Last weekend saw another exciting retro event in the form of Replay 2011. Organised by Gordon Sinclair, Dave Moore and Andy Brown, it was an awesome event that massively improved on the one from the previous year.
Arcade games and pinball tables were in abundance, there were huge amounts of retro goodies to buy, while developers like Jeff Minter, Jon Hare and John Dennis were on hand to discuss their love of games with the public.
We were lucky enough to catch up with a very tired Gordon Sinclair to get his opinion on the fantastic weekend.
How much money was raised for charity?
This year the event supported GamesAid, SpecialEffect and Teenage Cancer Trust. There was loads of stuff going on all weekend and at the point of writing this the final figures are not yet in, but we can say that the total raised is over £4,000! Everyone at Replay would especially like to thank Simon Skelly and his team for coordinating all of the charitable activities and running the hugely popular Raffle, Tombola and Lucky Dip.
This was the first year that we have run an official after-show party and James Harkness did a great job organising the entertainment from SID80s, Nintendisco and pub quiz (run by Replay crew member Mat Corne). Around 250 people attended and over £1,200 was raised by the party alone.
How do you feel the event went?
The show was amazing. Every time we put on one of these events we are blown away by the support we receive. Around 4,000 people attended over the weekend (and increase of about a third!) and response has been amazing. Facebook and Twitter have been alight with people letting us know how much fun they had and how much the show had grown since last year. We still think we can make things even better though, so we collected feedback from those who attended and are busy working through over 400 responses to make sure Replay 2012 and all of our other events expand in all the right places.
What do you have planned next?
We are really excited to have been approached to be part of the GEEK 2012 video gaming festival. The event will run for 5 days between 15-19 February and will feature a large scale celebration of all things gaming. The Winter Gardens in Margate is the main venue, however there are also a number of fringe events also planned in galleries, bars, cinemas and other local businesses. The event is expected to attract around 8,000 visitors and Replay will be providing the centrepiece ‘History of Video Gaming Expo’, as well as providing support to many of the supporting activities. It takes place during school’s half-term, so we really hope lots of the people who can’t wait for next year’s Replay Expo come along for another awesome seaside gaming event.
Fans of Retro Gamer’s hardware bookazines will be pleased to hear that they are now available to buy for Kindle. The Classic Videogames Hardware Genius Guide is available now for just £5.81 and features in-depth guides to some of the best computers and consoles of all time. The Amiga, Super Nintendo, PC Engine, Atari 2600 and ZX Spectrum are just a few of the machines featured, and all come with the fantastic in-depth information that only Retro Gamer offers.
Editor in Chief Aaron Asadi said: “This eBook is a fantastic resource for all retro videogame fans. Offering in-depth information on some of the iconic consoles from the last 50 years, there are also run-downs of the best games from each piece of hardware, allowing readers to relive the classic videogame moments from days gone by. The is the perfect trip down memory lane, and represents excellent value for money.”
The Classic Videogames Hardware Genius Guide eBook is available now from Amazon.
This year’s Replay Expo takes place tomorrow in Blackpool on the sea front.
Running from the 5th of November to the 6th of November, it promises classic videogames, pinball machines, arcade games and lots of new titles to enjoy as well. Microsoft, Nintendo, BAFTA and Team 17 are just a few of the big names that will be at the event, while interviewers with developers from back in the day are also planned (and mainly under wraps). Retro Gamer won’t have a stall this year, but Darran will be at the event, so if you see him, be sure to say hello to him.
Tickets can be bought on the door and cost as follows
Weekend Pass
Adult £20
Under 16 £12
Family Ticket 2 Adults and 2 Under 16s £52
Single Day
Adult £12
Under 16 £8
Family Ticket 2 Adults and 2 Under 16s £32
Be sure to check our tweets here , while Darran will also upload videos of the day on his youtube channel.
More information of the event can be found on the official website
Imagine Publishing is delighted to announce that EVERY SINGLE BACK ISSUE of the award-winning Retro Gamer is now available to download on Apple Newsstand and the usual PixelMags app.
First published by Live Publishing in 2004, Retro Gamer has gone from strength to strength and continually delivers fascinating insight into the world of retro gaming. Huge exclusives appear in every issue, while it constantly delights the industry with its innovative covers and obsessive attention to detail.
“I’m thrilled that all issues of Retro Gamer are now available for our readers to enjoy,” said editor Darran Jones. “The magazine has always been of an incredibly high standard, and these back issues allow fans to discover just how much it has evolved over the past seven years.”
Retro Gamer back issues are available to buy now from Newsstand and the App Store for just £2.99 ($4.99) each.
I’m getting rather excited because Sonic Generations will be out on Friday. Stuart’s already played the game for review purposes (and really enjoyed it) but for myself, aside from some previews, I will be going in cold.
What I like most about Sonic Generations is that it has a gimmick that appears to actually work. Most of the 3D Sonic games have suffered from gimmicks that add little to the core expereince. Interestingly, Sonic Colours was different though and for me personally, marked a big difference in past Sonic games, although it should be noted that Sonic on the Wii at least has always been a safe bet.
So the gimmick for Sonic Generations is that you now have 2 Sonics to control, Modern and Classic, with levels to match. It’s interesting, because it not only walks a clever tightrope between keeping the old guard and the new Sonic fans happy, but it also works as a celebration of the series in general, with Sonic racing through classic levels from past games in the series.
Sonic Generations is out this Friday. I’m looking forward to spending some more time with Sega’s blue mascot.
Fans of Retro Gamer’s hardware bookazines will be pleased to hear that they are now available to buy for Kindle. The Classic Videogames Hardware Genius Guide is available now for just £5.81 and features in-depth guides to some of the best computers and consoles of all time. The Amiga, Super Nintendo, PC Engine, Atari 2600 and ZX Spectrum are just a few of the machines featured, and all come with the fantastic in-depth information that only Retro Gamer offers.
Editor in Chief Aaron Asadi said: “This eBook is a fantastic resource for all retro videogame fans. Offering in-depth information on some of the iconic consoles from the last 50 years, there are also run-downs of the best games from each piece of hardware, allowing readers to relive the classic videogame moments from days gone by. The is the perfect trip down memory lane, and represents excellent value for money.”
The Classic Videogames Hardware Genius Guide eBook is available now from Amazon (http://amzn.to/iZODFT).
Helping you sort the wheat from the chaff, the iPhone App Directory Volume 8 is your complete guide to the best apps available for your smartphone. Covering every category on the App Store, there are a wealth of top apps that will help extend the functionality of your iPhone, and ones that will keep you entertained for hours. With over 900 reviews, you’re bound to find plenty of applications that will catch your eye.
Editor-in-chief Aaron Asadi commented: “The iPhone App Directory makes it exceptionally easy to find your way around the ever-increasing App Store. With hundreds of the latest releases, this essential guide gives you access to all you need to find the very best apps out there.”
The iPhone App Directory Volume 8 is available now priced £9.99 (on sale on 06/10/11) from www.imaginebookshop.co.uk and all good newsagents.
It’s a ridiculous time in the office at the moment with people playing pretty much every big release that is coming out in the next few weeks. Anyway I was mentioning a few games currently sitting on my ‘to do’ list, which included Rage, FIFA 12, Resistance III and Dead Island, and explained that I was playing Resident Evil 4.
I was laughed out of the game room because no one could believe that I was playing a 6-year old game when there were already so many great games I could be playing.
The simple fact of the matter though is that I only have the words of my fellow journalists to go on, and as EVERY big AAA release at the moment is the best game ever since the game that came out the week before, it’s very hard to decide whether I should actually devote my precious time (and my time is precious) to games which, on the surface at least, don’t appear to be all that exciting.
I know that Resident Evil 4 is a stupidly excellent game, and while I think Capcom’s treatment and pricing structure for it is dire, there’s no denying that it remains fantastic fun to play. I can’t say the same about any of the other games I’ve mentioned above, so I’d rather not take the risk, and will wait for a lengthy weekend or holiday to experience them properly.
I know games are great at the moment, but I just don’t belive that EVERY AAA is worth the 9+ scores they all consistantly seem to get on Metacritic. It would be the equivalent of every summer blockbuster getting 5/5, which just doesn’t happen (not consistently anyway).
I know of Resident Evil 4′s legacy, because I’ve already played it, and I’ll happily play through it again. The others? Well maybe I’ll simply wait and see if people are still harping on about them in another 6 years time…
After a lengthy wait Guardian Heroes is finally available on Xbox Live Arcade.
Originally released for the Sega Saturn in 1996, it’s an epic scrolling fighter with multiple routes, a large number of characters, and lots of pseudo RPG elements. It’s arguably one of the best examples of the genre since Street Of Rage 2, and Treasure has significantly improved its new digital update.
Guardian Heroes HD offers enhanced visuals, a brand new set of combat options (don’t worry the originals are still there) and lots of online capabilities. In short it’s the definitive version of an already excellent game. Look out for our review in issue 96 of Retro Gamer.
Normally we would get to excited about an advert for a current gen console. Sony’s new ad for its PlayStation 3 is fantastic though and is a genuinely clever piece of work.
Set in a bar it features numerous characters from franchises such as Uncharted, Resistance and Infamous, all paying homage to a mysterious character called Michael. As the tales continue and more and more cameos pop up, it becomes obvious that they are celebrating ‘You’ and your many adventures with them.
It might be a little too obscure for more casual gamers, but there’s no denying that it’s one of the best videogame adverts we’ve seen for a very long time.
