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  • Advanced Computer Entertainment (ACE) – (September 1991)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Advanced Computer Entertainment (ACE) – Issue 48 – September 1991

    Despite the name, Advanced Computer Entertainment, or ACE for short, covered both computer and console games. ACE was published in the U.K. for close to five years. The September 1991 issue includes:

    Reviews

    • Alien Storm – A side scrolling beat-em-up featuring aliens for the MegaDrive (Genesis).
    • Beast Busters – Conversion of the coin-op light gun game of the same name for the Amiga.
    • Castles – A strategy game featuring the building of castles for DOS.
    • Choplifter II – A version of the classic helicopter rescue game for the Game Boy.
    • ELF – A fantasy themed platform game for the Amiga.
    • G-Loc – Conversion of the arcade jet combat game for the Game Gear.
    • Hatris – A Tetris variant for the Game Boy.
    • Maupiti Island – A mystery themed point and click adventure for the Amiga.
    • Psychic World – A not so great platform game for the Game Gear.
    • Super R-Type – One of my favorite horizontal shooters for the Super NES.
    • R-Type II – Another great R-Type game, this time an arcade conversion for the Amiga.
    • Thuderhawk – A polygonal combat helicopter sim for the Amiga.
    • Wild Wheels – A futuristic racing game for the Amiga.
    • Jimmy White’s Whirlywind – A 3D snooker game for the Atari ST.
    • Centurion: Defender of Rome – A strategy war game set in ancient Rome for the MegaDrive (Genesis).

    Cover

    • Lotus 2 – Preview of this upcoming racing game sequel for the Amiga and Atari ST.

    Features

    • Scary Monsters – An odd article on gamer categories presented in the form of aliens on a planet around Alpha Centauri as seen through the Hubble telescope.
    • Question Time – An 80+ question test of your gaming knowledge.
    • Digital Pictures Revisited – A visit to Digital Pictures and a look at the state of computer graphics.
    • Coin Ops – A look at some of the latest arcade games including Rail Chase (Sega) Time Tracker (Sega – the first holographic game), Heroes (Data East), Blade Master (Irem), Crossed Swords (Neo Geo), Vendetta (Konami), and more.
    • Virgin Conference – Readers visit Virgin HQ and get a sneak peak at what they are working on.
    • In The Works – Detailed previews of upcoming games including Lotus Espirit Turbo Challenge 2, Eye of the Storm, and Mega Twins.

    Regulars

    • ACE Games News – The latest in gaming news including a look at upcoming games like A-Train (train simulation), A Boy and his Blob sequel for the Game Boy, A new Star Wars flight sim from Lucasfilm Games (which would become one of my favorite games of all time, X-Wing), Dune, The Chaos Engine, Leather Goddesses of Phobos 2, and much more.
    • ACE Tech News – A look at new gaming related tech including new 3D tech from Sega, Video Painter drawing tablet from Vtech, games from Konami for airlines, and more.
    • Letters – Letters from readers about a football (soccer) competition featuring Kick Off and Kick Off 2 for the Atari ST, console coverage, customer service, sound board recommendations for a new PC, Sonic the Hedgehog, and more.
    • Tricks ‘n’ Tactics – Tips, tricks and strategies for The Secret of Monkey Island, Space Quest IV, Gods, Strider, and Prince of Persia.

    …and more!


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  • The Games Machine (June 1989)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: The Games Machine – Issue Number 19 – June 1989

    The Games Machine was a gaming magazine published in the U.K. that covered both console and computer games. It was relatively short-lived being published only from 1987 to 1990. The June 1989 issue includes:

    Regulars

    • TGM News and Previews – A story about how Konix is upgrading their console to have 256K RAM (from 128K) before release; Sega Mega Drive release in the UK delayed until early 1990; Sam Coupe release delayed until September; plus previews of Xenon II, Hawkeye, Sleeping Gods Lie, Battle Chess, Altered Beast, Interphase, Murders in Venice, and more.
    • Review Catalogue – Tons of reviews for the Amiga (Airball, American Ice Hockey, Archipelagos, Battle Hawks 1942, Battle Tech, Bio Challenge, Blood Money, Chuckie Egg II, Crazy Cars II, Danger Freak, Dark Side, The Duel – Test Drive II, Forgotten Worlds, Grand Monster Slam, Kick Off, The Kristal, Mayday Squad, Milliennium 2.2, Operation Neptune, Pac-Land, Raider, Real Ghostbusters, The Running Man, Steve Davis World Snooker, and Victory Road), Atari ST (American Ice Hocky, Archipelagos, Battle Hawks 1942, Bio Challenge, Butcher Hill, Chicago 30s, Chuckie Egg II, Dark Side, Forgotten Worlds, Kick Off, The Kristal, MAyday Squad, Millennium 2.2, Operation Neptune, Pac-Land, Populous, Raffles, Real Ghostbusters, and Steve Davis World Snooker), Amstrad CPC (Dark Fusion, Forgotten Worlds, Pac-Land, and Navy Moves), Commodore 64 (Danger Freak, Dark Fusion, Forgotten Worlds, Powerdrome, Real Ghostbusters, Speedball, and Xenon), MSX (RoboCop and Operation Wolf), PC (American Ice Hocky, Chuck Yeager Advanced Flight Trainer 2.0, Echelon, Kings of the Beach, M1 Abrams Tank, Nebulus, Sinbad, and Times of Lore), and the Spectrum (Butcher Hill, Forgotten Worlds, HATE, Navy Moves, Sanxion: The Remix, Stormlord, and Vindicators).
    • Confrontation: Coin-Op – A look at some of the latest arcade games including Rompers (Namco), Mechanised Attack (SNK), The Final Round (Konami), Super Off Road (Leland), Turbo Out Run (Sega), and more.
    • Robin Candy’s Playing Tips – Game tips for Populous on the Atari ST, Pipeline, Sanxion on the Spectrum, Rocket Ranger, Kensiden on the Sega Master System, Altered Beast on the Mega Drive, Mike Tyson’s Punch Out on the NES, Double Dragon on the Sega Master System, and much more.
    • Fantasy Games – A look at some of the latest releases in the pen and paper RPG world including the Earth/Cybertech Sourcebook and Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay.
    • Back Bytes – 16-bit music sampling for the Atari ST and Amiga, a guide to repair services, a look at multiuser games, and more.

    Features

    • Console Dawn! – A look at new and upcoming 16-bit consoles including the Sega Mega Drive (Genesis), Super Famicom, and PC-Engine. Plus a look at new games for both 8- and 16-bit consoles including the Atari 2600.
    • A Captive Audience – A look at upcoming Capcom arcade conversions including Black Tiger (Spectrum, Amstrad, Atari ST, Amiga, and Commodore 64) and Strider, and Ghouls ‘N’ Ghosts. I also learned from this article that Capcom is short for Captive Communications. Learn something new every day…
    • Gallery – Artwork created with something called the Spaceward Supernova Paint System which was apparently hardware system consisting of a 68020 based computer with 12MB RAM, and 600MB hard disk controlled by a graphics tablet.
    • Jez San – Confessions of a Coder – The second of a multi-part look at the making of Argonaut’s F-117A Aggressor. In this part, Ian Crowther recounts the various issues they ran across.

    …and more!


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  • Computer & Video Games (March 1984)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Computer & Video Games – Issue Number 29 – March 1984

    Computer & Video Games was one of the earliest and longest running gaming magazines. It was published in the U.K. and it covered a wide variety of console and computer formats over the years. The March 1984 issue includes:

    News & Reviews

    • Games News – New and upcoming game releases include a realistic adventure game called Ground Zero that recreates nuclear holocaust in London Suburbs; a game in which you harvest beer and cheese called Hard Cheese for the Spectrum; an arcade style game called Silicon is set inside an arcade game for the BBC; an adventure game called Wax Works for the BBC; a game featuring a cave man called Flak for the BBC; a sequel to Laser Zone called Hell-Gate for the VIC-20; a new adventure from Infocom for the Apple II called Suspended; a new arcade game by Exidy called Crossbow in which you must protect a party of travelers with a crossbow; and much more.
    • Reviews – Revenge of the Mutant Camels by Llamasoft and Jeff Minter for the Commodore 64; the classic Shamus for the Atari 8-bit; Falcon Patrol for the Commodore 64; Demon Attack for the VIC-20; River Raid for the Atari 8-bit; Diablo for the TI-99/4A – a puzzle game so probably not an older version of the game you are probably thinking of; Birds of Prey, a poor Galaxians clone for the Electron; Pinball, a pinball game in which you can create your own tables for the BBC; Pinball, same name but different game for the Dragon 32; Pinball Construction Set for the Atari 400/800 – the best of its type in those days; Pinball Wizard, yet another pinball game this time for the VIC-20; and more.
    • Arcade Action – A look at some of the latest arcade games including Major Havoc (Atari), Track and Field, Marvins Maze (SNK), X’s and O’s (a pinball game), and more.
    • Video-Gaming – The latest in video game news including: Coleco licenses Dragon’s Lair for the ColecoVision; Imagic drops out of the publishing business but will continue to sell games to other publishers; and the arcade game Gyruss from Taito will be converted for the Atari VCS and ColecoVision. Plus, an overview of Donkey Kong as well a its many conversions and imitators; Activision releases Beam Rider for the Intellivision; Imagic releases Fathom for the Atari VCS; Dig Dug gets a conversion for the Atari VCS; and more.

    Listings

    • Airstrike – A type-in kill the aliens game for the TI-99/4A.
    • Treachery – A type-in game for the Spectrum featuring a Mandroid, mind bomb, amnesia, MI6, the KGB and more.
    • Wall Defence – A type-in game for the Atari 400/800 in which you must prevent invaders from climbing your castle walls.
    • 3D Maze – A type-in maze game for the Spectrum.
    • Gold Prospector – A type-in run and jump game for the Dragon 32 in which you must retrieve gold from treacherous mines.
    • Slot Machine – A type-in slot machine simulator for the Sharp MZ80k.
    • Lost in the Jungle – A type-in game (or at least part of one…you’ll need previous issues for the others) for the Sharp MZ80k that sounds like a take on Pitfall or Jungle Hunt.
    • Entrapment – A type-in game for the BBC that is similar to the Tron light cycles game.

    Features

    • Mailbag – Mail from readers about converting certain commands from the Apple II and Spectrum to the Commodore 64 and Sharp MZ80, the reliability of the Sharp MZ80B, hints and tips, the Oric-I, Manic Miner, ZX81 repairs, games for the VIC-20, and more.
    • Hall of Fame – high scores from readers for Jet Pac, Manic Miner, Parsec, The Pyramid, and Planettoids.
    • Charts – The top games for variou systems. Topping the carts this month include Atic Atac (Spectrum, Krazy Kong (ZX-81), Wizard and Princess (VIC-20), Pole Position (Atari 400/800), The Hobbit (Commodore 64), Pettigrew’s Diary (Dragon 32), and The Hobbit (BBC B).
    • Light on the Horizon – A look at laser disc gaming (especially Dragon’s Lair) and the future of laser discs.
    • Bug Hunter Special – Hints for tracking down bugs in games (or other programs).
    • Program Extra – Short programming tricks plus fixes and enhancements to previously published type-in programs.
    • Adventure – A brief look at some of the latest adventure games including The Oracle’s Cave for the Spectrum, Middle Kingdom for the BBC, Dodge City for the Spectrum, Urban Upstart for the Spectrum, The Warlock of Firetop Mountain Spectrum, Keys of the Wizard for the Dragon 32, and more.

    …and more!


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