Computer Magazines

[jason h]

I had a Commodore 64 and I loved the old "type-in" mags like INPUT. I can remember spending one entire Sunday typing in a simple pacman game only to get an "error in line..." problem. I didn't know you could type LIST and correct your errors so I just switched off my computer.
The magazine I used to collect was Zzap! 64. I went to W H Smiths on a weekend to buy it and was thrilled to spot a new edition each month. That was a great mag and I still have them now.

[Cal]

computer and video games( CVG ) was the one i used to get.

every now and again there would be a program of a game for my SHARP MZ700, usually just a dot flying round the screen you had to shoot, if you typed it in correctly

[Mulletino]

I loved Crash when I had a Speccy then moved onto Zzap64! when I had a C128. I sometimes used to get C+VG and remember reading a copy which had a Dragon's Lair arcade walkthrough in it once while on holiday.

You'll be pleased to know that some are available in online versions:

Zzap64! - http://www.zzap64.co.uk/
Crash! - http://www.crashonline.org.uk/
Sinclair User - http://www.sincuser.f9.co.uk/
Your Sinclair - http://www.ysrnry.co.uk/cover1.htm
Commodore User - http://www.zzap64.co.uk/c64/CommUser.html

[Stale Elvis]

Best game mag ever was Zero for the Commodore Amiga and the Atari ST - they used to review games, but the humour in them was fantastic. They'd have some wierd sections and thing like sending questions to be answered by a black shape it was so surreal - soon the reviewws were getting few and far between and the weirdness starting taking over - it folded after about 20 issues (months) but damn it was soooooo good.

[Derekflint]

Can't remember if I ever tried Zero (didn't have Amiga or ST), did they do Arcade?

ACE was a fine read, as into the industry as EDGE would be, but not at the expense of the gamer attitude. Future Publishing's weekly magazine was a gem back in the 80s, I still yearn for a decent weekly games title now. Also have one issue of a fanzine that briefly went into the newsagents, Electric Brain.

They were great days, when half a page said more than ten pages of any modern games rag.

[Palazzo]

I was also a Computer and Video Games (CVG) fan, I started buying it in 1997 when it was priced at 50p, and then it went up to £1 but it was such a bargain. I remember it being such a fun magazine to read, it had colourful pages, fair reviews and a letters page which I always looked forward to reading. In the middle of the magazine there was a retro section which was always printed on a yellow-coloured paper, something which made CVG stand aout from other games magazines of the time. One of the things I loved about CVG was that at the start of the magazine each member of the team would have a bit about what they had been up to that month, along with a list of games they were currently playing and the fact that some of their chosen games weren't always current titles really appealed to me. I continued reading CVG until around the end of 1999, my favourite time in gaming was the time of the Playstation and the N64 and I have fond memories of CVG covering most of the games associated with this time.

I did buy another issue of CVG a good few years later but it had changed beyond belief and seemed as though it was trying to be some sort of lads magazine with games thrown in.

[Derekflint]

Considering the amount of money in the modern games industry, you might think that they could do without the phoneline ads. On one page you're reading about how to catch Bulbasaur, whilst next to it, you're being asked if you want some granny to stand on your throat whilst she takes her teeth out!

Back in the 80s you could buy a games mag, a game (Mastertronic or Codemasters - what a bitch fight that was), and you had enough change from a fiver to go on a sugar fuelled bender! Now you get a magazine you don't even read all the way through. I can remember thinking Edge was mad charging £3.80 for an issue. Now it's the best value read going - though I admit that I like the Xbox World podcasts.

[wispa lover]

Amstrad Action IIRC it had a free cassette that contained 3 or 4 games.

One of the games was called 'How to be a complete B%&*£$!'

I was about 7 at the time, so I was forbidden to play on that game because of its rudeness.

[Richard1978]

I've still got some copies of Electron User in my parent's attic somewhere.

Talking of early banned games, wasn't there one text adventure game which was only possible to complete by commiting a very indecent act on a robot, which lead to many shops refusing to stock.

It was mentioned on the games section of Teletext a few months ago, but I couldn't find anything on Google.

[Derekflint]

Amstrad Action did include a tape in the latter stages of its run. It has to be said, though, by that stage the Amiga-ST battle was well under way. I recall picking up an issue in the early 90s having not seen it for a while - hardly any real content because the games had stopped coming out. But then, the early issues were the best. I did have a first issue floating around, but not too sure what happened to it.