Zzap! 64 (June 1987)
Cover of the June 1987 issue of Zzap! 64
Zzap! 64 was a gaming magazine dedicated to the Commodore 64 and published in the U.K. Living in the U.S., I was not aware of its existence but I'm sure it's something I would have loved. While there were several Commodore 64 magazines, we didn't have any dedicated to gaming on the C64. The June 1987 issue includes:
Readable Regulars
- Editorial - A preview of what's in this issue.
- Zzap! Rrap - Letters from readers about the lack of innovation in newer games, software piracy, game reviews, and more.
- Zzap! Tips - Tips, tricks, and cheats for various games including Delta, Paperboy, Aliens, Firetrack, POD, Bombjack II, Up 'N' Down, Split Personalities, Nemesis, Cholo, Krakout, Future Knight, Shao-Lin's Road, Mad Nurse, Paradroid, Gunship, Bombjack, Chuckie Egg II, Into the Eagle's Nest, Little Computer People, Molecule Man, Skooldaze, Dragons Lair, Nosferatu The Vampyre, The Sentinel, Shockway Rider, Equalizer, and more.
- Chronicles of the White Wizard - A preview of Shadows of Mordor plus a look at The Big Slease, The Ket Trilogy, and other adventure games.
- The Scorelord Thinketh - Reader submitted high scores for various games.
- Zzap! Readers' Charts - The top 30 games as voted by readers. Coming in at the top is World Games.
- Newsflash - A look at new products including Wizball, Barbarian, Pyramids of Time, Army Moves, MASK, Thing Bounces Back, Knight Games II, Street Sports Basketball, and more.
- Compunet - A look at various demos that can be found online.
Table of Contents from the June 1987 issue of Zzap! 64
Games to Get for June
- Zenji - A re-release of this puzzle game from Activision in budget form.
- Nemesis the Warlock - A game based on 2000 AD.
- Gods and Heroes - A budget platform game that is the sequel to Hercules.
- Zolyx - A budget game that looks like a clone of Qix.
- Hero - A re-release of this Activision classic at a budget price.
Frenetic Features
- DIY Cassette Inlay - A cut-out inlay for the cassette included on this month's cover.
- Douglas Adams - Douglas Adams talks about his latest Infocom project, Bureaucracy.
- Oink! - A look at the comic and the game based on it.
- Mental Procreation - Andrew Braybrook talks about software and hardware problems, piracy, reviews, and more.
- Zzapback - A look at some games that were covered seventeen months earlier including Ballblazer, Koronis Rift, Robin of the Wood, Fight Night, Bounder, The Eidolon, Revs, and Desert Fox.
Back cover of the June 1987 issue of Zzap! 64
...and much more!
Check out some of my other recent posts:
Vintage Photos - Lot 6 (049-052)
https://ecency.com/photography/@darth-azrael/vintage-photos-lot-6-049
PC World (November 2011)
https://ecency.com/retrocomputing/@darth-azrael/pc-world-november-2011
Vintage Photos - Lot 6 (045-048)
https://ecency.com/photography/@darth-azrael/vintage-photos-lot-6-045
Electronic Gaming Monthly (December 1993)
https://ecency.com/retrogaming/@darth-azrael/electronic-gaming-monthly-december-1993
Vintage Photos - Lot 6 (041-044)
https://ecency.com/photography/@darth-azrael/vintage-photos-lot-6-041
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Thomas Cromwell: A Revolutionary Life by Diarmaid MacCulloch.
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This was my favourite magazine of the time. I can actually remember that cover! The Last Ninja was an amazing game, the graphics were exquisite, the music was beautiful and the gameplay was addictive, quite challenging in places. I think i completed it though after many hours of play.
I must have been in my teens at the time it came out and I wanted to work for the magazine, I was quite obsessed with it!
I nearly did but for another magazine called Amiga Format, several years later. I had to write two articles, to attend an interview with the editor which I did and was one of two people shortlisted, the other chap got the job.
I had a Commodore 64 but by the time I could upgrade, I went to the PC since it was pretty clear Commodore was dying (circa 1993) so I never really bought any Amiga magazines. The closest for me would have been Commodore Magazine which had Amiga coverage too.
Did Douglas Adams write some storylines for games? I didn’t know that. He was a legend in my book for good Hitchhikers Guide novels.
There way a text adventure game based on Hitchhiker's. Here he is talking about another adventure game that he was involved in. I'm not sure how many games he worked on.
Interesting. I’ll see if I can find out.
Update: @darth-azrael, I paid out 0.026 HIVE and 0.002 HBD to reward 2 comments in this discussion thread.