Retro Reading
This issue's round up of nostalgic literature.
Do you remember having to read books from the school library and then being forced to write a report on it? Well this is the same except we've actually read the books...
The Ultimate History of Video Games
£10 - Steven L Kent
The cheapest book of the selection under review in this edition, this publication weighs in at a substantial 3xx pages. Besides a few central pages this is an intimidating text-only affair, but once you get stuck in it is a rewarding read covering video game history from it’s conception to the launch of the Xbox.
A large proportion of the book is given over to the history of Nolan Bushell/Atari and Nintendo, being the two major players in video game history, but due consideration is given to the other players such as Sega, Coleco and Mattel. The only criticism we could level at this publication is that there is very little coverage of the home computer market leaving the book very console-centric.
Featuring extracts from interviews with many of the prominent players this book is a very good source of videogame history and gives any retro-addict an insight into what went on behind the scenes of their childhood gaming experiences.
Supercade – A Visual History of the Video Game Age
£22 - Van Burnham
This big, colourful tome covers the period from 1971 and the creation of Computer Space to the launch of the NES/Famicon in 1984.
This is very much a coffee table book full of large colourful images that you can thumb through and reminisce about your misspent childhood. Within it’s 439 pages it covers each year with articles on the major machines and games of the time; unfortunately most of these consist of a small amount of text and a huge screenshot, but in terms of initiating a nostalgic response, it does the job.
The book covers both console and the early home computer systems. Spectrum users will be glad to know the Sinclair coverage outnumbers the C64 for column inches; however, there’s a full page money-shot of the C64 start up screen in all it’s purply-blueness. That’s how arty this can book can be. On a design plus-note, there’s also a nice two page visual history timeline, the design of which was pretty much lifted for the GamesTM anthology.
If you’re after something retro-cool to impress your stylish mates and have a strong coffee table, then this may be the book for you.
High Score!
£10 - Johnny L Wilson, Rusel DeMaria
Presented in more of a magazine style, this book covers the middle distance between the indepth Ultimate History and the visuals of Supercade. As well as covering the major systems as far as the Gamecube, it also contains articles on the various game developers and publishers of the 8-bit era including the likes of Epyx and Cinemaware.
The book is considered by many retro fans as the best starting point for some background retro-reading, and has now been updated and a second edition has been released. In an easy-to-absorb format for the video game generation with short concentration spans, this book is easy to dip into covering the console and home computer systems of your youth.