Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The Best of Gremlin compilation delivers a smorgasbord of gameplay experiences drawn from 37 classic Amiga titles. Whether you’re hurtling around twisty circuits in Super Cars, Top Gear 2, or Combo Racer, or battling pixelated foes in Zool, H.A.T.E., and Techno Cop, there’s a distinct flavor to each genre. Racing fans will appreciate the tight controls and sense of speed, while platform enthusiasts will delight in the varied level design of Impossamole and Venus the Flytrap.

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Action and shooter aficionados will find plenty to occupy their trigger fingers in Road Raider, Shadow Fighter, and Dark Fusion. These games range from side-scrolling action to overhead shooters, each with its own pacing and challenge curve. Puzzle buffs aren’t left out either—Deflektor offers mind-bending mirror puzzles, while strategic minds can dive into Premier Manager’s football management or Federation of Free Traders’ interstellar trading routes.

One of the compilation’s strengths is the seamless integration of an Amiga emulator, allowing you to launch each title directly under Windows without fuss. Loading times are minimal, and the ability to save states means you can step away from any game without losing progress. For local multiplayer games like Premier Manager 2 or Super Scramble Simulator, plugging in a second controller feels almost as effortless as it did on original Amiga hardware.

Of course, some mechanics feel dated by modern standards: pixel-perfect jumps can sometimes be unforgiving, and certain controls may lack analog precision. However, these quirks often contribute to the nostalgic charm. Mastering each title’s idiosyncrasies adds replay value, and the sheer breadth of genres ensures there’s always something new to try when one game grows stale.

Graphics

The visual presentation across these 37 titles showcases the best of late-’80s and early-’90s Amiga pixel art. Games like Zool and Spacewrecked burst with vibrant palettes and smooth animations, while top-down shooters such as H.A.T.E. employ detailed sprites and colorful backgrounds. Even smaller titles like Deflektor leverage clever dithering to give the illusion of additional colors.

When run through the bundled emulator, each game can be displayed in a window or fullscreen, with optional scanline filters that mimic classic CRT televisions. These filters add nostalgic authenticity, though purists can disable them for crisper edges. On modern high-resolution monitors, some titles may appear slightly stretched or suffer minor graphical glitches, but the overall visual fidelity remains impressive for software of this era.

Sound design also merits praise: the Amiga’s Paula chip comes through with warm, punchy soundtracks. Iconic tunes from Greg Norman’s Ultimate Golf and Litil Divil still hold up, and sound effects—gunshots in Techno Cop or the revving engines in Super Cars—immerse you in each world. Volume mixing is generally balanced, though you may need to tweak emulator settings for optimal audio clarity.

Graphical variety is a highlight of The Best of Gremlin. From the futuristic corridors of Dark Fusion to the medieval flair of Greg Norman’s Ultimate Golf menus, each title sports a unique artistic identity. While polygonal graphics were still on the horizon when these games released, their charming 2D artistry endures and remains a delight for retro enthusiasts.

Story

Narrative depth varies significantly throughout the compilation. Titles like Plan 9 From Outer Space and Vampire’s Empire lean into their sci-fi or gothic premises, offering simple mission briefs and occasional cutscenes. Meanwhile, games such as Litil Divil present tongue-in-cheek plots that punctuate platforming challenges with cheeky humor.

Many arcade-style games—Super Scramble Simulator, Skidz, Road Raider—eschew elaborate stories in favor of pure action loops. Here, progression is measured in high scores and level completion times rather than branching dialogue or plot twists. For players seeking deep narratives, the collection offers a handful of titles (Impossamole, Shadow Fighter) with richer backstories, but the emphasis remains on gameplay.

Management sims like Premier Manager 1–3 provide their own form of narrative tension, spinning a tale of underdog clubs rising through the ranks. Success and failure in these titles often feel more personal than the plot-driven adventures, as you shepherd your team to glory (or relegation). K240’s resource-gathering mechanics similarly weave an emergent story based on your strategic decisions.

Overall, The Best of Gremlin captures an era when storytelling in games varied wildly from minimal set-ups to basic cutscenes. While you won’t find sprawling epics rivaling modern RPGs, the concise narratives serve their genres well and enhance the overall diversity of the compilation.

Overall Experience

As a bundled package, The Best of Gremlin offers exceptional value: 37 distinct titles covering racing, action, platforming, puzzle, strategy, and management all on one CD. The included Amiga emulator ensures a hassle-free setup on Windows, handling both joystick input and save states elegantly. For under a typical retro-compilation price, you’re essentially accessing decades of Amiga history.

This collection excels for retro enthusiasts eager to revisit classics or newcomers curious about the Amiga’s library. The emulator’s presets make most games playable out of the box, though you may need to tinker with display or input settings for certain titles. Occasional emulation quirks—such as slight audio sync issues or minor graphical artifacts—do little to dampen enjoyment.

The Best of Gremlin thrives on its variety. If you tire of one genre, you can instantly switch to another—no additional purchases required. The nostalgia factor is strong, but the compilation also stands on its own merits: many of these games are genuinely fun and challenging, even by contemporary standards.

Ultimately, this collection represents a convenient, comprehensive trip through Gremlin Interactive’s Amiga legacy. It’s a must-have for anyone building a retro game library and an engaging window into the techniques and designs that defined early ’90s gaming. Whether you’re fine-tuning a football squad in Premier Manager or battling aliens in Dark Fusion, The Best of Gremlin delivers hours of varied, addictive gameplay.

Retro Replay Score

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