The third stage of the magazines' existence was to be its
shortest, lasting just six months. But it would be remembered as a
golden age- behind it were four years of growth, and ahead lay its
death and rebirth as a mockery of itself. For the moment it was in
a state of perfection.
The May 1992 issue was more than a simple redesign, it was the
result of a night of passion between ACE magazine and The One for Amiga Games. The resulting
offspring took the best of both parents to create an entirely new
identity. The editorial team (consisting of David Upchurch, Jim
Douglas, Gary Whitta, & Jim Willis) implemented the attitude,
layout, and garish colours that ACE
had been renowned for. This made the magazine stand out from
alternative titles on the shelf, but had the side effect of
looking slightly childish. Despite this criticism, the design was
to become the standard look for the remainder of its life
span. There was greater emphasis upon game hints in the
form of a 16 page pullout and Q&A section. The Kill Zone, as it
was called, featured player guides, game maps, snip tips, and games
surgery. The title had also been altered, shortening it to a
snappier 'THE ONE'. David Upchurch explained that, with the closure
of The One for ST Games there was only THE ONE. This can be
interpreted as a moment of transition- a symbolic release of its
past role as a multi-format magazine and sister title to the ST
One, and an acceptance of its current position in an Amiga-only
role.
The only remainder of the former period was the review system.
This was addressed by making reviews more rigorous and tweaking the
system slightly to replace game durability with lastability. This
would indicate how long the player would be interested in a
game.
The magazine had been released from its past and adapted to the
changing market. In September 1992 the magazine entered its fourth
and final stage. The title changed once again with the addition of
the word 'Amiga'. This period would mark its fall from grace,
resurrection, and eventual death.
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Back to 'The One for Amiga Games'
Forward to 'The One Amiga'
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