History Magazine / AmigaPower

The magazine was well known for having a unique, personable style, and approaching the practice of vide ogame journalism rather differently to other publications of the time - which often led them into trouble with game publishers, for example their use of BrutalHonesty. If a game wasn't good, they would say exactly what was wrong with it, and rate it accordingly. For rating games, the writers used what they claimed was the "entire range of the percentage scale" - for example an average score was 50% rather than a typical 70%. For the time, this was surprisingly bold and confrontational. The internet wasn't around yet, so printed magazines were the only way to obtain information about new game releases - which meant that ''Amiga Power'''s opinions had a significant influence on game sales. Any negative review would certainly upset a game's publishers, which increased the risk of the publishers retaliating in some manner - withholding future games, pulling advertising, threatening legal action, etc. (''Amiga Power'' were, indeed, threatened with all of these things over the course of their run).

The magazine was well known for having a unique, personable style, and approaching the practice of vide ogame journalism rather differently to other publications of the time - which often led them into trouble with game publishers, for example their use of BrutalHonesty. If a game wasn't good, they would say exactly what was wrong with it, and rate it accordingly. For rating games, the writers used what they claimed was the "entire range of the percentage scale" - for example an average score was 50% rather than a typical 70%.

Although some video game reviewers have used the ''Amiga Power'' style of reviewing in the modern day, at the time this was surprisingly bold and confrontational. The internet wasn't around yet, so printed magazines were the only way to obtain information about new game releases - which meant that ''Amiga Power'''s opinions had a significant influence on game sales. Any negative review would certainly upset a game's publishers, which increased the risk of the publishers retaliating in some manner - withholding future games, pulling advertising, threatening legal action, etc. (''Amiga Power'' were, indeed, threatened with all of these things over the course of their run).

The core of ''Amiga Power'''s outlook, however, was an absolute passion for video games, which is why they went to such trouble in the first place. They claimed that if you allow publishers to get away with producing poor quality games, that was all someone would have to play - and being avid gamers, this wasn't viewed as an appealing prospect. The magazine would often devote huge features to the pleasures of gaming - the most well known being their yearly APATTOH (''Amiga Power'' All-Time Top One Hundred games), which featured not the most recent or the most popular releases, but simply the one hundred games that they, personally, loved to play. The list featured a wide mix of not just commercial releases, but even public domain and freeware games, reflecting their opinion that a game's enjoyability was more important than its heritage.

The magazine was well known for having a unique, personable style, and approaching the practice of vide ogame journalism rather differently to other publications of the time - which often led them into trouble with game publishers, who generally failed to understand or appreciate their approach.

An overarching part of ''Amiga Power'''s philosophy was BrutalHonesty - holding ''nothing'' back, regardless of the target, and refusing to sugarcoat anything. If a game wasn't good, they would say exactly what was wrong with it, and rate it accordingly - using what the writers claimed was the "entire range of the percentage scale" (Their lowest ever score for a legitimate game was 2%, for ''International Rugby Challenge'').

Although this may may seem like exactly what a video gaming magazine should be doing anyway, at the time this was surprisingly bold and confrontational. The web wasn't around yet, so printed magazines were the only way to obtain information about new game releases - which meant that ''Amiga Power'''s opinions had a significant influence on game sales. Any negative review would certainly upset a game's publishers, which increased the risk of the publishers retaliating in some manner - withholding future games, pulling advertising, threatening legal action, etc. (''Amiga Power'' were, indeed, threatened with all of these things over the course of their run).

The core of ''Amiga Power'''s outlook, however, was an absolute passion for video games, which is why they went to such trouble in the first place. They knew that if you allow publishers to get away with producing rubbish, then rubbish is all you'll have to play - and being avid gamers, this wasn't an appealing prospect. The magazine would often devote huge features to the pleasures of gaming - the most well known being their yearly APATTOH (''Amiga Power'' All-Time Top One Hundred games), which featured not the most recent or the most popular releases, but simply the one hundred games that they, personally, loved to play. The list featured a wide mix of not just commercial releases, but even public domain and freeware games, reflecting their opinion that a game's enjoyability was more important than its heritage.

An overarching part of ''Amiga Power'''s philosophy was BrutalHonesty - holding ''nothing'' back, regardless of the target, and refusing to sugarcoat anything. If a game wasn't good, they would say exactly what was wrong with it, and rate it accordingly - using the entire range of the percentage scale. (Their lowest ever score for a legitimate game was 2%, for ''International Rugby Challenge'').

** Similarly, J. Nash and S. Campbell teamed up with P. Rose and K. Gillen to create [[Series/{{Digitiser}} Digi]]-o-spinoff Digiworld -- although both were regular columnists for the TeleText version anyway.

''Amiga Power'' (AP for short) was a monthly British videogaming magazine which ran from 1991-1996 for 65 issues, covering games released on the Commodore UsefulNotes/{{Amiga}}, and later, the [[UsefulNotes/{{Amiga}} CD32]].

The magazine was well known for having a unique, personable style, and approaching the practice of videogame journalism rather differently to other publications of the time - which often led them into trouble with game publishers, who generally failed to understand or appreciate their approach.

Although this may may seem like exactly what a videogaming magazine should be doing anyway, at the time this was surprisingly bold and confrontational. The web wasn't around yet, so printed magazines were the only way to obtain information about new game releases - which meant that ''Amiga Power'''s opinions had a significant influence on game sales. Any negative review would certainly upset a game's publishers, which increased the risk of the publishers retaliating in some manner - withholding future games, pulling advertising, threatening legal action, etc. (''Amiga Power'' were, indeed, threatened with all of these things over the course of their run).

The magazine ended in 1996, around the same time as Amiga itself was pushed aside by the rise of the Windows PC era, but people fondly remember it to this day - videogame journalists will occasionally hark back to reviews from the magazine. Former staffer [[http://worldofstuart.excellentcontent.com/ Stuart Campbell]] maintains a [[http://theweekly.co.uk/ap2/ historical fansite]] that gives a peek into the inner workings. An archive of its reviews is also available [[http://amr.abime.net/issues_5 here,]] and a full archive of issues can be found [[https://archive.org/details/amigapowermagazine here]].

-->"''Human Killing Machine'' is one of the great unsung classics of our time, sadly under-rated by all and sundry and due for a major critical reappraisal any day now. And the Poll Tax was a really good idea. And I'm the Archbishop Of Canterbury."

''Amiga Power'' (AP for short) was a monthly British videogaming magazine which ran from 1991-1996 for 65 issues, covering games released on the Commodore UsefulNotes/{{Amiga}}, and later, the CD32.

For most, ''Amiga Power'''s style is the most memorable thing about the magazine. The tone was highly conversational, as though the writer were talking directly to the reader, and reviewers allowed their own personalities to flourish - with the result that readers could get to know the magazine's staff over time. Any regular reader, for example, knew that Cam Winstanley liked guns, or that Jonathan Nash enjoyed ''{{Animaniacs}}''.

** A more obvious Spiritual Successor was ''Magazine/PCGamer''. Many AP writers moved onto PC Gamer (just as so many Amiga owners moved on to PCs) including such names as Jonathan Davies, Kieron Gillen (aka C-Monster) and Stuart Campbell. They brought to it many familiar in-jokes and running gags from their ''Amiga Power'' days.

** They ran an entire article pointing out the various clichés, cop-outs, and dishonest practices used by reviewers, with the unstated implication that readers could find them being used by other magazines.

* HurricaneOfPuns: In the 1992 All-Time top 100 list, the description for ''VideoGame/JamesPond 2: Codename Robocod'' read "If you ever haddock-raving for salmon-tertaining and rock-hard platform action but couldn't find anything to fit the brill, Robocod whale mackerel change and sprat's a fact. The o-fish-ial sea-quel to James Pond is an a-fish-onado's bream come true. With it's whelk-ool look and fin-tastic sound, Robocod comes across as a gil-t edged con-sole p-rod-uct. Its swi-shark-ade action represents a trout-standing o-perch-unity for krill-ing time, so get your skates on and scampi on down to your local software aquarium to plaice an order for Robocod today". This is justifiably followed by an Ed Comment "we're really sorry about this"

* WeAreNotGoingThroughThatAgain: Stuart Campbell's review of the Hit Squad rerelease of ''VideoGame/SimCity'' just said: "Look, I'm not reviewing ''Sim City'' again. No way. Forget it." Similarly, when both the A500 and enhanced A1200 versions of Sleepwalker were reissued simultaneously, Campbell reviewed the A500 version in detail, but the main text body for the A1200 version simply read "Exactly the same" (the Bottom Line section elaborated that it was slightly more colourful, but not to the point that it made a differencel both scored 77%)

* WeAreNotGoingThroughThatAgain: Stuart Campbell's review of the Hit Squad rerelease of ''VideoGame/SimCity'' just said: "Look, I'm not reviewing ''Sim City'' again. No way. Forget it."

** A more obvious Spiritual Successor was ''Magazine/PCGamer''. Many of AP's former staffers moved on to that magazine after ''Amiga Power'' folded, including such names as Jonathan Davies, Kieron Gillen (aka C-Monster) and Stuart Campbell. They brought to it many familiar in-jokes and running gags from their ''Amiga Power'' days.

* ActuallyPrettyFunny: One of the magazine's more prominent terms was appending "natch" to sentences (a contradiction of "naturally"). Andy Nuttall, a writer from the competing mag ''The One'', parodied this by using "obv" in the same context. Johnathan Nash found this funny enough to use in ''Amiga Power'' proper, and ''AP2'' refers to it as [[TakeThat "perhaps the last funny thing The One did."]]

* HurricaneOfPuns: In the 1992 All-Time top 100 list, the description for James Pond 2: Codename Robocod read "If you ever haddock-raving for salmon-tertaining and rock-hard platform action but couldn't find anything to fit the brill, Robocod whale mackerel change and sprat's a fact. The o-fish-ial sea-quel to James Pond is an a-fish-onado's bream come true. With it's whelk-ool look and fin-tastic sound, Robocod comes across as a gil-t edged con-sole p-rod-uct. Its swi-shark-ade action represents a trout-standing o-perch-unity for krill-ing time, so get your skates on and scampi on down to your local software aquarium to plaice an order for Robocod today". This is justifiably followed by an Ed Comment "we're really sorry about this"

* HurricaneOfPuns: In the 1992 All-Time top 100 list, the description for James Pond 2: Codename Robocod read "If you ever haddock-raving for salmon-tertaining and rock-hard platform action but couldn't find anything to fit the brill, Robocod whale mackerel change and sprat's a fact. The o-fish-ial sea-quel to James Pond is an a-fish-onado's bream come true. With it's whelk-ool look and fin-tastic sound, Robocod comes across as a gil-t edged con-sole p-rod-uct. Its swi-shark-ade action represents a trout-standing o-perch-unity for krill-ing time, so get your skates on and scapmi on down to your local software aquarium to plaice an order for Robocod today". This is justifiably followed by an Ed Comment "we're really sorry about this"

* VapourWare: ''AP'''s "design-a-game" competition never produced a real playable game.

** Tim Norris' death is uncertain, but it's suggested that he was silently garotted by a [[EverythingsBetterWithNinjas stealth time-travelling assassin]].

RunningGags, references, and in-jokes were a staple of the magazine from start to finish, to the extent that the magazine effectively developed its own vocabulary of oft-used phrases and jokes. Perhaps ''Amiga Power'''s most well-known repeated joke is the 'Ed comment' - a parenthetical comment supposedly from the editor which would be inserted into a review, usually to contradict whatever point the reviewer had just made.

The magazine ended in 1996, around the same time as Amiga itself was pushed aside by the rise of the Windows PC era, but people fondly remember it to this day - videogame journalists will occasionally hark back to reviews from the magazine. Former staffer [[http://worldofstuart.excellentcontent.com/ Stuart Campbell]] maintains a [[http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/ap2/ historical fansite]] that gives a peek into the inner workings. An archive of its reviews is also available [[http://amr.abime.net/issues_5 here,]] and a full archive of issues can be found [[https://archive.org/details/amigapowermagazine here]].

** Of all the staff, only two make it out alive: Steve Faragher and Sue Huntley. They are finally seen on the back cover, facing off against the Four Cyclists of the Apocalypse.

* OutOfGenreExperience: done frequently in the Concept Reviews, where you'd suddenly be reading a play, or a transcript of an episode of ''Series/HaveIGotNewsForYou''.

** In later issues, this became even more explicit: ''AP'' began to publish a table in each issue called The Disseminator, which simply listed the scores awarded to games by rival magazines, compared to AP's scores. This showed clearly just how overinflated review scores were in magazines (''Amiga Action'' gave ''RiseOfTheRobots'' 92%, for example, compared to ''Amiga Power'''s 5%). It also occasionally pointed out games which hadn't yet been released (implying that the magazines were reviewing unfinished games in order to claim the exclusive, which is technically deception).

** C-Monster (Kieron Gillen) is killed by some kind of bird, implied to be one of the Four Cyclists of the Apocalypse (it's mentioned previously that they can take the form of ravens, which fits with the fact that they attack his eyes first).

** Tim Tucker's death is not seen, but he is reported to have been killed in a traffic accident - which turns out to have been no accident at all.

** Similarly, J. Nash and S. Campbell teamed up with P. Rose and K. Gillen to create [[{{Digitiser}} Digi]]-o-spinoff Digiworld -- although both were regular columnists for the TeleText version anyway.

* CausticCritic: Stuart Campbell. He ''does not'' pull punches or soften blows, which has put him on the receiving end of a lot of hatred and personal attacks over the years. He is, however, scrupulously fair and pragmatic - all he wants is for everything to achieve its full potential, which in the case of the Amiga, meant ''not releasing bad games''.

** C-Monster (Kieron Gillen) is killed by some kind of bird. Possibly the bird is one of the Four Cyclists of the Apocalypse (it's mentioned previously that they can take the form of ravens, which fits with the fact that they attack his eyes first).

* Satire: The magazine had a wicked satirical streak, and would occasionally devote features to pointing out the wrongs of gaming culture and industry. One of their more sardonic ones was 'Lest We Forget' - a feature which 'celebrated' the phenomenon of games breaking immersion by showing massive pictures of floppy disks whenever they were loading. You can read this [[http://amr.abime.net/issue_49_pages here]] (click on pages 36 and 37).