Sticky Pages



	Ah yes, what else could it be but a section on books and magazines. There have been many great books on our favourite subject, and some not so great. Below you will find books covering the classic arcade machines, the history of videogame's, game graphics, and more detail on consoles and home computers than any one person could ever hope to read (and trust me, I've tried). We have summarised the books in our collections and given pointers on the ones we don't own (yet). There is also a section for online documentation. Click a book image to find out more. If you own a book on retro gaming and would like to send in a review, to be published on this site, please email us and we will be happy to include it. Click HERE for more books.
SUPERCADE Van Burnham, published by The MIT Press (2003) ISBN : 0262524201 448 pages. All information refers to the paperback version of this book
This book is quite literally digital eye-candy to the extreme. That is not to say that it is just pretty pictures, but the sheer amount of full page imagery just takes the breath away. It is a large book and would probably be described as a 'coffee table book'. The sub-title to this book is 'a visual history of the videogame age 1971 - 1984' and it certainly lives up to that title. As soon as you start the book you are presented by a foreword by non-other than the inventor of home videogaming, Ralph Baer. After a couple of chapters charting the early years of development as it slowly grew in the research laboratories of the US, so starts the year by year breakdown of this exciting period of gaming history. The coverage may not be complete, but you can rest assured that all major events are covered (although you must bear in mind that this is an American book, so most of the articles pertain to events the other side of the pond). I could never do this book justice as there is just so much information covered, but to give you an idea I have listed the main sections below. Hopefully it will give you an idea of what the book contains. Brookhaven National Labs. William Higinbothams 'tennis'. MIT, The Tech Model Railroad Club and the origins of Space War. Ralph Baers beginnings in designing 'tv games'. 1971 - Syzygy, Computer Space. 1972 - Atari, Odyssey, Pong. 1973 - TV ping-pong, Asteroid, Gotcha, Rally, Space Race, Winner. 1974 - Gran Trak 10, Puppy Pong, Qwak!, Rebound, Tank, Touch Me. 1975 - Atari Pong, Odyssey 100-5000, Avenger, Gun Fight, Shark Jaws, Steeplechase. 1976 - Telstar, Channel F, Adventure, Breakout, Death Race, Sea Wolf, Sprint 2, Stunt Cycle. 1977 - Atari VCS, RCA Studio II, Apple II, Commodore PET, Tandy TRS-80, Circus, Drag Race, Safari. 1978 - Bally Astrocade, Odyssey 2, Atari Football, Avalanche, Gee Bee, Space Invaders, Space Wars. 1979 - Mattel Intellivision, Atari Home Computers, Texas TI-99, Asteroids, Galaxian, Lunar Lander, Warrior. 1980 - Activision, Game & Watch, Battlezone, Berzerk, Carnival, Centipede, Crazy Climber, Defender, Missile Command, Pac-Man, Phoenix, Red Baron, Star Castle. 1981 - Pac-Man Fever, Twin Galaxies, Commodore VIC-20, IBM PC, Donkey Kong, Frogger, Galaga, Gorf, Ms Pac-Man, Pleiads, Scramble, Stargate, Tempest, Turbo, Vanguard, Wizard of Wor. 1982 - Imagic, Atari 5200, ColecoVision, Vectrex, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, BurgerTime, Dig Dug, Donkey Kong Jnr, Joust, Mr. Do, Q*Bert, Robotron: 2084, Sinistar, Time Pilot, Tron, Xevious, Zaxxon. 1983 - Starcade, Sega SG-1000. Astron Belt, Congo Bongo, Dragon's Lair, Elevator Action, Gyruss, M.A.C.H. 3, Mario Bros., Space Ace, Spy Hunter, Star Trek, Track & Field. 1984 - Atari 7800, Nintendo Famicon, 720°, Excitebike, I, Robot, Karate Champ, Lode Runner, Marble Madness, Pac-Land, Punch Out!, TX-1, Collections - Five collectors talk about their entry into the videogame market and what their most prized collectible is. Exhibits - Summary of exhibitions in America (some still active today), includes the Classic Gaming Expo, the Philly Classics, and Videotopia. Today - Quotes from several game programmers (old and new) including, Ed Logg, Warren Spector, Shigeru Miyamoto, Ralph Baer, and John Romero. Although that is not the definite list, it covers most of the major sections. Some of the sections on hardware cover six pages, so you can be sure the author goes into some depth. There are also several interviews interspersed with the games. The text contained in this book is much more than just information on the games, there are many cultural references throughout the years. I found this a very interesting book and there is certainly a lot of content for your money. Just be aware, if you put it on a bookcase, make sure you have sturdy shelves - this book weighs a tonne. :) http://www.supercade.com/
ARCADE FEVER John Sellers, published by Running Press (2001) ISBN : 0762409371 160 pages
A mere light-weight compared to the previous behemoth, but don't be put off by it's size, there's a lot of information squeezed into it's pages. All the classic arcade machines are covered, with at least two pages per game. There is plenty of little nuggets tucked away within it's page, even if some of it is a little immature in places. There are interviews with Nolan Bushnell, Eugene Jarvis, Walter Day (Twin Galaxies referee, of course), and Buckner & Garcia (who? have you never heard Pac-Man Fever? No? Believe me, you are lucky...). So all in all a pretty decent book. Each game has a cabinet picture and plenty of art work is shown. There is plenty of additional information given. One section that made me smile was the mention of the classic episode of Seinfeld, with the Frogger take-off... classic. Oh, then there is the section about videogame movies that, thank god, weren't. Here we have a film based on Donkey Kong, with Gary Coleman as Jnr and Mr. T as Kong himself?? And all this for less than a tenner.
HIGH SCORE! Rusel DeMaria & Johnny L. Wilson, published by McGraw-Hill Publishing ISBN : 0072231726 400 pages
This was one of the first gaming books I bought and it covers a lot of ground. You would expect a book with header of 'the illustrated history of electronic games' to be pretty comprehensive and I can vouch for their claim. Let me just say that this book can not be accused of wasting space. Within it's 400 glossy pages we have everything from the classic arcade machines, through to consoles, and then onto the games itself. Spanning the 70's, 80,s, and 90's (in fact it carries on right up to 2001). Actually, this book starts it's journey in the 19th century. Marking the beginning of giants such as Nintendo (1889), Philips (1891), Coleco (1932), Mattel (1945), and Sega (1954). So after a brief summary of the early days, we move onto the first section, the 70's. Items covered in this section include the Magnavox Odyssey, Atari (with Pong, Gotcha, and Breakout), as well as the first arcade machines manufactured by Midway, Taito, and Cinematronics. After a brief look at the early pong home machines and the fairchild / channel f machines, we move onto the first generation of handhelds. The first handheld's are shown, manufactured by Mattel Electronics, consisting of simple LED displays. Of course, the more complex hand-held videogames didn't appear until the 80's but many of the larger companies had mechanical games released in the 70's, including Tomy, Milton Bradley (the famous Simon was released in 1978), and Bandai. We are then treated to a potted history of Coleco, before getting in depth with Atari and their VCS. Next we have the seeds of Apple (or should that be pips?). 1978 brings us Space Invaders and 1979 covers Atari with their next generation of arcade machines, Lunar Lander and Asteriods. But before we crash into the 80's there is time to read about the first home computers, the Atari 400, the Commodore Pet, and the Tandy TRS-80. So here we are, the 80's have arrived and we are thrown head-long into the classic machines that were created at the height of the arcade boom. Covered are Battlezone, Missile Command, Defender, and, Pac-Man (to name but a few). Each game has a cabinet and screen image. Next we have a detailed section on the beginning of Activision (with their great game patches - this was before the PC so we are talking sew-on patches). Moving on, we have the Intellivision, Imagic games, then more classic arcade machines in 1981 (Galaga, Gorf, Frogger, Centipede, Donkey Kong, and the sublime Tempest). A small step forward brings up to 1982 (Dig Dug, Mr. Do! (one of my favourites), Q*Bert, Pole Position, Joust, Tron, the zen-like Robotron 2084, Zaxxon, and Moon Patrol (again, most of these have cabinet and screen images). Enter 1983 and here we find Dragons Lair, Spy Hunter, Star Wars. Next we have a section on the Vectrex and Colecovision (including the Adam computer). More on the VCS with a nice little game of match the game to the box. And then a detailed look at the terrible videogame crash of 1984, a sad year indeed. But things never stay the same for long and in 1985 we see the return of Atari with Gauntlet and Paperboy. The next 'eighties' section covers some of the greatest names in games software, including Accolade, Infocom, Origin Systems, Broderbund (a very indepth section covering many pages), Sierra (including the Kings Quest, Police Quest, and Larry Suit Larry series), Epyx, Strategic Simulations Inc., Electronic Arts (and a certain Mr. Hawkins plus the EA Sports range), Microprose, Spectrum Holobyte, and others. I should also point out that each company is covered in quite some depth, with coverage of major titles and the programmers behind them. It sometimes feels like no stone is left unturned. The 'eighties' wraps up with large sections on LucasFilm Games/ LucasArts, Interplay, Cinemaware, plus summaries of many smaller companies. So as we wave goodbye to this wonderful decade, we introduced to the beginning of what will be the next console war. Nintendo with the NES and Game Boy versus Sega with the Master System and Game Gear. Oh and of course we shouldn't forget the Atari Lynx. The chapter ends with an interview with Shigeru Miyamoto. Another decade starts and we soon find that the 90's had more than it's fair share of goodies to keep us gamers satisfied. Straight away are introduced to the next round of Nintendo vs Sega with the Super Nintendo going head-to-head to the Genesis (this is an American book after all). Next is the 3D0 and soon we are exploring the big names that keep us glued to tv. Maxis (with the Sim range), Electronic Arts, Blizzard, Id Software, and, Shiny Entertainment. 1993 brings us the Atari Jaguar and a year later we have the Sega CD. 1994 also covers the new craze in the arcades, Street Fighter II and Mortal Combat. All too soon we are in 1995 and we meet the new kid on the block, the Sony Playstation (of course it had to share the street with the Sega Saturn). The advent of Sony's wonder kid introduces some new games company's, in the shape of Eidos (with the famous Tomb Raider franchise.. yes it really has been 10 years!!!) and Oddworld Entertainment. Nintendo brings their own kid to the party in 1996, in the shape of the Nintendo 64.. but has Sony already eaten all the cake? The 'nineties' chapter finishes off with a summary of more popular games, including Prince of Persia, Lemmings, Age of Empires, and Unreal. There is also a summary of online gaming. 1999 ends with Sega Dreamcast and it's valiant attempt to give Sega the jump in the next round of console wars. Alas it was not to be and the poor creature suffered a premature demise. Such a shame to be taken from us before it realised it's true potential. sniff.. I should add at this point that this book is a little sneaky by actually covering 2000 (Sony Playstation 2) and 2001 (Nintendo GameCube and Microsoft XBox). I suppose we should let them off as it does conveniently cover the last generation of consoles. So after an amazing three decades of gaming history, we are left with my favourite section 'Across the Atlantic'. It's nice to see this kind of book cover gaming history in the UK. This section covers Sinclair (Uncle Clive, the ZX81, and the Spectrum), Acorn, Amstrad, Dragon, Imagine Software, Psygnosis, Jeff Minter, Superior Software, Elite Systems, Mastertronic, Hewson, US Gold, Ocean Software, Firebird, Ultimate Play the Game, the Bitmap Brothers, and finally an interview with Dave Jones (from Lemmings and GTA fame - or should that be infamy). Most of the UK software houses may only get summaries, but there is plenty to jog the memory for us retro gaming brits. Oh, I nearly forgot, there is one more chapter 'Across the Pacific'. Yes, you've guessed it, this section gives us the view from Japan. We find out about Nintendo's early days, Game and Watch, the Family Computer, and the Satellaview add-on for the SNES. Next are summaries on the larger game developers in Japan, Namco, Konami, Capcom, and, Square-Enix. This chapter ends with a great time-line of events in Japanese videogaming history. And that really is it. Like I said, this book pretty much covers the lot and it is a very interesting read. It's not terribly expensive (I got mine for £15), and makes a great addition to any retro gamers bookshelf. Certainly one of the top five books you need in your collection.
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GAME MACHINES Winnie Forster, published by GAMEplan ISBN : 3000153594 225 pages
At first glance, this book may seem quite expensive for it's size. But it doesn't take long to realise that there really isn't another book that covers so many machines, 500 machines spanning 33 years. And being a European book means it covers some machines that many of the American books miss. The book start with a chapter on the various formats used for game storage over the years. This is not quite as bizarre as it sounds, it isn't just cassette tape, rom cartridge, and standard floppy disks mentioned here, also mentioned are the Atari VCS 'double-ender' cartridges, the Nintendo 64DD 'zip disks', and the Sega Dreamcast GD-ROM. We then have the obligatory 'history' section, plotting the early days of electronic games. But then we get into the real meat of the book. Each of the machines are covered in varying detail, some getting just the one page and others having a generous five pages dedicated to them. Included with the details of each machine is the total amount sold (rounded up), the number of games available, the type of media the games came on, and the date that games were developed up until. There is also a software 'score', this takes into consideration the quantity of games as well as the quality (scope of game types and amount of 3rd party developers). The score shown consists of five stars, with half a star depicted very poor game support and five being the best (for example the Sony Playstation). Of course this is a little unfair to some of the early systems, when game development was in it's infancy. We should bear in mind that this is Gameplan's own subjective rating, so don't be too hard on them if they give your favourite system a low score. The book starts in 1972 with Ralph Baer's Magnavox Odyssey. It would appear that 1977 was a busy year, as we have mention of the Tandy TRS-80, Apple II, Commodore PET, and the Atari VCS. 1978 brings us the Interton VC 4000 (which looks very similar to the Voltmace Database console I used to play on). The Atari 400 / 800 (1979) has a detailed section covering the various machines Atari released, as well as details of several games. It is worth mentioning at this point that each section does not just cover the machine of that year but sometimes mentions other systems in the range. So for instance the Atari 400 / 800 section also has details of the XL and XE ranges, and the XE Game System. As we enter the 80's we are treated to classics such as the Mattel Intellivision (1980), Sinclair ZX-81 (1981), Acorn BBC and Commodore 64 (1982), a large section on the MSX family (1983), Amstrad CPC (1984), Atari ST and Commodore Amiga (1985), good coverage of the NEC PC-Engine family (1987), Megadrive and variants (1988), and finally the handy 'little' Atari Lynx (1989). Included in this 'section' is an article plotting the introduction of 16-bit power to the world of videogames. As fate would have it, we enter the 90's next. Gems in this decade start with the awesome SNK Neo-Geo / CD (1990), Philips CD-I (1991), Panasonic 3DO (1993), Sega Saturn and Sony Playstation (1994), Nintendo Virtual-Boy (1995), Nintendo 64 (1996), Sega Dreamcast (1998), and we end with the Neo Geo Pocket (1999). We also have articles about the use of rendered graphics in games and how gaming has changed in the 21st century (basically LAN gaming and mobile devices). After this we have the year 2000 onwards, which isn't really relative to this site (yet). We have Playstation 2, Nuon, Game Boy Advance, etc. There is also a section at the back of the book that covers more machines, in less detail. We have the Dragon 32, Mattel Aquarius, Sinclair QL, Sord M5, as well as a handful of consoles. To wrap up the wealth of information this book contains there is a large section listing every machine and it's the processor, memory, graphics, sound, and external peripherals available. This book really does pile in the information and it is cram-packed full of useful (?) information about the machines included. Maybe this book should have been called 'everything you wanted to know about game machines, but were afraid to ask your mates'. Apparently this is part one of a trilogy of books by Gameplan, the other two being about Joysticks (there is a German version available) and Game Software / Graphics (could be interesting). Worth a look but many may find it a little expensive for it's size. http://www.game-machines.co.uk/
RE:PLAY Liz Faber, published by Laurence King Publishing ISBN : 1856691403 144 pages
And now for something completely different. So far my collection has included books on games and machines, but this book is all about the graphics. The subtitle gives it away really 'ultimate game graphics'. A word of warning, this book is quite.. well.. abstract. It is divided into sections that are best described as game 'genres'. By this I mean that they are grouped by a common link. This book uses a mix of relevant abstract imagery, rendered 'concept' art, and in-game graphics. I have listed the sections below, to give you a better idea of the structure of the book. We start with a detailed 'introduction' which combines a history of games, with the main emphasise on how graphics have defined and refined games. Also discussed are the influences that have found their way into game art. KILL. The first 'group' covers all things destructive. Whether it is the 'turret' in Space Invaders, the explosive tapestry of 'blooms' in Missile Command, or the satisfaction of smashing rocks to dust in Asteroids, we start with a celebration of the early arcade blasters. This section also covers the first person shooters, from Wolfenstein and Doom, to Quake and Golden Eye. Plotting the change in realism that took the early pixilated 'mess' experienced when an enemy was dispatched, to the more graphic portrayal that the newer games allowed. WIN. Next we have sport games. Here we start with the very first sports game... Pong, of course. A large montage of images takes us from the early Atari 2600 games such as american football and basketball, through to the Espy Summer Games range on 8-bit computers, and the more refined images found in Sees games. This section is completed with EA Sports NHL game and some images from Actual Soccer. DRIVE. A popular genre for videogame's which starts with a one-page montage of early racers. Included is Pole Position for the Atari 2600, Buggy Boy (C64), Road blaster (Arcade), and Lombard RAC Rally (Atari ST). These are contrasted by a two-page (8 image) view of F1 Racing Simulation on the Playstation. Other games that are given the multi-image treatment are Super Marion Cart (Nintendo 64), Wipeouts 2097 (Sony Playstation), and Grain Tourism (Sony Playstation). EXPLORE. Here we have the role playing and platform games. There is a great two-page montage of levels from Super Marion World on the SNES, pasted together to show a larger picture of the level. Also shown is Sonic and Zelda 3. We are also treated to a large section on My st, with a selection of images from this adventure. Next we have some shots from the first two Tomb Raider games on the Playstation. And finishing off this section are images from Blade runner on the PC and Resident Evil 2 on the Playstation. FIGHT. I really don't think it really needs an introduction. We start off with a montage of images from games such as International Karate Plus (C64), Way of the Exploding Fist (Spectrum), Altered Beast (PC Engine), and Street Fighter 2 Turbo (SNES) - to name but a few. After a selection of head-shots from several fighting games, we have a two page display of nine sequences of wire-frame animation from Virtual Fighter on the Saturn. CONTROL. The book describes this section as covering god games and war games. So it is no surprise to find the first game shown is Sim City 2000 (PC), with a two page image of a sprawling metropolis in full flow. Next we have some images from Command and Conquer on the Macintosh. FLY. Of course, flight simulators. This section begins with images from F/A 18 Hornet 3.0 and F/A 18 Korea, both on the Macintosh. F-22 Air Dominance Fighter is also shown in this section. So there you have it. Please bear in mind that it is not all graphics, each section has both introduction text and additional notes. It's not a bad book, but you do have to be into computer art to really appreciate it.
DIGITAL RETRO Gordon Laing, published by Ilex ISBN : 1904705391 192 pages ;
This is one of my more recent purchases and I have to admit to really liking to book. It's subtitle is 'the evolution and design of the personal computer', although there are several consoles covered as well. But it is the fact that it covers so many great home computers from the 80's, that makes it so interesting. The book starts with sections covering the history of personal computers, starting with Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine in 1822. Also mentioned is Alan Turing's 'Turing Machine' from 1936, IBM's Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator (1944), and ENIAC 1 (1946). This chapter also covers the development of the computer components, primarily the processor and also ARPAnet. Next we move onto the main section of the book, the machines. Each machine has four pages dedicated to it, showing images from the front, back, side, and above. Some machines also have images showing connections and the inside. There is a company history and information on when the machine launched as well as some basic specifications (CPU, Speed, RAM, and interestingly, local price at launch). There is also a section 'what happened next' which basically covers what the company did afterwards and also has the models developed from it's initial release. The first machine shown is the Altair 8800b, launched in 1975. There are so many machines covered in this book (44 in total) that I can't mention them all, but I have listed some below to give an idea of what is included. Commodore : Pet 2001, VIC-20, 64, and Amiga. Atari : VCS, 400 / 800, and ST. Sinclair : ZX80, ZX81, ZX Spectrum, and QL. Acorn : Atom, BBC Micro, Electron, and Archimedes. Consoles : Mattel Intellivision, CBS Coleco Vision, MB Vectrex, Nintendo NES, and Sega Master System. Home Computers : Tandy TRS-80, Texas TI-99/4a, Dragon 32, Jupiter ACE, Oric 1, Mattel Aquarius, Sony MSX, Amstrad CPC-464, and Tatung Einstein. Others : NASCOM-1, Osbourne 1, Apple II, IBM PC, Compaq Portable, and IBM PC AT. The book finishes with a chapter covering 1989 to present day. I highly recommend this if you are looking for a book published in the UK and concentrating on the classic home computers. It fits well into my collection, as most other books cover arcades and consoles. And it isn't particularly expensive either. Well worth a look I think. http://www.retruk.web-linked.com/
THE ULTIMATE HISTORY OF VIDEO GAMES Steven L. Kent, published by Three Rivers Press ISBN : 0761536434 608 pages
Okay, I have something to admit.. I have left the best until last. If you are into retro gaming, then this really should be in your collection. Steven L. Kent is probably known to many of you and he has done an excellent job in getting the whole story into this book (just look at the amount of pages to get an idea about how much information you are going to be getting). This is also the only book in my collection that I have read from cover to cover. Where as many of my books are heavy in images and are more of a 'dip in' book, this book is mainly text and is written in a way that really draws you in. I found myself being hooked and just couldn't put it down. After an interesting time-line section, covering many important events in videogames, from 1889 to 2001, the story begins with the early days of pinball and how it became tied to gambling and was banned in many states. Progression through the book takes in the early days of Atari and the other forefathers of videogames in America, as well as Japans first steps into the industry. There is a lot of information regarding Atari and many of the people working there are quoted. The Atari story is plotted from the beginning, through the classic arcade developments, home consoles and computers, to the ultimate fall of the great gaming icon. Of course, Atari don't get all the glory as Eugene Jarvis, Dave Theurer, Ed Logg, and Toru Iwatani also get a look. All the landmark arcade games from the early eighties are mentioned. The book then turns to the home developments, starting with Atari's VCS, and then moving on to the Magnavox, Intellivsion, and Colecovision. Further into the book there is indepth coverage of the early years at Sega and Ninetendo. Further chapters provide discussion of the introduction of the 16-bit consoles. As the last chapters draw to a close, the book finishes with the more recent history of the 'big three', Sega, Nintendo, and Sony.
ELECTRONIC PLASTIC Jargo Gielens and Robert Klanten. Published by Gestalten Verlag ISBN : 3931126447 176 pages
Electronic Plastic is another must have book. It is quite surprisingly that hand-held gaming has had so little coverage other books, but rest assured that this book more than makes up for it. This books plots the development of portable gaming, from 1976 with the first basic devices, right through to 1985 when only a couple of companies where still producing machines. The layout of the book creates a real sensory overload, with so many images crammed into it's pages. But that comment isn't a criticism but rather a compliment because this book is true eye-candy. At the start of the book is a potted history of the videogame birth before moving into the sociological effects of games. The story of the handheld, or table-top as they were soon to become, starts in 1976. This was when Michael Katz, then at Mattel Toys, came up with the idea of a handheld videogame using LED technology. And so Auto Race was born. Of course this technology was limited and other games released in the late 70's had restricted gameplay. Some would not have looked out of place in an episode of Star Trek and Parker Brother's bright red Merlin had the look of a futuristic telephone handset. As with all technology, the games where improving all the time. The simple LED displays gave way to LCD displays in the early 80's. Ninetendo's Game & Watch series, as well as the influx of machines based on miniture arcade cabinets, defined the height of the handheld era. Unfortunately by the middle of the 80's things were coming to an end. Let the first generation of home consoles, most handheld machines could only play a single game. With so many home computers and consoles being released, and able to play a large selection of games, the handheld was doomed. Even Entex's Adventure Vision, able to accept cartridge games, wasn't enough. Likewise, Atari's Cosmos, using an intriging holographic system, never even made it to the shops. The book does a great job of covering many of the machines within this era. Each one has at least one page dedicated to it, with images of the machine itself with some also having examples of advertising material and instructions. There is a small description of the game and some stats, including the release year, how many batteries it takes (and of which kind), and a 'score' for both gameplay and quality (of the machine). At the back of the book is a great 'overview' of all the machines by company. A unique and interesting book, if a little on the expensive side (around £25). But who lets money get in the way of their passion?
THE A-Z OF COOL COMPUTER GAMES Jack Railton. Published by Allison and Busby ISBN : 0749082062 336 pages
I have to admit to having ignored this book in the past. A quick scan through it in a local book store didn't really grab my interest and so it stayed on the shelf. But after a friend lent me his copy, and I took the time to read it in my depth, I realised that this is a rather good book. As the title states, this is an A to Z of all things game related from the early 70's through until around the mid 90's. The author is well versed in many facets of retro culture from the 70's and 80's from the UK. He has a great writing style that makes the book very easy to read and most of us that lived through the 80's as a youngster will be able to relate to many of the topics that are mentioned. Although the book is primarily text-only there are several colour pages in the centre. Sections are broken down into catagories, each one having many entries. For example the first section, called 'the games', includes entries for Ant Attack, Elite, Hungry Horace, Night Trap, and Space War (to name just a few). But it is not only games themselves that are covered, as entries includes details of genre's, as well as mention of Game Creators, K-Tel Productions, and Motion Capture. Other sections cover Amusenent Arcades, Social Mores (includes Bad Influence, Computer Magazines, Typing-In Programs, and Piracy), The Machines, and The Paraphernalia (includes Big Trak, C5, Game and Watch, Prestel, and Virtual Reality). Quite a unique book in the subject matter that it covers and a must have for people who like to be reminded of the 70's and 80's. Certainly deserves a place on the shelf of any respectable UK Retro Gamer.
THE COMPUTER : A HISTORY Mark Frauenfelder. Published by Carlton Books Limited ISBN : 1844424596 256 pages
Although not strictly a book on retro gaming, it does have a section on games machines. And of course without the technology that developed computers, we would not have had the hardware to play games either. I had the chance to read the hardback edition and it really is a large book. Each page has lavish images of the machine in question and their inventors (or later, technicians). This intriguing book starts with the way that the humans of 30,000 BC began to count, initially on their figures and then by 'tallies' using marks on bones and paint on rock. Things progress onto early abacus and more eleborate 'counting machines' in the 13th and 14th century. By the 1800's we are introduced to Charles Babbage with his Difference Engine, and later the Analytical Engine. With the start of the 20th century important developments were taking place. The invention of basic circuits using electronic relays and vacuum tubes appeared. But it wasn't until the second world war that things really moved forward. Brillant minds such as Alan Turing and Konrad Zuse made great headway during this troubled period. After the war many of the manufacturers marketed their skills in the business sector, with giants like IBM and Hewlett-Packard helping to develop some of the early 'mainframe' computers. By the mid 70's the first 'home computers' were designed, in the shape of the Altair. Soon Commodore, Tandy, and Apple were working on their own computers for the home. This also triggered the development of the BASIC programming language. The computer was no longer a large and mysterious entity, locked away in computer rooms and service by 'specialist' technicians. It was 1980 when Sir Clive Sinclair released the tiny ZX-80 and, to some degree, started computers for the masses. The price of home computers were becoming affordable and user friendly. And of course games were much more enjoyable. The section on games plots the normal path from Space War on the DEC PDP, through Atari's early days, and onto the early consoles, finishing with the Xbox and Halo 2. Further chapters cover the online side of the computer development, including email, cyber culture, the dotcom bubble, and google. The computers effect on entertainment, such as movies (early Sci-Fi, Tron, and computer animation), music (the Moog synthesizer), and books. The final chapter looks into the future, covering items such as robotics, augmented reality, human implants, and nano-technology. An interesting book with a wealth of information and many great images.

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Ah yes, what else could it be but a section on books and magazines. There have been many great books on our favourite subject, and some not so great. Below you will find books covering the classic arcade machines, the history of videogame's, game graphics, and more detail on consoles and home computers than any one person could ever hope to read (and trust me, I've tried). We have summarised the books in our collections and given pointers on the ones we don't own (yet). There is also a section for online documentation. Click a book image to find out more.

If you own a book on retro gaming and would like to send in a review, to be published on this site, please email us and we will be happy to include it. Click HERE for more books.

SUPERCADE

Van Burnham, published by The MIT Press (2003)

ISBN : 0262524201

448 pages. All information refers to the paperback version of this book

This book is quite literally digital eye-candy to the extreme. That is not to say that it is just pretty pictures, but the sheer amount of full page imagery just takes the breath away. It is a large book and would probably be described as a 'coffee table book'. The sub-title to this book is 'a visual history of the videogame age 1971 - 1984' and it certainly lives up to that title.

As soon as you start the book you are presented by a foreword by non-other than the inventor of home videogaming, Ralph Baer. After a couple of chapters charting the early years of development as it slowly grew in the research laboratories of the US, so starts the year by year breakdown of this exciting period of gaming history. The coverage may not be complete, but you can rest assured that all major events are covered (although you must bear in mind that this is an American book, so most of the articles pertain to events the other side of the pond).

I could never do this book justice as there is just so much information covered, but to give you an idea I have listed the main sections below. Hopefully it will give you an idea of what the book contains.

Brookhaven National Labs. William Higinbothams 'tennis'.
MIT, The Tech Model Railroad Club and the origins of Space War.
Ralph Baers beginnings in designing 'tv games'.
1971 - Syzygy, Computer Space.
1972 - Atari, Odyssey, Pong.
1973 - TV ping-pong, Asteroid, Gotcha, Rally, Space Race, Winner.
1974 - Gran Trak 10, Puppy Pong, Qwak!, Rebound, Tank, Touch Me.
1975 - Atari Pong, Odyssey 100-5000, Avenger, Gun Fight, Shark Jaws, Steeplechase.
1976 - Telstar, Channel F, Adventure, Breakout, Death Race, Sea Wolf, Sprint 2, Stunt Cycle.
1977 - Atari VCS, RCA Studio II, Apple II, Commodore PET, Tandy TRS-80, Circus, Drag Race, Safari.
1978 - Bally Astrocade, Odyssey 2, Atari Football, Avalanche, Gee Bee, Space Invaders, Space Wars.
1979 - Mattel Intellivision, Atari Home Computers, Texas TI-99, Asteroids, Galaxian, Lunar Lander, Warrior.
1980 - Activision, Game & Watch, Battlezone, Berzerk, Carnival, Centipede, Crazy Climber, Defender, Missile Command, Pac-Man, Phoenix, Red Baron, Star Castle.
1981 - Pac-Man Fever, Twin Galaxies, Commodore VIC-20, IBM PC, Donkey Kong, Frogger, Galaga, Gorf, Ms Pac-Man, Pleiads, Scramble, Stargate, Tempest, Turbo, Vanguard, Wizard of Wor.
1982 - Imagic, Atari 5200, ColecoVision, Vectrex, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, BurgerTime, Dig Dug, Donkey Kong Jnr, Joust, Mr. Do, Q*Bert, Robotron: 2084, Sinistar, Time Pilot, Tron, Xevious, Zaxxon.
1983 - Starcade, Sega SG-1000. Astron Belt, Congo Bongo, Dragon's Lair, Elevator Action, Gyruss, M.A.C.H. 3, Mario Bros., Space Ace, Spy Hunter, Star Trek, Track & Field.
1984 - Atari 7800, Nintendo Famicon, 720°, Excitebike, I, Robot, Karate Champ, Lode Runner, Marble Madness, Pac-Land, Punch Out!, TX-1,
Collections - Five collectors talk about their entry into the videogame market and what their most prized collectible is.
Exhibits - Summary of exhibitions in America (some still active today), includes the Classic Gaming Expo, the Philly Classics, and Videotopia.
Today - Quotes from several game programmers (old and new) including, Ed Logg, Warren Spector, Shigeru Miyamoto, Ralph Baer, and John Romero.

Although that is not the definite list, it covers most of the major sections. Some of the sections on hardware cover six pages, so you can be sure the author goes into some depth. There are also several interviews interspersed with the games. The text contained in this book is much more than just information on the games, there are many cultural references throughout the years.

I found this a very interesting book and there is certainly a lot of content for your money. Just be aware, if you put it on a bookcase, make sure you have sturdy shelves - this book weighs a tonne. :)

http://www.supercade.com/

ARCADE FEVER

John Sellers, published by Running Press (2001)

ISBN : 0762409371

160 pages

A mere light-weight compared to the previous behemoth, but don't be put off by it's size, there's a lot of information squeezed into it's pages. All the classic arcade machines are covered, with at least two pages per game. There is plenty of little nuggets tucked away within it's page, even if some of it is a little immature in places.

There are interviews with Nolan Bushnell, Eugene Jarvis, Walter Day (Twin Galaxies referee, of course), and Buckner & Garcia (who? have you never heard Pac-Man Fever? No? Believe me, you are lucky...).

So all in all a pretty decent book. Each game has a cabinet picture and plenty of art work is shown. There is plenty of additional information given. One section that made me smile was the mention of the classic episode of Seinfeld, with the Frogger take-off... classic. Oh, then there is the section about videogame movies that, thank god, weren't. Here we have a film based on Donkey Kong, with Gary Coleman as Jnr and Mr. T as Kong himself??

And all this for less than a tenner.

HIGH SCORE!

Rusel DeMaria & Johnny L. Wilson, published by McGraw-Hill Publishing

ISBN : 0072231726

400 pages

This was one of the first gaming books I bought and it covers a lot of ground. You would expect a book with header of 'the illustrated history of electronic games' to be pretty comprehensive and I can vouch for their claim. Let me just say that this book can not be accused of wasting space. Within it's 400 glossy pages we have everything from the classic arcade machines, through to consoles, and then onto the games itself. Spanning the 70's, 80,s, and 90's (in fact it carries on right up to 2001). Actually, this book starts it's journey in the 19th century. Marking the beginning of giants such as Nintendo (1889), Philips (1891), Coleco (1932), Mattel (1945), and Sega (1954).

So after a brief summary of the early days, we move onto the first section, the 70's.

Items covered in this section include the Magnavox Odyssey, Atari (with Pong, Gotcha, and Breakout), as well as the first arcade machines manufactured by Midway, Taito, and Cinematronics. After a brief look at the early pong home machines and the fairchild / channel f machines, we move onto the first generation of handhelds. The first handheld's are shown, manufactured by Mattel Electronics, consisting of simple LED displays. Of course, the more complex hand-held videogames didn't appear until the 80's but many of the larger companies had mechanical games released in the 70's, including Tomy, Milton Bradley (the famous Simon was released in 1978), and Bandai.

We are then treated to a potted history of Coleco, before getting in depth with Atari and their VCS. Next we have the seeds of Apple (or should that be pips?). 1978 brings us Space Invaders and 1979 covers Atari with their next generation of arcade machines, Lunar Lander and Asteriods. But before we crash into the 80's there is time to read about the first home computers, the Atari 400, the Commodore Pet, and the Tandy TRS-80.

So here we are, the 80's have arrived and we are thrown head-long into the classic machines that were created at the height of the arcade boom. Covered are Battlezone, Missile Command, Defender, and, Pac-Man (to name but a few). Each game has a cabinet and screen image. Next we have a detailed section on the beginning of Activision (with their great game patches - this was before the PC so we are talking sew-on patches). Moving on, we have the Intellivision, Imagic games, then more classic arcade machines in 1981 (Galaga, Gorf, Frogger, Centipede, Donkey Kong, and the sublime Tempest). A small step forward brings up to 1982 (Dig Dug, Mr. Do! (one of my favourites), Q*Bert, Pole Position, Joust, Tron, the zen-like Robotron 2084, Zaxxon, and Moon Patrol (again, most of these have cabinet and screen images). Enter 1983 and here we find Dragons Lair, Spy Hunter, Star Wars. Next we have a section on the Vectrex and Colecovision (including the Adam computer). More on the VCS with a nice little game of match the game to the box. And then a detailed look at the terrible videogame crash of 1984, a sad year indeed. But things never stay the same for long and in 1985 we see the return of Atari with Gauntlet and Paperboy.

The next 'eighties' section covers some of the greatest names in games software, including Accolade, Infocom, Origin Systems, Broderbund (a very indepth section covering many pages), Sierra (including the Kings Quest, Police Quest, and Larry Suit Larry series), Epyx, Strategic Simulations Inc., Electronic Arts (and a certain Mr. Hawkins plus the EA Sports range), Microprose, Spectrum Holobyte, and others. I should also point out that each company is covered in quite some depth, with coverage of major titles and the programmers behind them. It sometimes feels like no stone is left unturned. The 'eighties' wraps up with large sections on LucasFilm Games/ LucasArts, Interplay, Cinemaware, plus summaries of many smaller companies. So as we wave goodbye to this wonderful decade, we introduced to the beginning of what will be the next console war. Nintendo with the NES and Game Boy versus Sega with the Master System and Game Gear. Oh and of course we shouldn't forget the Atari Lynx. The chapter ends with an interview with Shigeru Miyamoto.

Another decade starts and we soon find that the 90's had more than it's fair share of goodies to keep us gamers satisfied. Straight away are introduced to the next round of Nintendo vs Sega with the Super Nintendo going head-to-head to the Genesis (this is an American book after all). Next is the 3D0 and soon we are exploring the big names that keep us glued to tv. Maxis (with the Sim range), Electronic Arts, Blizzard, Id Software, and, Shiny Entertainment. 1993 brings us the Atari Jaguar and a year later we have the Sega CD. 1994 also covers the new craze in the arcades, Street Fighter II and Mortal Combat. All too soon we are in 1995 and we meet the new kid on the block, the Sony Playstation (of course it had to share the street with the Sega Saturn). The advent of Sony's wonder kid introduces some new games company's, in the shape of Eidos (with the famous Tomb Raider franchise.. yes it really has been 10 years!!!) and Oddworld Entertainment. Nintendo brings their own kid to the party in 1996, in the shape of the Nintendo 64.. but has Sony already eaten all the cake?

The 'nineties' chapter finishes off with a summary of more popular games, including Prince of Persia, Lemmings, Age of Empires, and Unreal. There is also a summary of online gaming. 1999 ends with Sega Dreamcast and it's valiant attempt to give Sega the jump in the next round of console wars. Alas it was not to be and the poor creature suffered a premature demise. Such a shame to be taken from us before it realised it's true potential. sniff..

I should add at this point that this book is a little sneaky by actually covering 2000 (Sony Playstation 2) and 2001 (Nintendo GameCube and Microsoft XBox). I suppose we should let them off as it does conveniently cover the last generation of consoles.

So after an amazing three decades of gaming history, we are left with my favourite section 'Across the Atlantic'. It's nice to see this kind of book cover gaming history in the UK. This section covers Sinclair (Uncle Clive, the ZX81, and the Spectrum), Acorn, Amstrad, Dragon, Imagine Software, Psygnosis, Jeff Minter, Superior Software, Elite Systems, Mastertronic, Hewson, US Gold, Ocean Software, Firebird, Ultimate Play the Game, the Bitmap Brothers, and finally an interview with Dave Jones (from Lemmings and GTA fame - or should that be infamy). Most of the UK software houses may only get summaries, but there is plenty to jog the memory for us retro gaming brits.

Oh, I nearly forgot, there is one more chapter 'Across the Pacific'. Yes, you've guessed it, this section gives us the view from Japan. We find out about Nintendo's early days, Game and Watch, the Family Computer, and the Satellaview add-on for the SNES. Next are summaries on the larger game developers in Japan, Namco, Konami, Capcom, and, Square-Enix. This chapter ends with a great time-line of events in Japanese videogaming history.

And that really is it. Like I said, this book pretty much covers the lot and it is a very interesting read. It's not terribly expensive (I got mine for £15), and makes a great addition to any retro gamers bookshelf. Certainly one of the top five books you need in your collection.

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GAME MACHINES

Winnie Forster, published by GAMEplan

ISBN : 3000153594

225 pages

At first glance, this book may seem quite expensive for it's size. But it doesn't take long to realise that there really isn't another book that covers so many machines, 500 machines spanning 33 years. And being a European book means it covers some machines that many of the American books miss.

The book start with a chapter on the various formats used for game storage over the years. This is not quite as bizarre as it sounds, it isn't just cassette tape, rom cartridge, and standard floppy disks mentioned here, also mentioned are the Atari VCS 'double-ender' cartridges, the Nintendo 64DD 'zip disks', and the Sega Dreamcast GD-ROM.

We then have the obligatory 'history' section, plotting the early days of electronic games. But then we get into the real meat of the book. Each of the machines are covered in varying detail, some getting just the one page and others having a generous five pages dedicated to them. Included with the details of each machine is the total amount sold (rounded up), the number of games available, the type of media the games came on, and the date that games were developed up until. There is also a software 'score', this takes into consideration the quantity of games as well as the quality (scope of game types and amount of 3rd party developers). The score shown consists of five stars, with half a star depicted very poor game support and five being the best (for example the Sony Playstation). Of course this is a little unfair to some of the early systems, when game development was in it's infancy. We should bear in mind that this is Gameplan's own subjective rating, so don't be too hard on them if they give your favourite system a low score.

The book starts in 1972 with Ralph Baer's Magnavox Odyssey. It would appear that 1977 was a busy year, as we have mention of the Tandy TRS-80, Apple II, Commodore PET, and the Atari VCS. 1978 brings us the Interton VC 4000 (which looks very similar to the Voltmace Database console I used to play on). The Atari 400 / 800 (1979) has a detailed section covering the various machines Atari released, as well as details of several games. It is worth mentioning at this point that each section does not just cover the machine of that year but sometimes mentions other systems in the range. So for instance the Atari 400 / 800 section also has details of the XL and XE ranges, and the XE Game System.

As we enter the 80's we are treated to classics such as the Mattel Intellivision (1980), Sinclair ZX-81 (1981), Acorn BBC and Commodore 64 (1982), a large section on the MSX family (1983), Amstrad CPC (1984), Atari ST and Commodore Amiga (1985), good coverage of the NEC PC-Engine family (1987), Megadrive and variants (1988), and finally the handy 'little' Atari Lynx (1989). Included in this 'section' is an article plotting the introduction of 16-bit power to the world of videogames.

As fate would have it, we enter the 90's next. Gems in this decade start with the awesome SNK Neo-Geo / CD (1990), Philips CD-I (1991), Panasonic 3DO (1993), Sega Saturn and Sony Playstation (1994), Nintendo Virtual-Boy (1995), Nintendo 64 (1996), Sega Dreamcast (1998), and we end with the Neo Geo Pocket (1999). We also have articles about the use of rendered graphics in games and how gaming has changed in the 21st century (basically LAN gaming and mobile devices).

After this we have the year 2000 onwards, which isn't really relative to this site (yet). We have Playstation 2, Nuon, Game Boy Advance, etc.

There is also a section at the back of the book that covers more machines, in less detail. We have the Dragon 32, Mattel Aquarius, Sinclair QL, Sord M5, as well as a handful of consoles. To wrap up the wealth of information this book contains there is a large section listing every machine and it's the processor, memory, graphics, sound, and external peripherals available.

This book really does pile in the information and it is cram-packed full of useful (?) information about the machines included. Maybe this book should have been called 'everything you wanted to know about game machines, but were afraid to ask your mates'. Apparently this is part one of a trilogy of books by Gameplan, the other two being about Joysticks (there is a German version available) and Game Software / Graphics (could be interesting). Worth a look but many may find it a little expensive for it's size.

http://www.game-machines.co.uk/

RE:PLAY

Liz Faber, published by Laurence King Publishing

ISBN : 1856691403

144 pages

And now for something completely different. So far my collection has included books on games and machines, but this book is all about the graphics. The subtitle gives it away really 'ultimate game graphics'. A word of warning, this book is quite.. well.. abstract. It is divided into sections that are best described as game 'genres'. By this I mean that they are grouped by a common link. This book uses a mix of relevant abstract imagery, rendered 'concept' art, and in-game graphics. I have listed the sections below, to give you a better idea of the structure of the book. We start with a detailed 'introduction' which combines a history of games, with the main emphasise on how graphics have defined and refined games. Also discussed are the influences that have found their way into game art.

KILL. The first 'group' covers all things destructive. Whether it is the 'turret' in Space Invaders, the explosive tapestry of 'blooms' in Missile Command, or the satisfaction of smashing rocks to dust in Asteroids, we start with a celebration of the early arcade blasters. This section also covers the first person shooters, from Wolfenstein and Doom, to Quake and Golden Eye. Plotting the change in realism that took the early pixilated 'mess' experienced when an enemy was dispatched, to the more graphic portrayal that the newer games allowed.

WIN. Next we have sport games. Here we start with the very first sports game... Pong, of course. A large montage of images takes us from the early Atari 2600 games such as american football and basketball, through to the Espy Summer Games range on 8-bit computers, and the more refined images found in Sees games. This section is completed with EA Sports NHL game and some images from Actual Soccer.

DRIVE. A popular genre for videogame's which starts with a one-page montage of early racers. Included is Pole Position for the Atari 2600, Buggy Boy (C64), Road blaster (Arcade), and Lombard RAC Rally (Atari ST). These are contrasted by a two-page (8 image) view of F1 Racing Simulation on the Playstation. Other games that are given the multi-image treatment are Super Marion Cart (Nintendo 64), Wipeouts 2097 (Sony Playstation), and Grain Tourism (Sony Playstation).

EXPLORE. Here we have the role playing and platform games. There is a great two-page montage of levels from Super Marion World on the SNES, pasted together to show a larger picture of the level. Also shown is Sonic and Zelda 3. We are also treated to a large section on My st, with a selection of images from this adventure. Next we have some shots from the first two Tomb Raider games on the Playstation. And finishing off this section are images from Blade runner on the PC and Resident Evil 2 on the Playstation.

FIGHT. I really don't think it really needs an introduction. We start off with a montage of images from games such as International Karate Plus (C64), Way of the Exploding Fist (Spectrum), Altered Beast (PC Engine), and Street Fighter 2 Turbo (SNES) - to name but a few. After a selection of head-shots from several fighting games, we have a two page display of nine sequences of wire-frame animation from Virtual Fighter on the Saturn.

CONTROL. The book describes this section as covering god games and war games. So it is no surprise to find the first game shown is Sim City 2000 (PC), with a two page image of a sprawling metropolis in full flow. Next we have some images from Command and Conquer on the Macintosh.

FLY. Of course, flight simulators. This section begins with images from F/A 18 Hornet 3.0 and F/A 18 Korea, both on the Macintosh. F-22 Air Dominance Fighter is also shown in this section.

So there you have it. Please bear in mind that it is not all graphics, each section has both introduction text and additional notes. It's not a bad book, but you do have to be into computer art to really appreciate it.

DIGITAL RETRO

Gordon Laing, published by Ilex

ISBN : 1904705391

192 pages

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This is one of my more recent purchases and I have to admit to really liking to book. It's subtitle is 'the evolution and design of the personal computer', although there are several consoles covered as well. But it is the fact that it covers so many great home computers from the 80's, that makes it so interesting.

The book starts with sections covering the history of personal computers, starting with Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine in 1822. Also mentioned is Alan Turing's 'Turing Machine' from 1936, IBM's Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator (1944), and ENIAC 1 (1946). This chapter also covers the development of the computer components, primarily the processor and also ARPAnet.

Next we move onto the main section of the book, the machines. Each machine has four pages dedicated to it, showing images from the front, back, side, and above. Some machines also have images showing connections and the inside. There is a company history and information on when the machine launched as well as some basic specifications (CPU, Speed, RAM, and interestingly, local price at launch). There is also a section 'what happened next' which basically covers what the company did afterwards and also has the models developed from it's initial release.

The first machine shown is the Altair 8800b, launched in 1975. There are so many machines covered in this book (44 in total) that I can't mention them all, but I have listed some below to give an idea of what is included.

Commodore : Pet 2001, VIC-20, 64, and Amiga.
Atari : VCS, 400 / 800, and ST.
Sinclair : ZX80, ZX81, ZX Spectrum, and QL.
Acorn : Atom, BBC Micro, Electron, and Archimedes.
Consoles : Mattel Intellivision, CBS Coleco Vision, MB Vectrex, Nintendo NES, and Sega Master System.
Home Computers : Tandy TRS-80, Texas TI-99/4a, Dragon 32, Jupiter ACE, Oric 1, Mattel Aquarius, Sony MSX, Amstrad CPC-464, and Tatung Einstein.
Others : NASCOM-1, Osbourne 1, Apple II, IBM PC, Compaq Portable, and IBM PC AT.

The book finishes with a chapter covering 1989 to present day. I highly recommend this if you are looking for a book published in the UK and concentrating on the classic home computers. It fits well into my collection, as most other books cover arcades and consoles. And it isn't particularly expensive either. Well worth a look I think.

http://www.retruk.web-linked.com/

THE ULTIMATE HISTORY OF VIDEO GAMES

Steven L. Kent, published by Three Rivers Press

ISBN : 0761536434

608 pages

Okay, I have something to admit.. I have left the best until last. If you are into retro gaming, then this really should be in your collection. Steven L. Kent is probably known to many of you and he has done an excellent job in getting the whole story into this book (just look at the amount of pages to get an idea about how much information you are going to be getting). This is also the only book in my collection that I have read from cover to cover. Where as many of my books are heavy in images and are more of a 'dip in' book, this book is mainly text and is written in a way that really draws you in. I found myself being hooked and just couldn't put it down.

After an interesting time-line section, covering many important events in videogames, from 1889 to 2001, the story begins with the early days of pinball and how it became tied to gambling and was banned in many states. Progression through the book takes in the early days of Atari and the other forefathers of videogames in America, as well as Japans first steps into the industry.

There is a lot of information regarding Atari and many of the people working there are quoted. The Atari story is plotted from the beginning, through the classic arcade developments, home consoles and computers, to the ultimate fall of the great gaming icon. Of course, Atari don't get all the glory as Eugene Jarvis, Dave Theurer, Ed Logg, and Toru Iwatani also get a look. All the landmark arcade games from the early eighties are mentioned.

The book then turns to the home developments, starting with Atari's VCS, and then moving on to the Magnavox, Intellivsion, and Colecovision. Further into the book there is indepth coverage of the early years at Sega and Ninetendo. Further chapters provide discussion of the introduction of the 16-bit consoles. As the last chapters draw to a close, the book finishes with the more recent history of the 'big three', Sega, Nintendo, and Sony.

ELECTRONIC PLASTIC

Jargo Gielens and Robert Klanten. Published by Gestalten Verlag

ISBN : 3931126447

176 pages

Electronic Plastic is another must have book. It is quite surprisingly that hand-held gaming has had so little coverage other books, but rest assured that this book more than makes up for it. This books plots the development of portable gaming, from 1976 with the first basic devices, right through to 1985 when only a couple of companies where still producing machines. The layout of the book creates a real sensory overload, with so many images crammed into it's pages. But that comment isn't a criticism but rather a compliment because this book is true eye-candy.

At the start of the book is a potted history of the videogame birth before moving into the sociological effects of games. The story of the handheld, or table-top as they were soon to become, starts in 1976. This was when Michael Katz, then at Mattel Toys, came up with the idea of a handheld videogame using LED technology. And so Auto Race was born. Of course this technology was limited and other games released in the late 70's had restricted gameplay. Some would not have looked out of place in an episode of Star Trek and Parker Brother's bright red Merlin had the look of a futuristic telephone handset.

As with all technology, the games where improving all the time. The simple LED displays gave way to LCD displays in the early 80's. Ninetendo's Game & Watch series, as well as the influx of machines based on miniture arcade cabinets, defined the height of the handheld era. Unfortunately by the middle of the 80's things were coming to an end. Let the first generation of home consoles, most handheld machines could only play a single game. With so many home computers and consoles being released, and able to play a large selection of games, the handheld was doomed. Even Entex's Adventure Vision, able to accept cartridge games, wasn't enough. Likewise, Atari's Cosmos, using an intriging holographic system, never even made it to the shops.

The book does a great job of covering many of the machines within this era. Each one has at least one page dedicated to it, with images of the machine itself with some also having examples of advertising material and instructions. There is a small description of the game and some stats, including the release year, how many batteries it takes (and of which kind), and a 'score' for both gameplay and quality (of the machine). At the back of the book is a great 'overview' of all the machines by company.

A unique and interesting book, if a little on the expensive side (around £25). But who lets money get in the way of their passion?

THE A-Z OF COOL COMPUTER GAMES

Jack Railton. Published by Allison and Busby

ISBN : 0749082062

336 pages

I have to admit to having ignored this book in the past. A quick scan through it in a local book store didn't really grab my interest and so it stayed on the shelf. But after a friend lent me his copy, and I took the time to read it in my depth, I realised that this is a rather good book. As the title states, this is an A to Z of all things game related from the early 70's through until around the mid 90's. The author is well versed in many facets of retro culture from the 70's and 80's from the UK. He has a great writing style that makes the book very easy to read and most of us that lived through the 80's as a youngster will be able to relate to many of the topics that are mentioned.

Although the book is primarily text-only there are several colour pages in the centre. Sections are broken down into catagories, each one having many entries. For example the first section, called 'the games', includes entries for Ant Attack, Elite, Hungry Horace, Night Trap, and Space War (to name just a few). But it is not only games themselves that are covered, as entries includes details of genre's, as well as mention of Game Creators, K-Tel Productions, and Motion Capture. Other sections cover Amusenent Arcades, Social Mores (includes Bad Influence, Computer Magazines, Typing-In Programs, and Piracy), The Machines, and The Paraphernalia (includes Big Trak, C5, Game and Watch, Prestel, and Virtual Reality).

Quite a unique book in the subject matter that it covers and a must have for people who like to be reminded of the 70's and 80's. Certainly deserves a place on the shelf of any respectable UK Retro Gamer.

THE COMPUTER : A HISTORY

Mark Frauenfelder. Published by Carlton Books Limited

ISBN : 1844424596

256 pages

Although not strictly a book on retro gaming, it does have a section on games machines. And of course without the technology that developed computers, we would not have had the hardware to play games either. I had the chance to read the hardback edition and it really is a large book. Each page has lavish images of the machine in question and their inventors (or later, technicians).

This intriguing book starts with the way that the humans of 30,000 BC began to count, initially on their figures and then by 'tallies' using marks on bones and paint on rock. Things progress onto early abacus and more eleborate 'counting machines' in the 13th and 14th century. By the 1800's we are introduced to Charles Babbage with his Difference Engine, and later the Analytical Engine.

With the start of the 20th century important developments were taking place. The invention of basic circuits using electronic relays and vacuum tubes appeared. But it wasn't until the second world war that things really moved forward. Brillant minds such as Alan Turing and Konrad Zuse made great headway during this troubled period. After the war many of the manufacturers marketed their skills in the business sector, with giants like IBM and Hewlett-Packard helping to develop some of the early 'mainframe' computers.

By the mid 70's the first 'home computers' were designed, in the shape of the Altair. Soon Commodore, Tandy, and Apple were working on their own computers for the home. This also triggered the development of the BASIC programming language. The computer was no longer a large and mysterious entity, locked away in computer rooms and service by 'specialist' technicians.

It was 1980 when Sir Clive Sinclair released the tiny ZX-80 and, to some degree, started computers for the masses. The price of home computers were becoming affordable and user friendly. And of course games were much more enjoyable. The section on games plots the normal path from Space War on the DEC PDP, through Atari's early days, and onto the early consoles, finishing with the Xbox and Halo 2.

Further chapters cover the online side of the computer development, including email, cyber culture, the dotcom bubble, and google. The computers effect on entertainment, such as movies (early Sci-Fi, Tron, and computer animation), music (the Moog synthesizer), and books. The final chapter looks into the future, covering items such as robotics, augmented reality, human implants, and nano-technology.

An interesting book with a wealth of information and many great images.