Read 'Em and Weep

Magazine Game Roundup Introduction

Reviewed by Richard H. Berg

It's been a while since we've looked at so large a number of magazine games. Unfortunately, most of what does come out these days seems to be sewn into a magazine. We now have three regulation magazine cum game publications chugging along in far better shape than many boxed game companies, and, with the possibly imminent re-appearance of "Competitive Edge", it may grow to four. This means, if they all pump out on a bimonthly basis, we could be looking at around 25 games a year from magazines alone. The price is certainly right. However, before letting our literary lions lose among the cardboard Christians, an observation.

Several years back, Command made a lot of its reputation with some rather delightful, and far-seeing, graphics. Now, except on rare occasions, Command has somehow decided that a sort of Leninist-Utilitarian feel is de rigeur. "Spare" is one thing … even Minimalism has its place. But the graphics theory here, at least for maps, seems to be to allow nothing to stand in the way of the players seeing those primal color, fat-numbered, massively inelegant counters that far too many Command games sport these days. Yes, they are easy to read; so is a Teleprompter. That doesn't stop the latter from being one ugly machine. Visual effect is a very personal reaction, to be sure, but my reaction to the visual effect of the last group of games has been to have my left hand attempt to stop my right hand from shoving two fingers down my throat.

That having been said, let's start off with something a bit more felicitous.

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© Copyright 1996 by Richard Berg
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