Barnard

Please can you program in mouse control for the Switch 2. It’d be even more fabulous on the Switch then. Thanks.

Japanese vs European Mega Drive box art. The Japanese version wins by a country mile as far as I'm concerned...

Idea for game studios participating in "the algorithm doesn't want you to see this" memes on Twitter: stop fucking posting on Twitter?

40 years ago, US Gold was advertising Datasoft's Zorro, a platform-puzzler that would have been a lot more fun to play if its puzzles weren't super-obscure and its music wasn't a horrendous cacophony. Loved the ad, though. Just a cool piece of old-school art.

40 years ago, Ghosts 'n Goblins began to appear in European arcades. This classic platformer was extremely challenging, but a ton of fun as you guided Sir Arthur into battle against an army of fantasy and horror creatures using a wide variety of different weapons. Brilliant game!

40 years ago, it was a snoozefest in terms of tech and gaming news. Rumors of a 16-bit Sinclair was non-news, Amstrad's PCW8256 thrilled no-one, Acorn started trading again, and package deals for Speccies abounded at retail as Sinclair desperately tried to generate more revenue.

My new book is finally out!

It's packed with tons of stories and anecdotes about the greatest video games, the most momentous events, and general behind-the-scenes craziness spanning the last 50-or-so years of gaming history. Don't miss it!

Buy it here: www.bitmapbooks.com/collections/...

40 years ago, US Gold was offering this excellent selection of Sega arcade ports. However, while the original coin-ops themselves were classics, the quality of these conversions varied somewhat. Most were decent, with Tapper and Spy Hunter being my picks of the bunch.

35 years ago, NES Mega Man was finally released in the UK - years after Japan and the US. Despite it being pretty old at this point, it was still really entertaining. I noted it wasn't a game for novices, but despite being really difficult, was challenging in a really good way.

This is the Memotech MTX500, a 40-year-old rarity from Europe's early-to-mid-80s computer boom. It was a cool-looking machine in all-black, but like other failures from the era, it was technically interesting but just didn't have enough software support to hit critical mass.

35 years ago, US Gold was advertising this compilation of top-tier arcade games. However, since they were US Gold-produced ports, their quality was spotty to say the least. Bionic Commando was ace, but the others ranged from fair to just plain poor. A reasonable bargain at best.

40 years ago, we didn't need wanky-ass AI-generated art. That's because we had companies like Artic slapping together visual nightmares like this crappy old ad using paper, scissors, and crayons. And anyway, unlike AI-generated art, this does have a naive charm all of its own...

Been playing this recently, and it really is extremely entertaining and fun. In a way, its slow, steady, plod-along action feels like a spiritual successor to late 80s/early 90s brawlers like Golden Axe - only in full 3D and with millions more enemies and crazy-powerful weapons.

After years of Sinclair and CPC games this stuff blew my mind. It is an absolute beauty of a game.

I was mesmerised by the long pink dragon boss with the cake background screenshots. I'm sure I saw it first in the CVG console pages.

40 years ago, Compunet (CNET) was about to launch. I used this early bulletin board a lot during those very early days. It really turned me into the whole online concept. In other news, Rabbit, Oric, Fuller, and Dragon were screwed; all part of the mid-80s Euro micro shakeout.

Rando Saturday Review: Castle of Illusion

This Mega Drive game absolutely blew us away when it arrived in late 1990. The graphics were sumptuous, the parallax scrolling fab, it sounded fantastic, and it played brilliantly. An absolute stone-cold classic; a Mega Drive must-have.

35 years ago, CVG reviewed Master System Wonder Boy III. It certainly wasn't Mario, but its blend of platforming and adventuring was nevertheless really entertaining and fun. Just a really solid game with lots going for it - like many other Master System titles of the era.

40 years ago, there was all sorts of fuss and bother about the Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy video game license. Read the story for details, but it was pretty crazy and it really felt like Supersoft had acquired the rights under extremely sketchy conditions.

Test

Squirrel spotting behind cover. (if she did spot one her thunderous gait would give her away). #dogs

Boxing Day Squirrel Chase.

A pleasant autumnal pixel art image of a rustic brick wall and some large old trees.

Good morning! Happy Saturday! Here's another pixel art image from my game 'Horace', yes I'm still trying to spread the word!

Retweets very much appreciated! ❤️

The gigantic ethereal smiling face of a golden robot looks out from the clouds of a starry sky, gently looming over a large mansion

Did you know my game Horace is available on PC, Playstation, Xbox AND Switch?

Maybe a nice present for a loved one or two this festive period?

I don't know if it's on sale or anything but Horace can be found at all the usual places!

Reposts very much appreciated! ❤️

#Indiedev #PixelArt

Merry Christmas. Thanks for making Horace. It's brilliant.

Here's my final Xmas retro post, and I saved the best 'til last. Oli Frey's 1985 ZZAP! Xmas Special is simply fabulous. Not only does it feel incredibly cosy and festive, but is also a top-tier piece of fine video gaming art.

Happy Xmas all, and the very best for the New Year!

Are 'Follow Fridays' making an appearance in bluesky? What other ways are we going to stumble upon those intriguing souls in this vast text-based wilderness? I want intrigue from mysterious people! #ff

Fine. I get it. I promise to come watch on Saturday evening and buy one of your bloody records.

@bibertyboberty.bsky.social yo k.k how did you find me? Are you a random follower?