What Speccy mag would you like see return?

Swainy · Post by **Swainy** » Sat Dec 28, 2019 9:39 am

In an ideal world... What Spectrum magazine would you like to see return to newsagents to cover the ZX Spectrum Next?

toot_toot · Post by **toot_toot** » Sat Dec 28, 2019 10:12 am

You’ve missed a space for the cover tape, or would be cover SD card?!!

I went through a few favourites over the years. I liked Sinclair User when I first got a Spectrum in 1984, but then moved onto Your Sinclair after the infamous Viz/Werewolves of London issue - mainly because the writing appealed to my pubescent mind - then at the end in 89/90 I loved Crash but mainly for the Crash Presents cover tapes which gave me the fantastic opportunity to play some lost, but classic games. I still bought Your Sinclair, mind you, because of the writing. By this point I had an after school job, meaning I had a lot more money, so I would even buy Sinclair User if they had a great cover tape - the Magic Knight and Vortex compilations spring to mind - but those were sporadically chosen depending on the cover tapes.

By the time I had got an Amiga, I moved on to Zero and then Amiga Power, so the Your Sinclair spirit was still alive!

PeteProdge · Post by **PeteProdge** » Sat Dec 28, 2019 11:10 am

Without question, it has to be Your Sinclair. Astonishingly good throughout its lifetime, and the other two just became inferior clones.

I'd buy Sinclair User or Crash occasionally, but it was usually for something on their covertape, whereas I never missed YS. It's actually shocking how bad SU got by the end, so half-hearted and dismal.

Juan F. Ramirez · Post by **Juan F. Ramirez** » Sat Dec 28, 2019 3:15 pm

In my case, my fave mag back in the day was Micromania, a brother mag of Microhobby. Plenty of maps, pokes and reviews. Microhobby was not only about games, but also programming, hardware, etc. Micromania was just a mag for gamers of different 8-bit computers.

Curiously, Micromania still exists (they claim to be Europe's oldest videogames magazine!) but focused on PC games (they made the transition at the early 90s). They have a small 'retromania' section but not very interesting (IMO).

I still remember issue 2 that included two superb maps of Sabre Wulf & Underwurlde... memories!

8BitAG · Post by **8BitAG** » Sat Dec 28, 2019 3:42 pm

Adventure Probe, From Beyond, and Red Herring.

g0blinish · Post by **g0blinish** » Sat Dec 28, 2019 3:48 pm

diskmag "Spectrofon"

uglifruit · Post by **uglifruit** » Sat Dec 28, 2019 4:10 pm

"Input" (Marshall Cavendish's 'how to program your home computer" part works)
But now it'd be just focused on the Speccy, and have ridiculously in-depth features such as 'How I made R-type', ' A 3d chess engine in less than 512bytes, how it works' and 'colour clash be damned, Nirvana explained'. there would also be issue by issue tutorials columns on programming using z88dk, scripting and plugin use for ADG and z80 tips and techniques.

Crikey, I want that magazine.

llewelyn · Post by **llewelyn** » Sat Dec 28, 2019 5:06 pm

Cor, deja vu or what?

CRASH! Just for Oliver Frey's covers. Pretty useless otherwise, I mean the reviews were decent too but since I wasn't into games, they were just something to read.

Your Sinclair and another one I forget the exact name, had much more useful info for people trying to program but they were more like homework whereas Crash was pure entertainment.

I got my Spectrum as part of my college course and committed myself to a pretty impossible project to show how much I'd learned Basic - which was a requirement. I decided to make a video titling proram and a program to remote control a space craft to be filmed and the film titled all done on the Speccy. I had no idea what I'd let myself in for but soon found out, desperately bought magazines and books, swiped other peoples routines to patch together with mine, got it done at almost the last moment for submitting finals for review.

Thats why reading magazines was like homework/study. Crash! was just for enjoyment.

DouglasReynholm · Post by **DouglasReynholm** » Sat Dec 28, 2019 6:06 pm

uglifruit wrote: ↑Sat Dec 28, 2019 4:10 pm "Input" (Marshall Cavendish's 'how to program your home computer" part works)
But now it'd be just focused on the Speccy, and have ridiculously in-depth features such as 'How I made R-type', ' A 3d chess engine in less than 512bytes, how it works' and 'colour clash be damned, Nirvana explained'. there would also be issue by issue tutorials columns on programming using z88dk, scripting and plugin use for ADG and z80 tips and techniques.

Crikey, I want that magazine.

I too would read the hell out of that. There's a modern version of Input called 'Wireframe', which is all about modern games dev, including type-ins. Sadly no Speccy related content though.

Joefish · Post by **Joefish** » Mon Dec 30, 2019 3:34 am

YS definitely, and ZERO. Crash has been re-done with a few annuals recently anyway.

zedex82 · Post by **zedex82** » Mon Dec 30, 2019 9:41 am

I would be interested in the content. A mixture of old and new. Perhaps some tutorials on things like programming and pixel art.

What content would others like to see.

ZeD

stupidget · Post by **stupidget** » Mon Dec 30, 2019 9:59 am

It’d have to be Crash for me. I had it from issue 1 up until ‘89. I remember the later issues being a mere shadow of its former self and more of a pamphlet than a fully fledged magazine

I bought SU and YS a few times but never thought they were anywhere near as good as Crash.

And this Oli pics!!!! Just amazing.

Dark · Post by **Dark** » Mon Dec 30, 2019 10:24 am

Crash just edges it over Your Sinclair for me, I had a subscription to it, while I used to just pick up copies of YS when I saw them in the Newsagent and something in the issue appealed. I had a few copies of Sinclair User, but it wasn’t anywhere as near as good.

I did get the recent Crash annuals, and enjoyed reading them, though mainly the articles looking back. The reviews of current games didn’t really connect with me at all.

PeterJ · Post by **PeterJ** » Mon Dec 30, 2019 12:34 pm

I would love to have Microhobby in English.

Don't forget the Spectrum Show magazine from [mention]PaulJ[/mention]. Issue 27 has just been released.

Juan F. Ramirez · Post by **Juan F. Ramirez** » Mon Dec 30, 2019 3:16 pm

PeterJ wrote: ↑Mon Dec 30, 2019 12:34 pm I would love to have Microhobby in English.

Never is too late for learning a foreign language!

PeterJ · Post by **PeterJ** » Mon Dec 30, 2019 5:29 pm

Juan F. Ramirez wrote: ↑Mon Dec 30, 2019 3:16 pm
PeterJ wrote: ↑Mon Dec 30, 2019 12:34 pm I would love to have Microhobby in English.

Never is too late for learning a foreign language!

Indeed. I can read bits and bobs, and Google helps where I struggle!

Andre Leao · Post by **Andre Leao** » Mon Dec 30, 2019 11:37 pm

Your sinclair

Alessandro · Post by **Alessandro** » Tue Dec 31, 2019 3:53 pm

I'd go with Sinclair User for nostalgia value but I'd like to see them all again. And Micro Mania as well of course, very interesting reading although at times they seemed to be too generous with their reviews.

No Italian mags as they were full of C64 stuff (ugh)

Spectrum Computing

What Speccy mag would you like see return?

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