Tag Archives: Retro Gaming History

Jet Pac, VIC-20

Jet Pac on the Commodore VIC-20 is pretty much the same as the classic ZX Spectrum version. It even has ‘colour clash’ like the original…

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Chariot Race, VIC-20

A classic, original game on the Commodore VIC-20, Chariot Race is an exhilarating and fun recreation of Roman chariot races, viewed from an overhead perspective.

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Akumajō Dracula, Famicom Disk System

Released on 26th September 1986 in Japan, Akumajō Dracula (translating as: “Demon Castle Dracula“) was the very first release in the Castlevania series, predating the MSX version of the game by about a month. Konami released it on the Famicom Disk System where it quickly became a hit with Japanese gamers.

It began a long-running series of platform/horror-themed video games and set the template for the Castlevania series as a whole.

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Q*bert, Arcade

Gottlieb‘s classic arcade game Q*bert was first released in 1982. It delighted gamers with its quirky mix of cube-jumping and ‘painter’-style gameplay.

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Knight Lore, MSX

The MSX version of Knight Lore was developed by Tose Co. Ltd. for Jaleco and published in Europe and Japan in 1985.

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Knight Lore, Amstrad CPC

The Amstrad CPC version of Ultimate‘s famous Knight Lore is the best-looking version, in my opinion.

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The Sentinel, BBC Micro

Another timeless classic video game that originated on the BBC Micro in 1986.

Geoff Crammond‘s The Sentinel is a strategic game of ‘hide and seek’ – played-out on a chequerboard-like surface over which a being called The Sentinel watches.

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Mercenary, Atari 8-bit

The Atari 8-Bit version of the classic Mercenary is the original, published by Novagen in 1985.

From the opening sequence onwards you know that you are in for a special ride with Mercenary, and exploring the wireframe world of Targ (the name of the planet you’re trapped on) is a video-gaming joy – especially with the easy-to-use controls.

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Miner 2049er, Atari 8-bit

The original Miner 2049er fitted into just 16K of RAM, so would run on an Atari 400 (as well as any other Atari 8-bit home computer). It is a very early platform game, written by Bill Hogue in 1982, and featuring the character ‘Bounty Bob’.

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