Since I live in the US, I didn't grow up with ZZAP 64! In fact, I didn't even know it existed until I watched an episode of Perifractic's Retro Recipes channel on the Tube of You. As he discussed the history of the old magazine, I was really impressed with its integrity, the reviewers actually gave the games a good examination via play, and I was blown away by the cover art. I've recently been taken with the nostalgia bug and found an old Commodore 64 on eBay so that I could let the bug take its course. Little did I know, before diving into the Retro YouTube community, that people were still making new content for the machine and that there was a vibrant community.
Being relatively clueless about what's out there, and having limited time and resources, I needed a guide to help me navigate the retrowaters. The new ZZAP64! magazine is that navigator. The articles are well written and opinionated. Each reviewer has a distinct personality that helps you cue in on whether their preferences line up with your own. They also demonstrate that they do more than a cursory play through of the first level and instead spend real time to dive into the games they review. Some seemingly games get better at later levels and some seemingly amazing games end up fizzling out as you play them beyond the first half and hour of game play. It makes a difference having reviewers who are gamers first and journalists second, or at least journalists "also first."
The cover art is stellar which is not surprising since it reuses the original art, but the new art and layout is also spectacular. The magazine is well worth your time to read, even if you aren't an active retro gamer and just want a feel for what is going on.
