Source: Computer & Video Game Magazines – Electronic Games – January 1993
Electronic Games had its first life from 1981 to 1985. It ended publication in large part due to the Video Game crash that occurred a couple of years earlier. However, it was reborn in 1992 and had another run until 1995. The January 1993 issue includes:
Departments
- Power On! – A look ahead at what to expect in 1993. Predictions include the SNES becoming the best selling console, more video games released than in 1992, CD-ROM will not replace cartridges, some cartridge prices will drop, and more.
- Feedback – Letters from readers with praise for the magazines, questions about game development, and various suggestions.
- Hotline – News items including: Apple releases the Performa 200 (Based on the Mac Classic II), the Performa 400 (based on the LC II), and the Performa 600 which is a new design with a 32MHz 68030 CPU. The first two come with 4 MB RAM and an 80 MB hard drive. The Performa 600 comes with 4 or 5MB of RAM, a 160MB hard drive and optional CD; Sega premieres Sega CD ad in Times Square; MicroLeague introduces Laser Squad; Wordtris coming for several platforms; counterfeit Street Fighter II Champion Edition arcade boards seized; Pac-Man turns 10; Sony and Nintendo plan CD add-on for SNES; new Star Wars pinball from Data East; and more.
- Insert Coin Here – A look at the 1992 AMOA Expo which included new arcade games such as Street Fighter II Champion Edition, The Addams Family Pinball, Lethal Enforcers, Terminator 2, Art of Fighting, Virtua Racing, Final Lap 3, Space Lords, Skins Game, Lizard Command, and more.
- Game Doctor – Questions answered about AdventureVision and UltraVision, cartridge cleaners, Wing Commander on the SNES, renting games, and more.
- Video Game Gallery – Reviews of video games including Batman Returns (NES), Dragon’s Lair (SNES), Bulls vs. Blazers and the NBA Playoffs (SNES), Equinox (SNES), Cal Ripken Jr. Baseball (Genesis), John Madden ‘9 (Genesis), Steel Talons (Genesis), Battleclash (SNES), Chester Cheetah – Too Cool to Fool (SNES), Hook (SNES), Captain America and the Avengers (Genesis), Spiderman and the X-Men in Arcade’s Revenge (SNES), Andre Agassi Tennis (Genesis), and Super Battle Tank: War in the Gulf (Genesis).
- Computer Game Gallery – Reviews of computer games including SimLife (Macintosh), Plan 9 from Outer Space (MS-DOS), Heaven & Earth (MS-DOS), Red Zone (Amiga), The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes (MS-DOS), Utopia (MS-DOS), B-17 Flying Fortress (MS-DOS), and Spellcasting 301: Spring Break (MS-DOS).
- CD Gallery – Reviews of games on CD including Sherlock Holmes/Sol Feace/Sega Classics (Sega CD), The Adventures of Willie Beamish (Sega CD), Cobra Command (Sega CD), and Sewer Shark (Sega CD).
- Portable Playtime – Reviews of games on portable systems including Tumblepop (Game Boy) and Prince of Persia (Game Gear).
- Joystick Jury – Reviews from readers for games such as Darkseed (MS-DOS) and Team USA Basketball (Genesis).
- Fandom Central – A look at the latest issues of several fanzines including Totally Super NES #4, Master Minds #4, and Paradox #2.
- The Kunkel Report – Bill Kunkel takes a look at Virtuality. This was one of the earlier attempts at virtual reality in an arcade setting. It was expensive and the games themselves weren’t that great but as a tech demo it was pretty impressive for the time.
- Gaming On-Line – A look at the Prodigy online service and some of the games you could play there. Free (with subscription) games included Mad-Maze, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego, and CEO. Games that required a fee to pay included Mystery Party, Rebel Space and Golf Tour.
- Test Lab – A detailed look at the GAMEHANDLER Controllers which included the GAMEHANDLER NSX (Super NES), GAMEHANDLER GS (Genesis), GAMEHANDLER (NES), GAMEHANDLER AI2 (IBM & Apple), and GAMEHANDLER FX (TurboGrafx-16).
- Lore – Reviews of books. This month’s candidates are ‘The Official Guide to Sid Meier’s Civilization’ and ‘How to Design and Sell Video Games (ok, this one is actually a video).
- Things to Come – Next month: The Player’s Guide to Fantasy Gaming, The Making of a Multimedia Masterpiece, and Goal!: Electronic Games 1992 Hockey Review.
Features
- National Fan Club – A new fan club started by EG called the National Association of Electronic Gaming Enthusiasts (NAEGE).
- EG’s 1992 Game Awards – Candidates for Video Game of the Year include Street Fighter II, Rampart (Lynx), Shinobi (Game Gear), and Star Wars (Game Boy). For computer games the choices include Aces of the Pacific, Civilization, Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, SimLife, Spear of Destiny and Wing Commander II. There was also a Multimedia Games of the Year Category with several contestants including Dragon Slayer (Turbo Duo), Night Trap (Sega CD), and Loom (PC-CD). Portable Game of the Year candidates are Caesar’s Palace (Game Boy), Rampart (Atari Lynx), Shinobi (Game Gear), and Star Wars (Game Boy). There are a number of other categories as well including Best Action Video Game, Best Action/Action Strategy Computer Game, Best Adventure/RPG Computer Game, Best Adventure/RPG Video Game, Best Sports Video Game, Best Sports Computer Game, Best Strategy Computer Game, and more. Readers get to vote on the actual winners.
- Player’s Guide to Gaming Gifts – A look at gaming gifts to give your friends and relatives, including ASCIIware’s Game Gear Carry All, the Light Boy, NAKI’s 12 hour Action-Pak Plus Game Boy battery, the Turbo Touch 360, Sega’s Menacer and the SuperScope 6 for the SNES, the Video Game Super Chair, the Miracle Keyboard, TeleGames Personal Arcade, Advanced Gravis UltraSound, Pro Audio Spectrum 16, Sound Blaster and Sound Blaster Pro sound cards, and lots more.
- Playing with Toys – A look at the Robin Williams’ movie Toys and the game that is based on it.
- Ultimate Helicopter Simulator – A look at a real helicopter simulator in Jacksonville that simulates flying SH-3 and SH-60F helicopters. Two mainframe computers are used, one to control the flight model and graphics and the other to simulate ASW functions.
- EG Interview – An interview with Tom Kalinske, CEO of Sega of America.
…and more!
