Mario Demo Test - Batman Group shows us impressive scrolling on the Amstrad CPC

Very impressive news coming from sources of Indie Retro News about a demo of our favorite plumber Mario in a scrolling demo for the Amstrad CPC. It shows clearly Mario navigating through the level even though he can't die as it's still an early demo. It's quite impressive. He is also able to get on platforms and collect coins although the coin count stays the same. This can open possibilities for a whole array of side scrollers for the classic machine. You can watch the video here. Totally impressed by these news! 

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Super Mario 64 Maker Released!

This was well overdue but it's finally out although it wasn't released by Nintendo. Super Mario 64 maker is exactly what you might have guessed. You can now create new Super Mario 64 levels on your PC! Isn't that fun? Of course, the same problem will probably arise when Nintendo goes after the creator of this wonderful program called Kaze Emanuar. It's a shame Nintendo is not more open to the avid fans that are creating games and programs that even Nintendo couldn't care less for. 

You will need an emulator like Project 64 in order to play the hacked game of course. There is a very small community of Nintendo 64 repro makers out there so don't be surprised if some of these creations appear in physical form in the not so near future! Check out their video for more details here. 

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Ataribox Announced! A New Atari Console!

A very awesome announcement by Atari has been made. A new console is in the works that will likely work like the NES mini but with added features and games. Not much is known as of now, although there are speculations and rumors of what's to come of it. There has been no price or release date so far. There will be two models of this console. It's definitely going to be interesting to see what kind of console this will be. Maybe new Atari games coming? What do they have up their sleeves? Ugh! I hate to knowing but I will definitely post about it once I find more info. As for now, enjoy the pic of the possible console! That's right, it'll have the old wooden look from all those years ago. Now, what are you waiting for Sega?

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Retro Game of the Week 155: Congo's Caper (SNES)

The bizarre sequel to Joe & Mac was bizarre indeed. The game was released by Data East and was a so-so success. I say so-so because not only did the game fell in the shadows of Joe & Mac, it also sprung a real sequel called Joe & Mac 2 which in the end just left this one as a spin off. I guess they didn't have much hope for this game. Nevertheless, lets take a look at it! 

Music and sound wise, the game delivers. The music has the Data East charm and is quite good. I don't have much complain about the sound as it's nice and doesn't give annoyance. It will not turn you deaf. Other than that, you won't have much criticism for this one. 

The graphics are pretty good as well. They are the SNES standard but are colorful and bright. The game definitely looks like a Joe & Mac title with a bit of improvement. You can even find a cool Joe & Mac statue which grants you diamonds which you must collect in order to gain lives. Now that's a pretty cool graphical addition. Your character looks good as well and the enemies are what they are supposed to be. Mad caveman and bats and birds and everything else!

The gameplay is what makes this game suffer. The controls are fine although sometimes they don't respond accordingly. This makes the game a pain in the ass to get through. A trick to having a chance at survival is to make as many lives as possible early on in the game. I was able to gain up to 30 lives and still lost all of them because of certain parts of the game that require precise jumping. Overall, the game does offer a satisfying gameplay. There are a couple of things that could trouble you especially with the range of your weapon. You only have a club and the range of it is horrid! Make sure you get close enough to your enemies to use it. Also, be sure to collect three red orbs in order to turn you into a super caveman and be able to take more hits. If you are in your normal form, you will only be able to take two hits. The super caveman mode lets you take four hits! You can also gain hit points by picking up more red orbs. It's a good way to get through bosses and believe me, you'll need it. 

There isn't much more left to say. If this game didn't had such clumsy controls, it would be more enjoyable. Of course, you can get used to them and play through the game because overall the game is not bad. The graphics are good, the music is fine, and it's by Data East! I suggest you still pick this one up as it's quite cheap and a platformer to challenge you. 

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Retro Game of the Week 120: Rolling Thunder 2 (Genesis)

Rolling Thunder 2 is one of those games that contains the right amount of gameplay to keep you coming back. It's a full action packed platformer in the style of such games as Code Name Viper for the NES and of course the previous game Rolling Thunder. The game plays in a very action packed style in which your fingers have to do a lot of mashing in order to beat the baddies before they take you out. Lets take a look!

Namco did a good job at the sound department of this game. Although the tunes are not all time classics, they do the job for the game. Keeps you coming back and definitely not mute the game altogether. Sound effects are also the Sega Genesis norm and are quite satisfying. I'm impressed.

The game looks beautiful! I gotta say there are some games that look nice but others are just in another level. I love the detail of the levels and the characters including yourself which is quite good. Namco did a good job at this one.

The gameplay is what makes this game stand out from all other departments. This is where the game keeps you coming back for more. Each of the stages gives you a choice to go on the top part of the level or lower part of it. You will have to learn how to navigate them in order to move forward through each stage or be able to dodge enemy fire. Don't forget to check the doors for special treats! A challenging game, but one with a good challenge and that's good because you don't want to beat this game in one sitting.

Get the game, that's all I can say! It's a very satisfying experience and totally worth adding to your collection. It's not a crazy priced Nintendo game so you'll be fine. 

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