As some of Digitiser2000's more decrepit readers will recall, we have a degree of history with the UK's Amiga fanbase. In short: when Digitiser launched some 400 years ago, we didn't cover the Amiga. Why? Well, we didn't have an Amiga to review games on, so we blamed our "decision" on the home computer market being overtaken by the 16-bit console industry. Which was - coincidentally - true.
Though, as with most things, we were ultimately proven right in our defiant and accurate assertion that the Amiga was a dying format (Zing! - you've been trolled... again), the system's fanbase was more vocal and passionate than a changing room full of braying perverts.
Indeed, we learned the hard way that dissing the Amiga owners was a social faux pas akin to, say, shouting out "BANG!!" during the quiet bit in a performance of Sibelius's The Swan of Tuonela, or belching and licking ketchup off a spoon while standing in the shallow end of the junior pool at your local swimming baths.
Fact is, we honestly never hated the Amiga - although we came close after the grief we got. Ultimately, though, it turned out that not reviewing Amiga games was more hassle than it was worth, and so we relented... for all of five minutes, before the system died. Ha ha. Sucked in.
Though, as with most things, we were ultimately proven right in our defiant and accurate assertion that the Amiga was a dying format (Zing! - you've been trolled... again), the system's fanbase was more vocal and passionate than a changing room full of braying perverts.
Indeed, we learned the hard way that dissing the Amiga owners was a social faux pas akin to, say, shouting out "BANG!!" during the quiet bit in a performance of Sibelius's The Swan of Tuonela, or belching and licking ketchup off a spoon while standing in the shallow end of the junior pool at your local swimming baths.
Fact is, we honestly never hated the Amiga - although we came close after the grief we got. Ultimately, though, it turned out that not reviewing Amiga games was more hassle than it was worth, and so we relented... for all of five minutes, before the system died. Ha ha. Sucked in.
LONG AGO?
Not so long ago we done a review of Bitmap Books' beautiful Commodore 64: A Visual Commpendium - and now they've turned their attentions to its more powerful son, Brackus (the Amiga 1000).
Though the focus, as with the previous book in the series, is on some of the genuinely glorious artwork produced throughout the Amiga's tragically curtailed life, this edition goes deeper.
Beyond selected visuals for over 140 games (all with comments from some of the people responsible, or other interested parties), there are sections on the birth of the system, the Amiga demo scene, interviews with key figures (such as artist Dan Malone - whose distinctive visual style could be seen in many games from The Bitmap Brothers), and a cover art gallery. We expected it to be a gorgeous book to look at, but you might be surprised by just how much trivia-laden written content there is too.
Until we read this book, we had no idea that Populous - the game that kick-started the god sim genre - originally started life as an attempt to recreate the arcade-y, isometric spinning top puzzler Spindizzy. Because it's the sort of thing you like, you'll be pleased to hear that, in this section of the book, editor Steve Jarratt even manages to get a dig in about Peter Molyneux.
Not so long ago we done a review of Bitmap Books' beautiful Commodore 64: A Visual Commpendium - and now they've turned their attentions to its more powerful son, Brackus (the Amiga 1000).
Though the focus, as with the previous book in the series, is on some of the genuinely glorious artwork produced throughout the Amiga's tragically curtailed life, this edition goes deeper.
Beyond selected visuals for over 140 games (all with comments from some of the people responsible, or other interested parties), there are sections on the birth of the system, the Amiga demo scene, interviews with key figures (such as artist Dan Malone - whose distinctive visual style could be seen in many games from The Bitmap Brothers), and a cover art gallery. We expected it to be a gorgeous book to look at, but you might be surprised by just how much trivia-laden written content there is too.
Until we read this book, we had no idea that Populous - the game that kick-started the god sim genre - originally started life as an attempt to recreate the arcade-y, isometric spinning top puzzler Spindizzy. Because it's the sort of thing you like, you'll be pleased to hear that, in this section of the book, editor Steve Jarratt even manages to get a dig in about Peter Molyneux.
HEARTLESS
We'll never have the same level of love in our hearts for the Amiga that some of its ridiculous fans do, but what we do love is gorgeous pixel art. Before it went belly-up, the Amiga produced some of the most gorgeous graphics the games industry has ever seen - stretching the hardware to its limits.
Just look at the Cinemaware games, or the prog-rock riffing of Psygnosis - games may technically have better graphics now, but (as we also said in our review of the C64 book) back in the day the artists were working within tighter limitations, which fuelled their creativity. We love that there are people out there who aren't letting that era be forgotten, and are rightly celebrating it. Highly recommended.
Now let it go.
You can pre-order Commodore Amiga: A Visual Commpendium from Funstock, priced £29.99.
We'll never have the same level of love in our hearts for the Amiga that some of its ridiculous fans do, but what we do love is gorgeous pixel art. Before it went belly-up, the Amiga produced some of the most gorgeous graphics the games industry has ever seen - stretching the hardware to its limits.
Just look at the Cinemaware games, or the prog-rock riffing of Psygnosis - games may technically have better graphics now, but (as we also said in our review of the C64 book) back in the day the artists were working within tighter limitations, which fuelled their creativity. We love that there are people out there who aren't letting that era be forgotten, and are rightly celebrating it. Highly recommended.
Now let it go.
You can pre-order Commodore Amiga: A Visual Commpendium from Funstock, priced £29.99.
RSS Feed
