Issue 102 Feedback Thread

[kiwimike]

Did anyone refer to the 8 bits as such (other than during technical specs) before the 16 bit systems came along? I've always thought of it as a generational descriptor retrospectively applied. I knew my Spectrum and C64 had 8 bit processors, but I never really thought much about calling them 8 bit systems, they were just 'computers'.

Same. It wasn't until the 16bit gen that 'Bits' became such a big deal isn't it? After that, people were aware, but most didn't think of that early '80s era as the eight bits until after the event. And the art exhibition Lol!

[Space Holiday]

I loved the in-depth article on Virtual Boy and how you discussed each game individually!

[necronom]

Some good articles (Cybernoid, Spectrum's 30th, Salamander, and the usuals), but I've just got to the Lemmings 2 page.

I don't have a problem with you liking it more than the original (which many would argue is the best), but what I do have a massive problem with is that it says "PC" next to the format

It's like when you read something or watch a film/documentary about computers in the '80/'90s and they fail to acknowledge the existence of the Amiga and re-write history to only include Apple and Microsoft.

Lemmings is one of the Amiga's best loved and most famous series' and calling it a PC game is insulting. Sorry, but I'm very disappointed.

If you did a making of about Manic Miner and only mentioned the C64 version, I'd expect Spectrum people to be just as annoyed, or having Driver as a PC game, or Wipeout as a 2 page spread and saying PC. It works the other way round, too, doing a spread on Half-Life and calling it a Playstation game would be just as annoying to PC fans, I expect. Or maybe I'm too passionate about the Amiga...

I don't usually complain about RG articles, so I hope you'll let me have this one, even though you probably think I'm being ridiculous. The last time I had a big problem was when you had a brown background on the 2 page Paradroid picture instead of it being pink, and that was in 2006.

[Antiriad2097]

Amiga...Lemmings...Amiga...Amiga.

S'funny, I'd swear it was an Atari ST I played them on

[markopoloman]

Amiga...Lemmings...Amiga...Amiga.

S'funny, I'd swear it was an Atari ST I played them on

Yeah yeah, stop the sob sob story - we know you had an ST and how upsetting it must have been

The article should have said Amiga, ST and PC

[theantmeister]

Amiga...Lemmings...Amiga...Amiga.

S'funny, I'd swear it was an Atari ST I played them on

Yeah yeah, stop the sob sob story - we know you had an ST and how upsetting it must have been

The article should have said Amiga, ST and PC

And Macintosh

[merman]

RetroRevival pages mention the format the screenshot is from, and usually the format the writer PLAYED it on. So Darran chose the PC version in this case. It does not mean it isn't available on other formats.

[necronom]

I'm well aware of that, it's just a shame that he didn't play it on the platform that created it and that it was a huge hit on. Lemmings was a big deal for the Amiga. I'm just imagining young people seeing that and thinking "I'll have to have a go of that PC game, Lemmings 2", instead of "I'll have to try the PC version of that Amiga game, Lemmings 2". There is a subtle, but important difference.

I'd rather these articles said

Original Platform: x
Also on: y, z

On that one, in the details part it just says:
PC

In the main text it mentions it's also available on other systems, but doesn't mention them or say which was the original. I didn't know it was available on the Mac, so that's interesting to know.

There are probably games I've played a lot on a system I had, and think it originated on that one, so it would be useful to have that confirmed, or find out that it was actually from another system.

[theantmeister]

In the main text it mentions it's also available on other systems, but doesn't mention them or say which was the original. I didn't know it was available on the Mac, so that's interesting to know.

Well, the first Lemmings was. Not sure about 2.

I think the Mac version of Lemmings is probably the best really. The DOS version was ghastly.

[necronom]

In the main text it mentions it's also available on other systems, but doesn't mention them or say which was the original. I didn't know it was available on the Mac, so that's interesting to know.

Well, the first Lemmings was. Not sure about 2.

I think the Mac version of Lemmings is probably the best really. The DOS version was ghastly.

HOL Database:

"Amiga original game yes"

Wiki (yes, I know):

"Known ports of the Amiga game include..."

I think it's fairly certain that it was out first on the Amiga, and even if the PC game was released at the same time, it's still an Amiga game.

[Rory Milne]

I think it's fairly certain that it was out first on the Amiga, and even if the PC game was released at the same time, it's still an Amiga game.

The one defining feature of a Retrorevival is that each one should be based on the writer's memories of a particular game they played on a particular system at some point in the past. So, for example, if someone has played the conversion of Atari's Tempest for the ZX Spectrum, and thinks that it's worth writing a Retrorevival about, then that Retrorevival would mention the Spectrum version of Tempest and none other.

Is the original coin-op Tempest better? Are there better translations of the game on other platforms? Both fair questions, but in terms of a Retrorevival feature, those questions become irrelevant.

Why? Because Retrorevivals are all about an individuals recollections of a game they played on a specific platform. Perhaps not the original platform that game saw release on, but certainly the platform they personally experienced that game on.

I should point out that I do see exactly where you're coming from - of course Lemmings was originally an Amiga game / series, but it's an important point to make that if you're interested in reading passionately written articles in the mag, then, to some degree, you do have to let writers write about what they're passionate about.

[Rory Milne]

I finished reading issue 102 a while ago, but I’m only just finding time now to post feedback. As always, there was a lot of great stuff to read this month, but these would be my highlights.

30 Years of the ZX Spectrum – I enjoyed the fresh angle taken for this, and felt at 7 pages it was a nice digestible length.

Cheap as Chips, Super Ghosts ‘n Ghouls – This proved to be a great choice for the format; a great looking game with plenty of interesting gameplay and features to discuss.

Making of Cybernoid – Top marks for the design on this piece – it looked fantastic, and was a great read too. Also, the Cecco Highlights boxout was a nice touch.

Virtual Boy: More than meets the eye – I love group tests, so I really enjoyed reading the write ups of all the games made for the system that first took the big N into the third dimension.

Retrorevival, Twin Kingdom Valley, Lemmings 2 and Out to Lunch – A trio of interesting choices this month, all of which looked great blown up and contained some very interesting copy.

Making of X-Wing Saga – Another great looking feature this, and an entertaining, thorough look behind the scenes of the classic PC series.

Classic Game, Kid Icarus – It’s always great to read a well thought out argument for why a cult favourite deserves a wider audience, I know I’ll be tracking down a copy and giving it a go.

Complete history of Wipeout – I loved the original Wipeout so I had been looking forward to this, as it turned out I enjoyed reading about the sequels just as much.

From the Archives, Salamander Software – I found the Salamander story a really interesting one, and I thought featuring them in a From the Archives was a great decision.

Making of Super Mario RPG – This was a fascinating read, with the deconstruction of the creative process being especially interesting.

Minority Report – I thought the games chosen this month made for a really nicely balanced spread, visually, as well as in terms of platforms and genres.

In short, another fine issue.

[deadpan666]

Finally got round to actually buying this month's issue....just a quick word to say well done all round guys! Another issue where there wasn't anything I didn't really like...

[dwitefry]

A late feedback but it's pretty uninteresting so I doubt it matters too much

102 was fine. I don't really know a lot about the X-Wing games, I've never played 'em and was ignorant of pretty much everything about them so that was nice, always nice to learn something new. Two big titles for the Making Of sections - Super Mario RPG and Cybernoid, both good, informative reads and an overview of Wipeout, a fine series (i actually like 3 best, does that make me a goat sacrificer or something?). So as my opinion is worth that of 10 men obviously i deem this issue 'completely fine'.

And I'm looking forward to the 2600 piece this upcoming issue, and love that cover - that's a point, 102's cover was striking as anything, it's amazing what you can do with official art (which is a sad thing about this magazine, no original cover art, hell I'd draw 'em for free , but it IS practical, money saving, the 'look' of the book now and I can't remember the last cover i felt was lackluster - maybe the Wolfenstein one?)

MeX

[DreamcastRIP]

... Wipeout, a fine series (i actually like 3 best, does that make me a goat sacrificer or something?)

Nope, that makes you correct! Wip3out is my favourite game from the series too.