The early 80s was a magical time for computers, because for the first time, computers were not just huge machines which took up entire rooms, but were now available to the average household for business and recreational use.
Despite the computers having a business application, it was the gaming aspect which helped sell computers in the millions. Sharing the limelight with Sinclair and Acorn and Amstrad was the Commodore 64. It soon became apparent that there would be a need for magazines which were devoted to reviewing games, rather than just reviewing hardware and business applications.
At the beginning, most of these magazines would fill their pages with adverts, and listings of games which you would have to type in yourself, many of which didn't work, even if you typed the code in correctly.
Another problem which wasn't obvious yet, was the fact that many of these 'reviews' were nothing more than glorified adverts, often being paid for buy the software houses to make sure the reviews were glowing.
Well, the birth of a ZX Spectrum magazine called 'Crash' came along and smashed that (excuse the inside pun joke). The magazine was the brain child of Roger Kean, Oliver Frey and his brother Franco.
You see, to get really honest reviews, the games were tried and tested by schools kids, and that was the problem, they were maybe a bit too honest for some people's taste, namely the software houses. The reason being that the magazine had become quite an authority on games, so the kids on the streets were basing their buying decisions largely on the reviews in Crash.
It wasn't long before it became obvious that due to the success of Crash, there should be a sister magazine which would concentrate on reviewing games for the Commodore 64. The magazine was an instant hit right out of the gate. This could be largely to the fact that the front cover was instantly recognisable to all those who had been reading Crash magazine from rival speccy users.
Back then, the photos of the games didn't really do enough on their own to excite the reader, and bring the game to life. So, Oliver Frey with his unique twist of merging machine and fantasy, and his clever use of the airbrush, would literally create and effect of the magazine leaping off the shelf.
Almost as famous as the games themselves, were the personalities and egos of those who worked for the magazine. Reviewers like Julian Rignall, Gary Penn and Gary Liddon always made sure there was never a dull moment, good or bad. It was also the first time reviewers from a magazine achieved an almost pop star following, which only helped sales further.
To this day, both magazines are still talked about, and in fact, you can now even buy original artwork and prints such as Zzap 64 Covers and other high quality fantasy art originals. Please visit us to check the latest deals.
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