Welcome to EUG #65, the result of a tremendous amount of work from Chris Dewhurst, Mr Spock and myself only. It's been about a year since EUG #64 and I suspected at the time this may be the very last magazine produced for the BBC and Acorn Electron computers. However, though it appears the disc-based magazine has well and truly had its day, startling developments in Acorn Electron World have necessitated something of a comeback.

I'm speaking of course of the 'retro revival' we are currently experiencing. As far as it touches the Beeb, there was first the Retro "The Making Of..." Special (reviewed last issue) then suddenly Retro Gamer appeared from Live Publishing, dedicated to articles and reviews of the hardware and software of yesteryear. Next Cronosoft began releasing brand new BBC and Electron games. Finally back came Superior Interactive, converting their quality BBC games to the PC to thrill a new generation.

There was therefore, I felt, ample interest for me to finish many of those articles that did not run their full course. Note that you won't find them on the EUG #65 disc itself this time. As I said, the disc-based magazine is obsolete. This issue features all articles in html format and a companion disc of programs, with a fresh Mode 1 menu screen featuring compatibility information and liner notes to boot!

The old favourite features however remain in this new format. So sit back and enjoy some of the latest developments, reviews, programs and utilities from the Acorn Electron World.

Our main focus in this issue is on the emulation utilities available for the PC. If you're keen to get started but find the emulators lacking in features, the disc system extensions confusing, playing tapes into your soundcard baffling or whacking PC screens down to your Elk problematic, then we'll tell you what you're doing wrong! If emulation's not your forte then take a look at part eleven of the Brainteasers games.

Dave E also reports on eBay's switch to Paypal and Mr Spock gives us all some machine code hacking tips, plus the usual round-up of news.

One sunny day in Moscow you are called into the chief's office. He tells you he has a mission for you. He hands you the papers and informs you that should anything happen to you, the Russian Spy Division will be unable to come to your rescue. So begins The Ice Man's three-part trek through Communist Russia in the PD adventure game I Spy Red, first reviewed in EUG #46.

Get to grips with your phonetic symbols in the Phoneme Quiz, write masterpieces on your micro with MUSIC PROCESSOR and hold your own Eurovision Song Contest with the EUROVISION SCOREBOARD. All featured on the utility disc that can be downloaded by clicking on the disc-icon at the top left of the screen.

Over the preceding twelve months, I've received whole cases of things a la eBay that have had my mouth watering. This review column is possibly exceptional in that there seems very little not to be excited about! Take a sneak peek at what would have been the Acorn Plus 2: the Acorn Merlin M2105 Comms Terminal, or perhaps you'd prefer to play ultra-rare German versions of the Acornsoft Games. Plus, rescued from obscurity come six discs of clipart for the SP64 system. And we couldn't not mention those new products: Weenies for the BBC/Electron from Cronosoft, and Repton 1 for the PC from Superior Interactive.

Featuring a full walkthrough to Firebird's Star Drifter complete with a poster-size downloadable map and the solutions to Arrow Of Death Part 1 and The Time Machine. We also let you know some tips to get through that last one with a bit less tedium!

We've got a whole new menu system and two music demos (Jubilee and Seapink) which were created with the Music Processor but run quite independently of it.

Dave E