We sit down with HyperPlay RPG Magazine, the world’s best RPG videogame print magazine.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I go by the nickname Kincl (a long story involving Pro Evolution Soccer of all things!) and I’m the creator and editor of HyperPlay RPG magazine.
What was the first console/game you ever owned?
We had an Amstrad, Commodore and Spectrum growing up, thanks to my brother. Personally, I first owned the original Game Boy (bundled with Tetris), but it was the SNES that left the biggest impression. That came with Street Fighter II and I loved Super Mario World too, of course.
Do you have any fond childhood memories based around gaming?
What stands out most are the deliriously happy hours (or 70) sat on “Horace” (my headless tortoise footrest) entranced by the myriad wonders of Final Fantasy VI on a 14” TV. SquareSoft’s masterpiece proved the perfect weekend/holiday antidote to the midweek traumas of boarding school.
Out of every RPG that exists across all mediums, which is your absolute favorite and why?
Well, you can probably guess! Final Fantasy VI opened my eyes to what gaming could achieve as an artform in terms of narrative, scope and atmosphere. The world of Locke and co seemed alive with limitless possibilities, and that was an eye-opener for someone whose previous gaming diet consisted solely of platform, puzzle and sport games. It’s since dawned on me that FFVI also comprises the quintessential videogame expression of ‘aware’ (ah-wah-ray), Japanese pathos. See the FFVI review in HyperPlay RPG #0 for more!
What began as a black-and-white fanzine has turned into four strong issues (recent ones in color) and an art book currently available. Can you please share with us how Hyper Play RPG came to be?
Growing up, I adored the myriad games mags that flooded news-shelves in the ’90s, particularly Mean Machines, Super Play and N64 Magazine. Remember those ‘boarding school traumas’ I mentioned earlier? I hungrily awaited the arrival of my fave Ninty mags, then disappeared to the school library, hiding my fresh minty ‘zine in a lever-ach file, before devouring every word about my favourite pastime. Deprived of access to my beloved SNES (and, later, N64) I’d imagine playing the games and even started, in some ways, to enjoy reading the mags even more than playing the games themselves (thanks largely to the superb quality of writing in Super Play and N64 Magazine).
Games mags have largely gone now, swept away in the digital tidal wave. Call me old-fashioned, but I enjoy printed material; something tangible to enjoy away from a screen. I naively assumed there’d be at least one RPG print fanzine out there for people like me. But no. So I created it.
I would assume it’s no coincidence, but the “HyperPlay” in your title harks back to the UK-based 90s Super Nintendo magazine, Hyper Play. Was it your way of showing appreciation?
Very much so. Late in Super Play’s life the mag trailered a successor title, ‘Hyper Play’, to be the follow-up to the best SNES mag ever written. Alas, due to the N64’s delay, the transition from Super Play to Hyper Play never occurred (a pseudo-successor title, N64 Magazine, did appear some time later, and very good it was too… but it wasn’t as Japanocentric as Super Play, and didn’t feature as many RPGs due to the beastly limitations of N64 cartridges).
So “HyperPlay” is a riff on that mythical mag that never was (with the “Hyper” and “Play” joined together to slightly differentiate our ‘zine, whilst also nodding to how some readers conjoined “Super” and “Play” when referring to the seminal ’90s mag). I added the “RPG” because, well, HyperPlay RPG is (almost) all about RPGs!
What is it about the (J)RPG genre that drew you in and eventually wanting to start a magazine?
I find there’s more depth in a good RPG because the broader canvas allows for bigger themes. RPGs offer more than the instant gratification provided by other genres. Take Xenogears, deconstructed in our Issue 3. Which other types of game teach you about Gnosticism and Lacan’s Mirror Stage?
I’m not saying RPGs are the only games worth playing: that’s just my personal preference. Every genre has its place. Even with something as astounding as Super Mario Odyssey… there’s still a big part of me that’d prefer to be immersed in a quality RPG than just grab the next Power Moon on offer.
As a sub-genre, JRPGs excite me most – hardly a surprise, perhaps: I took Japanese Studies at university. Within JRPGs, turn-based (as opposed to action) battles suit me best, although – like many – I’m not a huge fan of grinding or too many random encounters. A turn-based-with-action-elements mix like that found in say Chrono Trigger, Panzer Dragoon Saga or even Knights Of The Old Republic is probably the best of both worlds!
What can readers expect to find in each issue?
Here’s what you can expect every issue:
- RPG reviews by the truckload, including rare JRPGs never released in the West. Issue 0 was something of a Final Fantasy series special, while Issue 1 saw the Xenoblade series lap up the limelight. In Issue 2 we reviewed Secret Of Mana 2 (Seiken Densetsu 3), Terranigma and Super Mario RPG. Issue 3 was a PlayStation special (Xenogears, Legend Of Dragoon, FFIX, Breath Of Fire III, Vandal Hearts all reviewed). And Issue 4 saw all the Mother/EarthBound games rated!
- Videogame playtests– beyond RPGs, including titles like Tiger Woods golf, Mario Kart 8, Super Mario Odyssey, Star Fox Zero, Rodea and more.
- Book reviews– ‘1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die‘; ‘The Greatest 100 Videogames‘; ‘Super Famicom Box Art’; N64 Anthology; ‘Legends Of Localization: EarthBound’; Yoshitaka Amano and Wil Overton books…
- Essays– in depth retrospectives of games like FFIV, Terranigma and Xenogears uncovering the untold stories with all-new info found nowhere else.
- Magazine/Fanzine retrospectives on Super Play and Role Call (an incredible ‘90s UK RPG fanzine)
- eBayWatch– How to improve your retro collection and find hidden gems on the cheap with some secret, easy-to-follow tips, plus updates of what’s hot in retrogaming on the world’s biggest auction site
- How To Guides– such as, ‘How to Complete Your SNES Collection’; ‘How to Videogame Tokyo; ‘How to Barcade’; ‘How to Play Fanhacks On Your Console’
- Guest contributions– all original reader writing/art is welcome!
- Letters page– let HyperPlay RPG have it at rpgzine@hotmail.com
- …and the occasional appearance of everyone’s favourite crazy-haired artist and ’90s Nintendo journalist cult hero, the inimitable Wil Overton! (Wil did Issue 2’s spellbinding wraparound cover and we’re dragging him back for Issue 5’s rare RPG special)
Are there any challenges you experience with creating a print magazine?
Ha! Where to begin? Learning open source desktop publishing programs like Scribus and Gimp inside out and printing from home in the early days took more time than you can shake a pointy hat at. The ‘zine is now professionally printed. But editing, content checks and layout (all the editor’s – i.e. my – preserve) keep the HyperPlay PC burning brightly for long lunar stretches. It’s all a labour of love, though: it’s important to get every issue right. And each issue improved upon the last, so Issue 4 is now being compared favourably with the best mags on the newsstand!
With the rise of indie developers over the past couple of years, do you feel a resurgence of RPGs is on the rise?
Funnily enough, our ‘Hyper Express’ news section delves deeply into the retro RPG resurgence. Retro-style RPGs (or games with retro RPG elements, at least) like Undertale, Stardew Valley and Golf Story are very much on the rise. We think it’s fantastic.
Which RPGs are you looking forward to playing?
At the moment my focus is very much on Issue 5, our rare RPG special, so I’m sword-deep (as it were) in Fire Emblem Genealogy Of The Holy War (aka FE4), Lunar Silver Star Story and Panzer Dragoon Saga. I’ll also be playing Skies Of Arcadia and the Suikoden games amongst others. In terms of future releases, Pillars Of Eternity II: Deadfire on Switch looks a lot of fun.
Which series do you feel is owed a re-release/remake/remaster?
No series is ever owed a re-release – only market forces dictate which get chosen, hence the forthcoming Final Fantasy VII Remake (er, eventually). In an ideal world, Xenogears and the Xenosaga games would get a modern-day overhaul, but the global notoriety isn’t there, and – even if it were – the IP is all over the place, so it’s a logistical improbability. A Panzer Dragoon Saga re-release would enable more people to enjoy a mesmeric gaming experience. That said, our Ish 5 will explain how readers can experience that rarest of rare RPGs.
As a personal volition, a Final Fantasy VI Remake would be blissful. But it’s a looooong way off, if Final Fantasy VII Remake is anything to go by…
Finally, is there anything else you’d like to share?
Our website! It’s hyperplayrpg.com, and RPG fans can pick up our issues there. HyperPlay RPG is print-only, and we deliver worldwide! Come and join our 1,000s of happy readers round the globe. In addition, if you’d like to contribute any articles/reviews/art once you’ve read an issue, just get in touch with us via the Contact Form on hyperplayrpg.com.
Also, as an exclusive reveal sort of thing for you guys, keep an eye out for us on Kickstarter. A HyperPlay RPG: Special Edition could well be in the offing!
Finally, thanks very much to Gaming Boulevard for looking us up: we love the videogame community and what you do for it, and hope you continue to go from strength to strength!
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