Writer Simon Pike shares his thoughts on joining Sega Mania Magazine

That kid I used to be, the one lying on the sofa reading the latest issue of Mean Machines Sega from cover to cover while One Foot in the Grave played on the TV in the background, I want to say that he would be proud of me. It was so long ago, though, that I've really got no idea of what that kid would think. He'd probably just shrug his shoulders and go and play with his Monster in My Pocket toys or something.

The point is, Sega, and video games in general, meant a great deal to me growing up, and so did being creative, writing and drawing, inventing narratives and having other people engage with my work. When Tim, our revered editor, presented this opportunity through a mutual friend, I jumped at the chance. Actually, I think Tim might have been a little weirded-out by how enthusiastic I was and how quickly I was throwing finished articles at him, but that's how much I love writing, and how much I want to improve by doing it over and over.

Sega Mania Magazine enabled me to combine my love of writing with my enthusiasm for the games that shaped my life. I will occasionally pick up a retro console these days, and will sometimes put a play-through video of some classic title on YouTube in the background while I work, eat or fall asleep, but actually re-playing these games with a critical eye was great fun and a real learning experience. Most of the games I reviewed in this magazine I had played back in the day (or on recent re-releases), but playing them with a modern viewpoint, whilst trying to understand just what the developers had been able to do with the limitations of the time, and then writing all about it like those fabled game journalists of yore, was a really cool experience. Issue 1 was a joy to be a part of.

That said, most of the games that really stole my heart during the 16-bit era were not released until two or three years later, so I'm crossing my fingers that the magazine is successful enough that we can keep going, and I can start talking about those titles that I still put on a pedestal to this day. I won't reveal too much, but the game I really want to write about hit Europe in '93, and featured a group of vigilante ex-cops taking to the streets for the second time...

But I'm getting ahead of myself. To whoever is reading this, thank you for your interest in our magazine, and I really hope that you enjoy issue one! We're always open to feedback and new ideas, so hit us up on the Discord server or on Twitter. It would be great to hear what you have to say.

Simon