Christmas Gift Ideas

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VideoGameCritic
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Christmas Gift Ideas

Postby VideoGameCritic » November 1st, 2017, 6:52 pm

I don't think it's too early to start this thread.

Want to kick it off by recommending Art of Atari. This handsome coffee table book will thrill any classic gamer on your list. Lots of beautiful, color art and insightful commentary.

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Retro STrife
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Re: Christmas Gift Ideas

Postby Retro STrife » November 2nd, 2017, 9:25 am

Good call on Art of Atari. Great book. I'm not a fan of the book's name though-- I bet they've lost sales because people assume it's just a book full of photos. While there is a ton of great glossy photos to look at, and there is a focus on the Atari artwork and advertisements, it is just as much a "History of Atari", filled with chapters to read.

I'll throw out a couple book ideas too. I've bought way too many over the years, and here are two of my personal favorites that I think are well worth owning or giving as a gift:

"The Encyclopedia of Game Machines" by Winnie Forster
https://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Gam ... 3000153594

My all time favorite gaming book and the one I always refer back to for info on collecting systems. For system collectors, this is a must-own book. It discusses some of the games for each system, but the focus is more so on the hardware. Almost any system ever released is featured in here, with a few pages about each system. Full of color photos too. This version came out around 2005, and there is a 2012 version too. But the 2012 version mostly just adds newer systems (Wii, 360, and PS3), so feel free to save money and get the 2005 copy.

"High Score!: Illustrated History of Electronic Games" (2nd edition)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0072231726

This is my favorite coffee table book, chock-full of endless photos and history, all in a big glossy book. It was made around 2003, but it covers all the periods before that. This book is fun to read through, but more importantly it's fun to look through, which makes it my favorite book on gaming history. It's also dirt cheap, if you're ok with a used copy.

A new version of this book was released this year too, though I haven't bought it yet. It's pricey in print, but free on Kindle for Prime members: https://www.amazon.com/High-Score-Expan ... 54109090X/ . Check out the preview of it.

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Re: Christmas Gift Ideas

Postby VideoGameCritic » November 10th, 2017, 7:36 pm

I would also recommend checking out the Atari Age store at http://atariage.com/store
There are a lot of high quality new titles.

Personally I would recommend Assembloids, which is a highly original puzzle game with universal appeal.
Review coming next week.


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