Caveman games should really have their own subgenre.
When Ubisoft released the prehistoric spin-off Far Cry Primal in 2016, a number of online listicles popped up to remind us of some earlier examples. From Ugh! and Frak! to BC Bill and Bonk's Adventure, to the likes of Chuck Rock and Prehistorik, there are a surprising number of them. And front and centre on most of these lists was Joe & Mac: Caveman Ninja, Data East's highly entertaining prehistoric-themed platformer.
You might also know it simply as Joe & Mac, or by its original Japanese moniker Tatakae Genshijin: Joe & Mac. Regardless of the title, the game sees our two heroes embarking on a quest to rescue their beloved cavegirls who've been kidnapped by a rival tribe. Along the way they not only face ne'er-do-well Neanderthals and various environmental hazards (fire, water, the usual stuff), but also a bunch of oversized bosses ready to stomp them into the next historical era.
Taking cues from the shoot-'em-up genre, the boss battles are very much the focus of Data East's charming game and it often feels that the actual stages are simply there to string these impressive encounters together. The result is a fairly short game that can be completed in less than 20 minutes. To attract repeat plays, at several points you get to choose between A and B paths which provide alternative routes to the next boss battle. Although it's not stated, the B paths are slightly longer and also a little more challenging (in what's already a fairly tough game).
Bu hikaye Retro Gamer dergisinin Issue 242 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Retro Gamer dergisinin Issue 242 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2009
Initially debuting on the PC in 1998,games began appearing on consoles from 2001 with the release of Cabela's Big Game Hunter: Ultimate Challenge for Sony's PlayStation.
ModRetro Chromatic
Meet the new handheld aiming to provide the ultimate Game Boy experience
ULTIMATE GUIDE Project Rub
OF ALL THE GAMES THAT LAUNCHED WITH THE NINTENDO DS, NONE WERE AS INVENTIVE, CHARMING, OR OVERLOOKED AS PROJECT RUB. TWENTY YEARS LATER, SONIC TEAM'S DS DEBUT REMAINS ONE OF THE SYSTEM'S MOST ENJOYABLE AND ENDEARING GAMES
Wii Balance Board
During the era of the DS and Wii, Nintendo didn't just want to sell games consoles - it wanted to sell the dream that self-improvement could be fun, whether you were exercising your mind in Dr Kawashima's Brain Training or your body with Wii Sports.
THE MAKING OF JACKIE CHAN STUNTMASTER
MOST GAMES WITH A REAL PERSON'S NAME IN THE TITLE HAVE ACTUALLY VERY LITTLE TO DO WITH THEM. BUT THERE ARE SOME STARS WHOSE INFLUENCE ON A GAME GOES FAR BEYOND THEIR FACE AND VOICE. ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT OF THESE IS THE GREAT ACTION GOD HIMSELF: JACKIE CHAN
Future Classic
Modern games you'll still be playing in years to come
SUPER VEHICLE-001 METAL SLUG TACTICS
SNK'S METAL SLUG SERIES IS ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC RUN-AND-GUNS AROUND WITH A LEGACY AS RICH AS ITS METICULOUS 2D ART. SO WHAT CONVINCED SNK TO GREENLIGHT AN ISOMETRIC TACTICAL RPG? WE SPEAK TO LEIKIR STUDIO'S CREATIVE DIRECTOR AURÉLIEN LOOS TO FIND OUT MORE
MAGAZINE CRAFT PAUL DAVIES
In the first of a brand-new series, we interview the game journalists behind the most iconic gaming magazines of the past. We kick off by speaking to Paul Davies about his time as editor of CVG. We discuss the videogames that hooked him growing up, his time in the industry, and how he became an unlikely hero in revamping the iconic multiformat mag
THE MAKING OF Wizardry PROVING GROUNDS OF THE MAD OVERLORD
THE CREATORS OF THE INFLUENTIAL 1981 RPG WHICH WENT ON TO INSPIRE COUNTLESS TITLES, FROM DRAGON QUEST TO FINAL FANTASY EXPLAIN HOW IT HAD ITS ORIGIN IN SOME OF THE EARLIEST ONLINE EXPERIENCES, AND WAS ONE OF THE FIRST COMPUTER GAMES TO COME IN A BOX
20 Years of The NINTENDODS
NINTENDO'S QUIRKY HARDWARE DESIGN MAY HAVE RAISED A FEW EYEBROWS TWO DECADES AGO, BUT THE BRILLIANT GAMES IT ENABLED DREW IN PLAYERS REGARDLESS OF AGE OR GENDER. RETRO GAMER SPEAKS TO THE PEOPLE WHO MADE, SOLD AND DEVELOPED GAMES FOR THE DS AS WE CELEBRATE THE BEST-SELLING HANDHELD EVER
