Issue 108 P - Reviews and reviewers for Z108

gordon · Post by **gordon** » Wed Jan 21, 2004 10:08 pm

Reviews for Z108

* Newcomer (x pages)
* Metal Warrior 4 (x pages) (Ant?)
* It's Magic 2 (x pages)
* Past Blaster (x pages)
* Solar Jetman (x pages) (Gazunta)
* Tran (x pages) (Gordon?)

? Enforcer (x pages)
? Lions of the Universe (x pages)
? Ikkiuchi (x pages)
? Turrican III (x pages)
? Hockey Mania (x pages)
? Metal Dust (x pages)

Reviewers for Z108

* Gordon (Tran + comment/s)
* Craig (comment/s only)
* Ant (Metal Warrior IV + other comment/s)
* PaulEMoz
* Gazunta (?) (Solar Jetman + comments)
* Mayhem
* Lee (???)
* Andy Haywood (?)

******************

Just thought I'd get a new topic started.

We can list the potential reviews here -- I'll edit this post as more get added, and we can discuss page allocation for each one.

So, what're we going to review in Zzap!#108?

And who, amongst us four, wants to do reviews? I'll put my name down for a start.

g.

-- Some suggestions were gathered from this thread.

CraigGrannell · Post by **CraigGrannell** » Thu Jan 22, 2004 12:00 am

Newcomer.
Metal Warrior 4.
It's Magic II.
Whatever else Protovision's done.
*One* past blaster, but I'm not sure what.

Gazunta · Post by **Gazunta** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 4:21 am

Solar Jetman.
Tran.

(wonders which game should get the cover treatment...)

CraigGrannell · Post by **CraigGrannell** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 12:26 pm

:: (wonders which game should get the cover treatment...)

That entirely depends on what we have artwork for! Mind you, I was thinking of doing a sort of montage thing for the cover, using previous ones, thereby removing the problem of having to find another piece of unused Oli art.

As for the reviewing team, I would very much like to do a few comments, if that's possible, but not any actual reviews (I'll be too busy with my crayons).

Ant · Post by **Ant** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 3:04 pm

I'm in for writing a review (MW IV would be nice

) and doing comments.

I can't think of anymore games to add just yet.

gordon · Post by **gordon** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 8:02 pm

OK, you're added to the list.

We need to decide at some point on other reviewers, too. (Are you going to do any, Gaz? If so, I reckon another 3 reviewers might be good; if not, another 4 -- that would give us variety with 7 heads (there are plenty of reviews to do), spread the work out, and give as many people as possible the chance to write...) As for selection, I suggest that rather than deliberately rooting out anyone from last time (which might unintentionally offend someone), we nominate people who we think should be in this time.

So, my nomination is for... PaulEMoz. I liked his stuff last time, he's got a good broad range of gaming knowledge, and he's also got his own review site for retro stuff, so he knows what he's talking about.

Any other suggestions?

g.

CraigGrannell · Post by **CraigGrannell** » Tue Feb 17, 2004 1:21 am

I agree about Paul: he has his own site PLUS he can write pretty well (which, as Gordon will most likely agree with, is a good thing when you're sub-editing).

Post by **Iain** » Tue Feb 17, 2004 11:27 pm

Well I'll gladly do a review or two this time, since I won't be writting any Zzap history articles.

Ant · Post by **Ant** » Sun Feb 22, 2004 11:46 am

Paul should definitely be in. He's got an easy-to-read yet professionsal sort of style and seems to really know his stuff.

I also thought Andy Haywood was quite good and he's pretty keen, which helps.

Lee aka Peek 'n Poke has a lot of experience (and is a very nice guy, to boot) and is brimming with enthusiasm.

Biggest Jim, well what can I say? He's crazy but how can you not love him?

Well, that's four from me. Though with all of the ex-Zzappers! appearing from out of the woodwork I understand that we probably can't have everybody.

CraigGrannell · Post by **CraigGrannell** » Sun Feb 22, 2004 10:15 pm

Speaking with my sub-editing hat on, I really only want people that can write at least fairly well. Although I agree that most of the z107 staff had a lot of enthusiasm, some of them simply couldn't write. I don't mind editing stuff, but I'm definitely not up for rewriting articles from scratch this time, hence the choices I made earlier.

Ant · Post by **Ant** » Mon Feb 23, 2004 12:05 pm

I did get the impression back in the days of 107 that some writing needed a lot of rework and personally I'd hate to have the job of redoing someone else's work to the nth degree.

I think it's important to remember though that it was everyone's effort and, dare I say, love that got 107 over the finishing line. I really want 108 to be as professional as possible (just ask my wife how much of a pain-in-the-arse perfectionist I can be) but the nice-guy part of me just wants to see everyone happy and maybe contribute even only a token amount.

Which would explain why I'm not in charge.

CraigGrannell · Post by **CraigGrannell** » Mon Feb 23, 2004 12:33 pm

Gordo and I have had an offline conversation via email about this. I (and I'm sure Gordo) would truly like to involve everyone, but, quite frankly, it got a bit depressing at times, having to rewrite entire articles. I'm hoping to counter "dropping" people by involving more ex-Zzap!64 staff, but it remains to be seen how many will actually get involved. I've still not heard back from Gary Liddon or Steve.

In some ways "love" got z107 over the finishing line, but I definitely think that some of the contributors simply didn't realise how much work went into it. This is backed up when you saw everyone clamouring for z108 and saying it'd be no problem. They probably didn't realise that I, for one, spent about two solid weeks working on it (and not evenings - entire days).

There is a "nice guy" in me, too, but there's also a realist. Maybe there's some way of involving people who contributed last time in a small way, with some kind of "communal" article? I can't think what that'd be, but there must be something.

As an aside, I know Iain originally wanted to open up this forum to all once z108 is done. I think we will have to do some serious editing on it, if that's the case, otherwise there are going to be some p??ed off people out there!

Ant · Post by **Ant** » Mon Feb 23, 2004 1:07 pm

In the distant future a "Making of ... Zzap! 108" article could be interesting particularly if it contained a few choice cuts from the Boiler Room ... highly edited, as you suggest.

I have no doubts the majority, if not all, of we plebs grossly under-estimated the amount of work involved with 107 (most of which you guys had to do). I certainly learnt a few things and garnered a great deal of respect for yourself, Gordo and Gaz.

I was originally thinking of getting a few of the old gang to do some of the comments for a smaller game review or two (leaving the review itself for someone else to cobble together). At least then they may get to see themselves in print one last time. But I'm a realist as well. If it doesn't work out that way then, hey, that's how things go. They'll get over it.

I agree, though, that there must be something that the original misfits could help out with.

Gazunta · Post by **Gazunta** » Tue Feb 24, 2004 4:38 am

Beat me to the punch. Lee and Big Jim were gonna get my vote. Though given a choice between the two, Lee.

But deference should always be given to ex-real Zzap staff.

And yeah, I definitely want to be part of the review crew.

As for what to do with the people who want to contribute but won't make the cut - how about asking them to organise the logistics of the Challenge?

So I think we have a tentative list of reviewers together, what with all our suggestions...

Gordon
Craig
Ant (Metal Warrior 4)
Gazunta (Solar Jetman)
PaulEMoz
Mayhem
Lee
Andy Haywood

...damn, that's 8, not 7. I'll bow out then.

gordon · Post by **gordon** » Tue Feb 24, 2004 9:05 am

Well, we might have eight reviews, so there might still be space for you, Big Ed.

I was just thinking we should try to strike a balance between getting a lot of people involved and keeping the whole thing nice and tidy.

So we now have eight reviewers (potentially): the only problem is, if one of the ex-staffers wants to review, then we'll have to drop someone from that list. Like I said elsewhere, I'd like to keep PaulEMoz and Mayhem...

g.