Spectrum Computing

[mention]fusion_chris[/mention] are very kindly giving away a free PDF of the 2018 Crash Annual.

https://fusionretrobooks.com/collection ... h-2018-pdf

I was going to buy the 2022 annual, but found it's A5 like the magazine. When was the annual changed from A4?

It was optionally available in A4 format on the Kickstarter, but Chris mentioned the layout was specifically designed for A5 (and just scaled-up for the A4 print run) so the A5 version should look correct (and not shrunk down). That said, I've an A4 Crash awaiting me under the tree.

…and an A5 Zap!64 whaterver that is

flatduckrecords wrote: ↑Sun Dec 19, 2021 9:51 pm That said, I've an A4 Crash awaiting me under the tree.

Have you been sneaking a peek at your Christmas presents!

PeterJ wrote: ↑Sun Dec 19, 2021 9:54 pm Have you been sneaking a peek at your Christmas presents!

Ach, you've got to give 'em a shoogle and wee feel; guessing what's inside is all part of the fun!

PeterJ wrote: ↑Sun Dec 19, 2021 9:23 pm @fusion_chris are very kindly giving away a free PDF of the 2018 Crash Annual.

https://fusionretrobooks.com/collection ... h-2018-pdf

I was going to buy the 2022 annual, but found it's A5 like the magazine. When was the annual changed from A4?

I stand to be corrected but I'm pretty sure it was this year's annual that was the first to be both A5 and to feature essentially rehashed content. Those factors combined for me to make it a jump-the-shark product, so I didn't bother.

I'm spent ages looking for the 2020 annual

5MinuteRetro wrote: ↑Sun Dec 19, 2021 10:22 pm
I stand to be corrected but I'm pretty sure it was this year's annual that was the first to be both A5 and to feature essentially rehashed content. Those factors combined for me to make it a jump-the-shark product, so I didn't bother.

AFAIK that's correct, which is a shame. Both the new annuals feature reused artwork for the cover for the 1st time. The previous annuals had newly produced art work by Oli. I guess that now Roger & Oli don't have much (if anything) to do with it anymore he's not making any more new cover art.

Roger has MND, I believe, and I think Oli has effectively retired so having no new content from them shouldn't be a surprise as they were very upfront about that.

According to the Kickstarter page, 30 pages out of the initially planned 120 was new content... so that's 25% new. As a subscriber to the regular magazine, that wasn't really enough new content for me to buy the annual, but I don't think it's bad value. 100% new content would've been difficult to generate given the demands of producing the periodic Crash, ZZap, Fusion and Amtix magazines.

I don't completely understand the dislike of the A5 size. In my (getting older so I am starting to struggle) view it's just as readable as the A4 size... It's not A4 reduced to A5... it's typeset specifically for A5. You could, I guess, argue that the A5 size means that it contains less content than annuals previously.

Anyway, getting back to the original post, it's nice to see Fusion continues to give lots of their past content away for free. There are far worse companies around that could've ended up with ownership of the Crash brand. The team at Fusion really do seem to care and be committed to produce quality publications. Unlike the C64, we don't really have many (any?) competing publications for the Spectrum.

Hi

My A4 Crash arrived last week and I'm reading it at the moment. Well, I'm not interested at all on the new Crash magazine since I prefer the book format, so it's all new content for me. I still disagree with several ratings, but at least this time I agree with the Crash Smashes. Anyway, for me this new annual feels like rushed out work, a simple sum up of the prior six issues of the new Crash magazine released so far (360 pages summed up in just 120, so a lot of content is missing), with some new content added, but in some ways it lacks passion, it feels like a routine job, no new Oli Frey cover. Unlike the previous annuals, I wasn't looking forward to this one at all. Also due to the bigger font used there is less content compared to past annuals (hence less games reviewed), so my opinion right now is mixed. On the one hand it's an interesting reading, but I don't think I will re-read it so much in the future like past issues, it doesn't attract me so much. I suppose Chris is now focused on the magazine and the Annual was somewhat like a late plan, and can be considered as a kind of appetizer to enrole more people on the magazine's Patreon.

Regards

8BitAG wrote: ↑Mon Dec 20, 2021 10:16 am Unlike the C64, we don't really have many (any?) competing publications for the Spectrum.

(inspiration for cross posting to the memes thread)

"Unlike the C64, we don't really have many (any?) competing publications for the Spectrum."

You have Espectro, at least.

8BitAG wrote: ↑Mon Dec 20, 2021 10:16 am Unlike the C64, we don't really have many (any?) competing publications for the Spectrum.

I generally agree [mention]8BitAG[/mention], although I do very much enjoy the Spectrum Show magazine from [mention]PaulJ[/mention]:

https://www.thespectrumshow.net/magazines.html

The latest issue has a feature on Adventuron if that's of interest to you.

Yes, I was wrong to overlook the Spectrum Show 'zine; even if it is not a physical product.

I probably don't need to learn much about Adventuron.