Vidiot Mail

Vidiot Mail

Please address correspondence to: VIDIOT MAIL

P.O. Box P-1064, Birmingham, Ml 48012

BUENO ENCHILADA!

As you see my name is René, but I'm not a girl, I'm a boy. Over here in Puerto Rico the name René is a name for boys. Please don't made the mistake on calling me Miss. Thanks for your attention.

René Matos Puerto Rico

You bet, ma'am.—Ed.

SMURFETTE LUST!

Hi guys! I just picked up issue #2 of VIDIOT and at first I thought it was "too small for three bucks." This stupid "Rockets are VIDIOTS" and all that stuff. But of course, I got sucked into it and read your reviews including SmurfRescue in Gargy's Castle (since I have ColecoVision and the Atari adapter). Some of me thinks your mag is a rip compared to Electronic Games and Electronic Fun, but you have one twist no one has—humor. And that's why I'll keep buying your mag—just keep the laughs in it. Keep up the good work (?)

Jeff Winter

Edina, MN

NICKY POKEY

All my life I was bored. I sat around the house all day and watched Gumby. Then videogames came out. First it was Space Invaders. Then came Asteroids. Now Pac-Man. My life has been video ever since. I usually spend 20 bucks a week on the games, but I still don't think that's enough. The only reason I bought this magazine is because I read CREEM a lot and I wanted to check this out. So far I think it's pretty good. I like the articles you put in on a videogame every month. I think you should get a shot of Pat Benatar playing a videogame.

Kelly

Hammond, LA

P.S. Ozzy is great!

Gumby thinks so, too.—Ed.

BEATLE JUiCEl

Hi! Just read Bill Holdship's Beatle article in VIDIOT and agree totally! I'm only writing for some information, if you could provide it. My Beatle video collection is quite extensive (including many things you've omitted), but you mention several things I haven't found yef. If you could let me know where you found them, I would appreciate it very much.

The missing items are:

1 .) "Well Well Well" and "It's So Hard" from One To One

2.) Imagine (all tracks except "Imagine" and "Gimme Some Truth")

3.) "Good Day Sunshine."

Thank You Very Mooch!

All I Need Is Tape,

Bob Wengle

Toronto, Ontario, CANADA "Well Well Well" and "It's So Hard" were omitted from the '12 telecast of One To One, but they were filmed and are available from enterprising bootleggers. The Imagine videos are from an "art" film by John & Yoko in ‘72, and "Good Day Sunshine" was a Fab Four promo video. We advise you write to various bootleg outlets, and ask them if they carry any or all of these. We know they exist 'cause we've seen them—Ed.

DUST!

I just wanted to say "thanks" for your very fine Beatles poster. Finding such a neat item in my little brother's videogame magazine was quite a surprise. I guess you-'re not just a magazine for little kids now. Please print more stuff about things you can see on TV, OK?

Mary Beth Schmidbauer

Albany, NY

Next ish: famous antennas!—Ed.

NO MORE B & Wl

Your Eye/Hand section in VIDIOT is really fine except for the pictures. Why do you have black and white photos of the actual game screens? The one thing I most want to see in a videogame review is a good shot of the screen itself. In fact, color throughout the publication would make it not look so "cheapo-cheapo."

Your reviewers are great, though. Bill Knight is real funny even when he isn't trying. Is he trying? But my favorite is Mark "Heinie" Norton. Why do you call him Heinie? Is it because of what I think it is?

Zaxxon Zeke

Kansas City, MO No.—Ed.

CHOMP!

After reading the Upfront column in the April/May VIDIOT, I just had to write in and say, RIGHT ON! To say that certain competitors of yours are "generally stodgy and too often new product checklists" is an understatement. It seems like you guys really do give a damn, usually.

"Throw 'em on the floor," you say. I agree! The whole videogame field is overloaded with cushy relationships between manufacturers and editors. That might be a good story for you to cover.

Keep it up, guys. I know where you're coming from!

Laser Mechanic Jim Ipava, IL

NO!

Some of your reviews are very funny! Are they supposed to be?

Nancy Senn Medicine Hat, Canada Several from your town have asked.— Ed.

NO ADS, DADS

Hey—you guys are getting better every issue! After that first one, I thought, Nembo City. But each time, the writing, content and especially the graphics have improved. You need more pages, though. When you pick up a little skinny VIDIOT and it says $2.95, you think whoa! I can get a bunch more pages at the same price from somebody else. Of course, many of your competitors use up half their issue with ads. Bet you're jealous, nyah nyah!

Mike Bick

Fullerton, CA

PLAY, TEX!

Those pictures you had to go with the Coleco article were something else! I could actually picture a big hairy magilla playing Donkey Kong and the stupid frog hopping on Frogefte's back. But why the dish gloves for Pac-Man?

I bet you're gonna say water spots, just like on TV.

Cindy Saranville

Atlanta, GA Frogette?—Ed.

IT STHE BUMP!

If most people wanted to see Captain Beefheart on MTV, he'd be on it. You guys sound like a bunch of old hippies. Who cares about the Beatles and Beefheart anyway? Wake up and face the '80s, guys—Duran Duran, Adam Ant, Missing Persons and a slew of people making new music for our time. Remember—video killed the radio star.

An MTV fanatic

Lansing, Ml

You sound “fascinating."—Ed.

ROCK VIDKIDS

It figures that a magazine associated with CREEM would have something that most other video magazines sorely lack— excellent coverage of rock videos. The Beatles story and Captain Beefheart critique were great. Let's see more of the same.

Bob Gregory

Detroit, Ml

D.K.J.?

Your magazine VIDIOT is Number One. It's colorful and it's state-of-the-art. I used to like the video magazine called Electronic Games, but since VIDIOT came, I like that better. I was stunned by the wonderful pictures, articles and hot features you had. I would like to ask you a question-do you think ColecoVision will come out with a home version of Donkey Kong Ji.? They did a nice job on Donkey Kong. I hope that will happen. Do you think so?

Sean Allen

Middlebush, NJ lt‘s already happened. —Ed.

EH?

Tonight my friend and I were sitting in my room playing Berzerk on my Atari. My friend had just bought the March 1983 edition of your mag. I had just passed my high score with one man left when he read me the article about the Pac-Man model that was made with Canadians in mind. "It only has one piece." Ha ha! I didn't find it very humorous. I was so mad, I rammed myself into the electric wall, totally derezzing myself. Then I ran downstairs and began to write this letter to your mag. My friend saw more of those bad comments. Now I was even more upset.

We understand that you are not going to print this letter in your magazine because you don't want to ruin your reputation. Well we got to go. Pizza's here. I hope you understand now, and in the future, we will still buy your mag. If there aren't any more bad jokes about Canadians or any other country for that matter.

Signed

Your Friends, The Canadians—the True Vidiots

Toronto, Ont

P.S. Even my grandma knows what a joystick is!

TOQUE AT WILL!

Hey! I know that VIDIOT is related to CREEM, but that serves no need to slur Canadians. Most of my relatives are Canadian, and even though I am a TcxPaying American, I resent your comments a I i the w-ay down to the tips of my roots. Naff off I

Kelly Green

Detroit, Ml

PROBING QUERY

Why doesn't VIDIOT review porno films? They're supposedly one of the biggest items in the video market. Then you could feature Marilyn Chambers (pant, pant) as one of your "Vidiots Of The Month Dirty Dan Pittsburgh, PA

LIFE IS GOOD

Your magazine may be the best video

magazine I have ever read. Your writers are stupendous. The things they write about are exactly what we readers want to read about. You cover such a wide range of topics that my little brother Joey can read about the new home videogames, I can read about MTV videos, and mom and dad can read about the Beatles—even Wall Street "Videocy," as you so delightfully put it.

Only one problem, though. I don't have a little brother, and if I did his name wouldn't be Joey. My mom and dad have hated the Beatles ever since they first came out, and my dad hasn't made enough money in his life to even buy steaks, let alone stocks. I hate MTV and don't care what you people think about it either. Generally, I just think your magazine stinks on about every level. Other than that, though, things are fine.

Benjie Solomon

Hinckley, FL

JOIN THE CLUB

My name is Billy Dyer. My friend Chris Thompson has done your question quiz on page 1 9 of the Feb/Mar VIDIOT Magazine. Chris and I usually go to the arcade together and take about 10 dollars each to play videogames. The reason we stay so long is even though we might at least burn about a dollar, we pick up pointers from people who are experts at most video arcades. One time, however, a very nice man named Mike helped Chris and I out on Tron and we got to the tracks superfasf. If seems fo us that VIDIOT and our club coincide because our club is about video and rock 'n' roll. Well, I guess this is about all of my letter, so bye and have a nice Valentine's Day.

Billy D.

Spokane, WA

WATCH MORE MTV!

My letter has fo do with your article "Forced To Watch MTV." For the first thing, Triumph's "Magic Power" happens fo be my favorite video. As for Peter Gabriel, he has made a very childish video. Fleetwood Mac's "Hold Me" does not have much action on if, but the video fits the song very well, and is definitely not "a waste or boring." I agree with you about Eddie Money's "Shakin' " and "I Think I'm In Love," being bad videos, but Thomas Dolby's "Radio Silence" is worse. Crosby Stills and Nash's "Southern Cross" is a very beautiful video and doesn't deserve the remarks made about it. Johnny Van Zant is not dull or Barfus Maximus, and not all videos have to be imaginative. Adam Ant's "Goody Two Shoes" and Billy Joel's "Pressure" I do agree with you about (at least you did something right).

If you would watch music television more often you would realize that there are better videos than the ones you have selected!

Concerned About Our Music

Clovis, NM

BACK TO SASKATOON

lama very typical video game player. I own an Atari 400 computer system, including four games, Centipede, Pac-Mac, Star Raiders and Space Invaders. I also program a lot of computer literature. My computer occupies a lot of my time, but not enough to interfere with school and hockey. I like music, especially rock, but since I live in such a small town, there is no MTV. I only go to video arcades when I go to the city of Saskatoon, 50 miles away. My favorite arcade games are: Ms.

Pac-Man, Centipede, Galaxian, Frogger, Turbo, and Pengo.

Finally, I bought this magazine because of many things: the flashy cover, and in-depth reporting of the video age. I also like the name of the magazine VIDIOT because it is a flashy, true name. One thing from the magazine that is definitely not true is about Canadians, because we, just like Americans, are greatly involved in the video age.

George Sherstobetoff

Blaine Lake,

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan,

Canada