We all know I was a Sega person back in the 90s.
I grew up with Segas, I love Sega.
However, this doesn't mean I wasn't massively fond of Nintendo and I loved getting the chance
to play my friend's Super Nintendo's at any opportunity.
It's these opportunities where I also took the chance to flick though early copies of
Super Play Magazine.
Super Play was a UK publication aimed squarely at the Super Nintendo market, running from
November 1992 to September 1996, and I've heard that it's remembered quite fondly by
it's readers.
Well, those readers should possibly rejoice, because bundled with this month's Retro Gamer
Magazine is a brand new, final copy of Super Play, featuring a magnificent Fox McCloud
drawn by Wil Overton, who appears to be gaming, whilst flying in a ship adorned with SNEZ
pad buttons.
Of course it's not the first time Retro Gamer have done such a thing.
Way back in issue 9 a special copy of Your Sinclair was published.
But that's almost retro in itself now, being an upsetting 13 years ago.
Yes, it's obvious why this should be the month the magazine has returned.
It's SNES Mini month...
the month all those ebay Pre-orders are possibly fulfilled by scalpers, or carpetbagger entrepreneurs,
as I prefer to call them.
*CAPITALISM*
Personally, it's this hype which makes items like the SNES Mini all the more appealing.
It feels like the 90s again.
Nintendo knows this as much as anyone else, it's the reason why they limit stock so much.
It creates atmosphere, talk, news and energy.
The magazine kicks off with an introduction from Tony Mott, one of the team from the original
magazine's run, and then we have some discussion about the Mini itself and the history of the
Super Nintendo.
Something I plan on covering myself in the not to distant future.
We even get to see the mini's little tongue.
Bless.
A lot of the original team are back for this one off issue, so it's fitting then, that
we're then launched into some background on the magazine, describing how Super Play was
always intended to feel more like a club than a magazine, with a heavy slant towards the
Japanese market.
Which makes total sense, given the number of Super Famicoms and Japanese games which
had already been imported before we finally got the PAL version of the Super Nintendo
in the Spring of 1992.
The main bulk of this magazine, cunningly, consists of re-reviews of the games included
on the Super Nintendo Mini hardware.
Which I think actually makes for a really nice magazine.
These reviews reek of the 90s, even down to the little scoring boxes are so evocative
of the time.
We could go through each review individually, but I don't want to keep you.
This is only a quick exploratory video to spread some Nintendo love.
Further to the back we've got a nice feature showing off the titles exclusive to the Super
Famicom mini... man, I love those boxes, before final section suggesting some games which
could have made it onto the mini, but didn't, and yes, there's some splendid games here.
Shadowrun, Turtles in time, Pilot wings, but you can't give consumers too much excitement
now.
And that's pretty much it.
The magazine ends with a Mario Kart 8 Deluxe advert, and that's precisely what I'm about
to go and play.
Sorry, not sorry if you were expecting a longer video.
I just fancied doing a little extra weekend video to share this excitement with you.
Have a great evening!