Did anyone here read GamePro back in the 90's?

[CastleVanity]

When Gamepro hit the scene i was interested in that magazine as well because of the game show back in 1991.

[miketheratguy]

GamePro was probably my third most bought magazine, behind EGM and Hyper (Australian multi-platform magazine). I always found it strange how they had aliases, like Air Hendrix. Weird..

If I recall correctly EGM gave them shit about that sometimes, mocking them for "hiding" behind pseudonyms instead of backing up their reviews with their real names.

I remember reading this and thinking "daaaaamn"! Then I turned the page to read the latest gossip from Quartermann, all the hot codes from Trickman Terry, and the newest reviews from Sushi X.

When Gamepro hit the scene i was interested in that magazine as well because of the game show back in 1991.

I somehow never managed to catch the show when I was a kid. I'm guessing that in 1991 it was rad, and in 2016 it would be absolutely awful. ....And probably also rad.

[kitsunebi]

oops wrong thread

dunno how to delete a post

[adultdoug]

Yup. The first few years. Then I kind of outgrew it.

how so? i know EGM was amazing, but what about gamepro did you out grow? I had a subscription to this and tips and tricks. i had more information on all the upcoming games than any of my other classmates. It was the coolest.

[miketheratguy]

how so? i know EGM was amazing, but what about gamepro did you out grow? I had a subscription to this and tips and tricks. i had more information on all the upcoming games than any of my other classmates. It was the coolest.

I can't speak for him but as I got older I too felt a growing sense of embarrassment when I read Gamepro. As I've said in various places I felt that their reviews were really good but the tone of the magazine was relatively childish compared to the other gaming rags of the time. They were full of cutesy, cheesy artwork from Francis Mao (mentioned above), their reviews and articles were absolutely riddled with lame jokes and corny puns, and their staff used pseudonyms like "Scary Larry" and "Boba Fatt". The magazine just didn't have an edge, at least not until they transparently tried to create one in the early 2000s or so.

[Areala]

If I recall correctly EGM gave them shit about that sometimes, mocking them for "hiding" behind pseudonyms instead of backing up their reviews with their real names.

I remember reading this and thinking "daaaaamn"! Then I turned the page to read the latest gossip from Quartermann, all the hot codes from Trickman Terry, and the newest reviews from Sushi X.

To be fair, Trickman Terry's last name (Minnich? I don't have one handy to glance at) was printed in the mag, as he was officially one of the editors there.

Sushi-X was a play on similar pseudonymous reviewer Tako-X from Famitsu. He wasn't so much an anonymous reviewer like GamePro's editors were as he was an in-joke and head-nod to EGM "borrowing Famitsu's four-person review format for their own means.

Quartermann was just another hat worn by Steve Harris, wasn't it? I don't think the magazine ever divulged that, but I seem to remember that coming to light at some point. Also, while his stuff was presented as legit rumours straight from the street, I have a hard time believing that some of the stuff wasn't just wishful thinking or completely made-up sensationalism in an effort to get pulses racing. I specifically remember him reporting that the Saturn would be backwards-compatible with the Genesis...

*huggles*

Areala

[miketheratguy]

Quartermann was just another hat worn by Steve Harris, wasn't it? I don't think the magazine ever divulged that, but I seem to remember that coming to light at some point. Also, while his stuff was presented as legit rumours straight from the street, I have a hard time believing that some of the stuff wasn't just wishful thinking or completely made-up sensationalism in an effort to get pulses racing. I specifically remember him reporting that the Saturn would be backwards-compatible with the Genesis...

On my GOD, one of these days I'm going to collect some of the more noteworthy bits of Quartermann's "gaming gossip" and compile it here to laugh at it. I vaguely remember one of his comments - can't remember the specific details - where he made some kind of bold claim about an upcoming fighting game, something like Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter. The coy swagger with which he "reported" this "news" and the benefit of seeing how blatantly, wildly, impossibly off the mark he was in hindsight made me almost embarrassed for whomever had actually written it. Again, while I don't recall specifics right this second, he said something like "Speaking of news, Q-fans, yours truly may just have uncovered a juicy tidbit about the upcoming sequel to Mortal Kombat. Word on the street is that Mortal Kombat: BURNING FURY EDITION won't feature any new characters but will allow the player to perform special desperation moves that will supercharge their characters with invincibility and extra damage for all kinds of crazy new combos and fatalities. This new game is sure to be the hottest arcade title of the year. When will it be officially unveiled? Q-Man isn't telling!" Oh le mystère!!!!!

Then he made an expression like this.

[mariobro]

Around 1994, GamePro improved quite a lot. Better quality in binding, paper, and content. Andy Eddy of VG&CE joined it around that time. The childish overtones were almost gone, and in-depth features were added. I especially enjoyed one on Donkey Kong Country, and another one on Acclaim's then state-of-the-art motion capture technology. Overall, they were trying to be more serious. I hated the early 90s comic book filler, I actually liked their reviews.