Retrogaming in videogame mags

[Tatsu]

I don't read much game magazines (I used to read EGM to take a peak at the US games) but today I've bought the german magazine Maniac. To my surprise they have donated some sites especially to the old systems. In this issue they talked about lightguns, how videogames were before sidescrolling was in all of the games and about the S-Nes. They also have some S-Nes info and stuff on the DVD that's incluced in the magazine. It seems that they have some retro topics in every issue. Is that a common phenomenon in the gaming mags? I think it is very cool that they talk about the old consoles and show the youngsters where their roots are. And it brought back a lot of good memories. I will look in my old magazines if I can find some gaming stuff, I hope I didn't throw all the gamemags away when I moved... Anyway, a big thumps up to Maniac for that!

[Gamereviewgod]

I've noticed in the mags I get outside the US they tend to cover this stuff more. GamesTM is fantastic with it and of course there's Retro Gamer. Can't say much about the German ones since I've never seen any.

The only mag in the US that gives anything anymore is Game Informer and occasionaly Play. If the other 'zines use them, it's usually to rip on them. It's a shame really. Most of the writers probably never even touched a NES.

[fishsandwich]

I fricking LOVE magaizine that give a good amount of space to classic and/or import games... I'll spend $10 or more for an import magazone for the UK just to read about the classics.

I wish our US magazines covered more classics.

[TheHammerGod]

Yes, Retro Gamer is quite the magazine - A+ bathroom reading material! I have learned so much useless knowledge from this magazine, it makes it hard to remember the stuff I need to (girlfriends birthday, doctors appointments) LOL

[Tatsu]

I've noticed in the mags I get outside the US they tend to cover this stuff more. GamesTM is fantastic with it and of course there's Retro Gamer. Can't say much about the German ones since I've never seen any.

The only mag in the US that gives anything anymore is Game Informer and occasionaly Play. If the other 'zines use them, it's usually to rip on them. It's a shame really. Most of the writers probably never even touched a NES.

Then for once I can be happy to live in Europe. The place where retro gaming is covered in mags... But I've never seen a Retro Gamer magazine here. The only have EGM, maybe some regular stuff from the UK and some French magazines from the foreign press.

[calthaer]

The coverage that retro games gets in modern mags (at least in the U.S.) gives me the distinct impression that those guys are posers who don't know what they're talking about...which is one big reason why I neither pay money for nor read their rags.

[KJN]

Several Swedish magazines like Player 1, Reset and Super Play have a retro section.

[Graham Mitchell]

I read the new EGM (it made me very sad for the future...). The only mention of retro-gaming in that issue is them (still) ranking on Total Recall for the NES.

They don't only seem to have a problem with the old games themselves. If a simple game is released that has very focused gameplay (like an older game) or lacks copious amounts of violence, sex, or CG intermissions, they seem to give it a low score, and then bitch that "there just isn't enough in this game to keep me occupied".

Oh well, that's the problem with all "review"-style journalism, even record reviews. What you're reading totally depends on the writer's taste, and as somebody mentioned earlier, there's probably a lot of EGM writers who didn't play older games and think that games are about all the bells and whistles, and not about [gasp] playing a fun game. :/

[Mayhem]

Seeing as I worked on it... something free with Retro Gamer next month. I've asked if it'll be available to people outside the UK though...

RETRO GAMER ZZAPS BACK TO THE FUTURE!

June 24 2005 - A tribute to Zzap!64, one of the best-loved computer magazines of the 1980s, is to be given away with the August issue of Retro Gamer.

The DEF Tribute to Zzap!64 celebrates the magazine's 20th anniversary and features classic Commodore 64 reviews, developer interviews and articles looking back at Zzap’s illustrious past. Edited by Rob de Voogd (webmaster of www.zzapback.com), the full-colour, 64-page tribute includes contributions from Roger Kean, Gary Penn, Chris Anderson, Steve Jarratt, Gary Liddon, Gordon Houghton and many other former members of the Zzap team. There's also a selection of exclusive artwork from famed Newsfield illustrator Oli Frey.

"Zzap!64 was perhaps the greatest computer magazine of its era, and the DEF Tribute celebrates its 20th anniversary in fine style," said Retro Gamer Editor Martyn Carroll. "It's over 11 years since the last issue of Zzap appeared on shop shelves, so we're absolutely thrilled to be bringing it back after all this time."

Retro Gamer issue 18 will be available from Thursday 7 July. Subscribers to the magazine will receive the DEF Tribute, and it will also be given away with all copies of Retro Gamer sold in the WHSmiths chain of newsagents (where the magazine is on special promotion).