Bitmap Books – PC Engine - The Box Art Collection Review 🕮 @bitmap_books

Having previously covered Bitmap Books’ Game Boy - The Box Art Collection, my expectations were pretty high for this collection of PC Engine art, as their releases tend to be of extremely high quality in terms of the physical products themselves, as well as the work that goes into the design, research, information, and editing. 

I have to spend a second just high-fiving the packaging that Bitmap Books use. As someone who gets vinyl in the post – a notoriously delicate product - there have been occasions when I’ve actually been nervous when opening parcels due to the condition in which they’ve turned up.

I’m not a snob, but the thought of a warped or bent record sends shivers up my spine! With Bitmap Books, though – this is never an issue, as the packaging is generous, tightly bound and could probably stop a close-range shotgun blast. Good.

I’m Too Young to Die: The Ultimate Guide to First-Person Shooters Review 💥 @bitmap_books @BrittRecluseuk

We’ve covered several Bitmap Book releases here at GF, and each has been cause for celebration, from the sheer scope of 'A Guide to Japanese Role-Playing Games' through to the oddly enchanting 'A Gremlin in the Works', their books always get hips deep into their subject matter and yank my trousers off, regardless of how firmly I’ve initially buckled them. 

In the case of I’m Too Young to Die: The Ultimate Guide to First-Person Shooters, it was the sections on oddities and ultimately unsuccessful titles that had grazes with greatness that really caught my attention.

It was eye-opening to find out just how much experimentation was going on, especially in the world of PC gaming in the mid-’90s, and I found myself marking a page to watch some gameplay footage of these games - that had somehow passed me by in my formative years – before continuing my reading and inevitably repeating the process a few pages later, always a good sign when reading a book such as this.

📖 The King of Fighters : The Ultimate History | Bitmap Books 📖 @bitmap_books

Another Bitmap Books offering means another deep dive into some aspect of video game history. I own Go Straight, the publisher's love letter to side-scrolling beat 'em ups and it's a thing of coffee table-straining beauty.

This 540-page monster delves into what is probably the second most famous one-on-one fighter franchise, SNK's venerable king of Fighters series. This book represents the latest in Bitmap Books' ongoing relationship with the company, following in-depth looks at the Metal Slug series and a visual history of the Neo Geo. This relationship gives the publisher what looks like full access to SNK's archives, as well as the ability to interview what must be most of the past and present contributors to the series.

📖✅ Go Straight: The Ultimate Guide to Side-Scrolling Beat-’em-Ups Review | "I’ll see you at the player select screen" #VideoGameBooks

We’ve been lucky enough to cover some of Bitmap Books’ previous releases, and all have been some of the most impressive tomes to cross our desks, from the likes of the (as far as I’m concerned) legally definitive A Guide to Japanese Role-Playing Games to the more -surprisingly – emotional hit of A Gremlin in the Works, Bitmap Books are seemingly the pinnacle of quality books for the gaming scene. Perfectly edited, beautifully illustrated and wonderfully written.

📖 The Games Freezer Book Is OUT NOW! | The Pixel Art Compendium OF Video Games Consoles, Computers & Handhelds 📖 @gamesfreezer #PixelArt #SelfPublished

I've always fancied having my own video games book published and during lockdown 2020 I began a journey to write and illustrate my very first book. 

Today I proudly present to you The Games Freezer Book. A Pixel Art Illustrated Compendium of Video Games Consoles, Computers and Handhelds.

📖 Amazon Link: Games Freezer Book 📖

🕹️Coin-Op: The Arcade Guide | Written by Darren Doyle | Greyfox Books | Review🕹️@greyfoxbooks #Retrogaming #Arcade

Available from - https://www.greyfoxbooks.com/product/coin-op-the-arcade-guide/

The world of arcade machines seems vast and full of undiscovered gold. I’ll regularly be reading books or articles on the subject and come across a handful of games that I didn’t even know existed. Often, they are variations on a theme, but I’m always keen to find out every last morsel of information available – especially if they are side-scrolling brawlers, a genre which I am particularly drawn to for its visceral, button-hammering thrills.

Coin-Op: The Arcade Guide is clearly a book made with a real passion for the subject matter, and whilst there are some rough edges in terms of clunky sentences, typographical errors and a very busy visual design – there’s a compulsive thirst to the way that the author presents the work, this is best captured in the introductory text to each section of the book; a real desire for the reader to share the joy and reverence that Darren Doyle has for these releases and the memories tied to discovering and playing them.

📚📒 The Art of Creaks | Book | Review 📚📒 @Amanita_Design #IndieGames #IndieGame #GameDev

Purchase Link - https://merch.amanita-design.net/products/the-art-of-creaks

Creaks is a game that is very much adored by its fanbase for the care and craft that was clearly put into it, resulting in a title whereby the visuals and music are just as important as the fundamental gameplay.

It therefore makes sense - following the ‘making of’ documentary focusing on the music of Creaks (https://youtu.be/67S-rAyku3U) - that a book dedicated to the art is released. As was made clear in my review of Creaks a few months ago - https://www.gamesfreezer.co.uk/2021/06/creaks-review-xbox-series-x-910.html – it is a game that really made an impact on me and I often find myself discussing it or listening to the soundtrack, and now – I can get lost again in those wonderfully detailed visuals thanks to The Art of Creaks.

🍕 Pac-Man: Birth of an icon (by Arjan Terpstra & Tim Lapetino) | Book Review 🍕 @cookbeck #RetroGaming #PacMan

https://www.cookandbecker.com/en/artwork/3012/pac-man-birth-of-an-icon-pac-man-bandai-namco.html

Few games are as iconic as the occasionally ghost-devouring, yellow dot-muncher, Pac-Man. In this 300+ page, full-colour tome, you’ll find everything that you could possibly want to know about this timeless classic. From origins to impact, legacy and beyond – all accompanied with crisp, high-definition images, insider commentary, well-researched information and vibrant artwork all presented through accessible writing.

📚 A Profound Waste of Time 📚 @APWOTmag

Described on the website (www.apwot.com) as:

‘an award-winning independent magazine that celebrates games as an art form. Each issue plays host to a rich variety of voices from inside and outside the videogame industry, interwoven with stunning bespoke imagery from leading illustrators and artists. Editorially discerning and beautifully designed, the magazine serves to celebrate gaming culture and discussion.’

📕📘 Lock On Gaming Journal | Issue 1 | "A Luxury Piece Of Gaming Journalism" 📕📘 @LostInCult #LockOn

I’ll level with you immediately. I am a self-confessed video game magazine geek. Physically holding a magazine and even smelling its pages are more of a thrill to me than just digesting web pages and half reading video games related emails and press releases.

Owning a video game magazine collection for me allows me to fulfil that fantasy of having my own library of video games related literature. In the last 5 years or so I have begun to fall for the various video games coffee table style books such as Bitmap Books’ Visual Compendium series or their beautiful one-off books like The Art Of Point and Click Adventures. These are the kind of books you can flick through and soak up the nostalgia as you turn each page and transport you back to another time and place where the video games magazine ruled the world. 

My favourite video games magazines have to be the Mean Machines run of magazines that were headed up by Jaz Rignall. The original run of magazines only lasted 24 issues before it split into a SEGA and Nintendo variant but those first 24 are ingrained into my psyche and greatly influenced the way I think about games critique and how to have fun with video game writing.

More recently I’ve also had the pleasure to look at a cool magazine called Ninty Fresh which went through Kickstarter very successfully and is now into a run of issues each being funded by Kickstarter backers.

With all this in mind, it feels like there is something of a renaissance of the written word in physical form within the video games world which for me is a great thing and leads me onto the journal which has been absorbing my time lately.

The lovely people from Lost In Cult have just released their first gaming journal entitled Lock On and I was approached to take a look at this beautiful video gaming tome just before I went on my hols to the Isle Of Wight.

Perfect holiday reading was my first thought.

📘 Bitmap Books – Game Boy: The Box Art Collection | Book Review By Britt | "an extremely tasty tome" 📘 @bitmap_books #RetroGaming #GameBoy

I’ve heard nothing but good things about Bitmap Books’ prior releases and so was keen to get hips deep in this, their most recent project. The book definitely lived up to the weighty expectations and really feels of a high quality throughout its almost 400-page heft.

🍕🕹️ PAC-MAN: Birth Of An Icon | Gorgeous New Pac Man History Book Available For Pre Order! 🕹️🍕 @cookbeck #PacMan #RetroGaming

Here's some really exciting news for all you PAC fans out there!

The First-Ever Official History Book on PAC-MAN is Now Available For Pre-Order!

Cook and Becker have announced its gorgeous, hardcover retrospective, the first-ever history of PAC-MAN. 

PAC-MAN: Birth of an Icon is made in conjunction with BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc. and researched and written by Arjan Terpstra and Tim Lapetino. 

📚📗 Half Mario/Half SONIC | Fuck Yeah Video Games "The Life & Extra Lives Of A Professional Nerd" 📚📗 @DanNerdCubed @Mr_Rebecca

Recently I purchased an e-book entitled Fuck Yeah Video Games "The Life & Extra Lives Of A Professional Nerd by Daniel Hardcastle @DanNerdCubed as I had heard it was a great book.

When I started reading it I wasn't disappointed but for me, the best thing about this book is the lovely illustrations/cartoons by Rebecca Maughan @Mr_RebeccaThey are awesome!

🕹️📙 Video Game Novelisation – The 7th Guest and Tex Murphy: The Pandora Directive 📙 🕹️

‘The 7Th Guest: A Novel ‘ by Matthew J Costello & Craig Shaw Gardner

‘The Pandora Directive (A Tex Murphy Novel )’ by Aaron Conners

It dawned on me a few weeks ago that I had never read a novelisation of a video game. The closest thing I can think of was how I voraciously inhaled Andrzej Sapkowski’s ‘The Witcher’ series, which whilst having a strong connection to the video game series I initially played (the games are based on the novels), are a separate canonical entity. With this in mind, I picked up a few books that were novelisations of games I had previously enjoyed playing and the first ones I spotted at a saucy price were the books mentioned in the title of this article.

🎮🤠 The Video Games Adventures of Monte McGnarly 🤠🎮 @McGnarlyG

A little while back I was approached by @McGnarlyG to take a look at his new book entitles "The Video Games Adventures of Monte McGnarly"

I'm so glad I took up his offer as this book takes you on a personal nostalgic journey of video games discovery through the use of rhyming verse.

🤓📘 Book Review: The Nostalgia Nerd’s Retro Tech “Computers, Consoles & Games” 📘🤓 #Retrogaming @NostalNerd

The Nostalgia Nerd’s Retro Tech “Computers, Consoles & Games”

 
How much do you love video games, computers and consoles?

Do you obsess over the great tech from years gone by and reminisce over the legendary video games that you played as child through your teenage years and now still play those games in adulthood?

Chances are then you’ve heard of a certain guy called the Nostalgia Nerd aka Peter Leigh.

📖 3 Video Games Inspired Books By Kari Fry That Will Blow Your Mind! 📘

I've been poking around the internet as usual and i've found 3 books on the FanGamer website which are going straight on my Fathers Day, Birthday and Christmas list...

I think you are going to love them too!

☆ Book Of The Week: NEOGEO: A VISUAL HISTORY ☆ #Retrogaming

Those awesome chaps at BITMAP BOOKS have sent us some new details on the 

NEO GEO VISUAL HISTORY book that I think will make you want to own this tome opus even more!

☆ 10 Awesome Retro Gaming Stories Just For YOU! ☆ #Retrogaming #GamersUnite

"This is the part of the week when I scrape the web and compile an awesome list of Retrogaming fayre for you all to gorge on.

Some people might eat these retro gaming links slowly, others like to yam them down in a matter of seconds.

How you eat them is up to you, Just Enjoy!

With Love 

Games Freezer"

☆ 'The Way We Played' Celebrating the golden age of computer games in the UK 1985-1993 ☆ #Retrogaming #GamersUnite

Unbound is an awesome source of new books that need pledges to get published.

One such book that needs to be published is 'The Way We Played'