Retro Gamer
Encyclopedia
Retro Gamer is a British
magazine, published worldwide, covering retro video games
. It was the first commercial magazine to be devoted entirely to the subject. Although launched (in January 2004) as a quarterly publication, Retro Gamers soon became a monthly. In 2005, a general decline in gaming and computer magazine readership led to the closure of its publishers, Live Publishing, although the rights to the magazine were later purchased by Imagine Publishing
.
s and free commercial PC software such as The Games Factory and The Elder Scrolls: Arena
. Some issues had themed CDs containing the entire back catalogue of a publisher such as Durell
or Llamasoft.
On 27 September 2005, the magazine's original publishing company, Live Publishing, went into bankruptcy. The magazine's official online forums
described the magazine as "finished" shortly before issue #19 was due for release. However, rights to Retro Gamer were purchased by Imagine Publishing in October 2005 and the magazine was re-launched on 8 December 2005. The magazine is now £1 cheaper, but lacks a cover disc. The website was relaunched with a new forum, which can be found at www.retrogamer.net/forum.
collaborating with the popular gaming magazine Retro Gamer and taking on the role of "Guest Editor". Taking charge of the magazine's editorial and splashing his own unique style to a number of his favourite articles and subjects throughout the magazine it's a world first for both John and the videogame industry in general. The issue is already proving to be extremely popular among Romero's fanbase.
, Matthew Smith
and Archer MacLean
. Regular columns included Next Level Gaming, Desert Island Disks (what games would a gaming celebrity take to a desert island) and Games That Weren't (a look at unpublished and unreleased titles for computers and consoles).
An anthology issue, collecting together articles from the first six issues with new content (including a comprehensive look at the game Elite), was published in December 2004. Two further anthologies of material have since been released, along with two eMags.
In June 2004, a tribute to Zzap!64
was included, "The DEF Tribute to Zzap!64", celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Commodore 64
focused magazine.
One of the lesser-known features of Retro Gamers CD-ROM
was the Easter egg, introduced in issue 5. This file was hidden on each disc inside the "adverts" directory, and included a Super Mario Bros.
speedrun
video and the infamous "Leeroy Jenkins
" clip from World of Warcraft
.
Issue 48 (February 2008) contained a rare exclusive interview with Manic Miner creator Matthew Smith, written by free-lancer Paul Drury after a visit to Smith's family home in Liverpool.
One of the magazine's most popular recurring features are its 'Making Of's' in which well-known developers are interviewed about the creation and design process behind their games. Classic titles covered in past issues have included Breakout (Steve Wozniak
), Dungeon Master
(Doug Bell
), Smash TV (Eugene Jarvis
), Starfox (Jez San
), Rescue on Fractalus! (David Fox/Charlie Kellner), Prince of Persia (Jordan Mechner
), Berzerk (Alan McNeil), The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Steve Meretzky
), Crystal Castles (Franz X. Lanzinger), Tetris (Alexey Pajitnov), Sheep in Space (Jeff Minter
) "Out Run" (Yu Suzuki
)
The magazine is currently run by editor Darran Jones, who has been overseeing the magazine's return since issue 19, and staff writer and one-time freelancer Stuart Hunt.
.
Recently, Retro Gamer binders have also attracted high bids as they are no longer available from the publisher. Other merchandise included T-shirts with slogans such as "Waggle my joystick."
Fortunately for fans, most of the articles for the missing issue were complete, and the freelance writers quickly got together to publish the otherwise lost work on the Retro Survival CD magazine.
and Edge
to win the award for Best Magazine at the 2010 Games Media Awards.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
magazine, published worldwide, covering retro video games
Retrogaming
Retrogaming, also known as old-school gaming, is the hobby of playing and collecting older computer, video, and arcade games. These games are played either on the original hardware, on modern hardware via emulation, or on modern hardware via ports or compilations...
. It was the first commercial magazine to be devoted entirely to the subject. Although launched (in January 2004) as a quarterly publication, Retro Gamers soon became a monthly. In 2005, a general decline in gaming and computer magazine readership led to the closure of its publishers, Live Publishing, although the rights to the magazine were later purchased by Imagine Publishing
Imagine Publishing
Imagine Publishing is a UK-based magazine publisher, which publishes a number of video games, computing, creative and lifestyle magazines. It was founded on 14 May 2005, and launched with a core set of six gaming and creative computing titles. In November 2005 it acquired the only retro games...
.
History
The first 18 issues of the magazine came with a coverdisk. It usually contained freeware remakes of retro video games and emulators, but also videoVideo
Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion.- History :...
s and free commercial PC software such as The Games Factory and The Elder Scrolls: Arena
The Elder Scrolls: Arena
The Elder Scrolls: Arena is the first game in the Elder Scrolls series. It is a first-person computer role-playing game for MS-DOS, developed by Bethesda Softworks and released in 1994...
. Some issues had themed CDs containing the entire back catalogue of a publisher such as Durell
Durell Software
Durell Software is a UK software developer based in Taunton, Somerset in the United Kingdom. The company is a provider of back office administration and accounting software to Independent Financial Advisers, Mortgage and General Insurance Brokers. Durell was formerly a leading video games...
or Llamasoft.
On 27 September 2005, the magazine's original publishing company, Live Publishing, went into bankruptcy. The magazine's official online forums
Internet forum
An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are at least temporarily archived...
described the magazine as "finished" shortly before issue #19 was due for release. However, rights to Retro Gamer were purchased by Imagine Publishing in October 2005 and the magazine was re-launched on 8 December 2005. The magazine is now £1 cheaper, but lacks a cover disc. The website was relaunched with a new forum, which can be found at www.retrogamer.net/forum.
iPhone app
Retro Gamer is now available as an iPhone app and can be downloaded from both iTunes and an iPhone. The first issue is purchasable for £1.19 with back issues and future issues costing £2.99.YouTube channel
Editor Darran Jones has his own YouTube channel where he regularly posts new videos. In addition to a monthly look at the magazine, he also covers Dreamcast, Amstrad, Lynx, and other popular systems. He also has several recurring videos including Same Name, Different Game, Clash of the Titans and It's the Same Bloody Game.John Romero collaboration
March 2010 (issue 75) saw John RomeroJohn Romero
Alfonso John Romero is a game designer, programmer, and developer in the video game industry. He is best known as a co-founder of id Software and was a designer for many of their games, including Wolfenstein 3D, Dangerous Dave, Doom and Quake...
collaborating with the popular gaming magazine Retro Gamer and taking on the role of "Guest Editor". Taking charge of the magazine's editorial and splashing his own unique style to a number of his favourite articles and subjects throughout the magazine it's a world first for both John and the videogame industry in general. The issue is already proving to be extremely popular among Romero's fanbase.
Highlights
Highlights of the magazine included interviews with leading 1980s programmers including David CraneDavid Crane (programmer)
David Crane is a video game designer and programmer.Crane started his programming career at Atari, making games for the Atari 2600. After meeting co-worker Alan Miller in a tennis game, Miller told Crane about a plan he had to leave Atari and found a company that would give game designers more...
, Matthew Smith
Matthew Smith (games programmer)
Matthew Smith is a British computer game programmer. He is best known for his games Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy for the ZX Spectrum, released in 1983 and 1984 respectively...
and Archer MacLean
Archer MacLean
Archer MacLean is a British video game programmer.- Beginnings :He is the author of such titles as Dropzone and International Karate, which he developed for the Atari 400/800 but were ported to other systems. Archer also created the sequel to International Karate, IK+ which was developed for the...
. Regular columns included Next Level Gaming, Desert Island Disks (what games would a gaming celebrity take to a desert island) and Games That Weren't (a look at unpublished and unreleased titles for computers and consoles).
An anthology issue, collecting together articles from the first six issues with new content (including a comprehensive look at the game Elite), was published in December 2004. Two further anthologies of material have since been released, along with two eMags.
In June 2004, a tribute to Zzap!64
Zzap!64
Zzap!64 was a computer games magazine covering games on the Commodore International series of computers, especially the Commodore 64 . It was published in the UK by Newsfield Publications Ltd and later by Europress Impact....
was included, "The DEF Tribute to Zzap!64", celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
focused magazine.
One of the lesser-known features of Retro Gamers CD-ROM
CD-ROM
A CD-ROM is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback. The 1985 “Yellow Book” standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of binary data....
was the Easter egg, introduced in issue 5. This file was hidden on each disc inside the "adverts" directory, and included a Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros.
is a 1985 platform video game developed by Nintendo, published for the Nintendo Entertainment System as a sequel to the 1983 game Mario Bros. In Super Mario Bros., the player controls Mario as he travels through the Mushroom Kingdom in order to rescue Princess Toadstool from the antagonist...
speedrun
Speedrun
A speedrun is a play-through, or recording thereof, of a whole video game or a selected part of it performed with the intent of completing it as fast as possible, optionally under certain prerequisites, mainly for the purposes of entertainment and competition...
video and the infamous "Leeroy Jenkins
Leeroy Jenkins
Leeroy Jenkins, sometimes misspelled Leroy Jenkins and often elongated with numerous additional letters, is an Internet phenomenon named for a player character created by Ben Schulz in Blizzard Entertainment's MMORPG, World of Warcraft. The character became popular due to a video of the game that...
" clip from World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994...
.
Issue 48 (February 2008) contained a rare exclusive interview with Manic Miner creator Matthew Smith, written by free-lancer Paul Drury after a visit to Smith's family home in Liverpool.
One of the magazine's most popular recurring features are its 'Making Of's' in which well-known developers are interviewed about the creation and design process behind their games. Classic titles covered in past issues have included Breakout (Steve Wozniak
Steve Wozniak
Stephen Gary "Woz" Wozniak is an American computer engineer and programmer who founded Apple Computer, Co. with Steve Jobs and Ronald Wayne...
), Dungeon Master
Dungeon Master
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, the Dungeon Master is the game organizer and participant in charge of creating the details and challenges of a given adventure, while maintaining a realistic continuity of events...
(Doug Bell
Doug Bell
Douglas Andrew Bell is a computer game developer active in the industry from the mid-1980s to mid-1990s.He is best known for his role as the lead designer and programmer for the classic Dungeon Master series of computer games from San Diego studio FTL Games...
), Smash TV (Eugene Jarvis
Eugene Jarvis
Eugene Peyton Jarvis is a game designer and programmer, known for producing pinball machines for Atari and video games for Williams Electronics. Most notable amongst his works are the seminal arcade video games Defender and Robotron: 2084 in the early 1980s, and the Cruis'n series of driving games...
), Starfox (Jez San
Jez San
Jeremy 'Jez' San OBE is an English game programmer and entrepreneur who founded Argonaut Software as a teenager in the 1980s. He is also a writer and helped design the Super FX chip for the Super NES.-Biography:...
), Rescue on Fractalus! (David Fox/Charlie Kellner), Prince of Persia (Jordan Mechner
Jordan Mechner
Jordan Mechner is an American video game designer, screenwriter, author, and filmmaker, best known for creating the Prince of Persia video game franchise.- Life and career :Mechner was born in New York City...
), Berzerk (Alan McNeil), The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Steve Meretzky
Steve Meretzky
Steven Eric Meretzky is an American computer game developer, with dozens of titles to his credit. He has been involved in almost every aspect of game development, from design to production to quality assurance and box design...
), Crystal Castles (Franz X. Lanzinger), Tetris (Alexey Pajitnov), Sheep in Space (Jeff Minter
Jeff Minter
Jeff 'Yak' Minter is a British computer/video game designer and programmer. He is the founder of software house Llamasoft and his recent works include Neon , a non-game music visualization program that has been built into the Xbox 360 console, and the video games Space Giraffe , and Space Invaders...
) "Out Run" (Yu Suzuki
Yu Suzuki
is a Japanese game designer and producer who has spent his entire career with Sega Enterprises. Often referred to as Sega's answer to Shigeru Miyamoto, he has been responsible for the creation of many of Sega's most important arcade games such as Hang-On, Out Run, After Burner II, Virtua Fighter,...
)
The magazine is currently run by editor Darran Jones, who has been overseeing the magazine's return since issue 19, and staff writer and one-time freelancer Stuart Hunt.
Collectable
Despite being a relatively recent title, copies of the early issues (especially issue 1) have become collector's items in their own right, and often change hands for prices that are many times their original cover-price on auction sites such as eBayEBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
.
Recently, Retro Gamer binders have also attracted high bids as they are no longer available from the publisher. Other merchandise included T-shirts with slogans such as "Waggle my joystick."
Fortunately for fans, most of the articles for the missing issue were complete, and the freelance writers quickly got together to publish the otherwise lost work on the Retro Survival CD magazine.
Retro Survival
Retro Survival is a commercial CD retro games magazine put together by the freelance writers of Retro Gamer when Live Publishing collapsed. The CD was published in November 2005 and contains articles that would have appeared in Issue 19 of Retro Gamer, as well as several extras including a foreword by celebrity games journalist Mr Biffo.Forum
The magazine has an internet forum in which the editor and writers regularly interact with the readership. Certain questions are posed on a monthly basis with select answers from forum members appearing in the magazine.Games Media Awards 2010
Retro Gamer overcame regular winners a gamesTMGamesTM
GamesTM is a UK-based, multi-format video games magazine, covering many video game platforms including PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, GameCube, Xbox, PlayStation 2, PC games, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS and Arcade machines...
and Edge
Edge (magazine)
Edge is a multi-format computer and video game magazine published by Future Publishing in the United Kingdom. It is known for its industry contacts, editorial stance, distinctive anonymous third-person writing style, yearly awards and longevity....
to win the award for Best Magazine at the 2010 Games Media Awards.
Contributors
The majority of Retro Gamers content is supplied by a core team of regular freelancers. These include:- Stuart Campbell
- Richard Burton
- Martyn Carroll
- David Crookes
- Damien McFerran
- Andrew Fisher
- Sean Smith
- Mike Tooley
- Kim Wild
- Craig Ritchie
- Mike Bevan
- Paul Drury
- Craig Grannell
- Jason Kelk
- Mat Allen
- Matthew Reynolds