Sad to hear that pioneering technologist Sir Clive Sinclair died today. His groundbreaking ZX Spectrum and ZX81 home micros helped kickstart the British computer industry and usher in a new era of interactive entertainment. His products inspired and delighted millions.
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Jaz Rignall
@JazRignall
Playing video games since 1976.
Writing about them since 1983.
San FranciscoJoined May 2010
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I just heard the news via Jonathan Ellis that his fellow Psygnosis co-founder Ian Hetherington passed away yesterday. Ian helped bring some incredible games to life, including Shadow of the Beast, Wipeout, Destruction Derby, Colony Wars, and Lemmings. He will be sadly missed.
The Commodore 64 was released 40 years ago this month. This remarkable home micro went on to become the cornerstone of the European gaming scene for most of the 80s thanks to its superb range of games – many of which were the best of the era. Here are some of my favorites: 1/11
Incredibly sad to hear that Oli Frey has passed away. He’s without doubt the all-time greatest video game magazine artist. We worked together at Newsfield for years, where he painted a myriad of legendary cover images that defined an era. These are 10 of my favorites: 1/12
40 years ago this month, the world's first dedicated video games magazine launched. It featured gaming news, reviews, and tips, type-in listings, an arcade column - and a surprising amount of computer and gaming advertisements. I absolutely loved reading it when I was a kid!
30 years ago, the most significant game of the era by far arrived at Mean Machines for review: SNES Street Fighter II. The entire team piled into the games room to see this legendary title being played for the first time. Absolutely no-one was disappointed. It was amazing. 1/2
Shocked and saddened to hear that legendary C64 programmer Archer Maclean passed away yesterday. He produced some of the machine’s greatest games, including International Karate and my all-time favorite shooter on the system, Dropzone. My heart goes out to his family.
40 years ago, the legendary Competition Pro arrived and swiftly became the controller of choice for gaming pros. It was ergonomic, super-responsive, and (most importantly) nigh on indestructible. A classic piece of industrial design that still remains one of the all-time greats.
30 years ago today, the UK's first dedicated monthly console magazine hit the streets. Its irreverent, community-focused editorial and highly enthusiastic hardcore gaming reviews helped it become one of the most popular publications of the era. I still love those cover lines!
The utterly brilliant C64 is 35 yrs old this month. Spectrum fans may well disagree, but I think it's the all-time greatest 80s home micro.
Irem's highly influential R-Type coin-op is 35 years old this month. Its phenomenal Giger-esque graphics, very original bosses, and outstanding gameplay made it one of the biggest and most memorable arcade hits of the period. I absolutely LOVED playing this game back in the day.
Perhaps the most important video game of all time is 45 years old. Taito's Space Invaders was simply sensational; a cultural icon that elevated the popularity of video games to stratospheric levels and ushered in the Golden Age of Arcades. Its impact on gaming was immeasurable.
Very sad to hear via @RunningWardy that legendary ZX Spectrum artist Bernie Drummond has passed away. He created the graphics for some of the British home micro's greatest games, including the absolutely fantastic Head Over Heels, Matchday II, and Batman.
35 years ago today, I started work at ZZAP! 64. It was an incredible opportunity to work with an amazing team of people. Together we produced a magazine that spoke to a new generation of Commodore 64 gamers.
30 years ago, Mean Machines featured SNES Street Fighter II on its cover. We rated the game 98%. Other top reviews: Mega Drive Dragon's Fury (92%), SNES Top Gear (92%) and Super Aleste (92%), NES Micro Machines (93%), and SMS Prince of Persia (91%). What an incredible month!
When SNES Street Fighter II was officially released in Britain 25 years ago, there really wasn't much that needed to be said, as this minimal Nintendo advertisement from CVG magazine attests. Player anticipation for the game was absolutely massive.
Back in the olden days of gaming, the Kempston Competition Pro was my weapon of choice. What was yours?
28 years ago this week, Mean Machines launched. It was the first British games magazine to focus solely on consoles and appeared at a time when import gaming was just beginning to become popular. The magazine went on to become one of the UK's best-selling video game publications.
35 years ago this week, we received Way of the Exploding Fist for review at ZZAP! 64 magazine. I loved the game's Karate Champ-inspired fighting action and had a lot of fun learning how to master its many different kicks and punches. Definitely a classic of the era!
Threatening to sue someone for creating a high-quality, positive, historical record about your 35-year-old product is some serious next-level bullshit.
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30 years ago this week, I wrote about a superb new 1-on-1 fighting game that I was absolutely addicted to. It was the first time this arcade machine had been mentioned in the UK, but it quickly became one of the hottest gaming properties of all time. Its name? Street Fighter II.
30 years ago, I was busy evaluating the SNES launch titles for Mean Machines mag. It was amazing! Games included Super Mario World, Final Fight, F-Zero, Pilotwings, and Gradius III. My resultant article about these incredible new games was packed with hyperbole and excitement!
Damn! Was the summer of 1987 an incredible time for arcade fans or what? All four of these bangers were released within an 8-week period. All are very different kinds of games - but all are absolute stone cold classics!
30 years ago this month, the SNES finally launched in Europe. The highly prevalent four-page period magazine ad seen below outlined its technical prowess and launch titles, both of which were superb. What are your favorite memories about this fabulous 16-bit system and its games?
30 years ago this week I was busy writing the UK's first review of the Street Fighter II coin-op for CVG. I absolutely loved it and said that, "it is one of the best fighting games yet seen," and recommended, "when you start playing it, make sure you've got a pocketful of cash!"
I just passed 15k followers - enough to fill Wimbledon's Centre Court! Many thanks to everyone who follows me. I really enjoy posting about old gaming stuff and chatting to everyone - it reminds me of writing the letters pages back in the day, only now I can do it in real-time!
30 years ago this week, the Mean Machines team took an exclusive look at a seriously impressive new SEGA title: Sonic the Hedgehog. We absolutely loved the superfast platformer and said that it "is looking like the biggest and best thing we've ever seen on the Mega Drive!"
30 years ago, Jungle Strike (96%) was on MMS' cover. Other top reviews: Mega Drive X-Men (88%), Cool Spot (90%), Hardball III (84%), and Shining Force (91%), and Game Gear Mickey Mouse 2 (92%). The mag was also selling 135k issues a month at this point! Consoles had become HUGE!
Atari is 50 today. During the late 70s and early 80s it was by far the coolest video game company. It made cutting-edge home micros, absolutely fabulous coin-ops, and published some superb software. Hit after hit. Innovation after innovation. An amazing contribution to gaming.
35 years ago, Ocean began advertising Sensible Software's highly original and extremely strange Commodore 64 shoot-'em-up-meets-landscape-coloring game, Wizball. Although its sales were rather disappointing, it's retrospectively regarded as one of the greatest ever C64 releases.
Atari's landmark Star Wars coin-op is 40 years old this month. It combined thrilling 3D vector graphic movie moments with superb digitized samples to create a simply incredible experience. I mean, the game completely blew me away when I first saw it. It was simply astonishing.
35 years ago, Taito's cute and utterly delightful Bubble Bobble coin-op arrived in UK arcades. Featuring one of the all-time greatest gaming soundtracks, this highly addictive and thoroughly enjoyable platformer is an out-and-out classic. I absolutely loved playing this. So fun!
Sega's landmark super scaler coin-op Out Run celebrates its 35th anniversary this month. Its bright and colorful graphics, memorable FM soundtrack, and highly enjoyable branching racing action helped the game become a worldwide smash hit.
30 yrs ago, the ZZAP! team was busy reviewing Maniac Mansion on C64. We loved it (93%), but struggled to categorize the unique game. Was it an arcade adventure? A B-movie simulator? An interactive cartoon? We called it all of those things, but not a point and click adventure.
35 years ago, Ocean's groundbreaking Platoon was released. Unlike many games-of-the-film, it wasn't a platformer and actually followed the plot of the movie. It featured four minigames: jungle exploration, tunnel battle, bunker assault, and a fight with the renegade Sgt. Barnes.
35 years ago, this ad featuring page 3 model Maria Whittaker and Wolf from TV show Gladiators began to appear in UK gaming mags. It caused quite a stir - as did the game itself due to its graphic decapitation finishing move. Despite the fuss, I thought the game was hugely fun!
35 years ago this month, Daley Thompson's Decathlon and Activision's Decathlon were both released. I remember working up a serious sweat playing both those games. Great fun! In other unrelated news, joystick sales increased by 393% during this period. No idea why. 😁
30 years ago, the very first issue of Mean Machines Sega hit newsstands - with a Sonic 2 preview VHS tape mounted on its cover, no less. Top games reviewed: Mega Drive Predator (80%), Atomic Runner (91%), Smash TV (88%), and NHL Hockey 93 (90%), and Master System Smash TV (88%).
Listening to this right now. Not heard it in years. Banger central - and so, so, sooo representative of its era.
35 years ago this week, the very first issue of ZZAP! 64 hit the streets. Its comprehensive games-only coverage and innovative three-person review format made it very different to most gaming publications of the era. It went on to become the UK's best-selling Commodore 64 mag.
SEGA's outstanding After Burner is 35 years old. Designed by Yu Suzuki, this flight combat coin-op was very fun to play, especially its seriously impressive hydraulic cabinet version. The game was hugely popular and became the second highest-grossing arcade game of 1987.
On the 40th anniversary of the debut of the Commodore 64, I have but one simple question: What's your favorite game on this classic home micro? Mine is Impossible Mission. It was absolutely stunning for its time: superb graphics, amazing speech, and deep and challenging gameplay.
40 years ago this month, the Commodore 64 made its debut at CES. This superb home micro went on to become a cornerstone of the 80s European gaming scene thanks to its incredible range of top-quality software. Four decades later, it still has a fervent and highly active fan base.
Just heard via that legendary programmer Paul Woakes died last summer. Perhaps I missed the news, but I don't remember seeing anything about this at the time. He was an incredible talent whose games - especially the Mercenary series - were absolutely amazing.
30 years ago this month, Mean Machines was packed with reviews of some seriously cool carts: Strider, Space Harrier II, Forgotten Worlds, Budokan, Populous, Rainbow Islands, and Rambo III on Mega Drive, and Bubble Bobble, Spy vs Spy and 720 on NES all scored highly.
30 years ago, Mean Machines revealed Sonic the Hedgehog with this iconic cover. Top games reviewed inside included After Burner (90%), Midnight Resistance (84%), and Darius II (83%) on MD, Galaxy Force (85%) and World Class Leaderboard (92%) on SMS, and Pilotwings (90%) on SNES.
30 years ago, the Mean Machines Xmas Special featured this epic holographic cover. Top games inside: Madden '92 (95%), Pac-Mania (86%), Mercs (88%), and Robocod (95%) on Mega Drive, NES Maniac Mansion (89%) and California Games (90%), and Master System Sonic the Hedgehog (90%).
Taito's fantastic Operation Wolf is 35 years old. It was essentially an evolution of classic electromechanical coin-ops that featured guns mounted on their cabinet. But what an evolution! It was exciting, fun, and extremely challenging. I used to absolutely pile coins into this!
Capcom's superb platformer Ghosts 'n Goblins celebrates its 35th anniversary this month. I remember playing this game at Ludlow fair and instantly falling in love with it. The audio-visuals were outstanding and despite being rock freakin' hard, I absolutely loved its gameplay.
Anyone remember Yie Ar Kung-Fu? Konami's influential fighting game is 35 years old this week. The coin-op featured 16 different combo moves and an impressive 11 characters to battle against. It was ported to most systems of the era - the ZX Spectrum version was especially good.
Please for the love of God can we have a moratorium on the endless "do you remember" posts? Whenever I use social media these days, it feels like I'm participating in some kind of endless Alzheimer's test. Old people shit! STOP IT.
CVG's early Sonic the Hedgehog preview notes that US Gold had secured the rights to produce home computer versions of the game. The license was apparently canceled some months later. It would have been interesting to see ZX Spectrum, C64, Amiga and Atari ST versions of Sonic!
30 years ago this week, I was busy playing an import version of Super Shinobi (AKA Revenge of Shinobi) on the Mega Drive. While the game's large-scale graphics were very impressive, it was the music by Yuzo Koshiro that really blew me away. It's absolutely outstanding!
On the ZX Spectrum's 40th birthday, Sabre Wulf remains my favorite game on the machine. I remember making a map as I played it, finding the four amulet pieces, and feeling triumphant when I finally reached the end. Fantastic fun! What's your favorite ZX Spectrum gaming memory?
Here's the first official European arcade flyer for Street Fighter II. Interesting to see how Capcom initially marketed the game, and how they tried to explain its complex controls. They also came up with new names for certain moves - such as Ryu's Dragon and Hurricane punches!
Ron Gilbert is getting so much grief about his new Monkey Island game, he's going to stop talking about it. And now I see that people are sending dick picks to members of the God of War team. WTF is wrong with these toxic gamers these days? Seriously? W. T. actual. F?
30 years ago this week, the CVG team received a review copy of Psygnosis' Lemmings. The Amiga platform-puzzler wowed us all - its highly original gameplay was absolutely brilliant, and the game was rated 93% by , one of CVG's resident reviewers at the time.
35 years ago, it was an amazing month for Commodore 64 software. Top games reviewed in this edition of ZZAP! 64 included the highly original Little Computer People, Karateka, Wizard's Lair, Epyx' Winter Games, and one of my all-time favorite Commodore 64 releases, Paradroid.
Konami's Contra (aka Gryzor) is 35 years old this month. It featured seven individual run-and-gun shoot 'em up levels, each with its own objectives and game mechanics. It was the 4th highest-grossing coin-op in 1987 and was converted to most popular gaming platforms of the era.
30 years ago this week, I received an import copy of Strider on Mega Drive for review. I said that it was "one of the slickest arcade conversions yet seen on the Mega Drive," and that it "oozes playability." I also lauded the game's "stunning" graphics and "high quality" sound.
35 years ago, the all-time greatest C64 arcade conversion arrived at ZZAP! for review: Bubble Bobble. We loved the coin-op, and were stunned at just how faithfully Software Creations captured its looks, sound and gameplay. A Gold Medal and stellar score of 97% were duly awarded.
30 years ago, Mean Machines ushered in 1992 with this NES Star Wars cover. We rated the game 95%. Other top reviews included Rampart (87%) and Klax (88%) on SMS, Marble Madness (88%) on Mega Drive, Smash TV (90%) and Donald Duck (92%) on NES, and SNES Castlevania IV (93%).
30 years ago, this interesting and somewhat cryptic recruitment ad appeared in ZZAP! 64 magazine. I wonder how many applicants actually knew who was, and that they would potentially be working on NES/Famicom games? Not many, I'll wager.
30 years ago this week, SNK's Neo Geo launched in Japan. The notoriously pricey console was basically an arcade system for home use. Games came on huge, multi-megabit cartridges. Fatal Fury, Art of Fighting, King of Fighters, and Metal Slug were all absolutely excellent.
Very sad to hear about the passing of legendary artist Bob Wakelin - one of the greatest game box art and ad illustrators of the 80s and 90s. He produced a myriad of absolutely outstanding compositions over the years, many of which have gone on to become icons of the era.
I and several other ex-games magazine editors were interviewed for this very nostalgic BBC website feature: Sonic, Street Fighter, and the "Golden Age" of gaming magazines. It's a cool piece. I hope you enjoy it!
30 years ago this week, I received an import copy of Rainbow Islands on Mega Drive for review. I loved its superb graphics, earworm soundtrack, and very, very addictive gameplay. In my review I ended up saying that it was an "absolutely fabulous rendition of a classic coin-op."
30 years ago this month, Robocop 2 was on the cover of CVG. Top games reviewed inside included Pang, Wings, Ivan "Iron Man" Stewart's Off-Road Racing, Captive, Rick Dangerous 2, and Cadaver on computer, and Super Monaco GP and Splatterhouse on console.
30 years ago, Mean Machines' Final Fight cover heralded the magazine's comprehensive overview of the SNES launch game lineup within. Games reviewed included Castle of Illusion, Crack Down, and ESWAT on Mega Drive, Speedball for Master System, and Dr. Mario and Gremlins 2 on NES.
30 years ago, issue one of NMS (the UK's official Nintendo magazine) arrived on newsstands. Top reviews: SNES Super Mario Kart (92%), Final Fight (92%), and Zelda: A Link to the Past (96%), and NES Elite (91%) and Battletoads (85%). An incredible month for games, it must be said.
This is how I will always remember Oli. Airbrush in hand, busy working on the next amazing cover. Rest in peace my friend. 12/12
30 years ago this month I reviewed Pilotwings on Super Famicom. "Nothing, absolutely nothing on any other home system touches this for sheer jaw-dropping looks," said I about the game's stunning Mode 7 graphics. It was definitely a showpiece title for Nintendo's then-new system.
30 years ago, the Mean Machines team was busy reviewing one of the all-time 8-bit greats: Super Mario Bros 3. "Simply the finest video game I've ever played," said I. "Truly awesome stuff." We scored the game 98% - an immense rating, but thoroughly well deserved. Brilliant stuff!
Wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas and all the best for 2022. Here's hoping for happier and healthier times!
30 years ago, after sitting on the game for months, Mean Machines finally published its review of "Super Mario Bros. 4." This was the Japanese version, which we did not know was going to be renamed as Super Mario World in the west. Needless to say, we absolutely loved it. 1/2
I'd like to wish everyone a very happy New Year and all the best for 2023. Here's hoping that the next 12 months are good ones for us all!
Can you remember the first game you played on this? What was it and when?
The ZX Spectrum is 40 years old this month. Sir Clive Sinclair's quirky British home micro represented a relatively affordable route into computing and went on to become extremely popular. It was home to some very memorable, revolutionary games. What were your favorites?
30 years ago this month, CVG published this pic of a preproduction SNES (which was cheekily snipped from Famitsu magazine). The headphone jack, volume switch, and red controller buttons didn't make the production version, but the machine's basic design remained largely unchanged.
30 years ago this week, I was busy reviewing an import version of ESWAT on the Mega Drive for CVG. I said that it was "basically Super Shinobi, but with all sorts of mega guns and hulking great suits of cyber-armour," and noted that it was "one hell of a game." I rated it 93%.
Found this the other day. It's a money bank. Those who played classic coin-ops back in the mid-80s should be able to recognize him. And when you do, a certain song will start playing in your head and will remain there for days. Sorry about that, but there is no escape from it!
30 years ago, it was a fab month for new games. The Mean Machines team reviewed UN Squadron (94%) and Super R-Type (90%) on SNES, and Road Rash (91%), Spider-Man (90%), Starflight (94%), and Streets of Rage (90%) on Mega Drive. Game Boy Choplifter II also scored 90%! Top stuff!
30 years ago this month, Sega's Golden Axe started to appear in UK arcades across the country. The seminal brawler quickly became one of the biggest coin-op hits of the summer, and over the following year was converted to pretty much every contemporary platform of the day.
Stop the presses! I'm actually retrogaming for the first time in years!! I found my (super-tiny) PS2 slim, very handy HDMI adapter, and the collection of absolutely outstanding arcade compilations I bought while researching and writing this feature: 1/3
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25 years ago, the 16-bit console war was in full swing. Here's a pair of dueling British ads from CVG magazine. Sega sells the Mega Drive's superior software range, while Nintendo goes all in on SNES' more impressive tech specs. Certainly made it difficult to choose between them.
35 years ago this month, Tehkan's Bomb Jack coin-op was launched in the UK. I remember being absolutely stunned by the game's gorgeous sprites and backdrops - they were amazing for their time. The music was fabulous too, as indeed was its gameplay. A golden age classic!
Sad to hear that legendary sports icon John Madden passed today. I will always associate his name with EA's video game series. Especially the Mega Drive versions, which basically enabled me to learn, understand, and ultimately fall in love with the sport of American football.
The Game Boy is 32 years old today! When I first reviewed it in CVG magazine back in July 1989, I said that it "sounds too good to be true" and "makes previous hand-held systems look Neanderthal by comparison." I loved it - a landmark console that's still great today!
35 years ago this month, Atari's epic Gauntlet coin-op was released. Featuring simultaneous four-player action, highly additive gameplay, and a ton of speech (e.g., "Elf needs food, badly," and "Elf shot the food"), this was an especially fun game to play with your friends.
30 years ago the final edition of Mean Machines hit newsstands. Top reviews this month: Mega Drive Alien 3 (89%), LHX Attack Chopper (89%), Thunder Force IV (87%), and Galahad (86%). The following month, the mag split into two: Nintendo Magazine System and Mean Machines Sega. 1/2
35 years ago, ZZAP! ran by far the worst contest I've ever been involved with. The prize of boring novels written by a tory politician and the fact that contestants had to write a 500-word story resulted in so few entries, we didn't even have to send out the runners-up prizes.
30 years ago, it was an astonishing month for Sega games. Top reviews: Mega Drive Ecco (97%), Mega-Lo-Mania (94%), PGA Tour Golf II (95%), Streets of Rage II (90%), Madden 93 (89%), and World of Illusion (91%), and Master System Lemmings (95%) and Master of Darkness (92%). Wow!
35 years ago, I borrowed CVG's PC Engine so I could play R-Type. Man, it was just utterly incredible. Despite its diminutive size, the PC Engine showed that it was more than capable of running an astonishingly accurate version of the coin-op. Well, half of it at least… 1/2
35 years ago this week, the ZZAP! team received 's Little Computer People for review. We absolutely loved this unique piece of software and spent many hours interacting with Adam, our "pet person." The "game" ended up with a 97% review score and a Gold Medal award!
30 years ago NMS featured this superb Street Fighter II Turbo cover. Top reviews: SNES Alien 3 (94%), Bio Metal (83%), Pop 'n Twin Bee (86%), and Nigel Mansell's F1 Challenge (87%), Game Boy Splitz (89%), and NES Kirby's Adventure (93%). A cool, interesting, and varied selection!
30 years ago, Final Fight (92%) was CVG's cover story. Top games reviewed inside included Super Mario World (96%), Bomber Man (93%) and Son of Dracula (90%) on PC Engine, Amiga Turrican 2 (94%), C64 Creatures (90%), and Snake, Rattle 'n' Roll (95%) and Solar Jetman (94%) on NES.
30 years ago, the ZZAP! crew reviewed this Commodore 64 version of an obscure Russian computer puzzle game. It didn't look like much, but we all raved about how unbelievably addictive its gameplay was. And indeed, still is.
Xmas 92 bore witness to an epic hand-held console battle. Did you want a cheap n cheerful Game Boy? A technically superb Lynx? Or a Game Gear with its great range of Master System-based games? If you chose one of the latter, you'd also need Santa to bring a big bag of batteries.
35 years ago the NES finally arrived in the UK under the auspices of Mattel. However, the toy company marketed the system poorly, and it was ultimately eclipsed by Sega's Master System during this era. A far cry from its total domination of the US and Japanese video game markets.
