What Current Gaming Mags Do You Read?

[vysethebold]

I currently read a bunch of different gaming mags for different reasons. I know the internet is much more superior in getting me the news quicker, but sometimes I need that gaming mag with good features and decent reviews while I am sitting on the toilet. I currently read Game Informer and EGM as my mainstream ones. Game Informer does have some biased reviews sometimes but the features, previews, rumor news, and general nerdy tech reports are usually very good. EGM and I, though have had sort of a falling out. I have read the mag for years and it used to be so good. Now the reviewers have pissed me off on more than one occasion because of their stupidity and biases. Plus, they have gotten to the point where they only have a couple full reviews and give a lot of the games I care about little stubs that don't even tell you anything about the game or what they like/dislike about it. Next time they ask me to resubscribe, I will refuse. I was thinking about reading Play but after reading it for a few months, I feel they are pretty much the opposite spectrum of EGM. I feel that Play gives obnoxiously high scores to certain games that EGM would give very low scores to. I like a lot of the game that Play praises but I wouldn't go as far as to say that they are as perfect as they say they are. Anyway, for classic gaming I read the UK import mag, Retro Gamer. I love this mag!!!! Though they focus a lot on old computer systems that I have no interest in (Spectrum, C64, Amstrad), I still love the developer files, reviews of current games with retro flavors, and 2-page photo spreads of NES games. Try to track this mag down if you are in the US. The only place I know that carries it is Barnes & Noble Books. What do you guys read?

[michiyoyoshiku]

all of them I just canned Game informer for sucking, Gamepro makes good TP, EGM is horrible
I'll keep OXM though

[kal]

Down here in Sydney we get like 2 magazines and they both suck

Seriously I haven't bought a gaming magazine in ages..I guess I'm a gameFAQs whore at heart.

[natabuu]

I get OPM almost solely for the PS2 demo discs.

[necromaniac]

I read PC Gamer (US) and Edge at my local library from time to time.
I used to read OPM, PC Gamer UK and some Sega mag I forget the name of.
Of the current ones, I like Edge the most.
Fair reviews most of the times, great scoop and previews, fun articles, retro look at a random game of the month, and minimal nonsense.
OPM sucks, but it had nice pics from time to time.
I have a love-hate relationship with the ever thinning PC Gamer US, and it has been years since I've picked up the superior UK one.
The Sega mag was awesome, wish I'd remember it's name.
It had import reviews and all.
Made me want to own both Golden Axe the duel and Sexy Parodius.

[Gilder]

Use to love EGM, but now I only read Hardcore Gamer Magazine because it's free

Good God I'm cheap

[Deleted]

The only decent gaming magazine in Finland is Pelit (means "Games").

[kyouki]

I used to read Retro Gamer every month, but my bookstores don't seem to carry it anymore.

I really don't like the game magazines nowadays. It might be because I'm getting disinterested in video games in general, but I think a big part of it is I can't stand the attitude in games magazines. Looking back on EGM, which was my favorite during the 16 bit systems, it's poorly written and the layout is awful. It's basically a bunch of screenshots with bad captions. However, you could tell by reading it that it was put together by a bunch of people that loved what they were writing about. When I read a modern games magazine now I can't help but get the feeling that the writer is trying way too hard to legitimize games as an art form. I'm also not fond of the general attitude (seen especially in the letters section).

I really like how Retro Gamer does their magazine. There are tons of interesting articles, and they don't present games as works of art that need to be worshiped. Just a bunch of people that are fond of games writing articles about stuff that other fans might not be aware of.

[steven]

Current Gaming Mags? None. They all stink as far as I'm concerned.

Old gaming mags? I will always be up for a spot with 92-94 EGM, GameFan, Sega Saturn Magazine or Super Play. Best damn 4 mags there ever were IMO

kyouki said:

Looking back on EGM, which was my favorite during the 16 bit systems, it's poorly written and the layout is awful. It's basically a bunch of screenshots with bad captions.

really? I think EGM's aged tremendously well. GameFan -- now there's a disappointment. It hasn't aged well IMHO. I really feel like EGM 92-94 never gets the kind of "pimping" people online give to GameFan.

Mind you, I love both dearly, but for me EGM > GameFan

[vysethebold]

I'm glad someone else has heard of Retro Gamer! Also the new revamped Nintendo Power is pretty awesome. I only read two or three issues but man they are returning to the good old days of when that mag was good back in the NES and SNES days. Check out an issue if you see one.

[kyouki]

steven said:

really? I think EGM's aged tremendously well. GameFan -- now there's a disappointment. It hasn't aged well IMHO. I really feel like EGM 92-94 never gets the kind of "pimping" people online give to GameFan.

Well, as much as I love EGM from that period... the writing really isn't very good, is it? There's a lot of feeling in the writing but not a lot of content. The layout was just very chaotic, though I appreciated their love of sprite art. One of my fondest memories of being a kid was picking the new EGM up downtown and reading it on the bus ride home. Awesome. I think one way it ages well is in the innocence it was written with.

[megamoronx]

kyouki said:

I really don't like the game magazines nowadays. It might be because I'm getting disinterested in video games in general, but I think a big part of it is I can't stand the attitude in games magazines. Looking back on EGM, which was my favorite during the 16 bit systems, it's poorly written and the layout is awful. It's basically a bunch of screenshots with bad captions. However, you could tell by reading it that it was put together by a bunch of people that loved what they were writing about. When I read a modern games magazine now I can't help but get the feeling that the writer is trying way too hard to legitimize games as an art form. I'm also not fond of the general attitude (seen especially in the letters section).

Took the words right outta my mouth. Modern EGM (though I haven't read an issue for a while) seems like it wants to be more of a Men's Lifestyle magazine with a gaming theme with articles like "How to get your girlfriend to play video games" and "sexiest woman gamer." They also do the smartass captions under EVERY picture just like Maxim does, to be quite honest, it gets a little annoying. I stopped subscribing after the cover story of every issue was either a GTA clone based on a movie(i.e. Scarface or The Godfather) or about Halo

To be honest, I still read old EGMs, I even bought a few off ebay recently. They're just so damn fun and the occasional coverage of obscure Japanese games was great too. Remember how EGM used to get really gay for Dragon Ball and now they hate it?

[steven]

megamoronx said:

kyouki said:

I really don't like the game magazines nowadays. It might be because I'm getting disinterested in video games in general, but I think a big part of it is I can't stand the attitude in games magazines. Looking back on EGM, which was my favorite during the 16 bit systems, it's poorly written and the layout is awful. It's basically a bunch of screenshots with bad captions. However, you could tell by reading it that it was put together by a bunch of people that loved what they were writing about. When I read a modern games magazine now I can't help but get the feeling that the writer is trying way too hard to legitimize games as an art form. I'm also not fond of the general attitude (seen especially in the letters section).

Took the words right outta my mouth. Modern EGM (though I haven't read an issue for a while) seems like it wants to be more of a Men's Lifestyle magazine with a gaming theme with articles like "How to get your girlfriend to play video games" and "sexiest woman gamer." They also do the smartass captions under EVERY picture just like Maxim does, to be quite honest, it gets a little annoying. I stopped subscribing after the cover story of every issue was either a GTA clone based on a movie(i.e. Scarface or The Godfather) or about Halo

To be honest, I still read old EGMs, I even bought a few off ebay recently. They're just so damn fun and the occasional coverage of obscure Japanese games was great too. Remember how EGM used to get really gay for Dragon Ball and now they hate it?

Yeah, I got EGM free as late as 2005. UGH, what a mess it turned into. It went downhill in my book after late 97/early 98-ish... issue 100 was great. A couple after were pretty good, but after that it suddenly went downhill in '98.

This EGM talk is quite interesting as over the weekend I had been working on something. Check my SFC thread when I update it in a bit for more

[Discoalucard]

I subscribe to Hardcore Gamer because it's free.

Play Magazine is generally well written but the guys there are way too generous when it comes to rating stuff, and they're far too overenthusiastic and not nearly critical enough. Still, they often champion underdog games a bit more than the rest.

There's also Game Informer, which I wouldn't bother with if it didn't come with the discount card. Superb features but lame everything else, especially the reviews, most of which are just embarassing.

I still like EGM too. I'm actually pretty cool with the reviews section, though I don't always agree with them. Not quite as awesome as they used to be, though, and some of the occasional "hipper than thou" attitude is a bit annoying - although it's usually constrained to the letters and Seanbaby sections.

Everything else I can generally do without.

[MRSKELETON]

I read hardcore gamer (But I have to get it on newsstand for money :<)
I read gameinformer but don't even pay attention to the reviews.
That's really it, if I need a fixin for cheats I get tips&tricks.