Friday 11 December 2020

Zaxxus

I first learned of Zaxxus when I stumbled across TGARL (the giant abandonware ring list) which was part of 'Da Fast Lane' network, owned and operated by Tee and Shaka at the time. Zaxxus had owned a ring called ABWL that got a really glowing review and everyone seemed to be complimentary about it; what differentiated ABWL to what had been happening in the scene at the time - it stayed out of all the arguments and just got on with matters in a positive fashion - perhaps why people liked it.

Zaxxus also ran a website called Magic Abandonware which I was a fan of. If memory serves me correctly, his screenshots where GIFs so they would change image instead of having to click through them. I liked the design too - it was sleek, neatly and nicely designed. I decided to reach out to Zaxxus in 2001 via ICQ and tell him what I was a fan of his work and he responded quite instantly and was one the friendliest people I had spoken with. I convinced him to get back on the wagon with Magic Abandonware and I would help him with it. He was all for the idea and Magic Abandonware was back on.

I asked him at the time why he was not active in the abandonware 'community' or forums and he simply told me, it seemed too controversial and argumentative for his liking and opted to shy away from it all and stick to his websites - because that is what made him happy, not the debates. I respected him for this. He would become a friend over the years and we would talk about numerous things, such as differences and similarites between Sweden and the UK and how people are people at the end of the day and on the odd occasions about games (he was into the adventure genre too)

He was kind enough to host EchoRing on his server and NeoPickaze informed me that he taught him (Neo) PHP.

I had gone through an old email account many years ago and I recieved an email from him saying something along the lines of "Hey brother, are you there?" I never got chance to respond to it.

A couple of years ago NeoPickaze informed me that it had been announced on his Facebook that he had sadly passed away. Absolutely devastated and shocked when I heard this.

Rest in Peace, Jimmy. Your number one fan of ABWL and Magic Abandonware. You were a credit to the Abandonware Community and one of the nicest people I have met - the pleasure was honestly all mine.

Sunday 29 November 2020

2020

Ten years later.

Look at us.

The world is certainly a different place. Or maybe it's the same, but feels different due to being older. Chances are, if you are reading this - it could possibly be on a smart phone or a tablet; something not really fathomed ten years ago.

I had it mind to explore the possibility of revisiting this small blog as an anniversary; perhaps the current pandemic gave me more time to reflect and I became more nostaligic about an array of things; including abandonware.

I found an old CD with certain material from the abandonware scene of yester-year and a few articles (non-sensationalism this time) I had in mind to publish, if anyone is out there and wishes to view it.

To manage expectations, this woud be something I update every fortnight.

I hope everyone is well and pray to the abandonware gods that the comments sections do not get riddled with comments by the swines that are spambots posting backlinks on the internet and what not.

Thursday 29 October 2020

"The real story, has just begun"

Tune in 29/11/2020 - Ten years on