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ACE

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ACE
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Launch Editor

Peter Connor & Steve Cooke

Company

Future Publishing
EMAP

ISSN

First Date

October 1987

Final Date

April 1992

Total Issues

55

ACE (Advanced Computer Entertainment) was a multi-format computer and video game magazine first published in the United Kingdom by Future Publishing and later acquired by EMAP.

Launched in October 1987, roughly the same time as Ludlow-based publisher Newsfield's own multi-format magazine The Games Machine, the magazine consisted mainly of ex-Amstrad Action and Personal Computer Games staff, including launch co-editors Peter Connor and Steve Cooke. Andy Wilton, ex-Amstrad Action, was brought in as Reviews Editor, while Dave Packer and Andy Smith were hired as Staff Writers. Trevor Gilham, another ex-Amstrad Action member, held the position of Art Editor.

Design and content was very polished and clear. The glossy magazine had a unique, professional feel - very much a blueprint for Future's well-respected Edge magazine.

After selling the title to EMAP, Future Publishing redeployed the original ACE staff to work on their Amiga Format and ST Format titles.

Contents

Editorial contentEdit

Coverage initially included Atari ST, Amiga, C64, ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC, but also included newer machines as they were released. Although games features were the mainstay, other articles on graphics and computer music were featured. A cover cassette, and later a floppy disk, was included with the magazine featuring games demos.

Regular editorial features included Interface; News, Letters, The Blitter End. The Specials; features and Gameplay; Screen Test, Arcades, Tricks 'n' Tactics, Adventures.

Screen Test was the games review section. Games were rated (out of ten) on Visual effects, Audio, IQ Factor, Fun Factor and an overall rating. Games were seen by all the reviewers and the overall rating, and was notable for scoring games out of 1000 rather than the usual percentage or mark out of ten. Also introduced was the Predicted Interest Curve graph where the game was given a line graph predicting the long term interest in the game over many months.

StaffEdit

Editors

Peter Connor, Steve Cooke
Steve Cooke
Steve Cooke, Graeme Kidd
Graeme Kidd
Pete Connor, Steve Cooke
Steve Cooke
Jim Douglas

StatsEdit

ReviewsEdit

Issue Games Reviewed Average Score Highest Score Highest scoring game Lowest Score Lowest scoring game
8 52 699 969 Oids (Atari ST) 285 Frightmare (C64)
9 37 693 958 Bubble Bobble (Amiga) 392 Strip Poker II+ (Amiga)
10 34 697 934 F/A-18 Interceptor (Amiga) 392 Starring Charlie Chaplin (Amstrad CPC)
11 43 613 981 Virus (Atari ST) 261 Aaargh! (Amiga)
12 50 676 940 Reach for the Stars (PC) 321 The Fury (Spectrum)
13 32 736 928 Ultima V (PC) 289 Action Force (Amstrad CPC)
14 27 651 945 Falcon A.T. (PC) 332 Street Sports Soccer (PC)
15 45 721 963 Driller (Amiga, Atari ST) 273 Elemental (Atari ST)
38 22 782 911 Welltris (PC) 510 Dr Mario (Gameboy)
39 21 791 955 Savage Empire (PC) 405 Gremlins 2 (Amiga)
40 31 803 919 Strider (Mega Drive) 598 Wings of Death (Amiga)

Other InfoEdit

Issue Cover Date Release Date Pages Price Editor Publisher
8 May 1988 124 £1.50 Peter Connor, Steve Cooke Future
9 June 1988 124 £1.50 Peter Connor, Steve Cooke Future
10 July 1988 3rd June 1988 132 £1.50 Peter Connor, Steve Cooke Future
11 August 1988 7th July 1988 132 £1.50 Peter Connor, Steve Cooke Future
12 September 1988 4th August 1988 124 £1.50 Steve Cooke Future
13 October 1988 1st September 1988 156 £1.50 Steve Cooke Future
14 November 1988 6th October 1988 148 £1.50 Steve Cooke Future
15 December 1988 3rd November 1988 172 £1.50 Steve Cooke, Graeme Kidd Future

IssuesEdit

ACE Index
Date Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
1987 1 2 3
1988 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 1415
1989 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27
1990 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39
1991 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51
1992 52 53 54 55

External linksEdit

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