[camineet]

Almost 20 years ago.....






The second to last paragraph mentions three 16-bit consoles that were never released!

[Whimsical Phil]

The second to last paragraph mentions three 16-bit consoles that were never released!

Wouldn't the "P.C. Engine-2" just be the SuperGrafx (which was released)?

[john tv]

Wouldn't the "P.C. Engine-2" just be the SuperGrafx (which was released)?

Pretty sure that's basically what it turned into.

BTW Phil, are you at Sega now?

[Monroeski]

Needs more exclamation points.

[camineet]

Wouldn't the "P.C. Engine-2" just be the SuperGrafx (which was released)?

Yes and No.

One version of the P.C. Engine-2 was indeed released, the 8-bit SuperGrafx. But the version of P.C. Engine-2 that was mentioned in EGM #2 and EGM #3 was meant to be a true 16-bit system with improved audio, neither feature (16-bit processor, better audio capabilities) were in the SuperGrafx.


EGM #3 article on 16-bit PC Engine 2

[bistromathics]

omg at EGM's Lynx favoritism bias. game's journalism will never be taken seriously with these jokers around!

[Whimsical Phil]

Pretty sure that's basically what it turned into. BTW Phil, are you at Sega now?

Nope. As far as I know Ethan and Jenn Tsao are the only ex-Ziffies at Sega. I'm in the middle of getting my teaching credentials.

Needs more exclamation points.

Exclamation overuse was a defining feature of old EGM. Just one of many reason why I would crack up when people complained about how EGM was better during its early years.

Not that I don't still love the old issues for their retro wackiness, of course.

[madara]

Lol, I remember that issue. I got so excited seeing the successor to nes I walked out of B. Dalton and forgot to pay for it. For like 50secs before my senses returned, thank god they had crappy surveillance, that might have been hard to explain.

[mjc]

Makes you wish gaming magazines went to the same lengths today with articles. Now you're lucky to have 20% of the page dedicated to text while the other 80% is covered with over-sized pictures.

[Odious Tea]

When I read Steve Harris my mind automatically went to Iron Maiden. Does that mean my nerd card is revoked, or something?

[Valkyr Junkie]

When I read Steve Harris my mind automatically went to Iron Maiden. Does that mean my nerd card is revoked, or something?

Ditto

[OldJadedGamer]

Makes you wish gaming magazines went to the same lengths today with articles. Now you're lucky to have 20% of the page dedicated to text while the other 80% is covered with over-sized pictures.

Yup.

[Link1110]

When I read Steve Harris my mind automatically went to Iron Maiden. Does that mean my nerd card is revoked, or something?

I thought of The Practice, myself.

[john tv]

Nope. As far as I know Ethan and Jenn Tsao are the only ex-Ziffies at Sega. I'm in the middle of getting my teaching credentials.

Ah okay. Thought I heard you talking about writing copy for some SEGA games on your podcast. Did I misunderstand? Or maybe you were just joking?

LOL @ all the ! marks. Was going to mention that too. The sad thing is, he was one of the better writers of that era of the mag. Still loved the mag tho, so didn't really care that it was written so poorly. It had heart!

[FirewalkR]

Sometimes I think about how it'd be to go back in time with a high-spec PC or current-gen console and show game journalists of 20 years ago something like Crysis or KZ2 or whatever.

I wonder if I'd get physical reactions. I believe I might get some people to faint, one or two actual orgasms, hell I might even get the sporadic heart attack! If I'm ever able to do this I have to take a portable defibrillator too. And some toilet paper.

[EMBee99]

LOL @ all the ! marks. Was going to mention that too. The sad thing is, he was one of the better writers of that era of the mag. Still loved the mag tho, so didn't really care that it was written so poorly. It had heart!

I like to think that that's how my ten-year old playing mind processed gaming: all exclamation points.

[lowlylowlycook]

Sometimes I think about how it'd be to go back in time with a high-spec PC or current-gen console and show game journalists of 20 years ago something like Crysis or KZ2 or whatever. I wonder if I'd get physical reactions. I believe I might get some people to faint, one or two actual orgasms, hell I might even get the sporadic heart attack! If I'm ever able to do this I have to take a portable defibrillator too. And some toilet paper.

Even in the past, people are sick of KZ2 gifs.

[RSTEIN]

I DEMAND THIS USER BE BANNED FOR POSTING MAGAZINE SCANS!!!!

[voltron]

I think we can trace back the notion of a 'console war' directly to this article.

[FirewalkR]

Even in the past, people are sick of KZ2 gifs.

Yeah I know. I'd just let them play the games. :P

[Whimsical Phil]

Ah okay. Thought I heard you talking about writing copy for some SEGA games on your podcast. Did I misunderstand? Or maybe you were just joking?

Oh, that...of course. That was a freelance job. I wrote all the game history and "Did You Know?" bits for the upcoming Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection (coming Feburary 10 to PS3 and Xbox 360! Only $29.99! Over 40 classic titles! Buy multiple copies!).

Previously, I had done the same for the PS2 and PSP's Sega Genesis Collection (still available at a fine retailer near you!).

LOL @ all the ! marks. Was going to mention that too. The sad thing is, he was one of the better writers of that era of the mag. Still loved the mag tho, so didn't really care that it was written so poorly. It had heart!

We were all just very, very exciting about gaming back then.

[DeaconKnowledge]

Ah okay. Thought I heard you talking about writing copy for some SEGA games on your podcast. Did I misunderstand? Or maybe you were just joking? LOL @ all the ! marks. Was going to mention that too. The sad thing is, he was one of the better writers of that era of the mag. Still loved the mag tho, so didn't really care that it was written so poorly. It had heart!

I much prefer the unbridled enthusiasm of back then over the guarded cynicism now.

[GreenNight]

I much prefer the unbridled enthusiasm of back then over the guarded cynicism now.

Renew Nintendo Power. Those guys are always enthusiastic.

[cartman414]

What issue(s) did they preview the Lynx? Man, my mind was going nuts reading about how powerful that thing was.

[stuminus3]

The future of GameBoy is, without a doubt, very solid.

Haha. No kidding!

[G-Fex]

The future of GameBoy is, without a doubt, very solid. Haha. No kidding!

i wish theyd bring back the gameboy name

[Kilrogg]

I think we can trace back the notion of a 'console war' directly to this article.

I don't think EGM was the only offender, but yeah, you're right. Video game journalism: spouting the console war nonsense since the 80's.

I must say though that this has heart, as john tv said, moreso than today's magazines.

[water_wendi]

I think we can trace back the notion of a 'console war' directly to this article.

Console wars stuff went back further than this by far. i remember playground arguments of Atari vs Intellivision. Even the same computer gamer "superiority complex" that people still complain about today existed back in the 1980s.

[obaidr]

no analysis from pachter?

Failed !!!!

[GrotesqueBeauty]

no analysis from pachter? Failed !!!!

Expect TurboGrafx-CD to have a huge upswing once it hits mass market price. Right now the price is holding it back, but by 1994 they're going to gain tons of marketshare. Sega and Nintendo won't know what hit them.

[camineet]

I'm trying to think if VG&CE had any similar articles around the same time.

[camineet]

I think we can trace back the notion of a 'console war' directly to this article.

Probably yeah

Although there were definitely articles well before that about the console wars.

[camineet]

What issue(s) did they preview the Lynx? Man, my mind was going nuts reading about how powerful that thing was.

Issue #3, August-September 1989

[EmCeeGramr]

I think we can trace back the notion of a 'console war' directly to this article.

I remember an old EGM talking about how one earlier magazine got Colecovision vs Atari letters.

"Yeah, Atari has more games, but are they GOOD?" was the gist, I think.

[CO_Andy]

That dentist chair looks like it'd be a rad gaming device

[camineet]

That dentist chair looks like it'd be a rad gaming device

I guess I should do an entire post about the Konix MultiSystem and The Power Chair:

Here's EGM's Konix MultiSystem article (EGM #3)

http://i43.tinypic.com/21eyo7p.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/9jjgo7.jpg

EGM Editor Ed Semrad in the Konix Power Chair (EGM #6)
playing one of the first games for the Konix MultiSystem: 'Attack of the Mutant Camels 89'
http://i44.tinypic.com/bi3woh.jpg


More on The Power Chair:
http://www.konixmultisystem.co.uk/index.php?id=overview

1) The Power Chair The peripherals are almost worth an entire website themselves - due to the ambitious nature of the level of interaction Wyn was trying to offer and the novel ways he was trying to accommodate that interactivity in mostly affordable and easy to manufacture components. It's purely down to a lack of personal accounts and any real supporting documents or evidence such as blue prints and specifications that I can't elaborate on them anymore here. Hopefully once more people read the site, accounts may come rolling in. It's safe to say that the power chair was probably the one thing about the Multisystem that made your jaw drop to the ground. It was also possibly the straw that broke the camels back. It really was probably a step too far in hindsight. If the notion that you could add a relatively cheap powered moving chair to your home games system came along maybe after a year of the Multisystem being released, then who knows where we'd be now. It certainly wasn't an impossible dream - the darn thing existed and functioned as was intended - there is photographic evidence in the pictures just below this paragraph. But it was a case of gilding the lily - I think it pushed the Multisystem from being a credible project to something too awesome to handle. Here we see a number of people using the power chair, there are also two versions of the chair on show, one more open than the other, but both seem equally fun. An empty Powerchair Jeff Minter Gun in hand, Multisystem in other, Powerchair between legs Enjoying the Powerchair experience Ed Semrad Unknown Rider Unknown Rider Wyn Holloway posing on the Powerchair In the pictures we can see Jeff Minter, Wyn Holloway and Ed Semrad. If you are one of the other 3 please drop me a line, I'd love to hear your impressions about the machine. Also, any members of the games industry, press or public who attended any of the shows where the power chair was present, and if you managed to ride the power chair please get in touch. An add-on (perhaps a logical one) to the power chair was to be a helicopter style joystick. I've only ever seen the artists impression from the promotional litrature so I'm unsure of exactly how it would have fitted to the Multisystem's power chair but it's not too hard to imagine. This of course was intended to turn your power chair into an equavilent of the Thunderblade machine for the home.

[Kobun Heat]

After successfully invading Japan, we are about to witness the first wave of next generation gaming on these shores.

Wow. I mean, I know we did successfully invade Japan that one time, but do we need to rub it in their faces?

[CitizenCope]

Still remember the day I bought this issue off the rack.

[Andrex]

It's kinda cute looking back at EGM when it was still innocent and not controlled by Sony fanboys.

[jarrod]

i wish theyd bring back the gameboy name

Virtual Game Boy for DSi*




*includes Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, Game Gear, Wonderswan & Neo*Geo Pocket software

[camineet]

Still remember the day I bought this issue off the rack.

Me too:

Sometime in July 1989, I was at the grocery store with my mom. I had recently started reading game magazines in the drugstore part of the supermarket (Jewel-OSCO for those in the Chicago area). I saw a new magazine I'd never seen before: Electronic Gaming Monthly. It was the first time I ever saw EGM! It was issue Number 2.... 16-bit Gaming Explosion. There were all these new systems on the cover, and there was that Genesis which I had heard about on Sega's hotline.

[camineet]

Table of Contents, Insert Coin / Editorial and Quartermann's Gaming Gossip pages of EGM issue #2 added to OP.

[jamesinclair]

Did the Lynx really have one cart multiplayer support?


The most striking of this is how professional the articles look (minus the exclamation marks). Lots of text, and only a couple of images to highlight the article. Easy to read background too.

[camineet]

Did the Lynx really have one cart multiplayer support?

I don't know, I'm not an expert on Lynx, I'll leave that question to those who know more about it than me.

The most striking of this is how professional the articles look (minus the exclamation marks). Lots of text, and only a couple of images to highlight the article. Easy to read background too.

Oh yeah I very much agree with that. EGM was the most informative magazine until Next Generation came along in the mid 90s. More so than VG&CE, Game Players, GamePro, and GameFan.

[bistromathics]

I wouldn't mind a weekly thread like this, with an old feature from the late 80's/early 90's

As a sidenote, Capcom is looking for high-res scans of old Street Fighter covers. You might want to check the link, Cami: http://www.capcom-unity.com/kramez/b...agazine_covers

[camineet]

Lol, I remember that issue. I got so excited seeing the successor to nes I walked out of B. Dalton and forgot to pay for it. For like 50secs before my senses returned, thank god they had crappy surveillance, that might have been hard to explain.

Super Famicom / Super Nintendo article:











For those of you that really like the design of the earliest SFC/SNES prototype, and the redesigned 8 bit Famicom ( both from 1988), more pictures of them:

[Tobor]

I think we can trace back the notion of a 'console war' directly to this article.

George Plimpton and Intellivision would like a word with you:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q0qJ15rCAg

[typo]

Did the Lynx really have one cart multiplayer support? The most striking of this is how professional the articles look (minus the exclamation marks). Lots of text, and only a couple of images to highlight the article. Easy to read background too.

A few glaring typos, though. However, the layout is such a stark difference from modern gaming magazines.

[Agent X]

Did the Lynx really have one cart multiplayer support?

It was originally planned to do single-cartridge multiplayer, but they scrapped the feature before it came out. I think the memory restrictions and data communication speeds may have been a limiting factor, considering the types of games they were doing. Also, I suppose by not having such a feature, they figured they could sell more cartridges to people who wanted to play multiplayer games, as all players would be required to purchase their own cartridge.

At one point in the planning stages, the Lynx was also supposed to have infrared communication for multiplayer, instead of a physical cable to connect two or more systems together.

[Darkpen]

...konami's super mario-ish babyland?

Wow, the quartermann page takes up... an entire page? Insane times.