Tag Archives: Grabbing

Celebration, Lists

Games Beginning With ‘A’ Week

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I was looking through my grabs recently and realised that there were more games beginning with the letter ‘S’ than any other letter of the alphabet, and wondered why…

Maybe it’s because there’s a penchant for calling Super Nintendo games “Super Somethingorother“?

Which set my mind in motion…

[“It is by will alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the juice of Sapho that thoughts acquire speed, the lips acquire stains, the stains become a warning. It is by will alone I set my mind in motion.”]

I thought: “I should have a random celebration of games that start with a particular letter of the alphabet every now and then.”

So we’ll start off this week at the very beginning… With the letter ‘A’.

So… a week of games beginning with the letter ‘A’! 🙂

Al-Qadim: The Genie’s Curse, PC
Adventures of Lolo 3, NES
ActRaiser, Super Nintendo
ARAC, Commodore 64
Another World, Megadrive/Genesis
Alone In The Dark 2, PC
Alchemist, ZX Spectrum
A-10 Tank Killer, PC
Action Biker, Commodore 64
Art of Fighting 3: The Path of the Warrior, Neo Geo
Astro Boy: Omega Factor, Game Boy Advance
Alter Ego, Commodore 64
Aliens vs. Predator, Arcade
Abe’s Oddysee, PlayStation

Enjoy,
The King of Grabs

Celebration, ZX Spectrum

ZX Spectrum Week

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The humble ZX Spectrum was first released onto an unsuspecting public in 1982 and was an instant hit with gamers.

It initially came in two varieties – 16K and 48K RAM versions – and had a curious rubber keyboard and a built-in sound speaker.

In spite of that it managed to dominate the UK (and arguably European) gaming scene throughout the 1980s and also inspire a generation of computer users and game designers (some of whom still make games for it to this day).

Later versions of the ZX Spectrum had better keyboards and more memory, but the games were still unique and distinguishable.

This week I’ll be dedicating this blog to classic ZX Spectrum games and will be featuring some of my favourites in this ever-expanding gallery of grabs. Hope you enjoy!

Here are links to what was published:
Roller Coaster,
Skool Daze,
Wheelie,
Stop The Express,
Zynaps,
Trashman,
Auf Wiedersehen Monty,
Wizard’s Lair,
Dark Side,
Starstrike 3D,
Starstrike II,
Nosteratu the Vampyre,
Sir Fred,
Lords of Midnight,
Doomdark’s Revenge,
Starquake

More: ZX Spectrum on Wikipedia

See also: 100 Best ZX Spectrum Loading Screens:
Part #1, Part #2, Part #3, Part #4, Part #5

48K ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum Internals
Celebration, Game Boy, Nintendo

Nintendo Game Boy Week

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I realised recently that I had completely neglected the Nintendo Game Boy on this blog, in spite of having owned one back in the day, and being a big fan.

Possibly because the black and white handheld’s graphics aren’t the best when it comes to dazzling grabs. The games are great though!

So – to rectify that – I’m going to dedicate a full week to the amazing Nintendo Game Boy and its games. Some of which are iconic.

A few famous franchises began on the Game Boy (the Mana series, for example), and – in spite of the Game Boy‘s limited graphical power – there’s a good reason why this early portable console sold more than 100 million units worldwide.

Here are links to what was published:
Monster Max,
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins,
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening,
Golf,
Final Fantasy Adventure,
Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3,
Trip World,
Castelian,
Pinball: Revenge of the Gator,
Castlevania II: Belmont’s Revenge,
Final Fantasy Legend,
Final Fantasy Legend II,
Tetris,
Cave Noire

Enjoy!
The King of Grabs.

More: Game Boy on Wikipedia

Game-Boy-1

Celebration, Ocean Software

Head Over Heels Week

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Happy April Fools Day!

A celebration of jokes and humour, and – in our world – video games.

Written by Jon Ritman, with graphics by Bernie Drummond, Head Over Heels was first released in 1987 and is still a fantastic game to play now – across a number of different formats.

So every day this week we’re going to be celebrating Head Over Heels – a classic 3D platform game like no other – starting with the ZX Spectrum original, and covering all the different versions of the game as the week progresses.

Anyway: welcome to April. You lovely gaming fools.

The King of Grabs

Head Over Heels on The King of Grabs:
ZX Spectrum version, Commodore 64 version, Amstrad CPC version, MSX version, Atari 800 version, Atari ST version, Amiga version, PC version, Head Over Heels Week

Arcade, Celebration, History

Arcade Special, February 2018

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After the success of our recent Commodore 64 Celebration, I’ve decided to do another ‘special’ – this time about old, classic arcade games.

This week (from 14th Feb 2018 onward) I will be posting entries about some of my favourite arcade games. The kind of games that were released into video game arcades, in the form of cabinets, and you had to put money into them to play them.

Yes: believe it or not, that’s what people used to do back in the olden days.

Thankfully, though, you can still enjoy many of these games thanks to the wonders of emulation (and official re-releases). So, if you’ve never heard of these games: go and check them out. MAME, or MESS, or CoinOps. They’ll do the trick.

Anyway: enjoy this week’s Arcade Special!

Here’s what was published this week:
Rainbow Islands,
Cadillacs and Dinosaurs,
Space Harrier,
Defender,
Paperboy,
The Outfoxies,
Joust,
Xybots,
Star Wars,
Operation Wolf,
Alien Syndrome,
Smash TV,
Donkey Kong,
Donkey Kong Jr.,
Street Fighter II: The World Warrior,
Atomic Runner Chelnov,
Ghosts ‘N Goblins,
Ghouls ‘N Ghosts,
Commando,
After Burner,
Bionic Commando,
Total Carnage

The King of Grabs

Celebration, Commodore 64

Commodore 64 Celebration

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I’m going to have a Commodore 64 Celebration this week.

I decree this week (beginning Saturday the 27th January 2018), to be Commodore 64 Week, and thus all the updates will be Commodore 64 games.

There are so many GREAT Commodore 64 games around that are still worth playing. And they grab like a grabber’s dream!

If you want to grab Commodore 64 games, get your hands on VICE, or if you want to go full commando: get yourself a real Commodore 64.

Here’s what was published that week:
Nebulus,
HES Games,
World Games,
Winter Games,
Summer Games,
Summer Games II,
California Games,
International Karate Plus,
Scarabaeus,
Paradroid Metal Edition,
Ancipital,
Wizball,
Exile,
Bruce Lee,
Dropzone,
Gribbly’s Day Out,
Uridium Plus,
Alleykat,
Intensity,
Morpheus,
Friday The 13th,
Field of Fire,
Racing Destruction Set,
Spore,
Rescue On Fractalus,
Impossible Mission,
Iridis Alpha,
Mercenary,
Pastfinder

Enjoy!
The King of Grabs

ik-plus-punch
Take that, you brute.
About Grabbing, History, PC, PC Zone

System Shock 2, PC Zone Review

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This is the world exclusive first review I did of System Shock 2 for PC Zone magazine back in 1999, showing the original grabs.

I knew I was down to review it, but hadn’t seen the game moving until I got the review copy. I sat in a darkened room for five days, shitting myself, playing the game, grabbing it and writing the review.

Back in the office the editor asked me for a coverline. “A masterpiece unveiled?” I suggested. It stuck.

System Shock 2 IS a masterpiece!

Cover for PC Zone issue 80, September 1999. System Shock 2 world exclusive review.
The opening double page spread of my System Shock 2 review.
The continuation of my System Shock 2 review in PC Zone magazine, September 1999.
The final spread of my six-page, world exclusive review of System Shock 2 in PC Zone magazine, September 1999.
About Grabbing, History

Grabbing: It’s a healthy obsession

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Is there such a thing as a “healthy” obsession? Some would argue not.

I would argue that an obsession that was creative, and did no harm to anyone else, was not really unhealthy.

Continue reading Grabbing: It’s a healthy obsession →