Page 5 - OSG Presents Classic Gamer Magazine #1

by
Chris Cavanaugh

In the early 80’s I always looked Intellivision controllers (and wished or missed opportunities to envious
forward to the next issue of we had kept our Vectrex system!). and sympathetic ears.
“Electronic Games Magazine.” The magic seemed to be back for Since the fun is back in playing
Month after month the anticipation us. But it never really left, did it? these classics we thought it only
of waiting for the latest edition would We just temporarily stored it away. wise to publish a magazine dedi-
nearly kill me. There was no Once again we manned tanks in cated to the games of yore.
greater feeling at the time than see- Combat and became Star Raiders. Whether you are a hardcore collec-
ing the new issue on the magazine We swore along with Q*Bert, tor, casual hobbyist or just like to
rack at my local Long’s Drugstore. swung from vines with Pitfall Harry, play a game of Asteroids every now
Arnie Katz, Bill Kunkel and Joyce and wondered if we could still earn and again we hope you find this
Worley delivered, without fail, an those Activision patches. “Doom magazine fun, informative, and en-
informative, entertaining and fun-to- and Quake who?” We even paid tertaining. Inside you’ll find news,
read magazine. After the great Pac-Man and E.T. a return visit on reviews, humor, opinion columns,
video game shake-out in the mid- the VCS (although, understanda- where to find the best classic gam-
80’s, Electronic Games released bly, probably not for very long.) ing websites, and of course, “The
their final issue. Sadly, it was the On the Internet we found we Legend of BIRA BIRA.”
end of an era. weren’t alone. “Finally! Someone While our magazine can only
As a video game player, the mid- who understands my quest for hope to achieve the greatness of
80’s was a dark time. Atari was a game cartridges and lost systems!” Katz, Kunkel and Worley’s
shell of its former self, Activision Now we trade, sell and auction our “Electronic Games,” we hope you
started producing computer games classic favorites freely on the World enjoy this first issue of Classic
in order to survive, and the words Wide Web (and keep each other in Gamer Magazine.
“video game cartridges” became ob- line to make sure that we aren’t rip-
scene words in the hard hit retail ping each other off!) We scour the -Chris Cavanaugh
sector. After Nintendo and Sega flea markets digging through dusty Editor-in-Chief
reinvented the home video gaming boxes and when passing a garage
industry and the Internet started to sale we can’t help but think, “I won-
explode, people began remember- der if there are any rare cartridges
ing their gaming roots. We dragged there?” Of course, when we’re
our Atari 2600’s out of attics and done searching and weary from the
basements, dusted off our Colecovi- day’s hunt we log back on to the
sions, and once again cursed at our Internet and brag of our rare finds

Classic Gamer Magazine Fall 1999 5