CONTENTS
NEON PULSE
ISSUE 001 ■ AUGUST 1986
ISSUE 001 ■ AUGUST 1986
FEATURES
02
MUSIC
SYNTH GODS & DRUM MACHINES
The electric guitar is dead. Long live the synthesizer. We explore how silicon chips and MIDI cables conquered the UK charts and redefined the sound of a generation.
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03
GAMING
INSERT COIN: THE ARCADE INVASION
The definitive ranking of the arcade cabinets currently draining your pocket money, plus the home micro war that's splitting Britain's playgrounds down the middle.
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04
STYLE & CULTURE
PASTELS, PADS & PLASTIC
From Miami Vice to Wall Street, the essential wardrobe updates for 1986. Big hair, bigger shoulder pads, and the neon revolution sweeping the high street.
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REGULARS
05
HAVE YOUR SAY
READER BULLETIN BOARD
Your voice, your decade. Post your memories, opinions, and debates — then like, dislike, and reply to fellow readers. Join the conversation live!
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06
REVIEWS
SOFTWARE HOUSE
The latest cassettes for your ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64 reviewed and rated. Out Run, Bubble Bobble, and more under the microscope.
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FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK
Greetings, citizens of the neon grid. Welcome to the very first issue of Neon Pulse — Britain's newest, and we firmly believe, finest guide to the decade that dared.
We are living in an era of unprecedented acceleration. From the arcades glowing in the dark corners of every high street, to the synthesizers replacing guitars on Top of the Pops, the future isn't just approaching — it has arrived, and it's wearing shoulder pads.
Grab a Tab Clear, adjust your Walkman headphones, and turn the page.
— The Editor