ISBN978-0-7864-3226-4photos, glossary, appendix, bibliography, index316pp.hardcover(7 x 10)2007
Description 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.
About the Author Freelance writer and former comic book store owner Brett Weiss lives in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.