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If a magazine is published regularly and we know the date of the first issue, then it should be a straightforward process to add it to the database. Unfortunately game magazines don't always start out as regular publications. If we just guess or add issues with incomplete data, then we can wind up with problems like we just had with Game Player's or like we do now with Tips & Tricks, where the numbering in the database is off from the official numbering and it looks like we have database entries for issues that may not even exist. The official numbering can be confusingly irregular anyway, so maybe these kinds of challenges are unavoidable and are part of the research process. It should be straightforward enough to add Weekly Famitsu, because by the time it was officially published with that name it had a regular weekly schedule and has maintained that schedule ever since. The English Wikipedia says Weekly Famitsu started with issue 369 but the Japanese page says 368. I'm more inclined to believe the Japanese page, but if it becomes a problem later down the road than it should be easy enough to fix. So, Phillyman, in theory you should be able to start Weekly Famitsu with issue 368 dated January 5th 1996 and increment each entry by seven days all the way to today and it should hold up. That's approaching a thousand database entries, though, and that's not even including the previous decade's 367 issues when it was known under different names or the many Famitsu spinoffs or monthly Famitsu. You could probably also create entries for when it was known as "Weekly Famicom News" which started with issue 135 dated July 19th 1991 and ran until issue 367 before it was changed to "Weekly Famitsu" with 368. If you look at the Wikipedia pages again you'll find contradictory information on when exactly these name changes happened and the dates of the issues. I think some of that confusion comes from the date printed on the issue and the date when the issue actually hit newsstands. I've come up with these values with the issue numbers stated on Japanese Wikipedia and the dates corresponding the seven-day increments that match up with the issues I have in my possession. So, I can look at issue 455 dated Sep 5 1997 on cover which I just scanned and tell you that the issue 623 was 168 weeks later and was dated Nov 24 2000 which matches up exactly. So issue 135 should have been dated July 19th 1991 and so on.

I have one issue from October 1991. Also five issues of "Game Player's PC Entertainment" which appears to be a separate magazine that is also not in the database. I feel like there's at least one more Game Player's magazine still missing.

That's because looking at it is like being knocked out so you forget every time.

Retromags Presents! Next Generation Issue 43 July 1998 Retromags Database Entry Download from Retromags Download from The Internet Archive

I like to spoil you guys. That and I reeeeaally want Next Generation to be complete. I think, it's just time now!

I remember that I took the full-page illustration of Link in this issue and made it the back cover of my binder that year in high school (the front cover was of course a full-page illustration of the Sega Saturn logo).

Retromags Presents! Next Generation Issue 42 June 1998 Retromags Database Entry Download from Retromags Download from The Internet Archive

Yes!

Retromags Presents! Next Generation Issue 38 February 1998 Retromags Database Entry Download from Retromags Download from The Internet Archive & Next Generation Issue 39 March 1998 Retromags Database Entry Download from Retromags Download from The Internet Archive & Next Generation Issue 40 April 1998 Retromags Database Entry Download from Retromags Download from The Internet Archive & Next Generation Issue 41 May 1998 Retromags Database Entry Download from Retromags Download from The Internet Archive

There are guys at OGM that get releases out faster than I do, including Kiwi, when he sets his mind to it! Seriously, though, if it were race then I wouldn't even get the bronze medal over there.

Retromags Presents! Next Generation Issue 37 January 1998 This is a scan of a subscriber issue with an alternate cover. Retromags Database Entry Download from Retromags Download from The Internet Archive

That's interesting about Yahoo auctions. It's my pleasure! There'll be plenty more where that came from after I'm done with NextGen, maybe in a few weeks.

Retromags Presents! Next Generation Issue 36 December 1997 Retromags Database Entry Download from Retromags Download from The Internet Archive

Genius.

I found a few more issues that were even earlier than 1997, including two from 1996 and one from 1993. I wish I had some issues that actually had some FFVII stuff in it (I know you guys like that) but it doesn't seem I do. I DO however have a few issues from around the launch of FFVIII in 1998, if anyone is into that!

Still, Goldeneye was one of the higher-rated games in that issue, wasn't it? Now that I look at it again, it was the highest-rated game along with Cool Boarders 2.