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

The
background
In the summer of 2001, a guy called
Gazunta on the Zzap! Rrap message board over at the Def Guide to Zzap!64
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)
not stupid. We realised that we could easily fill three dozen pages with
reviews of recent C64 games (yes, there still are some) and features on the current Commodore
scene (yes, there still is one). A crazed mob rushed to
contribute—resulting in five months
of blood, sweat and emails, and a brand new 36-page
special. Particular credit should go to Gaz, who organised the whole
thing; to Craig Grannell, who designed the pages from scratch, laid them
out, and even found time for editorial work; and to Ant Stiller, who drew
all the reviewer heads and did much more besides... But around 20 other
people contributed too, including ex-Zzapers Paul Glancey and Robin
Hogg—and me, because I can't keep my nose out of
anything.

The
contents
So what's inside the latest issue? For a full list
of contents and contributors, click here... But basically, there are seven new reviews; old
favourites such as Lloyd, the Scorelord and the White Wizard; regulars
such as the news, previews, and tips; and features on emulators, websites,
a history of Zzap!, and the current audio and demo scenes.

The top 50
games
Back in September 2001, we posted messages on the web
asking people to list their favourite C64 games of all time. Over 300
replies were received, with nominations ranging from the universally-loved
Paradroid to an obscure Hungarian text adventure called Új
vadnyugat. The new issue has details of the Top 10 (and includes the
Top 5, with instructions, on its accompanying Mega-tape). However, if you
want to know which games made it into the Top 50, click here. (Alternatively, right-click here
and select 'Save Target As' to download the list as a text
file.)

So how do I
get hold of the new Zzap!?
Two versions are available for
download: lo-res (4.8Mb), which is ideal for reading on screen, and
fine for a basic printing job (at 720dpi or better); and hi-res
(30Mb), for anyone who wants a good print copy which they can stroke
lovingly, before binding it firmly with staples and slipping it carefully
into a maroon binder. Either way, you can get them here. Both are .pdf
files, viewable with Adobe's (free) Acrobat Reader software, which you can
download here.

Will there
ever be another one?
Maybe, maybe not. It was fun while it
lasted, but it took a lot of voluntary work on behalf of a lot of people.
If we get huge numbers of requests for another one, and we summon the
enthusiasm (and find the time) to create z108, it could just happen. But
for now, this is definitely the last ever issue of a once-great
magazine. We hope you enjoy reading it...

Top