DF Retro (2016)
DF Retro explores the technology, innovation and history of video games from the past, giving them a modern re-evaluation while exploring just how even the most simple video games helped pave the way for the most advanced current generation blockbuster. Hosted and produced by Digital Foundry's John Linneman.
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Episode 1 - Cooly Skunk: The Lost SNES Platformer Miraculously Recovered Via Satellite Download!
Release Date: 2020-01-26A Super NES/Super Famicom game thought lost forever has been miraculously recovered. Cooly Skunk may never have received a physical release on 16-bit, but it did get a PlayStation 1 revamp. It's the most fascinating example of a cross-gen game we've seen to date. Learn about the Super Famicom's satellite gaming download system, how it made recovering Cooly Skunk possible and - of course - how the completed but never released SNES game compared to the actual PS1 release.
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Episode 2 - Mortal Kombat: The Legend, The Arcade Tech, The Console Ports - 16 Versions Analysed!
Release Date: 2020-02-02Join John for a very special, extended episode of DF Retro. Midway's classic Mortal Kombat is under the microscope, with a look at its beginnings, its meteoric success in the arcades and the inevitable ports to console systems - and beyond.
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Episode 3 - DF Retro Play: Road Rash 3DO vs Blackdog Technology 3DO RGB Mod!
Release Date: 2020-02-16One of the shining lights of its game library, Road Rash on 3DO was an impressive title for its day, with conversions following for PlayStation and Saturn. Here, you'll get to see the game being played on original 3DO hardware - with a twist. Picture quality from the 3DO out of the box isn't exactly impressive, but John's packing the Blackdog Technology 3DO RGB mod - so you'll get to see a key title looking pretty much as good as it's going to get.
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Episode 4 - DF Retro Play: Batman Forever PC - Baffling, Infuriating And Utterly Bizarre
Release Date: 2020-03-01John Linneman returns with one of his latest retro gaming finds - and it's a fascinating one for all of the wrong reasons. Behold the baffling, infuriating and downright strange movie tie-in - Batman Forever - sort of like Mortal Kombat meets Streets of Rage, but where the controls benefit from having two sets of hands and where you need the manual to figure out the various button combinations required to do the most basic things. It's a gameplay experience you won't want to miss.
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Episode 5 - DF Retro Play: Messiah PC - Revisiting Shiny Entertainment's Ambitious Action Game!
Release Date: 2020-03-22Join John Linneman and Audi Sorlie as they break open a vintage 2000 sealed copy of Shiny Entertainment's Messiah. Lauded in its day for its groundbreaking tech, but not exactly renowned for classic gameplay, DF Retro revisits the game on period appropriate PC hardware.
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Episode 6 - DF Retro EX: Doom 64 - Remaking an N64 Classic For PS4, Xbox One, Switch + PC!
Release Date: 2020-04-05In a DF Retro exclusive, John Linneman talks with Nightdive Studios about the process of bringing the classic, totally original Nintendo 64 rendition of Doom over to the current-gen platforms. In this video, you'll see what made the original release so fascinating, while Nightdive staff tell all on how the game was reverse-engineered and delivered on current-gen platforms. Oh - and is this the first 1440p Xbox One S game?
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Episode 7 - DF Retro Hardware - Evercade Review: The Cartridge-Based Retro Handheld That Works
Release Date: 2020-04-25We've had a ton of requests to take a look at Blaze's Evercade - a cartridge-based retro handheld. It's certainly a fascinating device with a unique game delivery mechanism, and the emulation is strong. DF Retro's John Linneman gives the device a thorough road-test.
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Episode 8 - Final Fantasy 7: A JPRG Epic Analysed Across The Generations!
Release Date: 2020-04-26What made the original Final Fantasy 7 such an epic release for the original PlayStation way back in 1997? How well did the ports to other systems fare and how did Square seek to follow up on his stone-cold classic? Join Digital Foundry for a celebration of a groundbreaking game, culminating in its recent release as the Final Fantasy 7 Remake for PlayStation 4 and PS4 Pro.