ISSUE: 1Content
PRIMARY SYSTEMS COVERAGE
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Nintendo Entertainment System
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Sega Master System
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Atari XE Game System
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Atari 2600 (news coverage)
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Atari 7800 (news coverage)
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Macintosh (512, II, SE)
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Apple (II, IIGS)
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Amiga
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Commodore 64
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IBM PC (MS-DOS)
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Atari ST
---
(Table of Contents (ToC) and headline excerpts follow. Bullet lists and (notes) added for clarity. Tentative and working titles purposefully retained.)
(The first issue of Video Games & Computer Entertainment (VG&CE), the vast majority of this issue consists of 'The 1989 Buyer's Guide' - accounting for nearly 37 pages of content - with many of the later issues' regular columns & features not yet introduced.)
VIDEO-GAMES FEATURES
An Introduction to the Game Systems by Lee H. Pappas and David Plotkin
A quick look at the "big three." ('Introduction'; 1 page; NES, SMS, XE; SMS and NES hardware promo photos shown (b&w))
The 1989 VideoGames Buyer's Guide
The game guide for Nintendo, Sega and Atari owners. Special preview of the 1989 games too. ('1989 Buyer's Guide'; approx. 37 pages; games sorted by company, then color coded by genre; capsule previews & reviews; some games rated on 1-5 scale criteria; most 1/6th page each with screenshot unless noted otherwise; typos and working titles purposefully retained:)
Nintendo (NES; approx. 22 pages:)
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Bases Loaded
-
Blades of Steel
-
Double Dribble
-
Excitebike
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Golf
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John Elway's Quarterback
-
Ice Hockey
-
Pro Wrestling
-
Racket Attack
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Super Team Games
-
10-Yard Fight
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Tennis
-
Track & Field II
-
Mike Tyson's Punch-Out
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Winter Games
-
World Class Track Meet
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Air Fortress
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Arkanoid
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Bayou Billy
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Breakthru
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Burger Time
-
City Connection
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Cobra Command
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Commando
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Contra
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Defender II
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Donkey Kong Classics
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Double Dragon
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Duck Hunt
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Elevator Action
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Freedom Force
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Ghostbusters
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Ghosts and Goblins (Ghosts n Goblins)
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Golgo 13
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Gradius
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Gun Smoke (Gun.Smoke)
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Hogan's Alley
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Hudson's Adventure Island (concept (?) artwork shown)
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Jackel
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Joust
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Karnov
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Kid Niki Radical Ninja
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Kung Fu
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The Legend of Kage
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Legendary Wings
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Lifeforce
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Lode Runner
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Mega Man
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Metal Gear
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Mighty Bomb Jack
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Millipede
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Ninja Taro
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Pinball
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Platoon
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Predator
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Rad Racer
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Raid on Bungeling Bay
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Rambo
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Rampage
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R.C. Pro-Am
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Renegade
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Robocop
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Roller Ball
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Section-Z
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Solomon's Key
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Spelunker
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Spy Hunter
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Starforce
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Super Mario Brothers (Super Mario Bros.)
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Super Mario Bros. 2 (box art shown)
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Super Pitfall
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Tetris
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The 3-D Battles of Worldrunner (3-D Worldrunner)
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Tiger-Heli
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Top Gun
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Trojan
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Vegas Dreams
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Wizards & Warriors
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Adventures of Lolo
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Blaster Master
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Deadly Towers
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Gauntlet
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Kid Icarus
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The Legend of Zelda
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Metroid
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Rygar
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Simon's Quest (Castlevania II: Simon's Quest)
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Xenophobe
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Zelda II - The Adventure of Link
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Dance Aerobics
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Sesame Street 123 (Sesame Street 1-2-3; partial box art shown)
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Bad Dudes (not shown)
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Heavy Barrel (not shown)
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Marble Madness (not shown)
-
Bump 'n' Jump (not shown)
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Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (not shown)
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Sesame Street ABC... (Sesame Street A-B-C; not shown)
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California Games (partial box art shown)
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Milon's Secret Castle (not shown)
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World Games (partial box art shown)
Index of Manufacturers (1 page; manufacturer addresses and phone numbers)
Sega (SMS; approx. 8 pages:)
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Great Basketball
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Great Volleyball
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Great Ice Hockey
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Sports Pad Football
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Aztec Adventure
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Enduro Racer
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F-16 Fighting Falcon
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Fantasy Zone II
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Ghostbusters
-
Ghost House
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Global Defense
-
Hang On and Safari Hunt
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Kenseiden
-
Kung Fu Kid
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Marksman and Trap Shooting
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My Hero
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The Ninja
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Penguin Land
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Quartet
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Rambo First Blood Part II
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Shooting Gallery
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Teddy Boy
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Thunder Blade
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Wonder Boy
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Zaxxon 3-D
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Alex Kidd in Miracle World
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Lord of the Sword
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Monopoly
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Shanghai
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After Burner (Afterburner)
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Alien Syndrome
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Fantasy Zone
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Fantasy Zone: The Maze
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Missile Defense 3-D
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Outrun
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Poseiden Wars 3-D
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Space Harrier 3-D
Atari (system compatibility not specified but known or assumed XE; approx. 4 pages:)
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Fight Night
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Hardball!
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One on One
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Archon
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Ballblazer
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Barnyard Blaster
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Battlezone
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Blue Max
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Bug Hunt (artwork shown)
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David's Midnight Magic
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Flight Simulator II
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Food Fight
-
Gato
-
Lode Runner
-
Necromancer
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Rescue on Fractalus
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Star Raiders II
Video-Game Reviews:
Barnyard Blaster by Howard Wen.
A look at one of the most popular Atari games. (XE; 1 page; screenshot)
Contra reviewed by Andy Eddy.
Konami is known for great games. How does this one stack up? (NES; 1 page)
Strategy-Playing Guide:
Blaster Master tips and hints by Lee H. Pappas.
This game is hot - and tough! Here are some hints on making it all the way through. ('Nintendo Strategy Guide Blaster Master'; NES; 3 pages of strategies with screenshots)
Archon tips and hints by Howard Wen.
Here's a little help on this complex, but classic cartridge. ('Archon Strategies and Tips'; XE; 1 page)
COMPUTER GAMES FEATURES
Football! by Bill Kunkel and Arnie Katz.
Video and computer gridiron action. Football games come in every shape and form. ('The Digital Gridiron - A History of Electronic Football Simulations'; 6 pages)
An Interview With Brian Fargo by Arnie Katz
Meet Fargo, the author of The Bard's Tale, Mindshadow and Borrowed Time. ('Meet Brian Fargo - A video gamer's rise to software company president'; 2.5 pages)
Computer Reviews: (1 page each)
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The Three Stooges (Amiga, C64, PC; Amiga & C64 screenshots)
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Blockbuster (Amiga, ST, C64, PC; ST screenshot)
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Road Runner (ST, C64; ST screenshot)
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Superstar Ice Hockey (Apple II, IIGS, Amiga, ST, C64, PC; C64 & PC screenshots)
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Tetris (Amiga, Apple II, IIGS, C64, PC, Macintosh 512, SE, II; Mac, PC, & Mac II screenshots)
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Rommel: Battles for North America (Apple II, C64; boxart shown)
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Bubble Ghost (Amiga, Apple IIGS, ST, C64, PC; ST screenshot)
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Stellar Crusade (ST, PC; screenshots)
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The Last Ninja (Apple IIGS, C64, PC; screenshot)
DEPARTMENTS
Publisher's Letter (editorial by Lee H. Pappas; 1 page; inaugural issue buyer's guide and plans for future issues)
News Bits (news section; 5 pages; complied by Joyce Worley; news stories:)
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Freedom Stick Frees up Game Play (The Freedom Stick wireless controller (NES, SMS, Atari, Commodore); promo photo (b&w))
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Atari to Release 45 New Video Games (for 2600, 7800, XE; mentioned:)
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Gato (XE)
-
Ace of Aces (XE)
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Into the Eagles Nest (XE)
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Commando (XE)
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Karateka (XE; screenshot)
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Food Fight (XE; screenshot)
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Necromancer (XE)
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Dark Chambers (7800)
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Desert Falcon (7800)
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Impossible Mission (7800)
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Winter Games (7800)
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Summer Games (7800)
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Hat Trick (7800)
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Super Baseball (7800)
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Crossbow (2600)
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Sprintmaster (2600)
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Japan Comes To America (Koei games (Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Nobunaga's Ambition) planned for the states, Sierra On-line licenses Silpheed from Game Arts; screenshot)
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Broderbund and Nippon Companies Launch Kyodai (California based Japanese game import label)
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Game Biz Boom (SPA sales figures)
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Tynesoft Turns to American Designs (games mentioned:)
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Circus Games
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Mayday Squad
-
First Person Pinball
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I Was Kidnapped By A Flying Saucer
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Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (screenshot; games mentioned:)
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Pool of Radiance (C64, PC, Apple II)
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Heroes of the Lance (Amiga, Commodore, Atari ST, MS-DOS)
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Dungeon Masters Assistant, Vol. I: Encounters
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Mindscape Is out for Blood (Captain Blood)
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Pete Rose Has Pennant Fever (Pete Rose Pennant Fever (MS-DOS, C64); screenshot)
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Sega Spotlights 3-D (SegaScope 3-D System SMS hardware bundle; promo photo)
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Activision Adds Two to 2600 Catalog (Commando, Kung Fu Master; screenshot)
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SPA Goes to Japan (importing games to Japan)
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Let's Zork Again Like We Did Last Summer (Zork Zero: The Revenge of Megaboz (Mac, Apple II, IIGS, MS-DOS, Atari ST, Amiga, C64))
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No Detente on the Compu-Seas (Harpoon (PC, Mac, Amiga); b&w screenshot)
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Nolan Goes Home (Nolan Bushnell's Axlon to develop games for 2600, 7800)
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Sports Headline Nintendo Action (NES games; Ice Hockey, Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!; screenshots)
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Big Bucks for Biz (game business financing; Epyx, Mindscape, Acclaim)
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Nintendo Named ('Vendor of the Year' award)
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First Row Honeymoons in the Twilight Zone (Jackie Gleason's The Honeymooners (Amiga), The Twilight Zone (Amiga, MS-DOS, Commodore); artwork shown)
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Spectrum Holobyte Takes Cards off Table (Solitaire Royale (Mac, Mac II, MS-DOS, Amiga, Apple); screenshot)
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Activision Takes New Name (Mediagenic)
-
SPA Names Certifications (includes list of games achieving sales levels: Platinum (250,000+ copies sold), Gold (100,000+), Silver (50,000+), Diamond (500,000+))
-
Software Mfg. Gambles for Profit (California Dreams releasing casino-style computer games; Vegas Craps, Vegas Gambler, Club Backgammon (all for Commodore, Apple II, Atari ST, MS-DOS, IIGS, Amiga); artwork shown)
Questions and Answers ('Question & Answer - The Game Doctor Answers Your Questions:'; by The Game Doctor; 2 pages)
COVER
Jason and MetalAttacker from Suncom's new smash hit, Blaster Master. Cover art by Allen Hunter.
PRIMARY SYSTEMS COVERAGE
- Nintendo Entertainment System
- Sega Master System
- Atari XE Game System
- Atari 2600 (news coverage)
- Atari 7800 (news coverage)
- Macintosh (512, II, SE)
- Apple (II, IIGS)
- Amiga
- Commodore 64
- IBM PC (MS-DOS)
- Atari ST
---
(Table of Contents (ToC) and headline excerpts follow. Bullet lists and (notes) added for clarity. Tentative and working titles purposefully retained.)
(The first issue of Video Games & Computer Entertainment (VG&CE), the vast majority of this issue consists of 'The 1989 Buyer's Guide' - accounting for nearly 37 pages of content - with many of the later issues' regular columns & features not yet introduced.)
VIDEO-GAMES FEATURES
An Introduction to the Game Systems by Lee H. Pappas and David Plotkin
A quick look at the "big three." ('Introduction'; 1 page; NES, SMS, XE; SMS and NES hardware promo photos shown (b&w))
The 1989 VideoGames Buyer's Guide
The game guide for Nintendo, Sega and Atari owners. Special preview of the 1989 games too. ('1989 Buyer's Guide'; approx. 37 pages; games sorted by company, then color coded by genre; capsule previews & reviews; some games rated on 1-5 scale criteria; most 1/6th page each with screenshot unless noted otherwise; typos and working titles purposefully retained:)
Nintendo (NES; approx. 22 pages:)
- Bases Loaded
- Blades of Steel
- Double Dribble
- Excitebike
- Golf
- John Elway's Quarterback
- Ice Hockey
- Pro Wrestling
- Racket Attack
- Super Team Games
- 10-Yard Fight
- Tennis
- Track & Field II
- Mike Tyson's Punch-Out
- Winter Games
- World Class Track Meet
- Air Fortress
- Arkanoid
- Bayou Billy
- Breakthru
- Burger Time
- City Connection
- Cobra Command
- Commando
- Contra
- Defender II
- Donkey Kong Classics
- Double Dragon
- Duck Hunt
- Elevator Action
- Freedom Force
- Ghostbusters
- Ghosts and Goblins (Ghosts n Goblins)
- Golgo 13
- Gradius
- Gun Smoke (Gun.Smoke)
- Hogan's Alley
- Hudson's Adventure Island (concept (?) artwork shown)
- Jackel
- Joust
- Karnov
- Kid Niki Radical Ninja
- Kung Fu
- The Legend of Kage
- Legendary Wings
- Lifeforce
- Lode Runner
- Mega Man
- Metal Gear
- Mighty Bomb Jack
- Millipede
- Ninja Taro
- Pinball
- Platoon
- Predator
- Rad Racer
- Raid on Bungeling Bay
- Rambo
- Rampage
- R.C. Pro-Am
- Renegade
- Robocop
- Roller Ball
- Section-Z
- Solomon's Key
- Spelunker
- Spy Hunter
- Starforce
- Super Mario Brothers (Super Mario Bros.)
- Super Mario Bros. 2 (box art shown)
- Super Pitfall
- Tetris
- The 3-D Battles of Worldrunner (3-D Worldrunner)
- Tiger-Heli
- Top Gun
- Trojan
- Vegas Dreams
- Wizards & Warriors
- Adventures of Lolo
- Blaster Master
- Deadly Towers
- Gauntlet
- Kid Icarus
- The Legend of Zelda
- Metroid
- Rygar
- Simon's Quest (Castlevania II: Simon's Quest)
- Xenophobe
- Zelda II - The Adventure of Link
- Dance Aerobics
- Sesame Street 123 (Sesame Street 1-2-3; partial box art shown)
- Bad Dudes (not shown)
- Heavy Barrel (not shown)
- Marble Madness (not shown)
- Bump 'n' Jump (not shown)
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (not shown)
- Sesame Street ABC... (Sesame Street A-B-C; not shown)
- California Games (partial box art shown)
- Milon's Secret Castle (not shown)
- World Games (partial box art shown)
Index of Manufacturers (1 page; manufacturer addresses and phone numbers)
Sega (SMS; approx. 8 pages:)
- Great Basketball
- Great Volleyball
- Great Ice Hockey
- Sports Pad Football
- Aztec Adventure
- Enduro Racer
- F-16 Fighting Falcon
- Fantasy Zone II
- Ghostbusters
- Ghost House
- Global Defense
- Hang On and Safari Hunt
- Kenseiden
- Kung Fu Kid
- Marksman and Trap Shooting
- My Hero
- The Ninja
- Penguin Land
- Quartet
- Rambo First Blood Part II
- Shooting Gallery
- Teddy Boy
- Thunder Blade
- Wonder Boy
- Zaxxon 3-D
- Alex Kidd in Miracle World
- Lord of the Sword
- Monopoly
- Shanghai
- After Burner (Afterburner)
- Alien Syndrome
- Fantasy Zone
- Fantasy Zone: The Maze
- Missile Defense 3-D
- Outrun
- Poseiden Wars 3-D
- Space Harrier 3-D
Atari (system compatibility not specified but known or assumed XE; approx. 4 pages:)
- Fight Night
- Hardball!
- One on One
- Archon
- Ballblazer
- Barnyard Blaster
- Battlezone
- Blue Max
- Bug Hunt (artwork shown)
- David's Midnight Magic
- Flight Simulator II
- Food Fight
- Gato
- Lode Runner
- Necromancer
- Rescue on Fractalus
- Star Raiders II
Video-Game Reviews:
Barnyard Blaster by Howard Wen.
A look at one of the most popular Atari games. (XE; 1 page; screenshot)
Contra reviewed by Andy Eddy.
Konami is known for great games. How does this one stack up? (NES; 1 page)
Strategy-Playing Guide:
Blaster Master tips and hints by Lee H. Pappas.
This game is hot - and tough! Here are some hints on making it all the way through. ('Nintendo Strategy Guide Blaster Master'; NES; 3 pages of strategies with screenshots)
Archon tips and hints by Howard Wen.
Here's a little help on this complex, but classic cartridge. ('Archon Strategies and Tips'; XE; 1 page)
COMPUTER GAMES FEATURES
Football! by Bill Kunkel and Arnie Katz.
Video and computer gridiron action. Football games come in every shape and form. ('The Digital Gridiron - A History of Electronic Football Simulations'; 6 pages)
An Interview With Brian Fargo by Arnie Katz
Meet Fargo, the author of The Bard's Tale, Mindshadow and Borrowed Time. ('Meet Brian Fargo - A video gamer's rise to software company president'; 2.5 pages)
Computer Reviews: (1 page each)
- The Three Stooges (Amiga, C64, PC; Amiga & C64 screenshots)
- Blockbuster (Amiga, ST, C64, PC; ST screenshot)
- Road Runner (ST, C64; ST screenshot)
- Superstar Ice Hockey (Apple II, IIGS, Amiga, ST, C64, PC; C64 & PC screenshots)
- Tetris (Amiga, Apple II, IIGS, C64, PC, Macintosh 512, SE, II; Mac, PC, & Mac II screenshots)
- Rommel: Battles for North America (Apple II, C64; boxart shown)
- Bubble Ghost (Amiga, Apple IIGS, ST, C64, PC; ST screenshot)
- Stellar Crusade (ST, PC; screenshots)
- The Last Ninja (Apple IIGS, C64, PC; screenshot)
DEPARTMENTS
Publisher's Letter (editorial by Lee H. Pappas; 1 page; inaugural issue buyer's guide and plans for future issues)
News Bits (news section; 5 pages; complied by Joyce Worley; news stories:)
- Freedom Stick Frees up Game Play (The Freedom Stick wireless controller (NES, SMS, Atari, Commodore); promo photo (b&w))
-
Atari to Release 45 New Video Games (for 2600, 7800, XE; mentioned:)
- Gato (XE)
- Ace of Aces (XE)
- Into the Eagles Nest (XE)
- Commando (XE)
- Karateka (XE; screenshot)
- Food Fight (XE; screenshot)
- Necromancer (XE)
- Dark Chambers (7800)
- Desert Falcon (7800)
- Impossible Mission (7800)
- Winter Games (7800)
- Summer Games (7800)
- Hat Trick (7800)
- Super Baseball (7800)
- Crossbow (2600)
- Sprintmaster (2600)
- Japan Comes To America (Koei games (Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Nobunaga's Ambition) planned for the states, Sierra On-line licenses Silpheed from Game Arts; screenshot)
- Broderbund and Nippon Companies Launch Kyodai (California based Japanese game import label)
- Game Biz Boom (SPA sales figures)
-
Tynesoft Turns to American Designs (games mentioned:)
- Circus Games
- Mayday Squad
- First Person Pinball
- I Was Kidnapped By A Flying Saucer
-
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (screenshot; games mentioned:)
- Pool of Radiance (C64, PC, Apple II)
- Heroes of the Lance (Amiga, Commodore, Atari ST, MS-DOS)
- Dungeon Masters Assistant, Vol. I: Encounters
- Mindscape Is out for Blood (Captain Blood)
- Pete Rose Has Pennant Fever (Pete Rose Pennant Fever (MS-DOS, C64); screenshot)
- Sega Spotlights 3-D (SegaScope 3-D System SMS hardware bundle; promo photo)
- Activision Adds Two to 2600 Catalog (Commando, Kung Fu Master; screenshot)
- SPA Goes to Japan (importing games to Japan)
- Let's Zork Again Like We Did Last Summer (Zork Zero: The Revenge of Megaboz (Mac, Apple II, IIGS, MS-DOS, Atari ST, Amiga, C64))
- No Detente on the Compu-Seas (Harpoon (PC, Mac, Amiga); b&w screenshot)
- Nolan Goes Home (Nolan Bushnell's Axlon to develop games for 2600, 7800)
- Sports Headline Nintendo Action (NES games; Ice Hockey, Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!; screenshots)
- Big Bucks for Biz (game business financing; Epyx, Mindscape, Acclaim)
- Nintendo Named ('Vendor of the Year' award)
- First Row Honeymoons in the Twilight Zone (Jackie Gleason's The Honeymooners (Amiga), The Twilight Zone (Amiga, MS-DOS, Commodore); artwork shown)
- Spectrum Holobyte Takes Cards off Table (Solitaire Royale (Mac, Mac II, MS-DOS, Amiga, Apple); screenshot)
- Activision Takes New Name (Mediagenic)
- SPA Names Certifications (includes list of games achieving sales levels: Platinum (250,000+ copies sold), Gold (100,000+), Silver (50,000+), Diamond (500,000+))
- Software Mfg. Gambles for Profit (California Dreams releasing casino-style computer games; Vegas Craps, Vegas Gambler, Club Backgammon (all for Commodore, Apple II, Atari ST, MS-DOS, IIGS, Amiga); artwork shown)
Questions and Answers ('Question & Answer - The Game Doctor Answers Your Questions:'; by The Game Doctor; 2 pages)
COVER
Jason and MetalAttacker from Suncom's new smash hit, Blaster Master. Cover art by Allen Hunter.
-
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