it (and boy was it pricey!) and the different classes and terrain and general size and complexity of it blew me away. Not to mention the books and maps that came with it! I bought Ultima Underworld 1&2 CD collection in the EA budget range for PC years later but they already felt a little old fashioned by then so were harder for me to really get attached to as an impatient teen. I also played some Pagan at that time but I mostly took the GTA approach and just messed about in the world, blocking people into rooms with items and getting in trouble. It was fun but never gripping or awe inspiring like Ultima IV was.
Re: New Website Aims To Catalogue All The Newly Localized Games You May Have Missed
Nice idea. It would be nice if a single site had one section for old games that have received modern official localisations/remakes and one section for games that have received fan translations.
Re: Digital Eclipse Just Teased Something Wizardry-Related
Oooh, now this has me interested. Wonder where they're going with this one...