The Mean Machines Archive

[Duddyroar]

Hmmm...I dunno if I can afford a tenner for it though! I'm hoping it will come up on ebay cheaper...but having said that, I doubt it. I'm pretty sure it will keep its value. I may well get back to you on that Sean old chum, as everywhere around here has clean sold out!



Complete Guide to Sega arrived this morning - just had a quick look (I'm at work) and I'm well impressed - very nice presentation throughout. I've noticed that most of the text and screenshots are lifted from previous issues of Mean Machines, but the review scores have been changed. Aero Blasters, for example, got 80% when it was originally review in MM - in The Complete Guide to Sega it gets 90% (which is fairer reflection of the game IMO anyway). Nice to see that they've revised the scores a little, even if it was only a matter of months before they changed their minds!

[pentarou]

How many 'Complete guide to consoles' were there? I think I have 1 & 2 stashed away at my parent's house somewhere, as they survived the magazine cull that claimed most of my Mean Machines collection.

[Mad Gear]

3 issues. One Red, blue and yellow.

[Il Postino]

Are you sure? I seem to recall there being four "complete guides", my memory could be playing tricks on me though.

[Duddyroar]

According to The Complete Guide to Sega, there were four issues of The Complete Guide to Consoles. The Sega guide features a reviews database that has been 'updated from Complete Guide to Consoles IV'.

I really need to get the others. It's an excellent resource for collectors.

[sj33]

I've actually got a cool book here, 'Mean Machines - The Essential Sega Guide', a huge 190 page book released in Xmas '93 containing abridged versions of all MM/MMS Sega reviews, and previews of forthcoming games. Not bad for a quid at a car boot sale!

[Duddyroar]

Nice purchase there mate!

Car boot sales are excellent for second hand mags, trouble is most people have dumped their issues of MM years ago.

I was very lucky at a car boot in the late 90's - a chap had a massive cardboard box full to the top of videogame magazines. I noticed an issue of MM Sega on the top - couldn't really look through the rest so I took a gamble and met his asking price - a fiver - and stumbled back to the car with the box. Upon returning home I nearly wet myself - contained within were several MINT (and I mean mint) copies of Mean Machines, MM Sega, GamePro, EGM, Super Control and CVG, as well as a few other random mags from the early 90's. They look liked they'd only been read once!

A dream find, and no mistake.

[Duddyroar]

Tony Takoshi (the creator of the original C+VG Mean Machines section from which the magazine sprung) has gotten in touch and given an interview - he actually contacted me because he'd taken issue with something Rad had said in his interview...can't think what The actual interview is fairly short but interesting all the same.

Should be posting it up with the redesigned site, which is finsihed, I've just got to port all the information over, which takes a fair while.

[wheelaa]

Go Duddy Go! Can't wait to see what Tony has to say.

Also curse you and your site...caused me to get back into all the old mags and rebuy them as and when I see some. As if I'm not short of space as it is!

[Duddyroar]

Sorry mate!

[SuperDanX]

Just got my hands on 15 copys of mean machines (thanks to davy boy)and its enough to bring a tear to this old boys eye!Its really strange re-reading these again for the first time in 15 or so years,a lot of it id forgotten,but some articles/reviews/images seem so fresh in my mind its like id read them only last week.Its really intresting to look back on the console scene in the 16bit era and find a lot of simarlaritys with the console scene of today,for example reviewers bemoaning the lack of innavation and new ideas after reviewing another platform/shoot-em-up.Also its ironic to hear them complaining about having too many 2d shooters to review!(the chance would be a fine thing now'erdays!)very funny to see some of the old ads/early 90s 'celebs' etc it all looks so amatuer'ish!The mags are PACKED with page after page of ads from companys selling import games and consoles its amazing how big the import scene used to be.Worryingly(for my wallet)it makes me long to pick up all the games and consoles again!Mega!!

[Duddyroar]

Nice result mate!

The new site is nearly finished, just gotta tinker around with a few new sections and it should be online soon.

[SUMIRE]

I remember that Tony Takoshi, damn his articles are the first import reviews I ever saw in a magazine, and propted me to buy many a import game/console.

[LeeT]

Nice result mate!

The new site is nearly finished, just gotta tinker around with a few new sections and it should be online soon.

Looking forward to reading that Julian Rignall interview and seeing your new look site!

[baad bwoy]

Hi Duddyroar, If you are interviewing Jaz Rignall would you mind asking who Wayne Minton is,
I used to read Mean Machines and in each issue there would be a disclaimer barring this guy from entering any of their competitions because he was smelly or something,
used to be quite funny, and I would love to know who this guy was, to be so targetted by the Mean Machines guys.