BOOKS - Digital Press



BOOKS

❑ 1000 Game Heroes

Choquet, David

3-822-81633-7; Taschen; 2002; $40.00 (HC); $60 (PB); 608p. Notes: Ten chapters covering various heroes throughout the history of video games. Includes brief introductions by noteworthy industry figures such as Shigeru Miyamoto and Peter Molyneux.

❑ 2004 Video Game Price Guide

Highland Dynamics, Inc.

1-581-12553-4; Universal Publishers; 2004; $19.95; 152p; PB. Notes: Poor editing, incomplete lists, and odd prices completely mar this book.

❑ 2005 Video Game Price Guide

Highland Dynamics, Inc.

1-581-12477-5; Universal Publishers; 2005; $19.95; 192p; PB. Notes: Most of the mistakes from the last book are here as well, and the prices are woefully out of date.

❑ ABC to the VCS: A Directory of Software to the Atari 2600

Herman, Leonard

NO ISBN; Rolenta Press; 1996; $8.00; 154p; unique (printed on 8.5" x 11" paper folded in half and stapled; no square spine). Home: 2600. Notes: A book of descriptions of over 500 games released for the Atari 2600. The games are grouped by types. A bit hard to read straight through, but a very handy reference.

❑ ABC to the VCS: A Directory of Software for the Atari 2600

Herman, Leonard

NO ISBN; Rolenta Press; 2005; $20; 346p; PB. Notes: 2nd Edition. Covers 163 additional titles, with summaries of over 700 games including screenshots of most!

❑ Accidental Millionaire: The Rise and Fall of Steve Jobs at Apple Computer

Butcher, Lee

0-913-72979-5 (HC); 1-557-78143-5 (PB); Continuum Intl Pub Group; 1987; $19.95 (HC); $9.95 (PB); 224p. Notes:

❑ Addison-Wesley Book of: Atari Software 1984

Stanton, Jeffrey, Robert P. Wells, Ph.D, Sandra Rochowansky, and Michael Mellin, Ph.D.

[ISBN?]; Micro Software books; [Date?]; $[?]; [?]p; [Format?].

❑ Adventures of Q*Bert, The

Robinson, John (writer) and Al Moraski (illustrator)

0-910-31312-1; Parker Brothers; 1983; 26p; HC (children's book). Notes: For 6-10 year-olds. Q*Bert, who lives on the planet Qube, where nearly everything is cube-shaped, sets out to rid a magic mountain of monsters in order to make his planet a better place. (?) The most amusing part of the book is the inside front cover, where the author attempts to convince children that Q*Bert's typographical exclamations mean such things as "Whew, that was a close one" or "This makes me angry!", when everyone *knows* his expletives are, well, just that. :)

❑ Apple Confidential 2.0: The Definitive History of the World's Most Colorful Company

Linzmayer, Owen W.

1-593-27010-0; No Starch Press; 2004; $19.95; 323p; PB. Notes: Illustrated (2nd edition).

❑ Arcade Fever: The Fan’s Guide to the Golden Age of Video Games

Sellers, John

0-762-40937-1; Running Press Book Publishers; 2001; $18.95; 160p; SC.

❑ Arcade One: Illustrated Historical Guide to Arcade Machines

Bueschel, Richard M.

0-866-67051-3; Coin Slot Books; 1993; $36.95; 304p; PB.

❑ Arcade Treasures (with price guide)

Kurtz, Bill

0-887-40619-X; Schiffer; 1994; $39.95; 176p; HC. Notes: Color photos; illustrated. Covers mostly early electro-mechanical games, but goes up through Pong and Space Invaders, at least.

❑ Art of Computer Game Design: Reflections of a Master Game Designer

Crawford, Chris

0-078-81117-1; McGraw-Hill Osborne Media; 1981, 1984; [$?]; [p?]; PB.

❑ Art of Interactive Design: A Euphonious and Illuminating Guide to Building Successful Software

Crawford, Chris

1-886-41184-0; Oreilly & Associates Inc.; 2002; $29.95; 408p; HC. Notes: Former computer game developer Crawford, in a work written for designer of interactive products, discusses the theories and principles of interactive design in a discursive style. Throughout, he points to common mistakes in design and offers advice in improving design processes.

❑ Atari Computer Workout, The

Software Lab East

0-810-45769-5; SAMS; 1984; [$?]; [?]p; PB.

❑ Be A Home Video Game Superstar: Secrets To The Best Games For Your Atari VCS

Zavisca, Ernest, Ph.D. and Gary Beltowski

0-516-08984-6 (cover), 0-832-62262-1 (title page); Delair Publishing, Inc.; 1983; no cover price; 247p; HC. Notes: This illustrated tome covers strategies, hints and solutions for VCS/2600 games from Atari, Activision, Apollo, Imagic, and Spectravision.

❑ Best Texas Instruments Software, The

Consumer Guide

0-517-42476-2; Publications International Ltd.; 1984; [$?]; 160p. Notes: As stated in the title, this book covers a lot of software. Page 69 to 146 is dedicated to games. This is an interestig book becuase it offers a review and info about what genre, who made it, requirements, price and format as well as warranty periods.

❑ Billiards, Bowling, Table Tennis, Pinball, and Video Games: A Bibliographic Guide

Craven, Robert R.

0-313-23462-0; Greenwood Publishing Press; 1983; $59.00; 163p; HC. Notes: Includes indexes.

❑ Black Art of XBOX Mods, The

Harbour, Jonathan S.

0-672-32683-3; Sams; 2004; $24.99; 336p; PB. Notes: Includes photos and decriptions to help determine which version XBOX you have, and how to add both solder and solderless mod chips (notably the Xenium). Also how to flash your XBOX bios, upgrade your hard drive, and install after-market software.

❑ Bit by Bit: An Illustrated History of Computers

Augarten, Stan

0-899-19268-8 (HC), 0-899-19302-1 (PB); Houghton Mifflin Company; 1984; $[?]; 304p; HC, PB.

❑ Blips!: The First Book of Video Game Funnies

Stine, Bob

0-590-32721-6; Scholastic; 1983; $[?]; 80p; PB. Notes: Illustrations by Bryan Hendrix. Humor. Includes "Video Games Hall of Fame", "Video Games That Didn't Go Over", and "How to Clean Your Video Game" (which shows the inside of a game cartridge as containing magnetic tape!). There are at least 2 variations of this book: Front cover: 1) Up left side "Scholastic 0-590-32721-6/$1.95 US/$2.50 CAN". 2) Just the ISBN. Back cover: 1) 1/4" of red, 1" yellow, 2-1/2" red, 1/2" yellow, rest white with big UPC ISBN, and Scholastic Inc. 2) 1" red, same until bottom, which is red, no UPC, "cover illustration: Bryan Hendrix"; Scholastic Book Services. Identical otherwise except for title page.

❑ Blue Wizard Is about to Die!: Prose, Poems, and Emoto-Versatronic Expressionist Pieces about Video Games (1980-2003)

Barkan, Seth Fingers Flynn & Warren Wucinich

0-974-10000-5; Rusty Immelman Press (R.i.P.); 2004; $15; 160p; HC, PB. Notes: Claims to be the first book of poetry written about video games. The poems are very post-modern and some are simply deconstructionisms of the games they are about. Parents take note- there’s plenty of inappropriate language therein.

❑ Book of Atari Software, The

Stanton, Jeffrey, Robert Wells, Ph.D, Sandra Rochowansky, & Michael Mellin, Ph.D

0-912-00304-9; The Book Company; 1984; $19.95; 430p; PB. Home: 2600, 5200. Notes: Reviews of Atari 8-bit computer software with many B&W screenshots comprise most of the book, with 4 pages on 5 5200 carts, 28 pages on 54 2600 carts, and 4 pages on joysticks, 2 being pictures.

❑ Break a Million at Pac-Man

Zavisca, Ernest, Ph.D. and Gary Beltowski

0-832-62257-5; Delair; 1982; $1.75; 64p; PB. Arcade: Ms. Pac-Man, Pac-Man. Notes: Republished in hard cover as Win at Pac-Man.

❑ Buyer's Guide to Home Video Game, A

Dionne, Roger

[ISBN?]; Banbury Books; [Date?]; $[?]; [?]p; [Format?]. Notes: It’s not known if this was ever released. The author wrote of his experience writing the book in Video Games magazine (see periodicals).

❑ Chris Crawford on Game Design

Crawford, Chris

0-131-46099-4; New Riders/Prentice Hall Ptr; 2003; $39.99; 496p; PB. Notes: An update to Chris Crawford's cult classic, The Art of Computer Game Design. Games industry cult leader, Chris Crawford, shares insider design secrets he's learned over the last 25+ years.A mastery of insider wisdom from THE games industry pioneer Chris Crawford, readers will walk away with tips and techniques they can immediately apply.Not a programming book but instead the book a developer or designer needs before they start writing.

❑ Classic 80s Home Video Games

Wicker, Robert P. and Jason W. Brassard

1-574-32573-6; Collector Books; 2007; $24.95; 400p; PB. Notes: This guide takes an in-depth look at the classic consoles, games, accessories, and related merchandise manufactured between the introduction of the Atari VCS in 1977 and the great video game crash of 1984. The great consoles from Atari--the 2600 VCS, 5200 SuperSystem, and 7800 ProSystem are all covered in depth, as well as the amazing Coleco Vision, Intellivision, Odyssey2, and Vectrex gaming systems. More than 2,000 full-color photographs complement detailed listings for loose and boxed items. Consoles, cartridges, manuals, accessories, and related merchandise are listed and priced in an easy-to-use, checklist format. Products are listed by console and manufacturer for easy reference. See Donkey Kong, Frogger, Asteroids, Centipede, Pac-Man, and many other famous stars from the 1980s systems in this must-have title on classic video games. 2008 values.

❑ Classic Home Video Games, 1972-1984: A Complete Reference Guide

Weiss, Brett

978-0-7864-3226-4; McFarland Publishing; 2007; $55; 316p; HC. Notes: This reference work provides a comprehensive guide to popular and obscure video games of the 1970s and early 1980s, covering virtually every official U.S. release for programmable home game consoles of the pre–Nintendo NES era. Included are such systems as Arcadia 2001, Atari 2600, Atari 5200, ColecoVision, Fairchild Channel F, Intellivision, Odyssey, Odyssey2, and Vectrex, among seven others. Organized alphabetically by console brand, each chapter includes a history and description of the game system, followed by a complete listing of video games released for that console. Each video game entry includes publisher/developer information and the release year, along with a substantive description and, frequently, the author’s critique. A glossary provides a helpful guide to the classic video game genres and terms referenced throughout the work. An appendix lists a number of “homebrew” titles that have been created by fans and amateur programmers and are available for download or purchase.

❑ Collecting Classic Video Games

Galaxy, Billy

0-764-31456-4; Schiffer Books; 2002; $29.95; 144p; SC. Notes: Questionable price guide for games of the 70s and 80s. Includes over 1,000 color photos of home video games, hand-helds, and memorabilia.

❑ Complete Book of Home Computer, The

Waterford, Van

0-830-62423-6 (HC), 0-8306-2423-6 (PB); TAB Books Inc.; 1982; $[?]; 50p; HC, PB. Home: Astrocade, INTV. Notes: Covers APF Imagination Machine, Apple II & III, Bally Astrocade, Atari 400 & 800, Casio, Vic-20, Exidy Sorcerer, HP-85, IBM PC, Superbrain Video Computer System, Intellivison keyboard add-on, Challenger I and II, Quasar, Panasonic hand-held, PMC-80, TRS-80 I, III and CoCo, RCA single board, Rockwell International single board, Sinclair Z-80, and TI 99/4. Has lots of pictures, tech specs on most systems. Of interest to classic gamers mostly for the pictures and diagrams and info about the APF, the Bally Astrocade with Zgrass Keyboard, and Intellivision Keyboard Component.

❑ Complete Book of Video Games, The

Consumer Guide

0-446-84449-3; Warner Books; 1977; $1.75; 222p; PB. Home: 2600, CHNF, PONG. Notes: Lots of B&W photos. Focuses mainly on dedicated (or "pong-type") systems, but does include photos and articles on the original ODYSSEY and Fairchild. A mention of the "soon to be released" Atari VCS. This is a great book for those who collect dedicated systems. One of the most comprehensive lists (with photos) we’ve seen.

❑ Complete Guide to Conquering Video Games, The: How to Win at Every Game in the Galaxy

Rovin, Jeff

0-020-29970-2 (TPB); Collier Books; 1982; $5.95 (TPB); 408p; Notes: By the editor of Videogaming Illustrated (see periodicals). There also exists a hard cover edition - labelled "special book club edition" on the inside flap of the dust cover. Covers some 200 arcade and home games. Games were grouped by type (i.e. Atari's Surround includes hints on Intellivision's Snafu and Bally's Checkmate) because the hints were virtually the same. Each game types has the following sections: object, rating, strategies, cross-references, and video originals. Each game also has a simple cartoon/illustration to go with it. Also includes chapters on taking care of your video games, computer games, the future of video gaming, an index, and a glossary.

❑ Complete Guide to Electronic Entertainment, The

Blumenthal, Howard J.

0-722-11762-0; New American Library; 1981; $6.95; 214p; PB. Home: 2600, INTV, OD^2. Notes: Concentrates on hand-held videogames as well as home systems such as the Atari 2600, Intellivision, Odyssey, APF, etc. (rbarbaga) The ISBN, page count, and format are from the UK/Australian edition. The U.S. price is an estimate from the UK (1.75 pounds) and Australian ($5.95) prices.

❑ Complete History of Computer and Video Games, The

Glancey, Paul

[ISBN?]; Emap Images; 1996; $[?]; 98p; SC. Notes: From Computer and Video Games magazine. History of video games, as told from a European perspective.

❑ Complete Video Warrior, The

“Mayhem, Major”

0-307-46600-0; Golden Press; 1982; $3.95; 123p; TPB. Notes: Illustrations by Gary Tong. Illustrations are gray scale with red.

❑ Computer Basics

Ellman, Hal

0-131-64574-9; Prentice-Hall; 1983; $[?]; 48p; [Format?]. Notes: Illustrated. Includes index. Surveys the world of computers including industrial robots, personal computers, video games, and microprocessors and considers their effects on our daily lives.

❑ Computers: Pascal, Pong, and Pac-Man

Bly, Robert W.

0-886-93055-3; Banbury / Putnam Pub Group; 1984; $[?]; [?]p; PB. Notes: Illustrated by Len Epstein

❑ Computers and Video Games: How They Work and How to Win

[Author?]; [Publisher?]; [Date?]; $[?]; [?]p; [Format?].

❑ Compute’s Nintendo Secrets

Schwartz, Steven A.

0-874-55234-6; Compute Publications International, Limited; 1990; [$?]; 194p; PB.

❑ Compute’s Nintendo Tips and Tricks

Arnold, J. Douglas

0-874-55246-X; Compute Publications International, Limited; 1991; [$?]; 185p; PB.

❑ Confessions of the Game Doctor

Kunkel, Bill

0-9643848-9-2; Rolenta Press; 2005; $21.00; 180p; PB. Notes: Humorous and insightful look back at the golden age of video games with Electronic Games co-founder Bill Kunkel.

❑ Consumer Microelectronics: Electronic Video Games

[Author?]; [Publisher?]; Creative Strategies; 1976; $[?]; 60p; [Format?]. Notes: Illustrated.

❑ Cult of Mac, The

Kahney, Leander

1-886-41183-2; No Starch Press; 2004; $39.95; 280p; HC.

❑ Defending the Galaxy: The Complete Guide to Videogaming

Rubin, Michael, Carl Winefordner, and Sam Welker

0-937-40417-9; Triad; 1982; $4.95; 224p; TPB. Notes: Brief one-paragraph descrtiption of about 120 games (including some photos). List of 18 books (including his own). Chapter on "Gamers", another on "Video Wear". Three pages of high scores (57 titles); NINE pages of names and addresses of arcades. Two page discussion of home games, with list of titles available. Five page list of terms. illustrations by Jeff Webber and Rudy Young; photography by Michael Rubin.

❑ Defending the Galaxy: The Complete Handbook of Video Gaming

Rubin, Michael, Carl Winefordner, and Sam Welker

0-937-40417-9; Triad; 1982; $4.95; 224p; PB. Notes: Illustrated by Rudy Young and Jeff Webber. Appears to be the same as Defending the Galaxy: The Complete Guide to Videogaming. Yet another book that takes a comical look at video games. What (very little) useful information here can be found in numerous other books.

❑ Difficult Questions About Videogames

Simons, Iain and James Newman

0-954-88250-4; Suppose Partners; 2004; $28.04; 320p; PB.

❑ Digital Deli: The Lunch Group

Ditlea, Steve

0-894-80591-6; New York Workman Publishing; 1984; $[?]; 382p; PB. Notes: He summarizes much of the history of computers in easy-to-read vignettes, discusses pros and cons of cutting-edge technology such as the Commodore 64, the TS-1000 and the line of Apple IIs, and basically is a great read. He also states (correctly) that the first guy to create Pong was Willy Higinbotham in 1958, who "developed a method for simulating tennis" on an analog computer and oscilloscope screen. He writes about the Baer and Bushnell stuff too, but hails Higinbotham as "the grandfather of video games." I'd recommend the book.

❑ Digital Deli: The Comprehensive, User-Lovable Menu of Computer Lore, Culture, Lifestyles and Fancy.

Ditlea, Steve

[ISBN?]; New York Workman Publishing; 1984; $[?]; 382; PB. Notes: 2nd edition of Digital Deli: The Lunch Group

❑ Digital Play: The Interaction of Technology, Culture, and Marketing (Paperback)

Kline, Stephen, Nick Dyer-Witheford, and Greig De Peuter

0-773-52591-2; McGill-Queen's University Press; 2003; $24.95; 424p; PB. Notes: Offers a thorough analysis of the video game industry.

❑ Digital Press Video Games Collector's Guide Classic (2nd edition)

Santulli, Joe

NO ISBN; Digital Press; 1993; $[?]; 64p; unique (spiral bound). Notes: Revised edition. Information about classic systems, including complete lists, values, and insider information for: Atari 2600, 5200, 7800, Bally Astrocade, Colecivision, Emerson Arcadia 2001, Fairchild Channel F, Intellivision, Odyssey 2, and Vectrex.

❑ Digital Press Video Games Collector's Guide Classic (3rd edition)

Santulli, Joe

NO ISBN; Digital Press; 1994; $15.00; 130p; unique (spiral bound). Notes: Revised edition - covering: 2600, 5200, 7800, Arcadia 2001, Astrocade, CV, ChnF, INTV, O2, and Vectrex.

❑ Digital Press Video Games Collector's Guide Classic (4th edition)

Santulli, Joe

NO ISBN; Digital Press; 1996; $15.00; 199p; unique (spiral bound). Notes: Revised edition -covering: 2600, 5200, 7800, Adventurevision, Arcadia 2001, Astrocade, ChnF, CV, INTV, O2, RCA Studio II, Sega Master system (SMS), Turbografx-16, and Vectrex.

❑ Digital Press Video Games Collector’s Guide Classic (5th edition)

Santulli, Joe

NO ISBN; Digital Press; 1998; $20.00; 304p; unique (spiral bound). Notes: Revised edition -covering: 2600, 5200, 7800, Adventurevision, Arcadia 2001, Atari XE, Astrocade, ChnF, CV, INTV, Nintendo NES, O2, RCA Studio II, SMS, Turbografx-16, and Vectrex.

❑ Digital Press Video Games Collector’s Guide Classic (6th edition)

Santulli, Joe

NO ISBN; Digital Press; 2000; $20.00; 328p; PB. Notes: Revised edition - covering: 2600, 5200, 7800, Adventurevision, Arcadia 2001, Atari XE, Astrocade, C-64, ChnF, CV, INTV, NES, O2, RCA Studio II, SMS, Tel-Star Arcade, TI-99/4A, TRS-80 CoCo, Turbografx-16, Vectrex, and VIC-20.

❑ Digital Press Video Games Collector’s Guide Classic (7th edition)

Santulli, Joe

0-970-98070-1; Digital Press; 2002; $25.00; 512p; PB. Notes: Simply the ultimate collector’s guide for classic home systems. Also includes appendices missing from 6th edition.

❑ Digital Press Video Games Collector’s Guide Advance

Santulli, Joe

0-970-98070-1; Digital Press; 2004; $25.00; 512p; PB. Notes: Debuting in 2004 after years of research behind the scenes, this book picks up where the "Classic" leaves off, beginning with the 16-bit era systems like Genesis, TurboGrafx-16 and Super Nintendo and ending with the Sega Dreamcast and Sony PlayStation.

❑ Digital Retro: The Evolution and Design of the Personal Computer

Laing, Gordon

0-782-14330-X; Sybex; 204; $29.99; 192p; PB. Notes: The photographs are the main reason for owning this book, as the text + facts accompanying them is sparse, and sometimes incorrect.

❑ Dizionario dei VIDEOGAME

Rossi, Fabio

88-11-90422-6; Garzanti Editore s.p.a., Milano; 1993; L.10000; 438 pages. Notes: Written by Fabio Rossi for Domino-Vallardi. It is a dictionary about videogames, with many funny oddities...and some mistakes (eg. the first system is not the "Odissey 100").

❑ Donkey King Activity Book

Marshall, Jo-Ann, Curt Weiss, & Stacy Sherman

NO ISBN; Modern Promotions/Publishers; 1982; $1.95; 64p; TPB. Notes: A juvenile activity book with a Donkey Kong theme. Contains "crosswords, mazes, hidden words, matching, unscrambles, word spells, and more." Uses Pauline as the fair damsel's name. James Sherman & Curt Weiss supplied the art.

❑ Dragon's Lair Presents "Dirk the Daring Battles the Black Knight"

Weyn, Suzanne

0-871-35003-3; Marvel Books; 1984; $0.99; HC. Notes: Coloring and Activity book. Illustrated by Don Bluth Studios.

❑ Dragon's Lair presents "Dirk the Daring Battles the Crypt Creeps"

Weyn, Suzanne

[ISBN?]; Marvel Books; 1984; $0.99; [?]p; HC. Notes: Coloring and activity book. Illustrated by Don Bluth Studios.

❑ Dragon's Lair presents "Dirk the Daring Battles the Giddy Goons"

Weyn, Suzanne

[ISBN?]; Marvel Books; 1984; $0.99; [?]p; HC. Notes: Coloring and activity book. Illustrated by Don Bluth Studios.

❑ Dragon's Lair presents "Dirk the Daring in the Quest for the Stolen Fortune”

Weyn, Suzanne

0-871-35018-1; Marvel Books; 1984; $0.99; 35p; HC. Notes: Coloring and activity book. Illustrated by Don Bluth Studios.

❑ Dragon's Lair presents "The Magic Sword"

Weyn, Suzanne

[ISBN?]; Marvel Books; 1984; $0.99; [?]p; HC. Notes: Coloring and activity book. Illustrated by Don Bluth Studios.

❑ Dungeons and Dreamers: The Rise of Computer Game Culture, from Geek to Chic

King, Brad, and John Borland

0-072-22888-1; McGraw-Hill Osbourne; 2003; $24.99; 273p; HC. Notes: Covers the careers of notable programmers such as John Carmack, John Romero, Warren Spector, and especially Richard Garriott

❑ Electronic Games

D'Ignaio, Fred

0-531-04396-7; Franklin Watts; 1982; [$?]; 64p. Notes: Covers computers, handhelds, consoles, and arcade games.

❑ Electronic Games: Design, Programming, and Troubleshooting

Buchsbaum, Walter H. & Robert Mauro

0-070-08721-0; McGraw-Hill; 1979; $17.50; 335p; HC. Notes: It deals primarily with various pong-type games at the HARDWARE level; it is essentially a textbook. The final chapter contains photos and technical information & specifications on the following systems: Odyessy 2000,3000,4000; RCA Studio II; Fairchild Channel F; Atari 2600 (no technical info) Coleco Telstar Arcade (no technical info but 3 screen shots), various “Pong” systems, Tic Tac Quiz (arcade), and Fonz (arcade). Illustrated. Includes index.

❑ Electronic Plastic

Gielens, Jaro, and Buro Destruct

3-931-12644-7; Die Gestalten Verlag; 2001; $44.00; 176p; PB. Notes: A visual history of electronic handhelds. There’s also a website-

❑ The Encyclopedia of Arcade Video Games

Kurtz, Bill

0-764-31925-6; Schiffer Publishing; 2003; $39.95; 240p; HC. Notes: Includes over 600 photos as well as a price guide.

❑ Encyclopedia of Game Machines, The: Consoles, Handhelds, & Home Computers 1972-2005

Forster, Winifred

3-000-15359-4; Magdalena Gniatczynska; 2005; 224p; PB. Notes: Originally published in Germany and translated by Rafael Dyll and David McCarthy, this book covers the history of video games, from Atari to Sega, from Apple to Nintendo DS: The illustrated history of 450 machines with 600 pictures, history & technical data.

❑ Extra Life: Coming of Age in Cyberspace

Bennahum, David S.

0-465-01236-1; Perseus Books Group; 1999; $15.95; 238p; PB. Notes: One person’s experience in the early years of personal computing.

❑ Family Playbook for Intellivision Games, The

Hoye, David

0-806-50799-3; Citadel; 1982; $5.95; 188p; [Format?]. Home: INTV. Notes: Covers early Intellivision titles, with detailed info.

❑ Fire in the Valley: The Making of the Personal Computer

Frieberger, Paul and Michael Swaine

0-071-35892-7; McGraw-Hill Professional; 1999; $16.95; 463p; PB.

❑ Fire in the Valley: The Making of the Personal Computer,Collector's Edition

Frieberger, Paul and Michael Swaine

0-071-35895-1; McGraw-Hill Professional; 1999; $34.95; 463p; HC.

❑ The First Quarter: A 25-Year History of Video Games

Kent, Steven L.

0-970-47550-0; BWD Press; 2000; $21.95; 466p; SC. Notes: Preface by Peter Molyneux. The definitive history book on the creation and development of the video game industry, and the perfect companion to Leonard Herman’s Phoenix.

❑ Future of Video Games 1995-2000, The

Buxton, Chris

[ISBN?]; Future Publishing; 1994; $[?]; 98p; PB.

❑ Game Console Hacking: Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, Atari, & Gamepark 32

Grand, Joe

1-931836-31-0; Syngress; 2004; $39.95; 592p; PB. Notes: Foreword by Ralph Baer. Follow-up to Hardware Hacking, again with several authors contributing. It provides detailed instructions on how to customize and reconfigure consoles to a wide variety of ends--from the cosmetic case modifications to the ambitious porting of Linux to the Nintendo GameCube. Platforms covered in this book include Atari, Sega, Nintendo, Playstation, Xbox, and Game Boy.

❑ Game Design: The Art and Business of Creating Games

Bob Bates

0-761-53165-3; Premier Press; 2001; $29.99; 336p; PB.

❑ Game Development Essentials: Video Game Art

Gantzler, Todd

1-401-84066-3; Thomson Delmar Learning; 2004; $60.95; 320p; PB.

❑ Game Force Video Game Price Guide

Beedham, Jeff

[ISBN?]; Del World Publications/Game Force Productions; 1995; $15; 70p; unique (spiral bound). Notes: An accurate collecting guide covering up to early 1995. Covers the histories and games for 3DO, 2600, 5200, 7800, Arcadia 2001, Astrocade, Channel F, ColecoVision, Game Boy, Game Gear, Genesis/Sega CD/32X, Intellivision, Jaguar, Lynx, Neo Geo, NES, Odyssey&2, SMS, SNES, TurboDuo, and Vectrex. And if you haven't heard of some these systems mentioned you will know all about them after you read their detailed history in this book. Also covers all the games released for the above systems and includes descriptions on some of them. No pictures due to copyright reasons. Includes game values and mail order places where you can get classic games. The GF Price Guide is a high-quality book with an easy to use indexing system. An invaluable reference tool. A must for the gamer and collector. A second edition was planned for 1996, but it’s unknown whether or not it came out.

❑ Game Machines: Consoles, Handhelds & Home Computers 1972–2005

224p; PB. Notes: 2nd Edition of Gameplan’s Play Consoles and Home Computers. There’s also an English version as well!

❑ Game Makers, The: The Story of Parker Brothers, from Tiddledy Winks to Trivial Pursuit

Orbanes, Philip

1-591-39269-1; Harvard Business School Press; 2003; $29.95; 256p; HC. Notes: Written by a former Parker Bros. executive, this text is a semi- official history of the game company. Founder George Parker is portrayed as an innovator who managed to imbue the company with values and principles that contributed to the company's long rise to fame and fortune between 1883 and the beginning of the 1980s, and later how General Mill's video-game-stoked greed and lack of prudence brought on the decline of the once so respected game maker.

❑ Game On: The History and Culture of Videogames

King, Lucien

0-789-30778-2; Universe Publishing; 2002; $25.00; 144p; PB.

❑ Game Over: How Nintendo Zapped an American Industry, Captured Your Dollars, and Enslaved Your Children

Sheff, David

0-679-40469-4; Random House; 1993; $25.00; 445p; HC. Notes: [The following notes are excerpts from a post on RGVC. Test in quotes are chapter names.] Very interesting novel about the history of Nintendo. Went into great detail about the origin of the company in Japan (creating playing cards), all the way to about mid '92. "I, Mario" details key creative people, including Sigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Donkey Kong, which introduced the Mario character. "For A Fistful of Quarters" explored Nintendo of America's offering of a table top version of Donkey Kong in bars. It goes into Sidney Sheinberg's lawsuit against NOA for the use of the King Kong character in the Donkey Kong game (the lawsuit failed). "Reversal of Fortune" goes into the history of Nolan Bushnell, and Atari's rise and fall.

❑ Game Over: How Nintendo Conquered the World

Sheff, David

0-679-73622-0; Knopf Publishing Group (Vintage Books); 1994; $13.00?; 451p; PB. Arcade: Donkey Kong. Notes: There is supposed to be a significant difference between the hard cover and paperback. Please submit more information if you have it.

❑ Game Over UAB

Sheff, David and Michael Russotto

0-736-62910-6; Books on Tape, Inc.; 1995; $104.00; audio. Notes: Unabridged, 13 Cassettes.

❑ Game Over

Sheff, David

0-517-17908-3; Random House Value Publishing, Incorporated; 1997; $[?], [?]p, HC.

❑ Game Over: Press Start to Continue, Vol. 1

Sheff, David & Andy Eddy

0-966-96170-6; Cyberactive Publishing; 1999; $19.95; 494p; PB. Notes: Revised edition of Game Over

❑ Gamers: Writers, Artists, and Programmers on the Pleasures of Pixels

Compton, Shanna

1-932-36057-3; Soft Skull Press; 2004; $14.95; 280; PB. Notes: According to the press release, it’s “The first book to ever seriously explore the culture of video and online games.” It’s basically a collection of essays, including some Q&A with some well-known video game luminaries such as Walter Day and Todd Rogers.

❑ Gamester's Guide to Arcade Video Games

Kordestani, Paul

0-830-60181-3; Tab Books Inc.; 1983; $16.50; 376p; TPB. Notes: Includes B&W illustrations of each game’s screen.

❑ Gaming Hacks

Carless, Simon

0-596-00714-0; O'Reilly Media; 2004; $24.95; 304p; PB.

❑ Gender Inclusive Game Design: Expanding The Market (Advances in Computer Graphics and Game Development Series)

Ray, Sheri Graner

1-584-50239-8; Charles River Media; 2003; $39.95; 350p; HC.

❑ Good, The Bad, and the Bogus, The

Lockard, Nathan

1-881-58304-X; Adventure Press; [Date?]; $[?]; 270p; SC.

❑ Got Game: How the Gamer Generation Is Reshaping Business Forever

Beck, John C. and Mitchell Wade

1-578-51949-7; Harvard Business School Press; 2004; $29.95; 208p; HC.

❑ Greatest Games of All Time, The

Costello, Matthew J.

0-471-52975-3; John Wiley & Sons Inc.; 1991; $14.95; 192p; PB. Notes: Written by an experienced gamesman, who is a frequent contributor to Games Magazine, it features dozens of games that can be played on simple boards or on sheets photocopied from the book. A must-have for all game enthusiasts and history buffs, it includes trivia about the unusual and often eccentric people behind history's most popular games--from the legendary board games of the pharoahs and ancient Egypt, to the social parlor games of the Victorians, to more contemporary perennials such as Monopoly and Trivial Pursuit. Also discusses the phenomenon of war and survival games as well as video games and the high-tech future of games, including CD-I--a compact-disc interactive system that will offer films with which players can interact. Features a Buyer's Guide to the best games. Includes 81 illustrations.

❑ Greatest Games, The: The 93 Best Computer Games

of All Time

Gutman, Dan & Shay Adams

0-942386-95-7; Compute; 1985; $9.95; 285p; TPB. Notes: Although this is mainly a computer cartridge book, there are several video games listed and discussed in it. Classic cart games listed: One-on-One, Summer Games, Ballblazer, Miner 2049er, Popeye, Pole Position, Turbo, Oil's Well and Ms. Pac-Man. The rest of the list is mainly 800, Apple, C-64 and PC programs. This book contains no screen shots, but has some really cool (not) blue line drawings (they look like a 2 year old drew them).

❑ Guide to the Video Arcade Games

Lubar, David and Owen Linzmayer

[ISBN?]; Creative Computing; [Date?]; $3.95; [?]p; PB?. Notes: Covers various classic arcade games from the “golden” era. This is the same person (Lubar) that programmed several Atari 2600 games!

❑ Hacker Crackdown, The: Law and Disorder on the Electronic Frontier

Sterling, Bruce

0-553-08058-X (HC), 0-553-56370-X (PB); Bantam Books; 1992; $23.00 (HC), $7.50 (PB); 328 pages; HC, PB

❑ Hacker Crackdown, The: Law and Disorder on the Electronic Frontier

Sterling, Bruce

1-404-30640-4 (HC), 1-404-30641-2 (PB); ; 2002; $30.75 (HC), $20.99 (PB); 292 pages; HC, PB. Notes: Revised edition.

❑ Hackers

Levy, Steven

[ISBN?]; [Publisher?]; 1984; $[?]; [?]p; [Format?].

❑ Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution

Levy, Steven

0-385-31210-5; Delta Books; 1994; $12.95; [?]p; TPB?. Notes: It's got a whole part dedicated to 'Game Hackers'. And the new paperback has a followup on what the people in the book are doing today.

❑ Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution

Levy, Steven

0-141-00051-1; Penguin USA; 2001; $14.00; 464p; PB. Notes: Updated edition

❑ Hacking the XBOX: An Introduction to Reverse Engineering

Huang, Andrew

1-593-27029-1; No Starch Press; 2003; $24.99; 288p; PB. Notes: Everything you need to know on how to modify your XBOX and turn it into a personal computer, media player, or web server, as well as in-depth descriptions on how the system’s security features were circumvented. Also covers how to do simple mods, such as changing LEDs, power supplies, adding a USB port, and even how to run Linux on it.

❑ Hacking Video Game Consoles: Turn your old video game systems into awesome new portables

Heckendorn, Benjamin

0-764-57806-5; John Wiley & Sons; 2005; $29.99; 574p; PB. Notes: Best known for making custom Atari 2600 portable systems, he applies the same expertise knowledge to making portables of NES, SNES, and Playstation systems as well. If you’ve ever wanted to make one for yourself, and you know which end of a soldering iron to hold, this is the book for you.

❑ Hallowed Whispers

Panks, Paul

1-411-61049-0; Lulu, Inc.; 2004; $8.74; 128p; PB. Notes: The author recounts his days as a Commodore user and enthusiast, and stories about writing adventure games. Includes some full-color pictures.

❑ Hamlet on the Holodeck: The Future of Narrative in Cyberspace

Murray, Janet H.

0-262-63187-3; MIT Press; 1998; $25; 324p; PB.

❑ Hardware Hacking: Have Fun While Voiding Your Warranty

Grand, Joe

1-932266-83-6; Syngress; 2004; $39.95; 576p; PB. Notes: Although the majority of the book covers modifications for video game consoles (on everything from the Atari VCS to PlayStation 2) it also includes Apple USB mouse controllers, CueCat, iPod, PC home theater setups, and more. A total of 8 different authors are credited!

❑ High Score! The Illustrated History of Electronic Games

DeMaria, Rusel and Johnny Lee Wilson

0-072-22428-2; McGraw-Hill Osborne; 2002; $24.99; 328p; PB.

❑ High Score! The Illustrated History of Electronic Games

DeMaria, Rusel and Johnny Lee Wilson

0-072-23172-6; Mcgraw-Hill Osborne; 2003; [$?]; 400p; PB. 2nd edition. Includes new material by Chris Kohler

❑ How to Beat Atari, Intellivision, and Other Home Video Games

Blanchet, Micheal

0-671-45909-0; Simon & Schuster (Fireside); 1982; $4.95; 128p; PB. Notes: Illustrated (very poorly) by R.B. Backhaus. Also contains a chapter on "Converting the Atari Joystick for Left-Handed Use."

❑ How to Beat the Video Games

Blanchet, Michael

0-671-45375-0; Simon and Schuster (Fireside); 1982; $3.95; 112p; TPB. Notes: This book has some abstract B&W illustrations.

❑ How to Conquer Dragon’s Lair

Zavisca, Ernest, Ph.D and Gary Beltowski

0-941-12606-4; Meadowlark Press; 1984; $[?]; 60p; PB.

❑ How to Design & Build Your Own Custom TV Games

Heiserman, David L.

0-830-69859-0 (HC), 0-830-61101-0 (PB); Tab Books; 1978; $14.95 (HC), $9.95 (PB); 544p; HC, PB. Notes: Pong Era; a virtual ECE textbook. Illustrated. Includes index.

❑ How to Master Home Video Games

Hirschfeld, Tom

0-553-20195-6; Bantam; 1982; $2.95; 198p; PB. 2600: Notes: Each game is presented with a B&W illustration of the board with pointers to what each part of the screen represents and then has the following sections in outline format: controls, scoring, dangers, observations, and strategies. The following games also have a game variation matrix (in case you lose your manual, I guess): Asteroids, Combat, Missile Command, Space Invaders, and Warlords. Also includes sections on high scores, clubs, exact instructions on how to find the secret room in Adventure, some arcade games, and manufacturer addresses.

❑ How to Master the Video Games

Hirschfeld, Tom

0-553-20164-6; Bantam; 1981; $2.95; 180p; PB. Notes: There are (at least) 5 variations of this book and all can be distinguished by the appearance of the cover. The rarest version is the one that was published by Troll as indicated on the front cover and the spine (the indica says that it was published by Bantam, though); the other 4 were published by Bantam. Two of the Bantam versions have a yellow triangle in the lower right corner of the front cover that says, "INCLUDES THE HOTTEST TIPS ON PAC-MAN" (the Troll version has this, too). They differ in that one says "SPECIAL BOOK CLUB EDITIN" in small letters to the right of the "HOW TO" portion of the title and the other does not. The other two (non-"Pac-Man" Bantam) variations are identical except for the very top portion of the spine where the rooster can be either red or yellow. There are other minor differences as well but the text content appears to be the same. (woodcock) Each game is presented with a B&W illustration of the board (Wizard Of Wor includes a diagram of every maze) with pointers to what each part of the screen represents and then has the following sections in outline format: controls, scoring, dangers, observations, and strategies. This would be a good reference for anyone writing a computer version of these classics.

❑ How to Master the Video Games, Book 2

Hirschfeld, Tom and Leo Daniels

[ISDN?]; Bantam; [date?]; $2.95; [?]p; PB. Notes: Updated version of the original.

❑ How to Repair Video Games

Goodman, Robert L.

0-830-69906-6 (HC), 0-830-61028-6 (PB); Tab Books; 1978; $9.95 (HC), $7.95 (PB); 270p; HC, PB. Notes: Illustrated. Includes index. Excellent reference for repairing early home video games. Includes schematics, parts lists and know-how. In some cases it includes (probably outdated) ordering information. Games covered: Radio Shack Games Scoreboard models 60-3051, 60-3052, 60-3054, 60-3055, 60-3056, 60-3057; Magnavox Odyssey models YF-7010, YF-7015, BG7500, BG7510, BG7511, BG7514, BG7516, BG7520, ITL200 BK12 &BLAK Odyssey Game Simulators T991 TV chassis with built-in Odyssey; RCA Studio II model 18V100; General Instrument Game Chips AY-3-8500, AY-3-8500-1, AY-3-8550, AY-3-8550-1, AY-3-8515, AY-3-8515-1, AY-3-8600, AY-3-8600-1, AY-3-8615, AY-3-8615-1, AY-3-8700, AY-3-8700-1; Texas Instruments Game Chips SN76410N, SN76499N, SN76477, SN76427, SN76430N, SN76431N, SN76484N, SN76440, SN76432, SN76460/SN76462, SN76483N; National Semiconductor Video Game System MMS7106N, MM53104, LM1889; Atari Pong; and Midway Home Pinball Games 606-100 & 614-1000/3000/614-2000, 614-2000.

❑ How to Win at Atari Home Computer Games

Consumer Guide

0-671-49558-5; Holiday House; 1987; $[?]; 64p; PB. Notes:

❑ How to Win at Donkey Kong

Consumer Guide

0-671-45840-X; Pocket Books; 1982; $1.95; 32p; PAM. Notes: Basically an expanded version of the Donkey Kong section from Consumer Guides' How to Win at Video Games (0-517-381192). Color illustrations. Has a nice section on "Donkey Kong Grandstanding", describing hard-to-do tricks.

❑ How to Win at Dragon's Lair

Ferguson, Laren

0-590-33258-9; Scholastic; 1984; $1.50; 35p; PAM. Notes: Patterns for all Dragon's Lair screens, and a bit on scoring.

❑ How to Win at E.T., the Video Game

Consumer Guide

0-440-13767-5; Dell; 1983; $2.50; 32p; PAM?. Notes: Everything you need to know on how to get the little guy safely back home. The authors are Scott and Todd Rogers, and the editor was Jim Gorzelany.

0-517-40841-4; Random House; 1988; $[?]; [?]p; [format?].

❑ How to Win at Home Video Games

Consumer Guide

0-517-39870-2; Crescent; 1982; $[?]; [?]p; HC. Notes: Covers 70 games for the Intellivision, Colecovision, Odyssey 2, and especially the Atari VCS. Strategies and tips were provided from several top gamers at the time, including Todd Rogers. Also available in a beautiful spiral-bound form.

❑ How to Win at Nintendo Games

Rovin, Jeff

0-312-92018-0 / 0-312-91341-9; St. Martin’s; 1989; $[?]; [?]p; PB. Notes: Re-issued in 1990.

❑ How to Win at Nintendo Games #2

Rovin, Jeff

0-312-92016-4; St. Martin’s; 1993; $[?]; [?]p; PB.

❑ How to Win at Nintendo Games #3

Rovin, Jeff

0-312-92251-5 / 0-3129-2215-9 ; St. Martin’s; [date?]; $[?]; [?]p; PB.

❑ How to Win at Nintendo Games #4

Rovin, Jeff

0-312-92721-5; St. Martin’s; [date?]; $[?]; [?]p; PB.

❑ How to Win at Pac-Man

Consumer Guide

0-671-45361-0; Pocket Books; 1982; $2.25; 32p; PB. Notes: One of many strategy guides for Pac-Man.

❑ How to Win at Super Mario Brothers Games

Rovin, Jeff

0-312-92656-1; St. Martin's Press, LLC; 1994; $[?]; [?]p; PB. Notes: This is a re-issue.

❑ How to Win at Video Games

Consumer Guide

0-517-38119-2; Publications International, Ltd.; 1982; $3.95; 64p; TPB. Notes: Title is in the same style as the subtitle on early issues of JoyStik. The two have the same publisher. Color photos of all cabinets. Color illustrations of each main game. Each main game also has a section on the home version, if it existed at the time. Those that didn't have a home version talk about some other "similar" home game. Each main game, except Frogger, Missile Command, Ms. Pac-Man, and Turbo, ends with a short section summarizing bonus, popularity, location, enemies, approachability, sex appeal, age appeal, control comfort, skill vs. strategy, clocked or not, special effects, value for money, pros, and con. Has one page for "up-and-coming" (secondary) games and another page for home systems, including a picture of the then-unreleased Atari Video System X which, as any DP fan knows, was the early name for 5200.

❑ How to Win Video Games

Consumer Guide

0-671-45841-8; Publications International Ltd. (Pocket); 1982; $2.95; 96p; PB. Notes: Has a chapter on Vital Video Statistics, which ranks each game except Frogger, Missile Command, Ms. Pac-Man, and Turbo, in the following categories: Bonus, Popularity, Enemies, Approachability, Sex Appeal, Age Appeal, Skill vs. Strategy, Pros, and Cons. Also contains a chapter on Up-and-Coming Games, which refers to Eliminator, Hyperball, Mousetrap, and Stargate. (mvcooley) Seems to be VERY similar, but not identical, to How to Win at Video Games (0-517-381192).

❑ How to Win at Video Games

Consumer Guide

0-517-42470-3; Publications International, Ltd.; 1983; $[?]; 64p; TPB (spiral-bound). Notes: Covers 17 arcade games, most with great color pictures, plus tricks and settings sections. Also includes a picture of Eric Ginner, [who later became the] designer of Trevor McFur in the Crescent Galaxy on the Atari Jaguar.

❑ How to Win at Video Games

Consumer Guide

0-881-76111-7; Publications International, Ltd.; $[?]; 64p; TPB (staple-bound). Notes: Same content as spiral-bound book (ISBN 0-517-42470-3), with small changes in the publisher info. This version seems to be the more rare of the two.

❑ How to Win at Video Games

Joystick

[ISBN?]; Publications International Ltd.; [Date?]; $[?]; [?]p; [Format?].

❑ How to Win at Video Games

Sullivan, George

0-590-32630-9; Scholastic; 1982; $1.95; 175p; PB. Notes: To emphasize the importance of Pac-Man on classic video games, Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man are each covered in their own chapters. It also covers the Atari 2600 Pac-Man and the Coleco table-top. Each games is described with a B&W illustration (not to scale), a brief description, and sections on the controls, scoring, and strategy & tactics. There is also a chapter on home systems, listing "the five companies that offer home video games" (Atari VCS, Intellivision, Odyssey^2, ActiVision [sic], and Channel F). Another on handheld and table-model games, and finally "Great Dates in Video Games", which incldes the Arkie awards up to 1982, and a brief glimpse of the future.

❑ How to Win! At Video Games

Giguette, Ray

[ISBN?]; [Publisher?]; [year?]; $2.50; 46p; PB. Notes: A brief ‘primer’ on strategies for 10 games.

❑ iCon Steve Jobs: The Greatest Second Act in the History of Business

Young, Jeffrey S. and William L. Simon

0-471-72083-6; Wiley; 2005; $24.95; 368p; HC.

❑ I Hate Videots: Today the Arcade, Tomorrow the World

Baker, Mark

0-671-45688-1; Simon & Schuster (Fireside); 1982; $3.95; 96p; PB. Notes: Illustrations by Greg Crawford. Humor. Includes sections on a history of famous video game dates from 1900 B.C. to A.D. 1982, tell-tale signs of a videot, and deprogramming a videot.

❑ Insanely Great: The Life and Times of Macintosh, the Computer That Changed Everything

Levy, Steven

0-140-29177-6; Penguin Books; 2000; $16.00; 336p; PB.

❑ Inside Electronic Game Design

Katz, Arnnie

1-559-58669-9; Prima Lifestyles; 1995; $[?]; 288p; PB. Notes: Includes interviews with 24 designers, includling Atari programmer John Skruch.

❑ Invasion of the Space Invaders: An Addict’s Guide To Battle Tactics, Big Scores, and the Best Machines

Amis, Martin

0-458-95350-4; Methuen Publications; 1982; $[?]; 127p; TPB. Arcade: [Info?] Home: [Info?] Notes: Covers plenty of classic games, from arcade to home systems and handhelds. There’s also quite a few pictures, making this worthwhile of tracking down for your personal library. This is an Australian printing of the book below.

❑ Invasion of the Space Invaders

Amis, Martin

0-890-87351-8; Celestial Arts; 1982; $[?]; 127p; TPB[?]. Notes: B&W and some color illustrations. This book has also been referred to as Invasion of the Video Invaders. I don't know what differences there are, if any, betweent the two titles.

❑ It’s Not a Bug, It’s a Feature!: Computer Wit and Wisdom

Lubar, David

0-201-48304-1; Addison-Wesley; 1995; $14.99; 202p; PB. Notes: This is the same person that programmed several Atari 2600 games! Lubar has compiled a collection that offers wry and discerning commentary on the triumphs and tribulations of the computer age, with quotes by everyone from Steve Jobs to Woody Allen.

❑ iWoz: From Computer Geek to Cult Icon: How I Invented the Personal Computer, Co-Founded Apple, and Had Fun Doing It

Wozniak, Steve and Gina Smith

0-393-06143-4; W. W. Norton; 2006; $25.95; 288p; HC. Notes: Woz’s account of the birth of Apple.

❑ Joystick Nation: How Videogames Ate Our Quarters, Won Our Hearts, and Rewired Our Minds

Herz, J. C.

0-316-36007-4; Little, Brown & Co.; 1997; $23.95; 228p; HC. Notes: This book has not been very well received by the classic video game community, which should tell you something.

❑ Joysticks: An illustrated History of the Game Controller 1972-2004

Forster, Winnie and Stephan Freundorfer

3-000-12183-8; Take 2 Interactive; 2004; $23; [?]p; PB. Notes: Entirely in German.

❑ Ken Uston's Guide to Buying and Beating the Home Video Games

Uston, Ken

0-451-11901-0; Signet; 1982; $3.95; 676p; PB. Notes: Covers 180 games total. Includes patterns for VCS Pac-Man.

❑ Ken Uston's Home Video '83

Uston, Ken

0-451-12010-8; Signet; 1982; $2.95; 210p; PB. Notes: The first chapter compares the home systems of the time: Atari VCS, Intellivision, Astrocade, Odyssey^2, Channel F (CHNF), Arcadia-2001, ColecoVision, and Atari 5200. The second chapter rates *every* cartridge available for these systems at the time. This is done with charts listing the title, number of players possible, and manufacturer of each game, plus rating from 1 to 5 of "hand-eye coordination" and "mental challenge." The third chapter covers "The 20 Best New Game." Given for each game are "evaluation and basic objective," "scenario", "the boards," "controls," "facts you should know," and "strategies." The fourth chapter covers "The 5 Classic Games" in the same format as the third.

❑ Know the Score: Video Games in Your High-Tech World

Skurzynski, Gloria

0-027-82922-7; Bradbury Press; 1994; $[?]; 64p; HC.

❑ Kid's Guide to Home Computers, The

Cohen, Daniel & Susan

0-671-49361-2; Pocket Books; 1983; $1.95; 118p; PB. Notes: Though this book would seemingly be only about computers, it contains a fair amount of video game information also. Contains several B&W system and game photos of several systems (INTV, Odyssey, Coleco, Adam, Aquarius, 800, Apple, C-64, Vic 20, etc.)! Also contains some INTV computer system game shots of these unreleased games: Number Jumbler, Flinstones: Keyboard Fun, Game Maker and Basic Programmer. Also contains a section on peripherals that covers joysticks (Spectra-video, Coleco Super Action), printers, monitors, etc., a "turn your game system into a computer" section (which features a brief discussion of ADAM, Aquarius, INTV and 2600 computer add-ons), as well as a mention of an Intellivision-III (not the INTV-III) with battery-operated controls and built-in speech synth. Interesting.

❑ Kid's Guide to Home Video, The

Cohen, Daniel & Susan

0-671-52731-2; [Publisher?]; [Date?]; $[?]; [?]p; [Format?]. Notes: [Info?]

❑ Kids’ Video Game Guide, The: All the Strategies, Tips, and Clues You Need to be a Star Videonaut!

Lackmann, Ronald W.

[ISBN?]; Weekly Reader Books; 1983; [$?]; 96p; PB.

❑ Know the Score: Video Games in Your High-tech World

Skurzynski, Gloria

0-027-82922-7; Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing;1994; $[?]; 64p; HC. Notes: Color illustrations. Includes bibliographical references and index. May not contain any classic video game information.

❑ Look Inside Video Games, A

Clark, James I.

0-817-21410-0; Raintree Publishers; 1985; $15.50; 48p; [Format?]. Notes: Juvenile literature. Illustrated, some in color. Explains how video games work, traces their history, and speculates on their future.

❑ Lucky Wander Boy

Weiss, D.B.

0-452-28394-9; Dutton/Plume; 2003; $13.00; 273p; PB. Notes: Fictional account of one 20-something’s quest to write an encyclopedic history of games, and his search for the most obscure game ever made. Check out the website for more info:

❑ Mastering Nintendo Video Games

Robbins, Joshua and Judd Robbins

0-672-48464-1; Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc.; 1990; $[?]; [?]p; PB

0-672-48491-9; Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc.; 1990; $[?]; [?]p; HC

❑ Mastering Pac-Man

Uston, Ken

0-451-11758-1; Signet; 1981; $1.95; 128p; PB. Notes: All about Pac-Man. B&W diagrams and seven patterns. Has one chapter on Puc-One and Mazeman, which were illegal Pac-Man rip-offs, but no patterns for them. Also has one chapter on the Coleco table-top version, with patterns. A special edition also exists. The differences are as follows: No ISBN; no price; on front cover, below Pac-Man it reads in bold yellow print "Exclusive Sunset House Edition". Content is the same as original Mastering Pac-Man - not the revised edition.

❑ Mastering Pac-Man (revised edition)

Uston, Ken

0-451-11899-5; Signet; 1982; $2.50; 157p; PB. Notes: Ken Uston's Pac-Man book, in an earlier edition, gave a standard Pac-Man pattern that does not work on the 7th and 8th key boards on an 'easy' machine, because the red monster is too fast then and moves far enough ahead to break the pattern. A later edition corrected this with what looked like an obviously hastily-added note. There are also copies (well, at least one) that say "special edition revised edition" on the cover. Shane Shaffer says, "my guess is that this was a book club edition of the book, so they just slapped a few words on the cover. Shane later found the following additional differences between the two edition: 1) Revised edition: Cover, upper right corner reads "Signet blah blah $2.95". Special edition: Same place just says "$2.95". 2) Revised edition: 5 pages of ads for other Signet or Ken Uston products. Special edition: Those 5 pages are blank.

❑ Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture

David Kushner

0-375-50524-5; Random House; 2003; $24.95; 352p; HC. Notes: The rise of Doom developer Id Software and 3D gaming, and the tempestuous partnership of founders John Carmack and John Romero.

❑ Media Lab: Inventing the Future at M. I. T., The

Brand, Stewart

0-140-09701-5; Penguin; 1988; [$?]; 304p; PB. Notes: Originally published in 1980.

❑ Media Room, The: Creating Your Own Home Entertainment and Information Center

Blumenthal, Howard J.

0-140-46538-3; Penguin Books; 1983; $9.95; 184p; TPB. Notes: Contains a single chapter on "Videogames" [sic], although there are other mentions throughout the book. This chapter gives a very brief history of video games, starting with coin-op Pong and quickly switching to home systems. It concentrates on the 2600 and Intellivision, although the recently released 5200 and ColecoVision are also mentioned. Also contains some nice B&W pictures of the 2600, Intellivision, and 5200.

❑ Medium of the Video Game, The

Wolf, Mark J.P.

0-292-79150-X; University of Texas Press; 2002; $19.95; 224; PB. Notes: Foreword by Ralph H. Baer. The author and 4 other scholars conduct the first thorough investigation of the video game as an artistic medium.

❑ Microcomputer Controlled Toys & Games & How They Work

Waterford, Van

0-830-60407-3; Tab Books; 1983; $14.95; 230p; PB. Notes: Great book for handhelds, table-tops and other classic electronic games – covering the Atari 2600, Atari 5200, Bally Arcade Plus, Intellivision, Microvision, and more.

❑ Microprocessor-Based Electronic Games

Buchsbaum, Walter H. & Robert Mauro

0-070-08722-9; McGraw-Hill; 1983; $9.95; 293p; PB. Notes: Updated version of Electronic Games, with focus on doing the same things, but with microprocessors. Also examines Odyssey^2, 5200, Intellivision, Colecovision, handhelds, Coleco's Pac-Man standalone, and from the arcade, Bosconian, Pac-Man, Frogger, and Zaxxon, with tech info and such stuff.

❑ Microsoft Arcade: The Official Strategy Guide

Schuytema, Paul

1-559-58724-5; Prima Publishing; 1995; $12.95; 182p; TPB. Notes: Includes B&W photos of the arcade games and Windows screenshots. It also has some history in it. Whether there is any information not covered in the software is unknown.

❑ Midnight Tiger, The: Complete Guide to Atari 2600 Games

Coulson, Ben

1-844-26265-0; Upfront Publishing; 2003; $15.50; 188p; PB. Notes: If you’re looking for the “complete” guide to Atari 2600 games, stick with ‘ABC to the VCS’.

❑ Mind and Media: The Effects of Television, Video Games, and Computers

Greenfield, Patricia Marks

0-674-57620-9 (HC), 0-674-57621-7 (PB); Harvard University Press, Cambridge; 1984; $[?]; 210p; HC, PB. Notes: Subjects: mass media & children, television & children, video games, child development. Summary: Another psychological look at video games and other media on the developing child.

❑ Mind at Play: The Psychology of Video Games

Loftus, Geoffrey R. & Elizabeth F.

0-465-04609-6; Basic Books, Inc.; 1983; $14.95, 191p; HC. Notes: Psychological aspects of video games. Includes bibliographical references and index.

❑ Monster Gaming: The Complete How-To Guide for Becoming a Hardcore Gamer

Sawyer, Ben

1-932-11179-4; Paraglyph Press; 2003; $24.99; 350p; PB.

❑ More Pac-Mania: The 2nd Official Pac-Man Joke Book

Schwarz, Haller

0-523-41993-7; Pinnacle Books, Inc.; 1982; $1.95; 94p; PB. Arcade: Pac-Man. Notes: Yes, they're "Pac" for more of these awful cartoons begun in Pac-Mania. Back cover has a picture of Pac-Mania book that is different from the 2 variations we’ve seen (price and stuff moved).

❑ More than a Game : The Computer Game as Fictional Form

Atkins, Barry

0-719-06364-7; Manchester University Press; 2003; $69.95; 176p; HC.

❑ Ms. Pac-Man's Prize Pupil

Albano, John

0-307-11791-X; [Publisher?]; 1983; $1.25; [?]p; [Format?]. Notes: A Golden Look-Look Book. Mazes, cartoons, story. Kid's book, but a neat item for a collection. Cover picture of Ms. Pac-Man pushing Baby Pac-Man in cart near tree.

❑ Naked Computer, The

Cottonwood, Joseph

0-915-57250-8; Panjandrum; 1974; $[?]; [?]p; PB Notes: (from David Rolfe) “An obscure novel that was published in 1974. The main character was a programmer. It was the author's first book - a weird and irrational and somewhat clumsy tale, and it touched me because I thought it captured the spirit and personalities of the era.”

❑ Nature of Computer Games: Play As Semiosis, The

Myers, David

0-820-46700-6; Peter Lang Publishing; 2003; $24.95; 200p; PB.

❑ Nintendo Strategies: How to Win at Nintendo Video Games

Consumer Guide

0-881-76698-4; Publications International Ltd.; 1989; $[?]; [?]p; spiral-bound.

❑ Official I-Hate-Videogames Handbook, The

Prager, Emily

0-671-45804-3; Pocket; 1982; $2.95; 93p; TPB. Notes: Humor. Includes game parodies. Illustrated by Frank Morris.

❑ Official Price Guide to Classic Video Games: Console, Arcade, and Handheld Games, The

Ellis, David

0-375-72038-3; House of Collectibles; 2004; $16.95; 496p; PB. Notes: Nice price guide and includes some historical information. Also offers auction-buying tips. However the arcade machine pricing is quite inaccurate.

❑ Official TurboGrafx-16 Game Encyclopedia

Sandler, Corey and Tom Badgett

0-553-35263-6; Bantam Books; 1990; $9.95; 254p; PB.

❑ Opening the Xbox: Inside Microsoft's Plan to Unleash an Entertainment Revolution

Takahashi, Dean

0-761-53708-2; Prima Publishing; 2002; $24.95; 370p, HC. Notes: Award-winning journalist and gaming-industry expert Dan Takahashi guides you deep into the amazing story of this much-anticipated game console. He unveils the tumultuous story behind the development of the project and how it could change the entertainment industry forever, while providing fascinating insights about tech strategies, hardware wars, corporate wheeling and dealing (as well as the behind-the-scenes maneuvering) at Microsoft. Did you know the Xbox was initially codenamed Project Midway, in honor of the WWII battle in which America (read Microsoft) outwitted the Japanese (read Sony and Nintendo)?

❑ Owning Your Home Computer

Perry, Robert L.

0-896-96093-5; Everest House Publishers; 1980; $[?]; [?]p; [format?]. Notes: Deals mostly with old home computers, many of the machines discussed in the book were not widely marketed and are rather rare. Classic game material includes coverage of the APF Imagination Machine (computer upgrade for the MP-1000) and Intellivision's "keyboard component", as well as a short write-up of the planned computer upgrade for the Astrocade. There is a short reference to the 2600. (Which is odd, since it is one of the systems featured on the cover.) There are many B&W photos and diagrams. There is also a listing of each machine discussed, showing peripherals and software. Much of this hardware and software had not yet been released when the book was written - I suspect much of it never was. There are occasional inaccuracies, such as when the author states the Pong TV game preceded the Odyssey, but appears to be mostly accurate.

❑ Pac-Man and the Ghost Diggers

Albano, John

0-307-11790-1; [Publisher?]; 1983; $1.25; [?]p; [Format?]. Notes: A Golden Look-Look Book. Mazes, cartoons, kid story. Still a neat item for a collection. Blue cover. Pac-Man pulling Baby Pac-Man in wagon.

❑ Pac-Man Riddle and Joke Book, The

Thaler, Mike

0-671-46185-0; Pocket Books; 1982; $1.95; 122p; PB. Notes: By "America's Riddle King." Children's book with simple black and white illustrations.

❑ Pac-Man: An Activity Book

[Author?]; [ISBN?]; Whitman; 1982; $0.99; [?]p; COL?. Notes: Coloring, mazes, cut-outs, etc. A neat item. Cover shows Pac-Man playing a Pac-Man arcade machine.

❑ Pac-Man - The Ultimate Key to Winning

Mulliken, John D.

0-894-71173-3; Running Press; 1982; $1.95; 48p; PB. Notes: Tips on both the home and arcade versions, however it’s anything but the “ultimate”.

❑ Pac-Mania: 96 Pac Filled Pages of Biting Humor

Schwarz, Haller

0-523-41925-2; Kensington Publishing / Outlet / Publications International, Ltd.; 1982; $1.95; 96p; PB. Notes: Each page is a single, labelled, B&W illustration, such as “Count Pacula”, "Paccoon", and "Pac-Man solving the Rubik's Cube." It’s possible The Pac-Man Riddle & Joke Book by Thaler is slightly more original, if you have to choose between the two. There are two versions of this book: 1) $1.95 in dark yellow print in upper right. 2) Bigger $1.95 in black, towards lower right, below Pac-Man. Otherwise, they're identical. Also, Haller Schwarz is not a person, but a group of people.

❑ Pac-Mania! The Official Pac-Man Joke Book

Schwarz, Haller

0-523-41925-2; Pinnacle; 1982; $1.95; 96p; PB. Notes: Same as previous title.

❑ Parents Guide to Video Games

Sheff, David

0-679-75282-X; Random House, Inc.; 1994; $[?]; 136p; SC. Notes: Same as Video Games: A Guide to Savvy Parents

❑ Pause & Effect: The Art of Interactive Narrative

Meadows, Mark S.

0-735-71171-2; New Riders Press; 2002; $45; 272p; PB.

❑ Personal Electronics

(prepared by Market Research Division)

NO ISBN; Fairchild Publications; 1983; $[?]; 59p; [Format?]. Notes: Chiefly tables.

❑ Phoenix: The Fall & Rise of Home Videogames (preview edition)

Herman, Leonard

NO ISBN; Rolenta Press; 1993; $0; [?]p; TPB. Notes: Leonard Herman: “This was the Phoenix 'prototype'. It contains the full text of the 1st edition through 1991. The booklet was bound by staples and doesn't contain any appendices or indexes. It was sent to prozines and fanzines editors. Fortunately one of the fanzine editors happened to be Chris Johnston who just joined the new magazine EGM2 and reviewed it in that magazine's second issue. This was going to be the final edition until I discovered self publishing.”

❑ Phoenix: The Fall & Rise of Home Videogames

Herman, Leonard

0-964-38488-4; Rolenta Press; 1994; $19.99; 296p; TPB. Notes: Leonard Herman: “The first edition with a memorable cover designed by myself. Actually I had assumed that the printers would be able to design a cover but learned too late that that service would take longer and be more expensive. The book itself had been designed on an IBM-compatible with a 286 processor using WordPerfect 6.0 for DOS. There are places in the book where the font changes for no reason at all and the formatting itself is very poor. There are no pictures and the book ends with 1993. There are appendices on Multimedia and Virtual Reality and separate indexes for subject matter and game titles.”

❑ Phoenix: 1994

Herman, Leonard

NO ISBN; Rolenta Press; 1994; $0; [?]p; TPB. Notes: Leonard Herman: “I had intended to sell the prototype copy of Phoenix for $14 a copy. Several fanzines wrote reviews and mentioned this price. It was shortly before these reviews were published that I made the decision to actually have the book printed and bound. This drove the retail price up to $19.99. The final kicker was when EGM2 reviewed the book with the $14 price. Since it wasn't fair in my mind that some people paid $14 (postage free!) while others paid $19.99 + $2.50 postage, I decided to include a bonus for all who bought the book at the $19.99 price. The result was Phoenix: 1994 which supplements the original book. This also was the basis for the 1994 chapter in the second edition although the two are not exactly the same. Originally I had hopes to release a yearly update to Phoenix but that idea didn't last too long.”

❑ Phoenix: The Fall & Rise of Videogames (second edition)

Herman, Leonard

0-964-38482-5; Rolenta Press; 1997; $19.95; 315p; PB. Notes: Leonard Herman: “The second edition omitted the word 'home' from its subtitle as more coverage was given to major historical arcade games. The book contained over 130 system photographs and screen prints; a major enhancement over the first edition, The typeset was completely redone and the book included three additional chapters covering the years 1994-1996. The appendices from the first edition were disposed in favor of new sections covering classic cartridge based computers and an introduction to the Internet. The two indexes in the first edition were merged together to form one large index. Keith Feinstein from the Electronics Conservatory (Videotopia) designed a nice colorful cover which unfortunately wasn't ready by the time the book went to print so I put together the Pong-type design and the logo. There are scarce differences between the three printings of this edition. The second printing contains an Errata page instead of the mail-in coupon at the back of the book. The third printing updated the magazine and website appendices..”

❑ Phoenix: The Fall & Rise of Videogames (third edition)

Herman, Leonard

0-964-38485-X; Rolenta Press; 2001; $24.95; 388p; PB. Notes: With the third edition, Phoenix was expanded to a new 8.5 x 11 size. This was done to provide larger photos. Originally it was hoped that the photos would be in color but this had proved too costly.New for this edition are chapters on 1997 through 2000; a cover gallery of American video game magazines and books, and several Focus-On sections containing information on pertinent people and companies. Also new for this edition is a foreword by Ralph Baer, the father of video games.

❑ Pilgrim in the Microworld

Sudnow, David

0-446-51261-3; Warner Books; 1983; $15.50; 227p; HC. Notes: The author does a psychological case study on himself as he becomes addicted to Breakout, and covers his visit to Atari HQ to talk to Brad Stewart (who programmed the VCS version), on his quest for gaming strategies and insight (which btw, are excellent).

❑ Play Consoles and Home Computers

Forster, Winnie

3-000-10658-8; Gameplan; 2005; $31; 144p; PB. Notes: Entirely in German.

❑ Playboy's Guide to Rating the Video Games

Lowe Jr., Walter

0-867-21212-8; Playboy Paperbacks; 1982; $2.95; 266p; PB. Notes: 16 pages of B&W photo quality illustrations, including standard marketing pseudo-screen-shots. Contains price list for the five home systems.

❑ Player's Strategy Guide to Atari VCS Home Video Games, The

Electronic Games

0-440-17068-3; Dell; 1982; 224p; $2.95; PB. Notes: It was put out by Electronic games and had input from their staff, but Arnie Katz wrote the reviews and Frank Tetro the "Tetros Tips" advice on how to play the game. Had a suggested range for a given game (Beginer, Intermediate, Advanced). Some were realistic, some not. (SMTC474) Cover says by the Editors of Electronic Games. Title page says Arnie Katz, Bill Kunkel with strategy tips from "Video" Frank Tetro, Jr.

❑ Playing Donkey Kong to Win

Video Game Books, Inc

0-346-12584-7; Cornerstone Library; 1982; $2.50; 32p; PAM. Notes: Color illustrations. Contents same as any other how to win at Donkey Kong book. How else would you play….to lose?

❑ Playing Ms. Pac-Man to Win

Video Game Books, Inc

0-671-45759-4; Wallaby Books; 1982; $2.25; 32p; PAM. Notes: Color illustrations. Brief notes on each level. Patterns (patterns?) drawn in parts on separate mazes to help comprehension. Includes seconds monsters stay blue on each board. Has very, very basic description of algorithm used for monsters & fruit movement that might be useful if it's true.

❑ Playing with Power in Movies, Television and Video Games

Kinder, Marsha

[ISDN?]; University of California Press; 1991; $[?]; 266p; [Format?]

❑ Playing with Power in Movies, Television and Video Games: From Muppet Babies to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Kinder, Marsha

0-520-07776-8; University of California Press; 1993; $29.75; 280p; PB. Notes: Reissue / updated version of 1991 book of similar title.

❑ Power Up: How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra Life

Kohler, Chris

0-744-00424-1; Pearson Education; 2004; [$?]; 312p; PB.

❑ Project Arcade: Build Your Own Arcade Machine

St. Clair, John

0-764-55616-9; Wiley; 2004; $29.99; 501p; PB. Notes: A complete step-by-step guide on how to put your own MAME cabinet together from scratch. Includes a CD-ROM with diagrams, MAME software, Pain Shop Pro, and links to hundreds of other arcade projects.

❑ Q*Bert and His Friends Coloring Book

[Author?]; [ISBN?]; Parker Brothers; 1983; $[?]; [?]p; COL?. Notes: Green cover with large "Q" on front

❑ Q*Bert's Quazy Questions: A Riddle Book to Make You Laugh

[Author?]; [ISBN?]; Parker Brothers; 1983; $[?]; [?]p; [Format?]. Notes: Blue; large "Q" on front; top is round like the "Q".

❑ Regulating Videogames

Jaffe, Martin S.

NO ISBN; American Planning Association; 1982; $10.00 ($5.00 to subscribers); 30p; PB?. Notes: Subject is Video games--Law and legislation--United States. Illustrated. American Planning Association, Planning Advisory Service report no. 370. Cover title: "Regulating Videogames: Mixed Results in the Courts (Reprinted from Land Use Law & Zoning Digest), by Edward H. Ziegler, Jr": p. 25-30.

❑ Repairing Your Home Video Game

Jennings, Gordon

0-881-90277-2; Datamost; 1984; $9.95; 126p; PB. Notes: Covers basic electronics repair, logical troubleshooting, the repair of power adapters, joysticks, TV/Game switches, cartridges, and consoles for the following systems: Atari 2600, Atari 2600A, Sears Telegames, Sears Video Arcade, Mattel Intellivision I, Tandyvision, Sears Super Video Arcade, and the Atari 5200. 5200 coverage is extremely minimal. Good coverage on the 2600 models. Contains a part number listing of frequent problem components as well as a list of suppliers for repair parts.

❑ Resting Your Thumb: Books about Video Games

Hall, Porter B.

[ISBN?]; [Publisher?]; [Date?]; $[?]; [?]p; [Format?].

❑ Retro Gaming Hacks: Tips and Tools for Playing the Classics

Lowe, Al and Chris Kohler

0-596-00917-8; O'Reilly Media; 2005; $29.95; 437p; PB.

❑ Revolution in the Valley: The Insanely Great Story of How the Mac was Made

Hertzfeld, Andy

0-596-00719-1; O’Reilly Media; 2004; $24.95; 320p; HC.

❑ Revolutionaries at Sony: The Making of the Sony Playstation and the Visionaries who Conquered the World of Video Games

Asakura, Reiji

0-071-35587-1; McGraw-Hill Professional; 2000; $[?]; 240p; HC.

❑ Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals

Salen, Katie and Eric Zimmerman

0-262-24045-9; MIT Press; 2003; $52; 688; HC.

❑ Score! Beating the Top 16 Video Games

Uston, Ken

0-451-11813-8; Signet; 1982; $2.50; 191p; PB. Notes: Has the following on each game: B&W illustrations of the controls and screen(s); basic objective; scenario; novice, good, and expert scores; controls; the board; characteristics, strategies, and other versions (if any at the time), which includes arcade sequels such as Space Invaders Part II and Asteroids Deluxe. Also has a very brief section on home systems and table-tops. This book is full of details on each game!

❑ Scoring Big at Pac-Man: How to Munch the Monsters

Kubey, Craig

0-446-30507-3; Warner Books; 1982; $1.25; 48p; PAM. Notes: Poor B&W illustrations. Only three patterns, each drawn entirely in one maze, reducing comprehension. Chart showing board number, fruit, and number of seconds monsters will be blue. No patterns for home version.

❑ Screen Play: The Story of Video Games

Sullivan, George

0-723-26251-9; F. Warne; 1983; $10.95; 93p; HC. Notes: Juvenile literature. Includes index. Traces the development of video games since 1966 when an electronics engineer named Ralph Baer invented and marketed the Odyssey home game system.

❑ Secrets of the Game Series: TurboGrafx-16 and TurboExpress

DeMaria, Rusel and Andy Eddy

1-55958-064-X; Prima Publishing & Communications; 1990; $9.95; 263p; SC.

❑ Secrets of the Game Series: TurboGrafx-16 and TurboExpress Volume 2

Eddy, Andy and Donn Nauert

1-55958-126-3; Prima Publishing; 1992; [$?]; 2413p; SC.

❑ Secrets of the Video Game Super Stars

Albin, Len

0-380-80614-2; Avon Books; 1982; $2.50; 186p; PB. Notes: B&W illustrations of varying quality, but most are quite good. Each chapter is based on hints from a person somewhere in the U.S. who had a world record on the game or close to it. The final chapter has short discussion on what's available for the home market and what new games are coming (such as Sub-Roc 3-D and the Atari 5200). Also mentions the unique arcade game, OOPS! by Larry Rosenthal and the introduction has some tips on Wizard Or Wor.

❑ Sega Arcade History

Famitsu DC

❑ Sega Consumer History

Famitsu DC

❑ Shoot the Robot, Then Shoot Mom

Skelly, Timothy

0-809-25541-3; Contemporary Books; 1983; $4.95; 106p; PB. Notes: The most interesting part of the book is the back cover of the book, with him on top of a couple Reactor machines. The cartoons are kinda lame, but it's still an curious piece of debris from the golden age of coin-ops

❑ Smartbomb: The Quest for Art, Entertainment, and Big Bucks in the Videogame Revolution

Chaplin, Heather and Aaron Ruby

1-565-12346-8; Algonquin Books; 2005; $24.95; 288p; HC.

1-565-12545-2; Algonquin Books; 2006; $13.95; 304p; PB.

❑ So What's Wrong with Playing Video Games?

Berry, Joy Wilt

0-849-98169-7; Word, Inc.; 1982; $2.95; 48p; PB. Notes: Juvenile literature. Appears to be the same book as We Can’t Afford It! Discusses the negative parts of playing too many games and also how to schedule your time and money around other activities. Pictures by Bartholomew.

❑ Soul of a New Machine

Kidder, Tracy

[ISBN?]; [Publisher?]; [Date?]; $[?]; [?]p; [Format?].

❑ SPACE INVADERS La vera storia dei videogames

Carlà, Francesco

88-86232-81-0; Castelvecchi Editoria & Comunicazione srl, Roma; 1993; L.20000; 402 pages. Notes: The author founded Simulmondo in 1988, which created many of the Amiga titles. This book may be interesting for someone who likes unknown Amiga and PC titles, since the "history" of video games is extremely approximative (he talks about sports titles but devotes just one page about "Mr. Shigaru Miyamoto, unknown japanese inventor”).

❑ Sparrow Book of Video Games, The

Webb, Frank

[ISBN?]; Sparrow; 1982; $[?]; [?]p; PB. Notes: Cheesy obvious plagarism of Score! and How to Master the Video Games; some pages have been directly copied. There’s no indication of licensing, so it appears to be a blatant ripoff. Covers the same games as most of the others. Does have some coverage of tabletop/handheld games as well though.

❑ Sports Gamer: The Best in Sports Video Games

Rubenstein, Glenn

[ISBN?]; [Publisher?]; [Date?]; $[?]; [?]p; [Format?].

❑ Star Raiders

Maggin, Elliot S! (writer) and Jose Luis Garcia Lopez (illustrator)

NO ISBN; DC Comics, Inc.; 1983; $5.95; 64p; unique (graphic novel; approximately magazine size with square binding). Notes: This graphic novel departs from the story in the ATARI FORCE mini-comic included with Star Raiders. It features only a bare cameo of the Atari Force. Otherwise, it is an entirely new cast plus many, many Hukkas. This graphic novel was DC's first. See also: Atari Force and Atari Force Special in periodicals.

❑ Study of the Toy Market, Videogame [sic] Industry, Psychological Role of Toys, and Toy Construction in Relation to a Proposed Promotion Campaign for Mattel Electronics Intellivision Video System, A

Dodd, John Carroll

NO ISBN; NO PUBLISHER; 1982; NO PRICE; 56p; bound photocopy. Notes: Okay, so it isn't a book. It's a School of Art honors paper at Kent State University. It was too good to pass up. If anyone goes to K.S.U. to look it up, I'd appreciate a photocopy.

❑ Supercade: A Visual History of the Videogame Age 1971-1984

Burnham, Van

0-262-02492-6; MIT Press; 2001; $49.95; 448p; HC. Notes: Illustrated history of video games.

0-262-02420-1; MIT Press; 2003; $29.99; 448p; PB. Notes: Although Van Burnham is credited as the author, she was mainly just the editor – several other well-known writers in the genre contributed, such as Leonard Herman (who wrote the chapter on the Atari 2600), Steven Kent, Lauren Fielder, and Joe Fielder.

❑ Teach Yourself Game Programming in 21 Days

LaMothe, Andre

0-672-30562-3; SAMS Publishing; [Date?]; $[?]; [?]p; [Format?]. Notes: On page 799 he talks about ... you guessed it, Atari 2600 Adventure, and how it "inspired" him to write the example game used in that chapter.

❑ Toyland: The High-Stakes Game of the Toy Industry

Stern, Sydney Ladenshohn and Ted Schoenhaus

[ISBN?]; [Publisher?]; [Date?]; $[?]; [?]p; [Format?]. Notes: It's a history on the toy industry with a great chapter on video games. It's got detailed information on Atari's downfall but also quite a bit about Mattel and Coleco plus some stories about 3rd party developers. Later in the book it focuses on the industry circa 1988-9.

❑ Trigger Happy: Video Games and the Entertainment Revolution

Poole, Steven

1-559-70539-6; Arcade Publishing; 2000; $25.95; 264p; HC. Notes: Examines the cultural phenomenon of the video game.

1-559-70598-1; Arcade Publishing; 2002; $[?]; 304p; PB. Notes: Revised edition.

❑ TV Today

Maccarone, Grace

0-590-32815-8; Scholastic; 1983; $[?]; 103p; PB. Notes: If you wade through the spectacular stuff about Amy Linker (?), Lee Curreri (??), Kathy Maisnik (???) and Stephen Collins (????), you'll find stuff on Pac-Man, the 2600, Intellivision, Colecovision, and even PlayCable, the ill-fated Intellivision version of the Sega Channel Pac-Man graphic in lower right corner of front cover.

❑ Twin Galaxies' Official Video Game & Pinball Book of World

Records

Day, Walter A. (editor)

1-887-47225-8; Sunstar Publishing; 1998; $19.95; 984p; TPB. Notes: World records for all arcade and home video games. Also includes 200 pages of reminisces of the days of classic arcades.

❑ Ultimate History of Video Games, The: From Pong to Pokemon - The Story Behind the Craze That Touched Our Lives and Changed the World

Kent, Steven L.

0-761-53643-4; Prima Publishing; 2001; $19.95; 624p; PB. Notes: Revised edition of First Quarter.

❑ Ultimate Sega Game Strategies for the Master and Genesis Systems.

Sandler, Corey and Tom Badgett

0-553-35312-8; Bantam Books; 1990; $9.95; 266p; PB.

❑ Usborne Guide to Computer and Video Games

Graham, Ian

0-860-20681-5; Usborne-Hayes; 1982; $[?]; 48p; PB. Notes: Illustrated book about how video games work, from the chips up, from handhelds to arcade games. Also includes playing tips on a number of arcade games. While not labeled as such, most illustrations are obviously real game machines (2600, Odyssey^2 (OD^2), Microvision, many handhelds, computers, and arcade games). Even has an illustration of a Computer Space machine, but it looks more like that Blob thing on the old Hanna-Barbera "Herculoids" cartoon. There may also be a hard cover version of this book.

❑ Vid Kid's Book of Home Video Games, The

Stovall, Rawson

0-385-19309-2; Doubleday & Co. (Dolphin); 1984; $6.95; 141p; HC. Notes: The 11-year-old author reviews more than 80 video games available for the six different systems available at the time, and offers advice on strategy.

❑ Video Arcade, Pinball, Slot Machine, and Other Amusement

Tokens of North America

Alpert, Stephen P. & Kenneth E. Smith

[ISBN?] (LCCN 85-115285); Amusement Token Collectors Association; 1984; $[?]; 254p; [Format?]. Notes: [Info?]

❑ Video Computer System

Bogost, Ian & Nick Montfort

[ISBM?]; MIT Press; 2008; $[?]; [p?]; [Format?]. Notes: The book covers the ancestry of the VCS (including Pong and the Atari Home Pong systems), the hardware design of the machine and its implications for creativity, and discusses many influential VCS games (Combat, Adventure, Pitfall, Pac-Man, and others). It is illustrated throughout, and written to appeal to technically inclined general readers as well academics studying all sorts of creative work in digital media.

❑ Video Fever

Beamer, Charles

0-840-75831-6; Nelson; 1982; $3.95; 143p; PB. Notes: Illustrated. Psychological & social study.

❑ Video Game Operator's Handbook

Atari

[ISBN?]; Atari Corporation; 1980; $[?]; 80+p; [Format?]. Notes: (25 Apr 1995) Published by Atari and distributed exclusively through Atari Innovative Leisure, the "VIDEO GAME OPERATOR'S HANDBOOK" describes in 80+ pages how to understand and trouble shoot classic video games. This book was written to help amusement operators when video gaming was in its infancy AND assumes the reader has NO technical knowledge, NO test equipment and VERY FEW tools! Filled with great trouble-shooting tips. High Quality, bound reprint $27.50 post paid by priority mail. Order from: E.W.Saunders P.O. Box 825 Tucker, GA 30085-0825

❑ Video Game Quest: The Complete Guide to Home Video Game Systems, Video Games and Accessories

John C. DeKeles

0-962-50572-2; DMS; 1990; $13.79; 248p; PB. Notes: A really cool book that gives a rundown on games for the NES, SMS, GEN,TG-16,GB and LYNX organized by genre. There is also a section on hardware accessories for the various systems and a "game tracker" checklist in the back to check off each game in your collection. The last section is a listing of game companies and addresses so you can write them. The 1st Chapter, entitled "Past Present and Future", was written for DMS by Lou Kesten. Lou has been involved with video games for many years and is currently the associate editor for GAMES magazine (in 1990). According to the book, a company was planning on releasing a Famicom clone in the U.S.!

❑ Video Game $ecret$ of the Orient

Enrico del Mundo

[ISBN?]; Del World Publications; [Date?]; $[?]; [?]p; [Format?].

❑ Video Game Scorebook, The

Williams, Sally

0-425-05859-X; Berkely Books; 1982; no cover price; 78p; PB. Notes: This skinny paperback doesn't have much to it. It's just a collection of different charts and such to fill in about your arcade exploits. Includes scores to beat; daily, weekly, and monthly score log; record of on-going competition; strategy charts; and total games played.

❑ Video Game Theory Reader, The

Wolf, Mark J.P. and Bernard Perron

0-415-96579-9; Routledge; 2003; $31,95; 304p; PB.

❑ Videogames

Buckwalter, Len

0-448-14138-8; Grosset & Dunlap; 1977; $1.95; 158p; PB

0-448-14345-3; Grosset & Dunlap; 1977; $6.95; 158p; TPB. Notes: B&W photos of lots of pre-Atari 2600 home systems, including Fairchild Video Entertainment System (Channel F), RCA Studio II, Coleco Telstar, Atari Pong, Atari Super Pong, and Magnavox Odyssey. Consumer guide in back lists approximately four dozen systems, including six models of the Odyssey.

❑ Video Games

Cohen, Daniel

0-671-45872-8; Pocket Books; 1982; $1.95; 120p; PB. Notes: Adolescent level book that discusses how video games work and their history. Contains lots of nice B&W photos of arcade games, home game consoles, some Intellivision screen shots (from before the games were officially named), and more.

❑ Video Games

Erlbach, Arlene

0-822-59739-X; Lerner Publishing Group; [Date?]; $[?]; 48p; SC.

❑ Video Games

Gooding, Joanne

[ISBN?]; Judy Piatkus; 1989; $[?]; 308p; HC.

❑ Video Games

Leder, Jane Mersky

0-896-86241-0; Baker Street Productions (Crestwood House); 1983; $[?]; 47p; [Format?]. Notes: Illustrated (some in color). Juvenile. A discussion of video games, focusing on their creation and manufacture.

NO ISBN; Dell Publishing Co., Inc.; 1982; $0.69; 64p; PAM?. Notes: Contains instructions for playing arcade games as well as some hints on how to beat them (this is bottom of the barrel stuff here). Takes 3 pages out for home video game systems (basically just to say buy one if you like playing these kinds of games). No ISBN number, but it's #9280 in the series.

❑ Video Games and Human Development: A Research Agenda for the 80's: Papers and Proceedings of a Symposium Held at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, Massachusetts, May 22-24, 1983

Baughman, Patrice

0-943-48401-4; Monroe C. Gutman Library, Harvard Graduate School of Education; 1983; $[?]; 72p; PB.

❑ Video Games for Virgins: Comprehensive Guide to Gaming

Perkin, Sean

[ISBN?]; [Publisher?]; [Date?]; $[?]; [?]p; [Format?].

❑ Video Games, Puzzles, and Quizzes

Sullivan, George A.

0-590-32956-1; [Publisher?]; [Date?]; $[?]; [?]p; PB.

❑ Video Games: A Guide for Savvy Parents (Choosing the Right Games)

Sheff, David

0-679-75282-X; Random House, Inc.; 1994; $[?]; 136p; SC. Notes: Same as Parents Guide to Video Games

❑ Video Games: A Winner's Guide to the 12 Hottest Coin-op Games

Worley, Joyce

[ISBN?]; Dell Purse Book/ Dell Publishing Co Inc.; 1982; $0.69; 64p; PAM?. Notes: Contains instructions for playing arcade games as well as some hints on how to beat them (this is bottom of the barrel stuff here). Takes 3 pages out for home video game systems (basically just to say buy one if you like playing these kinds of games). No ISBN number, but it's #9280 in the series.

❑ Video Games: In the Beginning

Baer, Ralph H.

[ISDN?]; Rolenta Press; 2004; $30; 260p; PB. Notes: Contains Ralph’s original notes, memos, schematics, patents, and photos, as well as Ralph’s first-hand account of how he derived the idea of TV games and how he brought that idea to fruition. Other topics include Ralph’s work with Coleco, Odyssey2, Atari, arcade games, Simon handheld, video work for the military, and his dealing with Nolan Bushnell.

❑ Video Invaders

Bloom, Steve

0-668-05518-9 (HC), 0-668-05520-0 (PB); Arco; 1982; $11.95 (HC), $5.95 (PB); 220p; Notes: Author was editor of Video Games (see periodicals). Illustrated. Juvenile literature. Discusses the immensely popular video game which resulted from the marriage of the computer and the television. A few facts are incorrect (such as Donna Bailey’s contributions with Centipede), but overall a decent retrospective.

❑ Video Master's Guide to Centipede, The

Dubren, Ron

0-553-22966-4; Bantam Books; 1982; $1.95; 140p; PB. Notes: Many illlustrations and great Centipede tricks and patterns! Illustrations are all black and white, and many screenshots are on grid.

❑ Video Masters Guide to Defender, The

Broomis, Nick

0-553-22980-X; Bantam Books; 1982; $1.95; 79p; PB. Notes: Lots of hand-drawn B&W illustrations.

❑ Video Masters Guide to Donkey Kong, The

Sanders, Steve

0-553-23072-7; Bantam Books; 1982; $1.95; 84p; PB. Arcade: Donkey Kong. Notes: Contains complete directions for beating Donkey Kong. Contains several drawn maps (Donkey Kong's depiction is HILARIOUS!) to help you on your quest.

❑ Video Masters Guide to Pac-Man, The

Birkner, John & Jim Sykora

0-553-22959-1; Bantam Books; 1982; $1.95; 84p; HC. Arcade: Pac-Man. Notes: Illustrated.

❑ Video Player's Back-Pocket Guide Books

Goldstein, Fred and Stan Goldstein

[ISBN?]; Pinnacle; 1983; $[?]; [?]p; PB. Notes: There were separate guide books for Pac-Man(0523419848), Defender (0523419821), Donkey Kong (052341983X), Centipede (0523419856), Tempest, and Asteroids (0523419805).

❑ Video War

Manes, Stephen

0-380-83303-4; Avon Books; 1983; $2.25; 249p; PB. Notes: A teenage novel focusing on one town's efforts to ban video games and the group of teens that lead the fight against the proposed bill. Vanguard and Gorf can be seen on the cover, behind all the people. Numerous games are used in the book, although there are some fictional titles. Fairly enjoyable read, even the sex chapter, "Screen 25" (Touch Here... Insert Here...).

❑ Video Wizard's Handbook, The

Sobil, Keith and Kevin

0-943-32000-3; The Video Wizard Co.; 1982; $5.95; [?]p; PB. Notes: Covers 3 home games (Space Invaders, Asteroids, and Missile Command) and 6 arcade games (including Space Invaders and Tempest). Self-published in San Francisco, CA. Has some typographical and printing errors.

❑ Video: The Inside Story

Renowden, Gareth

0-531-04584-6; Gloucester Press; 1982; $[?]; 37p; [Format?]. Notes: Some color illustrations. Includes index. Explains, using drawings and diagrams, some of the applications of video technology, including factory monitoring systems, video games, satellite broadcasting, television production, and flight simulation.

❑ Video: Pocket Guide

Fox, Barry, Richard Maybury, & Tim Smith

0-706-41826-3; Octopus Books; 1983; $4.00; 128p; HC. Notes: It is a British publication, and mainly covers PAL hardware and the British market. There are three sections. The first covers video standards (NSTC, PAL, and SECAM) and technology in general. The second reviews various VCR's, Camcorders, etc. The third section, entitled "Software" covers such things as video disk players and related things; not just game systems. There is a long discussion of the release of movies on video and several pages of statistics. The Colecovision (with Super-Action Controllers) and Atari 5200 only have photos shown. The Intellivision II is shown with both the voice module and Atari expansion module. The UK-only Binatone Mark 6, Mark 10 (pong systems), and Superstar are discussed, as is the Leizure Zone, due to be released in Britain in 1983. Itwill initially have 8 carts. Cartridge manufacturers include Thorn EMI with 23 Atari compatible carts. As is usual for video game publications, there is much discussion of varpourware. This section of the book shows six screen-shots but does not note what game or system they are from!

❑ Visual Digital Culture : Surface Play and Spectacle in New Media Genres

Darley, Andrew

0-415-16555-5; Routledge; 2000; $30.95; 240p; PB.

❑ Warlords

Skeates, Steve (writer) and Dave Wenzel (illustrator)

[ISBN?]; DC Comics, Inc.; 1984; $5.95; 64p; unique (graphic novel; approximately magazine size with square binding). Notes: Based on the Atari arcade and home games of the same name. Tells the story of a con artist troll named Just Plain Duane and his involvement with four warlord brothers that rule the world.

❑ We Can’t Afford it! / Don’t Overdo the Video Games

Berry, Joy Wilt

[ISBN?]; Living Skills/Weekly Reader; 1983; $[?]; 96p; [Format?]. Notes: One of the Survival Series for Kids books, engagingly printed with a story at each end of the book, giving advice on parental rules. Same as What To Do When…. Revised edition of So What’s Wrong with Playing Video Games.. Discusses the negative parts of playing too many games and also how to schedule your time and money around other activities. Illustrated by Bartholomew.

❑ What to Do When Your Mom or Dad Says "Don't Overdo with Video Games"

Berry, Joy Wilt

0-941-51025-5; Living Skills Press; 1983; $3.95; 48p; HC. Notes: Same as We Can’t Afford it! Revised version of So What’s Wrong with Playing Video Games. Illustrated by Bartholomew

❑ What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy

Gee, James Paul

1-403-96538-2; Palgrave MacMillan; 2004; $15.95; 240p; PB.

❑ Whole Home Electronics Catalog, The

Koff, Richard M.

0-809-27093-5 (HC), 0-8092-7092-7 (TPB); Contemporary Books; 1979; $6.95 (TPB), $[?] (HC); 190p; TPB, HC. Notes: Pictures and blurbs on the latest and greatest in home electronics. Included APF, 2600, MICROVISION, Intellivision (with original computer attachment), various Pong systems, and handhelds.

❑ Win at Pac-Man

Zavisca, Ernest, Ph.D and Gary Beltowski

0-517-388820; Greenwich House; 1982; $[?]; 64p; HC. Arcade: Ms.Pac-Man, Pac-Man Notes: Originally published as Break a Million! at Pac-Man.

❑ Winners' Book of Video Games, The

Kubey, Craig

0-446-37115-7; Warner Books; 1982; $5.95; 270p; TPB. Notes: Includes a smattering of B&W photos and illustrations. This includes photos of the controls of Asteroids, Defender, Pac-Man, and Missile Command, plus a photo of the never-released Keyboard Component for the Intellivision I. Be warned that some of the home games listed are brief reviews as opposed to playing tips. Also includes sections on "Great Video Game Arcades in the United States and Canada," "Video Game Etiquette," "Video Songs" (songs to play by, not generally specifically about video games), "The Future," "Videomedicine," "Video Reform," history & status of the coin-op and home industries, and a "Glossary of Video Slang," some of which I've never heard.

❑ Woz: The Prodigal Son Of Silicon Valley

Garr, Doug

0-380-88484-4; Avon Books, 1984; $2.75; 160p; PB. Notes:

❑ XBOX: Blow the Lid Off!

Underdahl, Brian

0-072-22792-3; Osborne/McGraw-Hill; 2002; 256; $14.99; PB. Notes: Covers the XBOX’s specs and networking capabilities, as well as cables, controllers, enhancements, memory cards, games, cheat hardware, and more.

❑ Zap! The Rise and Fall of Atari

Cohen, Scott

0-070-11543-5; McGraw-Hill; 1984; $14.95; 177p; HC. Notes: This book tells the tale of the early video games industry, focusing on the trials and tribulations of Atari. Read this book and find out everything you would want to know about the history of Atari up through 1984. A good read and believable from someone at the competition (INTV). Includes bibliography and index.

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download