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#41
Retro News & Chat / Re: Let's Compare Ghouls 'n Gh...
Last post by TrekMD - October 16, 2022, 06:38:01 AMHere is a newer video looking at this game...
#42
Retro News & Chat / Let's Compare - Hexen: Beyond ...
Last post by TrekMD - October 09, 2022, 19:00:29 PMHexen: Beyond Heretic is a fantasy first-person shooter video game developed by Raven Software and published by id Software through GT Interactive on October 30, 1995. It is the sequel to 1994's Heretic, and the second game in Raven Software's "Serpent Riders" trilogy, which culminated with Hexen II. The title comes from the German noun Hexen, which means "witches", and/or the verb hexen, which means "to cast a spell". Game producer John Romero stated that a third, unreleased game in this series was to be called Hecatomb.
Hexen: Beyond Heretic met with highly positive reviews upon release, though the various 1997 console ports were negatively received because of problems with frame rate and controls and the aging of the game itself. Critical plaudits for the game centered on the non-linear level design and the selection of three playable characters, each offering a distinct gameplay experience.
Gameplay
A new series feature introduced in Hexen is the choice of three character classes. Players may choose to play as a fighter (Baratus), a cleric (Parias), or a mage (Daedolon). Each character has unique weapons and physical characteristics, lending an additional degree of variety and replay value to the game. The Fighter relies mainly on close-quarters physical attacks with weapons both mundane and magical in nature, and is tougher and faster than the other characters. The Mage uses an assortment of long-range spells, whose reach is counterbalanced by the fact that he is the most fragile and slowest moving of the classes. The Cleric arms himself with a combination of both melee and ranged capabilities, being a middle ground of sorts between the other two classes. Additionally, certain items, such as the flechette (poison gas bomb), behave differently when collected and used by each of the classes, functioning in a manner better suiting their varying approach to combat.
Hexen introduces "hub" levels to the series, wherein the player can travel back and forth between central hub levels and connected side levels. This is done in order to solve larger-scale puzzles that require a series of items or switches to be used. The player must traverse through a hub in order to advance to the next hub.
The inventory system returns from Heretic with several new items, such as the "Disc of Repulsion", which pushes enemies away from the player, and the "Icon of the Defender", which provides invincibility to each class in a different manner.
Source: Wikipedia
Hexen: Beyond Heretic met with highly positive reviews upon release, though the various 1997 console ports were negatively received because of problems with frame rate and controls and the aging of the game itself. Critical plaudits for the game centered on the non-linear level design and the selection of three playable characters, each offering a distinct gameplay experience.
Gameplay
A new series feature introduced in Hexen is the choice of three character classes. Players may choose to play as a fighter (Baratus), a cleric (Parias), or a mage (Daedolon). Each character has unique weapons and physical characteristics, lending an additional degree of variety and replay value to the game. The Fighter relies mainly on close-quarters physical attacks with weapons both mundane and magical in nature, and is tougher and faster than the other characters. The Mage uses an assortment of long-range spells, whose reach is counterbalanced by the fact that he is the most fragile and slowest moving of the classes. The Cleric arms himself with a combination of both melee and ranged capabilities, being a middle ground of sorts between the other two classes. Additionally, certain items, such as the flechette (poison gas bomb), behave differently when collected and used by each of the classes, functioning in a manner better suiting their varying approach to combat.
Hexen introduces "hub" levels to the series, wherein the player can travel back and forth between central hub levels and connected side levels. This is done in order to solve larger-scale puzzles that require a series of items or switches to be used. The player must traverse through a hub in order to advance to the next hub.
The inventory system returns from Heretic with several new items, such as the "Disc of Repulsion", which pushes enemies away from the player, and the "Icon of the Defender", which provides invincibility to each class in a different manner.
Source: Wikipedia
#43
Retro News & Chat / Re: The history of road blaste...
Last post by TrekMD - October 08, 2022, 00:30:25 AMI've never played the arcade version of this game but I do have Lynx version. That version is very well done!
#44
Retro News & Chat / The history of road blasters a...
Last post by PatmanQC - October 07, 2022, 10:49:55 AM #45
Atari Chat / Re: Atari Archive
Last post by TrekMD - October 03, 2022, 23:11:57 PMSkeet Shoot: Atari Archive Episode 61
#46
Retro News & Chat / Re: Spectrumpedia second editi...
Last post by Corporal Jonlan - October 02, 2022, 08:50:40 AMAnother update for Volume 1, English edition:
I am considering the possibility of printing and marketing the paper edition through a print-on-demand service. Relying on a fundraising campaign would mean that I would have to print, store and ship the books myself, and unfortunately I lack both the time and space to do that. Anyway - I am having the book read-proofed now, besides tweaking it some little more and adding new photos I personally took for this edition. Stay tuned for more news 
- Several other pictures have been replaced in Chapters 1 and 2, again with new ones expressely taken for this edition.
- Some corrections and integrations in the text.
Quote from: DeadVoivod on September 29, 2022, 15:57:32 PMWow, this looks awesome, I only can imagine how much work this was!! You really should consider releasing them as books in English, the Spectrum community is still huge. Never thought about a Kickstarter campaign?Thank you
I am considering the possibility of printing and marketing the paper edition through a print-on-demand service. Relying on a fundraising campaign would mean that I would have to print, store and ship the books myself, and unfortunately I lack both the time and space to do that. Anyway - I am having the book read-proofed now, besides tweaking it some little more and adding new photos I personally took for this edition. Stay tuned for more news #47
Atari Chat / Re: Atari 2600 at 45
Last post by TrekMD - October 02, 2022, 05:00:01 AMThe hurricane did not do much to Miami, thankfully. Orlando and the West Coast of Florida are another thing, unfortunately.
I'm also looking forward to the Atari 50 Collection!
And yes, I'm still posting but but as much as before. I've been far busier with work since the pandemic started and it has not slowed down.
I'm also looking forward to the Atari 50 Collection!
And yes, I'm still posting but but as much as before. I've been far busier with work since the pandemic started and it has not slowed down.
#48
Atari Chat / Re: Atari 2600 at 45
Last post by Shadowrunner - October 02, 2022, 00:01:55 AMGood article. I'm really looking forward to the Atari 50 collection that's coming out soon. It even has Jaguar games on it!
Also good to see you still posting Trek. I hope that means the hurricane didn't hit too hard where you are.
Also good to see you still posting Trek. I hope that means the hurricane didn't hit too hard where you are.
#49
Atari Chat / Atari 2600 at 45
Last post by TrekMD - September 29, 2022, 17:22:03 PM
This year marks the 45th anniversary of the Atari 2600. This excellent article on PC Magazine does a nice overview of the system's history and even talks about homebrew games for the system. Worth a read: The Atari 2600 at 45: The Console That Brought Arcade Games Home
#50
Retro News & Chat / Re: Spectrumpedia second editi...
Last post by DeadVoivod - September 29, 2022, 15:57:32 PMWow, this looks awesome, I only can imagine how much work this was!! You really should consider releasing them as books in English, the Spectrum community is still huge. Never thought about a Kickstarter campaign?