Eight Bit Magazine No. 3: A Window into the 8-Bit World

Originally published 3 June 2017 · Updated 6 November 2026

A good retrocomputing magazine is more than a catalogue of old games. Eight Bit Issue 3, printed in April 2017, moves comfortably between machines, programming, gaming history and the people still keeping them interesting. Its Amstrad, Apple II and Commodore features make a rewarding read for anyone who enjoys the machinery as much as the nostalgia.

What is in Eight Bit Issue 3?

The issue's scope is pleasingly broad. Its collector's guide takes on Alan Sugar's Amstrad CPC 464; The Apple Adventurer revisits adventure games on the Apple II; a feature introduces Pond Software; and a second instalment of Programming Sprites gives the technically inclined something to experiment with. There are also pieces on hacking for infinite lives, games and period magazine history. That variety is part of the attraction: this is a magazine about using, understanding and remembering computers, not merely admiring their cases.

From Amstrad to Apple: the pleasures of a mixed platform magazine

The CPC 464 is an excellent choice for a collector's guide. Alan Sugar's all-in-one proposition — computer, keyboard, cassette recorder and a matching display — makes the machine distinctive even now. Reading about it alongside the Commodore and Apple material is a reminder that the 1980s home-computer market was never a single, uniform experience. Different systems made different compromises about price, software, graphics and accessibility.

I particularly enjoyed the excursion into Apple II adventure games. Early adventures asked players to supply part of the picture in their imagination: a few lines of prose and a command prompt could conjure an entire world. Scott Adams's Adventureland, Zork and Mystery House are worthwhile starting points for exploring the wider tradition, although they are distinct games from different creators. There is a particular delight in seeing the interfaces and conventions from which later interactive fiction grew.

Sprites, cheats and the hands-on 8-bit tradition

For Commodore 64 readers, the second part of the sprite-programming series is an immediate draw. A sprite may look like a simple movable graphic, but putting one on screen opens the door to registers, positioning, animation and collision handling. More advanced techniques, including sprite multiplexing, show how inventive programmers could work beyond the most obvious limits of the hardware. A magazine that encourages readers to try things at the keyboard gives retrocomputing some of its original vitality.

The feature on hacking for infinite lives offers another perspective on that hands-on culture. Part of the appeal of early home computing was that games and programs were objects to investigate, modify and learn from. Such features help explain why a decades-old machine can remain an engaging workshop rather than simply a museum piece.

The advertisements are part of the archive

One of my pleasures in reading old and new retro-computer magazines is following the advertisements. They lead to small publishers, enthusiastic programmers and communities whose work might never command a mainstream headline. The advert for Scene World caught my eye: a Commodore 64 disk magazine is an especially fitting way to publish for an audience that still enjoys using the original machine or an emulator.

I also noticed the niche Sharp MZ-80A software promotion for Minesnake. Whether or not a particular shopfront survives, the existence of an audience for new software on such a specific Z80-based computer is a reminder of the extraordinary breadth of this hobby. The closing look back at The Amstrad User adds another layer: the magazines themselves have become historical artefacts worth preserving.

Editorial verdict

Eight Bit Issue 3 works because it does not insist that one computer or one type of enthusiast is the centre of the universe. The Amstrad owner, Apple II adventurer, Commodore programmer and magazine collector can each find a doorway into the same issue. For me, its most valuable quality is this combination of affectionate reminiscence and practical curiosity.

For more period and contemporary publications, visit the retrocomputer magazine reading rack. You can also explore our Commodore 64 journal and the computing notebook.

References and further reading

• Retro Format / Eight Bit — publisher and current magazine information.
• Eight Bit, Issue 3 (April 2017) — original issue and contents; primary reference for article topics.
• Video Game History Foundation: Eight Bit collection — bibliographic context.