Amiga Reviews

Tim Janssen · 09 September 2002, 09:26

Despite some serious problems with my PC I have managed to backup my Amiga Reviews-homepage I am working on since September 2000. Yesterday I decided to upload it to the Internet by using a PC of a friend of mine. On my site (Amiga Reviews) you can find more than 285 HTML-ised reviews of games that originally appeared in magazines like Amiga Joker, CU Amiga and Zzap.

Take a look and let me know what you think about it. Suggestions, advice - anything is welcome. I am especially interested how this site performs with browsers like Opera, Netscape and so on.

Paul · 09 September 2002, 10:24

Looking good Tim. Lots of good interesting content and am pleased you got it on-line.

Two suggestions.

I would change the background and use a plain or parchment background.

I would not use yellow text on a red background.

It would be good to click on a small thumbnail picture, which then opens and shows a larger version.

Ok that was 3 suggestions.

Anyway you have done a good job.

blackcornflake · 09 September 2002, 10:42

Ditto Paul. I like the site a lot, Tim.

Very easy to navigate. Good idea re review layout. It gives a very good impression of what the original page was like.

Glad I could contribute in a small way (X-Men scans). I will rescan at higher quality if required. N.B. The CU Amiga review was October 1998, Page 48.

Tim Janssen · 09 September 2002, 11:02

@Paul,
Thanks for your comments.

- About the background colour: You are absolutely right. Amigaboy also suggested to change it to a more 'readable' background color. I think I'll change it to plain white.

- The use of yellow text on a white background: I knew this point soon would come up. By converting the text to HTML, I have maintained many properties of the original reviews, e.g. facial expressions of reviewers and colours of additional text boxes. I have also used Font-colours that match the original reviews and have to admit some of the text can be quite unreadable (even in the original reviews). I think I will have to manually scan all pages when I have changed the background colour. Dark tones of colour will rule, of course.

- What do you exactly mean with the Thumbnail-pictures? Should I add thumbnails of HTML-reviews or ingame-pictures?

@BlackcornFlake,
Ah, it was you who put the original X-Men reviews in The Zone. Thanks for providing additional information about the page and issue of the CU Amiga review.
If you would like, I can credit you on the X-men HTML-page.

I am still VERY interested in reviews of Amiga games that appeared from 1995 on. From this year on, I haven't bought Amiga games anymore so a huge part of the Amiga reviews history is missing. Is it possible I can contact you for scanning those 'newer' reviews?

Paul · 09 September 2002, 11:10

Quote:

Originally posted by Tim Janssen
@Paul,
- What do you exactly mean with the Thumbnail-pictures? Should I add thumbnails of HTML-reviews or ingame-pictures?

I meant the ingame-pictures.

blackcornflake · 09 September 2002, 11:59

Quote:

Originally posted by Tim Janssen
@BlackcornFlake,
Ah, it was you who put the original X-Men reviews in The Zone. Thanks for providing additional information about the page and issue of the CU Amiga review.
If you would like, I can credit you on the X-men HTML-page.

No need for credit. Just glad to help!

Quote:

I am still VERY interested in reviews of Amiga games that appeared from 1995 on. From this year on, I haven't bought Amiga games anymore so a huge part of the Amiga reviews history is missing. Is it possible I can contact you for scanning those 'newer' reviews?

Absolutely!

Twistin'Ghost · 09 September 2002, 14:02

OK, my turn. I ooh'd and ahh'd the whole time I was at the site. VERY impressive work and nice, explicit eye for detail! This is one of those sites I'd like to always be available online (like the coverdisk sites). Very useful and very well laid out. I remember you talking about doing this site some time ago, but I shrugged it off since these types of things tend to go awry with bad code and no eye for design. But I thoroughly enjoyed the site.

Incidently, the background was effective when it was on static pages; it only fell apart on the scrollable pages (like the reviews) where it repeated the landscaped pattern. And even then, it's still better looking that too many sites I have visited.

blackcornflake · 09 September 2002, 18:00

Phew! OK, I’ve gone through all my available Amiga magazines and created an alphabetical list of all reviews of new games.

I will happily scan anything on the list, Tim. Should I PM you with the list, or post it here?

I must say I’m a bit depressed now after reading up on all those game releases. While there are a few little-known gems sprinkled around, the vast majority are mediocre efforts. And there are some REAL stinkers in there. I mean, pee-yew!

It wasn’t all that much work actually, as the Amiga games market offered pretty slim pickings at this time – throughout 1998/1999, it was quite usual for Amiga Format to review one game per issue.

Tim Janssen · 10 September 2002, 10:18

@Twistin,
Nice to know you appreciate my site.

I only wish I could have tested it out in different browsers before putting it online. It was a bit of a rushjob. According to Amigaboy it works fine in a browser like Opera.
There are some pictures missing on my site, but generally I am quite happy how well the homepage is after a single upload.
There is still a lot of work to be done. I have about 100 reviews on my harddisc which I have to check out for grammatical errors and layout. My intention is to put all these reviews online with a next upload.

@Blackcornflake,
I am REALLY interested in your list

- you can put it in The Zone if you want.
From which year on have you bought which magazines?
At the moment I am especially interested in games that scored highly in the later Amiga years. Alien Breed 3D II, Napalm, Chaos Engine 2 and Myst immediately spring to mind.

blackcornflake · 10 September 2002, 11:44

Magazines currently available to me:

Amiga Power 1995 - 1996
Amiga Format 1996 - 2000
CU Amiga 1997- 1998
Amiga Active 1999 - 2001
CD32 Gamer 1995 - 1996

Some games are covered by more than one mag, most by only one. The dates of the magazines' existences tend to overlap, but from late 1998 (CU Amiga closes) to late 1999 (Amiga Active opens), AF was alone.

Comparing a review between mags is especially interesting in the case of AP vs AF - the latter's somewhat generous review policy highlighted by comparison with AP. CD32 Gamer just gave everything 95%.

I have the following reviews of the games you mention:

Alien Breed 3D II (AP)
Napalm (AF)
Chaos Engine 2 (AF)
Myst (AF, CU)

I will up the full list to the Zone as soon as I get in from work.

10 September 2002, 11:57

Nice work Tim, I appreciate the amount of work that must have gone into this :-)

I was going to post a big reply here but I'll put it in a new thread to keep it seperate from your good work.

Twistin'Ghost · 10 September 2002, 13:52

Quote:

Originally posted by Tim Janssen
@Twistin,
Nice to know you appreciate my site.
I only wish I could have tested it out in different browsers before putting it online. It was a bit of a rushjob. According to Amigaboy it works fine in a browser like Opera.

Damn, I knew there was something else I wanted to say in that message. It worked 100% perfect in Opera for me!

Shatterhand · 10 September 2002, 22:31

I've checked the page, I enjoyed it a lot! I will HAVE to spend a little more time in that page later.

I only used to read The One and Amiga Action (There was a few other ones which I only readed a few issues), so it's nice to see reviews of other magazines there

BippyM · 10 September 2002, 22:51

@Tim

Nice site m8..

I also have ALOT of Amiga Mags dating from 1991 to 1998, I have probably a stack that would stand about 6.5 feet high, so I can scan anything you want.

Let me know and I'll do it.

I have

Alot of

Amiga Format
CU Amiga
Amiga Shopper
Amiga Action
Amiga Shopper
Amiga Power
The One
Amiga User International

A few of the following

GamesX
Zero
Amiga Mania

and a few others that I can't think of right now

Anyway lemme know

Miggy2TheMax · 11 September 2002, 03:05

Tim, your site is excellent!! That must of took a _lot_ of effort, well done! I hope you site continues to grow! I wish I had a scanner (looking into getting one) so that I could help you out.

Tim Janssen · 11 September 2002, 13:43

@Miggy2TheMax,
Any help (scans) are welcome - the next couple of weeks of months.

@Bippyn,
An interesting list of magazines you have. Currently my site ‘only’ covers Amiga Computing, Amiga Format, Amiga Joker, CU Amiga, Zzap and Zero, so I prefer reviews from these mags. At the moment I am busy converting the last bulk of HTML-reviews to the style of my site. When this job is done – and believe me, this will take a couple of weeks – I can start OCR-ing and typing in new reviews.
Can I contact you within a couple of weeks about possible scans?

@Blackcornflake,
I have just downloaded your list of gamereviews in Amiga magazines. Very impressive, although I do not recognize most titles. At the moment I am most interested in Napalm, Chaos Engine 2 and Myst.
I remember that magazine, CD32 Gamer, which was sold a couple of months at my newsagent. I remember the reviews being fairly short and the magazine looking more like a picture book with many photos.
A little question about Amiga Active: This magazine still exists, right? I think HTML-ising their reviews might cause me some copyright-trouble.

Fred the Fop · 11 September 2002, 13:50

Tim: UNBELIEVABLE!! I am impressed that you are undertaling this effort to show your love of retrogaming and the Amiga to the web world. I, like Twist, "ooed and Ahhed" at your work. I am no expert on the design of websites. Nay, not even a mere babe, but man, do I know a good content when I see it! Thumbs up to you and Dastardly!

Fred the Fop · 11 September 2002, 13:52

Oh yeah, ad Blacky and Bippym...get your asses to steppin' and scan those, or I butcher you.
Period.

blackcornflake · 11 September 2002, 14:00

Amiga Active is no more. It transformed into Digital in December 2001, an Edge-esque general 'new tech' mag, with limited Amiga coverage. That too has now closed, after 4 issues. That'll learn 'em. Don't know about the legal situation. Probably not good. Still, Future Publishing haven't rumbled you yet, so I doubt Active Media will. If they still even exist.

Re my Amiga mags/reviews: I should have specified that the list is based on my collection from 1995 onwards, as this period is of particular interest to you. I have pre-1995 too.

OK. I will scan what I have on Napalm, Chaos Engine 2 and Myst, and up to da Zone. Mainly cause I'm scared of Fred.

BippyM · 11 September 2002, 14:03

@Tim

Let me know when you are ready and I'll dig 'em out the cupboard and compile a list of all issues (There's alot).

I am more than happy to help m8...

09 September 2002, 09:26	#1
Tim Janssen Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Den Bosch / The Netherlands Age: 47 Posts: 1,271	Amiga Reviews Despite some serious problems with my PC I have managed to backup my Amiga Reviews-homepage I am working on since September 2000. Yesterday I decided to upload it to the Internet by using a PC of a friend of mine. On my site (Amiga Reviews) you can find more than 285 HTML-ised reviews of games that originally appeared in magazines like Amiga Joker, CU Amiga and Zzap. Take a look and let me know what you think about it. Suggestions, advice - anything is welcome. I am especially interested how this site performs with browsers like Opera, Netscape and so on.

09 September 2002, 11:02	#4
Tim Janssen Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Den Bosch / The Netherlands Age: 47 Posts: 1,271	Thanks for the comments @Paul, Thanks for your comments. - About the background colour: You are absolutely right. Amigaboy also suggested to change it to a more 'readable' background color. I think I'll change it to plain white. - The use of yellow text on a white background: I knew this point soon would come up. By converting the text to HTML, I have maintained many properties of the original reviews, e.g. facial expressions of reviewers and colours of additional text boxes. I have also used Font-colours that match the original reviews and have to admit some of the text can be quite unreadable (even in the original reviews). I think I will have to manually scan all pages when I have changed the background colour. Dark tones of colour will rule, of course. - What do you exactly mean with the Thumbnail-pictures? Should I add thumbnails of HTML-reviews or ingame-pictures? @BlackcornFlake, Ah, it was you who put the original X-Men reviews in The Zone. Thanks for providing additional information about the page and issue of the CU Amiga review. If you would like, I can credit you on the X-men HTML-page. I am still VERY interested in reviews of Amiga games that appeared from 1995 on. From this year on, I haven't bought Amiga games anymore so a huge part of the Amiga reviews history is missing. Is it possible I can contact you for scanning those 'newer' reviews?

10 September 2002, 10:18	#9
Tim Janssen Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Den Bosch / The Netherlands Age: 47 Posts: 1,271	Reviews... @Twistin, Nice to know you appreciate my site. I only wish I could have tested it out in different browsers before putting it online. It was a bit of a rushjob. According to Amigaboy it works fine in a browser like Opera. There are some pictures missing on my site, but generally I am quite happy how well the homepage is after a single upload. There is still a lot of work to be done. I have about 100 reviews on my harddisc which I have to check out for grammatical errors and layout. My intention is to put all these reviews online with a next upload. @Blackcornflake, I am REALLY interested in your list - you can put it in The Zone if you want. From which year on have you bought which magazines? At the moment I am especially interested in games that scored highly in the later Amiga years. Alien Breed 3D II, Napalm, Chaos Engine 2 and Myst immediately spring to mind.

11 September 2002, 13:43	#16
Tim Janssen Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Den Bosch / The Netherlands Age: 47 Posts: 1,271	Games lists @Miggy2TheMax, Any help (scans) are welcome - the next couple of weeks of months. @Bippyn, An interesting list of magazines you have. Currently my site ‘only’ covers Amiga Computing, Amiga Format, Amiga Joker, CU Amiga, Zzap and Zero, so I prefer reviews from these mags. At the moment I am busy converting the last bulk of HTML-reviews to the style of my site. When this job is done – and believe me, this will take a couple of weeks – I can start OCR-ing and typing in new reviews. Can I contact you within a couple of weeks about possible scans? @Blackcornflake, I have just downloaded your list of gamereviews in Amiga magazines. Very impressive, although I do not recognize most titles. At the moment I am most interested in Napalm, Chaos Engine 2 and Myst. I remember that magazine, CD32 Gamer, which was sold a couple of months at my newsagent. I remember the reviews being fairly short and the magazine looking more like a picture book with many photos. A little question about Amiga Active: This magazine still exists, right? I think HTML-ising their reviews might cause me some copyright-trouble.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Scans of some Amiga Power reviews	MethodGit	request.Other	1	15 October 2010 13:32
Which Amiga magazine would you say is most reliable for reviews?	seuden	Retrogaming General Discussion	21	04 February 2010 15:37
Amiga Downloads, Reviews etc.	WOC_Admin	Amiga scene	14	26 February 2009 23:25
Amiga Magazine scans/reviews online	Dastardly	Retrogaming General Discussion	4	02 August 2002 17:10
Amiga Power Reviews	CodyJarrett	Amiga websites reviews	5	20 November 2001 10:15

09 September 2002, 10:24	#2
Paul RIP Friends Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: UK Posts: 2,157	Looking good Tim. Lots of good interesting content and am pleased you got it on-line. Two suggestions. I would change the background and use a plain or parchment background. I would not use yellow text on a red background. It would be good to click on a small thumbnail picture, which then opens and shows a larger version. Ok that was 3 suggestions. Anyway you have done a good job.

09 September 2002, 10:42	#3
blackcornflake Moderator Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Cereal box Posts: 802	Ditto Paul. I like the site a lot, Tim. Very easy to navigate. Good idea re review layout. It gives a very good impression of what the original page was like. Glad I could contribute in a small way (X-Men scans). I will rescan at higher quality if required. N.B. The CU Amiga review was October 1998, Page 48.

09 September 2002, 14:02	#7
Twistin'Ghost Give up the ghost Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: U$A Age: 33 Posts: 4,662	OK, my turn. I ooh'd and ahh'd the whole time I was at the site. VERY impressive work and nice, explicit eye for detail! This is one of those sites I'd like to always be available online (like the coverdisk sites). Very useful and very well laid out. I remember you talking about doing this site some time ago, but I shrugged it off since these types of things tend to go awry with bad code and no eye for design. But I thoroughly enjoyed the site. Incidently, the background was effective when it was on static pages; it only fell apart on the scrollable pages (like the reviews) where it repeated the landscaped pattern. And even then, it's still better looking that too many sites I have visited.

09 September 2002, 18:00	#8
blackcornflake Moderator Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Cereal box Posts: 802	Phew! OK, I’ve gone through all my available Amiga magazines and created an alphabetical list of all reviews of new games. I will happily scan anything on the list, Tim. Should I PM you with the list, or post it here? I must say I’m a bit depressed now after reading up on all those game releases. While there are a few little-known gems sprinkled around, the vast majority are mediocre efforts. And there are some REAL stinkers in there. I mean, pee-yew! It wasn’t all that much work actually, as the Amiga games market offered pretty slim pickings at this time – throughout 1998/1999, it was quite usual for Amiga Format to review one game per issue.

10 September 2002, 11:44	#10
blackcornflake Moderator Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Cereal box Posts: 802	Magazines currently available to me: Amiga Power 1995 - 1996 Amiga Format 1996 - 2000 CU Amiga 1997- 1998 Amiga Active 1999 - 2001 CD32 Gamer 1995 - 1996 Some games are covered by more than one mag, most by only one. The dates of the magazines' existences tend to overlap, but from late 1998 (CU Amiga closes) to late 1999 (Amiga Active opens), AF was alone. Comparing a review between mags is especially interesting in the case of AP vs AF - the latter's somewhat generous review policy highlighted by comparison with AP. CD32 Gamer just gave everything 95%. I have the following reviews of the games you mention: Alien Breed 3D II (AP) Napalm (AF) Chaos Engine 2 (AF) Myst (AF, CU) I will up the full list to the Zone as soon as I get in from work.

10 September 2002, 11:57	#11
Jim Posts: n/a	Nice work Tim, I appreciate the amount of work that must have gone into this :-) I was going to post a big reply here but I'll put it in a new thread to keep it seperate from your good work.

10 September 2002, 22:31	#13
Shatterhand Warhasneverbeensomuchfun Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Rio de Janeiro / Brazil Age: 41 Posts: 3,450	I've checked the page, I enjoyed it a lot! I will HAVE to spend a little more time in that page later. I only used to read The One and Amiga Action (There was a few other ones which I only readed a few issues), so it's nice to see reviews of other magazines there

10 September 2002, 22:51	#14
BippyM Global Moderator Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Derby, UK Age: 48 Posts: 9,355	@Tim Nice site m8.. I also have ALOT of Amiga Mags dating from 1991 to 1998, I have probably a stack that would stand about 6.5 feet high, so I can scan anything you want. Let me know and I'll do it. I have Alot of Amiga Format CU Amiga Amiga Shopper Amiga Action Amiga Shopper Amiga Power The One Amiga User International A few of the following GamesX Zero Amiga Mania and a few others that I can't think of right now Anyway lemme know

11 September 2002, 03:05	#15
Miggy2TheMax Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Australia Age: 45 Posts: 381	Tim, your site is excellent!! That must of took a _lot_ of effort, well done! I hope you site continues to grow! I wish I had a scanner (looking into getting one) so that I could help you out.

11 September 2002, 13:50	#17
Fred the Fop flaming faggot Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Versailles Age: 55 Posts: 2,808	Tim: UNBELIEVABLE!! I am impressed that you are undertaling this effort to show your love of retrogaming and the Amiga to the web world. I, like Twist, "ooed and Ahhed" at your work. I am no expert on the design of websites. Nay, not even a mere babe, but man, do I know a good content when I see it! Thumbs up to you and Dastardly!

11 September 2002, 13:52	#18
Fred the Fop flaming faggot Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Versailles Age: 55 Posts: 2,808	Oh yeah, ad Blacky and Bippym...get your asses to steppin' and scan those, or I butcher you. Period.

11 September 2002, 14:00	#19
blackcornflake Moderator Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Cereal box Posts: 802	Amiga Active is no more. It transformed into Digital in December 2001, an Edge-esque general 'new tech' mag, with limited Amiga coverage. That too has now closed, after 4 issues. That'll learn 'em. Don't know about the legal situation. Probably not good. Still, Future Publishing haven't rumbled you yet, so I doubt Active Media will. If they still even exist. Re my Amiga mags/reviews: I should have specified that the list is based on my collection from 1995 onwards, as this period is of particular interest to you. I have pre-1995 too. OK. I will scan what I have on Napalm, Chaos Engine 2 and Myst, and up to da Zone. Mainly cause I'm scared of Fred.

11 September 2002, 14:03	#20
BippyM Global Moderator Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Derby, UK Age: 48 Posts: 9,355	@Tim Let me know when you are ready and I'll dig 'em out the cupboard and compile a list of all issues (There's alot). I am more than happy to help m8...

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)