The sequel to the hit platform game Dynamite Dan, Dynamite Dan II: Dr. Blitzen and the Island of Arcanum is more than just a cheeky update of the first game – it is much bigger, much more involving, and much, much more varied.
Tag Archives: Retro Gaming
Dynamite Dan, ZX Spectrum
Rob Bowkett‘s 8-bit platform game became an instant hit on the ZX Spectrum when it first came out in 1985.
Dynamite Dan had groundbreaking graphics (for the time) and was seen as a “Jet Set Willy-beater” by some. One thing is for sure: it had (still has) a lot of character. Especially in the main sprite of Dan.
Mappy-Land, NES
Mappy-Land is a console-only sequel to Namco/Midway‘s 1983 arcade classic, Mappy. It was first released on the NES in Japan in 1986, then much later in North America in 1989.
Bust-A-Move 2 Arcade Edition, PlayStation
Bust-A-Move 2 is the console name for the famous arcade game Puzzle Bobble 2. Thus: the “Arcade Edition” subtitle. I’ve no idea why they changed it – it just makes things confusing.
Puzzle Bobble 2 is a brilliant game though. It was initially released into arcades by Taito in 1995 and this arcade conversion came a year later via Acclaim in 1996.
Dragon Warrior, NES
Developed by Chunsoft and released for the Famicom by Enix in 1986, Dragon Quest was a landmark moment in video game history.
Dragon Warrior is the American NES release of Dragon Quest, translated into English and tweaked here and there (I say “tweaked here and there” but the US version had battery back-up saves and the Japanese version used password saves, so there was a big difference there), and released by Nintendo in 1989. These grabs are from the later North American English language release.
Brave Fencer Musashi, PlayStation
Square‘s 1998 PlayStation release, Brave Fencer Musashi, is an entertaining single-player action/RPG, with real-time sword combat and a 3D environment and characters.
Nightshade, NES
NOT the infamous 1985 Ultimate game, but an obscure action/adventure classic from Aussie developer Beam Software, first released on the NES in 1992.
Giants: Citizen Kabuto, PC
This obscure 2000 release from Planet Moon Studios and Interplay pretty much sank without a trace on first release – in spite of being a great game. Thankfully, Giants: Citizen Kabuto has been given a new lease of life, thanks to GOG.com (and other outlets) giving it a re-release, and it seems to have found a new audience. Looking at the reviews on GOG.com in particular it seems that this game is receiving a lot of love.
Excitebike, NES
Nintendo‘s fun motocross racing game on the NES, Excitebike, was designed by legendary Nintendo game designer Shigeru Miyamoto.
Excitebike was a launch title for both the Japanese and American release of the Nintendo Entertainment System video game console, in 1984 and 1985 respectively.
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, PC
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings was first released in 2011 by Polish developer CD Projekt Red.
It is the predecessor to the smash hit The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and also follows the exploits of Geralt of Rivia – a Witcher, or monster-hunter – on a series of open-world adventures.
The King of Grabs 