Jason Liang
Arcane
So when I have time this year I want to review every issue of Video Games & Computer Entertainment magazine. I read this magazine every month when I was a kid, and it is directly responsible for both my love of reading and computer games. When I was a kid I mostly ignored the computer game sections, but this time I want to focus on that part, chronicle the magazine's coverage of a crucial period in electronic game development.
So in this thread I will share the most interesting articles and reviews I find. Not sure if I should start from the 1st issue and go forward, last issue and go backward, or jump around.
At some point I might simply archive all the computer game reviews. So many of the games reviews were innovative for their time but have now been consigned to historical oblivion. For now I am just going to highlight the review of games that we still discuss today (and some of the reviews that I remember fondly for being hilariously written too).
Right now I am just archiving the most interesting articles and video game reviews. But I will also put up the table of contents for each issue. You guys just let me know if you see an article that you're interested in.
I've decided to prioritize the computer gaming content first, such as reviews and the features. The console stuff is fun for nostalgia, but it has less meaning these days. I'll backfill the rest of the stuff later.
I'm linking the scans directly from another website, please let me know if there's any problem viewing them.
Retrospective Analysis of Video Games & Computer Entertainment's 55 issue run
VG&CE was bookended by Electronic Games magazine, which, like Computer Gaming World, began in 1981, but, unlike CGW, did not suvive the 1985 Gaming Crash (CGW was the only electronic gaming publication to survive the crash). Electronic Games was briefly resurrected as Computer Entertainment magazine before being rebranded as Video Games & Computer Entertainment in 1988. In 1992, VG&CE's computer game review writing staff (Bill Kunkel, Arnie Katz and Joyce Worley) left VG&CE to restart Electronic Games magazine, which continued covering gaming until 1997.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Kunkel_(gaming)
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/4226/electronic_games_the_arnie_katz_.php
1988
In November, George Bush Sr. defeated Michael Dukakis to become the US President-Elect. The sitting US President is still Ronald Reagan.
#1 Dec Blaster Master cover interview with Brian Fargo (Wasteland had been published that year), review of Tetris
1989
#2 Feb WW2 Strategy cover reviews of Battle Chess and Heroes of the Lance
#3 Apr Flight Simulator cover interview with Sid Meier (Railroad Tycoon would be released a year later in 1990), review of Nobunaga's Ambition
#4 May U-Force cover interview with John Cutter (Betrayal at Krondor), review of Reach for the Stars
#5 Jun Robocop cover review of Neuromancer
#6 Jul Turbografix-16 cover interview with Don Mattrick (Test Drive, The Sims), reviews of Zany Golf and Ancient Art of War at Sea
#7 Aug Sega Genesis cover
#8 Sep Power Glove cover reviews of Ramage and Wizardry V
#9 Oct Atari Lynx cover interview with Scott Orr (Madden NFL), review of Omicron Conspiracy
#10 Nov Freddy Kreuger cover reviews of Battletech: Crimson Hawk's Inception and SimCity
#11 Dec Genesis vs T-16 cover reviews of Might and Magic II, Gauntlet II, Populous
1990
#13
#14
#15
#16
#17
#18
#19
#20
#21
#22
#23
1991
#24
#25
#26
#27
#28
#29
#30
#31
#32
#33
#34
#35
1992
#36 Jan It Came From the Desert cover reviews of Wing Commander 2, Gateway to the Savage Frontier, Megatraveller 2
#37 Feb 1991 Games of the Year cover reviews of Riders of Rohan, Corporation, Shadow Sorcerer
#38 Mar Contra III cover review of Might and Magic III
#39 Apr Adventure Island cover reviews of Civilization, Pools of Darkness
#40 May Jordan vs Bird cover reviews of Vengeance of Excalibur, Conan the Cimmerian, Eye of the Beholder II
#41 Jun Street Fighter 2 Blanka cover reviews of Elvira 2, Out of this World and Glider 4.0
#42 Jul Krusty's Funhouse cover review of Star Trek: 25th Anniversary
#43 Aug Wings 2: Aces High cover reviews of Buck Rogers: Matrix Cubed, Treasures of the Savage Frontier, Ultima Underworld
--- At this point VG&CE's computer game reviewers Katz, Kunkel, Worley, etc... left to start Electronic Games magazine (2nd run)
#44 Sep Dungeon Master cover feature on Wizardry 7, reviews of Darkseed and Wolfenstein 3D
#45 Oct Sonic and Tails cover reviews of Dune, Rampart, Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, Lara Bow: Dagger of Amon-Ra, Spellcraft
#46 Nov Prince of Persia cover reviews of Darklands, Legend of Kyrandia, The Summoning
#47 Dec McKids cover reviews of Star Control 2, Lure of the Temptress
1993
#48 Jan Superman cover review of Might & Magic IV: Clouds of Xeen, King's Quest VI
#49 Feb 3DO cover review of Dune II: The Battle for Arrakis
#50 Mar Flashback cover reviews of Flashback and Legends of Valour
#51 Apr Mutant League Football cover reviews of Ultima Underworld II, Alone in the Dark, Koshan Conspiracy, Magic Candle III
#52 May Starfox cover review of Veil of Darkness
#53 Jun Street Fighter II Ryu cover review of X-Wing
#54 Jul Macho Man Randy Savage cover reviews of Ultima VII: Serpent Isle and Eye of the Beholder III
#55 Aug Battletoads cover reviews of 7th Guest and Betrayal and Krondor
UPDATE: It seems that I can find the complete scans for 51/ 55 issues of VG&CE. There are 4 issues that I can't find online anywhere. In fact I've never even seen a physical copy of one of the issues (the Veigues cover); it was missing from my collection; I searched like 20 grocery stores/ bookstores/ magazine stands and they were all sold out or short printed or perhaps didn't ship to California or something.The only one that we really miss is the earliest missing one, the Deja Vu cover; I've been looking for the issue with the Jordan Mechner interview (Prince of Persia) and I'm almost certain it's from that issue. Really bizarre that no one has scanned that issue.
The missing issues, in case anyone cares to peruse a vintage magazine shop:
#15 1990 April Deja Vu cover
#24 1991 January John Madden Football cover
#26 1991 March Veigues cover
#43 1992 August Wings 2: Aces High cover
So in this thread I will share the most interesting articles and reviews I find. Not sure if I should start from the 1st issue and go forward, last issue and go backward, or jump around.
At some point I might simply archive all the computer game reviews. So many of the games reviews were innovative for their time but have now been consigned to historical oblivion. For now I am just going to highlight the review of games that we still discuss today (and some of the reviews that I remember fondly for being hilariously written too).
Right now I am just archiving the most interesting articles and video game reviews. But I will also put up the table of contents for each issue. You guys just let me know if you see an article that you're interested in.
I've decided to prioritize the computer gaming content first, such as reviews and the features. The console stuff is fun for nostalgia, but it has less meaning these days. I'll backfill the rest of the stuff later.
I'm linking the scans directly from another website, please let me know if there's any problem viewing them.
Retrospective Analysis of Video Games & Computer Entertainment's 55 issue run
VG&CE was bookended by Electronic Games magazine, which, like Computer Gaming World, began in 1981, but, unlike CGW, did not suvive the 1985 Gaming Crash (CGW was the only electronic gaming publication to survive the crash). Electronic Games was briefly resurrected as Computer Entertainment magazine before being rebranded as Video Games & Computer Entertainment in 1988. In 1992, VG&CE's computer game review writing staff (Bill Kunkel, Arnie Katz and Joyce Worley) left VG&CE to restart Electronic Games magazine, which continued covering gaming until 1997.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Kunkel_(gaming)
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/4226/electronic_games_the_arnie_katz_.php
1988
In November, George Bush Sr. defeated Michael Dukakis to become the US President-Elect. The sitting US President is still Ronald Reagan.
#1 Dec Blaster Master cover interview with Brian Fargo (Wasteland had been published that year), review of Tetris
1989
#2 Feb WW2 Strategy cover reviews of Battle Chess and Heroes of the Lance
#3 Apr Flight Simulator cover interview with Sid Meier (Railroad Tycoon would be released a year later in 1990), review of Nobunaga's Ambition
#4 May U-Force cover interview with John Cutter (Betrayal at Krondor), review of Reach for the Stars
#5 Jun Robocop cover review of Neuromancer
#6 Jul Turbografix-16 cover interview with Don Mattrick (Test Drive, The Sims), reviews of Zany Golf and Ancient Art of War at Sea
#7 Aug Sega Genesis cover
#8 Sep Power Glove cover reviews of Ramage and Wizardry V
#9 Oct Atari Lynx cover interview with Scott Orr (Madden NFL), review of Omicron Conspiracy
#10 Nov Freddy Kreuger cover reviews of Battletech: Crimson Hawk's Inception and SimCity
#11 Dec Genesis vs T-16 cover reviews of Might and Magic II, Gauntlet II, Populous
1990
#13
#14
#15
#16
#17
#18
#19
#20
#21
#22
#23
1991
#24
#25
#26
#27
#28
#29
#30
#31
#32
#33
#34
#35
1992
#36 Jan It Came From the Desert cover reviews of Wing Commander 2, Gateway to the Savage Frontier, Megatraveller 2
#37 Feb 1991 Games of the Year cover reviews of Riders of Rohan, Corporation, Shadow Sorcerer
#38 Mar Contra III cover review of Might and Magic III
#39 Apr Adventure Island cover reviews of Civilization, Pools of Darkness
#40 May Jordan vs Bird cover reviews of Vengeance of Excalibur, Conan the Cimmerian, Eye of the Beholder II
#41 Jun Street Fighter 2 Blanka cover reviews of Elvira 2, Out of this World and Glider 4.0
#42 Jul Krusty's Funhouse cover review of Star Trek: 25th Anniversary
#43 Aug Wings 2: Aces High cover reviews of Buck Rogers: Matrix Cubed, Treasures of the Savage Frontier, Ultima Underworld
--- At this point VG&CE's computer game reviewers Katz, Kunkel, Worley, etc... left to start Electronic Games magazine (2nd run)
#44 Sep Dungeon Master cover feature on Wizardry 7, reviews of Darkseed and Wolfenstein 3D
#45 Oct Sonic and Tails cover reviews of Dune, Rampart, Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, Lara Bow: Dagger of Amon-Ra, Spellcraft
#46 Nov Prince of Persia cover reviews of Darklands, Legend of Kyrandia, The Summoning
#47 Dec McKids cover reviews of Star Control 2, Lure of the Temptress
1993
#48 Jan Superman cover review of Might & Magic IV: Clouds of Xeen, King's Quest VI
#49 Feb 3DO cover review of Dune II: The Battle for Arrakis
#50 Mar Flashback cover reviews of Flashback and Legends of Valour
#51 Apr Mutant League Football cover reviews of Ultima Underworld II, Alone in the Dark, Koshan Conspiracy, Magic Candle III
#52 May Starfox cover review of Veil of Darkness
#53 Jun Street Fighter II Ryu cover review of X-Wing
#54 Jul Macho Man Randy Savage cover reviews of Ultima VII: Serpent Isle and Eye of the Beholder III
#55 Aug Battletoads cover reviews of 7th Guest and Betrayal and Krondor
UPDATE: It seems that I can find the complete scans for 51/ 55 issues of VG&CE. There are 4 issues that I can't find online anywhere. In fact I've never even seen a physical copy of one of the issues (the Veigues cover); it was missing from my collection; I searched like 20 grocery stores/ bookstores/ magazine stands and they were all sold out or short printed or perhaps didn't ship to California or something.
The missing issues, in case anyone cares to peruse a vintage magazine shop:
#24 1991 January John Madden Football cover
#26 1991 March Veigues cover
#43 1992 August Wings 2: Aces High cover
Last edited: