Anbernic RG552 Review - a retrogaming powerhouse!

 

Anbernic are known for making some of the best retro emulation handhelds around and my favourite of them all is the RG552, this can be used with either Android (my preference) or Linux operating systems.

The first thing you notice about this machine is it’s BIG! It still feels good to hold and play however and feels substantial with a good weight to it.  As with most Anbernic machines it’s well put together with good quality face buttons, d-pad and analogue sticks.  By far the best thing about this handheld is the incredible screen, it’s really bright, sharp and vivid - your retro games will really pop!

Supported by the RG552 are all the usual systems you’d expect - SNES, GameBoy, GameBoy Advance, PS1 to name but a few but my favourite feature about it is how well the higher end machines (Dreamcast, Saturn, PSP, N64) perform - with a couple of exceptions on the PSP emulator (I’m looking at you God of War) the games look and play perfectly and I’ve now built up a sizeable library of titles on these emulators.

The RG552 is currently my go-to handheld for anything PS1 and above (anything below that I usually play on smaller machines such as my Miyoo Mini) - it’s a total retrogaming powerhouse and will serve my needs very nicely, at least until my Odin Pro arrives which I have a feeling could take the crown, watch this space!

The Panic Playdate - a handheld you probably won’t have heard of with a unique feature!

 

Well I’m pretty sure this is a handheld not too many of you will know about - it’s called the PlayDate and it’s made by a company called Panic who are best known for the excellent adventure game Firewatch.

The machine is unusual in the fact that it employs a crank handle on the side of the machine which, for many games is the main method of control, think of it as Panic’s equivalent to an analogue stick!  It works brilliantly and docks magnetically in the side of the machine when not required.

The screen is good, although the only downside is it isn’t backlit so playing in poor light could be an issue but indoors under good light or outdoors it should be fine.

Included with the machine in what Panic calls ‘Season 1’ are 24 games, these are released at the rate of 2 each week for 12 weeks starting with when you first register and activate the machine.  When two new games are available a light blinks on the top of the machine and there’s also a small notification on the screen.  Installing them is simply a question of accessing the Games menu and downloading and installing, a feature I like is you unwrap each game as if unwrapping a present which is quite fun!  Releasing the games like this is a great idea and gives you two little surprises to look forward to each Monday.  I’m so far three weeks in and out of the six games I’ve received at the time of writing it’s a mixture of great games with a few duds as well, the best two so far are a surfing game called Whitewater Wipeout and a ‘match 3 symbols’ type game called Pick Pack Pup.  From looking at the full list of 24 games it would appear that the best titles are yet to come so stay tuned to this blog for any updates as I unwrap them each week!

An active community is already also developing their own games for the system and these are available either for free or for a very small fee mostly on the itch.io website.  These games are sideloaded quickly and easily onto the system using Panic’s dedicated sideloading website.  So far I’ve installed some excellent titles including Asteroids and a version of Dr. Mario, the fact that such an active community exists for the PlayDate should hopefully ensure a healthy future.

To sum up this is a terrific little machine unlike anything I’ve seen or played before and I love it! OK there have been a couple of duds so far in the Season 1 games but am confident that the majority of the remaining titles will more than make up for it!  A brilliant, innovative and fun little handheld!

Winter Heat (Sega Saturn) Review

 

Ever since I owned a Sega Saturn years ago I’d been a fan of an Athletics themed sports game called Athlete Kings but completely unknown to me until recently (big thanks and shout out to Ollie for the heads up!) there was also a Winter Sports sequel entitled Winter Heat which I’ve just added to my RG552 handheld so thought I’d review it this week.

The game comprises 11 events : Speed Skiing, Ski Jumping, Downhill, Short Track Speed Skating, Skeleton, Slalom, Aerial, Bobsleigh, Speed Skating, Snowboard and Cross Country, these can either be played individually or in sequence. So far I’ve found the hardest to be Ski Jumping, Slalom and Aerial - more practice definitely needed! All the events are great fun to play and presented in the familiar Sega arcade style with some great incidental music.

As with Athlete Kings a short instructional video is played before each event explaining the controls and if applicable, the optimal angle, which is useful if you’ve never played the game before or as a reminder.

This is easily as good and as enjoyable as Athlete Kings and is one of the best sports games on the Saturn.  TRJ RATING : 4/5

My personal Top 50 all-time favourite games - Part 2

As promised here is the final part of my Top 50 all-time favourite games, as before these are my personal choices and in no particular order of preference…..

Donkey Kong Country (SNES)

Considered at time of release to be a total game changer in terms of it’s lush and detailed graphics this is still today one of the best games on the SNES, the stages are varied, look amazing and are huge fun to play, the Mine Cart Carnage level being a particular favourite of mine.

F-Zero (SNES)

Utilising Nintendo’s Mode 7 technology this futuristic racer boasts some really fast racing, great tracks, a highly recommended racing game.

Top Rank Tennis (Nintendo Gameboy)

Way better than Nintendo’s own tennis game on the GameBoy this boasts a ranking system which you can progress up as you play offering increased difficulty as you progress, great looking players, catchy music and there’s even a rather disembodied sounding digitised voice reading the score after each point! The best Gameboy tennis game by a long way.

Mario Tennis (Nintendo Gameboy Color)

Another excellent tennis game, this time on the Gameboy Color, offering great graphics, a large choice of characters to play as and fun gameplay and special moves, a really enjoyable tennis game and on the best on the GBC.

Comix Zone (Nintendo Gameboy Advance)

This game is highly unusual for being played out in the style of an interactive comic book, it looks fantastic with a terrific story, great graphics and is really engrossing and addictive, one of the best games on the GBA.

F-Zero Climax (Nintendo Gameboy Advance)

The final handheld F-Zero game to be released this offers improved graphics over the previous two GBA F-Zero games but keeps the same fast racing and great gameplay, I was and still am a huge fan of the F-Zero franchise and would dearly love to see a Switch game one day happen as there’s still a lot of life left in this series.

Kuru Kuru Kururin / Kururin Paradise (Nintendo Gameboy Advance)

On the face of it these two games don’t sound like the most exciting idea for a game ever - guide a rotating stick down a course in the fastest time possible without hitting the sides, however the opposite is true, these two games provide a real and addictive challenge and I’ve found them to be really quite touch but great fun with a high replay value.  The second game, Kururin Paradise was only ever released in Japan so is quite rare in the West but worth tracking down or playing on an emulation handheld.  One of the most innovative and original games on the GBA and I love it!

Mario vs. Donkey Kong (Nintendo Gameboy Advance)

Believe it or not this game has passed me by until quite recently when I decided to give it a try on my emulation handhelds and I’m so glad I did.  Basically a sequel to the Gameboy classic, Donkey Kong this offers many levels of increasingly difficult puzzles to solve using the same Mario cartoony style graphics you’ve come to expect, a real gem of a game and one I wish I’d discovered years ago.

Wario Ware : Twisted! (Nintendo Gameboy Advance)

Now quite rare and sought after by collectors this addition to the Wario Ware series is unique in offering a cartridge with a built-in gyroscope meaning all the mini games are played by tilting the GBA left or right which works brilliantly, is great fun and adds a real extra dimension to the game.  Of course, the same Wario humour and addictive mini games are still present.  Well worth tracking down.

Manx TT Superbike (Sega Saturn)

Another terrific arcade port on the Saturn this offers great looking and fast racing based around the Isle of Man TT, as previously mentioned the Saturn boasted some really excellent arcade ports and this is another cracker!

Mini Metro (iOS / Nintendo Switch)

I’ve not included too many iOS games in this list as am unsure if they can truly be considered retro but this is one I just had to include as it’s brilliant! The simple sounding idea is to build underground lines in a variety of cities around the world, at the end of each 24 hour period (shown by a clock in the top right corner) you’re given the option of adding additional locomotives and carriages which you must choose the best line to use on to avoid overcrowding at stations as once just one station becomes overcrowded it’s game over! A really calming zen game to play, also available on the Nintendo Switch.

Athlete Kings (Sega Saturn)

Also known as Decathlete in some countries this is a ‘Track and Field’ style game with a choice of characters and different events to take part in including the 100 meters and long jump.  The graphics are in the typical Sega arcade style and if you’re a fan of a good old ‘button basher’ this is a terrific choice.

Asteroids (Arcade)

An old game but an absolute classic still highly playable today, simply use your ship to fire at and destroy the asteroids, looks great and one of my very favourite arcade games ever, as a sidenote an excellent remastered and modern version is now available for the Switch.

Fire Emblem Fates : Birthright (Nintendo 3DS)

Best described as being a bit like a game of strategic battle chess this is one of the best handheld titles in the Fire Emblem franchise, great graphics, satisfying combat requiring a good level of strategy, truly a game you could lose many hours to.

Wipeout 2048 (Sony PS Vita)

I’ve long enjoyed all the Wipeout games but for me this is definitely my favourite, looks great on the Vita, brilliant tracks and music and, as with all Wipeout games is blisteringly quick! A great addition to any Vita collection.

Persona 5 : Dancing All Night (PS Vita)

I’ve been a fan of rhythm games for a long time and this is one of the best I’ve yet played although it’s quite hard to track down a copy of nowadays, fortunately I won a copy on eBay at a very decent price.  Great presentation, catchy Japanese tunes and a fantastic choice for anyone who, like me, loves their rhythm games!

Pokemon Ultra Sun / Moon (Nintendo 3DS)

I love all the handheld Pokemon games right back to the very oldest titles, and particularly like the titles on the 3DS, they’re all terrific games but for me Ultra Sun and Moon take the crown.  An engrossing title with great graphics and terrific Pokemon battles this is the best Pokemon title on the 3DS.

Racing Destruction Set (Atari 8-bit)

Now this is a real oldie! Like the previously mentioned International Karate in part 1 I’ve happy memories of playing this on my friend’s Atari 800XL way back in the late 1980s, it not only offers racing on pre-designed tracks but also included is a track editor allowing you to construct and race around your own personalised circuits, great fun!

Virtua Cop (Sega Saturn)

When I owned a Saturn I played this game using the included blue lightgun and it was another perfect arcade port and a brilliant experience to play, and, thanks to the wonders of emulation I’m now enjoying all over again on my Anbernic RG552 handheld courtesy of the Saturn emulator, minus the lightgun obviously but still very easy to play using the handheld controls.  Brilliant graphics, satisfying gameplay - one of the best arcade ports on the Saturn.  Virtua Cop 2 on the Dreamcast is also well worth checking out.

Elite Beat Agents (Nintendo DS)

Another excellent game with same great catchy tunes to play along in time to, all accompanied by some Blues Brothers-style characters on screen with some very questionable haircuts! A brilliant handheld rhythm game employing good use of stylus and is great fun!

Mario Bros. (Game & Watch)

One of only three Game and Watch multi-screen machines which opened out like a book, the other two being Lifeboat and Rainshower (both also well worth a look) but for me this is one of the best titles ever released in the G&W series.  Guide your characters on either side of the screen up and down the conveyor belts to catch the packages and load them onto the waiting truck at the top.  It’s easy to begin with but soon speeds and becomes a challenge especially if you select the harder Game B, a brilliant little machine.

Pokemon Pinball (Pokemon Mini)

I was fortunate enough many years ago to purchase the Pokemon Mini, a tiny cartridge based handheld released by Nintendo, only a handful of titles were ever released but this is my favourite, offering Score Attack and Time Attack modes, simply guide your Pokemon into the three slots on the table for either the highest score or the fastest time, a terrific little game to pass away a few minutes.  Pokemon Tetris is also well worth a look on the Pokemon Mini.

For your information I’ve already done a review of the Pokemon Mini elsewhere on this blog you might be interested, it’s a really cracking little machine and a brilliant device to have in my collection!

Wave Race : Blue Storm (Nintendo Gamecube)

I’ve already reviewed Wave Race 64 on the Nintendo 64 and featured it in this list and now we come to the Gamecube title, Blue Storm, offering the same brilliant jet ski racing as it’s N64 predecessor, this has some really terrific courses to race around and looks fantastic, one of the best racers on the Gamecube and a worthy follow up to Wave Race 64.

Russian Subway Dogs (PS Vita)

One of the final new titles to be released on the Vita and reviewed on this blog already, in this game you play a pack of hungry dogs roaming the Moscow subway barking at passengers as they alight from their train to scare them into dropping items of food for you to eat, it starts simple but the flow of passengers soon increases the game becomes quite challenging, with great graphics and music which fits the game perfectly this is a great final Vita title.

Crazy Taxi (Sega Dreamcast)

A classic arcade port which I’m sure will be familiar to many, drive around in your taxi picking up as many passengers in the allotted time and basically drive like a maniac! Looks great, is brilliant  fun and the dialogue and music completes what is a fabulous game!

So there you have it - my highly personal Top 50 favourite all-time games! No doubt you will have your own favourites not in this list which I’d love to hear about in the comments! Hope you’ve enjoyed this two-part list and found it interesting!

My personal Top 50 all-time favourite games - Part 1

Over the years I’ve owned many different computers, consoles and handhelds and played and discovered many great games, a lot of which I’m rediscovering now thanks to the wonders of emulation so thought I would do my Top 50 all-time favourite games.  I should stress that these are my own personal choices (you will no doubt have your own!) and they’re in no particular order so here we go……

Nights into Dreams (Sega Saturn)

I loved my Saturn and am thoroughly enjoying re-discovering many of the titles on my emulation handhelds, it was a great machine with some truly innovative and original games and excellent arcade ports, the first game in this list is a truly beautiful game, the landscapes look fantastic, the music is a perfect match for the game and it’s a lot of fun to play, I’ve done a full review of this game on this blog, I absolutely love this game, very highly recommended.

180 (ZX Spectrum)

I’ve played a few darts games over the years and this unquestionably is still my favourite, with a catchy musical score, fun graphics, humour (the dog cocking it’s leg against the bar) and easy to use aiming this is a winner.

Kirby’s Pinball Land (Nintendo Gameboy)

As with the above entry I’ve played a few pinball games over the years and this is still the one I keep coming back to, there’s lots to do including spelling out various words by hitting different parts of the table.  There are three different tables in all which can be reached with a well-timed use of the flipper, the music is excellent, great graphics and it all makes up for a really fun pinball experience.

Wario Ware Inc. (Nintendo Gameboy Advance)

This was the first Wario Ware game I ever played and was instantly hooked, simple but addictive mini-games which got progressively harder and faster, great Wario graphics and music, this is still one of the best in the franchise.

Stunt Race FX (SNES)

One of the few games to utilise Nintendo’s Super FX chip and it shows, this is a terrific cartoony racing game with a style all it’s own, there are different difficulty levels and tracks to race around and time bonuses can also be earned.  This is one of the best racing games on the SNES and in fact any console and it enormous fun!

Sega Rally Championship (Sega Saturn)

As I’ve already mentioned the Saturn was home to some excellent ports of Sega’s arcade titles, the first in this list is Sega Rally Championship a terrific port from the arcade, the tracks are well designed with just the right difficulty level and a good selection of cars to choose from too, I always preferred to race in the Toyota! 

Wave Race 64 (Nintendo 64)

Another game already reviewed elsewhere on this blog, I LOVE this game, everything about it is brilliant from the stunning circuits and wave effects to the fantastic music and excellent controls, this is the best racer on the N64 and if you’ve not played it you’re missing out on something really awesome!

The Simpsons : Hit and Run (PS2 / Gamecube)

I’ve only recently discovered this game on my emulation handhelds and wish I’d known about earlier as it’s amazing, literally the whole of Springfield has been faithfully recreated in this game and also features the actual actor’s voices for the characters.  The game is basically a series of missions you must complete, the game is laced with the Simpsons humour, and as a huge Simpsons fan am having a blast playing it.

International Karate (Atari 8-bit)

I’ve fond memories of playing this on my friend’s Atari 800XL over the road many years ago and it still stands up today as a great fighting game, the graphics may look a bit dated by today’s standards but the gameplay is terrific and is still worth playing today on either an Atari 8-bit or I believe it was released on other platforms too.

Densha de Go series (Sony PSP)

When I owned a PSP and being a lifelong railway enthusiast I had to track down a copy of this game to enjoy and I duly did so courtesy of an eBay seller in Hong Kong.  Only released in Japan and massively popular the Densha de Go series of games are basically train driving games taking place on various lines in and around Tokyo, however the additional challenge is you have to time your braking into stations perfectly to stop at the marker as well remembering to dim your headlights and sound your horn for passing trains, I instantly loved this game and am now enjoying it again thanks to a recently released Densha de Go game on the Nintendo Switch.

MLB 9 Innings (iOS / Android)

There are many baseball games around and this, along with MLB The Show is my favourite, with all the real ballparks, teams, players and uniforms this is just like the real thing, the only letdown is the slightly limited and repetitive commentary but other than that, if you’re a baseball fan this is a great choice.

Pac-Man (Arcade)

One of the most famous and iconic games of all-time this is an absolute classic, it’s seen a number of incarnations over the years but for me, nothing beats the arcade original, a simple but addictive game, eat the dots and destroy the monsters, a true giant of a game and deserving of a place in this list.

Donkey Kong (Game and Watch)

I’m a huge fan of the Game & Watch series (see my previous blog post of the amazing recreations of all 60 titles on Mame) and even though DK was one of the first double screen Game and Watch units to be released it’s still the best one in my opinion, and was the first time we saw the Nintendo d-pad which went on to be featured in many different Nintendo machines and controllers.  The object of the game is the same as the original arcade version - jump over the barrels and advance to the top of the screen to rescue the princess from the clutches of Donkey Kong, an excellent addition to the G&W series.

Donkey Kong Jr. (Game and Watch)

A single screen Game and Watch machine this time, I particularly like this one for it’s graphics, gameplay and the general look and feel of the machine, the objective is similar to the above (minus the barrels) but this time you must dodge birds and swing across to free Donkey Kong from his cage.  One of the best single screen titles in the G&W series.

Fighting Vipers / Fighters Megamix (Sega Saturn)

Another two excellent arcade ports Fighting Vipers was the first to be released followed by Fighters Megamix, both have some great looking characters to fight as, terrific graphics and are both some the best fighting games to have graced the Saturn,

1944 : The Loop Master (Arcade)

I do enjoy a good scrolling shoot-em-up and this is one I play regularly courtesy of the Mame emulator, it’s a great looking, fast and fun shooter and well worth a look.

Gauntlet (Arcade)

I’ve fond memories of playing the ZX Spectrum version of this game years ago but the arcade version is the best (playable through the Mame emulator), the digitised speech in the game adds to the experience with many levels to explore and ghosts to slay, addictive fun.

Space Invaders (Arcade)

Like Pac-Man another incredibly iconic game, sure everyone has heard of this game, a true classic which has stood the test of time and will continue to be a highly playable classic for years to come.

Frogger (Arcade)

The object in this game is to guide your frog across two busy roads to the lily pads on the other side, sounds simple but dodging the oncoming traffic and timing your landings on the lily pads make this a real challenge.  A highly original and fun title.

Virtua Racing Deluxe (Sega 32X)

At the time it wasn’t thought possible that a game with such advanced graphics could be ported over to a home console but Sega managed it on the 32X and they did a terrific job, this is a brilliant game, good selection of tracks and looks great.

NBA Jam (SNES)

Released on a number of different machines this is a massively over-the-top basketball game featuring real NBA teams and players at the time.  In NBA Jam you can pull off frankly ridiculous and gravity-defying dunks and shots, the commentator’s quotes are instantly memorable - ‘he’s on fire!’, ‘he’s heating up!’.  OK, it’s not a truly realistic basketball game but man it isn’t half fun!

Virtua Tennis 4 (PS Vita)

I enjoy all the Virtua Tennis games but the most recent addition to the series on the PS Vita is the best, great graphics, a comprehensive selection of players and courts, a satisfying selection of shots, this is a top choice if you’re looking for a realistic handheld tennis game.

Tetris (Nintendo Gameboy)

No list of favourite games would be complete without Tetris on the Gameboy, massively addictive with one of the best musical scores in any game (even released as a single and performed on Top of the Pops!), a simple idea, rotate the blocks to fit and clear a line and achieve as high a score as possible before reaching the top of the screen and it’s Game Over! A truly iconic and defining game of the time.

Game & Watch Gallery Advance (Nintendo Gameboy Advance)

A number of Game and Watch Gallery games were released across the Gameboy machines but this is the game which features the largest number of G&W titles, most of them are playable either in the original classic mode or in the modern mode with updated graphics.  A few titles are included from the start with several more unlockable once enough stars are earned in the game, a convenient and portable way of playing the G&W series.

Aladdin (SNES)

For me the SNES version of Aladdin was always better than the different MegaDrive version, catchy music, laced with humour throughout and with highly realistic graphics this is a quality game still worth discovering today.

Well there you have it, the first 25 in the list, hope you found my choices interesting, any comments, disagreements or thoughts welcome and stay tuned for part 2 coming soon!

My choice of retro handhelds for travelling

Well Summer is here and we’re therefore getting into that time when people think about travelling and going away so thought I’d post my choices of handhelds to take on the go……

Powkiddy X18s - I’ve always been a total sucker for a clamshell handheld so this is an obvious choice, the build quality could be better and the layout of analogue sticks and buttons could be better but it makes up for this with it’s superb performance, the X18s can easily cope with anything up to and including PSP, Dreamcast, N64 and Saturn and can play some Gamecube and PS2 but not all.  For example I’ve recently managed to get The Simpsons : Hit and Run and The Simpsons : Road Rage running pretty much perfectly through the AetherSX2 PS2 emulator which was a real surprise!  A total powerhouse of a handheld.

Nintendo DSi XL - Yes it’s another clamshell machine but it’s a cracker! With an excellent library of games and a great screen it’s a winner, above pictured is my own Super Mario 25th Anniversary machine which I love, I’ve also set it up with a flash cart which I’ve loaded with all the best DS games.  A great handheld from Nintendo.

Nintendo 3DS - Possibly my joint favourite Nintendo handheld ever (along with the GameBoy Advance SP), the 3DS had some of best games to ever have featured on a portable machine such as Metroid : Samus Returns and Pokemon : Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon to name but a few.  Pictured is my own Pikachu 3DS which is a treasured part of my collection.

Sony Playstation Vita - Bascially a handheld PS1 the Vita looks and feels great with some cracking games such as Unchartered : Golden Abyss and Wipeout 2048 and many more this is a machine that has stood the test of time and is still a worthy machine today, a great travelling companion.

Anbernic RG351M - the first retro emulation handheld I picked up and still one of my favourites, it looks and feels great, has a decent weight to it thanks to it’s metal shell, it plays everything perfectly up to and including PS1 and some N64, PSP and Dreamcast is also possible.  This is a highly pocketable little machine which also has come excellent custom firmware available, my personal favourite being ArkOS.

Miyoo Mini - and lastly we come to the most portable and pocketable handheld of them all, the Miyoo Mini (already reviewed on this blog), looks and feels fantastic with a great screen (especially on the new version) and excellent performance, I love this machine!

So there you have it - my personal choice of retro handhelds for travelling all of which are guaranteed to make the longest journey fly by!

The Miyoo Mini has two excellent custom firmwares - so here’s a comparison!

I’ve already reviewed the superb mini handheld the Miyoo Mini elsewhere on this blog but for those of you undecided as to whether to get one or already have one I wanted to mention that there are now two custom firmwares (alternative software for the machine) available, OnionOS and MiniUI, both of which are excellent and much better than the software supplied with machine.  Both are really easy to install so thought I’d do a quick comparison of them.

OnionOS - this is the ultimate custom firmware for the Miyoo Mini, although newcomers may find it a little overwhelming.  It supports pretty much all machines up to and including PS1.  It has a very attractive interface and comes packed with features.  Firstly various Retroarch cores are available through the Expert menu allowing for plenty of tinkering for those who enjoy doing so, a favourite feature of mine is the optional Onion Launcher, this means that when you switch the machine on after playing a game it will automatically resume that game from the point you left off, and by pressing the menu key you can also view and launch any of the most recent 10 games you’ve played from the point you last quit, a really great feature.  OnionOS has lots of different themes to choose from as well which can be changed quickly and simply.

This is far and away my favourite custom firmware for the Miyoo Mini and comes highly recommended!

MiniUI - this is a new custom firmware which has recently launched, it has gone for the simple straightforward approach which should make it more accessible for newcomers.  It has a basic interface, it doesn’t however support as many systems as OnionOS but does still offer all the classic core systems such as SNES, Megadrive, GB, GBC, GBA and PS1 so name but a few.  Despite it’s simple interface and not supporting as many systems I’m pretty impressed by MiniUI and is definitely worth trying.

So there you have it a comparison of the two custom firmwares, which one you try is your choice but you won’t be disappointed with either and, as I previously mentioned both are way better than firmware supplied with the machine.

Believe it or not the UK once had two WEEKLY computing magazines and I miss ‘em!

I’ve mentioned elsewhere on this blog about how much I’d love for there to be a weekly gaming magazine in the UK as with Famitsu in Japan, well what you may now know is that for a few years in the 80s and 90s the UK actually had two!  The first was Popular Computing Weekly which ran from 1982-1990 and the other was New Computer Express survived from 1988-1991, these didn’t actually just focus on gaming but computing in general.  They were both a must-read back in the day and I have to say I do miss them.  

I do think with the resurgence of gaming magazines with such publications as Switch Player, Ninty Fresh, Sega Powered and Sega Mania all now available by post that the time is right for if not a weekly but a fortnightly gaming magazine, well I can but hope!

SegaMagazines.com - a new must-read slice of gaming nostalgia!

I’ve mentioned a few times on this blog about the golden age of gaming magazines in the 80s and 90s - well the publisher of excellent and recently launched retro Sega magazine, Sega Mania has just launched SegaMagazines.com - an amazing site allowing you to easily read in great quality some classic Sega magazines of the past and it’s a real treat!

At the time of writing the following magazines are available :

- Mega

- Sega Pro

- Mean Machines Sega

- Mega Machines

- The Official Sega Saturn Magazine

- MegaTech (upload in progress)

- Sega Visions (US)

All the magazines load pretty much instantly inside a viewer on the website and can also be downloaded as a PDF file for viewing in something like Adobe Acrobat Reader.

If you have any memory of these publications or are curious to see what the fuss was about this is truly a must visit website.  As someone who loved the Saturn first time around and is currently re-discovering and enjoying it’s games all over again on my emulation handhelds I’m particularly keen to read the Official Sega Saturn Magazine again and have already downloaded all the issues into Acrobat Reader to enjoy at my leisure!  An essential website.