The 1990s was a wondrous decade for popular culture print media. Popping into almost any local newsagent at that time would bring delight to any child’s face, the plethora of print on offer could meet almost any interest. In 1992, there were over twenty video game magazines dedicated to single gaming platforms. From Amiga Format through to ZZap!64, every current platform had an accompanying magazine throughout the decade. The Super Nintendo Entertainment System was no different, with five related publications starting up in 1992, two of which would become the most treasured today - Nintendo Magazine System, the official publication for all things Nintendo, and Super Play, which even today remains the world’s most unique video game publication.
Super Play was a British video game magazine that ran from November 1992 to September 1996. Published by Future Publishing, Super Play covered everything Super Nintendo Entertainment System-related but was unique for its exclusively deep focus on Japanese culture. Dedicating significant space to Japanese (and US) exclusive games and the broader gaming scene in Japan, Super Play frequently covered Japanese role playing games, often overlooked by other UK gaming magazines given many titles of that nature would not see the light of day during the tenure of the SNES. Just look at the Final Fantasy series numbering at that time and the confusion it caused.
One of the most appealing factors above the other SNES publications was the wonderful anime-style cover art, original for every issue, provided by the peerless Wil Overton. Personally, I owe it to the cover of issue #1 that I was attracted to the magazine in the first place. Each and every month after that it was always a joy to see what fantastic SNES character depiction would come next. In what was once an extremely competitive magazine market, regardless of the content inside, the covers alone gave a guarantee of the mag’s quality. Thank you, Wil.
Inside the mag, Super Play regularly covered anime, manga, and Japanese pop culture. All three, as a pre-teen myself at the time, became my interest wheelhouse almost immediately as a result. Accounts of life on the streets of Japan, the news of games you might not see for months (or ever), plus extensive coverage of anime, a concept that was just starting in the UK at the time, remain compelling reading to this day. Thanks to bringing the UK’s most notable anime and manga expert, Helen McCarthy, on board from the start, Super Play became not just the reason I even knew Anime existed, but introduced anime into my way of being. I wanted to see Porco Rosso for so long, and until this and other Studio Ghibli movies were readily available in the UK, Helen’s advocation for Ghibli and the medium as a whole is a huge reason anime is widely available today. Thank you, Helen.
Naturally, at Super Play’s core was its comprehensive coverage of everything released across the lifetime of the SNES. Reviews, analysis, news, even tips, tricks and cheats were crammed into its pages, including its progressive and well-informed take on RPGs, recognizing their significance when many Western gaming outlets did not. Introducing readers to Japanese pop culture, particularly anime, solidified Super Play’s unique identity above all other video game publications. The hype generated around what would become my favourite game, Chrono Trigger, was as palpable as any UK release, even though it was known it would never take place, and other mags would no longer focus on it. Thank you to the top writing team, too.
By 1996 however, the SNES was aging, with focus shifting to the upcoming Nintendo 64. Super Play had covered the development of the future beyond the SNES as it developed, from the Sony-produced CD add-on, the shocking news of the Sony/Nintendo relationship collapse, to the announcement of the Ultra 64, which of course would become the Nintendo 64. Instead of continuing the publication into the next generation, Super Play ended with issue #47 in September 1996. However, N64 magazine would serve somewhat as a spiritual successor to Super Play, with involvement from Wil Overton and others involved in Super Play’s tenure, albeit minus the Japanese coverage that made the former publication unique.
The impact of Super Play is undeniable. It helped introduce series such as Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger, and Secret of Mana to many western players, creating a fanbase for RPG’s (including myself) and, most important of all, keeping us all informed well ahead of time. Its impact will also never be forgotten; In 2017, Super Play made a one-off return as a special issue bundled with Retro Gamer magazine to celebrate the SNES Classic Mini release, including reviews of each title and even a new anime column by Helen McCarthy. And just like that, I was in my youth again. Just like any time reading Super Play.