PC World (October 1996)

The mid 1990s was an exciting time for the PC industry. PCs were rapidly being adopted with nearly everyone having one by 2000. The Internet was just becoming mainstream and that's the biggest part of what drove adoption. The October 1996 issue of PC World includes:

PC World (October 1996)

Computer Shopper (April 1996)

During the mid 90s, just before the Internet exploded, Computer Shopper was at its peak. The April 1996 issue has more than 800 pages and includes:

Computer Shopper (April 1996)

PC World (July 1995)

PC World was probably the post popular PC magazine through most of the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. The July 1995 issue includes:

Source: PC World (July 1995)

PC World (April 1996)

Though I was never really a subscriber to PC World, I did get the occasional issue over the years. It was probably the best general magazine dedicated to the PC though I preferred Maximum PC which came along a little later. The April 1996 issue of PC World includes:

Source: PC World (April 1996)

GamePro (November 1997)

GamePro and Electronic Gaming Monthly were really the two biggest video game magazines throughout the 1990s and into the early 2000s. I preferred EGM myself but picked up an occasional issue of GamePro. The November 1997 issue of GamePro includes:

Source: GamePro (November 1997)

Electronic Gaming Monthly (August 1996)

Electronic was perhaps the most popular video gaming magazine in the U.S. during its peak. Sadly, though there are still some niche magazines out there, the days of popular video gaming magazines are long gone. The August 1996 issue of EGM includes:

Electronic Gaming Monthly (August 1996)

PC World (May 1998)

By the late 1990s, PC World and PC Magazine were the dominant PC magazines in the U.S. Of those two, I think I generally preferred PC World. This issue is from about 5 months after I got my second Gateway 2000 PC which was a 333 MHz Pentium II. The May 1998 issue of PC World includes:

PC World (May 1998)

GamePro (June 1996)

GamePro (June 1996)

GamePro was one of the most popular gaming magazines of the 1990s. I didn't pick up GamePro very often because there were other magazines I preferred (e.g. Electronic Gaming Monthly) and I didn't have unlimited funds for magazines. GamePro always felt like it had a slightly younger target audience but it was still a solid magazine. The June 1996 issue includes:

FeatureS

• GamePro Readers' Choice Awards - The best games and systems of the year as determined by readers. Some of the highlights include Myst (Saturn) for best strategy game, Chrono Trigger (SNES) for best role-playing game, Zoop for best puzzle game, PlayStation for best overall system, Ultimate Mortal Kombat for best arcade game, Road Rash 3 (Genesis) for best 16-bit racing sim, Donkey Kong Land (Game Boy) for best handheld game, Destruction Derby (PlayStation) for best next-gen racing game, and Doom (PlayStation) for best next-gen corridor shooter (I guess "first person shooter" wasn't as universal of a term as it would become?). There are a bunch of other categories with each category having several entries.


• Electronic Entertainment Expo Sneak Previews - Better known as E3, this used to be an important event in the gaming industry. Some new things shown (most still under development at the time) include Star Wars: Shadow of the Empire (Nintendo 64), Super Mario 64 (Nintendo 64), Turok Dinosaur Hunter (Nintendo 64), Shredfest (PlayStation, Saturn), Tigershark (PlayStation, PC CD), Pandemonium (PlayStation), Bogey: Dead 6 (PlayStation), Jumping Flash 2 (PlayStation), Dark Forces (PlayStation), Rebel Assault II (PlayStation), Bubsy 3D (PlayStation, Saturn), Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (Saturn), Tomb Raider (Saturn), Gun Griffon (Saturn), X-Perts (Genesis), Vectorman 2 (Genesis), and lots more.


• War Gods: First Look from the ACME Show - A first look at the War Gods arcade game. This was a new 3D fighter from Midway.

_{Table of Contents from the June 1996 issue of GamePro}

SWATPro Strategy Section

• Resident Evil PlayStation ProStrategy Guide - A detailed strategy guide for the game that popularized the survival horror genre.


• Super Mario RPG Super NES ProStrategy Guide - A strategy guide for Super Mario RPG. These guides aren't something you want to use unless you are really stuck. Otherwise, I think they spoil the game.


• SWATPro - Hints, tips, cheats and more for Bases Loaded '96 (PlayStation), NHL All-Star Hockey (Saturn), Earthworm Jim: Special Edition (Sega CD), Return Fire (3DO), PO'ed (PlayStation), Doom (3DO), ViewPoint (PlayStation), Last Gladiators: Digital Pinball (Saturn), Raiden Project (PlayStation), Shinobi Legends (Saturn), Sega Rally Championship (Saturn), Darius Gaiden (Saturn), Toy Story (Super NES), and more.


• Lunar II: Eternal Blue (Sega CD) - A guide to reaching both endings in this RPG. I always wanted this (and its predecessor) for the TG-16 CD-ROM but for some reason never got around to playing them.

_{Table of Contents from the June 1996 issue of GamePro (continued)}

Departments

• Letter from the GamePros - A look at some of the latest changes to the magazine.


• The Mail - Letters from readers about "palette swap" characters in games, NBA in the Zone, AC adapters for the Sega Nomad, and more.


• GamePro Gallery - Video game related artwork from readers.


• Buyers Beware - Questions answered about the shareware version of Duke Nukem 3D, the price of Killer Instinct 2, Squaresoft, XBand keyboard repair, playing old games on new systems, and more.


• ProNews - Angry mom gets Primal Rage removed from store shelves; Sega, Sony and Nintendo cut console prices; PlayStation sales go over the 1 million mark; new VR baseball game; and more.


• GamePro Online - Some of the GamePro content you can find on America Online, various web sites, and more.

_{Back cover from the June 1996 issue of GamePro} ...and more!

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Computer Shopper (August 1992)

Computer Shopper (August 1992)

Computer Shopper, at its height, was by far the largest magazine I ever saw in terms of page count. This issue has about 950 pages. And yes, it really did resemble a telephone book in terms of size. The August 1992 issue includes:

Features

• Windows 3.1 vs. OS/2 - This article compares OS/2 2.0 with Windows 3.1. When I had my 486, I really wanted to move from Windows 3.1 to OS/2 2.1. It had better multitasking and could run Windows and DOS apps. However, at the time, I couldn't find a driver for my video card so I was stuck at like 640x480 and 256 colors (or maybe only 16) which wasn't acceptable. I gave up and went back to Windows 3.1 but upgraded to Windows 95 when it was released.


• Moving Up - Upgrading CPUs was often not a viable option back in the day. The introduction of clock doubled and overdrive processors from Intel changed this. My first "PC" which I bought a year later included a clock doubled 486 (66 MHz). With an overdrive processor you could literally double the speed of your machine and even move from a 486 to a Pentium in some cases. Several systems and overdrive processors are benchmarked here.

Shopper's Guide: Tape Backups

• Random, and Proud of It - Tape drive were a (relatively) inexpensive way to back up data but were not random access which means they were not easy to use except for complete system backups and restores. This article goes over some of the random access alternatives such as floptical drives ($500 plus $22 for a 20 MB disk), Bernoulli Drives ($800 plus extra for the 90 MB disks), SyQuests's removable hard drive ($800 plus $70-$100 for 105 MB disks), and others.


• How to Buy Tape Drives - A guide for determining what you need in a tape backup drive. Or if you even need one at all.


• Reckoning the Cost per Megabyte - A look at several different backup devices (tape drives and others) and the cost per megabyte factoring in both device and media cost.


• How It Works - A technical look at how tape storage works.


• The Tale of the Tape: What's New - State of the art in upcoming tape backup technology at the time included 425 MB storage on a single tape and speeds of 27 Mb per minute.

_{Table of Contents from the August 1992 issue of Computer Shopper}

Trends and Technology

• Contents - CD-ROM drive prices drop to $200; more vendors selling direct; IBM and Microsoft code sharing agreement to end; usage of e-mail and voice mail explodes; more software shipping on CD; new class of smaller "subnotebooks" including the Gateway 2000 Handbook featuring a 286 processor, 1 MB of RAM and a 40 MB hard drive; world's smallest hard drive at 1.3-inches holds 200 MB of data; PC theft skyrockets 400 percent; new technology allows for wireless data transfer; Spain digitizing historical documents; and more.


• John Dickinson - The link between lowering real-estate values and increasing PC sales and why companies like Gateway 2000 are having huge success while companies like IBM are struggling.


• Charles Cooper - A look at mail order computer prices versus quality plus the increasing availability as computers are sold in more places; preventing your 486 from overheating; Ziff Buyer's Market to help you buy PC; and more.


• Michale Slater - The ACE Initiative was intended to set a hardware standard for running both Windows NT and SCO Open Desktop Unix on 80x86 and MIPS. It failed as Compaq ran into financial problems and withdrew support.

Reviews

• Approach 1.0 - Database software for Windows.


• Excel 4.0 - The latest iteration of the best spreadsheet software for Windows.


• SuperStor - Disk compression software similar to Stacker or DoubleSpace.


• Fujitsu DL 1200 - A color 24-pin dot-matrix printer for $649 which at the time was a "good value".

_{Table of Contents from the August 1992 issue of Computer Shopper (continued)}

Tech Section

• The Hard Edge - Setting up DOS 5.0 properly, the PC as a video production tool, document management, a 3.5" disk shortage, competing local bus implementations, and more.


• Ask Dr. John - Questions answered about FAX modems, repairing laser printers, Video BIOS Shadow settings, and more.


• Beginner's Corner - Questions answered about automatically disabling NUM LOCK and print buffers.


• What's New Online - New windows based front ends for CompuServe and BIX and further trends in this direction. Plus, a look at what's new at BIX, CompuServe, Delphi, and GEnie online services.


• Freebies of the Month - A look at some of the latest freely available software, including TreeWalker (file management) and Downline 1.1.1 (archive utility for the Mac).


• Binding Time - Book reviews of Voodoo DOS, DR DOS 6.0 Customizing Toolkit, PC Magazine Guide to Linking LANs, and Telecommunications 2.


• Simple Tips for NetWare Users - Basic power commands for NetWare.


• Souping Up a 286 - In the early 1990s, computers were advancing fast but it was still common to see 286s and even XTs still in use. This guide offers options for upgrading your 286 based machine. In addition to common upgrades such as increasing memory and adding more hard drive space, there are also software options including disk doubling software, task swapping software, tools like Norton Desktop, etc. Plus there are options for adding a mouse upgrading or adding a modem, and more.

Software

• Presentation Packages - A look at presentation software for both the Mac and the PC including Persuasion 2.1 for Windows, Freelance Graphics for Windows, Harvard Graphics for Windows, PowerPoint for Windows, and More 3.1 for the Mac.


• Screen Savers - Modern screens aren't really susceptible to burn-in and haven't been for a long time. That combined with the fact that modern monitors also have power saving modes that turn them off has really eliminated the need for screensavers. Nevertheless, I wish Afterdark was still a thing. This review examines six screen-savers including After Dark for Windows 2.0, Intermission for Windows 3.0, Pyro! for Dos 2.0, Screen Saver Plus for Dos, Microsoft Entertainment Pack, After Dark for Macintosh 2.0, and Pyro! for the Macintosh 4.0.


• Tech Q&As for Windows Word Processors - Answers to the ten most frequently asked questions for Word for Windows, Ami Pro, and WordPerfect for Windows.


• Soft Watch - A look at the best selling software in a variety of categories on both the PC and the Mac.

Smart Shopper

• Ad Watch - A look at trends in advertising including the inclusion of antivirus software with systems, Intel cutting prices on 486SX chips to undercut AMDs 386 sales, Cyrix 486SLC competition, and more.


• System Price Index - A chart of PC prices over the past few months based on processor.


• New Distribution Strategies for Software - New ways to sell software include demos on CDs, software downloads, and more.


• Components Price Index - Price charts over the past few months for motherboards, hard drives, modems, and printers.

Departments

• Feedback Forum - Feedback from readers about voice recognition, retailers passing along credit card surcharges, maintaining trackballs, and more.


• Bulletin Boards - A list of BBSes all around the country. The BBS of the month is Channel 1 in Cambridge, Massachusetts which includes 70 lines, 2,000 conferences, and 8 gigabytes of storage.

_{Back cover of the August 1992 issue of Computer Shopper}

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Byte (May 1993)

Byte (May 1993)

Byte was probably the best multi-format computer magazines from the 1970s all the way until the early 1990s. Byte's coverage tended to be a little more technical that other mainstream magazines. The May 1993 issue includes:

Cover Story

• Intel Launches Rocket in a Socket - An introduction to Intel's new Pentium processor. At introduction, the fastest Pentium (66 MHz) was about twice as fast as the 486 DX2-66. The first systems would be announced in May but these would be mostly expensive workstation and server class machines. More affordable Pentium systems wouldn't really be available until 1994.

News

• Microbytes - Researchers build first general purpose optical computer, first Mac clones, British company develops 1 GB CDs, plug and play for ISA, and more.


• First Impressions: AutoCAD Draws on Windows - A look at AutoCAD Release 12 which was the first version for Windows (3.1).


• A Heavy-Hitting Unix for PCs - A first look at Solaris 2.1 for Intel based PCs.


• NetWare 4.0 - A look at the latest version of NetWare which was a network based OS. Windows and Linux server OS variants have since taken over the tasks NetWare used to do.


• Canon's NoteJet 486 - An interesting 486 based laptop that includes a built-in printer.
• HP LaserJet 4Si and HP LaserJet 4Si - Reviews of two network laser printers from HP.

_{Table of Contents from the May 1993 issue of Byte}

Features

• Oberon: A Glimpse of the Future - A look at an object-oriented operating system.

State of the Art

• Should Encryption Be Regulated - I always thought this was a dumb debate. The answer is obviously no. Otherwise encryption isn't very useful.


• Stealth Virus Attacks - A look at new viruses that use stealth to attack network computers.

Reviews

• Lab Report: Hands-On Testing 126 Printers - A massive survey of dot-matrix, laser, ink-jet, and portable printers.


• Making the MPC Upgrade - A look at ten different kits to make your PC multimedia compliant as well as complete multimedia systems. Upgrade kits generally included a sound card, CD-ROM drive and sometimes speakers.


• Personable PIMs - An overview of Personal Information Managers. These days, everybody uses Outlook and/or their phones for these tasks.


• Banyan's "StreetTalk for NetWare" - Software designed to simplify administration of multiserver NetWare networks.

_{Table of Contents from the May 1993 issue of Byte (continued)}

Hands On

• Under the Hood: Computing on Wheels - A look at the latest computer technology being used in cars.


• Some Assembly Required: The Power of Inheritance - A tutorial for using multiple inheritance in C++ programs.

Opinions

• User's Column: Once More into the Breach - Commentary on protectionism, plus a look at UPSes, Intel OverDrive processor, and more.


• Stop Bit: Losing the Human Edge - An article on how computers are getting better than humans at games.

_{Back cover of the May 1993 issue of Byte}

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GamePro (January 1997)

GamePro (January 1997)

Next to EGM, GamePro was probably the most popular gaming magazine in North America. The 100th issue of GamePro from January 1997 includes:

Special Features

• 100th Issue! - A timeline of GamePro dating back to April/May 1989.


• Hanhelds for the Holidays! - A guide to new handheld games available for the holidays. Games covered include Donkey Kong Land 2 (Game Boy), X-Men Mojo World (Game Gear), Tetris Attack (Game Boy), FIFA Soccer '97 (Game Boy), Bugs Bunny in Double Trouble (Game Gear), Pinocchio (Game Boy), Madden '97 (Game Boy), Street Racer (Game Boy), Sword of Hopell (Game Boy), and Battle Zone/Super Breakout (Game Boy).

_{Table of Contents from the January 1997 issue of GamePro}

SWATPro Strategy Section

• Star Gladiator PlayStation ProStrategy Guide - A detailed strategy guide for this sci-fi themed fighting game from Capcom for the PlayStation.


• The Fighter's Edge Power Move Pro Wrestling - Strategies, moves and more for Power Move Pro Wrestling for the PlayStation.


• Silverload - A walkthrough of this difficult point and click adventure for the PlayStation.

_{Table of Contents from the January 1997 issue of GamePro (continued)}

Departments

• Role Player's Realm - A reviews of Suikoden for the PlayStation and a preview of Magic: The Gathering - BattleMage for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn.


• Head-2-Head - Editorial reflecting on 100 issues of GamePro.


• The Mail - Letters from readers about Star Wars games on the Saturn, Nintendo 64 controllers, and more.


• ProNews - Many games facing delays including the PlayStation version of Duke Nukem 3D, Independence Day for the PlayStation and Saturn, MegaMan 8, Marvel Super Heroes, Final Fantasy VII and more. Sega cuts price on highest price Saturn games from $69.99 to $59.99. American Laser Games ceases development of live action games. And more.


• NetPro - A guide to using four online multiplayer gaming services including DWANGO, Mplayer, TEN (Total Entertainment Network), and Engage.

_{Back cover of the January 1997 issue of GamePro}

Read more: https://www.megalextoria.com/wordpress/index.php/2024/08/27/gamepro-january-1997-2/

PC World (November 1994)

PC World (November 1994)

Electronic Gaming Monthly – Issue Number 69 – April 1995

I think the mid 1990s had more video game systems actively marketed than any other time in history. Electronic Gaming Monthly was covering at least the following systems: Super NES, Genesis, 32X, Sega CD, 3D0, Saturn, PlayStation, Jaguar, CDi, Neo Geo, Game Boy and Game Gear.

The April 1995 issue of EGM includes the following:

Departments

• Insert Coin - Lamenting the failures of the 3DO. It failed because since the hardware was a licensed "standard", hardware manufacturers had no direct revenue from games and could not price their machines below cost as companies like Nintendo, Sony and Sega did since they made money via game game licensing and publishing games.

• Interface: Letters to the Editor - Subjects of letters this month include choosing the best game system, the Atari Jaguar, import games, XBand, SNK, Mortal Kombat 3, the Sega Saturn in Hong Kong, EGM on CD-ROM, Mortal Kombat 2 on the PC, and more.

• Press Start - In the (gaming) news this month: Sega Channel holds first contest; Mortal Kombat Arena Show; Nintendo (Super Famicom) gaming via satellite in Japan; official launch of Sony Online; Gex hits the 3DO; Earthworm Jim cartoon in the works; and more.

• Review Crew
  • Sega CD
    • Earthworm Jim - An excellent platform gaming featuring a humorous worm.
    • Fatal Fury: Special - A solid translation of the arcade fighting game.
    • Lords of Thunder - A very good shooter but already old by this time. Much better on the TurboGrafx-16.
    • RDF: Rapid Deployment Force - A pretty mediocre tank sim with too much reliance on FMV.
  • Super NES
    • Metal Warriors - A solid shooter from Konami.
    • True Lies - A pretty solid action/shooter, especially given that it is a movie license.
  • Genesis
    • Phantasy Star IV - A must have RPG.
  • 32X
    • Brutal: Unleashed - A uniquely themed but average-ish fighting game.
    • Metal Head - An average (at best) Mech sim.
  • 3DO
    • Need for Speed - An excellent driving sim.
  • Jaguar
    • Syndicate - The best console version of this game.
    • Theme Park - Fun but difficult theme park sim.
  • CD-I
    • Lemmings - A good translation but very dated by this point.
  • Game Gear
    • Stargate - A not so great puzzle game based on the movie.

• EGM Top Ten Lists - Topping the list this month is Sonic 3 for the Genesis, Donkey Kong Country for the Super NES, Sonic & Knuckles for the Genesis, Final Fantasy III for the Super NES, Super Metroid for the Super NES, NBA Jam for the Super NES, and Mega Man X for the Super NES.

• Gaming Gossip - News and rumors, including: Silicon Graphics Onyx Reality Engine based development kits for the N64 cost $250,000; Kill Instinct 2 in work for Ultra 64; PlayStation 2 in work; possible Earthworm Jim based arcade and/or pinball game in work; and more.

• Arcade Action - A look at new and upcoming arcade games, including Fatal Fury 3, Vampire Hunter: Darkstalkers' Revenge plus games shown at the 1995 AOU Amusement Expo in Japan including Rail Chase 2, Red Zone, Cyberbots, Virtua Striker, Cyber Cycles, Elevator Action Returns, and Attack of the Zolgear.

• International Outlook - Games coming soon in Japan include Astal (Saturn), YuYu Hakusho Final (Super Famicom), Taihoman (Super Famicom), Alien Soldier (Mega Drive), Crossed Swords II (Neo Geo CD), Deadluss (Saturn), and Super Robot War 2G (Game Boy). Also, a detailed look and Chrono Trigger.

• Next Wave - Previews of upcoming games including Primal Rage (Super NES), Rayman (32X), Kingdom (3DO), NFL Quarterback Club (32X), Lunar: Eternal Blue (Sega CD), Pitfall (32X), Rage Rally (Jaguar), Donkey Kong Land (Game Boy), Alone in the Dark 2 (32X), Cyberia (3DO), BlakckThorne (32X), Hell (3DO), Theme Park (Genesis), Slam 'N Jam (3DO), Descent (32X), Primal Rage (Game Gear), Solar Eclipse (Saturn), Dragons of the Square Table (Saturn), Rise of the Robots (3DO), 3-D Baseball '95 (Saturn), Primal Rage (Game Boy), and more.

• Tricks of the Trade - Tips and Tricks for Mega Man X2 (Super NES), Kirby's Avalanche (Super NES), Brutal (Super NES), Super Punch-Out (Super NES), Wario Blast (Game Boy), Star Trek: Starfleet Academy (Super NES), Super Return of the Jedi (Super NES), Burning Soldier (3DO), Clayfighter 2: Judgement Clay (Super NES), Space Harrier (32X), Space Harrier (32X), NBA Jam: Tournament Edition (Super NES/Genesis), Earthworm Jim (Genesis), and lots more.

• Team EGM - A look at some of the promotions for the launch of the Sega Channel and some of the games supported. The Sega Channel was a cable service through which Genesis games could be downloaded and hints and tips accessed. Plus a detailed look at various sports games including Roller hockey '95 (Super NES), NBA Hangtime '95 (Sega CD), Toughman Boxing (32X), and more.

Fact-Files

• Super NES - Previews of Spider-Man, Warlock, Wing Commander II, Syndicate, Izzy's Quest for the Olympic Rings, Oscar, and Whizz.

• Genesis - Previews of Knuckles Chaotix, Stargate, No Escape, and Spider-Man.

• 32X - Preview of Brutal Unleashed: Above the Claw.

• Sega CD - Preview of RDF: Global Conflict.

• Game Boy - Preview of Monster Max.

• Game Gear - Preview of Stargate.

Features

• The MK III Kountdown Kontinues! - A look at the latest Mortal Kombat arcade sequel, including the story, some of the secrets and possible control changes (including maybe an extra button!). Also, a brief look at the cast of 14 characters.

• Street Fighter Legends - Yet another sequel (or I guess it is technically a prequel) to Street Fighter II that is not Street Fighter III. Street Fighter Legends (formerly to be named Street Fighter Zero) is to be based on the classic Fighting Street.

• Are You Ready for the PlayStation 2 - Despite the fact that the PlayStation has not even been released yet, there is already talk of the PlayStation 2 with an original plan to release in in 1997. Then they were going to release the PlayStation 3 in 2003 which was meant to last until 2011. While they ended up being somewhat off on those dates, by the time the PS4 rolled around it was late 2013 so they were reasonably close.

...and more!

Sierra News Magazine, Fall 1990

Sierra News Magazine, Fall 1990

Advertisement for Spirit of Excalibur

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Advertisement for Spirit of Excalibur by Virgin Mastertronic for IBM, Amiga, Atari ST, Apple IIGS, and Macintosh from the November 1990 issue of VideoGames & Computer Entertainment

Computer and Video Games, Issue Number 183, February 1997

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The February 1997 issue of Computer and Video Games

Sim City 2000 (SNES)

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Advertisement for Sim City 2000 for the Super Nintendo from the February 1997 issue of Computer and Video Games

Electronic Gaming Monthly, Issue Number 93, April 1997

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The April 1997 issue of EGM

PC Zone, Issue Number 50, May 1997

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May 1997 issue of PC Zone

GameFan, Volume 3, Issue 3, March 1995

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The March 1995 issue of GameFan