We’ve reported previously on the forthcoming THEA1200 plug and play console based on Commodore’s 32-bit Amiga A1200 home computer, set to be released by PLAION and Retro Games Ltd. later this year, and yesterday (August 10, 2026), PLAION announced some good news for anyone buying one of the first batch of THEA1200 machines: they will come with a bonus free gift in the of form of a special edition of Fusion Retro Books’ Commodore-focused ZZAP! Magazine.
Created especially for THEA1200, the printed magazine will only be included with the first production run of the machine. Once launch edition stock has sold out, future manufacturing runs won’t include it, so the magazine should make a nice bonus for those who order their THEA1200 early.
The special issue of ZZAP! Will be a 36-page, full-colour A5 publication featuring a mix of classic Amiga content and brand-new articles, including: reviews of Defender of the Crown, Turrican II: The Final Fight, and Reshoot Proxima 3; plus a feature on Settlers II by Nico Barbat from Look Behind You; and Richard Löwenstein on why Reshoot Proxima 3 is ‘the game that THEA1200 deserves’; The story behind the iconic Boing Ball Demo, written by Mike Battilana, CEO of Amiga Inc; ‘Amiga Dreams’, featuring memories from Jon Hare, Barry Leitch and Mark Greenshields; and an exclusive eight-page Alien Breed 35th Anniversary comic.
Fusion Retro Books’ ZZAP! Is a well-regarded brand in Commodore fandom. Indeed, we’ve reported previously on the ZZAP! Legacy book, which explores the publication’s history, and on the ZZAP! Live! shows, which are held annually in the UK.



