Gamers' Republic Issue 07 (December 1998)

[Forgive these details if earlier issues for the mag exist, this was the first issue on Retromags of this writing.] GameFan magazine had been purchased by Metropolis Media around 1996, and the experience for the staff wasn't pleasant. By 1998, Dave Halverson invited several of the staff over to his home and mentioned his plan to launch a new magazine, which would become Gamers' Republic. He would leave GameFan later that year, and several staff members would join him. You may remember David S.J. Hodgson, Ryan Lockhart, Michael Hobbs, Mike Griffin, Eric Mylonas, and art and design from Gary Harrod and Gregory Han. Some would stay at GameFan, others would contribute. Gamers' Republic would go on for 35 issues, but Halverson's next mag, Play Magazine, would last 97 issues.

Highlights from this Issue: Dark Vengeance gets a 3-page preview, Castlevania 64 gets 4 pages. We get reviews for Brave Fencer Musashi, Bushido Blade 2, Crash 3, Destrega, Duke Nukem A Time to Kill, and the great Metal Gear Solid, and Xenogears. So many fantastic reviews. Halverson gave the reigns of design over to Gary Harrod and Gregory Han for the magazine, and it looks very clean and very modern. Is has some nice little touches in the design. All reviews now use letter reviews, there are no avatars, and all the previews seem to have the name of the writer clearly labeled. This is awesome and a great change. There is a good-sized import section, 5 pages of anime, and an interview with From Software and the creators of King's Field of the time. There's even music album reviews, like the soundtrack to Metal Gear Solid and Echo Night, but also a Marilyn Manson album. A good issue, lots of content.