100 Greatest Console Video Games -Book Review
Retro video game book review

Rating:

If you love video games and have a fondness for the Golden Age of gaming, 100 Greatest Console Video Games: 1977-1987, by Brett Weiss, will bring you back to those simpler days when games were just plain fun. Even if you owned an Atari, Coleco, Mattel, or Nintendo game console, Weiss' book adds additional context and info that will interest any gamer who loved this era.

Presented in hardcover with 224 pages of terrific detail, Weiss offers a lot of diverse info about each title. The format for each game is similar, but does not give the feeling of a rigid template. Thus, it seems as though you're part of an engaging conversation about retro gaming. As you read through descriptions and quotes, Weiss injects interesting facts about each title.

It's worth noting that this book is not a ranking from one to one hundred. Each game is awesome and they are presented in alphabetical order, so there's no competition between titles. Despite the seemingly level playing field of these 100 great games, it's human nature to question certain titles and complain about others that were not included.

This quandary is partially resolved with an appendix of Honorable Mentions that he labels as "the next 100". But we all know that won't pacify everyone. :)

We suggest readers delve into the great detail Weiss has included with each featured game. From screen shots and cover art, he includes interesting trivia and back-stories from a wide variety of sources.

You won't be surprised by many of the included titles like Donkey Kong, Galaga, or Defender, but the list isn't relegated to Atari and nintendo platforms. You'll find a few titles on the Odyssey2, Vectrex, and Astrocade. Titles like Centipede, offered on a variety of consoles, are discussed together.

This versatile book can be enjoyed in several ways. As each game stands on it's own, it's fun to simply open it up and discover a game you may not have played. I'm a huge Yar's Revenge fan, so I was stoked to dig into it's information. Reading from front-to-back will remind you of days gone by, fill in some fascinating details and may prompt you to search for a few carts you always meant to buy.

The inclusion of the years in the title may simply define it's scope, but we hope there will be a follow-up of the next decade. Even if you're not a retro gaming fanatic, leaving this tome on your coffee table will boost your cool-factor immeasurably! Get a copy today on Amazon and check out Brett Weiss' website!

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