RetroDefense

Starmaster for the Atari 2600 VCS.  The game featured 1st person spaceship combat in a pseudo-3D environment, resource management strategy, and a navigation map screen accessed via the console's Color/B&W switch.  Starmaster actually had something of a narrative as it ended when all of the enemies were defeated instead of throwing you into another game loop.  Definitely ahead of its time considering the console.

I can binge GDQ speed runs like they're going out of style.  Watching amazingly talented game players while raising money for charity - what's not to like?  I'm a huge fan of the Mario Marathon online fundraiser as well - have been for years.

Otherwise, I'm not big on watching versus playing.  I have considered long plays of games I never seem to have the time for though.

Video Games & Computer Entertainment 14 (March 1990) - missing pages 10-18, 21,44

In no particular order:

• Starmaster
• Kaboom
• Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
• Warlords
• Super Breakout
• Asteroids
• Yar's Revenge
• Cosmic Ark
• Atlantis
• Combat
• Barnstorming

I replay games often, which probably explains why I'm so big on game ownership and will avoid DRMed digital-only and physical-digital hybrids at all costs.  If I pay for it, I'd like the opportunity to revisit it years later without double, triple, or quadruple dipping, thank ya very much.

I'll replay various Mega Man, Castlevania and Metroid games annually, if not more.  Other franchises are revisited often too - Ninja Gaiden, Mario, etc.  Mostly action games that require little playtime once mastered.  They're like a comfort food without the calories.

Though, funny enough, I'll double, triple, and quadruple dip for DRM-free digital or physical collections of games I already own.  I like to support such things and usually appreciate the bonus goodies or quality-of-life features thrown in.

I don't replay neo-retro and modern games as often as they're lengthier and more involved.  That said, the Crash Bandicoot Trilogy, Metroid Prime and Super Mario Sunshine are on deck for this winter.

Final Fantasy VII on Switch, taking breaks with the SNK 40th Anniversary Edition Collection on PS4.

My favorite failed "console:" the Nintendo Virtual Boy.  $30 well spent.

Really looking forward to this.  I have an original - picked one up years ago - but I don't play it nearly as often as I used to.  Sure, it'd be nice to break it out and dust it off but it's crazy expensive to support anymore.  And don't get me started about the add-ons.

Talking about the TG-16 mini, btw.

Nice to see CD-ROM games are included despite the form factor not reflecting the fact.  Would love to see Castlevania: Rondo of Blood finally receive an official, physical release in the states.  Even if it is by way of a mini plug-and-play.

I'm surprised Konami is releasing it in the states, actually.  The TG-16 didn't exactly catch the gaming world on fire here.  Great system with some great games - I'm happy with the USA line-up thus far - but I can't imagine mainstream nostalgia will sell this one.

Anyone know who will be handling the emulation?  Konami tapped M2 for their recent digital collections (Arcade, Castlevania, Contra).  Hopefully they're doing the same for this thing.

3 buttons vs. 6 buttons notwithstanding, this thing looks solid.  I have faith in M2's emulation talents and appreciate the unreleased games thrown in the mix.  If I hadn't picked up a repro of Mega Man: The Wily Wars a few years ago, I'm sure I'd be uber-excited.

Like everyone, there are some titles I could have done without.  But this has always been subjective - personally, I love Altered Beast and don't mind wasting time with Sonic Spinball.  I doubt the Genesis version of Tetris has aged well, but damn, a Darius port out of the blue?!  Sign me up.

A shame MUSHA didn't make the list.  I had hope - considering it made the Japan release - but I suppose licensing got in the way.

Though Disney is onboard - a pleasant surprise.  I hope Sega will continue chasing licenses in the future.  Maybe Warner to score Batman: The Video Game and TMNT: The Hyperstone Heist.

I also think this won't be Sega's last Genesis mini.  Unlike Nintendo - who are on record stating the NES and SNES Classic were fillers for hardware-weak holiday seasons - I can see Sega introducing a Model 2 Mini in the future.  Hopefully with 6-button controllers & the remaining core Sonic titles the second time out.

As a holdover until rescans can be made, I can scan the missing pages from my bound GP issues 19 & 20 if someone doesn't mind Frankensteining them in.

Game Players 24 - incorrect pages 1,18

Game Players 19 - missing pages 19-24,29,30,39,40,57,58,83,84; clipped pages 73,74,93,94

Game Players 20 - missing pages 3,4,37,38

I would like to see "Acquired" retired as well - active scanners can probably better use their "Work in Progress" threads to hash out acquisition details.  I do like "Vote To Preserve" - I think it's a helpful gauge as to what visitors are looking for - but I'm not sure where to find the vote results page.  Could swear one existed at some point.

Loving the idea of an inventory/collection tracking system!  I've been wanting this for a good while now - I may have discussed it elsewhere in the forums, actually.  Beyond the utility of the idea, I wouldn't be surprised if the functionality attracts serious video game & computer magazine collectors who may eventually contribute to the site.

I'd like to see collection tracking take both digital and physical into account.  So something like the following:

• Have - Physical and/or digital
• Want - Physical and/or digital
• Selling - Physical

Allowing a collector to flag both Have and Want for any given magazine should be a given.  This would take into account wanted condition upgrades, digital copies to supplement physical, higher-res scans, etc.

Mass Add/Remove options would be nice as well.  Perhaps by entering a range of issue numbers for any particular magazine.

Thinking about it, "Want - Digital" data could essentially replace "Vote to Preserve" if lists are public.

Thanks for the scan, @Ethereal Dragonz!

I'm definitely interested in those, @Terry93D.  I have most of what you listed but had no idea Pat made Fantazine available digitally at some point.

Btw, I remember Jess mentioning he had edited/censored some of his digital releases.  Thought I'd mention it for anyone wondering why portions of Concept or P:I or Blitz appear missing.

Issue #2 (5-1-2000; Spring 2000)

Thanks for the post, and a belated welcome to RetroMags!

The last issue I'm aware of is issue 20 but I haven't confirmed if this is the final.  And we've yet to track down the cover for issue 18 either.  (I might spend some time digging a bit - haven't researched this zine for a couple years or so.)

Sorry we can't be of much help at the moment - this magazine is surprisingly elusive for whatever reason.

We have a running discussion about Pocket Games magazine if you'd like to help out or have any other questions.

More details have been announced - kicks off August 28th.

On 6/22/2016 at 7:02 PM, marktrade said:

Good idea to check Edge, though. I haven't tried that yet.

@marktrade, Edge (UK) #36 (September 1996) printed the article.  And you'll be happy to hear they did so correctly, with the missing content.

That said, the UK version of the article doesn't match the US version word-for-word - it was edited for UK readers - but it's probably 95% identical.  If not more.

Shout Factory is planning to marathon stream Starcade - an 80s game show - via Twitch sometime this August.

Loved this show as a kid.    Back then - living in a rural area - there were no arcades nearby.  No news stand either, so no video game magazines.  Starcade was essentially my window into the arcade gaming scene - I'd tune in and watch every episode I could.

I'm glad it turned out so well.  Yeah, this first season played out more like an OVA rather than something episodic.  Didn't make it any less entertaining though - definitely recommended for Castlevania fans.

Anyone here a fan of the UK's 80s-era Crash magazine?  If so, you may be interested in the current Kickstarter.  They're looking to get the band back together, as it were, to produce issue 99.

On 7/21/2017 at 5:41 PM, CrazyMax46 said:

So here is what at the very least this project would be. A Google spreadsheet with the full review scores of every game reviewed in EGM from EGM #2 which was the debut of the 10 point scoring system and going on until Question marks. Doc would have game name, developer names, individual scores, the average score and if it was Silver, Gold or Platnium (for simplicities sake I'm using the system they used from like...97 on? Where Silver, Gold and Platnium were averages of 8, 9, 10 respectively) and finally what issue it was reviewed in.

This - in some ways - reminds me of Defunct Games' Countdown lists.  If you like to track and correlate magazine review scores, be sure to check out their content sometime.  And they may appreciate access to your Google doc as a reference once it's completed.

Good luck with your project!

Yeah, a museum collection makes for very limited access - to be sure - but I appreciate The Strong deciding to archive these publications as part of video game history.  The video game fanzine bubble burst quickly after the Internet went mainstream but I'll always appreciate those 90s-era print 'zines.  Lots of work and love went into those things. 

When @Terry93D originally began compiling this list via the Digital Press forums, someone posted about a major preservation effort underway, spearheaded by Digital Press itself.  I don't think it ever went anywhere, though.  I may do some digging and see if anything ever came of it.

I've toyed with the idea of digitally preserving and sharing my own collection - which sits at around 180 issues or so - but I always find myself having reservations.  Digitally preserving history documented by paid, professional adults is one thing, but 90s fanzines were written primarily by minors.

I'd probably be more comfortable with a case-by-case approach as situations vary.  I know one former fan-ed who has granted permission for scans to be shared.  I know another who has requested certain content not be.  One former fan-ed is actively looking for his old issues long since lost.  Another fan-ed - Sean Pettibone of In Between the Lines - passed away at a young age, and frankly, is one of the primary drivers as to why I'd like to see fanzines preserved.  His 'zine was exceptional and deserves to be appreciated.

'Course, all this assumes the fan-ed would have the final word in having a 'zine preserved and shared, despite most fanzines containing content from numerous contributors.

Don't know - I'm on the fence.  Open to opinions.

Found this the other day and thought I'd share - Chris Kohler has donated his fanzine collection of 350 issues to The Strong.

If the name rings familiar, you'll find Chris listed as the editor of Video Zone in the fanzine list above.  He eventually parlayed this into a profession with Wired and now Kotaku.  (Several fanzine editors went on to obtain careers in video game journalism or development, actually - Satoshi Tajiri (of Game Freak and Pokemon fame) probably being the most notable.)

The interview is an interesting read for anyone curious as to the video game fanzine culture of the early 90s.  And for some old-timers like myself, even a little nostalgic. 

On 7/18/2017 at 2:24 PM, Phillyman said:

Step 1 cut a hole in the box

Wait...no sorry wrong instructions

• Step 1 - Lets make a list of any magazines that do not have issue numbers
• Step 2 - We will create Google Spreadsheets for each one, detailing that Issue X will become vX, iX.
• Step 3 - I can then push the name changes to the Magazine Database with an script
• Step 4 - We can then use the updated MagDB to push the changes back to the Gallery
• Step 5 - We can then go thru the Download Section and fix them up there (probably not many)
• Step 6 - We fix up the Publication Database tables

FWIW - I am not sold on the format of YYYY/MM/DD for releases without an issue or volume number. Will consult with the other two Admins and see how they feel on the issue....haha you see that I made a pun....get it?....issue....ha I kill me!

 

This can't happen soon enough. 

Along with catching up on scanning, I've been cleaning up the Game Developer dbase after making some corrections a good while ago.  This involved deleting several issues which in turn involved renumbering several more issues, updating the Prev/Next nav buttons, and I'm currently working on updating the numbering in the gallery.  It's a slow, tedious process and - as a coder myself - it's especially frustrating knowing how easily the process could be batch processed or even automated entirely.  Or - if the rigid numbering system were dropped - not present a problem to begin with.

So yeah, I'd love to see this made the priority as far as custom code is concerned.  Even given some hiccups you'll encounter - incorrectly labeled issues, magazines switching their labeling format mid-run, etc - it'd make dbase maintenance all the faster and allow more time for scanning, cataloging, etc.