I usually save this annual to read last out of all of them when I get them each year but this year I got the NEXT annual so did not want to read two Spectrum ones in a row. Still deciding whether I will keep getting these. Not that I am less interested in retro gaming and technology I am just running out of space and have read enough of these, it is getting harder to find new stuff for me.

Still a very entertaining read and only a bit miffed when they talk about events in the UK I could never get to and have invariably passed by the time I read about them. Due to only reading the book in 15 minute bits at work it takes me several months to read each one. Annual means it takes you all year to read them doesn’t it?

I am used to the A5 format now and have glasses as I was wondering why it was taking so long to read these before.

Much like it was back in the 1990s I read and watch stuff about games more than I actually play them but reading about them in print always seems like an elevated way to go about it. A lot of the people in this area have written several books by this point or are successful on YouTube. I never had access to a video camera or even one on my phone for the most important years so never went that way.

There are still new C64 games coming out but the developers now have access to modern development tools and it is a lot easier these days. Some people enjoy the challenge of developing on the limited hardware and there is the whole maker space that intersects with it.

Due to their only ever being a finite amount of ZZAP!64 magazines they could not really keep going on the nostalgia forever so it is good to see the newer stuff and more events and cultural stuff coming into it. I would like to see more of the musical aspect but at least they do have the art gallery at the end. They did mention the public domain scene and demos and people immediately knew what was I was talking about when I mentioned it on Bluesky. (I do share bits and pieces as I am reading).

Even if you only have a passing interest in the retro gaming scene I would still recommend getting this one as it seems to be one of the more accessible ones. I will see how I go if I get the 2026 annuals, it is still early.

Rating: 4/5

Book details:

ZZAP!64 Editor: Christian Simpson

Annual Editor: Chris Wilkins

Cover Art: Oliver Frey

Layout Design: David Perkins

Additional Design: Stephen Day

Proofing: Ian Osbourne

Rockford Illustrations: Morgan Norris

Writers: Graeme Mason, Mat Allen, Simon Butler, Christian Simpson, Paul Morrison, Stefan Vogt, Robin Hogg, Rory Stamp, Andrew Fisher & Ian Osbourne

Publisher: Fusion Retro Books

Format: Hard cover, colour, 116 pages. Choose from A4 or A5.

Ice Cool Content:

Editorial

Adventure

Courting Controversy

Going Public

Files: Barbarian

Creatures 2: A Reappraisal

Book Look

Games That Weren’t (And Still Mostly Aren’t)

Files: Sanxion

Get Loaded

Dropzone Arcade

Art Gallery

Ravishing Reviews:

SNK VS CAPCOM

ROCKY & CO

Timo’s Castle

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Gameboy Adventures

Briely Witch Chronicles 2

Darkland 2

Escape Room

Yeti Mountain

Good Knight

Sea Wolves

Star Trader

Tony

Cats ‘N’ Critters

Drip

WIN Games

Spinning Image

TETRIS Recoded

Gallery: