People involved in the preparation of this issue of RetroMagazine World (in no particular order):
- David “Cercamon” La Monaca
- Carlo N. Del Mar Pirazzini
- Daniele Brahimi
- Francesco Fiorentini
- Roberto Del Mar Pirazzini
- Giampaolo Moraschi
- Takahiro Yoshioka
- Eugenio Rapella
- Tommaso Pitturru
- Michele Ugolini
- Chiara “Kika” Carrara
- Ingrid Poggiali
- Marta Rossmann
- Querino Ialongo
- …
- Cover image: Giuseppe Mangini
- Cover layout: Carlo N. Del Mar Pirazzini
Editorial by Francesco Fiorentini – “If this is a dream, don’t wake me up!”
We are living in an extraordinary time for those who love retrocomputing. An era that, just a few years ago, would have seemed impossible to imagine. Thanks to modern technology, today we can rediscover and fully experience the machines of the 80s and 90s: not only through the original hardware, but also thanks to software and hardware emulators that are increasingly faithful, accurate, and respectful of the spirit of the historic platforms. Computers, consoles, operating systems, peripherals: everything is at our fingertips, often with a simplicity that we could only have dreamed of in the past.
And we’re not just talking about video games. An impressive amount of software is now available online: educational programs, business applications, professional tools, management software, graphics software, music software, and writing software. A cultural heritage that was in danger of being lost and is now being recovered, archived, studied, and shared by a passionate and knowledgeable community. Every now and then, real gems emerge. Forgotten software, little-known projects, solutions that were surprising for the era in which they were created. This is the case with Microtext, which we review in this issue: a concrete example of how much there is still to discover, understand, and appreciate. Each discovery reminds us that the history of computing has not yet been fully told.
At the same time, we are witnessing a new creative flowering. Hardware and software projects are constantly emerging: expansions, FPGA boards, modernized systems, new applications, new games, development tools. All this thanks to an ever-growing audience of enthusiasts who, out of pure passion, devote their time, skills, and creativity to keeping this world alive. Retrocomputing is no longer just nostalgia. It is experimentation, study, sharing, personal growth. It is an open laboratory where the past dialogues with the present. Sometimes it really feels like living a second youth. An era in which everything is accessible, in which technical barriers are lowered, in which anyone who is curious can learn, build, program, create. A time when everything seems possible.
If it’s a dream, don’t wake me up. If, on the other hand, as it seems, this is reality, then I can only say thank you. Thank you to those who preserve archives, write emulators, restore hardware, document, translate manuals, develop new projects, and share knowledge. Thank you to those who dedicate part of their lives to making this heritage available to everyone.
Long live retrocomputing. And long live the child in all of us. The one who continues, even today, to try to be helpful, to aid others, to build something beautiful starting from passion. Because, after all, we are not just preserving machines and software, we are preserving our future!
Summary:
- Atari 2600+: the review
- TI-99/8: chronicle of a future that never was
- C64 Ultimate: the review
- UnoCart+: the first multicart for Atari 2600/7800+
- MicroText for C64 – part 1
- Amstrad CPC: playing with images
- Truthful and… unreliable (for C64 – beginners)
- Starpost
- Paola and Francesco (for C64)
- RetroLIPS
- DirBrowser: file browser for C64
- StoryCraft System: DIY adventures for ZX Next
- PTSource MiniVMDOS: more than just another DOS
- PTMiniVMDOS Suite: journey into a parallel world
- Interview with Domenico Marsico (@EMD69)
- Japan – part 28 – gachagachagachagacha…pon!
- Absolutely brilliant! The history of CodeMasters
- The gaming legend of Rebecca Heineman
- Happy birthday Shining In The Darkness
- The first 40 years of Legend of Zelda
- The evolution of FPS
- Retrocomputing Hacks
- Bubble Bobble Remastered (C64)
- Another World (MSX TurboR)
- The Mansion Of The Macabre (Windows)
- Astro Climber (SMS)
- Floppyverse (ZX 128K)
- Ghosts ‘n Goblins Arcade (Plus/4)
- Wolfing Reloaded (C64)
- Terra Incognita (vari)
- Pteropus (NES)
- Sonic GX (Amstrad GX4000/+)
- Bubble Bobble Lost Cave (C64)
- Treasure Hunter G (SNES)
- True Galactic Mission (Sega MD)
- Asymmetry (ZX 128K)
- Phantom Leap (Amiga)
- Jupiter Fracture (C64/C64U)
- Double Dragon One (NeoGeo)
- Pac-Man Double Feature (Atari 7800)
- Street Fighter 2 (Atari 800XL)
- Colocodx (Sega MD)
- Splatterworld: Rick To Kyoufu No (NES/Famicom)
- Angelic Warrior Deva (MSX 2)
- LUMASCII (ZX 48K)
- Renegade (Amiga AGA)
- Planet X9 (MSX 16K V9990)
- The Nyanja (PC Engine)
- Outrun (Game Boy Color)
- Musketeer (C64)
- Phazer 64 (N64)
- Roguecraft GB (GB/GBC)
- Roguecraft DX (Amiga/Mega65)
