Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
AL82 Retrogaming Longplays
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Rise of the Robots Longplay (PC DOS) [4K] [CD-ROM Edition]
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![Rise of the Robots Longplay (PC DOS) [4K] [CD-ROM Edition]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/kCGqM8glvMs/mqdefault.jpg "Rise of the Robots Longplay (PC DOS) [4K] [CD-ROM Edition]
Rise of the Robots Longplay (PC DOS) [4K] [CD-ROM Edition]")
![The Sword & the Rose Longplay (Amiga) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/kRGGwMIqNCs/mqdefault.jpg "The Sword & the Rose Longplay (Amiga) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Codemasters
Publisher: Codemasters
Year of Release: 1990
Game Review & Impressions
Also known as Prince Clumsy, The Sword & the Rose is a budget Ghosts n Goblins clone that dispenses with scrolling, and most of the fun. This is a very basic flick-screen platformer where the only real challenge is staying alive, locating the occasional key to open a locked gate.
The games chief problem is the way enemies constantly spawn on every single screen, often overwhelming you. Without a weapon that can defeat them in a single hit, youre doomed to failure, which means avoiding most of the extra equipment you find.
Codemasters earned a reputation for putting out some quality budget games, but The Sword & the Rose is not one of them. Its overly difficult, too short, and devoid of any enjoyment.
Chapters
00:00 Attract mode
03:55 Gameplay")
![Jim Power: The Lost Dimension Longplay (NES) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/kROBxlfvtFg/mqdefault.jpg "Jim Power: The Lost Dimension Longplay (NES) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Piko Interactive
Publisher: Piko Interactive
Year of Release: 2021
Game Review & Impressions
Jim Power started life on the Amiga, featuring some stunning parallax scrolling and brilliant music from Chris Huelsbeck, but was eventually ported to various consoles, including the PC Engine. The SNES version is particularly memorable for horridly weird reversed scrolling between the foreground and background layers, which means its not a game to play whilst slightly tipsy.
Given the resurgence of retro games in the past few years, Jim Power was re-released on various formats, but also received a conversion to the NES. I dont know if this was built from the ground up, or whether it was a prototype from back in the day which was eventually picked up and finished, but I can say its a pretty stunning conversion.
The graphics and music are excellent, and the gameplay is rock solid too. This is a nifty run-and-gun shooter with plenty of levels, and well worth checking out.
Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:58 Title Music (full loop)
04:23 Stage 1-1
06:10 Stage 1-2
07:36 Stage 1-3
09:10 Stage 1 Tunnel
10:28 Stage 1 Boss
11:02 Stage 2-1
13:04 Stage 2-2
14:49 Stage 2-3
16:45 Stage 2 Tunnel
18:03 Stage 2 Boss
18:45 Stage 3-1
21:02 Stage 3-2
22:52 Stage 3-3
25:17 Stage 3 Tunnel
26:35 Stage 3 Boss
27:34 Final Boss
29:01 Ending")
![Qwak Longplay (Amiga) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/kapiH6X-2pQ/mqdefault.jpg "Qwak Longplay (Amiga) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Jamie Woodhouse/Team 17
Publisher: Team 17
Year of Release: 1993
Game Review & Impressions
I covered Qwak on the channel way back in 2013, but that longplay was cut short by a bug where the program crashed once the score passed a certain limit. I didnt get to cover all of the 80 different game screens present, which meant the whole longplay turned into one massive loose end of a video.
Over a decade later, I decided to give the game a second try. Despite having no ending (it loops around after beating stage 80), I felt I had unfinished business with Qwak, something which I wanted to rectify. Again, I encountered the same game-breaking bug that crashes the whole thing when earning a Gem Bonus at the end of a level so stupidly large the game couldnt see to cope with the value, but I was able to plough through the final remaining stages by deliberately avoiding gems, which meant I was able to get all 80 levels covered before calling it quits.
For those unaware, Qwak was originally developed and released for the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron computers back in 1989. Jamie Woodhouse, the games developer, would later update the game for the Commodore Amiga, boasting radically upgraded graphics, new features, not to mention in-game music (Allister Brimble and Bjørn Lynne). It was awarded 88% by Amiga Power magazine in its November 93 edition, a score I reckon is quite reasonable.
The best way is to describe Qwak is a single-screen arcade action game, which draws influence from Bubble Bobble. The objective of each level is to collect the gold keys to open one of the exit gates, then proceed to the next stage. Each screen is inhabited by various creatures that will damage you on contact, so the obvious solution would be to defeat them to remove the threat, but managing to clear a screen without killing anything rewards the player with a massive Pacifist bonus score. Theres also the consideration that you have a limited supply of eggs with which to hurl at the monsters, so it also pays to pick your battles carefully. Point score for killing enemies is very limited compared to other games, so youll really want to conserve your egg supply for levels where you really have no option but to fight.
Despite having not played the game for close to 13 years, Im still of the opinion this is an excellent game. Its easy to pick up, but incredibly difficult to master, especially once you reach the levels where you need to collect lightbulbs to revel enemy positions and hazards. The graphics, sound and music are all excellent, and the fact the whole game fits on a single floppy disk is quite the achievement. Qwak is an addictive game
Chapters
00:00 Attract mode
01:36 Stage 01 - 10
07:53 Stage 11 - 20
13:49 Stage 21 - 30
20:10 Stage 31 - 40
26:56 Stage 41 - 50
33:23 Stage 51 - 60
39:52 Stage 61 - 70
45:33 Stage 71 - 80
53:52 Game over")
![Mega Turrican Longplay (Sega Genesis) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/l5kFZbdWH7o/mqdefault.jpg "Mega Turrican Longplay (Sega Genesis) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Factor 5
Publisher: Data East
Year of Release: 1993
Game Review & Impressions
Mega Turrican marked Factor 5s shift to focusing on console development, and I think its a step up in overall quality. I longplayed this directly after completing the Amiga version (Turrican 3), and while things are very very similar, the console version has the edge. The graphics are improved, boasting detailed parallax background layers, and there are more colours overall than the Amiga counterpart.
The actual gameplay is virtually identical on the Genesis, although having three buttons makes life a lot easier in the control stakes. As I noted in my review of the Amiga version, the level design is a lot tighter and more linear than Turrican or Turrican II, and are the better for it, at least in my opinion. I think the overly long xenomorph-esque section drags on a bit too long, but its probably the best in terms of pacing and flow.
I should also say that, as a huge fan of the Amiga and its musical capabilities, the soundtrack accompanying the Genesis version is really rather good. Chris Huelsbeck did a great job in translating his compositions to the console, and there are some really great drum samples throughout.
Mega Turrican isnt the best run-and-gun shooter on the Genesis, but its still a solid entry, provided you can overlook the stupidly long fourth stage its obnoxiously annoying face hugger-like enemies. Its a decent game, and infinitely better than that really weird rebranding of an earlier Turrican game, Universal Solider.
Information & Trivia
- To access the secret stage 1-2, you must have a score containing two consecutive zeros (like 12500, 10080) when you reach the final elevator in 1-1. Provided your score contains tow consecutive zeros when you reach the bottom of the shaft, youll enter the secret stage.
Video Notes
- All gems collected
- All extra lives collected
- Secret level 1-2 showcased as part of main playthrough (see timestamp)
Related Longplays & Videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcIJJNaEWTs
Chapters
00:00 Intro
02:14 Stage 1-1
06:42 Stage 1-2 (secret stage)
09:33 Stage 1-3
11:41 Stage 2-1
14:47 Stage 2-2
20:53 Stage 3-1
21:36 Stage 3-2
29:50 Stage 4-1
42:27 Stage 4-2
45:30 Stage 4-3
56:15 Stage 5-1
1:02:19 Final boss
1:04:14 Ending")
![Phelios Longplay (Arcade) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/mDOWFPS4JtQ/mqdefault.jpg "Phelios Longplay (Arcade) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Namco
Publisher: Namco
Year of Release: 1988
Game Review & Impressions
Released exclusively in Japan, the original arcade version of Phelios is a unique and tortuously difficult entry in the world of coin-op shoot em ups. The theme is, unusually, a take on ancient Greek mythology. The player assumes the role of the sun god Apollo, who is fighting to rescue his sister Artemis from the forces of the great Titan, Typhon. From atop his winged steed, Pegasus, Apollo rains down righteous fire upon all those that face him, fighting wave-upon-wave of enemies through a series of multi-scrolling levels. The game features some rather nifty sprite scaling and rotation effects that you dont typically see in this kind of game, and for 1988, its really impressive in terms of visuals.
You wont have time to stand and gawk at the graphics, however, because Phelios is one of the most challenging games of its type. This is a game that requires fast reactions, detailed knowledge of enemy attack patterns and positions, not to mention a sack full of coins to purchase those extra continues. The boss encounters are some of the most innovative Ive seen in a shoot em up of this kind, involving multiple mechanics that require you remain on the move at all times, avoiding projectiles, timing your shots to hit the boss when they become vulnerable. One of the most unique and challenging of all the bosses is the fire guardian on the fourth stage, which spews forth projectiles whenever you damage it. The usual strategy of hammering the fire button to do as much damage as possible simply will not work here, and the only way to succeed is to stagger your attacks, giving you time to pick a path through the oncoming onslaught of fireballs. Its insanely hard, but one has to give Namco credit for creativity.
However, the game comes with something of an unexpected sting in the tail. If you somehow manage to reach the final boss without losing a life, the boss itself cannot be defeated; no matter how much damage you do, it simply will not die. On the subsequent attempt, having lost a life, the boss went down in timely fashion, so I have to conclude that some combination of factors had, indeed, put it into a state of invulnerability. Whether this is a bug or by design, I cannot say, but finding this kind of nonsense in a game is always hugely frustrating.
Despite the extreme difficulty, Phelios is one of the more interesting vertical shoot em ups of the period. The Greek mythological setting makes a change from the typical sci-fi stuff so prevalent in the genre, and the boss encounter designs are as interesting as they are challenging. For those who really want to test their mettle, Phelios wont disappoint.
Chapters
00:00 Attract mode
01:43 Stage 01
05:13 Stage 02
09:53 Stage 03
13:06 Stage 04
17:56 Stage 05
21:14 Stage 06
24:33 Stage 07
28:52 Final boss
31:21 Ending")
![Rezon Longplay (Arcade) [4K]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/mqLGmLBhqv8/mqdefault.jpg "Rezon Longplay (Arcade) [4K]
Rezon Longplay (Arcade) [4K]")
![Champion Boxing Longplay (Arcade) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/nLdTITFGy40/mqdefault.jpg "Champion Boxing Longplay (Arcade) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Sega
Publisher: Sega
Year of Release: 1984
Game Review & Impressions
Ive played various boxing games over the years for this channel, and theyve all followed the same formula. Pugilists face off against one another in the finest display of Queensbury Rules, with the player inputting joystick commands to throw jabs, hooks and crosses, or to cover up and avoid incoming blows.
Champion Boxing does all of this, albeit within the limitations of the tech available in 1984. Its not a complicated game by any means, but I was surprised by the overall presentation. It looks and sounds pretty good for its time, even if the movement is a somewhat staccato and flickery. I particularly liked the wide-eyed stupor on the combatants expressions when knocked to the canvas, injecting some humour into the proceedings.
I was less enamoured with the CPUs seeming invincibility in later rounds. It reads the players inputs and becomes virtually impossible to land a punch, and in that moment a blow fails to connect, it unleashes a barrage of unassailable hammer-blows which will see you eating canvas in seconds. Naturally, one shouldnt be surprised at any of this, given its a pay-to-play coin-op, but I still hate it when any kind of fighting game does this kind of thing.
Although something of a relic, Champion Boxing does a decent job at replicating the sport. It would be far better to play this against a human opponent, but even in single player, its not too bad.
Chapters
00:00 Attract mode
00:26 Stage 01
02:37 Stage 02
04:33 Stage 03
06:19 Stage 04
07:26 Stage 05
09:26 Stage 06
10:17 Stage 07")
![Jaguar XJ220 Longplay (Amiga) [4K]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/nVCuMjk2M4A/mqdefault.jpg "Jaguar XJ220 Longplay (Amiga) [4K]
Game Info
Developer: Core Design
Publisher: Core Design
Year of Release: 1992
Game Review & Impressions
The Lamborghini Countach and Ferrari F40 might have been the poster pin-ups for many kids bedroom walls back in late 80s and early 90s, but my favourite supercar from that period was the Jaguar XJ220. A joint venture between Jaguar and Tom Walkinshaw Racing, the XJ220 was was originally supposed to be V12 AWD monster, but was watered down to a turbo-charged V6 RWD design when the global economic downturn of the early 90s struck, causing the bottom to fall out of the luxury supercar market. Nevertheless, it briefly held the record as the worlds fastest production road car with a top speed of 217 mph, and an exterior design that is as gorgeous as it is timeless. The car has featured in numerous racing games over the decades, and continues to show up in the Forza Horizon series, demonstrating the car still has currency. Its just a beautiful machine.
The XJ220s first video game appearance was Jaguar XJ220, developed by Core Design originally for the Amiga, with an updated version for the Sega Mega CD launching in 1993. Its a title Ive long intended to cover on the channel, but the considerable length and difficulty of the game has always dissuaded me from tackling it, at least until now.
At its core (pun intended), the game is Cores answer to the Lotus series. It plays pretty much identically to those games, where the main objective is to compete in and hopefully win a series of 36 circuit-based races set across 12 different countries. Each country features 3 tracks that boast their own graphical themes, features and hazards, and youll be competing against drivers looking to propel their respective teams to the top spot on the championship leader board. You and your XJ220 teammate will be racing head-to-head against supercar legends like the Ferrari F40, Lamborghini Countach and Porsche 959, so victory is far from guaranteed, even if you do have the highest top speed.
Bagging a podium finish nets you points needed to win the championship, and a much-needed infusion of cash to keep your car in working order. Youll need to replace worn tires, fix engine and exhaust faults, and replace damaged bodywork caused through the inevitable hazards of racing. This damage, especially balding tires, has a noticeably adverse affect on your cars handling and performance, and failure to repair means theres a good chance youll fail to finish the race at all, let alone in the top 3.
The repair system is actually one of my biggest bug-bears with the game. It refuses to let you replace any part of the car still shown as green in the repair bay, which means youre guaranteed to be down to the rims in the next race, sliding off the road on every bloody bend. It would have been so much better if there was an indicator which showed how badly damaged each component was, and to let you repair that component at any point. It would help avoid situations where a race becomes unbeatable because the big end on your XJ220 decides to blow mid-event.
The second major irritant is the fact that some races are simply unwinnable. There are tracks where the CPU cars blaze into the distance and maintain a perpetual lead, despite me keeping the speedometer above 200 mph for most of the race. It could be poor balance, but it felt to me like the CPU cars simply cheat on certain races, possibly to limit the players progress. I couldnt extend my leader board position by more than 100 points because of races where Id finish back of the pack, regardless of how well I performed. I still finished the game with a comfortable lead, but I had this nagging feeling that greater forces were at play.
I guess on a technical level the game is quite impressive, managing to render multiple cars and roadside objects on-screen, without the framerate becoming completely unplayable. It certainly performs better than Lotus III: The Ultimate Challenge on an A500, but it still lags behind Lotus Turbo Challenge 2, which is the gold standard for Amiga racers. Id also argue that, cosmetically, it looks worse than either of those games, featuring horizon graphics that lack much in the way of detail. Its not really ugly, just a tad bland.
I should stress that there is stuff to like about the game. The track editor is a neat idea, and Martin Ivesons attitude to music composition is a refreshing change from the usual synth beats and overuse of ST01 samples common in so many Amiga titles. I just wish the actual racing experience was more engaging and the races not so overly long. Being forced to sit through 7 laps of the same course is a reminder that less really can be more, and is why Lotus 2 still remains my favourite Amiga racer.
Chapters
0:00:00 Title screen and credits
0:01:50 Gameplay")
![Darius Gaiden: Silver Hawk Longplay (Arcade) [4K] [All Stages]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/nXORTZAiB4U/mqdefault.jpg "Darius Gaiden: Silver Hawk Longplay (Arcade) [4K] [All Stages]
Game Info
Developer: Taito
Publisher: Taito
Year of Release: 1994
Game Review & Impressions
Darius Gaiden isnt a series I was familiar with, but I became intimately acquainted with the game over the many, MANY hours it took to record this!
The reason why the video is so long is because the game uses a branching path system which allows players to tackle different stages, based on their preference, leading to 1 of 7 different endings, all of which I decided to cover. The majority of levels and enemies in the game are inspired by marine life, and while certain levels are certainly based on, in or around water and oceans, youll frequently find yourself blasting intergalactic blowfish and octopi in the deep vacuum of space itself.
And youll have plenty of equipment with which to do the blasting. Your ship has a primary energy weapon, upgradeable by grabbing the red shield icons dropped by enemies, which spews forth spreading waves of hot plasma as fast as you can tap the fire button. Missiles can be installed in a secondary slot and eventually upgraded with homing capabilities, and a black hole smart bomb can be triggered to clear the screen of smaller enemies and nullify any projectiles on screen. Grabbing blue shield tokens bestows your ship with an energy barrier that protects against damage, although you are less agile with the shield enabled.
Even with your ship upgraded, agility is possibly the most important aspect to beating the game because Darius Gaiden is absolutely merciless. Its a given that coin operated arcade games are going to be hard, but this is on a whole different level. Even if you manage to reach the end of a stage, some of the guardians youll encounter can seem downright impossible to beat and soak up a ton of damage, so you might be wise to chart a course through the game which avoids these particular nemeses.
I reckon the best way to experience Darius Gaiden is really on free-play. The game looks amazing, featuring some very trippy backgrounds and effects that look like they escaped from a demoscene production, all set to an equally leftfield soundtrack. Its all really quite impressive, so Id recommend to just keep pumping in those credits, just so you get to see it all.
Video Notes
- Includes all 7 routes and endings
Chapters
0:00:00 Attract mode
0:01:30 Route 1 [ABDGKPZ]
0:31:16 Route 2 [ACEHLQV]
0:55:37 Route 3 [ACFIMRW]
1:23:54 Route 4 [ACFJNSX]
1:48:54 Route 5 [ACFJOTY]
2:12:28 Route 6 [ACFJOUZ]
2:35:41 Route 7 [ACFJOUV]")
![Captain America and the Avengers Longplay (Arcade) [4K]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/nnE-RKP-K7o/mqdefault.jpg "Captain America and the Avengers Longplay (Arcade) [4K]
Game Info
Developer: Data East
Publisher: Data East
Year of Release: 1991
Game Review & Impressions
The billion dollar juggernaut that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe has, aside from earning a staggeringly huge amount of money, undoubtedly raised the profile of the many characters created by the late Stan Lee and other talents at Marvel. With Marvel now a massive global brand, its interesting to look back the various super heroes appearances in other media when they were, perhaps, not quite such a household name.
Given that Konami had been something of a trailblazer with its Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and The Simpsons arcade machines a couple of years prior, its surprising that they didnt snap up the rights to produce a multiplayer arcade game based on The Avengers. Instead, rivals Data East put out this side-scrolling beat em up based on Captain America and his crime-fighting colleagues, looking to prove that whatever Konami could do, they could do better.
The end result is a brawler starring four of the Avengers line-up. Players can choose to play as Captain America, Iron Man, Vision, or Hawkeye, fighting alongside each other against the nefarious Red Skull and his minions. The evil genius intends to build a giant Doomsday laser cannon, and its up to Cap and team to put an end to his plans.
The gameplay is remarkably simple: walk right and punch things until they fall down, with some chaffing superhero spandex added into the mix. Tapping the attack button throws combos of punches and kicks, whilst pressing attack and jump causes the hero to initiate one of their signature moves. Its also possible to pick up and hurl certain objects at your foes, and double-tapping the control stick initiates a dash, allowing for slides and shoulder barges, so theres at least some variety in the attacks you can perform.
If youre going to make a game based on such iconic comic book characters as those from Marvel, you sure as heck best make the characters look the part. To Data Easts credit, they did a good job on the overall presentation, with the assembled cast Avengers and adversaries definitely looking like their pen-and-ink counterparts. The animation is also to a high standard, and the background and level graphics are designed to mimic the style found in the comics and assorted animations. My one criticism in the art department was the decision to make the characters quite so small - I just feel that for a game based on super heroes, it would have been more exciting to have seen them up close and in greater detail.
As for the gameplay, I spent a fair degree of my time playing through this wondering why I felt somewhat bored. Some of this stems from the fact Ive never really been that invested in the characters or comic books as a whole, and Im not sure theres enough variety in the enemies you face or the design of the levels to keep a single player engaged. The shooting levels that act as a bridge between the core fighting stages mix things up a little, but I think to enjoy Captain America and The Avengers at its best, you need to be playing alongside some buddies.
Chapters
00:00 Attract mode
02:23 Stage 1
05:40 Stage 2
10:39 Stage 3
15:22 Stage 4
19:42 Stage 5
25:15 Final Boss
27:03 Ending")
![Rise of the Robots Longplay (PC DOS) [4K] [CD-ROM Edition] @AL82RetrogamingLongplays](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/kCGqM8glvMs/hqdefault.jpg)
