Retro Gamer

It is with a heavy heart that we share the news that our colleague Nick Thorpe passed away on Monday. He was an incredibly lovely person, a talented writer and an essential part of the magazine.
Our thoughts go out to all his friends and family at this difficult time.
Rest in peace, friend.

The new issue of Retro Gamer is on sale now and includes a fantastic Super Mario Bros calendar. Look out for it in shops or grab it directly from us.
www.magazinesdirect.com/uk/retro-gam...

A screenshot of Pac-Mania for the Master System. Pac-Man is in a secret stage with a purple floor and walls made of gold coins, and he's hungrily eyeing up a nearby burger.

It's always fun when arcade games get hidden features at home, like this secret stage which only exists in the Master System version of Pac-Mania. Coin World seems like the kind of place we'd enjoy visiting, really!

Do you have any favourite exclusive secrets in home conversions of arcade games?

The new issue of Retro Gamer is on sale and celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Xbox 360. It also features an amazing calendar covering 40 years of Super Mario Bros. Buy it in shops now!
www.magazinesdirect.com/uk/retro-gam...

A joke advert for Gizmondo Power!, a magazine purporting to cover the disastrous handheld from Tiger Telematics. Promised features include a Q&A with Dean Gaffney, reader reviews, and a feature on why the PSP is "a right bag of old shite!"

Do you remember Crispy Chicken Publishing's short-lived Gizmondo Power magazine? Of course you don't, because it wasn't real! This "advert" appeared in issue 1 of 360, which launched in the summer of 2005. With the Xbox 360 still months away, jokes like this helped to fill pages.

Not a dumb question, as you’re right – issue 279 with the Xbox 360 cover has already been sent to subscribers, so a new subscription would skip the current issue. Sorry, we’re sure that’s not the answer you hoped for, but thank you for thinking of taking out a sub!

Missing gaps in your @evercade.co.uk collection. Argos is just one of several retailers giving great Black Friday discounts.
www.argos.co.uk/search/everc...

Want to play some great games, save some money and support a charity? Check out this tight bundle from @greenmangaming.com some bangers on there.
www.greenmangamingbundles.com/bundles/mast...

What's your favourite Nintendo 64 game and why? Some answers will appear in the magazine.

The cover of Retro Gamer 279, featuring the Xbox 360 on a green background.

Retro Gamer 279 celebrates 20 years of the Xbox 360! The magazine also includes a 2026 Mario calendar.

Also inside: Stormbringer, Pipe Mania, Mega Man X, Real Bout Fatal Fury 2, Brian Shea, Terminator games and much more.

Grab it in shops or buy it online: www.magazinesdirect.com/uk/retro-gam...

Donate to Help Rebecca Ann Heineman Fight Aggressive Cancer, organized by Rebecca Heineman I’m Rebecca Ann Heineman. The very first video game champion, creat… Rebecca Heineman needs your support for Help Rebecca Ann Heineman Fight Aggressive Cancer

So sad to hear about the passing of gaming legend Rebecca Heineman. What an amazing legacy she leaves behind. You can still support her Go Fund Me page here.
www.gofundme.com/f/help-rebec...

A screenshot of Super Mario 64 for the N64. In Bob-Omb Battlefield, Mario has just squashed a Goomba on a wooden ramp.

A screenshot of Grand Theft Auto III for the PS2. The player is driving an unremarkable car along an urban road at night.

A screenshot of Metroid Prime for the GameCube. Samus is blasting a boss enemy while Metroids hover around in the foreground.

A screenshot of Ninja Gaiden for the Xbox. Ryu Hayabusa is in a bloodstained indoor environment, slicing through an enemy ninja with his sword.

We've been chatting about how some series handled the jump from 2D to 3D more gracefully than others, and here are some examples of the ones we think really nailed it.

Which games do you think made the best transition from 2D to 3D?

Some replies will appear in the magazine.

A screenshot of Knuckles Chaotix for the Mega Drive 32X. Knuckles has thrown Vector upwards in order to hit a power-up monitor.

Knuckles' Chaotix gave the echidna his first starring role, but it has become pricey due to a lack of official ports leaving it stranded on the disastrous 32X.

Do you have it? When and where did you get it, how much did you pay, and which region is it?

Some replies will appear in the magazine.

An image from an old Intellivision advert, showing a father and son playing Space Armada together.

It's natural to want to share the gaming hobby with your kids, but how do you start them off? Do you favour a simple retro game, or go with a new game they can talk about with friends?

What was the first game your children played?

Some replies will be printed in the magazine.

A screenshot of King Of Fighters 99 for the Neo Geo. Fighting in a park during a spell of heavy rain, Kim hits K' with a high kick while Benimaru poses in a misguided attempt at assistance.

We're not sure what the weather is like where you are, but the start of our week has been a very rainy one. We wouldn't mind so much, if the local scenery could match the beauty of this classic King Of Fighters 99 stage.

Do you have any favourite rainy stages in videogames?

What digital card-based games do you enjoy playing (from Hearthstone and Magic Arena/Online to Balatro and Slay The Spire). Some answers will appear in the magazine.

You can see Darran discussing 20 years of the mag here. Enjoy.

This is very cool to see.

The latest issue features the Banjo-Kazooie series on the cover and is on sale now. Grab it in stores or directly from us
www.magazinesdirect.com/uk/single-is...

What's your favourite digital version of Magic: The Gathering? Some answers will appear in the magazine.

The latest issue of Retro Gamer is on sale now and features.
Banjo-Kazooie
Operation Wolf
Th Great Escape
Lumines: Puzzle Fusion
Steve Jarratt
kill.switch
8-bit jobs
Magicland 2
Sonic 2
Burning Rangers
And more
Grab it in shops or directly from us.
www.magazinesdirect.com/uk/single-is...

What's your favourite Xbox Live Arcade game and why? Some answers will appear in the magazine. (Image ©Microsoft).

Your letterboxes are about to get a treat 👍🏻

A small table with a silver 14" portable CRT TV and an Xbox 360 next to it. Other consoles surround them, including a PS2, a Mega Drive and a Dreamcast.

The Xbox 360 may have ushered in the HD era of gaming, but Nick primarily played his on tiny standard definition TVs.

Did you make the jump to HDTV when you got your first HD-ready console - or even before? If not, how long did you wait to upgrade?

Some replies will be printed in the magazine.

Intellivision Sprint The first Intellivision console, brought to you by Atari. The Intellivision Sprint retains the authentic look and feel of the original, modernized with HDMI and wireless controllers. Includes 45 built...

Atari has announced the Intellivision Sprint - a plug-and-play version of the classic console with 45 built-in games, HDMI output and wireless controllers with new overlays. It's due to ship in December, for £119.99. How do you all feel about this console?

There's still time to pick up Retro Gamer 277, but issue 278 is due to hit the shelves on Thursday 23 October, so don't delay!

Yes

Sad news to hear that Tomonobu Itagaki, the genius behind the likes of Dead Or Alive and Ninja Gaiden has passed away at the age of 58. Our thoughts go out to all his friends and family. (Image Team Ninja)

What Xbox 360 game convinced you to buy the system? Some answers will appear in the magazine.

Yes, you're right. But we're discussing the original Fire Emblem GBA game.