![Pit Fighter II Longplay (Sega Genesis) [Unreleased Prototype] @AL82RetrogamingLongplays](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/skjHfGIMxWo/maxresdefault.jpg)
Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Game Info
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Developer: Polygames
Publisher: Tengen
Year of Release: 1993 (never released)
Download:
Game Review & Impressions
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On December 17th 2025, The Video Game History Foundation released new prototype games and never-before-seen content, preserved from the archives of Tengen, a subsidiary of Atari Games focused on bringing conversions of Atari coin-op and arcade games the home market.
The content released included a prototype of a sequel to Atari's corny slug-fest with digitised actors, Pit-Fighter. It transpires that a sequel was in the works for the Sega Genesis, as the dumping of the content online would prove. It's incomplete, contains some glitchy sprites -- most likely due to the restoration work folks had to perform to get it working -- and bugs out on the Heavy Metal fight, but it's still really cool to discover its existence.
I haven't really made a habit of covering incomplete prototypes, but since my channel is about game preservation, I see no reason not to. After all, what exists is fascinating!
Firstly, the game incorporates the original trio of playable characters from the original Pit Fighter, but also features the cast of Atari's other digitised beat 'em up, Guardians of the Hood. The new characters are at least playable, although not all of their special moves work properly, and there's definite balance issues present.
The game itself is practically identical to the original game, albeit with some new enemies (probably taken from Guardians of the Hood, also), and a few new background designs. The game actually starts with these new levels, although they're completely devoid of any weapons or items to use. After a couple of fights with The Executioner from the original Pit Fighter, the remainder of the game is exactly the same as the original. It eventually bugged out on Heavy Metal, so I simply had to turn it off.
Inevitably, this would have been complete rubbish, been panned by magazine reviews, and wouldn't have been worth the development or cartridge production costs. It doesn't surprise me it got canned, but it's still a fascinating piece of gaming history, one I was very much intrigued to play.
Chapters
---------------------------------------------------
00:00 Attract mode
01:28 Connor gameplay
16:59 Chief gameplay
18:25 Javier gameplay
19:46 Tanya gameplay
21:22 Buzz gameplay
22:31 Ty gameplay
23:27 Kato gameplay
Game Info
---------------------------------------------------
Developer: Polygames
Publisher: Tengen
Year of Release: 1993 (never released)
Download:
Game Review & Impressions
---------------------------------------------------
On December 17th 2025, The Video Game History Foundation released new prototype games and never-before-seen content, preserved from the archives of Tengen, a subsidiary of Atari Games focused on bringing conversions of Atari coin-op and arcade games the home market.
The content released included a prototype of a sequel to Atari's corny slug-fest with digitised actors, Pit-Fighter. It transpires that a sequel was in the works for the Sega Genesis, as the dumping of the content online would prove. It's incomplete, contains some glitchy sprites -- most likely due to the restoration work folks had to perform to get it working -- and bugs out on the Heavy Metal fight, but it's still really cool to discover its existence.
I haven't really made a habit of covering incomplete prototypes, but since my channel is about game preservation, I see no reason not to. After all, what exists is fascinating!
Firstly, the game incorporates the original trio of playable characters from the original Pit Fighter, but also features the cast of Atari's other digitised beat 'em up, Guardians of the Hood. The new characters are at least playable, although not all of their special moves work properly, and there's definite balance issues present.
The game itself is practically identical to the original game, albeit with some new enemies (probably taken from Guardians of the Hood, also), and a few new background designs. The game actually starts with these new levels, although they're completely devoid of any weapons or items to use. After a couple of fights with The Executioner from the original Pit Fighter, the remainder of the game is exactly the same as the original. It eventually bugged out on Heavy Metal, so I simply had to turn it off.
Inevitably, this would have been complete rubbish, been panned by magazine reviews, and wouldn't have been worth the development or cartridge production costs. It doesn't surprise me it got canned, but it's still a fascinating piece of gaming history, one I was very much intrigued to play.
Chapters
---------------------------------------------------
00:00 Attract mode
01:28 Connor gameplay
16:59 Chief gameplay
18:25 Javier gameplay
19:46 Tanya gameplay
21:22 Buzz gameplay
22:31 Ty gameplay
23:27 Kato gameplay
![Pit Fighter II Longplay (Sega Genesis) [Unreleased Prototype]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/skjHfGIMxWo/mqdefault.jpg "Pit Fighter II Longplay (Sega Genesis) [Unreleased Prototype]
Game Info
Developer: Polygames
Publisher: Tengen
Year of Release: 1993 (never released)
Download: https://hiddenpalace.org/Pit_Fighter_II_(Apr_5,_1993_prototype)
Game Review & Impressions
On December 17th 2025, The Video Game History Foundation released new prototype games and never-before-seen content, preserved from the archives of Tengen, a subsidiary of Atari Games focused on bringing conversions of Atari coin-op and arcade games the home market.
The content released included a prototype of a sequel to Ataris corny slug-fest with digitised actors, Pit-Fighter. It transpires that a sequel was in the works for the Sega Genesis, as the dumping of the content online would prove. Its incomplete, contains some glitchy sprites most likely due to the restoration work folks had to perform to get it working and bugs out on the Heavy Metal fight, but its still really cool to discover its existence.
I havent really made a habit of covering incomplete prototypes, but since my channel is about game preservation, I see no reason not to. After all, what exists is fascinating!
Firstly, the game incorporates the original trio of playable characters from the original Pit Fighter, but also features the cast of Ataris other digitised beat em up, Guardians of the Hood. The new characters are at least playable, although not all of their special moves work properly, and theres definite balance issues present.
The game itself is practically identical to the original game, albeit with some new enemies (probably taken from Guardians of the Hood, also), and a few new background designs. The game actually starts with these new levels, although theyre completely devoid of any weapons or items to use. After a couple of fights with The Executioner from the original Pit Fighter, the remainder of the game is exactly the same as the original. It eventually bugged out on Heavy Metal, so I simply had to turn it off.
Inevitably, this would have been complete rubbish, been panned by magazine reviews, and wouldnt have been worth the development or cartridge production costs. It doesnt surprise me it got canned, but its still a fascinating piece of gaming history, one I was very much intrigued to play.
Chapters
00:00 Attract mode
01:28 Connor gameplay
16:59 Chief gameplay
18:25 Javier gameplay
19:46 Tanya gameplay
21:22 Buzz gameplay
22:31 Ty gameplay
23:27 Kato gameplay")
![Gunlock Longplay (Arcade) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/tBNq62dGNTA/mqdefault.jpg "Gunlock Longplay (Arcade) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Taito
Publisher: Taito
Year of Release: 1994
Game Review & Impressions
Gunlock is the European release name for RayForce, a vertically scrolling shoot em up released into arcades in 1994. The game uses 2D sprite scaling effects to create a convincing sense of 3D, one of a final tranche of games to do so before the industry started transitioning to true polygon-based visuals.
At its core, Gunlock is a typical shoot em up involved blasting everything in sight and racking up points for doing so. The Gunlock nomenclature is suitably apt, however, since it describes one of the games primary features. Projected in front of the players craft is a reticule which, when passed over an enemy ship or ground target, causes a lock symbol to appear. Locked targets can then be hit with a barrage of energy pulses which home in on targets, causing significant damage.
Theres not much else to say about the game, other than the visuals are quite impressive. The sprite scaling is used to create a convincing level of depth to the playfield, used in conjunction with multiple layers of parallax to create an impressive sense of perspective. Enemy craft rise from the ground to fill the camera viewport, while laser trails from the players missiles shrink in size as they descend to strike targets below. Its a subtler use of the technology than, owing to the top-down perspective, but to Taitos credit, they did a really excellent job in creating a 3D effect using 2D assets.
In consideration, Gunlock is a visually impressive shooter with responsive controls and mechanics, one that does pretty much everything right. The gameplay isnt amazingly innovative, but if you want a solid shooter with great visuals, this will be right in your wheelhouse.
Chapters
00:00 Attract mode
01:50 Stage 1
04:23 Stage 2
08:17 Stage 3
11:48 Stage 4
15:17 Stage 5
18:07 Stage 6
23:15 Stage 7
27:58 Ending")
![McDonalds Treasure Land Adventure Longplay (Sega Genesis) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/tLVVQDBFaB8/mqdefault.jpg "McDonalds Treasure Land Adventure Longplay (Sega Genesis) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Treasure
Publisher: Sega
Year of Release: 1993
Game Review & Impressions
It had become commonplace in the 1990s for corporate brands, typically those representing calorific and unhealthy food and beverages, to sponsor video game development, guaranteeing exposure to a significant proportion of the days impressionable youth.
McDonalds, the fast food chain, probably did this more than most. Various games, including MC Kids and Global Gladiators, all carried the burger-slingers corporate iconography, with varying degrees of success.
Treasure Land Adventure, starring the one-time mascot for the restaurant chain Ronald McDonald, sees the clown hunting down pieces of a mysterious treasure map. Along the way, Ronald meets other characters from the forgotten McDonalds pantheon, and theres a whole lot of platforming, gathering if gems, and the usual shenanigans with this type of game.
Aside from Ronald, the amount of references to McDonalds produce is mercifully absent. In fact, remove Ronald and you wouldnt really know it was a McDonalds game at all.
The other thing which surprised me was the quality. The presentation and attention to detail, considering this was directed at a younger audience, is impressive. The graphics are bright and colourful, boasting some highly detailed backgrounds, and the music isnt too bad either. Theres plenty of variety in the levels, many featuring unique mechanics, which means that, McDonalds branding aside, this is actually a very solid platformer that anyone can enjoy!
Chapters
0:00:00 Attract mode
0:01:32 Stage 1: The Magical Forest
0:16:25 Stage 2: Magical Town
0:30:27 Stage 3: Magical Sea
0:48:38 Stage 4: Magical Moon
1:11:59 Final boss
1:17:39 Ending")
![Midnight Run: Road Fighter 2 Longplay (Arcade) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/tfU3t4pHiQY/mqdefault.jpg "Midnight Run: Road Fighter 2 Longplay (Arcade) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami
Year of Release: 1995
Game Review & Impressions
By 1995 the 3D arms race was well and truly in effect. Sega had thrown down the gauntlet with Daytona USA, and the other big arcade manufacturers werent about to rest on their laurels. Once a primitive array of vectors and lines that jittered around the screen at framerates that barely broke double digits, the 3D games of the mid 90s hurled around an increasing number of textured mapped and shaded polygons at speeds that blew the minds of anyone who set eyes upon them.
On the visual front, Midnight Run certainly impresses. Although not as smooth as Daytona, the amount of geometry and texturing being pushed appears to be higher, plus theres a rear view mirror, which would also have eaten into rendering time. The gritty, urban freeways illuminated by streetlamps, with glowing high-rises whizzing past mean youre forever at risk of crashing into the sidewalls due to your constant slack-jawed gawping at the graphics, at least you would have for 1995.
On a gameplay front, I found this to be more of a mixed bag. Obviously I was playing this with a joypad, not a steering wheel, so Im sure something was lost in translation, but trying to find the sweet-spot when entering into corners without becoming a crushed cube of wreckage proved exceedingly difficult. The game becomes all the more difficult when you realise just how tight the time limits are, and the CPU controlled cars have catch-up built in, which means they defy the laws of physics to turbo past you at speeds you simply cannot achieve. The game does this to make sure youre always facing a challenge and not simply showboating, but it makes for a driving experience thats often fraught with tension and frustration.
Curiously, Konami decided to make Midnight Run a sequel of sorts to Road Fighter, a top-down racer they put out in 1984. The only thing which really links the two games is the counter and score mechanics for passing other vehicles, so the association seems a little tenuous. The fact youre actually racing against a grid of other racers and trying to finish first makes the traffic-dodging mechanic feel less impactful.
What I can say is Midnight Run is still pretty good fun. I reckon the graphics have certainly aged better than a lot of games from that era, and threading the needle between a coach and taxi cab never gets old. Practice certainly makes perfect, and if you stick with it, I reckon youll still have a good time with this.
Chapters
00:00 Attract mode
00:42 Beginner Course: The Sunset Trial (Nissan Skyline GT-R)
03:42 Intermediate Course: The Starlight Heat (Toyota Supra)
07:09 Advanced Course: The Midnight Run (Honda NSX)
11:08 Beginner Course: The Sunset Trial (Mazda RX-7)")
![SWAT Police Longplay (Arcade) [4K]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ucCLzfFSBgQ/mqdefault.jpg "SWAT Police Longplay (Arcade) [4K]
SWAT Police Longplay (Arcade) [4K]")
![Blazing Star Longplay (Neo Geo) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/v9HrneOq32Y/mqdefault.jpg "Blazing Star Longplay (Neo Geo) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Yumekobo
Publisher: SNK
Year of Release: 1998
Game Review & Impressions
If you follow the retro scene, you may be aware that SNK is releasing a modern reimplementation of the Neo Geo: the Neo Geo AES+. 10 games are being re-released as part of the pack, and although this isnt one of them, it was an excuse to revisit a game I had unfinished business with. Not only does it deserve a higher-quality recording now that YouTube supports such things, but I missed one of the Lucky panel tokens on the third stage, so these seemed good enough reasons to revisit this graphically impressive shooter.
In truth, theres nothing especially innovative in terms of the game design. You shoot wave after of enemy ships, destroy Corvette class mid-bosses, and take on enormous end-of-level bosses. Its nothing we havent seen before, although the presentation, visuals and music are really what helps this stand out. Theres also a decent variety of different ships for you to choose from, each with weapon systems that change up the gameplay, so theres plenty of replay value.
The focus of each level, other than surviving, is scoring a high enough score and performing sufficiently well to achieve an A rank at the end of the each stage. One of the key parts of this achievement is collecting all of the letter tiles that spell the word LUCKY. These only drop when a full wave of green-coloured enemy ships is destroyed, so youll need to keep an eye out for these when they appear. The third stage is actually quite devious, because the final wave of these ships only spawns from one of the ship factory-spawners in the floor; destroy this too soon, and youll never be able to get the final lucky panel on that level.
Given that the pixel art on these games really doesnt age, the Neo Geo has never really lost its relevance as a 2D powerhouse. Blazing Star still looks tremendous, especially when upscaled for modern displays, and the gameplay is also great fun. It does descend into bullet hell territory later on, and the final bosses on the penultimate level is somewhat ridiculous, but overall, the difficulty curve on this is just about right. If youve never played it before, this is definitely worth checking out.
Chapters
00:00 Attract mode
04:39 Stage 01
07:08 Stage 02
10:51 Stage 03
14:59 Stage 04
18:45 Stage 05
22:34 Stage 06
30:40 Stage 07
34:03 Ending")
![Prehistorik Longplay (Amiga) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vMB3FkzXwUw/mqdefault.jpg "Prehistorik Longplay (Amiga) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Movie Interactive
Publisher: Titus
Year of Release: 1991
Game Review & Impressions
I first longplayed Prehistorik several years ago, but it turns out there were a couple of secret areas in the first level I missed, and given that Im actually quite fond of the game, I figured it was a good excuse to revisit this caveman-themed nosh em up. Curiously, only the first level seems to have any secrets, at least that I could find - I deliberately fell into every hole and pit thereafter and found nothing.
Despite being published by Titus, Prehistorik is actually quite good. The premise of hunting levels for food to eat and clubbing anything and everything in sight is simple, but executed well, and the graphics are excellent. Theres also genuine warmth and sense of humour on display throughout the game, and its (mostly) jolly and fun affair. The only place it comes unstuck is the collision detection and jumping in the caves, with the spiders and fires being something of a pain, especially if you collected the spring power-up.
Im guessing Prehistorik must have been at least somewhat popular because it spawned sequels on other computers and consoles, although not the Amiga. Prehistorik Man (Prehistorik 2) on the SNES is worth checking out, and Ive included a link to my longplay below.
Related Longplays & Videos
https://youtu.be/O1cxI2wr0sA
Chapters
00:00 Attract mode
02:13 Stage 1
10:56 Stage 2
11:33 Stage 3
17:32 Stage 4
18:22 Stage 5
23:28 Stage 6
24:20 Stage 7
31:47 Ending")
![Run Saber Longplay (Super NES) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vb5VE6FQ1yA/mqdefault.jpg "Run Saber Longplay (Super NES) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Hori Electric
Publisher: Atlus
Year of Release: 1993
Game Review & Impressions
Capcom was pivotal developer for the Super NES and released many games for the system, but a conversion of Strider was not among them. That honour went to the Sega Genesis, which received a solid conversion of the sword-slashing arcade game. The absence of Strider on the SNES, I guess, left the door open for some other developer to fill the gap, and the ever-so-imaginatively titled Run Saber is the end result.
Set some time in the future, Earth has become an ecological disaster through mass pollution, and has been rendered virtually uninhabitable. The only hope of restoring the planet to its former glory is the work of a scientist called Dr. Gordon Bruford. His Earth Renaissance project can potentially clean up the mess by harnessing the power of fusion energy, although the remaining human inhabitants would have to colonise and live in space for over year during the clean-up.
For whatever reason, Bruford chooses to remain on Earth and is horribly mutated by the radiation, amassing an army of mutants to do his bidding in an effort to take control of Earth. The only means of defeating Dr. Bruford is Project Run Saber, a group of sword-wielding cyborgs of super athletic ability, dispatched to defeat Bruford and reclaim Earth for humanity.
Obviously, the core gameplay of Run Saber borrows heavily from from Strider, including the ability to climb walls and hang from ceilings. I would say its actually closer in feel to Assassin on the Amiga because of this, itself a game heavily inspired by Strider. Combat in Run Saber involves slashing at enemies with your plasma sword, emitting a green arc of crackling plasma that destroys enemies and certain projectiles caught in the strike. You can also press down on the D-Pad mid-air to initiate a power kick, which can be used to strike enemies below you. You also have a limited amount of magic at your disposal, which can be invoked to create a screen-clearing attack. Extra magic, lives and bonus health can be found in the form of transparent bubbles floating in areas of the level, or dropped by enemies when defeated.
The amount of fun youll have with Run Saber depends on how much you enjoyed Strider to begin with, and how badly you wanted to play something like it on your SNES. Theres nothing terrible about Run Saber, other than it being distinctly average. Theres nothing especially exciting about anything in the game, and Im not sure this would have appealed to anyone other than Strider fans who wanted a similar experience on the SNES. Its an interesting curiosity for sure, but the high price of SNES games in general meant this was probably relegated to being a rental from Blockbuster when you couldnt find anything else that took your fancy.
Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:18 Stage 01
05:28 Stage 02
10:17 Stage 03
15:19 Stage 04
20:15 Stage 05
26:05 Final boss
27:13 Ending")
![Mobile Suit Gundam: Final Shooting Longplay (Arcade) [4K]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/w2siE6DZC7A/mqdefault.jpg "Mobile Suit Gundam: Final Shooting Longplay (Arcade) [4K]
Game Info
Developer: Banpresto
Publisher: Banpresto
Year of Release: 1995
Game Review & Impressions
With a title that doesnt exactly roll off the tongue, Mobile Suit Gundam: Final Shooting takes the popular sci-fi series, turns it into an overly-long on-rails lightgun shooter, and charges you for the privilege. I feel youd need to be especially dedicated to sit through the entirety of the game in a noisy arcade, not to mention somewhere to store the copious amount of coins it would take to see this through to the bitter end because, oh boy, its hard.
The principle of the design is incredibly simple. You simply move the on-screen reticule over targets and shoot them before they have a chance to attack. Much like Operation Thunderbolt, theres an invisible line running vertically down the centre of the screen, with enemies on the left half damaging player one, and the right side player two. The idea is each player covers one half of the screen, with some level of convergence to deal with attacks coming from the centre.
In terms of armament, your Gundam comes equipped with a repeat-fire power blaster and limited number of cluster bombs. Your blasters relatively slow rate of fire is part of the reason why the game is so difficult, because missing a shot almost guarantees there wont be sufficient time between the next shot firing and the enemys attack damaging you. In fact, you often have to know exactly where enemies will appear (the waves are pre-determined) to be ready to blast them the moment they appear. It is, therefore, most fortuitous that you can equip a shield which absorbs a limited number of attacks, as well as find suit-energy recharges in weapon cases on the battlefield.
I cant say I was a huge fan of the gameplay, and I felt the graphics and presentation were also somewhat lacklustre. When you consider that Segas Alien 3: The Gun was released two years prior to this and looks better in every conceivable way, it doesnt say much for this game, which was released in 1995. The sprite artwork for the enemies IS quite good, mimicking the cel-shaded style from the actual animated series, but they feel oddly incongruous with the background artwork, rather like stickers stuck over the top.
I sat through the entirety of this game feeling completely uninspired, and I definitely would have walked away in a real arcade once my credit had been used up. MSG: Final Shooting just doesnt do a good enough job of recreating the power fantasy of piloting a Gundam and zapping oversized enemies to warrant the price of admission.
Chapters
00:00 Attract mode
02:29 Stage 1
07:46 Stage 2
16:38 Stage 3
25:05 Stage 4
38:15 Stage 5
51:31 Ending")
![Batman: The Caped Crusader Longplay (Amiga) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/w_sdayKbIbc/mqdefault.jpg "Batman: The Caped Crusader Longplay (Amiga) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Special FX
Publisher: Ocean Software
Year of Release: 1988
Game Review & Impressions
Im intimately familiar with the C64 version of the game, having owned it back at release, and longplayed it for this channel on at least two occasions. Despite some flaws, I always felt it was one of Oceans better games based on a license. Its based on the actual comic book incarnation of Dark Knight, rather than the subsequent movie adaption which received its own video game and is an original concept.
As with the C64 version, The Caped Crusader features two separate adventures for Batman to get his Batarang into. These focus on the most iconic of his adversaries, Penguin and Joker, each involving the collecting of seemingly random items from various locations, then figuring out where to use them. To beat the Penguin, Batman needs to gain access to the villains luxury mansion and install a virus on the central computer, while beating his arch-nemesis Joker involves disarming a plethora of bombs which threaten to destroy Gotham, then rescue Robin, whos held captive at the top of a rollercoaster at the local amusement park.
The real challenge is solving the puzzles without Batmans health running out. Armed henchmen patrol the streets and dark alleyways, while mechanical penguins with machine guns and disease-ridden rats scurry about at ankle height, making damned nuisances of themselves. Batman can see off these foes off with a few well-placed punches and kicks, but with these encounters taking their inevitable toll on his health, the need to restore health is one of the biggest concerns throughout the game. Food which completely restores health can be found in certain screens, but unlike the C64 version, enemies actually leave behind snacks when defeated; this is a profound difference, one which makes the game far more manageable than its 8-bit counterpart.
However, theres a nuance (limitation) in how the game tracks food items which have dropped, with only a single instance of them able to exist at at a given moment. Although I was already aware of the limitation in its basic form, it wasnt until the Joker campaign I discovered only a single instance can exist across the entire game map. A rogue toffee apple had dropped on a screen without me noticing, and because I hadnt collected it, its existence prevented enemies dropping subsequent instances of the sugary delicacy. It means you can run dangerously close to running out of energy if you werent to realise this, because having plenty of food in reserve is crucial to beating the game.
As with other cross-platform games from this era, I find that, despite the obvious graphical improvements, I still enjoyed the C64 version of Batman more than this. The character art and animation is good, but I find the limitations imposed by the C64 have an inexplicable less-is-more effect. Its certainly true of the in-game music, which is barely more than a couple of loops on repeat; Fred Grays SID composition for the C64 version definitely has the edge over this. In fact, it wasnt until I re-watched the C64 longplay that I realised it actually has more enemies, a better user interface, and provides a written description of every item Batman collects. The Riddler and Catwoman also make an appearance on C64, but not the Amiga. The sprites might have more detail, but everything else has been paired back.
On reflection, Id be inclined to award the Amiga version of Batman: The Caped Crusader something in the region of 6.5 out of 10. Its reasonably polished, but it just feels a bit dull. Some more music and less dependency on munching snack food might have resulted in something a little more engaging, and it should have had feature parity with the C64.
Related Longplays & Videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znxvgkd0e6w
Chapters
00:00 Adventure A: A Bird in Hand
31:08 Adventure B: A Fete Worse than Death")
![Skidz Longplay (Amiga) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/wowgBUKp9_A/mqdefault.jpg "Skidz Longplay (Amiga) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Core Design
Publisher: Gremlin Graphics
Year of Release: 1990
Game Review & Impressions
Skater culture and BMX were really popular in the 1980s and early 1990s, and various video games tried to cash in on their popularity. Skidz is a far cry from the likes of Tony Hawks Pro Skater, and much more limited in what it tries to achieve, but it turns urban centres into a playground of sorts, where you get to execute tricks, kicks and flips, cleaning up the city one level at a time.
Choosing either skateboard or bike, the main purpose of each stage is to collect pieces of trash, then depositing them in a nearby bin. You can only carry a limited amount of trash at any given point, so you need to trek back and forth between parts of the level to get them all cleaned up. Your task is made all the more difficult by environmental hazards, potholes and other obstacles along the way. You also need to earn sufficient cash to keep bike, board and rider in working shape, else you wont progress much beyond the opening level. Floating bills might occasionally be spotted in the wild, and can also be spawned by performing a flip or trick, and performing a full 360 degree spin mid-air when launched from a ramp earn a nice bonus, but executing these moves are actually really difficult, and youll lost health if you fail to land them perfectly. Any cash you do earn can be spent in the shop between stages, tuning up your ride and restoring lost health, before repeating the whole process in the next level.
Its worth mentioning that each stage also has a hidden objective that earns you bonus points when complete. These involve collecting an item and taking it to a specific part of the level, touching a part of the scenery in order to fulfil the task. An example would be delivering an item of mail or parcel to certain building and posting it through a mail box, or taking a newspaper to a port-a-loo on a building site. Its never that obvious exactly where to take said items when you find them, and I suspect youll complete these mostly by accident, if at all.
The underlying concept of the game isnt bad, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. The thing which wrecked the game for me was the controls, which make moving about and performing tricks far more difficult than it needs to be. Building speed is achieved by tapping the fire button, but since this also causes you to jump when the speedometer is at the top of the bar, youll find yourself bunny hopping constantly, even when you dont want to. Unless you have an especially refined sense of timing, not to mention a great deal of patience, youll find yourself falling flat on your face most of the time, and probably getting a nasty case of gravel rash into the bargain. Mounting pavements and sidewalks is also really tricky because of this, but its something youll need to overcome, due to the fact trash and bonus items are usually placed there.
Ultimately, Skidz is one of those games which might have sounded like a fun idea on paper, but fails to nail the landing in practice. The awkward controls and repetitive levels mean its really just a dull and uninspiring affair. The only thing of any real note is the soundtrack, a thumping and sample-heavy affair by the late Ben Daglish. Even that lacks variety, but its the only positive memory I really have of the game. The magazine scores, averaging 80%, seem overly generous in retrospect, and Id probably only give this 55% at best.
Chapters
00:00 Attract mode
00:36 Stage 1 - Street
04:34 Stage 2 - Park
09:11 Stage 3 - Building Site
13:52 Stage 4 - Chinatown
19:16 Stage 5 - Canal
25:18 Stage 6 - Boardwalk
29:42 Stage 7 - Race")
![Max Payne Longplay (Game Boy Advance) [4K]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xXDfFw_d5v4/mqdefault.jpg "Max Payne Longplay (Game Boy Advance) [4K]
Game Info
Developer: Mobius Entertainment
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Year of Release: 2003
Game Review & Impressions
The original Max Payne released for PC in 2001 was a technically ground-breaking third person shooter, iconic for its use of Bullet Time slow-motion mechanics and balletic gunplay, letting players live out their John Woo fantasises within the confines of an ever-so-slightly tongue-in-cheek neo noir detective story. Max is the titular hard-boiled cop whose wife and infant child become unwitting victims as Aesir Corporation plans to unleash a new designer drug on the streets of New York City. The bereaved Payne transfers to the DEA in an effort to penetrate the mob underworld in a bid to find the source of Valkyr, with his sanity, moral compass, not to mention his reflexes, tested to the very limits.
What I wasnt aware of until many years later is that Rockstar published a version of the game for the Game Boy Advance in 2003. Unlike the PC and other console versions, the GBA edition of the game uses an isometric viewpoint to view the world. I cant be entirely sure as to whether the characters within the game are polygonal or sprites, but they look really good, and the fluidity of the animation is excellent. The slow-motion bullet time mechanic has been preserved and works the same as its PC counterpart, including the ability to dive and unload a storm of hot lead simultaneously.
Because you only have a limited field of view, the game tends to alert to you to the presence of enemies with gunfire, which at least gives you a fighting chance. Even on the standard difficulty level, Max doesnt have a huge amount of health; youll be chugging down the pain killers pretty regularly to stay in the fight, but it only takes a few hits before Max is toast. Diving actually seems to make Max invulnerable for duration, so youll want to use it whenever possible. Its possible to shoot in given direction using the D-Pad, although I did find that your bullets sometimes seemed to evaporate into thin air while doing this; enemies right in front of your face occasionally fail to take any damage, which can be quite frustrating.
In addition to the slow-mo gunplay, the comic book narration and voice acting from PC version has been ported over to the Game Boy. However, both the total number of levels in the game and number of cutscenes have been drastically reduced, which not only reduces the overall length of the game, but cuts out much of the character development. For those whove never played the original I dont suppose it matters too much, but interactions between Payne and other characters, such as Vlad or Jim Bravura, the belligerent head of the NYPD, remain on the cutting room floor. These characters are barely mentioned here, and their inclusion makes the general flow of the story feel somewhat disjointed.
A final point about this particular version before I sum up is that some of the levels actually have secret rooms. Shooting parts of the scenery can reveal switches or open doors that lead to rooms containing extra weapons, or even unique guns that you wont find anywhere else. I didnt find all the secret rooms because it wasnt until I found the Jackhammer shotgun I even realised there WERE secrets; the Jackhammer is the main secret of any importance because its the one weapon you cant acquire elsewhere.
For the most part, the GBA version of Max Payne impressed me. Switching from 3D to 2D isometric mostly works, and the bullet time is implemented well. Many of the objects in the game are destructible or display cosmetic damage when shot, which was a nice touch, and despite the grainy visuals, its actually quite a good looking game. Although large parts of the story have been hollowed out to fit within the constraints of the GBA, Mobius managed to keep the core essence of the story in tact. I was impressed with end result, and if youre a fan of the franchise, this portable version is definitely worth playing.
Chapters
00:00 Intro
03:00 Stage 01
15:29 Stage 02
29:06 Stage 03
39:40 Stage 04
47:10 Stage 05
58:53 Stage 06
1:07:23 Stage 07
1:18:50 Stage 08
1:24:57 Stage 09
1:31:52 Stage 10
1:43:54 Ending")
