I'm a retro nut, and I thought I knew a lot. This book taught me otherwise. The book is by no means exhaustive. It doesn't cover some successors to consoles, or regional variants. It also doesn't cover some of the more obscure or lesser-known ones either. It does, however, cover almost every one of the 'major' consoles and computers from 1976ish through to 2005ish.
Each console/computer is covered by a specification overview, and some text about how it came to be, the major players in its design, the goal for which it was made, what the other competitors were doing at the time, and any snags in their production. It covers major SNAFUs and delays, and helps to set the scene for why some very-capable consoles missed out on becoming legendary, and instead became the realm of retro geeks like me.
As well as the description of the console, a selection of games (usually two or three) which exemplify the best (or hilariously worst) of the offerings for that platform. The descriptions of the games are brilliantly funny, cuttingly, brutally honest, and help to put the console into historical context.
All of the consoles are covered by wonderful photographs that must have taken an age to do. They show the consoles from a variety of angles, including common peripherals and media.
There's very little to say bad about this book, except perhaps there are a few typos and one paragraph that got pasted in twice by accident. Also, the text for the games is very small, you'll need your strong reading glasses on to be able to make them out!
Absolutely brilliant book, and I hope the Nostalgia Nerd follows this up with an examination of the PC and its clones.
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From the Publisher
Remember what a wild frontier the early days of home gaming were?
Manufacturers releasing new consoles at a breakneck pace; developers creating games that kept us up all night, then going bankrupt the next day; and what self-respecting kid didn't beg their parents for an Atari or a Nintendo? This explosion of computers, consoles, and games was genuinely unlike anything the tech world has seen before or since.
Take a trip down memory lane with the Nostalgia Nerd
This thoroughly researched and geeky trip down memory lane pulls together the most entertaining stories from this dynamic era, and brings you the classic tech that should never be forgotten.
About the author
Wonderful Retro Computer Book! Tons of info!
My wife bought me this for my Birthday. She got it on here for £4 which, to be honest, is a ridiculously cheap price for such a fantastic book. I feel like we’ve robbed someone! This book is stuffed with information about almost every retro computer or console that you can think of. For each system the book has defined sections: * History and information * Fact sheet * Games page with ‘Must See’, ‘Must Play’ and ‘Must Avoid’. It’s really well presented and the information is laid out in short, tidy pieces so you can either read through the lot or just pick and choose which bits to read. A fantastic book for anyone interested in Retro systems and is highly recommended. Especially for the crazy price we got it for!
Top reviews from United Kingdom
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- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 October 2019Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
My wife bought me this for my Birthday. She got it on here for £4 which, to be honest, is a ridiculously cheap price for such a fantastic book. I feel like we’ve robbed someone!
Wonderful Retro Computer Book! Tons of info!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 October 2019
This book is stuffed with information about almost every retro computer or console that you can think of. For each system the book has defined sections:
* History and information
* Fact sheet
* Games page with ‘Must See’, ‘Must Play’ and ‘Must Avoid’.
It’s really well presented and the information is laid out in short, tidy pieces so you can either read through the lot or just pick and choose which bits to read.
A fantastic book for anyone interested in Retro systems and is highly recommended. Especially for the crazy price we got it for!
Images in this review
Top reviews from other countries
- ChrisReviewed in Japan on 12 June 2019
I would give it 5 stars but for two reasons.....
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
I received it on June 10th and finished it on June 11th (yes it's that good !!)ChrisI would give it 5 stars but for two reasons.....
Reviewed in Japan on 12 June 2019
What I liked about this book is not only was it written by my favorite retro tech reviewer on youtube (The Nostalgia Nerd) but also the hardback is very well made. The photos of the retro computers and games are clear. There are 39 systems in the book from around the world and each is presented in a way thats entertaining.I liked how the writer only reviewed 3 games per computer because the information he gives makes you actually want to play them.
Now, there are two points which I didn't like (as shown in the photo)
1) the text is pretty small to read. I wish it was bigger - even my wife commented how small the print was.
2) On page 70, text is repeated when reviewing the Spectrum computer system (as shown in the photo). Two big paragraphs which make up half of the text on the page. Not too happy so I have emailed the author to find out if this is a printing error.
In conclusion, I would say this is the best example of a retro tech review book. Others include too many games or fancy graphics but this is well lead out with facts and a perfect coffee table book.
Images in this review
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finkhowallaceReviewed in Spain on 9 December 2022
Para seguidores del canal y los gamers que empezaron en los 90
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase -
Francesco SisiniReviewed in Italy on 29 January 2021
Molto carino e anche utile
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
