Last year, Jordan Mechner teamed up with Liquid Entertainment to create a modern remake of his 1984 beat 'em up classic, Karateka. The modern, 3D recreation of Karateka [$1.99] (which we reviewed in December) does an excellent job of conveying the tragic tale of the poor, imprisoned princess Mariko and the bold quest to rescue her to today's gamers using modern visuals, an original score, and unique, new fight mechanics. Another thing it does is give old school gamers a real itch to go back and play through the 8-bit original. Happily, as of tonight, that itch is easily scratched.
As word of the Karateka remake hit the news towards the end of last year, Mechner began hearing from lots of these gamers expressing a desire to replay the original game on their modern devices. And, so, he teamed up with Olivier Goguel of FTA to bring the original Karateka to iOS (and Android) by way of Goguel's Apple IIgs emulator, ActiveGS (which we first highlighted back in 2011). (more...)
It certainly isn't the first time someone has snuck on to the App Store, and I can almost promise it won't be the last, but if you're big into grabbing things you "shouldn't" have (per Apple's approval process) then Awesome Baby Names [$1.99] is something you need to snag immediately. What initially appears to be a very simple and silly baby naming app is actually a fairly full-featured Gameboy Advance emulator.
Accessing it is simple, load up the app, tap the top left corner three times, the middle button once, then immediately above that once. Presto, you're thrown into a ROM listing for a Gameboy Advance emulator. You'll need to use iExplorer or something similar to load a Gameboy Advance bios as well as the actual ROMs into the app, but once you do that, it's (reasonably) smooth sailing.
For help with getting this all running, definitely check out the thread in our forums. Admittedly, getting this all working is a little trickier than playing your typical iOS game so if fiddling with your phone's file system via iExplorer sounds over your head, this might not be for you.
Update: Aaaaaaaand just like that, Awesome Baby Names joins the many other similar trojan horse apps that have been released. Apple seems to have just pulled it from the App Store. If you were able to grab it, store that .IPA somewhere safe. I recommend snagging a free Dropbox account and just using it to permanently store apps like this so you'll always have a copy in the cloud if you ever need it again.
Yesterday, a game that was developed in 1982 for arcade hardware, but never officially released, quietly landed in the App Store. Gridlee [Free] is a simple game where you maneuver a little green fellow about a grid that stretches off into the distance, blasting upwards at bouncy red figures that try and squash you. That's Gridlee, but that's not the crux of the matter with this app.
As developer David Loureiro explains, Gridlee was developed for the Bally/Sente SAC I cartridge-based arcade machine. It has been brought to iOS devices by way of an emulation wrapper...namely MAME4iOS.
Late last month, Rantmedia Games leveled up the state of retro in the App Store with the release of Vectrex Regeneration [Free], their effort to bring the authentic Vectrex experience to iOS gamers. We took a close look at this vectorscopic one-stop-shop, and found that they had largely succeeded, but with a few rough edges just out the gate.
I'm happy to report that the folks over at Rantmedia have been listening to feedback and quick to respond to issue reports and general suggestions. The first update to Vectrex Regeneration, since it debuted, has gone live and addresses a number of issues voiced in my review:
Earlier devices supported — The original iPad and the iPhone 3GS are now supported, with performance improvements on the iPhone 4.
Wireless controller improvements — In the initial release, there was a problem with non-diagonal directional control, which is now fixed.
Joystick sensitivity — Joystick sensitivity settings are now saved per-game, rather than the previous same-setting-for-all situation.
Black screen — A fix for certain (jailbroken...) devices experiencing a black screen on startup.
MineStorm — Garbled lines appearing on level 2 have been addressed.
Box art & instructions — Minor corrections to box art and instructions have been made.
This update notably improves this already-excellent virtual game console, which should not be missed by anyone with any kind of fondness for retro gaming.
Interest in the retro gaming scene has really expanded in the last few years, thanks in no small part to the proliferation of capable mobile devices such as the iPhone and iPad and the App Store behind them. As such, retro-minded iOS gamers have a wide range of games to choose from, such as retro-inspired new releases, retro remakes, as well as the actual games of olde brough forth through faithful emulation. It is in the last arena that, early this year, Rantmedia Games decided to toss its hat, sharing word of their upcoming Vectrex Regeneration, a one-stop-shop for fans of the much vaunted, early '80s Vectrex console.
We have been following Rantmedia's progress closely since then, and are pleased to have finally had an opportunity to put their Vectrex emulation / game library through its paces. Vectrex Regeneration [Free], a universal app for the iPad (2 and up) and iPhone (4 and up), is now live in the App Store, and here's the low-down.
First, some needed history. Released in late 1982 by General Consumer Electric (GCE), the Vectrex is a highly unique game system. Unlike every other console of the time, the Vectrex features an integrated CRT display -- but not of the standard, horizontal-scan variety. The Vectrex utilizes a vector monitor, which is similar to an oscilloscope and draws its graphics on the screen in a fashion similar to the display process of a laser light show. It's the only console from gaming's past defined by a complete lack of jaggies.
Since August, we've been tracking the upcoming bundle of glowing vector goodness known as Vectrex Regeneration, a universal iOS app that emulates the much vaunted Vectrex game console of the early '80s. The app will come bundled with the system's entire original game library (nearly 30 titles in all) and will offer indie titles released after the Vectrex left market (in 1984) as in-app purchases, along with various feature packs, such as the multiplayer Controller Pack and the iCade pack.
Developer Anton Faulconbridge over at Rantmedia Games has been keeping retro fans closely following this one up-to-date via the Vectrex Regeneration twitter feed, where he's currently counting down to release -- just three days left now -- and offering peeks at the system in action. (more...)
Last week we shared news of the coming Vectrex Regeneration, a universal iOS app that emulates the beloved Vectrex game console of the early '80s, with its entire original game library bundled in. It's news that got this retro gamer extremely excited and, judging from reader comments on the post, I'm not alone in this.
Today, The Penny Arcade Report posted a great piece detailing various aspects of Vectrex Regeneration, written by Anton Faulconbridge himself, director of the project over at Rantmedia Games. In the piece, Anton does a great job of explaining just why the Vectrex was such a special console, reveals a bit of behind-the-scenes technical hurdles the developers have had to face, and spectacularly explains just why it is that we retro game nuts are...well...retro game nuts.
People often make the mistake of thinking that the reason people like retro games & consoles is because of nostalgia. That rose-tinted, ‘things were better in my day’, loved-my-childhood kind of nostalgia. That’s only true in a very small sense. The reason that people like retro games & consoles is actually because (lots of) the games are so incredibly playable!
There’s a freaky logic in that – the ROMs for the Vectrex games weigh in at a heady 4-8K. K as in Kilobytes. Every email I send is bigger than that! Clearly, with severe limitations on CPU and graphics (CPU ran at a massive 1.5 MHz) you’ve got to find another way to make a good game, and that was ‘Game play’!
Have a look at a couple of MineStorm screenshots generated by the game's still-in-progress renderer.
Stay tuned for more details on Vectrex Regeneration as they unfold, and a full review when the game goes live in the App Store.
As TouchArcade's resident retro gamer, I'm quite pleased to see so many great retro remakes and retro-inspired original titles in the App Store. Yes, despite my Retina displays, most of the time there are jaggy pixels on my screen. And, like many other gamers who fancy a trip back to the 8-bit era, I keep a few consoles from decades past all hooked up and at the ready for when the mood strikes me. But, none of them is so lovely to fire up and give a go than the Vectrex.
Let's wind back the clocks a bit so those of you who weren't around for the great iDOS fiasco of 2010. It all started with Apple ever-so-slightly easing up on their approval guidelines which opened the floodgates for quite a few apps (such as the Google Voice apps) that seemed to eternally be trapped in approval limbo. Whether this had anything to do with iDOS or not is debatable, but it seems awfully coincidental otherwise. Anyway, on the morning of October 26th last year, iDOS hit the App Store. It was a shockingly full featured DOS emulator complete with keyboard and mouse support, as well as a basic virtual gamepad, multiple screen modes, and so much more.
The crazy part about iDOS is there seemed to be nearly no limit to what it was capable of. If you scroll down on this story you'll even find someone successfully installing Microsoft Windows, within iDOS, on their iPad. iDOS was quickly pulled, then re-appeared in late January of this year with quite a bit of its functionality stripped. Regardless, people quickly figured out how to load things into iDOS, utilizing utilities like iExplorer and other Mac/Windows programs that allow you to fiddle with the file system of your iOS device. Once again, iDOS was removed from the App Store.
Yesterday, iDOS hit the App Store once again, this time as Aemula Oldies [Free] for the iPad and Aemula Oldies S [Free] for smaller screen devices. There's also the Aemula Gamepad [99¢] which works a lot like the other gamepad apps and pairs with an iPad playing a game. It seems that the functionality has been stripped even further, as all the previous command line access has been traded for a simple menu to load the included games.
The freebies packed in with Aemula Oldies are Mille Bornes, Commander Keen 4: Secret of the Oracle, Duke Nukem, Dangerous Dave in the Haunted Mansion, Scorched Earth, CD-Man, The Catacomb Abyss, Bio Menace, Monster Bash, StarMines II: Planet of Mines, 4D Prince of Persia and CHAMP Kong. They all seem to work decently well, too.
I sort of think third time is the charm for iDOS, err, Aemula Oldies, as I'd imagine that there aren't any holes for slipping other things to emulate in left anymore. Of course, I could be totally wrong on that, so if anyone figures out any tricks, be sure to let us know.
Emulators have had an interesting history on the App Store, to say the least. There are a few emulator apps that have received Apple's blessing, namely Manomio's Commodore 64 [$4.99] and a choice group of similar emulators. More often than not though, they randomly appear, having slipped through the Apple approval system, then are quickly pulled. Right now we've got no clue which side of the fence iMAME [Free] is sitting on, but it's free, so there's absolutely no reason not to download it just to have it.
iMame comes preloaded with nine less than stellar ROMs to play, but the real interesting part is going to be whether or not it's possible to side load other ROM files into the app. I've been tinkering around with various tricks to load other ROMs into the app that have worked in other instances of similar emulators on to the App Store, and so far haven't had anything work. Regardless, I give it about two hours (or potentially much less) before someone figures it out, and a few hours after that for Apple to pull it from the App Store.
Go go go!!! I'll keep this post updated as new things develop.
It's been over a year since the last update, and many in our forums were worried that the app had been abandoned, but I'm happy to report that Manomio has released an update to C64 for iPhone [App Store], the Commodore 64 emulator and game store (at over 50 titles right now) for iOS, that we've been tracking since way back in 2008.
Stuart Carnie of Manomio filled me in on the license tangles he's been dealing with since late last year which stymied work on the app, but indicates all is now resolved and that he's excited to bring this update, as well as return his focus to development and the acquisition of new licenses for C64-loving iOS gamers.
The big news in this latest version of C64 for iPhone, version 2.2, is the addition of support for the iCade and compatible devices (such as the iControlPad and Gametel controller we recently covered), which is huge news given the nature of the typical Commodore 64 game title. In this initial implementation, iCade support means joystick and fire button emulation -- certain games with extended features, such as The Last Ninja, still require tapping the screen for key input and the like. This update also brings full support for iOS 5.
It's worth pointing out that, presently, C64 is not a Universal application, and so using it on an iPad in the iCade means running the iPhone app at 2x video magnification. However, Stuart has big plans for the app and shared a short-list of what's coming, down the road...
A new, Universal app!
This is a rewrite in order to add all the required features
PRO: By not replacing the iPhone version, we can keep existing users with old hardware on the current builds
PRO: For compatible games, we'll continue to add them to C64 for iPhone
Activate your original C64 for iPhone purchases if you have it installed
Cycle-exact emulation -- will require ARMv7 devices
The following demo video taken by one of our readers shows C64 for iPhone running on an iPad, being controlled with an iControlPad (in iCade emulation mode).
We're very glad to see Stuart out of the woods and moving forward with his efforts to bring retro fun to today's gamers. We will keep readers in the loop on the latest from Manomio as the news unfolds.
Retro gamers out there, especially those on the other side of the pond, have had a great resource available to them for reliving the 8-bit classics, in the form of Elite's ZX Spectrum: Elite Collection emulator series, which landed last October. While it had basically zero presence here in the states, the Sinclair ZX Spectrum was probably the leading home computer gaming platform in the UK and various other parts of Europe during the early '80s.
Early yesterday I made a post sharing Manomio CEO Stuart Carnie's intent to bring iCade support to his Commodore emulation systems. Early this morning, he posted a video of the Amiga game International Karate + running under his iAmiga emulation system with full iCade support. I've not had a chance to test out his latest development build personally, but I wanted to share the video for to pique retro gamers' appetites.
And, speaking of Manomio's Amiga and C64 emulators, Craig Rothwell behind the iControlPad (and Wizzley Presto) reached out and is sending over an eval device for us to check out. Manomio is currently in the process of building iControlPad support into their emulators, as promised. We'll report on that shortly.
Hudson is doing a fantastic job of keeping a fresh batch of new games pouring into their excellent TurboGrafx-16 emulator app called the TurboGrafx-16 Gamebox [Free]. The app launched last December with a decent selection of titles, all of which could be purchased from within the app for $2.99 apiece with one rotating title per day available for a free timed trial. We really enjoyed the TurboGrafx-16 Gameboxin our original review, and within a couple of months a new selection of titles was added improving the game further.
Earlier this month, yet another update hit adding another 5 brand new games to the package, including the classic pinball game Devil’s Crush and the third entry in the Bonk’s Adventure series. Now, just a few weeks later we already have another new update to the Gamebox adding 5 more new games.
Likely the most recognizable of the titles is the vertically scrolling top-down shooter Raiden. Raiden was an absolute classic in the arcades a couple of decades ago, and remains one of my very favorite shmups of all time. The TurboGrafx-16 version is obviously highly scaled down from the arcade original, but while it lacks the graphical oomph it still contains excellent gameplay. Performance-wise, Raiden can slow down a bit when action gets intense on screen, but overall it’s pretty solid.
A far more exciting addition to the Gamebox, at least for me personally, is Dragon’s Curse. You may know it by its former name, Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap, as it was called on the Sega Master System back in 1989. This was one of my all-time favorite action/puzzle/platforming games back then, and it still holds up extremely well today.
It has a Metroidvania vibe where you must take on the roles of different animals that each have unique abilities that allow you to access new areas of a huge non-linear world. There's a number of different weapons, armors, and items to buy which adds a nice RPG element to the gameplay. Dragon’s Curse is colorful, clever, and just plain fun, and I’m really excited to have the game in my pocket to play through for the umpteenth time.
The three other titles in this latest update to TurboGrafx-16 Gamebox aren’t as familiar to me, but they may hold a special place in your own heart. These titles are: Shockman, Moto Roader, and Out Live. There’s plenty of other classic TurboGrafx-16 games I’m still waiting on too, like Keith Courage, Super Star Soldier, and Legendary Axe, so hopefully Hudson continues to crank out the updates. Currently, I think they’re doing a pretty darn good job, and the TurboGrafx-16 Gamebox continues to be a shining example of how to do emulators right on iOS.
If you are amongst the millions of iPhone owners who also happen to have PS3's, I've got the perfect app for you. Behold, PSN Status [Free]. This free app will tell you both quickly and easily whether or not PSN is up. Sure, it would have been much more useful last month, but it will be handy to keep around if/when PSN goes down again.
Oh also, on the subject of PSN being down, if you're like me and really only use your PS3 for watching BluRays, don't forget to claim your free games. Even if you weren't really affected by the downtime in any real way, you're still eligible for two free PS3 games and two free PSP games. The selection is surprisingly decent, too.
On a somewhat related note- If you're a proud PS3 console warrior and your pride has taken a substantial hit over the last month as you were the brunt of countless "PSN is down" jokes from your Xbox 360-loving friends, don't forget to also download i360Emu [Free]. It's a shockingly accurate emulator of early Xbox 360's, or, it was, before they changed the power-on animation.
Last year, Jordan Mechner teamed up with Liquid Entertainment to create a modern remake of his 1984 beat 'em up classic, Karateka. The modern, 3D recreation of Karateka [$1.99] (which we reviewed in December) does an excellent job of conveying the tragic tale of the poor, imprisoned princess Mariko and the bold quest to rescue her to today's gamers using modern visuals, an original score, and unique, new fight mechanics. Another thing it does is give old school gamers a real itch to go back and play through the 8-bit original. Happily, as of tonight, that itch is easily scratched.
