We can all pretty much agree that 2020 was an absolute dumpster fire of a year for un-named reasons. However, I did a few things in that year I would deem pretty cool. One such thing was pre-ordering the IBM MS-DOS floppy disk game bundle otherwise known as Slipspeed Collector’s Edition.
A retro collector’s edition
This particular collector’s edition is a Bitmap Soft production. Both the coding and artwork were overseen by Thomas ‘Voxel’ Purnell, with the music done by Martijn ‘Tijn’ Frazer. The box itself isn’t as chunky as a standard big box pc game. It does have plenty of interesting little installation jargon on the bottom left and on the spine. This is a nice detail, but as it is all printed directly on the cardboard, it isn’t 100% authentic. Usually this information would be on a sticker attached to the box.
The back of the box has all kinds of marketing blurbs and screenshots on it, including a short backstory which I’ve included below:
It is the year 2220 and all forms of sport are outlawed, but adrenaline junkies compete in illicit fast-paced races across the known worlds. Racing their illegally modded vehicles at breakneck speeds through tight winding tracks, competing for fame, glory and cash. Driven by your insatiable desire for riches, you will now join these criminal races in the forbidden circuits of Slipspeed!
One thing I want to mention is the collector’s edition didn’t come sealed. I was hoping it would be packaged up, so I could have the satisfaction of peeling off the plastic wrap. You know, that brand new game experience. That’s fine though. I don’t mind. Better for the environment anyway.
What’s in the box?
The first thing viewable when opening the box is a piece of bubble wrap keeping everything safe. The biggest item included is a rolled-up poster. The next thing is a badge which features a ship from the game itself. There’s also plenty of stickers too. One from Bitmap Soft, one with the Slipspeed logo, and one from Retro Video Gamer. Not entirely sure who or what that is though. Alongside the 3 1/2-inch floppy disk containing the game, there is the original soundtrack on a CD.
Finally, we have the full colour booklet. It contains information about Bitmap Soft and the credits of the game. There are story snippets, hints on how to play and even some secrets. Each of the 16 courses have a summary and a screenshot included. It’s bright and eye-catching, and a great example of a retro game booklet. It even has full page adverts for other games such as Freddy Fish Deluxe.
The game is a fast-paced arcade racer that offers players two modes, Grand Prix and Time Trial. Combined with 16 different courses, there’s a fairly substantial amount of gameplay to be had. Each of the many different ships have their own stats, all of which can be upgraded with money collected when racing. All which sounds like a pretty fun time.
Not a perfect package
Unfortunately, I had some trouble getting the floppy disk to work. I spent quite some time trying to get it working through DOSBox on both my Windows 10 and Windows XP computers. Neither of them were able to boot the program up. I ended just buying the downloadable .exe version, which is a lot cheaper. By doing this, I gained access to the Windows and MS-DOS versions. After that, I was able to get it running on DOSBox. I’m not sure why I couldn’t get the floppy disk version running, I wasn’t really that surprised. The floppy disk isn’t the most reliable media storage in the world, so it is something to watch out for. It may be my inexperience with DOSBox and MS-DOS or a flawed floppy disk or something.
Regardless, the Slipspeed Collector’s Edition bundle is a sweet little retro package, and I do not regret buying it. Aside from the floppy disk itself not working, it’s awesome to see people who are passionate about old media. They take it upon themselves to craft new experiences and I commend them for that. I enjoy supporting them and buying their products is one of the ways that I’m able to support the industry.
