To celebrate the release of our book “Video Games You Will Never Play” (published in September 2016), we would like to suggest to you even more amazing video game books you can read while trapped at home during the upcoming cold winter or to buy as a Christmas present for your nerd cousin who loves video games. There are already many “top 10 books” lists with some nice suggestions (such as the ones at Goodreads, Wikipedia, Games Radar, Heavy, PC Gamer and The New Yorker), but those usually don’t have less known titles we love and often they list the same books over and over. We’d like to suggest many more books related to games, with the help of our readers, like you!
This long list with all our favorite games-related books (available in English) was originally meant to be added as a bonus in our own volume, but as we had to cut a lot of content to fit our articles in the 480 pages limit, this “best video game books” list had to be canned too. In the end we decided to still finish this huge article and to publish it on our website, so here it is!
We also asked to some of our favorite authors and gaming historians (such as Bob Pape, Brian Schrank, Chris Kohler, Clyde Mandelin, Felipe Pepe, Gabe Durham, Jeremy Parish, Jesper Juul, John Szczepaniak, Nathan Altice, Nick Montfort, Rob Strangman and Sorrel Tilley) to suggest a book themselves and in the end, we collected more than 100 titles. We would like to add even more videogames books, to create the most complete list ever to help people to find the most interesting ones. Each book is listed with details, price, number of pages, size and average price on Amazon, so you can easily compare them (remember: always check the current price on Amazon, as they often change day by day and could be on sale!).
If you know of other great video game books that should be added, please leave a message below with a short description to explain why you loved that book, so we can include it in our list! Thanks a lot for your help :)
Jump to:
Books about classic and must-play games
Books on popular video game series and genres
Books on video game history
Books on specific consoles & computers
Video Game Artbooks and Coffee Table books
Books on video game design, theory & social effects
Fiction books based or inspired by video games
Books about classic and must-play games
Title: 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die
Author: Tony Mott
Publisher: Universe
ISBN-10: 0789320908
ISBN-13: 978-0789320902
Dimensions: 6.7 x 2.6 x 8.5 inches | 17 x 6.7 x 21.6 cm
Number of Pages: 960
Price: $25 (Amazon.com) | £13 (Amazon.co.uk) | €23 (Amazon.it) | €19 (Amazon.de) | CDN$22 (Amazon.ca) | €23 (Amazon.es) | €23 (Amazon.fr)
Description: Description: Tony is the editor in chief for Edge magazine and he surely saw a lot of games during his career. In this book you can find a collection of the most important titles that every gamer should try at least once, with a focus on the ones published in the ’90s and ‘oos.
Title: An Illustrated History of 151 Video Games: A detailed guide to the most important games; explores five decades of game evolution
Author: Simon Parkin
Publisher: Lorenz Books
ISBN-10: 0754823903
ISBN-13: 978-0754823902
Dimensions: 8.8 x 0.8 x 0.8 inches | 22.5 x 2.1 x 2.1 cm
Number of Pages: 256
Price: $21 (Amazon.com) | £14 (Amazon.co.uk) | €20 (Amazon.it) | €45 (Amazon.de) | CDN$27 (Amazon.ca) | €53 (Amazon.es) | €18 (Amazon.fr)
Description: Featuring 151 classic games with screens, reviews and curiosities, this book is another nice addition to your collection of video games books. The list is focused on the history and evolution of video games though the ages, with memories and details about their developers, so you will find something for each decade from the ’70s to the 2000s.
Title: The 200 Best Video Games of All Time (Color Edition)
Author: Kurt Kalata
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing
ISBN-10: 1511546530
ISBN-13: 978-1511546539
Dimensions: 7 x 0.5 x 10 inches | 17.8 x 1.3 x 25.4 cm
Number of Pages: 216
Price: $35 (Amazon.com) | £23 (Amazon.co.uk) | €33 (Amazon.it) | €33 (Amazon.de) | CDN$64 (Amazon.ca) | €30 (Amazon.es) | €32 (Amazon.fr)
Description: Description: Hardcore Gaming 101 is one of the oldest and best websites for videogames insights and historical articles, to learn more about classic and obscure titles from all around the world. With this volume they choose 200 of their favorite videogames, from the early days of arcades to the modern 3D consoles, to suggest the most important ones that should be played by every gamer.
Title: The Gamer’s Bucket List: The 50 Video Games to Play Before You Die
Author: Chris Watters
Publisher: Key Lime Press
ISBN-10: 1633531317
ISBN-13: 978-1633531314
Dimensions: 6 x 0.4 x 9 inches | 15.2 x 1 x 22.9 cm
Number of Pages: 139
Price: $13 (Amazon.com) | £11 (Amazon.co.uk) | €14 (Amazon.it) | €14 (Amazon.de) | CDN$18 (Amazon.ca) | €14 (Amazon.es) | €7 (Amazon.fr)
Description: This book is mostly a collection of images to show you the author’s 50 favorite games, with just a short description for each one. While the content does not go deep into explaining the full history of those titles, it’s a nice list to remember some classic games you loved or to discover new popular ones that you may enjoy.
Books on popular video game series and genres
Title: CRPG Book
Author: multiple authors edited by Felipe Pepe
Publisher: independent publishing
ISBN-10: N/A
ISBN-13: N/A
Dimensions: N/A
Number of Pages: 350+
Price: FREE!
Description: The CRPG Book is a crowd-sourced, non-profit project to create a free, easily available ebook on the history of Computer Role-Playing Games. Written by multiple authors over the course of a few years (and they’re still working on it!) this book is massive, with more than 350 pages, over 300 RPGs from 1975 to 2015, articles on the genre, beautiful screenshots and related content. Did we already mention that is free? Go read it!
Title: Halo Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide To The Halo Universe
Author: Tobias Buckell
Publisher: DK Publishing
ISBN-10: 0756655498
ISBN-13: 978-0756655495
Dimensions: 10.1 x 1.1 x 12.1 inches | 26 x 2.9 x 31.4 cm
Number of Pages: 352
Price: $35 (Amazon.com) | £40+ (Amazon.co.uk) | €32 (Amazon.it) | €54 (Amazon.de) | CDN$80 (Amazon.ca) | €54 (Amazon.es) | €29 (Amazon.fr)
Description: Halo is one of the major gaming icons of the last decade and fans all over the world spent hundreds of hours playing the games and reading about their lore, world and characters. If you are a hardcore Halo fan that read every website, wiki and forum dedicated to Bungie’s classic series, probably you will find nothing new in here, but this encyclopedia will make happy everyone else would like to have a book with detailed info about the Halo series up to ODST.
Title: Hardcore Gaming 101 Presents: Castlevania
Author: Kurt Kalata
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing
ISBN-10: 1482742187
ISBN-13: 978-1482742183
Dimensions: 7 x 0.4 x 10 inches | 17.8 x 1 x 25.4 cm
Number of Pages: 158
Price: $25 (Amazon.com) | £17 (Amazon.co.uk) | €22 (Amazon.it) | €23 (Amazon.de) | CDN$48 (Amazon.ca) | €22 (Amazon.es) | €23 (Amazon.fr)
Description: This book is a must have for even the most marginally interested Castlevania fan. Spanning from the original Castlevania to the most recent Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 this book is overloaded with reviews, trivia, spin offs, knock offs, and so much more about the iconic series. On the fence? Check out the creator’s original website astlevaniadungeon.net for just a taste of what lies in the book.
Title: Legends of Localization Book 1: The Legend of Zelda
Author: Clyde “Tomato” Mandelin
Publisher: Fangamer
ISBN-10: N/A
ISBN-13: N/A
Dimensions: N/A
Number of Pages: 208
Price: $29 + shipping (Fangamer) | 36$ + shipping (Amazon.com)
Description: How much is lost in translation every time a game is ported from Japanese to English? This is what we can find about in this interesting volume focused on the first Legend of Zelda, written by one of the authors behind EarthBound Central and the Mother 3 translation. Legends of Localization Book 1 is full of details about the world of Zelda and the fascinating errors or decisions that made some of the text much different in the English version of the game.
Title: Silent Hill: The Terror Engine
Author: Bernard Perron
Publisher: U OF M DIGT CULT BOOKS
ISBN-10: 0472051628
ISBN-13: 978-0472051625
Dimensions: 6 x 0.6 x 9 inches | 15.2 x 1.5 x 22.9 cm
Number of Pages: 172
Price: $27 (Amazon.com) | £24 (Amazon.co.uk) | €25 (Amazon.it) | €26 (Amazon.de) | CDN$25 (Amazon.ca) | €25 (Amazon.es) | €26 (Amazon.fr)
Description: Fans of the Silent Hill series know it not only for the masterfully crafted horror experience it delivers but also it’s vague and engaging storyline. This books take a scholarly look into the history, symbolism, and influences of the series to produce new insights to even the most diehard Silent Hill fan.
Title: The Guide to Classic Graphic Adventures
Author: Kurt Kalata
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing
ISBN-10: 146095579X
ISBN-13: 978-1460955796
Dimensions: 6.7 x 1.7 x 9.6 inches | 17 x 4.4 x 24.4 cm
Number of Pages: 772
Price: $27 (Amazon.com) | £17 (Amazon.co.uk) | €24 (Amazon.it) | €23 (Amazon.de) | CDN$27 (Amazon.ca) | €22 (Amazon.es) | €23 (Amazon.fr)
Description: The world’s first graphic adventure game, King’s Quest, was born in 1984 and it sparked a new, highly popular, genre in the world of video games. A Guide to Classic Adventures is Hardcoregaming101’s ambitious attempt to review not just King’s Quest but over 250 other graphic adventure games spanning from 1984 to around 2000. On top of reviews for this story-heavy puzzle-filled genre the book also contains interviews with some developers who worked on graphic adventure games.
Title: The History of Sonic
Author: Marc Pétronille, William Audureau
Publisher: Udon Entertainment
ISBN-10: 1926778561
ISBN-13: 978-1926778563
Dimensions: 8.2 x 0.9 x 9 inches | 21.3 x 2.8 x 23.4 cm
Number of Pages: 300
Price: $25 (Amazon.com) | £28+ (Amazon.co.uk) | €29 (Amazon.it) | €34 (Amazon.de) | CDN$35 (Amazon.ca) | €33 (Amazon.es) | €33 (Amazon.fr)
Description: Description: If you grew up in the ’90s with a Sega Genesis / Mega Drive, you probably played Sonic the Hedgehog, and in this book you will find everything you need to know about this cult series. Not only the book is full of great screenshots, concept arts, sketches and related images, but you will find a lot of details, curiosities and historical facts on the development of Sonic and its developers.
Title: The Making of Prince of Persia
Author: Jordan Mechner
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing
ISBN-10: 1468093657
ISBN-13: 978-1468093650
Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.8 x 8 inches | 13.3 x 1.9 x 20.3 cm
Number of Pages: 330
Price: $17 (Amazon.com) | £12 (Amazon.co.uk) | €15 (Amazon.it) | €13 (Amazon.de) | CDN$22 (Amazon.ca) | €16 (Amazon.es) | €16 (Amazon.fr)
Description: If you’re a fan of the Prince of Persia series, retro gaming, or interested in the inner workings of the video game industry then this book is for you. Pulled directly from the personal journals of Prince of Persia’s sole creator Jordan Mechner, this book gives a unique and personal insight into the creation of an iconic video game series.
Title: The Unofficial Guide to Konami Shooters
Author: Kurt Kalata
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing
ISBN-10: 1500737178
ISBN-13: 978-1500737177
Dimensions: 7 x 0.4 x 10 inches | 17.8 x 0.9 x 25.4 cm
Number of Pages: 152
Price: $25 (Amazon.com) | £17 (Amazon.co.uk) | €22 (Amazon.it) | €23 (Amazon.de) | CDN$32 (Amazon.ca) | €22 (Amazon.es) | €22 (Amazon.fr)
Description: Exhaustively researched and jam packed with information, this book is a must have for anyone who is a fan of old school Konami shooters such as Gradius or anyone interested in the development history of Konami. This book discusses little known facts about these games such as the regional differences between domestically and internationally released versions, as well as tons of pictures, reviews, and so much more.
Books on video game history
Title: A Casual Revolution
Author: Jesper Juul
Publisher: The MIT Press
ISBN-10: 0262517396
ISBN-13: 978-0262517393
Dimensions: 6 x 0.5 x 9 inches | 15.2 x 1.3 x 22.9 cm
Number of Pages: 264
Price: $13 (Amazon.com) | £11 (Amazon.co.uk) | €14 (Amazon.it) | €16 (Amazon.de) | CDN$19 (Amazon.ca) | €16 (Amazon.es) | €16 (Amazon.fr)
Description: In A Casual Revolution Jesper Juul offers some insightful and thought provoking ideas on the subject of casual games and casual gamers. He describes the ‘casual’ movement as a reinvention of video games and explores what this movement can tell us about players, games and their interactions today. The essays are backed up by interviews, with both developers and gamers, which can be found in the latter half of the book.
Title: A Gremlin in the Works
Author: Mark Hardisty
Publisher: Bitmap Books
ISBN-10: 0993012957
ISBN-13: 978-0993012952
Dimensions: 9.2 x 2.4 x 10.5 inches | 23.5 x 6.2 x 26.6 cm
Number of Pages: 572
Price: $31 (Amazon.com) | £23 (Amazon.co.uk) | €38 (Amazon.it) | €26 (Amazon.de) | CDN$39 (Amazon.ca) | €35 (Amazon.es) | €35 (Amazon.fr) | £30 (Bitmap Books)
Description: This 572 page book is beautifully presented as a set of two hardback volumes housed in a stylish cardboard slipcase. The two volumes chart the success of Gremlin Graphics from its humble beginnings in 1984 to its purchase by Infogrames in 1999. The book is packed full of interviews, game design documents, memorabilia, old letters, staff photos, and way more.
Title: Atari to Zelda: Japan’s Videogames in Global Contexts
Author: Mia Consalvo
Publisher: The MIT Press
ISBN-10: 0262034395
ISBN-13: 978-0262034395
Dimensions: 6 x 0.7 x 9 inches | 15.2 x 1.8 x 22.9 cm
Number of Pages: 272
Price: $30 (Amazon.com) | £22 (Amazon.co.uk) | €30 (Amazon.it) | €29 (Amazon.de) | CDN$41 (Amazon.ca) | €22 (Amazon.es) | €30 (Amazon.fr)
Description: This study of Japan’s contribution to the worldwide video game market is more than just an exploration of Japanese video games. It is a study of globalisation which confidently argues that globalisation does not exclusively move from the West outwards by demonstrating the close links between Japanese and Western game developers and players as well as how they influence each other.
Title: Bible Adventures
Author: Gabe Durham
Publisher: Boss Fight Books
ASIN: B00UDG4Z0M
Dimensions: N/A
Number of Pages: 99
Price: $5 (Amazon.com) | £3.25 (Amazon.co.uk) | €5 (Amazon.de) | CDN$7 (Amazon.ca) | €5 (Amazon.es) | €5 (Amazon.fr)
Description: “This fascinating book takes a look at the genesis of the infamous game company known as Wisdom Tree, as well as the development process behind its notorious video games. Gabe shares some insight into a side of early video game production that I had never stopped to consider before!” – Clyde “Tomato” Mandelin, author of “Legend of Localization“
Title: Commodork: Sordid Tales from a BBS Junkie
Author: Rob O’Hara
Publisher: lulu.com
ISBN-10: 1847285821
ISBN-13: 978-1847285829
Dimensions: 6 x 0.4 x 9 inches | 15.2 x 1.1 x 22.9 cm
Number of Pages: 168
Price: $15 (Amazon.com) | £9 (Amazon.co.uk) | €12 (Amazon.it) | €12 (Amazon.de) | CDN$20 (Amazon.ca) | €12 (Amazon.es) | €12 (Amazon.fr)
Description: “Commodork gives readers an insider’s view of what it was like to be involved in the Commodore and IBM BBS scenes of the eighties and nineties. Rob O’Hara brings the era to life with wit and humor, giving a fascinating look at that subculture to those that weren’t there, and bringing back fond memories for those that were.” – Rob Strangman, author of “Memoirs of a Virtual Caveman“
Title: Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle that Defined a Generation
Author: Blake J. Harris
Publisher: Dey Street Books
ISBN-10: 0062276700
ISBN-13: 978-0062276704
Dimensions: 6 x 1.4 x 9 inches | 15.3 x 4.2 x 23.4 cm
Number of Pages: 576
Price: $12 (Amazon.com) | £18 (Amazon.co.uk) | €13 (Amazon.it) | €12 (Amazon.de) | CDN$10 (Amazon.ca) | €15 (Amazon.es) | €12 (Amazon.fr)
Description: Nintendo was the biggest video game company in the early 1990s, dominating the home console market in the United States. But then Sega, a faltering arcade company, called Tom Kalinske to turn this scenario around. From a hardly-known company to a toe-to- toe competitor, this book tells the story of the most famous console war that divided friends between Sega and Nintendo, family oriented and more adult oriented, Sonic and Mario. Console Wars lets you know how the two companies battled for domination focusing on the marketing and sales perspective, not on the actual engineering and specifics of each company and software development.
Title: Game Over: How Nintendo Conquered the World
Author: David Sheff
Publisher: Vintage
ISBN-10: 0679736220
ISBN-13: 978-0679736226
Dimensions: 5.2 x 1 x 8 inches | 13.3 x 2.5 x 20.3 cm
Number of Pages: 451
Price: $31 (Amazon.com) | £45 (Amazon.co.uk) | €18 (Amazon.it) | €28 (Amazon.de) | CDN$76 (Amazon.ca) | €18 (Amazon.es) | €17 (Amazon.fr)
Description: Written in an easy to read almost novel like style Game Over aims to tell the complete history of Nintendo from its humble card manufacturing days to it becoming a giant in the video game industry. The book does not just concentrate on Nintendo’s games and cute characters; it also looks at the legal landscape of the 1980s and takes a look at some of the legal battles that almost led to the company’s bankruptcy.
Title: It’s Behind You
Author: Bob Pape
Publisher: independent publishing
ISBN-10: N/A
ISBN-13: N/A
Dimensions: N/A
Number of Pages: 138
Price: FREE!
Description: “My favourite game development book is It’s Behind You by Bob Pape. It came out a few years ago. Fascinating insight into the life of a bottom-rung coder in the seedy and unglamourous world of 80s game development. Available free on his website!” – Sorrel Tilley, author of “Monochromatica”
Title: Masters of Doom
Author: David Kushner
Publisher: Random House Trade
ISBN-10: 0812972155
ISBN-13: 978-0812972153
Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.8 x 8 inches | 13.4 x 2.8 x 19.7 cm
Number of Pages: 368
Price: $12 (Amazon.com) | £10 (Amazon.co.uk) | €13 (Amazon.it) | €12 (Amazon.de) | CDN$17 (Amazon.ca) | €12 (Amazon.es) | €10 (Amazon.fr)
Description: Description: This book is much more than the history about how Doom was born, it’s the legend of a small independent studio that revolutionized games in the ‘90s, the tale of the friendship among John Carmack and John Romero, and even a great novel full of interesting (real) characters.
Title: Memoirs of a Virtual Caveman
Author: Rob Strangman
Publisher: lulu.com
ISBN-10: 131210483X
ISBN-13: 978-1312104839
Dimensions: 6 x 1.2 x 9 inches | 15.2 x 3 x 22.9 cm
Number of Pages: 472
Price: $25 (Amazon.com) | £17 (Amazon.co.uk) | €23 (Amazon.it) | €24 (Amazon.de) | CDN$23 (Amazon.ca) | €24 (Amazon.es) | €24 (Amazon.fr)
Description: Virtual Caveman takes readers on a trip through some of gaming’s most defining moments as viewed through the eyes of industry veteran Rob Strangman. Unlike most other gaming history books this one is a deeply personal account, however Strangman’s accessible writing style and fun stories make the book easy to relate to. The book also contains a few guest writers and it is capped off by a series of interviews conducted by Strangman with various industry insiders.
Title: Phoenix: The Fall & Rise of Videogames
Author: Herman Leonard
Publisher: ROLENTA PRESS
ISBN-10: 0964384825
ISBN-13: 978-0964384828
Dimensions: 0.7 x 5.5 x 8.4 inches | 1.9 x 14 x 21.4 cm
Number of Pages: 312
Price: $5 (Amazon.com) | £9 (Amazon.co.uk) | €25 (Amazon.it) | €25 (Amazon.de) | CDN$9 (Amazon.ca) | €60 (Amazon.es) | €10 (Amazon.fr)
Description: Phoenix is a book about the history of videogames, with its ups and downs, containing reliable information broken down year by year and it also includes information on consoles and releases on Japanese and European territories that are usually unknown in the United States. As the book covers a lot of systems throughout the years, it is more of a collection of in-depth information about the industry, a must-own for gamers who want to have detailed information on it.
Title: Playing at the World
Author: Jon Peterson
Publisher: Unreason Press
ISBN-10: 0615642047
ISBN-13: 978-0615642048
Dimensions: 7 x 1.6 x 10 inches | 17.8 x 4.1 x 25.4 cm
Number of Pages: 720
Price: $26 (Amazon.com) | £23 (Amazon.co.uk) | €29 (Amazon.it) | €30 (Amazon.de) | CDN$36 (Amazon.ca) | €29 (Amazon.es) | €30 (Amazon.fr)
Description: “This book shows how game history is really about thousands of tiny changes, and that these changes are sometimes are combined into high-level concepts and genres that only later seem obvious and eternal.” – Jesper Juul, author of “Half Real”, “The Art of Failure”, “A Casual Revolution” and many more
Title: Power-Up: How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra Life (2016 ed.)
Author: Chris Kohler
Publisher: Dover Publications
ISBN-10: 0486801497
ISBN-13: 978-0486801490
Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.5 inches | 14 x 21.6 cm
Number of Pages: 352
Price: $13 (Amazon.com) | £10 (Amazon.co.uk) | €19 (Amazon.it) | CDN$21 (Amazon.ca) | €12 (Amazon.es) | €10 (Amazon.fr)
Description: This is a book dedicated to fans of Japanese games, that explains through a thoughtful series of memories, anecdotes and data how Japan became one of the major countries in the gaming industry. If you wonder why most console manufacture and your favorite titles are created in Japan, just read this book to know everything you always asked for, and even more. In October 2016 Dover Publications will release an updated version of the book, with a new chapter and revised material.
Title: Replay: The History of Video Games
Author: Tristan Donovan
Publisher: Yellow Ant
ISBN-10: 0956507204
ISBN-13: 978-0956507204
Dimensions: 6 x 1.3 x 9 inches | 15.2 x 3.3 x 22.9 cm
Number of Pages: 516
Price: $19 (Amazon.com) | £13 (Amazon.co.uk) | €15 (Amazon.it) | €19 (Amazon.de) | CDN$24 (Amazon.ca) | €15 (Amazon.es) | €16 (Amazon.fr)
Description: Replay tells the history of the most popular and dynamic forms of art: videogames. Extensive research and 140 interviews allowed the author to tell how it all started, the vision of the first game designers and the evolution of the industry from 1965 to 1995. This is a very informational book containing an in-depth chronology of how the industry developed itself and the details on the business landscape for gaming. It focuses on the hardware, initial formation of videogame consoles and formats, and the creation of gaming genres.
Title: Service Games: The Rise and Fall of SEGA
Author: Sam Pettus
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing
ISBN-10: 1494288354
ISBN-13: 978-1494288358
Dimensions: 6 x 1.1 x 9 inches | 15.2 x 2.8 x 22.9 cm
Number of Pages: 480
Price: $25 (Amazon.com) | £17 (Amazon.co.uk) | €26 (Amazon.it) | €25 (Amazon.de) | CDN$33 (Amazon.ca) | €25 (Amazon.es) | €25 (Amazon.fr)
Description:This Kickstarted book is the definitive word on the history of SEGA spread across 480 pages. It’s a narrative history that begins when SEGA did in the 1950s and ends with the Dreamcast in the early 2000s. The enhanced edition of the book contains all of the descriptions, facts and images from the first edition along with new European specific details, fixed facts and interviews.
Title: Speccy Nation: A tribute to the golden age of British gaming
Author: Dan Whitehead
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing
ISBN-10: 1479193925
ISBN-13: 978-1479193929
Dimensions: 6 x 0.3 x 9 inches | 15.2 x 0.7 x 22.9 cm
Number of Pages:124
Price: $6 (Amazon.com) | £4 (Amazon.co.uk) | €6 (Amazon.it) | €7 (Amazon.de) | CDN$8 (Amazon.ca) | €7 (Amazon.es) | €7 (Amazon.fr)
Description: In Speccy Nation journalist Dan Whitehead explores fifty games from the ‘golden age of British gaming’. The book concentrates on a computer known as the ZX Spectrum which allowed British gamers to both play and create some instant hits as well as some titles best summed up as ‘quirky.’ While many people will be eager to hear about some timeless British classics Whitehead does not shy away from looking into some of the smaller 80s cult hits.
Title: The Bitmap Brothers: Universe
Author: Duncan Harris
Publisher: Read-Only Memory
ISBN-10: N/A
ISBN-13: N/A
Dimensions: 190 x 240 mm
Number of Pages: 300
Price: £30 (Read-Only Memory)
Description: If you are an old-school gamer you probably know who The Bitmap Brothers are and why they are important for the history of video games. In this book you can finally read a comprehensive collection of memories, interviews and curiosities on this legendary team, other than beautiful screenshots, artworks and photos. If that was not enough, there are also a few canceled games revealed for the first time and a bunch of unused content from their released projects. A must have for Bitmap fans.
Title: The History of Nintendo 1889-1980 SC
Author: Florent Gorges, Isao Yamazaki
Publisher: Les Editions Pix’N Love
ISBN-10: 2918272159
ISBN-13: 978-2918272151
Dimensions: 5.9 x 0.6 x 8.3 inches | 15 x 1.5 x 21.1 cm
Number of Pages: 242
Price: $40 (Amazon.com) | £36 (Amazon.co.uk) | €45 (Amazon.it) | €31 (Amazon.de) | CDN$70 (Amazon.ca) | €52 (Amazon.es) | €20 (Amazon.fr)
Description:This publication delves into the often forgotten past of one of the biggest video game companies in the world. It catalogues the company’s product portfolio in astounding detail beginning with playing cards and moving through board games, electronic toys and more right up until their home video game consoles.
Title: The History of Ocean Software
Author: Chris Wilkins & Roger M. Kean
Publisher: Fusion Retro Books
ISBN-10: N/A
ISBN-13: N/A
Dimensions: 8.6 x 7 x 0.9 inches | 22.5 x 18.3 x 2.3 cm
Number of Pages: 264
Price: £20 (Fusion Retro Books)
Description: This is a high quality narrative history book which charts the rise and fall of Ocean Software across 264 pages. It contains all of the facts you would expect from such a book along with full colour photographs, images of sprites from Ocean’s games and memorabilia that has never been seen outside of Ocean’s Headquarters before.
Title: The Story of US Gold
Author: Chris Wilkins & Roger M. Kean
Publisher: Fusion Retro Books
ISBN-10: 0993131530
ISBN-13: 978-0993131530
Dimensions: N/A
Number of Pages: 236
Price: £19 (Fusion Retro Books)
Description: In The Story of US Gold Chris Wilkins and Roger M. Kean chart the entire history of US Gold – beginning with its founding and ending with its sale to Eidos. The book is a collection of memoirs from the developers and artists who worked on some of US Gold’s most successful titles spread across 236 pages, which are packed with full colour, never before seen pictures.
Title: The Ultimate History of Video Games
Author: Steven Kent
Publisher: Three Rivers Press
ISBN-10: 0761536434
ISBN-13: 978-0761536437
Dimensions: 7.4 x 1.2 x 9.2 inches | 18.8 x 3 x 23.4 cm
Number of Pages: 624
Price: $16 (Amazon.com) | £14 (Amazon.co.uk) | €15 (Amazon.it) | €16 (Amazon.de) | CDN$22 (Amazon.ca) | €21 (Amazon.es) | €19 (Amazon.fr)
Description: This exhaustively researched book is packed with factual and interesting information ranging from the Atari to PC. Inside the book you’ll be met with hundreds of facts you didn’t even realise you needed to know, but you do – such as a look at the time Space Invaders caus