Source: Electronic Gaming Monthly – Issue Number 2 – July 1989
While VideoGames & Computer Entertainment may have been my favorite gaming magazine, EGM was a close second. It got its start basically at the dawn of 16-bit gaming. The July 1989 issue covered a wide variety of systems from the Genesis, TurboGrafx-16 and of course NES to the PC, Amiga and even the Commodore 64, a testament to its staying power (though not for too much longer). This issue includes:
- Cover Story – Next Generation Gaming – An article covering the next wave of gaming systems including the Sega Genesis, TurboGrafx-16, Super Famicom/Nintendo (The U.S. version was still a couple of years away at this point), the Game Boy (the first successful cartridge based mobile). There is detailed information for each including technical specs and early games and peripherals.
- EGM’s Review Crew – Reviews of the following games:
- Guerill War (NES) – A translation of SNK’s top down action arcade game.
- Ironsword (NES) – A decent sequel to Wizards & Warriors.
- Fester’s Quest (NES) – I’m convinced this game is impossible. If you say you finished it you are a liar.
- Mega Man 2 (NES) – The second game in what was one of the most famous franchises for the NES.
- 3 Stooges (NES) – Really, a collection of mini-games. It was better on the Amiga.
- Adventures of Lolo (NES) – An action/puzzle game with lots of addictive game play.
- Operation Wolf (NES) – One of the better light gun games available for the NES. I remember a friend renting this one from Blockbuster.
- Q*Bert (NES) – A classic arcade game I never really liked. However, if you like the original or other ports, then you will like this one.
- Mappyland (NES) – Another good translation of a classic arcade game.
- Flying Dragon (NES) – A karate game that really isn’t anything special.
- Hydlide (NES) – An RPG that that appears to have been built with some of the same type of elements as FCI’s port of Ultima. Worth playing if you like RPGs.
- Alex Kidd in High Tech World (SMS) – Alex Kidd was sort of Sega’s mascot before Sonic came along. The games were generally pretty good though this one gets mixed reviews.
- Reggie Jackson Baseball (SMS) – A pretty good baseball game for the Sega Master System.
- Galaxy Force (SMS) – An arcade game with good graphics reminiscent of Afterburner or Space Harrier. Not much replay value though.
- Next Wave – Sneak peeks at upcoming games including Double Dragon II: The Revenge (NES), P.O.W. (NES), Thundercade (NES), and Super Dodge Ball (NES).
- International Outlook – Previews of some games released internationally (usually Japan) and that may make it to North America. Games looked at include Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES) and Gradius (NES).
- Top Secret! – Tips, tricks, strategies and maps for various games including Blaster Master (NES), Zanac (NES), Mega Man (NES), Star Soldier (NES), Wizards and Warriors (NES), Milon’s Secret Castle (NES), Kid Icarus (NES), Ring King (NES), John Elways’ Quarterback (NES), Metal Gear (NES), RBI Baseball (NES), Metroid (NES), Posiden Wars 3-D (SMS), Track and Field II (NES), R-Type (SMS), Simon’s Quest (NES), Rambo (NES), Double Dragon (NES), Legacy of the Wizard (NES), Desert Falcon (Atari), Zanac (NES), and many more!
- Interface: Letters to the Editor – Questions about the Mega Drive (Genesis), Mega Man 2, the chip shortage going on at the time, and more.
- Press Start – A look at a new joystick for the NES from Beeshu called Gizmo. It looks a little odd and this whole thing read like an advertisement.
- Gaming Gossip – Rumors and gossip from Quartermann including rumors that Namco and Atari are developing 16-bit machines, Dragon Warrior is coming to the U.S. for Christmas and much more.
- At the Arcades – Featuring Tetris by Atari Games.
- Dare to Compare: Power Glove vs. U-Force – While both were interesting devices, neither one was actually terribly good for playing games. And they were pretty expensive for the time too.
- Computer Gaming – Overviews of various computer games including T.V. Sports Football (Amiga), The Duel: Test Drive II (DOS), Galactic Conqueror (Amiga), and Combat Course (Commodore 64).
…and more!
