Retro Gamer - anyone keeping track

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Gunness
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Retro Gamer - anyone keeping track

#1 Post by Gunness » Tue May 08, 2012 2:00 pm

In another thread it was mentioned that Leather Goddesses was featured in issue 82 of RG. And recently I noticed that the Austin brothers (Level 9 chaps) were interviewed in another issue.

I don't keep up with RG, as I don't care much for the plethora of console stuff and find that I only want to read a small part of each issue. I guess that, for me, they simply try to cover too wide a spectrum (sic!) of hardware.

Is anyone in here a regular reader? Am I missing out?

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Re: Retro Gamer - anyone keeping track

#2 Post by Gunness » Mon Aug 04, 2014 12:48 pm

*bump*

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Re: Retro Gamer - anyone keeping track

#3 Post by pippa » Mon Aug 04, 2014 5:48 pm

I've never even heard of RG, never mind keeping up with it!

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Re: Retro Gamer - anyone keeping track

#4 Post by Gunness » Mon Aug 04, 2014 7:41 pm

Ok, do check it out, they have some very interesting articles and the mag's been published for years.

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Re: Retro Gamer - anyone keeping track

#5 Post by Mr Creosote » Tue Aug 05, 2014 7:14 am

There has now been a German Retro Gamer for some time. They adapt most of their contents from the English edition and add some original contents. I bought a couple of issues, but I doubt I will continue to do so. I find it overly fluffy, everything seems to revolve around the same usual few subjects (yet another Activision retrospective in the latest issue!). In one way, I have to agree with Jacob, they try to cover too broad a ground... but at the same time, their view is quite limited to the most common subjects. My impression is they try to please everybody by including stuff from different worlds, but to achieve that, they barely scratch the surface of each. How many articles about Elite, Cinemaware or Manic Miner does the world still need?

I hate the "retro" badge anyway. In that magazine, I find my prejudice confirmed, i.e. that it's not about a serious attempt to capture the spirit of a time and a critical appreciation or about serious historical research, but just about pushing nostalgia buttons. Which works by reminding people of what they know already, and not by presenting them something they might not have known about previously. Confirmation, preaching to the choir - call it what you like.

I definitely recommend checking it out nevertheless. As I said, my impression comes from the local variant. And in any case, what may not be for me might still be for you.

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Re: Retro Gamer - anyone keeping track

#6 Post by Gunness » Tue Aug 05, 2014 8:57 am

The nostalgia angle is definitely overdone - and you're equally right that people who know Elite don't know a magazine article to tell them that it's a great game.
My core interest lies with the interviews. I'd love to read about the Austin Brothers, or the Mag Scrolls people, or even arcade programmers like Andrew Braybrook. All the people I've tried to get hold of for years (without any success).

The major deal breaker for me is availability - as a printed mag, the price is too high when shipping is included. And the e-version is only available for iPad. Sigh.

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