Retro Magazines

Online or on paper, there are quite a few retro computer magazines active. Some of those include pages of information about MSX or are completely dedicated to that system. Everything you love about old computers is today's topic of those magazines. With an expanding market, there might be one or two mags that just fits your needs. Let us have a look.

The before-internet-day where less volatile; any news about our precious MSX, you could get from magazines. Printed magazines that is, real physical ones. Turning pages to explore new worlds within the MSX universe wasn't anything but volatile. You got your hands on an announcement or review of a new MSX-machine, game or Fair. Or perhaps tricks-and-tips for that game you've been stuck in too long. Or, a new programming course. It was there, it was a source of information. And, it just felt good having a stack of printed pages about your fave 8-bit machine. Wonderful.

Looking back, those printed magazines were a treasure. But, slowly and surely they were going the way of the dodo. Together with the down fall of home computers, printed magazines were no longer a thing. New technology presented new computers and, above all, new ways of getting your information. Like the internet. Perhaps man's greatest invention. Or miss-invention, depending on who you ask.

With the internet any one can share information globally by just a few clicks. Easy, fast and publicly available. The need to have a bundled information source for old computers, by old fans, however, is growing. Retro Magazines are being popular again and plenty popped up recent years. Most offer a subscription service, some have a pre-order per edition.

The term Retro Computer Magazine means it's not solely dedicated to one classic system. The mags spend a good amount of writing about old platforms in general, but targeted at home computers and consoles. Systems like Nintendo, Sega, Atari, Commodore, Spectrum, BBC, and ofcourse MSX. Those mags typically have plenty of colorful prints of game reviews, interviews and other in-depth information about whatever system and todays releases.

Magazines come in different sizes and shapes, they can be digital, printed, or both. Where there are magazines that appear a few times per year, there are also a few annual editions. Like the Blast Annual and 8-Bit Annual magazines for example, summing the past year in print. While printed versions, delivered to your doorstep, might cost a few coins, some magazines offer free digital editions, like the recent RetroMagazine issue.

There's only one known printed magazine purely dedicated to our beloved MSX system, that is the Brazilian Clube MSX Magazine. It is, however, written in Brazilian Portuguese language. So, targeted at a specific audience. The rest of the world misses out on this great print. Until edition #14 that is; Clube MSX has just announced they go global by introducing an English written episode.

With all this written goods about retro systems, there's no change you'll end up lonely at x-mas this year. Having a pile of mags stashed up next to the couch will sure make happy faces. If you are a fan of printed material, go ahead and purchase the ones you like. Because, there are plenty retro writings to get your hands on.

We've compiled a list of current running retro magazines for you, right here. Enjoy.

Relevant link: Clube MSX (Brazilian Portuguese and an upcoming English print)
Relevant link: Retromagazine (Italian and English digital, free)
Relevant link: Blast Annual (English print and digital)
Relevant link: Eight Bit Magazine & Retro Format (English print and download)
Relevant link: 8-Bit Annual (English print and digital)
Relevant link: re.bit (Italian digital, free)
Relevant link: Return Magazine (German print)
Relevant link: Retrogamer (English print and digital)
Relevant link: LOAD (German print and digital)
Relevant link: Moai-tech (Spanish online)