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Armchair Arcade Issue #7 - July 2005

Wed, 06/07/2006 - 1:10pm — Bill Loguidice


Welcome to Armchair Arcade's Seventh Issue!

Thanks for checking out the latest issue of Armchair Arcade . After our last anniversary issue, we've gone through several staff changes, Website updates and project implementations. With all that has happened, we are proud to say that Armchair Arcade is now stronger than ever and ready to rise to new heights. This issue - our seventh in our roughly year and a half existence - provides further clarification of where we've always wanted to take the editorial direction of the publication.

There is a perception that Armchair Arcade is just about games. This is not true. We have always been about both computers and videogames. It is important to note though that many of us maintain older computers for three reasons: games, experimentation and programming. Programming what? Usually games. Few of us that collect have that Tandy Model I or Commodore Amiga in the corner for word processing or spreadsheet work, do we? Frankly, modern computers do that better and of course work better with modern printers. So, while everything seems to mostly revolve around games at Armchair Arcade , that's more a reflection of reality than any specific limitation we place on our subject matter or content. If you see an article in this issue on CP/M on the Apple II or on Linux from our last issue, don't be alarmed. Remember, it's all about computers and videogames and all related in some fundamental manner. In any case, we hope it always makes for fun and educational reading.


Armchair Arcade Issue #6 - January 2005

Fri, 06/02/2006 - 12:10pm — Matt Barton


Welcome to Armchair Arcade's Sixth Issue!


Thanks for checking out the latest issue of Armchair Arcade. We're very proud of all the hard work that went into this issue and look forward to discussing our articles with you. We're also pleased to showcase a fresh cover painting by our own cherished artist, Seb Brassard. We hope you'll agree that Seb's masterful work is representative of the fine articles beneath the cover.


Armchair Arcade Issue #5 - November 2004

Fri, 06/02/2006 - 12:08pm — Matt Barton


Welcome to Armchair Arcade's fifth issue!


Thanks for checking out the latest from Armchair Arcade. We're very happy to bring you our newest issue, which, unlike so many other retrogaming publications, CAN be judged by its cover--this one painted by our own Seb Brassard.


Armchair Arcade Issue #4 - August 2004

Fri, 06/02/2006 - 12:01pm — Matt Barton


Welcome to Armchair Arcade's fourth issue!


Welcome to the latest issue of Armchair Arcade. This month's cover is by industry mover Seb Brassard, inspired by Matt Barton's in-depth article on classic game audio. We're very proud to feature Seb's work and look forward to his future covers. Also new to this issue is Armchair Arcade's first video article, which is a roughly 10 minute feature on five Atari 2600 shooting games—brought to you by Bill Loguidice. We're also happy to release the System Ranking Matrix, a comprehensive guide featuring technical statistics, ratings and comparitive rankings for 75 U.S. game capable computer and videogame systems. The System Ranking Matrix will be an ongoing feature from this issue forward; as new information flows in (from our own research and reader feedback), we'll expand and improve the matrix. You can do your part now by viewing your favorite systems and making comments.


Armchair Arcade Issue #3 - June 2004

Fri, 06/02/2006 - 12:00pm — Matt Barton

Welcome to Armchair Arcade's third issue!


We hope you enjoy reading these articles as much as we enjoyed preparing them for you. We apologize for the long delay in releasing our third issue, but are proud to welcome our newest and youngest member (baby Zoe Feris!) to the world of retrogaming. Before we begin our discussion of this latest issue, we'd like to run some stats by you:

* Armchair Arcade has received almost 30,000 unique visitors since the end of January 2004!

We'd like to thank Slate, Slashdot, Digital Press, AtariAge, Insert Credit, Ludology, ClassicGaming, and all the other sites and individuals in the community who have supported us (check out our Links section for more!).

* Armchair Arcade now has almost 300 permanent members!

It's free to join and there's no advertising ever! Why not customize your Armchair Arcade experience and become a more active member of the community? We'll keep an LED on for you.

* Armchair Arcade forums now have more than 4,000 posts!

Our dedicated members post intelligent topics that delve into issues that Armchair Arcade was built to explore. Please feel free to drop by and read all the exciting news and discussions on our forums. We think you'll be surprised by the depth and maturity of our community.

The Armchair Arcade Website has also received several upgrades, such as browser games that keep track of high scores. More exciting features are planned on an ongoing basis to make Armchair Arcade a great place to visit even after you've read all the articles!

Finally, we'd like to welcome our newest staff member. In addition to the founders and Editorial staff of Buck Feris, Matt Barton and Bill Loguidice, David Torre (formerly known as ChairoNoMe) joined the team as our first Editorial Assistant. Over time, Armchair Arcade will continue to expand staff as necessary to bring you more, longer and better issues faster. If you would like to volunteer to help with the technical aspects of Armchair Arcade, please drop us a note.

Our latest issue features eight articles that continue the editorial precedents set by our previous issues. We have three fascinating interviews, several reviews and analyses, and a few surprises. One article is focused on why and how you should write for Armchair Arcade and drives home the important point that the publication is open to submissions from anyone with decent writing abilities and a great idea. Submit your article idea today!

Issue 3's articles:

Discworld MUD: Slinging Dirt with David Bennett
by Buck Feris
Many of our readers may be unfamiliar with MUDs, or multi-user dungeon games. These games introduce players into a shared gaming environment fraught with perils from popular fantasy or science fiction literature. Bennet's Discworld MUD is based on Terry Pratchett's humerous fantasy novels. Read all about the modern MUDDING scene in this candid interview.

Keeping Things in Perspective: First Person Shooters Vs. Platform Games
by David Torre
Most modern games offer players a "first person" perspective that supposedly immerses them more deeply into gaming environments that their older 2-D counterparts. In this article, David questions this assumption and demonstrates how, in many cases, 2-D perspective offers players better control over their avatars.

Atari 2600 Expanded Homebrew Review: Thrust+ Platinum Edition
by Bill Loguidice
Bill takes a look at the latest version of the popular Atari 2600 homebrew title, Thrust+ Platinum Edition. Is it worthy to stand alongside the best commercial releases of the past? Read-on to find out...

The Videogame in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction
by Matt Barton
As multinational corporations move further to enforce their law-given monopolies over their "intellectual property," videogame players and makers are sure to suffer. This article, intentionally polemical, explores the issue of intellectual property in the context of videogame history, revealing how innovation is stifled when intellectual property law becomes too severe.

Good Deal Games: An Interview with Michael Thomasson
by Bill Loguidice
In this interview-based piece, Bill gives us the latest news from Michael Thomasson and Good Deal Games, which among many other things publishes new games for classic and orphaned systems.

The Power Glove Lives!
by Matt Barton and David Torre
Remember the Power Glove for the NES? This is a brief tour through the history of the Power Glove and review of the new P5 controller.

Songbird Productions: An Interview with Carl Forhan
by Bill Loguidice
In this interview-based piece, Bill gets the scoop from Carl Forhan of Songbird Productions on what it means to be a modern day Atari L y n x and Atari Jaguar developer and publisher.

Why Write for Armchair Arcade?
by Matt Barton
In this editorial, Matt describes some possible categories for videogame criticism and offers advice for aspiring writers, scholars, and critics who are eager to write about videogames.

Our thanks to everyone who has supported us and we look forward to a continued bright future with both old and new friends.


Armchair Arcade Issue #2 - March 2004

Fri, 06/02/2006 - 11:58am — Matt Barton

Welcome to Armchair Arcade's Second Issue!

Before we discuss what's new, we'd first like to thank everyone for making the first issue and Armchair Arcade in general a huge success. We've had more visitors and positive feedback than we ever expected this early in Armchair Arcade's existence. Second, we were blown away by the amount of international coverage and visits. Again, thank you! Your support is needed and thoroughly appreciated.

This month's issue features four articles that further demonstrate the ongoing editorial direction of Armchair Arcade. One article in particular concerns a topic that could be ripped straight from today's hard news headlines, but is absolutely applicable to the current state of gaming. It's sure to be controversial and a must-read. Please feel free to make comments and discuss these articles (and any others) in our forums. The editors are eager to read your praise, criticism, and questions.

Issue 2's articles:

Gay Characters in Videogames
by Matt Barton
In this article, Matt explores the issue of homosexuality in modern (and classic) videogames, starting with the rather startling endorsement of gay marriage in Atari's The Temple of Elemental Evil.

Interactive Fiction and Feelies: An Interview with Emily Short
by Bill Loguidice
(Original art by Brandon Knox)
In this interview-based piece, Bill gives us the low-down on the current state of Interactive Fiction development and marketing. "Feelies," or small products sometimes included with a game to help spur interest and player involvement, are making a serious comeback thanks to Emily Short and feelies.org. Read all about it here!

Atari 7800 Double Dragon: A Comparative Look
by Mark Wiesner Jr.
In this comparative review, Mark explains why the little-known Atari 7800 version of Double Dragon is as good as or better than other, more popular versions. This article will interest anyone interested in the game or second generation classic consoles in general.

Early Commodore 64 Platformers: Jumpman, Spelunker, Ultimate Wizard, and Pharaoh’s Curse
by Matt Barton
If you recognize any of the games in this title, or are a fan of the Commodore 64, you will not want to miss this article. Matt explores what makes each title distinct, but also how the added features either enhance or detract from gameplay.

A special thanks to everyone who has supported us and we look forward to a continued bright future with both old and new friends!


Armchair Arcade Issue #1 - January 2004

Mon, 05/22/2006 - 5:15pm — Matt Barton

Welcome to the first issue of Archair Arcade!

The editorial staff of Armchair Arcade: Bill Loguidice, Matt Barton, and Buck Feris.

January CoverWelcome to the long-awaited first issue of Armchair Arcade, originally scheduled to come out in early November 2003. Obviously, there have been many unforeseen delays between that time and now, and there has been much hype and speculation about Armchair Arcade. With this first month’s articles, we think you’ll get a better idea of what we’re actually trying to accomplish.


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