I’m still enjoying the last Indie Royal game bundle and it appears that there’s another one out containing a whopping NINE indie games. There’s a great mixture on offer here including a classic FPS, an RTS type game as well as a graphic adventure and bullet hell schmups.
All for three and a bit quid! It’s like the good old days with budget releases on tape …except I haven’t found a dud yet.
This latest ‘Summer Bundle’ couldn’t have come at at better time, what with this, almost record breaking wet June giving plenty of chillin time inside with a cool glass and time for a game or too.
I’m really getting into these bundles, exploring new games, bonus content, creative ideas and unique gameplay and at a great too. Right….game on!
40 years ago day, Atari was born and to celebrate their milestone anniversary, for one day only, they’ve have unlocked all of the games bundles for Atari’s greatest hits app for iOS devices and can be downloaded for free.
If you missed the chance when Mame appeared briefly on the app store or have decided not to jailbreak your iOS device, you can’t got wrong with Atari’s offering to get some authentic retro games installed. In fact, even if you have Atari classics running via iMame, check out these bundles anyway as they each game has custom controls designed specifically for touchscreen which makes them much more enjoyable than Mame counterparts running on an iPad/iPhone. For example, touchscreen spinners controls for Tempest or dual control for Battlezone.
Presentation is top notch too with artwork and documents to accompany each game as well as in game bezel overlays and side art.
Atari’s greatest hits is available via iTunes so grab those bundles today whilst the offer lasts.
I’d missed a parcel deliverywhilst away for the weekend and so off I skipped to the post office to pick up what i hoped would be my Raspberry Pi. Sadly it wasn’t, but nevermind, it turned out it to be this rather cool tech toy I ordered a few days ago.
The Arcadie-Arcade cabinet for iPhone £GS, 4, 4S and Ipd Touch (3rd Gen).
Simply slot the iPhone into the back of the cabinet, launch one of the freely available arcadie games (via iTunes) and hey presto a mini mini MINI desktop arcade cabinet – no coins ,batteries, cables or bluetooth required, just plug and play.
Looking at the inside I guess it uses these pressure pads to transfer controls to the iPhone touch screen?
Each Arcadie game uses the top half of the screen leaving the bottom half for the control input. I’m already trying to determine where these contact points on the screen for future modding.
Could you image if the API was used to build a custom release of iMame to play original arcade games (two buttoned games of course) Sadly, i can’t see this ever happening but one can surely hope!
Here’s a quick video I made of the Arcadie-Arcade in action. Thanks to my wife for lending me her iPhone so i could video this on my own iPhone…and for putting up with the whooping and a hollering as i racked up the points on Space Invaders.
The cabinet side art/control panel art is simply a printed sticker…i.e. Booting Photoshop to create my own set of art that’s based on a classic arcade cabinet?
Here’s an interesting prospect. Manomio’s C64 emulator for iPhone/Ipad has two viewing modes (three if you count landscape) and with one being that it only uses the top half of the screen. The C64 has a huge library of coin op conversions.
Sadly, it was unplayable because the controls on screen are not relative to the touch screen controls on the iPhone (although not far off ). With my thinking cap on I think I know of a way around for this I’d like to explore and so it’s off to the tool shed to find my hammer.
Got to work this morning and sat on my desk was this! No time for morning Coffee StiGGy, go go go!
Woo-hoo, Raspberr…oh, it was just an empty box
..and to rub salt into the wounds, my fellow co-workers < now laughing at the hilarity of his practical joke > opened his draw and pulled out his own Raspberry Pi board. However, seeing the donuts I’d brought in,he traded me one for a looksee. I.T. Technicians, mercenary boggers
It’s amazing to think, all that cool tech is wrapped up into such a small parcel and for cost of a hardback book. Although slightly more expensive it was my exact thought when I had my first ZX81.
Lets hope mine arrives soon. In the meantime, we’ll be playing with this one tomorrow (lunch break of course…probably).
We’ve just got back from an extra long weekend at the coast and despite the gloomy skies when we arrived on friday morning, things soon brightened up, the weather held and all had a jolly good time.
One of the colourful beach huts I encountered whilst on an nineteen mile ramble along the coast line. Great walking but aching after so many miles on sand. I need more ice cream
As is the custom when heading out to the coast (well, my custom anyway), i’m always on the lookout for the odd amusement hall in the hope that there might be a classic arcade cab sitting inside. Sadly this time, not a dime. There was an arcade close by and bags of fun it was, it was mainly slots, dance mats and modern whizz bang games. Guitar Hero had to be sample of course
What was nice to see though was the traditional penny push games and, although in more modern surroundings, Roll Ball, Air Hockey and a classic rifle range.
Despite the lack of vintage tech, the 80′s decor was abundant including plenty of mirrors, bright red neon and dodgy looking wall to wall carpets. At one point, even the noise from umpteen modern game cabs, and with a little imagination, could transport you back to those golden days. It would have only needed just one classic cab to add a bit of nostalgia to the ambient digital soundtrack.
This got me thinking on the way home, if you had to pick just a handful of classic arcade games which sound effects or attract modes brings it all back to you, what would you have in your fantasy arcade?
For me, purely for sound effects I’d have to include.
Gauntlet – classic Atari speech
Outrun – the sound of summer
Moon Cresta – a sound ditty to pierce though all others
Star Wars – more classic Atari speech and a booming death star explosion
Spy Hunter – what more is there to say
TMNT or The Simpsons – modern games but more than welcome in my arcade soundtrack
Galaxians – retro sounds galore
1942 – do……dododo do dooooo.
Wonderboy or Pacland for there looping soundtracks
Double Dragon – a bucket of retro sounds and a must in my arcade.
So many more!
Oh go on then, one more – Daaaaaaaaytoooonnnnnnaaaaaaaaa!
I’ve just been watching a few Youtube videos on Mamecade’s channel and wanted to share this great piece he’s done on the Rastan Saga arcade games. Well worth a look.
Woohoo, postman walks down the garden path to our door with package under arm and a cheery whistle – is musical talent a pre-requisition for postal officers and milkmen? Could this be my Raspberry PI – expected weeks ago? Nope just few Master System games (not that I’m complaining). Oh well, I’ll check with him again tomorrow…..or much later as it would appear according to this email that’s just landed..the third i’ve received since ordering
Never mind, the delay will just give me more time to work on my PI project plans.
I’ve just purchased the latest indie game collection called June Bug Bundle from Indie Royale which contains the following top notch indie games.
PixelJunk Eden
Escape Goat (really looking forward to this one)
Noitu Love 2:Devolution
….and Auditorium.
IndieRoyal offer these collections approx once per month and are priced low to begin with encouraging folk to buy early and save or by the generosity of other buyers paying over the minimum price, said price is lowered for others. Great concept for community based purchasing whilst supporting our indie game developers.
I decided to pay a little over the minimum price and received as bonus – 8-Bit Weapon’s latest chip tune album Bit’s with Byte. I’ve been listening to this album via their website since it’s released but now I have the ability to download my own copy to take away in either MP3 or FLAC formats.
;
For a few quid, the bundle offers great content for a price you set yourself.
CNET have posted additional photographs of the newly unveiled Microsoft Surface tablet and includes a rather interesting article that speculates the disappointment of previous hardware partners as it appears that the new tablet will be produced solely by Microsoft.
Microsoft unveiled their new tablet yesterday and although I’m still ploughing through all of the launch reviews, the photos hitting the net show it looking pretty darn cool. Loving Microsofts take on the Apple smart cover with integral touch keyboard on the back side. Let’s hope it’s actually usable.
Exciting times ahead and one I’ll be following closely. Being MS and,I’m guessing more open than Apple, who knows what opportunities the Surface tablet will provides us retro gaming enthusiasts?
Microsoft have a big opportunity here and although I’d doubt very much they could knock Apple of the spot in the consumer market it’s in the the corporate market that they could really shine considering their dominance as the number one for business/office software.
Limbo – I have no idea how this one slipped my radar and I’m sure you current gen console gamers are well acquainted with it, but for me, and on my humble PC, this has got to be one of the greatest games I’ve played in a loooooong time! I haven’t played a game from start to finish in one sitting since the original DOS version of Prince of Persia.
If like me, you haven’t heard of Limbo, check out this fan made trailer, pick yourself up off the floor and then head on over to Steam (or the Apple app store for Mac) and prepare to be amazed.
As you can see from watching that, Limbo’s artistic design is simply outstanding and for me, the best use of a monochromatic palette in any game to date. I just love the vintage photographic elements such as the film grain, soft focus, flickering whites and vignette edges used to create a beautiful yet deadly environment. A dream world with no clues but just the way forward , step by step, bit by bit.
Whatever you want to call it, rag-doll physics etc etc, Limbo has some of the best organic animation I’ve seen in an indie game. Your character runs and jumps about with Flashback grace but it’s the hundreds of subtle animation details the creator has included that makes the character(s) and this oddball place seem almost real. When you see the spider you can’t help but get the heeby-jeebies
Sound is minimal yet the perfect track for this eerie Limbo world. Lights off, headsphones on!
Pick your way carefully for clues as to what’s going on and solve the numerous puzzles along the way. Achievement is short lived before the appearance of another one to task your brain. Most are not too difficult, yet ingenious and tricky. Some are white knuckle rides that most will certainly have you on the edge of your seat.
There are many ways to die in Limbo and you will….a lot!. In fact, so amusing are they, you’ll be wantonly throwing yourself into the fray.
Despite Limbos impressive visuals and animation, it’s runs perfectly well and on my modestly powered PC. I’d guess that any PC under 6 or 7 years wouldn’t have any trouble running this. Even my Acer 1825ptz netbook with intergrated graphics had a good stab at it although framerate was vastly improved when I lowered the game resolution (no actual in game option to change resolutions so I used the notes here to edit the ‘settings’ file.).
But enough waffling, go get it and play it right now………you still here?
Here’s a good old fashion arena blaster for those times when you’ve got five minutes to kill.
‘Shoot and defend yourself against the never-ending wave of invaders that clash against your ship. Collect power-ups, fly dangerously to fill the frenzy bar and use bombs whenever you are in a tight spot to ensure your continued survival. Can you stand against the dreaded chaser invaders?’
Invaders:Corruption by Manuel van Dyck.
Simple controls – mouse to aim and shoot and re-mappable keys to fly around . Simple, yet elegant pixel graphics, neon visual effects and a funky chip tune to boot. Immensely playable and begs for just one more go. Can you beat my high score of 72,475?
I did make this quick video but for some reason the capture software i’m using (HyperCam 2) seems to have ramped up the frame rate.
I’m not really a football fan to be honest (give me Ice Hockey any day) but just for a laugh and ahead of tonight’s game with Sweden, I thought I’d get Sensible Soccer on my Sega Megadrive to play out the match CPU vs CPU and we’ll see if the prediction comes true*
…except I haven’t found a dud yet.
