Retro Gamer - Issue 141

[Darran@Retro Gamer]

Except no one's saying that. I'm simply highlighting the fact that it's not been mentioned for an age.

[Gryzor]

Ohhh right. And because no one has said it in a while it gives you the right to be ironic. Gotcha.

[Darran@Retro Gamer]

You can think what you like, but that's the truth.
You're clearly in a tizz about your Amstrad screenshots, so I'm heading off into the sunset and leaving you the thread.

[Darran@Retro Gamer]

There is a separate thread for the "Amstrad Screenshots" issue. Please use that one going forward.

[NorthWay]

Done and dusted with this issue now. Already gave my praise overall.

Disasters: This was a great idea, but I'm not sure you hit the nail on all the entries. I see no disaster in the Jaguar, it simply was outdone by the competitors (if you forgive it its hw bugs and design shortcomings). Same for the A1200; it did everything it said on the tin and was loved by its owners, though it should have launched in 88/89 or have been AAA and was simply drowned by Moore's law.
Missing suspects are the STE, Falcon030(if the A1200 was a disaster, what was this?), ADAM, ZX Microdrives. (Did you include the Enterprise? I don't have the magazine here and don't trust my memory.)

For completion you could add one of the bigger non-game stuff-ups of all time: The Osborne effect - it is interesting because it seems like all the big console companies have been scared stiff of not repeating it while at the same time building up hype to sell their next generation or just stop the competitors from selling theirs. A very thin line to walk along...

[psj3809]

I see no disaster in the Jaguar, it simply was outdone by the competitors

Seriously ? So when you look at the consoles of the last 30 years the Jag isnt considered a disaster ? Didnt sell well, flopped, came out at a bad time and didnt sell well.

I know on paper its a decent machine, powerful and it 'should' have done far better but it was hammered by the other machines out at the time. Same for the Lynx, the Gameboy sold tons more than the Gamegear/Lynx put together. This isnt a knock on Atari, i LOVE the Atari 2600 and ST, but the Jag was a flop. Doesnt matter about technical spec etc, end of the day it flopped badly/ Similar to a Sinclair fan making out the QL was a great business machine or the C5 was amazing and ahead of its time.

[Antiriad2097]

it was hammered by the other machines out at the time.

The Mega Drive and SNES?

Right machine at the wrong time imo. When it was out in the UK I did consider buying one as I was something of an Atari fan having bought a couple of STs, but then the development news from Sony started creeping out. It was a couple of years before we got the Playstation, so for its time, the Jag was a great bit of kit. It wasn't well handled though, with a library that wasn't significantly better than the MD and SNES. If we'd seen a few more AvPs for it, it might have taken off, but there just wasn't enough to invest in there. Hard to argue it wasn't a failure on those grounds, but not on one of capability. If it had more and better devs on the case, or had launched just a bit earlier, it might have fared better and lasted longer.

The C5 was amazing and ahead of its time. It still looks good, the style was ahead of the curve, just a shame it wasn't launched in a country with a better climate. The C5 and British weather doomed it.

[Gryzor]

it was hammered by the other machines out at the time.

just a shame it wasn't launched in a country with a better climate. The C5 and British weather doomed it.

...or with no other cars on the road, otherwise the other drivers would doom *you*

[NorthWay]

Seriously ?

Yes. With no Playstation and no Saturn it had a bright future ahead. But that changed quickly when they arrived. C'est la vie.
I actually think it was more of a disaster having been released with hw bugs, and it should probably have dropped the 68000 if it was confident enough in its own design - that kinda didn't help build its image.

So not so much bad timing, but unfortunate timing?

[sscott]

Enjoyed the issue but what like to see a freshening up of the layout and content

[flatapex]

the jaguar was a failure in terms of business terms, it didnt turn a profit.

It came out too early, the main audience were not ready to get rid of their mega drive/snes, a release maybe a year later with better specs than the ps1 could have seen interesting things happen.

[Darran@Retro Gamer]

Enjoyed the issue but what like to see a freshening up of the layout and content

In what sense Sscott?

[Elgin_McQueen]

Master System Control Stick? A disaster? To be fair I didn't use it much but it made Pacmania 1000000000% easier to control!!

[sscott]

Enjoyed the issue but what like to see a freshening up of the layout and content

In what sense Sscott?

Hi Darran,
Just to maybe change the way the mag looks from issue to issue, I like from the archives but like less the very short large pixelated game reviews with short write ups, a focus on in depth articles that look at the experience of a game on how it plays rather than a list of characters, influences etc... Issue 50 (with Dreamcast cover) was brilliant and gave a great sense of community to the readers IMO, will be forever grateful for issue 78 on my Rewind event, the mag is at its best when it gives the reader stuff that isn't available anywhere else (which why I think it persists), how about another issue that focuses on the production of the mag and the challenges you face from month to month? This helps us identify more with the public as you as gamers plus the.misconception that this like the daily mirror rather than a handful of passionate gamers. I dunno!

[Darran@Retro Gamer]

Would people really want to know how we put the magazine together?