"Nothing says videogaming like a platformer. From Donkey Kong, Pitfall and Manic Miner to Super Mario, Sonic and Crash Bandicoot, this revered genre is home to many people's favourite games. In this special edition from the makers of Retro Gamer, get ready to leap through history as we hop, skip and jump through the story of the platformer. We'll explore how the genre evolved over the decades, explore defining games, catch up with game developers and spotlight some modern classics you'll be sure to enjoy."
THE ULTIMATE PLATFORMER HANDBOOK
Retro Gamer Presents: The Ultimate Platformer Handbook
THE EVOLUTION OF PLATFORMERS • What’s happened to the platformer, eh? 30 years ago it dominated sales charts and gamers’ hearts, but these days it seems to have lost its power inside mainstream gaming. Retro Gamer looks at the rise and fall of this once great giant…
KNOW YOUR PLATFORMER • THE GENRE IS PRETTY UBIQUITOUS, SO WE ATTEMPT TO CATEGORISE ITS MANY DIFFERENT FLAVOURS…
8-BIT GENERATION BIRTH OF A GENRE
THE 8-BIT INNOVATIONS
DAVID CRANE • THE CREATOR OF PITFALL!
16-BIT GENERATION MARCH OF THE MASCOTS
DAVID PERRY • FOUNDER OF SHINY ENTERTAINMENT
THE 16-BIT INNOVATIONS
JAMES HIGGINS • PROGRAMMER ON THE ADDAMS FAMILY
32-BIT GENERATION AWKWARD JUMPS AND TURNING 64
THE 32-BIT INNOVATIONS
GREGG MAYLES • DESIGNER ON DONKEY KONG COUNTRY AND BANJO-KAZOOIE
THE MODERN ERA ENTER THE INDIES
THE 128-BIT INNOVATIONS
DEREK YU • CREATOR OF SPELUNKY
MR VIDEO GAME THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF MARIO • To celebrate Nintendo’s most popular mascot, industry legends offer up their memories of the character, and we give you the complete lowdown on the plumber’s career from Popeye replacement to cultural icon
SUPER MARIO HIGHLIGHTS
PROFESSIONS OF A PLUMBER • The versatile hero has appeared in a string of occupational cameos for Nintendo over the years…
Honourable Mentions • Here are some of the more unusual Mario games, which aren’t part of the Super Mario canon
A FRIENDLY RIVALRY… EVENTUALLY
ULTIMATE GUIDE CHUCKIE EGG • CHUCKIE EGG IS ONE OF 8-BIT COMPUTING’S MOST RENOWNED PLATFORM GAMES, ESPECIALLY ON THE ZX SPECTRUM AND BBC MICRO. JOIN US AS WE CELEBRATE THIS EGGSHELLENT GAME FROM THE SCRAMBLED MIND OF TEENAGE CODER NIGEL ALDERTON
EGGSHELLENT PLAYING TIPS • EXCUSE THE PUNS AND FIND OUT HOW TO BECOME A HIGH-CLASS HEN HOUSE HARRY
CONVERSION CAPERS • HOW DO THE ANTICS OF HEN HOUSE HARRY FARE ON OTHER COMPUTERS?
DEVELOPER INTERVIEW • WE TALK TO THE MAN BEHIND BOTH THE COMMODORE 64 AND ATARI 800 CONVERSIONS OF CHUCKIE EGG, SEAN TOWNSEND
THE EVOLUTION OF PITFALL! • As well as inspiring its developer David Crane to make a sequel, the phenomenally successful Pitfall! also influenced his subsequent platform games. David explains how they evolved and distinguished themselves from his classic Atari 2600 adventure
STAGES OF EVOLUTION: PHYSICAL CHALLENGES • FROM PITFALLS AND TRAMPOLINES TO LEAPING LAKES AND GRAPPLING HOOKS
STAGES OF EVOLUTION: TREASURE HUNTER • HOW GOLD BARS AND DRUG MONEY LED TO LOST COINS AND HIDDEN CRATES
STAGES OF EVOLUTION: EPIC EXPLORATION • JUNGLES, CAVERNS, ALIEN PLANETS AND A HELLISH SUMMER CAMP
JET SET WILLY A GUIDED TOUR • We sat down with creator Matthew Smith with a couple of drinks and took a tour of all 60 rooms found in Jet Set Willy. Join us through the keyhole as Matthew shares his memories of Willy’s madcap mansion
WILLY’S EXPANDING MANSION • CONVERSIONS THAT ADDED EXTRA ROOMS TO MATTHEW’S ORIGINAL DESIGN
THOROUGHLY MODDED WILLY • HOW JSW SPAWNED A COMMUNITY OF CREATORS
Bluffer’s Guide to:...
