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ZX81-supremo Andre Baune has very recently improved and released an impressive Cluedo-alike game for the legendary machine called Oo Dunn It.

The game is based in a great hall where a murder has been committed. Playing the sleuth, you and the computer take turns to guess who undertook the dastardly deed, in what part of the hall and with what weapon. Like the classic board game, each player may only make their guess as they enter the room. Oo Dunn It is a nice addition to Baune's other works, and is a thoroughly recommended (legal) download for ZX fans. Get it now from www.zx-team.de/andre, where you will find other fine pieces of software for your favourite ZX81 emulator (o, if you have the know-how, you could load the file into a real machine).

The fan-based tribute to the missing in action Retro Gamer magazine, known as Retro Survival, is now available to pre-order for just 5 (plus postage). The folk behind it are ex-freelancer writers of the magazine, and the project will be available on a PC CD-ROM. Those people attending the Retro Ball in December will be able to collect their copies from that event, meaning you save a little on postage costs.

Features will include the Retro Gamer Story (which I must say I'm rather keen to read, as someone who was actually working in house on the magazine for a while), Back to the Eighties, Desert Island Disks, a Leisure Suit Larry retrospective, Next Level Gaming (looking at the wonderful AGA Amigas) and more. I have some fond memories of Retro Gamer, and as this is something a little more personal than usual, I'll be reviewing Retro Survival in these pages as soon as I get hold of a copy. Until then, more information is available at www.retrosurvival.co.uk.

One thing is for certain in the wonderful world of gaming - you don't need the most powerful console or computer to have the latest and most exciting games.

Proof of this has been evident since the birth of home gaming, with machines like the Atari 2600 and ZX81 enjoying immense success. And let's not forget how well the mainstay 8-bit platforms did even after the launch of the 16-bit beasts such as the Amiga and Atari ST. Even today the PlayStation 2 is a remarkably popular machine despite being underpowered in many respects when compared to the likes of the Xbox and GameCube. What is needed when it comes to gaming isn't power, but great (and new) games.

Retro gaming is therefore often about nostalgia - looking backwards to great milestones in gaming's history and pointing to the simple but compelling gameplay. But it doesn't necessarily have to be this way.

Since starting this column for Micro Mart, I have always tried to point out the new developments in the retro world, and although the quality of some productions haven't always been up to scratch, generally most new releases have all the elements of a good playable production.

Occasionally, some games go beyond my expectations and could be considered classics in their own right. On this point, I believe that we actually have new, innovative and exciting games that should appeal to many retro gamers, and we should take more interest in. A shame then that so few people are willing to spend their hard-earned cash on buying them.

So, if you're new to retro gaming, consider looking to the present (as well as the past) to get your retro gaming kicks. You may well be surprised at how much is poured into the productions, and how good such games are.