Games Magazines

Hi all,

Having read on IGN today about long running magazine GamePro ending next month, it got me all nostalgic about a time when you would have to wait for a certain date each month to find out all the latest news and reviews on gaming (i'm showing my age possibly but trust me a time like this existed!)

So two questions:

What is your all time greatest Games Magazine?

For me, being a life long Nintendo fan it was Total! Published between 1992 and 1996, Total! covered a golden era for Nintendo, the first issue reviewed Super Mario Bros 3, and was there for the release of the SNES and the N64, and their greatest titles.
Special mention to Super Play, CVG and Mean Machine.

Secondly: Is there any place for the Games Magazine in this day and age?

How many of you out there still buys them?
What is it about magazines that makes it worth paying out the money when you can get it all from sites like IGN or GAMESPOT? (please don't say the free posters).

Surely (and sadly) publications like GAMESMASTER and EDGE are on borrowed time?

Your thoughts....

I used to subscribe to amiga format back in the day, I used to save my dinner money from my week at school and buy it. Then me and a few others would sit a read in English class.

I still buy Edge every know and again, I have to travel up to Aberdeen on the train quite often so it's always good for a read to pass the journey.

For me there's only ever been one magazine that I've ever really paid any attention to when it's came to reviews and that's Amiga Power. Their philosophy was a rare one within their industry and it's what sets them apart for me over any other mag I've come across.

I still get OPM every month, not for the reviews but for all the little tidbits of information all in one place. Some months are better than others. I think their's still a place for a games magazine but not for me personally in their current format or their current corrupt philosophy's.

To add something to the closure of GamesPro I'd just say they have produced some horrendous reviews and articles in the past so I won't be sad to see the company being merged with PC Gamer.

Their most recent article/review on the current state of SWTOR was diabolical and came across more like the ramblings of petulant children than professional reviewers, if there's one thing I hate it's reviewers who can't be objective just due to not liking a specific style/genre of gaming. They are on par with someone like Eurogamer and I wouldn't be sad to see them disappear either on purely what they produce as a product.

Mean Machines was the one back in the early nineties. Used to find the reviewers amusing; they gave the magazine a bit of personality. Still have a few old issues somewhere, along with a load of old NMS, which Mean Machines splintered into (along with MM Sega).

Wouldn't use Edge to wipe my backside on, and nowadays I don't buy any of the games magazines, just browse them instore to get an aggregate score for whatever I'm interested in.

PC Zone used to be really decent, but Charlie Brooker now has been massively over-exposed and I'd happily see him hung.

I used to love Mean Machines, back in the day whan my Megadrive was the absolute dogs.

I also used to buy CVG and sometimes Gamesmaster round about January when they do the big look forward to the new years games with release dates and screen shots etc.

I did sometimes buy the OXM magazine when i first got my 360 just for the demos to see what games I might buy but now to be honest if I want to know if anythings good I use the net.