Electric Brain

Electric Brain, (formally known as PC Engine Fanatics, then Console Ma'zine) was a British video game magazine which ran from 1989 to 1993. The name Electric Brain comes from the literal translation of the Chinese word for computer.

The editor throughout the life of the magazine was Onn Lee. Towards the end of its life as Electric Brain the magazine was published by Space City Publishing Ltd (now known as Space City ). The British Library holds copies of the Space City published issues.

History
The first issue was a handmade fanzine, created by Onn Lee, which was released in April 1989 as PC Engine Fanatics (not to be confused with the Japanese magazine PC Engine Fan) and its availability was advertised in various magazines, including The Games Machine. From issue 09, released in January 1990, the magazine's name changed to Console Ma'zine (sometimes Console Magazine in early mentions) to reflect its new multi-platform coverage, whose availability was advertised in Zero, New Computer Express , and S: The Sega Magazine. Electric Brain was the final name for the multi-platform magazine, and with it came a publisher and high street distribution. A brief history of Electric Brain is  featured in Super Play issue 23.

Possibly the biggest coup by the magazine was editor Onn Lee's 1992 interview with Shigeru Miyamoto regarding The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past.

Onn Lee and Electric Brain were mentioned in issue four of N-Force Magazine, which referred to him recently beginning to write a tabloid column. The tabloid column in question was in New Computer Express where Onn Lee wrote a column about consoles starting in issue 148.

In its final form the magazine covered console gaming on systems such as NEC's PC Engine, Nintendo's SNES, Sega's Mega Drive/Genesis and Mega CD systems, and SNK's Neo Geo.

Writers who worked on Electric Brain wrote for other contemporary video game magazines: Jason Brookes contributed to Super Play, EDGE, Sega Zone, Arcade, DC-UK and Famitsu, whilst Nick Burn contributed to Super Play. Other writers were already part of, or went on to become part of, the video game industry.

Timeline
* Issues #01 to #08: PC Engine Fanatics * Issues #09 to #19: Console Ma'zine * Issues #20 to #35: Electric Brain * Unknown number of further issues: GAP

Connection to Viz
The final run of the magazine featured illustrations and cartoons by notable Viz artist John Fardell.

Connection to Digitiser
Some issues featured rear cover advertising from Channel 4's Teletext Ltd service, for Digitiser their daily games magazine.

Successor: GAP
In 1994, after the end of Electric Brain, Onn Lee started a new publication called GAP (Games Amusement Pleasure).