THE RETROBATES
WHAT’S THE BEST THING ABOUT GAMING IN THE EIGHTIES?
DARRAN JONES
Visiting Quay Amusements, my local arcade. Genres formed and evolved so quickly during this period that I was being constantly blown away on an almost weekly basis.
Expertise:
Juggling a gorgeous wife, two beautiful girls and an awardwinning magazine, all under the same roof!
Currently playing:
Treasures Of The Deep
Favourite game of all time:
Strider
ANDY SALTER
Going to the arcades genuinely felt special, probably because at the time nothing you could get at home could live up to the quality of the arcade games.
Expertise:
Modding games, no ‘vanilla’ versions for me, thanks!
Currently playing:
Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord
Favourite game of all time:
Rome: Total War
JOHN SZCZEPANIAK
Everything felt eclectic and novel. Even when a developer copied someone else, you probably hadn’t seen it before. Today I feel like I’ve seen literally everything. I need novelty, man. Expertise: Japanese game developers Currently playing: Brigand: Oaxaca Favourite game of all time: Master of Orion
DREW SLEEP
This humble planet wasn’t graced by my appearance until the Nineties. However, if there is one thing I feel like I missed out on when it comes to gaming it’s arcades. Eighties arcades sounded epic, and I’m sad I missed out on them.
Expertise:
Remain calm and stay indoors
Currently Playing:
Final Fantasy XIV
Favourite Game of all time:
Final Fantasy VIII
IAIN LEE
The buttons. Big, fat, heavy buttons. Buttons to turn things on and off. Buttons on cassette players. Buttons on the TV. Buttons. Everywhere. Love it.
Expertise:
Buying overpriced stuff on ebay then never touching it
Currently playing:
Forza Horizon
Favourite game of all time:
Elite (BBC Model B)
RORY MILNE
Owning one of the low-cost home computers that brought gaming to the masses in the early Eighties, and watching the games made for them evolve from month to month. Expertise: The game that I’m writing about at the time of writing Currently playing: 3D Monster Maze Favourite game of all time: Tempest
NICK THORPE
I wasn’t quite there at the time, but I love the conceptual freedom home computer developers had – you’d never have gotten something like
Rock Star Ate My Hamster on consoles back then.
Expertise:
Owning five Master Systems and a Mark III
Currently playing:
Streets Of Rage 4
Favourite game of all time:
Sonic The Hedgehog
PAUL DRURY
Looking back, I’d say the spirit of innovation and how every month there seemed to be something new to get excited about.
When I was actually living in the Eighties, the best thing was swapping copied games. Sorry.
Expertise:
Judicious use of fuel
Currently playing: The Castle
Fave game of all time:
Sheep in Space
GRAEME MASON
Going into town, buying a Speccy game from Boots or Whsmith, reading the cassette inlay all the way home and then spending all weekend playing it without a care in the world
Expertise:
Adjusting the tape azimuth with a screwdriver
Currently playing:
The Walking Dead Telltale series
Favourite game of all time:
Resident Evil 4