RIP Nintendo Power

I know I'm a little LTTP when it comes to this RIP, but the truth is I wasn't planning to write about this rather sad occasion (Nintendo Power's December 2012 issue will be its last), mainly because I haven't flipped through a copy of the magazine in ages.

Then I came across a photo I took a few years back of Nintendo Power's first issue (below and here), and it brought to mind all sorts of amazingly fond memories.

One of them: If memory serves, the issue above was sent to me and my brother shortly after we acquired our NES. Although we were quite content with the pack-in title (Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt), those first images of Super Mario Bros. 2 blew our young minds.

In fact, I'm pretty sure the timing of Super Mario Bros. 2's announcement and release is solely responsible for Mario's first sequel (in the US) becoming my favorite of all his two-dimensional adventures.

Nintendo Power's second issue (above and here) was only slightly less amazing than its first thanks to features that focused on Bionic Commando and Castlevania II: Simon's Quest. (Oh, and more Super Mario Bros. 2, of course.)

And then, in the magazine's fourth issue (below and here), we got both a (somewhat disturbing due to its use of mannequins) cover image devoted to and a review of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, another game that--at the time, at least--completely rocked my world.

(To see an early Nintendo Power cover that I'm much more fond of, check out this photo of the July/August 1989 issue. Claymation Mega Man FTW!)

Will any of you be sad to see Nintendo Power go the way of the Dodo? If so, what are some of your most cherished memories of this nearly 25-year-old publication?

I can't think of a better way to start the week ...

... than with a new issue of PC Engine Gamer magazine.

OK, so I can think of a few things that would kick off the week in a better way than this, but this is pretty good one all the same.

I say that in part because this issue of PC Engine Gamer contains write-ups of two of the cutest PC Engine games around: Be Ball and Star Parodier.

(Silly aside: I'm sure a few hardcore PC Engine fans will want to smack me for saying this, but I actually prefer Be Ball to Star Parodier by a pretty wide margin. I guess I just have a soft spot for chibi Chun-Li-esque protagonists who can't keep their hands off of giant balls.)

That isn't all the seventh issue of PC Engine Gamer has to offer, of course. It also features a fascinating interview with Hudson Soft's Tadayuki Kawada (who worked on the aforementioned Star Parodier) and a surprisingly lengthy Legendary Axe comic.

Anyway, I'd highly recommend checking it out here at your earliest convenience--whether or not you consider yourself to be a PC Engine fan. The articles in this little ezine are witty, well-written and, if you're anything like me, sure to put a smile on your face.

Hot off the presses: PC Engine Gamer #6

OK, so the latest issue of PC Engine Gamer magazine isn't exactly hot of the presses, as it hit the Internet about a month ago. Still, it's well worth checking out if you're any kind of fan of the sexy little console that took Japan by storm in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

The highlights of this particular issue, in my humble opinion: An article about loads of in-the-works homebrew titles and a ton of in-depth reviews (of Golden Axe, P-47, Spin Pair and Tatsujin).

Oh, and there are numerous references to Married ... With Children, which were much appreciated by yours truly.

Enjoy all of the above and more by checking out the sixth issue of PC Engine Gamer here.(Earlier issues of this digital publication can be found here, by the way.)

In related news: The folks at The PC Engine Software Bible--who are responsible for putting together each and every issue of PC Engine Gamer--recently created a rather fabulous 2012 calendar that can be downloaded (for free) at www.pcengine.co.uk/calendar.htm.

Calling all 'Speccy' fans

Full disclosure: I've never played a ZX Spectrum game. Hell, I've never even laid my eyes on a ZX Spectrum cart (it uses cartridges, right? or does it use disks?) or system.

I feel like I have, though, after flipping through the pages of the first issue of the ZX Spectrum Gamer ezine produced by Paul Weller.

Let me assure you that you don't have to be a longtime fan of the ZX Spectrum--or Speccy, as I believe some call it--to enjoy Weller's online magazine. Basically, if you like cheeky humor and if you're curious about retro-gaming oddities, you'll get a kick out of ZX Spectrum Gamer.

Along with the aforementioned humor (a good example: on the zine's first page, Weller promises that "the next issue will be available when I write it, or perhaps a little later than that if nobody reads this one"), the inaugural issue of ZX Spectrum Gamer includes reviews of Discs of Death, Killer Kong, Olli and Lissa and Trashman. It also includes a pair of features that contemplate various Speccy game covers and loading screens.

Weller is the man behind another fanzine I've mentioned in the past, by the way: PC Engine Gamer. Check out its first five issues here.

See also: 'Someone really needs to make Famicom Gamer and Mega Drive Gamer magazines, too'

Someone really needs to make Famicom Gamer and Mega Drive Gamer magazines, too

As much as I love PC Engine Gamer magazine, I really wish someone would follow in publisher Sunteam's footsteps and produce similar online magazines focused on the Famicom, Mega Drive and every other 8-bit and 16-bit system, too. While I wait for such 'zines to materialize, though, I'll continue flipping through the latest issue of the aforementioned PC Engine-focused publication (the cover of which can be seen below).

Those of you who are at all interested in NEC's little white wonder, as I like to call the PC Engine, should read it (here), too, as this issue includes a "final countdown" of the system's 10 best continue/game over screens, a quick peek at a trio of in-the-works homebrew titles and reviews of Atomic Robo-Kid Special and Ys Book I & II.

More steamy shots of the Super Studly Mario Bros.

Do you remember this post about the upcoming issue of MUTO Manifesto magazine that will feature on its cover two rather attractive men dressed in form-fitting Mario Bros. drag? Of course you do. (If you don't, re-acquaint yourself with it by clicking on the link embedded in the previous sentence.)

Well, that issue, the online magazine's second, is now available (here) for your reading and viewing pleasure. The photo above is just one of 16 included in the cover story, titled "Kiss & Tell," by the way. (Full disclosure: Most of the others probably wouldn't be considered safe for work.)

(Via videogamesmademegay.tumblr.com)

Super Studly Mario Bros.

I can't say I've ever found myself drooling over an image of Mario or of his "main bro," Luigi, but I'm certainly open to doing just that should the right illustration or even photo present itself.

At least, that's what I would have told you before I came across what I believe is the cover of a soon-to-be-released issue of MUTO Manifesto magazine.

As far as I can tell, the issue above has not yet hit (virtual) newsstands--which means I'll be visiting MUTO Manifesto's website at least once a day until it does.

(Via Gayme Bar's Facebook page)

I'm ready for my close-up, Monsieur De Mille

File this one under "who woulda thunk it?" folks:

My blog and I were mentioned in the April 2011 issue of France's "premiere magazine for gays and lesbians," Têtu!

Here's the blurb (sorry it's a bit blurry):

In case you don't understand French, here's the text of the article translated into English (courtesy of my Francophonic ex-boyfriend):

"Bryan Ochalla is an American gay journalist who says he is frustrated to not be able to write about video games. He has already created a blog and group on Facebook to share his passion. With a flashy pink background, the blog is mainly dedicated to gay-friendly video games, retro-gaming and sexy heroes. Bryan even offers a 'gaymathon' to rank his favorite games. A must for all gaymers."

Oh, and "le coin du gaymer" is French for "the corner of the gaymer."

If only I could read it while sitting on the toilet

On the hand, I love that the most recent issue--the fourth, for those of you who are counting--PC Engine Gamer is available, free of charge, to anyone who has access to the Internet. On the other hand, I don't love that this online magazine isn't "bathroom friendly," if you get my drift.

That's not to suggest I'll be passing on this issue because of the above-mentioned negative. After all, it includes lengthy reviews of Monster Lair and Rastan Saga II, a rather WTF-esque "fight to the death" between Golden Axe's Tyris Flare and Fantasy Zone's Opa Opa, and a "final countdown" column that features the 10 best smart bombs in all of shoot 'em up-dom.

Which is to say that this 26-page issue is well worth a few minutes of your time (read it here) if you're at all interested in the system I like to call NEC's little white wonder.

Calling all PC Engine fans

Issue three of PC Engine Gamer magazine is now on line. (Actually, it's been on line since Dec. 2, but that's neither here nor there.)

As you can probably tell by looking at its cover (below), this issue features an in-depth review of NEC Avenue's port of Sega's popular quarter-muncher, Out Run.

It also includes, among other articles, a review of Data East's Override (a vertical shoot 'em up I've never heard of before now), an interview with homebrewer Aetherbyte and a hilarious "Final Countdown" column that discusses the 10 best shopkeepers in all of PC Engine-dom.

Not a PC Engine fan? Check it out anyway (here) for the mini-reviews of Granada (Genesis), Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! (NES) and Super Adventure Island (SNES).

See also: Issues one and two of PC Engine Gamer

LTTP: PC Engine Gamer Issue 2

Before I go on, I have to point out that in this instance, “LTTP” means “Late to the Publication,” not “Late to the Party.”

With that out of the way, the publication I (foolishly and sadly) overlooked until today is the second issue of PC Engine Gamer magazine.



Much like this online publication’s first issue, the second issue is short but sweet. It’s also a bit silly, as evidenced by this “Fish and Tips” comment: “If you’re fed up playing [Mesopotamia], why not try this little trick to … play a secret shoot ‘em up. It might be crappy but it’s better than Deep Blue.” (Also worth a chuckle or two: the “Translation Fun” section of “Feedback.”)

There’s more to this magazine than batty bon mots, though; there’s also a countdown of the best shoot-’em-up bosses, an interview (with Feena of Ys Book I & II) and a pair of reviews (of Dragon Spirit and Ninja Spirit),

Anyway, I highly recommend checking it out (here) if you're a fan of the PC Engine or TurboGrafx-16.

See also: ‘It ain’t over ’til the fat Pithecanthropus Computerurus sings‘

'I think that developers are worried about getting it right more than anything else'

The quote above--attributed to Chris Shroyer, a designer at Florida-based developer n-Space--appears in "Playing It Straight," an Edge magazine article about LGBT characters in video games.

Here's the rest of the openly gay Shroyer's quote, by the way: “I don’t think there are many on the development side that are opposed to including LGBT-related content, but I think there is a fear of offending publishers and consumers."



Also quoted in the article: GayGamer.net's David Edison, Jeb Havens, an openly gay designer who works at California-based developer Slide, and a number of other gay and straight "industry insiders."

Although the three-page article--which is followed by a trio of intriguing case studies of Bioshock's Sander Cohen, Bioshock 2's Brute Splicer and Fable III's Reaver--doesn't really tread new waters, it's still well worth your time. Read it here.

Show me the money

A few weeks ago, someone contacted me via flickr and asked if I'd be willing to sell my copy of GamePro magazine's second issue (below).

I declined, although I'm not entirely sure why. After all, I rarely flip through that particular magazine, and I'm not saving it so I can sell it for more money at some later date.

It's a good thing I'm not holding out for bigger bucks, because according to this gamasutra.com article--penned by Kevin Gifford, author of one of my favorite gaming sites, magweasel.com--such a tactic is unlikely to be successful.

By the way, if you'd like to flip through issues of old gaming magazines without dropping a single dime on them, check out old-computer-mags.com and retromags.com.

Edge: 'Playing It Straight'

According to the fabulous folks over at gaygamer.net, this month's issue (#218, with Kinect on the cover) of Edge magazine features an in-depth article--titled "Playing It Straight"--about LGBT characters in video games.



I can't tell you anything else about the article, unfortunately, as I don't live in the UK and the article hasn't been posted to the magazine's website, but hopefully the latter will change sooner rather than later. When (if) that happens, I'll let you know.

(Via gaygamer.net)

It ain't over until the fat Pithecanthropus Computerurus sings

More than 20 years after it was introduced in Japan, the PC Engine is still going strong--in the minds of its many fans.

Case in point: The inaugural issue of PC Engine Gamer, an online magazine that hit the Interwebs yesterday.

The 18-page publication (check it out here), produced by the folks behind the PC Engine Software Bible site, features reviews of Bikkuriman World and The Kung Fu, a top 10 list, tips and tricks and more.

(Via gamesetwatch.com)

The wonderful world of Working Designs

So, I've spent the last few evenings flipping through my old TurboPlay magazines, and while doing so a number of Working Designs ads have caught my attention.

I thought I'd post three of them here, just in case some of you are TurboGrafx-16 (or Working Designs) fans, too.

This rather horrific ad was supposed to promote one of the system's rare RPG releases, Cosmic Fantasy 2:

The following ad, for Exile: Wicked Phenomenon, is a bit better, at least in my opinion.

There's little to complain about in this Parasol Stars ad--unless, of course, you hate parasols and rainbows and, er, anthropomorphic slot machines.

See also: 'PC Engine porn'

Mizubaku Daibouken = Bubble Bobble 4?

At least, that's what the editors of TurboPlay magazine suggested all the way back in 1992--just before Taito's Mizubaku Diabouken (aka Liquid Kids) hit the streets in Japan.

My initial reaction to that suggestion was something along the lines of "nuh uh!"--but after giving it some consideration my reaction has softened a bit.

After all, the series' other (actual) entries--Bubble Bobble, Rainbow Islands and Parasol Stars--don't share enemies, protagonists, settings or weapons, so why would part four--with its waterbomb-wielding platypus--be any different?

All that said, Mizubaku Daibouken isn't, as far as I can tell, officially called chapter four of the Bubble Bobble saga--although I suppose that may have been something the game's creators considered early on.

Fabio Friday

The folks over at 1up.com posted a feature about Electronic Gaming Monthly's best and worst covers earlier today. Unsurprisingly, the following Fabio-centric cover was deemed one of the magazine's lesser efforts.

Thankfully, EGM's third issue wasn't a complete wash. After all, it included articles about two intriguing-but-ill-fated systems: The Atari Lynx and the Konix Multisystem.

Read: "The Best/Worst EGM Magazine Covers"

Tetraptych of classic gaming magazines

Yesterday's post about the return of Diehard GameFan got me thinking about all the gaming magazines I bought (or, rather, my parents bought for me) as a kid.

Honestly, I think I (er, they) single-handedly kept a number of magazine publishers afloat back in the day thanks to my (their) unwavering support.

Although most of the magazines--including DieHard GameFan, Electronic Gaming Monthly, GamePro, Nintendo Power and Video Games and Computer Entertainment--I accumulated over the years are sitting in the basement of my parents' house as we speak, a few--such as the ones in the tetraptych below--can be found in the basement of the home I now share with my husband.

I actually flip through some of them now and then--not just so I can read (again) about the games that used to fill my days (and nights), but so I can marvel at the ads that promoted those games, too.

Do any of you still have a stash of gaming magazines ("classic" or otherwise) sitting in your closet or basement?

I used to be a Diehard GameFan

In fact, I was such a die-hard fan of Diehard GameFan magazine that I still have the premiere issue--and it's in pretty great condition considering it's 18 years old.

My rather pristine copy of the premiere issue
of Diehard GameFan magazine.

As such, I couldn't help but smile when I read that Dave Halverson, one of the founders of the original Diehard GameFan, is getting ready to re-launch the magazine in mid-March.

This time around, the magazine will be "large format" (whatever that means) and "dual cover," meaning it'll tackle both movies and games.

I haven't bought a gaming magazine in years, so I doubt I'll buy a copy of the new-and-hopefully-improved GameFan when it hits newsstands next month. Still, I'm glad I could pick it up if I chose to do so.

(Via gamesabyss.com)