Iain Mew
@superchartisland.com
Writing a British history of popular video games one UK sales chart #1 at a time. Now in 1986. Also into pop music and writing on The Singles Jukebox. He/him. http://www.superchartisland.com
Pinned
This year, across 45 posts about the history of 45 different UK chart #1 games, my blog has gone from June 1983 to March 1986. A thread of some highlights...
Reposted by Iain Mew
This is fantastic and really fits with some feelings I've had about worst-of lists, which are always a strange thing to read
I made a Worst Hit Songs of 2025 list
I recommend reading through it rather than just checking the songs. Could spark some interesting conversations. :) buttondown.com/AlsThoughtsA...
I recommend reading through it rather than just checking the songs. Could spark some interesting conversations. :) buttondown.com/AlsThoughtsA...
The Worst List?
The worst hit songs of 2025! In a way. I guess.
buttondown.com
December 24, 2025 at 4:55 PM
This is fantastic and really fits with some feelings I've had about worst-of lists, which are always a strange thing to read
Reposted by Iain Mew
It's December! Happy festive season everyone 🎄⛱️🎅☃️ Already wondering what Santa's got this year? Maybe consult my playlist of all the things Santa's Got:
open.spotify.com/playlist/308...
open.spotify.com/playlist/308...
November 30, 2024 at 11:10 PM
It's December! Happy festive season everyone 🎄⛱️🎅☃️ Already wondering what Santa's got this year? Maybe consult my playlist of all the things Santa's Got:
open.spotify.com/playlist/308...
open.spotify.com/playlist/308...
Reposted by Iain Mew
Wonderful timeline, thanks ! I almost cried when seeing all those images. Mugsy 😀
And now, the best part i.e. binge-reading all this...
And now, the best part i.e. binge-reading all this...
December 23, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Wonderful timeline, thanks ! I almost cried when seeing all those images. Mugsy 😀
And now, the best part i.e. binge-reading all this...
And now, the best part i.e. binge-reading all this...
Reposted by Iain Mew
And that's it for 2025! I've put together a proper index of all of my posts so far, so you can check that out and see if anything else catches your interest too:
www.superchartisland.com/timeline
My next post will be on 5 January. Does anyone remember the sci-fi TV show V?
www.superchartisland.com/timeline
My next post will be on 5 January. Does anyone remember the sci-fi TV show V?
Timeline
1983/1984/1985/1986 1983 (click on image to go to that post) 1984 1985 1986
www.superchartisland.com
December 23, 2025 at 4:20 PM
And that's it for 2025! I've put together a proper index of all of my posts so far, so you can check that out and see if anything else catches your interest too:
www.superchartisland.com/timeline
My next post will be on 5 January. Does anyone remember the sci-fi TV show V?
www.superchartisland.com/timeline
My next post will be on 5 January. Does anyone remember the sci-fi TV show V?
Reposted by Iain Mew
This year, across 45 posts about the history of 45 different UK chart #1 games, my blog has gone from June 1983 to March 1986. A thread of some highlights...
December 23, 2025 at 9:00 AM
This year, across 45 posts about the history of 45 different UK chart #1 games, my blog has gone from June 1983 to March 1986. A thread of some highlights...
Reposted by Iain Mew
From the exp. archive, we consider the beautiful, utopian ideals of the BBC Micro and then have to play a ropey, barely festive Christmas cash-in. It's Sleighbells (Cartlidge, 1983):
Sleighbells (Cartlidge, 1983) - exp.
The BBC Micro offered a utopian ideal... and a lot of pretty crappy games.
expzine.com
December 23, 2025 at 4:25 PM
From the exp. archive, we consider the beautiful, utopian ideals of the BBC Micro and then have to play a ropey, barely festive Christmas cash-in. It's Sleighbells (Cartlidge, 1983):
Reposted by Iain Mew
Just a reminder that the charity stream in honour of Nick's birthday will be taken place later today, by one of his friends.
www.justgiving.com/page/trashpa...
www.twitch.tv/trashpandaja...
www.justgiving.com/page/trashpa...
www.twitch.tv/trashpandaja...
James' fundraiser for SpecialEffect in memory of Nik Thorpe HKT3030
Help TrashPandaJames raise money to support SpecialEffect
www.justgiving.com
December 23, 2025 at 9:29 AM
Just a reminder that the charity stream in honour of Nick's birthday will be taken place later today, by one of his friends.
www.justgiving.com/page/trashpa...
www.twitch.tv/trashpandaja...
www.justgiving.com/page/trashpa...
www.twitch.tv/trashpandaja...
Reposted by Iain Mew
Got an end-of-year recommendation list here for people with a refined gaming palate:
www.pcgamer.com/games/i-play...
www.pcgamer.com/games/i-play...
I played dozens of retro games this year, and these are the ones I still whole-heartedly recommend going into 2026
Dust off your DOS, reinstall those ROMs, and party like it's 1999.
www.pcgamer.com
December 23, 2025 at 2:10 AM
Got an end-of-year recommendation list here for people with a refined gaming palate:
www.pcgamer.com/games/i-play...
www.pcgamer.com/games/i-play...
This year, across 45 posts about the history of 45 different UK chart #1 games, my blog has gone from June 1983 to March 1986. A thread of some highlights...
December 23, 2025 at 9:00 AM
This year, across 45 posts about the history of 45 different UK chart #1 games, my blog has gone from June 1983 to March 1986. A thread of some highlights...
Reposted by Iain Mew
Happy holidays! In December's post, I was inspired to debunk some supposed mistranslations from Final Fantasy XIII.
I've only ever played in English, so this was an amazing opportunity to see the wonderful translation work behind this beautiful game.
annacairistiona.wordpress.com/2025/12/22/d...
I've only ever played in English, so this was an amazing opportunity to see the wonderful translation work behind this beautiful game.
annacairistiona.wordpress.com/2025/12/22/d...
Debunking Mistranslations in Final Fantasy XIII
Many years ago, I stumbled upon a forum post listing some of the differences the OP (original poster) had found between the Japanese and English versions of Final Fantasy XIII. They had come across…
annacairistiona.wordpress.com
December 22, 2025 at 9:24 PM
Happy holidays! In December's post, I was inspired to debunk some supposed mistranslations from Final Fantasy XIII.
I've only ever played in English, so this was an amazing opportunity to see the wonderful translation work behind this beautiful game.
annacairistiona.wordpress.com/2025/12/22/d...
I've only ever played in English, so this was an amazing opportunity to see the wonderful translation work behind this beautiful game.
annacairistiona.wordpress.com/2025/12/22/d...
Safe to say from the stats for each year my new approach to my blog this year has worked out
December 22, 2025 at 9:43 PM
Safe to say from the stats for each year my new approach to my blog this year has worked out
Reposted by Iain Mew
It was terrible. Two-player only, and crashed every five minutes. Ocean sent me a new tape which they claimed fixed the crashing bugs, but it didn’t.
December 22, 2025 at 5:56 PM
It was terrible. Two-player only, and crashed every five minutes. Ocean sent me a new tape which they claimed fixed the crashing bugs, but it didn’t.
Four songs in to listening and everything so far is both new to me and good! Even the one by Addison Rae who I haven't really got previously
Of course you can investigate and make playlists in the manner of your choosing with the full list of 256 tracks here
docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
2025 Nominations
docs.google.com
December 22, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Four songs in to listening and everything so far is both new to me and good! Even the one by Addison Rae who I haven't really got previously
Reposted by Iain Mew
Ocean's official game of the 1986 Super Bowl had you controlling tiny squares, and if you scored 100 points it would tick over to zero and make you lose. It was still a #1 in the UK charts though. My final new blog post of the year:
www.superchartisland.com/super-bowl-xx
www.superchartisland.com/super-bowl-xx
Super Bowl XX – “This is the owner of the Chicago Bears speaking”
In 1986, Scanatron released a Commodore 64 game called The Double, made by Paul Barnard and Peter Martin. Taking after Football Manager, it put more of an emphasis on placing yourself into English …
www.superchartisland.com
December 22, 2025 at 6:18 AM
Ocean's official game of the 1986 Super Bowl had you controlling tiny squares, and if you scored 100 points it would tick over to zero and make you lose. It was still a #1 in the UK charts though. My final new blog post of the year:
www.superchartisland.com/super-bowl-xx
www.superchartisland.com/super-bowl-xx
Reposted by Iain Mew
This game was so easy single player, you could get the whole defense chasing you by circling the pitch. Popularity of this might have been boosted by the first American Bowl at Wembley that year. That was the first American Football I watched, by the next year I was playing for a local team!
December 22, 2025 at 12:25 PM
This game was so easy single player, you could get the whole defense chasing you by circling the pitch. Popularity of this might have been boosted by the first American Bowl at Wembley that year. That was the first American Football I watched, by the next year I was playing for a local team!
Ocean's official game of the 1986 Super Bowl had you controlling tiny squares, and if you scored 100 points it would tick over to zero and make you lose. It was still a #1 in the UK charts though. My final new blog post of the year:
www.superchartisland.com/super-bowl-xx
www.superchartisland.com/super-bowl-xx
Super Bowl XX – “This is the owner of the Chicago Bears speaking”
In 1986, Scanatron released a Commodore 64 game called The Double, made by Paul Barnard and Peter Martin. Taking after Football Manager, it put more of an emphasis on placing yourself into English …
www.superchartisland.com
December 22, 2025 at 6:18 AM
Ocean's official game of the 1986 Super Bowl had you controlling tiny squares, and if you scored 100 points it would tick over to zero and make you lose. It was still a #1 in the UK charts though. My final new blog post of the year:
www.superchartisland.com/super-bowl-xx
www.superchartisland.com/super-bowl-xx
Reposted by Iain Mew
CorgiSpace was just the retro-inspired treat I needed for my gaming time last night ☺️
If you liked UFO 50 and are down for something a little bit lighter on the challenge and a bit smaller in scope, it's absolutely worth your time!
If you liked UFO 50 and are down for something a little bit lighter on the challenge and a bit smaller in scope, it's absolutely worth your time!
December 21, 2025 at 4:10 PM
CorgiSpace was just the retro-inspired treat I needed for my gaming time last night ☺️
If you liked UFO 50 and are down for something a little bit lighter on the challenge and a bit smaller in scope, it's absolutely worth your time!
If you liked UFO 50 and are down for something a little bit lighter on the challenge and a bit smaller in scope, it's absolutely worth your time!
Reposted by Iain Mew
I've published 113 articles (and counting!) on my site this year, totalling a good book's worth of text and covering everything from brand new releases to old doujin demo discs. Let me take you on a tour! 🧵
kimimithegameeatingshemonster.com
kimimithegameeatingshemonster.com
December 20, 2025 at 3:13 AM
I've published 113 articles (and counting!) on my site this year, totalling a good book's worth of text and covering everything from brand new releases to old doujin demo discs. Let me take you on a tour! 🧵
kimimithegameeatingshemonster.com
kimimithegameeatingshemonster.com
Reposted by Iain Mew
How often should one plug their Patreon? I still don't know the answer. I know times are tough, and I've lost a lot of patrons b/c of it. So supporting my research would really help me out if you are in a position to do so.
www.patreon.com/acriticalhit
www.patreon.com/acriticalhit
Get more from Critical Kate on Patreon
creating essays about the history of comics and video games
www.patreon.com
December 20, 2025 at 6:17 PM
How often should one plug their Patreon? I still don't know the answer. I know times are tough, and I've lost a lot of patrons b/c of it. So supporting my research would really help me out if you are in a position to do so.
www.patreon.com/acriticalhit
www.patreon.com/acriticalhit
I keep getting a meal kit advert that starts off with the founders introducing themselves as a husband and wife team and seconds later has a shot of this bus going past
December 20, 2025 at 9:07 PM
I keep getting a meal kit advert that starts off with the founders introducing themselves as a husband and wife team and seconds later has a shot of this bus going past
Reposted by Iain Mew
Sword Princess Amaltea – The Visual Novel is based on a Swedish manga set in a fantasy world where gender roles are reversed: theswedishgames.wordpress.com/2025/12/20/s...
Sword Princess Amaltea – The Visual Novel (2021)
There had been a few attempts at publishing Japanese manga and anime in Sweden during the 1980s and 90s, with various degrees of success, but the publication of a Swedish translation of Dragon Ball…
theswedishgames.wordpress.com
December 20, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Sword Princess Amaltea – The Visual Novel is based on a Swedish manga set in a fantasy world where gender roles are reversed: theswedishgames.wordpress.com/2025/12/20/s...
Reposted by Iain Mew
Quantic Foundry does legit trustworthy analysis of gamer behaviour, and these survey results are shockingly negative toward genAI, to the point where I’m more hopeful that data driven mobile and AAA backpedals on their uses.
everyone dislikes genai in games, but kids and story-focused players the most.
sounds like we'll be ok. just have to stay the course here and the "inevitable" new technology nobody likes will die. again.
quanticfoundry.com/2025/12/18/g...
sounds like we'll be ok. just have to stay the course here and the "inevitable" new technology nobody likes will die. again.
quanticfoundry.com/2025/12/18/g...
Gamers Are Overwhelmingly Negative About Gen AI in Video Games, but Attitudes Vary by Gender, Age, and Gaming Motivations.
Learn about how gender, age, and gaming motivations shape the perception of Gen AI in video games.
quanticfoundry.com
December 20, 2025 at 1:53 AM
Quantic Foundry does legit trustworthy analysis of gamer behaviour, and these survey results are shockingly negative toward genAI, to the point where I’m more hopeful that data driven mobile and AAA backpedals on their uses.
Reposted by Iain Mew
#PeoplesPop25 This is the NOMINATIONS THREAD for the
WORLD CUP OF 2025
Pick 3 favourite tracks of 2025 (in order of preference!)
Spreadsheet here (with the 48 already qualified tracks) docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
Guidelines here: docs.google.com/document/d/1...
WORLD CUP OF 2025
Pick 3 favourite tracks of 2025 (in order of preference!)
Spreadsheet here (with the 48 already qualified tracks) docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
Guidelines here: docs.google.com/document/d/1...
a cartoon drawing of people sitting at a picnic table with a goose standing on a fire pit
ALT: a cartoon drawing of people sitting at a picnic table with a goose standing on a fire pit
media.tenor.com
December 20, 2025 at 4:03 PM
#PeoplesPop25 This is the NOMINATIONS THREAD for the
WORLD CUP OF 2025
Pick 3 favourite tracks of 2025 (in order of preference!)
Spreadsheet here (with the 48 already qualified tracks) docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
Guidelines here: docs.google.com/document/d/1...
WORLD CUP OF 2025
Pick 3 favourite tracks of 2025 (in order of preference!)
Spreadsheet here (with the 48 already qualified tracks) docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
Guidelines here: docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Reposted by Iain Mew
Is there another single from 2025 you wish we hadn't missed out on? Let us know and we will cover some of them in January!
Details here if you want to write something to go with your choice: thesinglesjukebox.com/readers-week...
You can also reply here with your song suggestions!
Details here if you want to write something to go with your choice: thesinglesjukebox.com/readers-week...
You can also reply here with your song suggestions!
Readers’ Week 2025 – The Singles Jukebox
thesinglesjukebox.com
December 20, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Is there another single from 2025 you wish we hadn't missed out on? Let us know and we will cover some of them in January!
Details here if you want to write something to go with your choice: thesinglesjukebox.com/readers-week...
You can also reply here with your song suggestions!
Details here if you want to write something to go with your choice: thesinglesjukebox.com/readers-week...
You can also reply here with your song suggestions!
This was my pick for @singlesjukebox.bsky.social's annual Amnesty Week where writers pick songs we missed as a site. Glad I chose something which made for such an enjoyable post!
December 20, 2025 at 2:53 PM
This was my pick for @singlesjukebox.bsky.social's annual Amnesty Week where writers pick songs we missed as a site. Glad I chose something which made for such an enjoyable post!