April 6, 2024

43. Isometric ballet

The team comes back together and explores more games! Today we have Extreme Volleyball Infernal League (Sega Master System), Spediteur (Commodore 64) and Rocket Panda (Sega Megadrive).

As we talk about their partnership with Alan-1 and the My Atari Arcade Game Station Pro, Atari's comeback nearly causes Wiedo to die laughing.

Fortunately we save him by talking about streaming our games to our devices, Yuzu and Nintendo and more D&D! Our retro-chats don't stop here so tune in and have fun!

0:00:00 2:15:40
  • Extreme Volleyball Infernal League

    In Extreme Volleyball Infernal League players are thrust into a fiery, underworld-themed sports game that challenges traditional notions of volleyball. Developed with a focus on fast-paced action and demonic aesthetics, this game presents a unique blend of 2D platforming and competitive sports mechanics, creating an engaging and challenging experience.

    At its core, the game features a roster of demonic and supernatural characters, each boasting their own special abilities and stats, allowing for a diverse range of playstyles. Players navigate their character across a hellish court, using precise jumps and powerful smashes to send a cursed volleyball hurtling over a net that separates the living from the damned. The objective remains clear: outscore the opposition by landing the ball on their side of the court, all while navigating environmental hazards unique to each infernal arena.

    The gameplay mechanics introduce a twist to the classic volleyball formula, incorporating power-ups that can dramatically alter the flow of the match. These power-ups spawn randomly on the court, granting abilities such as increased speed, fireballs that can be hurled at the opponent, or temporary invincibility. This addition of power-ups, along with the game’s emphasis on character-specific abilities, encourages players to adopt on-the-fly strategies and adapt to the chaotic nature of each match.

  • Spediteur

    Spediteur emerges as a strategic turn-based business simulation game for the Commodore 64. Developed by Windigo Productions, it invites players to manage a freight company, starting with just a single truck. Players must navigate through a map of Europe, accepting delivery orders to transport goods between cities, all while managing their company’s resources and competing against both AI and player-controlled rivals.

    The gameplay of Spediteur is centered around optimizing routes, balancing cargo loads, and maximizing profits. Each delivery order comes with its own set of challenges, including varying cargo sizes that occupy different amounts of space in your truck and offer diverse payouts upon successful delivery. Players must carefully plan their moves, considering the cost of travel, including potential ferry and plane transfers to expedite deliveries across the game’s meticulously designed map.

    Action points dictate what a player can accomplish within a turn, from loading cargo to moving towards a destination city. Strategic elements are further amplified by the need to navigate around traffic jams and make use of transportation shortcuts, like ferries and planes, which add layers of depth to the logistics puzzle. Players can enhance their truck with trailers to increase cargo capacity, directly influencing their strategy on whether to focus on high-value long hauls or quick local deliveries for faster, smaller gains. This and more make Spediteur a must play for anyone into strategy games!

  • Rocket Panda

    In this side-scrolling platformer, where players fly a panda armed with rockets through levels to save badgers, Rocket Panda introduces a gameplay rich in strategy and action. The game distinguishes itself with a unique mechanic: the panda’s ability to dash. This ability is not just for movement; it’s essential for breaking through barriers and defeating bosses. Players acquire dashes by collecting cups of tea scattered throughout levels, adding a playful element to the game strategy.

    The game’s structure revolves around rescuing badgers trapped in cages, requiring players to find keys within the levels to free them. These rescue missions are complicated by environmental hazards, enemy creatures, and challenging bosses that require strategic use of the dash mechanic to defeat. Each level is filled with biscuits and tea, serving dual purposes as health replenishment and enabling the crucial dash ability.

    Rocket Panda incorporates a life system tied to the badgers you’re tasked with saving; the more badgers you rescue without getting hit, the more hits you can take. This system adds an extra layer of strategy, as losing badgers means losing potential lives. Boss battles hinge on clever use of the dash ability, obtained from collecting tea, requiring players to manage this resource wisely to emerge victorious.