Dylan
Well.....we honestly never thought we'd be given a chance to update this site after that huge setback we've had for the past several months.
But here we are now!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THIS SITE:
Let's begin the status update with this.
If you saw the statement we posted on our Facebook and Twitter feeds a few days ago, it explains why this site hasn't been updated since July.
But in case you missed it, this is what happened....
Back in the summer, we switched to a new server following complications with the previous one.
The transfer worked somewhat, the pages and the downloadable content are still working as normal.
But problems with the site's Admin Control Panel and issues accessing the FTP left us with a website we couldn't update.
At the time, there were plans to upgrade this very site to the latest version of PHP.
It was nearing completion until major time constraints caused this upgrade to grind to a halt.
This meant having to resort to Plan B......building a new website from scratch.
Following the recent success with our other site "The Codemasters Archive", work on the new Dizzy Fansite has now begun and will be made using Wordpress.
However, thanks to Peter, the bug that was stopping us from updating most of this site has been dealt with.
But the bug is currently still present on some sections of the games database which is preventing us from adding downloads and screenshots, hopefully that will be fixed soon.
Still, at least this has allowed us to keep you all updated here in the meantime until the new fansite is ready.
Notice that we're now using HTTPS too?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FAN GAMES:
Before we go into that.
Many of you may be aware that Adobe Flash will be vanishing from our browsers by the end of this month.
This does affect us somewhat as we have a small number of Flash fan games on the site.
- Dizzy Newgrounds (Mikhail Kafanov)
- Dizzy Down the Pit (Mark Stott)
- Dizzy and the Pit (NigeC)
- Dizzy the Prince (Necromanthus)
- Treasure Island Dizzy (PSP Remake) (Shallan)
With a fear of these games disappearing from existence next year, we've recently uploaded longplays of most of these game on our YouTube channel.
As for the fan games that came out earlier this year....
Dizzy - The Ultimate Cartoon Adventure (Atari XL/XE Port)
~~~
Dizzy - The Ultimate Cartoon Adventure (Commodore Plus/4 Port)
~~~
Treasure Island Dizzy (Commodore Plus/4 Port)
~~~
Valley Of Golden Suns Dizzy (PC)
~~~
Ghastly Getaway Dizzy (Spectrum TR-DOS Remake)
~~~
Spellbound Dizzy (Commodore Plus/4 Port)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
YOLKFOLK'S YOUTUBE CHANNEL:
Throughout the course of this year, we've been bringing our YouTube channel back to life.
A number of fan game longplay videos have been uploaded to the channel (excuse the footage quality).
There are also some playlists added too with a large collection of longplay videos, music, reviews and Oliver Twins related content like Interviews and Presentations they've done over the years.
We hope to continue updating the channel some more in the new year.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WONDERFUL DIZZY:
We're sure many of you know this already.
After 3 and a half years in development, the Oliver Twins' newest adventure was released on the 18th December.
You can now play the game online and download the ROM for your Spectrum emulator on its very own website.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FAST FOOD DIZZY (NINTENDO SWITCH FUZE REMAKE):
During the UK lockdown earlier this year, the Oliver Twins found themselves with some time on their hands.
After discovering Fuze for the Nintendo Switch, they began making a new version of Fast Food which was released on the 6th November.
Looking at the footage, the game looks stunning.
If you are a Nintendo Switch owner, you can purchase Fuze from the Nintendo eShop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE OLIVER TWINS COLLECTION - EVERCADE:
We first mentioned this compilation for the Evercade earlier this year, it came out on the 23rd October.
Here's a reminder of what's in the collection (all NES games):
- The Fantastic Adventures of Dizzy
- Treasure Island Dizzy
- Dizzy the Adventurer
- Go! Dizzy Go!
- BMX Simulator
- Super Robin Hood
- Firehawk
- Wonderland Dizzy
- Dreamworld Pogie
- Mystery World Dizzy
- Panic! Dizzy
On a side note, Evercade recently announced a new Codemasters Collection, no Dizzy games on it but you can read all about it on the link below.
It is said to come out sometime next year.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE CODEMASTERS ARCHIVE:
This is our other website we launched during the summer.
20 years ago, there used to be websites like "Codies" and "The Codemasters Zone" that showcased retro games other than Dizzy.
Those websites have long disappeared, and now.....we've brought it back!
At this time, the archive covers all the games Codemasters published between 1986 and 1996.
Some can be played online.
The site also includes a History page, some magazine articles, and a collection of Memories from people who worked for the company back in the day.
Your feedback is most welcome.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NEWS ABOUT CODEMASTERS BEING SOLD:
We understand that many of you are deeply concerned following the news that Codemasters may be on the verge of being sold to EA for an estimated $1.2bn.
EA (Electronic Arts) have been known to make some extremely unpopular decisions in recent years.
They're also known to buy out several other prolific games companies in the past like Bullfrog, all of which were dissolved into EA themselves, and the fear is that the same thing could happen to Codemasters, aswell as the current uncertainty over their half of the Dizzy IP.
Well worrying as it sounds, we don't believe for one minute that Yolkfolk will be going anywhere anytime soon.
Whatever happens, we will still continue to be the hub for all things Dizzy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FINAL THOUGHTS FOR 2020:
Of course, this has been a very unsettling year which has affected every single one of us in different ways, and our thoughts are with those that have been affected the worst.
If you were to ask us in any good ever came out of 2020, it certainly did for Dizzy.
Featuring in a stamp collection, T-shirts by Seven Squared, a compilation on the Evercade, Fusion Retro Books launching a magazine dedicated to Dizzy, the Oliver Twins relaunching their site, the 'Fast Food' Fuze remake for the Switch and the release of 'Wonderful Dizzy' on the Spectrum.
It's not known what will await us in 2021, but we're pretty sure that our new fansite will be ready sometime around then.
Stay strong, stay safe, we're all in this together.
Have a Happy New Year from all of us.
_ _
Team Yolkfolk