Bitmap Books - PC Engine The Box Art Collection

The year is 1988, I am 15 years old, year 10 at high school. I have a Commodore 64 with a huge collection of games (mostly pirated) and a Sega Master System with a decent library of arcade conversions and original releases. Magazines were pretty much the only source of gaming news and reviews. Publications such as The Games Machine, ACE and Computer & Video Games dominated the shelves.

So, when the May 1988 issue of C&VG revealed to the western world this little white box called PC Engine, it blew gamers away. Three games were covered – Victory Run, The Kung Fu and Necromancer. Victory Run is an homage to Out Run with attractive graphics and a great soundtrack, and The Kung Fu is a side-scrolling Kung-Fu Master-style fighting game with large sprites.

Gradius II: Gofer No Yabou

The screenshots conveyed a machine capable of large, colourful, flicker-free sprites that wouldn’t look out of place in an arcade. Where did NEC conjure this up?! And more importantly, how can a 15-year-old earning $20 a week of pocket money able to afford one?

Throughout the coming months, there was increased coverage and reviews trickling out of Japan and into the various gaming magazines. Well-known arcade manufacturers such as Namco, Irem, Konami, and Taito were throwing their support behind it. Unfortunately, it was too expensive to buy a PC Engine and invest in a decent games library.

The History of the PC Engine

Fast forward to 1992, I was working at a video game store that sold grey imports. I finally purchased one with three games – Parodius Da!, Don Doko Don, and Legendary Axe. I was in gaming heaven. I won't go into detail about each game but suffice to say I had heaps of fun with each one.

Unfortunately, I stupidly sold the PC Engine and the games a couple of years after that. Now I have a Core II with the Terraonion Super HD System3 Pro and have access to pretty much the entire library. The library is huge, so having reference books like the PC Engine The Box Art Collection from Bitmap Books is a great way to discover titles that you may not know or give a chance to.

Garou Densetsu Special

This is my 18th Bitmap Books publication, and in my humble opinion, they produce the best video game books using high-quality paper materials. Written contents are well-researched and pleasing to read, and the photography of the game boxes, manuals and screenshots are meticulous.

Spanning across 372 pages and weighing just a little over 2kgs, PC Engine The Box Art Collection has a very pleasing layout. Each page presents the game's cover art as well as three screenshots showing the title screen and in-game action. The text is all white on a colour background with an easy-to-read font size. The first paragraph explains the origin of the game, while the second has a cover art description. Also included is the year of release, software developer, genre and media format. Games are listed alphabetically.

Bookending the box art is a foreword by The PC Engine Software Bible founder Paul Weller, a history of the PC Engine, a collector interview, and a games index.

As always with Bitmap Books, the quality is fantastic. From the simple but beautifully designed cover, the print quality, the photography and the design layout, it’s a book highly recommended for fans of the platform. As the library is quite substantial, these types of books are a great reference guide to discover its many different releases on HUCARD and CD-ROM.

Visit this link to purchase it directly from Bitmap Books.

Steam – Schildmaid MX & Murtop

I've been hooked on a couple of recently released games on Steam for the past few months. One of them is Schildmaid MX, an intense side-scrolling shoot-'em-up that has captured my attention.

This game delivers a fresh shooting experience with its stunning pixel graphics and impressive particle effects for explosive moments. You'll find yourself turning the enemies' attacks into a mesmerizing bullet storm while collecting projectiles to power up your ship and achieve high scores. The action is non-stop and frantic, reminiscent of the chaotic excitement found in Geometry Wars. The vibrant explosions and pixelated chaos create a visually stunning display, complemented by the captivating soundtrack from Studio Mudprints.

Every aspect of Schildmaid MX feels polished, and the addictive gameplay is a testament to that. I personally enjoy playing it with the 8BitDo SFC30 gamepad, a faithful replica of the SNES controller, which offers responsive controls. The game also features an online leaderboard, allowing you to compete with other players, as well as a detailed score analysis that breaks down your stats, including hours played, enemies shot down, and enemy attacks collected. The challenge of constantly pushing yourself to improve your progress adds to the game's addictive nature.

Schildmaid Mx EX Jaeger Mode - Level 2

If you're interested, you can purchase Schildmaid MX on Steam for $21.95 AUD. It's definitely worth checking out if you're a fan of captivating shooters and addictive gameplay.

For the second game, let me introduce you to Murtop, a thrilling arcade game that transports you back to the golden era of gaming in the 80s. This hidden gem combines elements from classic titles like Dig Dug, Bomberman, and a dash of Mr. Do! Join the adorable protagonist, Murti, as she utilizes her bomb-popping skills to save the world from a relentless invasion of carrot-hungry moles.

Murtop offers an exhilarating experience with its 256 screen time-limited stages, reminiscent of the challenges found in traditional arcade games. The vertical screen orientation and pixel-perfect scaling ensure an authentic retro feel, while the CRT filter enhances the nostalgic vibes. Additionally, the game features an attract mode that adds to the overall ambiance. For those who prefer a TATE mode experience, Murtop has got you covered.

Murtop - Bomberman meets Dig Dug

If this sounds like your cup of tea, you can grab Murtop on Steam for just $7.50. Immerse yourself in this throwback arcade adventure and relish the joy of classic gaming with a modern twist.

Commodore 128

 

My apologies for the lack of updates on this blog. I've been busy with work commitments and side gigs, as well as spending time setting up the computer lab. The lab setup has been a slow and careful process as each computer, power supply, and monitor requires recapping due to their age, typically 30 years or older.

 

To achieve this, I have been purchasing cap kits and accessories for the various hardware. While I initially had no plans to add the Commodore 128 to my collection, I stumbled upon a near-new boxed unit on eBay last year, and despite its high cost, I decided to buy it. I left it in the box with the intention of connecting it at a later date.

In March, I finally connected the Commodore 128 to my 1802 monitor and discovered that the video output was extremely faded with poor colour display. After conducting research, I found that this is a common issue with the MOS 8701 clock generator chip, which controls colour display and other functions. To fix the problem, I ordered a replacement board from Individual Computers, which also came with a crystal in case that was also faulty. Within days, the replacement board arrived, and my good friend, who is an electronics wiz, replaced all the caps. Fortunately, this fixed the issue with the video output, and it's now running without any flaws.

In addition, I've purchased some accessories for it, including a Userport Saver and an SD2IEC+ from TFW8b, as well as a RAD expansion unit from a custom builder in Canada. In a future post, I will cover these accessories in more detail. 

Apple Arcade

 

I first subscribed to Apple Arcade in 2020, but I only spent a little time on the available games. That’s something I want to change in 2023. So, what is Apple Arcade? It’s a game subscription service that has no ads or in-app purchases. Currently, there are over 200 games available from a list of different genres.

  

Over the last few weeks, I’ve installed several games onto my iPad Pro and paired an Xbox One controller via Bluetooth to play them. Here are some highlights.

Horizon Chase 2 is an arcade-style racer with little to no breaking required.

 

When timed correctly, you can drift around corners, and by using the boost function, you can race ahead of the pack.

 

The competition will take you through five countries with a total of 55 tracks. Early races are easy, but the difficulty ramps up. It’s very challenging to win a race positioned in the top three.

There are several cars to choose from, with several more that can be unlocked by finishing races. You can upgrade your car by collecting blue coins during the race and gaining experience points at the end of the race.

 

Graphics are solid, colourful and detailed with a very smooth frame rate. Environments are dynamic, so certain tracks you can be driving from dawn to dusk. There’s dust on dirt tracks and other weather conditions such as rain.

 

This is a game that I recommend playing with headphones. It has a fantastic soundtrack by Barry Leitch of Lotus Turbo Challenge fame on the Amiga.

 

Overall, I like this game. It wouldn’t feel out of place if it was on a console. It has that one more go vibe to it.

Jetpack Joyride 2 is an action-packed endless runner-type game that is exclusive to Apple Arcade.

  

Equipped with a jetpack, you automatically rush down a hallway-type structure as you jet up and down to collect coins and avoid obstacles. You're also equipped with a gun that automatically starts firing when rockets and flying protagonists appear. At the end of the level is a boss that you must defeat.

  

Controls are dead easy. A single button is used to guide your hero. Timing is critical to avoid obstacles and later levels can get quite chaotic.

Along the way, health, firepower, vehicle and power-ups can be upgraded. These upgrades are optional but boosting them helps you to progress through the later levels.

 

I love this game - it is one of my favourites here. The graphics are well drawn and colourful, with a very smooth framerate. Audio, especially with headphones, is a perfect accompaniment. Levels are short enough that you want to keep playing to the next level.

I’ve been playing Exit the Gungeon for the last few days, and so far, I’ve been really enjoying it.

  

It’s a semi-sequel to Enter the Gungeon released in 2016. An arcade-style bullet hell dungeon climber where you attempt to survive countless waves of enemies and navigation of dangerous elevators.

  

Levels can be very chaotic as your gun transforms several times every minute. Using your dodge roll is the key to surviving, as when you are airborne, you’re invulnerable to enemy fire.

At the end of the level, you will encounter a boss (13 in total) that's well-designed and a joy to fight.  

Using the Xbox joypad, the control is nice and tight, with the mapping of buttons very intuitive.

  

The pixel-style graphics are fantastic and would not look out of place on a PS4 or Switch. Sound effects are suitably crunchy. Very highly recommended! 

Currently, there are over 200 titles available to play, with a small handful released monthly. Like any library available, titles vary in quality, but at around seven dollars a month (if paid yearly), it provides great value. 
  

Taito Arcade Memories Vol. 1

It's great to see companies like Taito continue to support classic gaming and make their games available to new audiences. It can be a lot of fun to play classic arcade games, and the fact that they are being released in packs like this makes it easier for people to access a wider variety of games. Do you have a particular favourite from Taito's library?

Click the above screenshot to view the video.

Fusion Retro Books

Just a shout-out about Fusion Retro Books. They produce publications such as Crash, ZZAP! 64, and Fusion, as well as their annual books. This ZZAP! Amiga 2023 Annual is one of a handful of books I backed on Kickstarter this year.

There are reviews on Turbo Sprint, Tiny Bobble, Metal Gear and Green Beret. A look back at the launch of Amiga Force, an interview with Geezer Games and much more. It's great to see a quality publication for the Amiga platform and excellent new game releases now and in the future.

Another book that I backed is The Commodore 64 Collectors Guide to Mastertronic. It lists and reviews every game released by Mastertronic and its sub-labels. It's beautifully produced, with over 500 pages and a decent paper thickness. Each game covered has box art, screenshots, game description and review, developer details and control instructions.

One of my fondest gaming memories was going to Kmart and seeing which new Mastertronic games had arrived. They were typically on those cassette holders that you would twirl around. Each game was $10, and most times, you purchased the game on the strength of the artwork. It was hit-and-miss, but that's what made it fun. This book is a great reference to go back and replay those classics or to discover titles never played.

Taito Milestones Collector's Edition

Preordered this 12 months ago from Strictly Limited Games, and it just recently arrived. For collectors, it is an excellent addition to your collection, especially for Taito fans. So far, I've spent several hours playing one of my all-time faves Elevator Action, as well as Front Line and The Ninja Warriors. You can change display settings to add scan line filters, but I've found that sharp pixels look the best on the Switch LCD.

Click the above screenshot to view the video.