The First time I played Sonic the Hedgehog | Video Gaming Memories by Imraan Nazir 🎮 🧞 #RetroGaming #SuperNintendo

It was in the 90s when I first played Sonic The Hedgehog on the Sega Master System. I remember looking at the cover and thinking this must be a cool game. On the cover it had this cool looking blue hedgehog with red and white shoes and what looked like a bit of Green Hill Zone in the background. At the back of the cover it had screenshots of the game. I could not wait to play it. At this time Sonic was the new mascot for Sega. When I switched it on I heard the title screen intro and it sounded awesome.

Aladdin on the Sega Master System | Video Gaming Memories by Imraan Nazir 🎮 🧞 #RetroGaming #SuperNintendo

Back in the 90s I knew about Aladdin on the Sega Mega Drive and Super Nintendo but recently I discovered that Aladdin also came out on the Sega Master System.

When I heard about this I had to get it immediately as I was a fan of Aladdin. In my childhood I owned the movie on VHS and also had the game on the SNES. I purchased the game for the Sega Master System. Before putting on the game I immediately thought that this could be the worst one as it's on a 8 bit console and the graphics and sound quality would not be as great compared to the 16 bit consoles.

Mega Cat Studios: - Britt’s Mega Drive Odyssey Part 3: Old Towers 🏰 @RetroSouls @megacatstudios #IndieGame #IndieGameDev

Retrosouls’ Old Towers is next up in my Mega Drive Odyssey, and it’s one that my three-year old gravitated to as I was playing through each game, showing that awesome puzzle titles are ageless!

As with Mega Cat Studios other titles, the Mega Drive case is branded with their logo which really is a nice touch as it makes them stand out and feel that little bit extra special. The cover image is of the main character moving at speed towards a golden coin, as if he’s hurtling out of the image itself, with the background featuring heavy motion blur to give that sense of pace. The spine is also uniform and matches up perfectly with other MCS releases whilst the rear sums up the gameplay in a succinct paragraph as some additional quotes hammer home that this is an addictive puzzle-based title, along with some screenshots.

Mega Cat Studios: ‘Britt’s Mega Drive Odyssey Part 1: Coffee Crisis’ ☕️ @megacatstudios #IndieGame #IndieGameDev #GameDev #RetroGaming #SEGAGenesis

Since joining GF back in 2016, one of the pleasures of my life has been discovering new titles for one of my favourite consoles – the Mega Drive. There are several companies out there that are doing the Lord’s work in bringing out new games out for SEGA’s saucy black box, but Mega Cat Studios were the first I was made aware off, when I covered Paulo Andres de Matos Villalva’s secretly wonderful ‘Devwill Too’ back in 2020*, and so I’ve always associated them with developing and publishing new MD titles, breathing life back into the system and hopefully getting players worldwide to dust off those creaky controllers!

This is the first in a series that will see us covering a large portion of the Mega Cat Studios Mega Drive-related output, with the end result being an interview and deep dive into the studio itself.

Rocket Panda, will launch for the Sega Genesis and Mega Drive on September 16, 2024. 🐼 #Retrogaming #SegaGenesis

The confectionary connoisseurs at Mega Cat Studios, Space Pants Games, and Video Game Sage are excited to announce that their upcoming jet-powered adventure, Rocket Panda, will launch for the Sega Genesis and Mega Drive on September 16, 2024. 

Get ready to soar in a scrumptious adventure where collecting treats and battling ferocious enemies is the name of the game! In Rocket Panda, players join our heroic panda as he sets out on a delicious quest to gather goodies, rescue badgers, and thwart the nefarious Biscuit Head. With more than 60 maze-like levels to navigate and cookie-crumbling action, this retro gem promises to be a treat for fans of classic 16-bit gaming.

The Unofficial Sega Saturn Collection Author – David Cameron (not that one) 📘 #BookReview #Retrogaming

The Sega Saturn is a console that I very much have a personal history with. A unique library of games that was bursting with originality, and is very much a system I often play to this day. David Cameron’s Unofficial Sega Saturn Collection is designed as a coffee table book to be leafed through and enjoyed as the reader picks up some titbits on favourite games – and perhaps even discovers some new gaming gold as they peruse.

SEGA Mega Drive Game Preview – The Viking & the Ninja 📯🥷 @DelayedAgainAB #IndieGame #GameDev

The Viking & The Ninja is an action RPG similar to the Dungeon Explorer series, set in an anachronistic fantasy setting with a lot of humour. The main theme and gameplay centres around cooperation between the two playable characters, but to succeed you also need to explore, fight bravely, and talk to other characters with important information.

Astebros SEGA Mega Drive Review 9.5/10 "The Pinnacle of Mega Drive Gaming" ⚔️ @DAsteborg #IndieGames #GameDev

Back in 2021, I was lucky enough to cover Demons of Asteborg, Neofid Studios’ first release on the Mega Drive. At the time I hailed it as a modern Mega Drive classic, I was really taken by the almost perfect action-platformer, which was up until that point the best game that I had covered on the Mega Drive as it was not only a great game to play, but was also a marvel in terms of the technical design.

In the space of only two years since that release, Neofid Studios have returned to the world of Asteborg and doubled down on what made the preceding title so great, this time upping the ante with local co-op and rogue-lite aspects that exist to add longevity to the game, making it the absolute cream of the Mega Drive crop.

Life on Mars: Genesis Kai Magazine Software SEGA Mega Drive Review 8.5/10 "There’s life in the Mega Drive, as well!" 🌕 #SEGA #SegaGenesis #IndieGames #GameDev

When Life on Mars: Genesis was announced, I was excited due to the fact that there were so few (if any) Metroidvania titles on the Mega Drive. I’m a fan of the genre, especially the shorter, snappier releases such as Shadow Complex. 

I find that a sub-12-hour blast keeps things spicy and fresh, and Life on Mars: Genesis falls into that camp, feeling like a novice entry in the genre, which fits in well with the fact that it is effectively an entry to the genre as a whole on the Mega Drive.

🎮 SEGA Mega Drive Mini 2 now available to Pre-order in Europe! + GAMES LIST🎮 #SEGAMegaDriveMini2 #SegaGenesis

SEGA Corporation has confirmed that pre-orders for the SEGA Mega Drive Mini 2 are now available in Europe.

The SEGA Mega Drive Mini 2 is set to release on October 27th, 2022. 

More details are available on the official website: https://sega.jp/mdmini2/en/

The Mega Drive Mini 2 features 60 titles from SEGA's illustrious back catalogue, including, for the first time, titles from the MEGA CD era, new ports and previously unreleased games.

💥 Life on Mars - Genesis | "It takes us into a realm on the Sega Mega Drive that gets my blood pumping" 💥

Life On Mars: Genesis is the next game from Kai Magazine Software, the company that brought us Metal Dragon. Whereas that game was a humorous run ‘n gun title, Life On Mars: Genesis takes us into a realm on the Sega Mega Drive that gets my blood pumping almost as much as RPGs on the system, Metroidvania. The Mega Drive was starved of several genres – and true sequels to Landstalker… - and the Metroidvania genre was certainly one of those.

Build-up to Christmas with a Sonic the Hedgehog Figurine Builder calendars | "Figurines are for life not just for Christmas!" @NumskullDesigns

Well, this looks awesome!

Those cheeky monkeys at NumSkull have released a Sonic The Hedgehog countdown calendar where you get to build the blue maestro piece by piece over the course of the Christmas Countdown!

🎃👻The Curse of Illmoore Bay Mega Drive Review 8/10 "16-bit Halloween Magic" 🎃👻 @alteredimension #Retrogaming #RetroGames

Purchase link -

https://www.second-dimension.com/catalog/the-curse-of-illmoore-bay

Developer – Second Dimension R&T, LLC

New Mega Drive games always feel special, whether they push the little black box to the edge of its capabilities or perhaps capture an earlier period of its shelf life. The Curse of Illmoore Bay is a title that feels like it captures the essence of Sega in 1993/4 with its platforming action, visual style and kiddy-creepy approach.

🦔... Why I Love Sonic The Hedgehog ...🦔 @pixeladdict_mag #Retrogaming

Exciting News From GF Deep Freeze HQ!

Rich has been published in PIXEL Addict Magazine Issue 3 and we're all really excited to see Rich's words in print.

Therefore, here are some pics from the magazine and also here's the full transcript from the magazine article.

Head here to get yourself a copy or nip into WH SMITH and see if you can grab a copy!

🐲 Metal Dragon | Mega Drive | Review | "There will be bullets" 🐲 #IndieGames #GameDev #Homebrew #SEGAGenesis

Known mostly for their MSX releases, Spanish developers Kai Magazine are now branching out into the Mega Drive world with this, their first release on the platform - a run ‘n gun shooter that is presented with tongue firmly in cheek.

“Kill everyone, destroy everything, save the girl… just because you can” – great tagline.

Set in a parodic version of the ‘80s, Metal Dragon comes boxed with a reversible cover – representative of the grid / blue box art versions of Mega Drive games that changed over time.

I kept with the earlier ‘grid’ style as Metal Dragon feels like a game from the early ‘90s. The cover of each features our hero standing heroically atop a tank as a massive explosion looms behind – as does other, general carnage– as he holds his machine gun aloft, with the President’s daughter at his arm, scantily clad – natch.

🦗Flea! : Special Edition | SEGA Dreamcast | Review | 7/10 | "On the face of it that sounds quite grim" 🦗 @WaveGameStudios #GameDev #IndieGames #SEGA

Flea! is an upbeat little platformer that was originally released by its developer Lowtek Games with a very limited run for the NES and Dreamcast in 2020. This month saw the game re-released for the Dreamcast as a ‘special edition’ by the Norwich-based publisher WAVE Game Studios, complete with a separate soundtrack CD and all wrapped up in a jewel case with a PAL-style design. 

⚔️ Demons of Asteborg | SEGA Mega Drive | Review | 9.5/10 | "A Modern Mega Drive Classic" ⚔️ @DAsteborg #Retrogaming #IndieGames #GameDev

The Mega Drive is very much a console that I hold in high regard. As someone who has played, loved and collected for the system for decades, it’s very clear to me, if Demons of Asteborg was a Mega Drive game released in the mid-'90s - it would be regarded as a classic, ‘must have’ title. 

Released in 2021 on the Mega Drive, however…. it’s still a classic, ‘must have’ title.

🎮🕹️💻 Remembering My Childhood Video Game Store 🎮🕹️💻 #RetroGaming

Sitting down in lockdown 3 watching some rubbish on the TV whilst reading Retro Gamer Magazine late at night I was dreaming of the time when we could walk into shops and browse video games and then my mind wandered off to when I was an 11-year-old boy who would visit LOGIC Computers in Cheshunt Hertfordshire to buy my Atari XE/XL tapes and cartridges for my ATARI XEGS.

🎨🎮 Badly Drawn Video Games Consoles - 5. SEGA Genesis 🎨🎮 #Retrogaming #SEGA #SegaGenesis

Some days I find myself trying to draw stuff in MS Paint and those are the days when I manage to produce BADLY DRAWN VIDEO GAMES CONSOLES!

My plan is to draw as many badly drawn consoles as I can in 2021.

Let's see how far I get...

Rich

📖📚 Mean Machines Magazines - All The Video Games Reviews - Issue 0-24 "The Video Games Guide You Didn't Realise That You Wanted" 📖📚 @JazRignall @RetroGamerDaz @MaximumPowerUp #MeanMachines #Retrogaming

Well, I've gone and done something with my Mean Machines Magazine collection that I've always wanted to do but have never got round to doing until now.

For some reason, I wanted to catalogue all the reviews from Issue 0 to 24 so that if I ever need to refer to a physical edition of Mean Machines then I know exactly what issue I need to look at.

Yes it's nerdy and yes it is a bit silly but I think that it's something that you probably didn't realise you need but you do now!