Publication Paradise: The 10 Best Video Game Magazines

Image via Complex Original

Publication Paradise: The 10 Best Video Game Magazines

Before the whole “Google It” thing became our one-stop spot for cheats and info, video game magazines were gamers’ lifelines. When Mommy and Daddy ran out of video game hotline dough, cheat code fiends had to wait for their monthly dose of gamerzines to come in the mail.

The best video game publications provided us with screenshots on upcoming releases, previews, reviews and witty blurbs from all the writers. Today, these same mags can still be seen being read by someone on their daily MTA commute. You can even catch a few kids in class reading ‘em in between doses of algebra. Let us show you the top 10 video game magazines. Turn the page…

Game Developer

Professionals in the video game industry, take heed! This should be your tome, your ten commandments, your black book…YOUR EVERYTHING! Game Developer is a monthly mag that talks about all things “game development” – programming, art, audio, quality control, design and production.

Even some of the biggest names in the biz write columns for this magazine and offer their wisdom to would-be game designers. You wanna be in this industry kid? Then ya gotta read the best!

Edge 

This magazine is simply a tool for stimulating any gamer’s mind. Its distinctive cover art and writing style is on another level of gaming journalism. “Making-of” features for the most popular games, sections devoted to the more technical aspects of gaming and info on college gaming courses can be found in Edge.

Make sure you check out this mag’s "The 100 most significant reviews from the first 100 issues” issue. You’ll get a taste of this mag’s unmatched greatness soon enough.

PC Gamer 

God save the Kings of PC gaming! We’ll scream this loud and clear every time we get an issue of Britain’s own PC Gamer. Started in 1993, this magazine focuses on the best video games available for your home PC or MAC computer.

If you ever wanted to know how awesome Crysis was gonna be (and how much juice your PC would need to run it), a prior issue of this publication would be the one to go to. Man, this mag sure was harsh on those Big Brother games…

Official Xbox Magazine

For those lucky enough to attend E3 2001, they got their hands on the very first preview issue of the Official Xbox Magazine. Now Xbox diehards get their monthly dose of Microsoft’s gaming greatness. Can’t forget about those demo discs that give you all the goodies before anything hits stores. The best thing about this magazine, though?

It looks out for those Xbox gamers who have no online access by giving them that backwards compatibility software thingy. Wanna play some classic Xbox games on your 360? This magazine’s got your back.

PlayStation: The Official Magazine 

Sony heads already know the deal. The history behind this magazine is something else – Originally known as Playstation Magazine (PSM), Sony deemed this publication as the official magazine for its line of consoles. PTOM then took the place of Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (the one with the monthly demos).

This all-things PlayStation mag has some of the sleekest covers in the gaming journalism industry. We always get a kick out of “The Big 10” section and those writer debates. Somebody bring back Banzai Chibi-Chan!

Nintendo Power 

Now this magazine takes us back! The very first issue sported Super Mario Bros. 2, which blew our pre-teen minds back in the day. When the NES and SNES were at the top of the gaming food chain, Nintendo Power was the place to go for the new scoops on its games. At first, this mag was simply known as Nintendo Fun Club News.

When it transformed into its current iteration, everyone took notice. We remember when subscribers would get a free copy of Dragon Quest back in the day. When the Wii U finally drops, you’ll know exactly where to go to get your info. 

Famitsu

Ever wander onto some gaming site and see this headline – “Famitsu Review Scores In For *insert game here*? Can’t understand why American gamers would care about a Japanese gaming mag’s opinion? We’ll clear this one up for ya.

Famitsu is the most respected and widely read gaming mag in Japan. When your game gets a 100 from this publication, it’s the recipient of a Grammy or an Oscar. Only 15 games have received perfect scores from this mag so far. Import a copy and you’ll understand the hype soon enough. 

GamePro

Abby Normal. Vicious Sid. Major Mike. Air Hendrix. These nicknames ring a bell? If you’ve been a GamePro reader since 1989, these names should be atop your gaming Mt. Rushmore. This mag sported the alter egos of its staff and they were indeed awesome.

What we reminisce about the most about this magazine is how fat the issues would be once E3 came and went. And those iconic covers were the ish! That Sonic Adventure 2 cover art was so bawse! Cover overload hit our senses every month once we got our GamePro in the mail. Thank the gaming Gods that they’re still here today!

Electronic Gaming Monthly 

Our hearts wept uncontrollably when word came of this magazine’s demise came back in January 2009. Why Ziff Davis, why? Turns out we didn’t have to wait too long for the return of EGM. 2010 marked the new and improved re-debut of one of gamings most recognizable names.

The Q-Man rumors, epic April Fool’s pranks (we still wanna play Mushroom Kingdom Hearts) and the “Review Crew” are just some of our fondest memories of EGM’s past. It’s alive and back to business once again. 

Game Informer 

Ladies and gentleman we present to you…the holy grail of video game magazines. Game Informer is the quintessential “Bible” of all things gaming. And we’re not just talking about the plentiful content in it; we’re also talking about how huge its issues are.

This publication is most notable for doing the unthinkable in this time and age: giving gamers their first looks at the next games that’ll attack your bank account. We applaud the whole GI team for giving us our daily dose of exclusives every month. Speaking of that, they just dropped the bombshell on the next Transformers game. Now leave us alone! We’re bout to read this joint…