There were plenty of novel ideas packed into Hogs Of War – not least its uniquely porky protagonists. But the warm fuzz of familiarity is also a big part of why the game remains cherished 23 years on from being released for PlayStation and PC. The vintage wartime aesthetic carried strong shades of Blackadder, making it only too fitting that a star of that show – the since sadly departed comedy legend Rik Mayall – was enlisted to record riotously over-the-top voice-overs for the hogs. When added to the marching song from Monty Python’s Flying Circus chiming out cheerfully as you navigate menu screens, you can understand why many fans of classic British comedy felt right at home.
Familiarity also shines through in the gameplay, which has some heritage in the artillery game genre. Artillery Simulator, released in 1980 on the Apple II, is an early example of what we mean here; its turn-based battling involved adjusting the angle and power of your projectile before blasting over pixelated hills at your rival. Scorched Earth for MS-DOS is another notable mention in the field for adding a wide assortment of weapons into the fold. But surely the most famous title you could neatly place into this category is Worms, and that game in particular is the one Gremlin Interactive founder Ian Stewart cited as an inspiration when he briefed the development team about his hopes for Hogs Of War. As lead PC developer Andrew Fox tells us (see Developer Q&A) the crux of the concept was “3D pigs with Worms gameplay”.
CONVERSION CAPERS WHICH VERSION HOGS THE LIMELIGHT? PC
Dit verhaal komt uit de Issue 251 editie van Retro Gamer.
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Dit verhaal komt uit de Issue 251 editie van Retro Gamer.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM
It's all about the next generation for this collector
PETER JACKSON'S KING KONG THE OFFICIAL GAME OF THE MOVIE
HOW DID THE TALENTED TEAM AT UBISOFT MONTPELLIER COPE WITH THE CHALLENGE OF CREATING A VIDEOGAME BASED ON AN ACADEMY AWARD-WINNING BLOCKBUSTER FILM? WITH AS MUCH PASSION AND DEDICATION DEVELOPERS COULD PROVIDE TO ACHIEVE A UNIQUE PROJECT. THIS IS THEIR STORY
DINO CRISIS
IN 1999, RESIDENT EVIL CREATOR SHINJI MIKAMI SWAPPED GROANING GHOULS FOR RAMPAGING REPTILES AND THE RESULT WAS DINO CRISIS, ANOTHER SURVIVAL HORROR HIT FROM CAPCOM. JOIN RETRO GAMER AS WE DISCOVER WHY THIS FAN FAVOURITE SHOULDN'T BE DISMISSED AS 'RESIDENT EVIL WITH DINOSAURS'
THE LEGACY REALM OF TERROR
SIMULATOR EXPERTS MICROPROSE AND TEXT ADVENTURE MASTERS MAGNETIC SCROLLS JOINED FORCES ON A TERROR-INSPIRED GRAPHIC ROLE-PLAYING PC GAME PUBLISHED IN THE EARLY NINETIES. WITH RENDERED MONSTERS, RPG TROPES GALORE AND A STRONG LOVECRAFTIAN VIBE, PREPARE TO EXPERIENCE THE HORRORS WITHIN THE LEGACY...
Virtua Fighter 5 REVO
SEGA'S VETERAN FIGHTER STILL PACKS A PUNCH
HOW ADVERGAMES CONQUERED EUROPE
Throughout the Eighties and Nineties, Europe fell in love with advergames as they were used to sell all kinds of products, from cigarettes to chocolate, as well as political parties and banking services. What was going on?
WWF Royal Rumble
Nostalgia has recently drawn me back to the time I became a wrestling fan - the Attitude Era of the WWF, when Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock ruled the wrestling world.
TURRICAN II: THE FINAL FIGHT
Manfred Trenz's Turrican II is one of the really, really great home-computer classics that has shot its way into the hearts of all run-and-gun fans, especially its 1991 Amiga incarnation. But did you know that almost five years later there was a much-improved conversion for DOS computers?
ASTRO BOT
After delighting new PS5 owners as an opening act to showcase the console’s unique features, Astro Bot was finally ready for prime time as Team Asobi made a fully fledged 3D platformer with polished production values channeling Nintendo magic and PlayStation history
MAGAZINE CRAFT JULIAN RIGNALL
With a knack for quickly identifying and reacting to shifts and patterns in games media, much in the same way he did when notching up videogame high scores, Julian Rignall launched some of the most prominent and successful gaming magazines in the UK. We chat to him about his career, his mags and being a videogame influencer decades before the term was ever coined
