Publisher Read Only Memory made a lot of GamesMaster fans happy recently by publishing an incredible oral history of the show, spearheaded by its iconic host, Dominik Diamond.
Now, it has gone one step further and recreated the legendary Golden Joystick, with replicas going on sale for £250 a pop to those who backed the original book. The catch? Well, only 15 were made, and, as you might expect, they sold out in seconds, even causing ROM's site to crash under the insane demand.
On a more positive note, the run of sticks will be directly benefiting SpecialEffect, a charity which has done amazing work helping those with severe disabilities enjoy video games.
The original Golden Joystick was the prize for success in the '90s TV show, and was basically a bog-standard QuickJoy stick coated in gold. This hasn't stopped them from becoming objects of desire, of course.
These new versions – which again use original QuickJoy controllers – have been "lovingly electroplated in a luxurious gold finish and enshrined in an all-new etched display case featuring the iconic GamesMaster logo and an individualised edition number", according to ROM.
So why only 15? ROM answers that particular question:
"Before you chastise our shameful supply of electroplated joysticks, we really wanted to do a bigger run but frankly, after our tortourous experience trying to source them we offer our full respect to the poor researchers and producers tasked with making the awards back in the '90s. Although we suspect joysticks were slightly easier to get hold of back then..."
SpecialEffect Chief Operations Officer Tom Donegan had this to say about the collaboration:
“We are thrilled and honoured that SpecialEffect has been chosen as the charity partner for this wonderful and unique fundraiser! As someone who grew up watching GamesMaster, I am particularly delighted that Dominik Diamond has given his support to the project, alongside Adam Buxton who is another hero of mine!
At SpecialEffect, our mission is to develop accessible control solutions that allow people with severe physical disabilities to enjoy leisure and entertainment technology on a level playing field. This includes enabling people to play video games, of course, from retro classics to the latest mainstream releases! So, this feels like the perfect way to celebrate the GamesMaster legacy, not only in terms of raising vital funds to allow us to help more people, but also creating awareness of the charity throughout the wider community.
A huge thanks to Jack and all involved for the many hours of hard work they’ve put into making this dream a reality over many months. It really is massively appreciated!”
To take away the sting of missing out, ROM has created a special one-off episode featuring British writer, comedian and podcaster Adam Buxton, which you can view below.