Retro Gamer is the only magazine in the UK that’s fully dedicated to the halcyon days of classic gaming. If you’ve ever fondly blasted away at the Bydo Empire in R-Type, swung Bowser by the tail in Super Mario 64, or navigated all 20 levels of Matthew Smith’s Manic Miner, then this is the magazine for you. Created by a dedicated team of experts, Retro Gamer’s mission is to deliver constantly engaging and passionately written articles that cover a wide range of subjects. We offer our readership in-depth looks at classic games and franchises, behind-the-scenes glimpses of the software houses from yesteryear, and one-on-one exclusive interviews with industry veterans such as Archer Maclean and Hideo Kojima. Stylish, entertaining and beautifully presented, Retro Gamer is the ultimate guide to videogaming’s rich and diverse history.

THE RETROBATES • IF YOU COULD MINIATURISE ANY ARCADE MACHINE WHAT WOULD IT BE AND WHY?

LOADING…

HOW MUCH?! • Microsoft buys Zenimax Media for an astonishing $7.5 billion

READERS WEIGH IN • What crossovers would you like to see from the new buyout?

INTO THE WONDERFUL • WE SPEAK TO THE TEAM BEHIND DIZZY’S NEWEST ADVENTURE

VIRTUA REVIVAL

GEAR UP FOR ALESTE

Anyone remember these?

The party’s over

Can I get a replay? • Retro Replay’s Glen McDonald tells us about a challenging first year

THE LATEST NEWS FROM DECEMBER 2003

NEWS DECEMBER 2003

CHARTS • DECEMBER 2003

THIS MONTH IN…

RealSports Boxing • WAY TOO BUSY POWER TRIPPIN’

THE STOR OF PRINCE OF PERSIA THE SANDS OF TIME • It was the 2003 reboot of the franchise which began in 1989 and it had gamers leaping for joy – as well as running along walls and rewinding time. Fast forward to today, and it’s about to get another outing thanks to a full official remake

A PRINCE AMONGST VIDEOGAME HEROES • WE LIKE THE WAY HE MOVES…

THE PORTABLE PRINCE • Got time for something slightly different?

BEYOND THE SANDS OF TIME • PRINCE OF PERSIA HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A WHILE

COMING FULL CIRCLE • Prince Of Persia’s crowning glory is its influence

TURNING BACK TIME • Pierre-Sylvain Gires discusses the upcoming Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time Remake

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THE EVOLUTION OF Gribbly's Day Out • Andrew Braybrook’s first and last original games for Graftgold combined platforming with projectiles. Andrew reveals the inspirations for Gribbly’s Day Out and how it influenced a series of platformers, including Fire & Ice

STAGES OF EVOLUTION: GRIBBLY’S DAY OUT ON THE ARC • STEVE TURNER REMEMBERS THE ENHANCED 32-BIT PORT

STAGES OF EVOLUTION: POWERGEN & NIPPER VS THE KATS • STEVE TURNER DISCUSSES GRIBBLY’S FORGOTTEN LEGACY

STAGES OF EVOLUTION: THE OTTIFANTS • GRAFTGOLD’S STEVE TURNER ON GRIBBLY’S FINAL SPIRITUAL SUCCESSOR

Hardware Heaven Gemini

LICENCE TO THRILL NOW SHOWING: THE EVIL DEAD • Released in 1981, Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead is the original video nasty, a cult horror hunted down by puritans such as Mary Whitehouse, especially following its home video debut. Almost 40 years later, we take a look back at the videogame the movie inspired. Groovy!

MOVIE TO GAME COMPARISON • How key scenes from the film appeared in Palace Software’s spook-’em-up

ARTISTIC LICENCE • Err… was that in the film?

NOTABLE VERSIONS

THE TRIVIAL DEAD • Fearful Evil Dead facts

THE MAKING OF Grand Prix Simulator • The Oliver twins’ sequel to Grand Prix Simulator was their final contribution to the popular Codemasters simulator series. Philip Oliver explains how regrets over their original game inspired...