Flip Through a February 2000 Gaming Magazine - When Every Ad Promised “The Future of PC Gaming”

Before YouTube reviews, before Reddit threads, before launch trailers that broke the internet - there were magazines. Glossy, overstuffed, ad-filled magazines that smelled like printer ink and promised that every upcoming game was going to "change everything."

These 36 selected pages from the February 2000 issue of Computer Gaming World are a perfect time capsule of that era. You'll find previews and reviews for absolute classics like Unreal Tournament, Icewind Dale, Messiah, Thief II, and yes, South Park Rally (because apparently no pop culture phenomenon was safe from a questionable racing game adaptation). The pages are packed with late-90s confidence - all metal fonts, fiery explosions, and taglines like "The future of gaming starts NOW."

It's a trip back to a time when 3D graphics were still a brag, modems screamed in the background, and PC gamers debated openGL vs. Direct3D like it was a religion. Ads for sound cards, joysticks, and CRT monitors sit proudly next to full-page spreads for games that either became legends or disappeared into bargain bins within a year.