Super Play

Infobox Magazine
title = Super Play


image_caption = Issue 36 (October 1995) of Super Play - The coverart by Wil Overton features Mario
language = English
editor = Alison Harper (Apr 95 - Sep 96) James Leach (Oct 93 - Mar 95) Matt Bielby (Nov 92 - Sep 93)
category = Nintendo video games
publisher = Future Publishing
firstdate = November 1992
finaldate = September 1996
finalnumber = 47
frequency = Monthly
circulation = 23,657 (Nov 95) 37,747 (May 95) 37,442 (Dec 94) 50,578 (Jun 94) 50,504 (Nov 93)
country = United Kingdom
issn = 0966-6199:"This article is about Super Play the UK video games magazine. There is a different article on the Swedish gaming magazine Super PLAY."

Super Play was a UK based SNES (Super Nintendo Entertainment System) magazine which ran from November 1992 to September 1996.

Super Play was notable for a number of reasons. Firstly, it covered in great detail the console role playing games genre. Many of these games were never released officially in the UK, and therefore the magazine concentrated much effort in covering aspects of the American, and moreover the Japanese games markets.

It also featured in-depth, intelligent and passionate coverage of all aspects of gaming. Given the close ties between the world of Japanese RPGs and animation, the magazine also heavily featured information about manga and anime by noted UK based writer, Helen McCarthy. It can be said that Super Play was one of the magazines that helped to push forward what was at the time a nascent market for anime in the UK. In this vein, the magazine itself was also notable as its cover illustrations (and many illustrations between the covers) were done in manga style by artist Wil Overton. Overton also caricaturised many of the staff in chibi form, wearing various types of anime-related costumes - sci-fi armour, flying gear, RPG-style armour etc. The cover even had the name "Super Play" written in katakana.

The magazine came out monthly, and would often feature a Final Fantasy 6 forum (probably the game held in the highest esteem by both the writers and the readership). It is interesting to note that this game was never even granted a UK release.
Squaresoft games were the focus for much of the attention in the magazine, given their high-quality RPG output.

Some of the most recognizable names on the Super Play staff were Matt Bielby, Tony Mott (former editor of Future Publishing stablemate Edge), Jason Brookes, Jonathan Davies and Zy Nicholson.

The magazine was based in Bath, England and published by Future Publishing. Despite its fairly short run (47 issues, just short of 4 years, and a one-off "Gold" special), and many years since its demise, it still enjoys a fan following on the internet.

Its end came with the declining popularity of the SNES itself, both among designers and the public, as the Nintendo 64 was on the cusp of release making way for the next generation of games consoles. It was 'relaunched' (not the same magazine, but most of the staff remained) in March 1997 as "N64 Magazine", which in turn became known as NGC Magazine before its closure in 2006, which in turn led to another 'relaunch' as NGamer.

External links

* [http://www.digital.anime.org.uk/wilinterview.html Wil Overton interview and artwork]
* [http://www.cubed3.com/news/4721/ Retro Special: Cubed³ Interviews Wil Overton]