So how did people put together enthusiastic fan projects before we all had the internet? Why, you made a zine, of course. Assembled loosely on stapled-together paper, zines were small-run amateur magazines (hence the name) that usually were either handed out for free or for a minimal fee, all to get someone’s work out into the world and see by fans. But the fact that now you can just slap together a WordPress blog doesn’t change that people are still making zines! In fact, the Retro Game Zine is putting together issues 3 and 4, with the former covering MMORPG Final Fantasy XI.
As you would expect if you’re familiar with zines, the issue contains obscure screenshots, development history, essays about the game, and other rarities and objects of interest. If that all floats your boat, you should check out the Kickstarter for the issues, running right now (in fact, it’s looking like a sure thing as it’s already surpassed its goal). You can donate and get a copy of the zine right now, which may feel a bit less punk rock than getting it pressed into your hands by a friend of a friend who got it from a dude out in the parking lot, but the internet has changed our lives.
The Kickstarter is live! Get yourself new issues of the zine w/ special guests @6thgenbliss.bsky.social, @sharkabytes.bsky.social, @milkman.bsky.social, and maybe more?Dive in and discover Final Fantasy XI and Project Firestart. www.kickstarter.com/projects/dar…
— Pixels and Polygons (@pixelsandpolygons.net) 2025-01-24T19:11:59.801Z
