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DF Retro Extra: Halo 2 - Revisiting E3 2003's Impossible Xbox Demo!
DF Retro - S3 - E11
Bungie originally envisaged technologies for Halo 2 that turned out to be completely impossible for the team to deliver in the actual game. That original vision debuted in an extended gameplay demo created especially for E3 2003 - but was scrapped soon after. In this DF Retro Extra special, John revisits that demo, explains why it was impossible for OG Xbox hardware and compares it with the final game to see just what - if anything - of that work persisted into retail code.
DF Retro: Season 3 - 22 Episode s
3x1 - Powerslave/Exhumed: A Game Ahead of its Time
February 4, 2018
The 2018 season for DF Retro kicks off this year with a look at Exhumed or PowerSlave, as it was known in the US. Created by Lobotomy Software, this remarkable game combines the fast paced action of Doom with the exploration and power-up system of Metroid to create something wholly unique at the time. Powered by Lobotomy's in-house Slave Driver Engine, PowerSlave also pushes the Sega Saturn to its limits offering a level of performance rarely seen on the platform. A later PlayStation version of the game was also released along with a completely different game of the same name on PC. Curious what makes this game stand out even today? Join us on a journey through one of the best shooters of its era.
3x2 - Analogue Super Nt Review: a 21st Century SNES!
February 11, 2018
DF Retro tackles Analogue's Super Nt - an FPGA based console designed to play Super NES games via HDMI. Analogue boasts perfect accuracy but is that really the case? We put the system to the test using challenging games known to cause problems with most software emulators. How does it stack up? The answers and more in this week's episode of DF Retro.
3x3 - Secret of Mana Remake Analysed! SNES vs PS4/Pro/PC/Vita!
February 18, 2018
Our comparison of the original Secret of Mana on Super NES vs the new remake running on PS4 Pro, PS4, PC and - yes. - PlayStation Vita. Every version stacked up with some fascinating results.
3x4 - Panzer Dragoon/Panzer Dragoon Zwei: Sega Saturn Masterpieces
February 25, 2018
DF Retro takes a look at two genuine Sega Saturn classics - Panzer Dragoon and the phenomenal Panzer Dragoon Zwei. The technology, the ports, the art direction - these games are wonderful pieces of work worth celebrating today.
3x5 - DF Retro Extra: PS3 Reveal at E3 2005: What Was Faked? What Was Real?
March 4, 2018
It is one of the most infamous console reveals of all-time and the arrival of the 'target render'. But how much of PS3's initial reveal was actually faked? And what was actually running in real-time and on what hardware? John, Rich and DF's new PC expert Alex Battaglia consider the evidence.
3x6 - DF Retro Extra: Ion Maiden Tech Interview
March 18, 2018
So what would happen if we got a brand new 2018 game built on the classic 3D Realms Build Engine? That's exactly what Ion Maiden is - and it's awesome. On this Extra episode of DF Retro, John sits down with 3D Realms VP Frederik Schreiber and Voidpoint co-founder Evan Ramos to chat about the creation of the game and the experience of working with the Build engine in 2018.
3x7 - Sonic CD: A Genuine Sega Classic!
April 8, 2018
John explores Sonic CD and all its ports. With a focus more on exploration rather than speed and a bright presentation, Sonic CD remains one of the most unique games in the series. Curious about how it uses the Mega CD hardware? Or how about the three separate versions of Sonic CD for Windows? It's all here.
3x8 - DF Retro at Rezzed 2018: 90s Games Magazines Remembered!
April 29, 2018
Remember when you used to read about games in magazines rather than on websites? Our very own Rich Leadbetter was at the forefront of games magazines throughout the console era. Join John and Rich for this edit of their talk at Rezzed 2018, discussing how games magazines were made and how things have moved on in the move to the internet and YouTube.
3x9 - Sega Nomad: The Original Switch-Style Hybrid Console?
May 13, 2018
Nintendo Switch is rightly lauded for its hybrid console concept - the idea of having a fully mobile console you can also use for living room play, with full multiplayer support. But whether through design or through sheer luck, Sega actually got there first with its Nomad, way back in 1995. John picks up the story.
3x10 - DF Retro Extra: Sony PSP vs Nintendo DS at E3 2004! The Console War That Defined Mobile Gaming
May 20, 2018
Nintendo DS vs Sony PSP - when these two handhelds debuted at E3 2004, it looked like the most one-sided console war ever, but history would go on to tell a very different story. Join John and Rich for this look back over the reveal of two very different mobile devices, each of which would help define the template of handheld gaming - right up until today.
3x11 - DF Retro Extra: Halo 2 - Revisiting E3 2003's Impossible Xbox Demo!
June 6, 2018
Bungie originally envisaged technologies for Halo 2 that turned out to be completely impossible for the team to deliver in the actual game. That original vision debuted in an extended gameplay demo created especially for E3 2003 - but was scrapped soon after. In this DF Retro Extra special, John revisits that demo, explains why it was impossible for OG Xbox hardware and compares it with the final game to see just what - if anything - of that work persisted into retail code.
3x12 - H2O! Water Rendering: Wave Race 64, Quake, Duke Nukem 3D + Many More!: Part 1
July 22, 2018
DF Retro returns with a two-part showcase covering the history of water rendering in games, starting from the early 90s to and ending with the last-gen consoles. In this first part, we start with a look at 16-bit 2D raster tricks on Megadrive/Genesis, Super NES, NES and Game Boy before moving into the 3D era.
3x13 - H2O! Water Rendering: Wave Race 64, Quake, Duke Nukem 3D + Many More!: Part 2
August 5, 2018
John is back for part two of in-depth look at water rendering in classic games, as we complete our look at the PS2, Xbox and GameCube eras and dip our toes into last-gen.
3x14 - Okami HD Hits Switch! All Console Versions Tested!
August 8, 2018
Fancy a little bonus DF Retro? Okami HD is heading to Switch - as good an excuse as any for John to check out all the major console versions, including the mysterious '4K' PlayStation 3 release. All of the ports have their plus points and you can see them all in action here.
3x15 - Forsaken: The Classic 90s Shooter Returns to PC and Xbox One!
August 12, 2018
A pioneering game from the early days of PC 3D acceleration, Probe Software's excellent Forsaken enjoyed an impressive PS1 port and a very different incarnation on Nintendo 64. And now the game is back, remastered for PC and Xbox One - with full Xbox One X support.
3x16 - DF Retro Extra: Revisiting Xbox 360's E3 2005 Reveal!
September 16, 2018
Join John, Rich and Alex for a lighthearted look at the original reveal for Xbox 360 way back at E3 2005. How does the presentation stand up today and how does it compare to the infamous Sony PS3 conference?
3x17 - DF Retro Extra: Sonic Chaos 2018, Sonic Z-Treme + 8 More SAGE 2018 Game Demos!
September 29, 2018
SAGE is the annual festival that shows talented developers sharing their visions for new platform games based on Sonic the Hedgehog - and SAGE 2018 served up some genuine classics, such as Sonic Z-Treme - based on the canned Saturn game - as well as the potentially brilliant Sonic Chaos 2018.
3x18 - Tetris!
November 14, 2018
DF Retro returns with a visual tour through the history of Tetris. From 1984 to 2018, John examines nearly 30 versions of Tetris across multiple generations of consoles.
3x19 - Pitfall The Mayan Adventure: A Truly Special 16-bit Platformer!
November 25, 2018
John Linneman returns with a brand new DF Retro, this time concentrating on one of the most fascinating 16-bit platformers of its era.
3x20 - PlayStation Classic Review: Great Games, Poor Emulation
December 2, 2018
This could - and should - have been a lot better. DF Retro Hardware returns with a deep dive analysis into the PlayStation Classic, its games and the quality of its emulation stacked up against every way that matters when it comes to revisiting one of gaming history's most important consoles.
3x21 - Resident Evil 2: Classic Survival Horror
December 9, 2018
Join John Linneman for a look back to the PlayStation classic, Resident Evil 2 - including footage of the canned RE 1.5 running on OG PlayStation hardware, plus detailed analysis of every single version. Oh - and look out for a special, Platinum-level cameo.
3x22 - GameCube HDMI: The Best Video Quality Possible From Nintendo's Classic Console
December 16, 2018
PlayStation 3 was the first mainstream console with a digital AV output - or was it? Nintendo's GameCube featured digital output functionality that was never fully utilized - until the release of HDMI adapters based on the GCVideo project. In this DF Retro special, John talks with MyLifeInGaming's Marc Duddleson about the various solutions available, showcasing the Eon GCHD Mk2.