The Burrow - Gordon Houghton's Zzap! Issue 107 = page

Okay, okay,=20 there never actually was a Zzap!107. I know that, you know that, = and my=20 pet stoat Roderick knows it. Zzap! ran to Issue 90, and its successor = Commodore=20 Force took up the baton for another sixteen months, making a total of = 106 issues=20 in all. So what's this page all about? Well, it's a long and = unbelievably dull=20 story, which I'll try to keep as short as possible—but if you = don't want to hear=20 it, just click here = to download=20 the new issue. Alternatively, click on my head to return to the = Zzap!=20 contents, on my arm to visit The Burrow, and on my initials to go to my=20 Commodore 64 pages. And if you do download z107, and feel enthusiastic = enough to=20 have an opinion, you can email me here:.

	The=20 background In the summer of 2001, a = guy called=20 Gazunta on the Zzap! Rrap message board over at the Def Guide to = Zzap!64=20 mentioned that it would be a neat idea to bring out a new issue of = Zzap!... It quickly became apparent that this idea was a) popular, = and b)=20 not stupid. We realised that we could easily fill three dozen = pages with=20 reviews of recent C64 games (yes, there still are some) and features on the = current Commodore=20 scene (yes, there still is one). A crazed mob rushed to=20 contribute—resulting in five months=20 of blood, sweat and emails, and a brand new = 36-page=20 special. Particular credit should go to Gaz, who organised the = whole=20 thing; to Craig Grannell, who designed the pages from scratch, = laid them=20 out, and even found time for editorial work; and to Ant Stiller, = who drew=20 all the reviewer heads and did much more besides... But around 20 = other=20 people contributed too, including ex-Zzapers Paul Glancey and = Robin=20 Hogg—and me, because I can't keep my nose out of=20 anything. The=20 contents So what's inside the latest issue? For a = full list=20 of contents and contributors, click here... But basically, there are seven new = reviews; old=20 favourites such as Lloyd, the Scorelord and the White Wizard; = regulars=20 such as the news, previews, and tips; and features on emulators, = websites,=20 a history of Zzap!, and the current audio and demo = scenes. The top 50=20 games Back in September 2001, we posted messages on = the web=20 asking people to list their favourite C64 games of all time. Over = 300=20 replies were received, with nominations ranging from the = universally-loved=20 Paradroid to an obscure Hungarian text adventure called = =DAj=20 vadnyugat. The new issue has details of the Top 10 (and = includes the=20 Top 5, with instructions, on its accompanying Mega-tape). However, = if you=20 want to know which games made it into the Top 50, click here. (Alternatively, right-click here=20 and select 'Save Target As' to download the list as a text=20 file.) So how do I=20 get hold of the new Zzap!? Two versions are = available for=20 download: lo-res (4.8Mb), which is ideal for reading on = screen, and=20 fine for a basic printing job (at 720dpi or better); and = hi-res=20 (30Mb), for anyone who wants a good print copy which they can = stroke=20 lovingly, before binding it firmly with staples and slipping it = carefully=20 into a maroon binder. Either way, you can get them here. Both = are .pdf=20 files, viewable with Adobe's (free) Acrobat Reader software, which = you can=20 download here. Will there=20 ever be another one? Maybe, maybe not. It was fun = while it=20 lasted, but it took a lot of voluntary work on behalf of a lot of = people.=20 If we get huge numbers of requests for another one, and we summon = the=20 enthusiasm (and find the time) to create z108, it could just = happen. But=20 for now, this is definitely the last ever issue of a = once-great=20 magazine. We hope you enjoy reading it...



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