Good evening folks,

If you are an Amiga owner that enjoys listening to MP3′s, please read on, as I’ve got some fantastic news for you today.

Yesterday, AmigaKit announced the immediate availability of the MAS Player Evolution. This is basically an MP3 decoder for old-school Amiga systems. With this device you can play MP3 files on your machine without burdening the CPU. This means ultra-smooth playback of MP3′s on an Amiga 1200 with Fast-RAM for example. The minimum requirement is just a 68020 CPU, but after what I’ve read on AmiBay, MAS Player should work on 68000 CPU’s as well. Will be interesting to see if someone gets it to run on Amiga 500.

Here are the full details from AmigaKit about this new piece of hardware:

MAS Player Evolution is a MP3 decoder for Classic Amiga computers.

MP3 decoder enables your Amiga to play MP3 music files on your hard disk without using your Amiga’s CPU to decode the MP3 files. This is very useful for Classic Amigas that do not have the power to play MP3 music.

Occupies the joystick and parallel ports – joystick port pass-through is provided so you can still use the joystick when MAS Player Evolution is connected to the Amiga.

Audio output is mixed in hardware between the Amiga and MP3 sound via a standard 3.5mm sound jack. MAS Player evolution features stereo RCA jacks to connect to the Amiga’s audio ports and route the Amiga sound through the MAS Player.

This hardware is compatible with the existing original MAS Player software. System requirements match the MAS Player software.

68020 or better CPU with at least 2MB of Fast Memory recommended.

If you’d like to check out the MAS Player Evolution, please head over to AmigaKit by clicking here.

I’d love to purchase this device for my Amiga 1200, but I must do some thinking first, as it costs quite a bit of cash. Would be cool to play all my favourite music on the Amiga though. Tempting!

Are any of you considering buying it? Maybe some of you have already ordered it? One thing is sure though, this kind of hardware is dangerous for the wallet, that’s for sure. So much cool Amiga stuff appearing these days and more is yet to come!

The new ACA-1231/42 from Individual Computers (photo taken from http://www.amigafuture.de/viewtopic.php?t=30865&sid=aeae880b87da80314b78b2db9fd08bf3)

Hi everyone,

Today I’ve got some news concerning a hardware upgrade for the Amiga 1200. It turns out that a new accelerator card will be available for purchase shortly. Vesalia, which is a popular Amiga shop in Germany, estimates that it will arrive on the 1st of March 2012.

This new turbo card has been developed by Jens Schönfeld of Individual Computers in Germany. He’s famous for creating quality hardware such as the Indivision scan-doubler/flickerfixer series, the 68030 accelerator for the Amiga 600 and the recently released Chameleon.

I must say that the specifications of the new Amiga 1200 accelerator (the name is ACA-1231/42) looks juicy.. please have a look below, and I’m sure you’ll know what I mean..

I sincerely wish I had the cash for something like this!

ACA-1231/42

Amiga 1200 Accelerator Card w/ 68030 CPU incl. MMU

The new ACA-1231/42 offers everything a retro gamer wants:

Speed:
Although the ACA-1231/42 features less MHz than the Blizzard 1230-IV card (42 MHz* vs. 50 MHz), it actually achieves more MIPS (Million Instructions per Second). The reason for this efficiency is the high clock speed of the on-board memory (25 x 3.333 MHz = 83.325 MHz, 2-1-1-1 Burst).

Memory Aplenty:
The ACA-1231/42 comes with 64 MB RAM, 1 MB of which are reserved to map the Kickstart into the fast memory. With Kickstart 3.1** there are 63 MB FastMem available to applications when you switch the A1200 on (1 MB is always located at address 0x00C00000 to gain compatibility with old or badly programmed software; 62 MB are available en bloque).

On Time:
The ACA-1231/42, unlike its predecessor ACA-1230, always comes with an RTC (Real Time Clock) chip installed. You only have to add a battery.

Hardware Compatibility:
The ACA-1231/42 is more tolerant towards different revisions of the A1200 board than the ACA-1230 was. Immunity against fluctuations of old power supplies has been improved while the power consumption has been reduced.

Software Compatibility:
The ACA-1231/42 sports a fully featured 68030 processor, which also includes a functional MMU (Memory Management Unit). The MMU can not only be used to map a Kickstart ROM image to FastMem, it’s also crucial for WHDLoad. The ACA-1231/42 is 100% compatible with WHDLoad! The MapROM function supports Kickstarts of 1 MB size.

* The exact clock speed is 41.6625 (25 x 3.333/2) MHz.
** Kickstart 3.0 users must add the memory with the ACATune software.

I found the information above at the website of Vesalia.

Are any of you going to purchase this new accelerator? If yes (or no), please leave a comment below. Would love to hear what you think.

If you’ve got an Amiga 1200 without a decent turbo-card, then I’d recommend taking a look at this one. Don’t think you’ll get a better 68030 card for your Amiga 1200 than the ACA-1231.

Lethal Weapon (screenshot by Old School Game Blog)

Review of Lethal Weapon for the Amiga 500

Introduction

The game we’re going to look at today is called Lethal Weapon and it was first released back in 1992. It was developed and published by Ocean, one of the largest software houses in the first half of the 1990′s. As the title of the game suggests, it is based upon the popular Lethal Weapon movies that starred actors like Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. These films are basically about two L.A cops named Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh. Their personalities are very, very different, but they still make a good team. Together they give criminals a hard time. In the first movie for example, they helped shut down a large drug-smuggling operation. Needless to say, the movies are filled with action and I therefore expect the game to be the same.

A picture from Lethal Weapon showing Riggs to the left and Murtaugh to the right (photo taken from http://www.moviesonline.ca/AdvHTML_Upload/lethal_weapon_1.jpg)

Requirements

Lethal Weapon will work on most Amiga setups, but you’ll need to have at least 1MB of RAM installed. I ran the game on an Amiga 1200 without any issues at all, so it is safe to say that it is AGA-friendly. It comes on one floppy disk, so there’s no need for a hard drive. You boot the game straight from floppy and it only takes a couple of minutes to get started.

Getting Started

You can select the mission you want to play in the Police Department (screenshot by Old School Game Blog)

It all begins in an office building that (probably) belongs to the L.A Police Department. You are in control of Martin Riggs and you have the option to select either mission 1, 2 or 3. Mission 4 is locked. You can also enter the computer room to check mission status reports and enter level codes. If you don’t feel like playing as Martin Riggs, you can head over to the locker room, and you’ll be able to play as Roger Murtaugh instead.

The details of mission one (screenshot by Old School Game Blog)

When you’ve decided which mission to play, let’s say number one, you’ll be taken to a quick briefing performed by the head-honcho of the Police Department. There you’ll get an idea of what’s at stake and an option to either accept or decline the mission. As you can see from the screenshot above, your first objective is to crack down on some international criminals that are involved in smuggling profits abroad. In mission two you must save your city from terrorists and in mission three your objective is to rescue a man held hostage in an old factory.

Playing the Game

Lethal Weapon is a typical action-orientated platform game. The screen scrolls in the direction you move and you make your way through the game by running and jumping on and off platforms.

The controls are straight forward and easy to get to grips with. Push the joystick upwards to jump, down to crouch, and either left or right to walk in a specific direction. You can shoot (or kick if you’re close enough) enemies by pressing the fire-button. It’s worth mentioning that there are a lot of doors you can enter throughout the game. These rooms often contains nice bonuses for you to collect. You can enter these areas by pushing up on the joystick when you are in front of the door.

Watch out for the bad guy above.. he's looking for trouble! (screenshot by Old School Game Blog)

You’ll encounter all kinds of dangerous enemies in the game. They are wielding weapons like flame throwers, rocket launchers, pistols and even dynamite sticks. Don’t be afraid though, as you’ll be able to take them out with your trusty gun, but please remember that they have a tendency to appear out of nowhere when you walk into new areas. Having a good memory will help you here, as you can then prepare yourself for what’s ahead.

There are plenty of bonuses to be found in each mission. If you’re lucky, you might stumble upon a cache of ammunition, extra lives or perhaps some well-earned points. Keep your eyes peeled!

The difficulty of the game is moderate and it should be possible to complete with some practice. It’s worth mentioning that the collision-detection in Lethal Weapon is top-notch, which is extremely important in these kinds of games. There’s a lot of action in Lethal Weapon and you’ll encounter a lot of bad guys, some more difficult to beat than others.

Nicely drawn graphics! (screenshot by Old School Game Blog)

Even though it comes on only one floppy disk, the game is jam-packed with graphics and music. There are separate tunes for the different missions, along with intro music and a cool song playing at the mission selection screen. I really enjoyed the tunes and must say they fit the game perfectly. The in-game character animations, objects and backgrounds are detailed and nicely drawn for a platform game of this kind. Definitely a job well done by Ocean.

Conclusion

Lethal Weapon is a good action-orientated platform game for the Amiga. It sports excellent music, as well as nicely drawn graphics. It is challenging, but not too difficult to master. The game-engine seems sturdy with decent collision-detection, easy to learn controls and smooth scrolling and animation. The storyline is divided into different missions and this works well. There is a code-system, so that you don’t have to start all over again every time you play.

All in all, I recommend Lethal Weapon to all of you who enjoys these kind of platform games. I had a lot of fun playing it and I hope you will too.

Download

You can download the game from Planet Emulation by clicking here (you’ll be transferred to their site).

Amiga heroes: Trevor Dickinson, Adam Barnes, Paul Gentle and Ben Hermans (picture taken from http://obligement.free.fr/articles/actuenbref05062010.php)

Hi folks,

Just wanted to tell you that an interview with Varisys was published on the website of Obligement yesterday. Varisys is the manufacturer of the Nemo motherboards that are found in AmigaOne X1000′s.

Please follow this link to go to the interview.

I found it particularly interesting to read that new Amiga hardware is on the horizon:

If you had to build a successor of the AmigaOne X1000, which processor or features would it have?

- Watch this space…

It seems to me that plans are already being made for more AmigaOS 4.x compatible hardware. Exciting stuff!

Since this post became quite short, I’ve decided to provide you with an extra bonus. Below you’ll find a video of Amigang demonstrating his new AmigaOne X1000. This video was uploaded to YouTube yesterday. Hope you’ll like it!

Safari Guns for the Amiga 500 - This is the intro picture (snapshot by Old School Game Blog)

Review of Safari Guns for the Amiga 500

Introduction

Safari Guns was developed by New-Deal Productions and published by Infogrames back in 1989. The game works on a standard Amiga 500 with 512KB of RAM and it comes on one floppy disk. The box-art looks both nice and inviting, which is not uncommon for older games.

The Game

If you’ve played games like Operation Wolf and Take’Em Out, you will already be familiar with Safari Guns. The concept is mostly the same. The screen moves from left to right and you are in control of a cross hair on the screen. You can move the cross-hair freely around with your mouse and you have to push the left mouse button to fire.

Take photographs of wild animals in Africa (snapshot by Old School Game Blog)

Even though the game-engine is similar to other shooters, the idea behind Safari Guns is a bit different. The main goal of the game is to take photographs of wild animals. This is not as easy as it sounds though, as there are enemies lurking in the wild ready to take you out. These poachers are apparently afraid that you’ll expose them and turn them in to the authorities. Fortunately you’re not only equipped with a nice camera, but also with a rifle. You can switch between these by clicking on their respective icons at the bottom of the screen. This works OK enough, but when there is a lot of action on the screen, moving the cross hair up and down the screen takes away focus and leaves you vulnerable to attacks from the poachers. It would, in my opinion, be better if you could switch between the camera and the rifle by clicking on the right mouse button.

Nice graphics. The screen is divided into layers and creates a nice sort of parallax-effect (snapshot by Old School Game Blog)

The graphics in Safari Guns are impressive, I must say that. The first thing you’ll notice when you start playing is the nice scenery. It looks splendid and exotic. The animations of both people and animals are also very good considering that this game was released in 1989. The background differs from level to level, which counts for the animals (and humans) as well. It is my impression that the developers put a lot of effort into the visuals of Safari Guns, which I think was a clever move at the time.

Gallery of the photos you've taken in Safari Guns - my gallery is not very impressive.. (snapshot by Old School Game Blog)

We must lend an ear to the in-game music as well. My first thought was that it was very 80′s and that you can tell it by the rhymes and the different instrument samples being used. It works, but I didn’t find it very catchy to be honest. The sound effects works well with the game and there is a decent variety of them included. Not bad, but not top-notch either.

Safari Guns is not a long game though. You’ll probably be able to finish it quicker than similar games. I watched a longplay of it on YouTube and the guy that completed it spent under ten minutes doing it.. It’s safe to say that lastability is probably not Safari Guns strongest side.

Conclusion

Even though the game-engine of Safari Guns is similar to other cross hair shooters, like Operation Wolf, the idea behind the game is quite different. Taking photographs of animals in the wild is a good idea and it is well enough executed in this game. Safari Guns truly shines when it comes to graphics, but suffers a bit when it comes to the controls (switching between camera and rifle is a bit of a struggle in the heat of the moment). I also find it a bit negative that the game can be finished by a skilled player in less than ten minutes, especially because the game is not that hard to learn.

All in all, Safari Guns is an OK Amiga game and one that should be remembered for trying something different. “Is it any fun?”, I hear you ask.. it is sure is for a while, but it is not the kind of game you invest hours upon hours into. Safari Guns can be picked up and played in a matter of minutes and is a good contender for your Sunday evening Amiga sessions.

Downloads

Download Safari Guns (Amiga 500) from The Game Archives.

The Nintendo Gamecube - you can play games for this console on the Wii (photo taken from http://www.nikbull.co.uk/Angeldust/Nintendo.htm)

Hi everyone,

In my previous post, I mentioned that I traded in my Playstation 2 for a Nintendo Wii some months ago. While I still regret making that decision, there’s not much I can do about it now. Writing about it got me thinking about something though.. isn’t the Nintendo Wii capable of running good, old Gamecube games? Sure it is! I don’t know why I haven’t thought about that before, as many Playstation 2 games were available for the Gamecube as well.

This encouraged me to do some research and the results I found was pretty good. It turns out that Lord of the Rings: The Third Age (my favourite game on the Playstation 2) was also released for the Gamecube. I don’t know if this version is better or worse than the one for the Playstation, but I think it looks quite similar after watching some in-game footage on YouTube. I’m definitely going to buy this game though, so that I can get my LOTR fix on the Wii.

Here’s a review I found of LOTR: The Third Age for Gamecube:

Guess I’ll have to get hold of a Gamecube memory card as well now. I already own a compatible controller that was bundled with the Wii.

Have any of you tried running Gamecube games on the Wii by the way? If yes, what are your experiences? Did it work out well?

The Playstation 2 (taken from http://thevideogamesystems.blogspot.com/2011/06/popular-playstation-2.html)

Hi folks,

It’s time for another list. This time I’m going to tell you about my top five favourite games for the awesome Playstation 2 console.

Before I share my list with you, I’ve got something that I must admit. It so happens that I traded in my Playstation 2 (plus some cash to make up for the price difference..) for a Nintendo Wii some months ago. I truly regret making that decision, but I thought the Nintendo Wii would offer hours and hours of fun at the time. I’m sure some people enjoy the Wii, but it just doesn’t do it for me. I used to play games on my Playstation 2 every week, but the Nintendo Wii is hardly ever used. It just sits quietly beneath the TV in the living room and gathers dust. The only game I play on it is Mario Kart, which is fun in multiplayer. To make it worse, I’ve moved my Amiga CD32 into the living room, so now I’m even less interested in the Nintendo. Anyway, not much I can do about this now. As the Undead Crypt Fiends in Warcraft 3 says: “What’s done is done”.

Without further ado, here’s the list of my top five favourite games for the Playstation 2:

1. The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age (Electronic Arts) (2004)

This is an excellent RPG from Electronic Arts. The gameplay is set to Middle Earth and the story plays out at the same time as the Fellowship of the Ring is on their way to Mordor. You’ll have to guide your party through dangerous territories and defend yourself from aggressive orcs, trolls and goblins. As you make your way through the game, you earn experience points that can be used to enhance the skills of the members of your crew. The action sequences are turn-based and works very well. When you are not in a battle, you can move around freely to explore and search for items. You’ll encounter both people and locations from the movie trilogy and there are even many video sequences from the films included. To assist you on your way, you’ll always have access to an in-game map. This one is very helpful if you manage to get lost – especially in the Mines of Moria. The music in the game is excellent, as they’ve included tracks from the movies. I must also say that the graphics looks good even today. LOTR: The Third Age is my favourite game on the PS2 and if I ever purchase such a console again (it is likely that I will, since I miss it a lot), I know what I’m going to start playing again.

You can find more information about the game on the LOTR: The Third Age wiki.

2. Gradius V (Konami) (2004)

One of my favourite genres is shoot’em up’s. Especially side-scrolling ones like Gradius V. This shoot’em up is definitely one of the best I’ve ever played, even though it is very difficult. Everything from graphics to audio is excellent in this game, and the gameplay itself is top-notch.

3. God of War II (SCE Santa Monica Studio) (2007)

God of War II is an awesome action-adventure game for the Playstation 2. The graphics are simply stunning and my jaw dropped to the floor the first time I saw the game live. Please have a look at the video above and you’ll see what I mean.

4. Super Bust-A-Move (Taito) (2000)

This might come as a surprise to some of you, but my fourth favourite game for the PS2 is actually Super Bust-A-Move from Taito. The reason is that it is incredibly fun in multiplayer. I love the variety of characters with unique strengths and weaknesses, the vast number of different levels, the bonuses and the overall atmosphere of the game.

5. Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance (Interplay) (2001)

Baldur’s Gate is a fine RPG with a decent storyline. Hack’n'slash your way through hordes of enemies, earn XP’s, solve problems, trade stuff and explore – all ingredients in this cool game.

There it is, the list of the games I enjoy the most on the PS2. It was not easy to make such a short list, but I think it came out correct in the end.

What are your favourite games for the PS2? Please leave a comment below. It will be interesting to see what kind of games you enjoy playing on this console.

Will I buy a Playstation 2 console again? Most likely.

It seems like some lucky people have started receiving their new AmigaOne X1000′s just in time for the weekend. A user at Amigaworld.net, MacSociety, got his machine some hours ago. So without further ado, here are four videos he uploaded to YouTube.

Enjoy the show and have a nice weekend!

Sneak peak at new Lucasfilm games in an Atari magazine (photo by Old School Game Blog)

Hi everyone,

Today I picked up a huge (and heavy..) box filled with various gaming and computer magazines at the post office. Won these at an auction site just a few days ago. Most of the magazines are in excellent order, some even in mint condition, but the issues of Amiga Forum and Megabyte have been exposed to the horror of a paper-punch machine.

This purchase has expanded my collection of magazines quite a lot. Now I’m going to start sorting them properly and make room for them in my computer-magazine shelf.

Here are some pictures of the mags. Enjoy!

The magazines spread out on the floor in different stacks (photo by Old School Game Blog)

Two Zero magazines. These covered both the Atari ST and the Amiga. (photo by Old School Game Blog)

Several Amiga World issues - great reading material (photo by Old School Game Blog)

Golden oldies from the beginning of the 80's Never read any of these before, so it'll be interesting. (photo by Old School Game Blog)

Home Computing Weekly mags in excellent condition (photo by Old School Game Blog)

Various Amiga magazines, including CU Amiga and Amiga Format (photo by Old School Game Blog)

Indiana Jones is back! (photo by Old School Game Blog)

The AmigaOne X1000

Hi folks,

A-EON Technology and Hyperion Entertainment announced today that the AmigaOne X1000 “First Contact” systems are now shipping. They also reported that the AmigaOS 4.1 Update 5 CD has gone gold. This is excellent news and I can’t wait to read the first reviews of the AmigaOne X1000. Congratulations to everyone involved and to the lucky ones waiting for their new machines to arrive.

Please read on for the press release from A-EON Technology and Hyperion Entertainment:

Wellington, 25th January 2012

AmigaOS 4.1 Update 5 CD for the AmigaONE X1000 “First Contact” system has gone GOLD!

A-EON Technology and Hyperion Entertainment are pleased to announce that the AmigaOS 4.1 Update 5 CD, exclusively created for the AmigaONE X1000 “First Contact” system has gone gold. The professionally re-mastered CD will be supplied in a printed boxed set along with copies of the AmigaONE X1000 and AmigaOS 4.1 “Quick Start” guides. Steven Solie, Hyperion Entertainment’s AmigaOS Development Team Lead said, “The team worked hard to reach this important milestone in the development of the Amiga Operating System. With AmigaOS 4.1 Update 5 completed for the AmigaONE X1000 we can concentrate on versions for all the other supported hardware platforms as we continue to push towards the future release of AmigaOS 4.2.” Trevor Dickinson added, “I would like to thank the AmigaOS developers and the whole AmigaONE X1000 betatest team who have worked so tirelessly behinds the scenes to make this a reality. I would also like to give special thanks to a few key members of the team who went above and beyond the “call of duty” to ensure the success of this project. You know who you are.” The AmigaOS 4.1 Update 5 boxed set will be supplied to all AmigaONE X1000 “First Contact” customers who will also receive a free update to AmigaOS 4.2 when it is commercially released by Hyperion Entertainment.

AmigaONE X1000 “First Contact” systems now shipping

A-EON Technology and AmigaKit are pleased to announced that the deliveries of AmigaONE X1000 “First Contact” systems have commenced. Matthew Leaman, Managing Director of AmigaKit commented, “we are pleased to finally supply this eagerly awaited AmigaONE computer system to our customers”. Trevor Dickinson added, “I have just received my own AmigaONE X1000 system and I hope “First Contact” owners will have as much fun as I’m having with my new “Amiga”. All that remains to be said is let’s “keep this party going!”

A-EON Technology

About AmigaKit:  AmigaKit is a trading division of Leaman Computing Ltd based in Cardiff, UK. It acquired the stock of Eyetech Group Ltd in 2006 and quickly established itself as a world-wide market leader in the retail and distribution of Amiga hardware and software. A-EON Technology appointed AmigaKit as its primary distributor for all its AmigaONE products.

About A-EON Technology and the AmigaONE X1000:  A-EON Technology is the developer of the AmigaONE X1000 computer system designed by Varisys Ltd for running the AmigaOS. The AmigaOne X1000 is not like other computers. It is a culmination of efforts by real Amiga enthusiasts and developers to create powerful, modern desktop hardware for the Amiga Operating System. It is the natural evolution of the Amiga’s PowerPC lineage and is based on the PA-Semi Dual-core PA6T-1682M CPU and includes Xena, a “Software Defined Silicon” co-processor. Above all it runs the latest version of the AmigaOS.

About Hyperion Entertainment:   Hyperion Entertainment is the developer of the AmigaOS.

AmigaKit website: http://www.amigakit.com/
A-EON Technology website: http://a-eon.com
Hyperion Entertainment website: http://hyperion-entertainment.biz/
Hyperion Entertainment blog: http://blog.hyperion-entertainment.biz/?p=469
Hyperion Entertainment forum: forum.hyperion-entertainment.biz/
Varisys Ltd website: http://www.varisys.co.uk/

Hopefully we’ll hear some news concerning the AmigaOS netbook in the near future as well. I’m really looking forward to that and I’m ready to make a purchase.

Have a good weekend everyone!