Vintage Games An Insider Look at the History of Grand Theft Auto Super Mario and the Most Influential Games of All Time

Vintage Games An Insider Look at the History of Grand Theft Auto Super Mario and the Most Influential Games of All Time

“They say you can’t go back again, but reading Vintage Games comes close. Open the book, and I’m back in the video arcades of my youth. Turn the page, and I’m in college again, discovering the secret joys of the early PC games. Turn the page again, and I’m back in my living room, playing Mario with my young kids. But Vintage Games is more than just a trip down memory lane, because the authors analyze each game in ways that bring fresh insights to those nostalgic memories.”–Steve Meretzky, Veteran Game Designer

“An interesting and insightful trip down a gamer’s memory lane, focusing on titles that have become benchmarks in videogame history.”–Didi Cardoso, Managing Editor, Grrlgamer.com

“The video game industry has a poor track record when it comes to preserving its history. Fortunately, scholars and enthusiasts have stepped in to fill the void, and Vintage Games is an essential contribution to this effort. Loguidice and Barton are to be commended for documenting the history of gaming’s greatest landmarks.”–Michael Abbott, The Brainy Gamer Blog and Podcast, Professor of Theater and Film Studies, Wabash College

“Essential reading for video game fans and game studies scholars alike!”–Laurie N. Taylor, Digital Library Center, University of Florida

“A must-read for anyone even remotely interested in video gaming history – from the hardcore to the casual. A book that anyone that has ever held a joystick would enjoy.”–Shane R. Monroe, Host of RetroGamer Radio/Monroeworld.com

“The book is smart and fun – much like the games it addresses.”–Dr. Matthew S. S. Johnson, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Scholarly, Nostalgic and Fun! An Instant Classic!
“Vintage Games” is a surprisingly comprehensive, scholarly, fun, and informative work on subject of video games, which is a subject not taken too seriously by the general public. And when I say “scholarly,” I don’t mean it in a boring sense, because the book is anything but; it is a refreshingly adult and entertaining treatise on the games in question, and of their impact on “our” generation.

The first thing that struck me about the book is the quality of the book’s layout. The book is very slickly produced, printed on glossy pages with plenty of crisp, colorful images throughout the book. The images range from video gameplay screen captures, game box covers, classic game advertisements, and an occasional hardware photograph. There are images on nearly every page, and often more than one image on a page! Even the humble “Space Invader” book cover, which looks rather plain in the Amazon cover image sample, pops with color and class when seen in real life. I must say, I wasn’t expecting much, presentation-wise, from the book, so I was more than pleasantly surprised at the slick layout and color of the book!

The next thing I found intriguing was the scholarly, in-depth focus of the writing. The authors take the subject seriously, explaining the historical and cultural significance of the games covered in each chapter. The writing is crisp, informative, adult, and scholarly, but not without an occasional dry witticism that will have “in-the-know” readers chuckling. I would quote some humorous examples, but that would spoil some of the fun. The book is not funny overall, so the occasional humor was appreciated.

Although the book officially covers only 26 “influential” games, many, MANY more games are mentioned in the book, either as precursors to the “influential” game, or as “offspring” of the influential game in question. For example, the “Street Fighter II” chapter mentions classic games such as “The Bilestoad,” “Karate Champ,” “Double Dragon,” “Yie Ar Kung Fu,” “Virtua Fighter, “Super Smash Bros.” and “Karateka,” among others, that were influential towards, or influenced by, “Street Fighter II.” And the “John Madden Football” chapter covers a serious history of nearly ALL sports videogames, be it Football, Soccer, Baseball,Basketball, or Boxing, again, with plenty of photos of the games in question.

Some of the most interesting chapters are actually about games I haven’t really played or didn’t like! For example, the chapters on “MYST” and “Castle Wolfenstein” gave me new insights and a new appreciation for these games, so much so that I am tempted to play them again just to see if my impressions have changed.

Most of the all-time favorite games are covered: Tetris, Pac Man, Super Mario, Street Fighter II, Ultima, Sim City, Final Fantasy, etc. are all covered with full chapters. And many old-time favorites (computer, arcade, and concole favorites) are at least mentioned in passing, adding to the fun and nostalgia factor. “Hey, I played that game!” I found myself thinking as I read about the games mentioned (often with accompanying photographs of the games)!

I do have some minor complaints about the book, but these complaints were not enough to bring down my five-star rating, considering how deeply the book covers its subject matter.

First of all, the book is softcover; I prefer hardcover books. The book is not poorly bound, it’s just…. softcover. I admit it’s a nitpicky concern, but I am well-known for falling asleep while reading, and I’d hate to think that my face rolling around on the book could damage it.

Secondly, the book is occasionally biased against those who might find some aspects of videogaming disturbing or dangerous. In the “Grand Theft Auto” chapter, for example, the authors casually dismiss the opponents of these notoriously violent and amoral games as “concerned but uninformed citizens.” While not surprising, I would have liked to see a bit more of the “other side” of the argument, even though I’ve played and enjoyed several of the GTA games. I admit that such a subject could take up an entire book in and of itself, so I’ll forgive the book on this one. It’s beyond the scope of a book such as this to cover such territory.

Finally, the book has many references to “bonus chapters” that are only available (for free) online at armchairarcade.com/vintagegames. They are not included in the book itself. I think the idea of “bonus chapters” is a cool one, but occasionally the book makes references to online bonus chapters that don’t currently (as of this writing) exist yet. I want to read those chapters!

I consider these “criticisms” to be extremely minor in comparison to the overall quality and enjoyment the book provides. I doubt that any of these “minor” criticisms will hamper the reader’s overall enjoyment of this otherwise spectacular book.

“Vintage Games” might very well be a “classic” book on the subject of videogames. It’s intelligent, thought-provoking, nostalgia-inducing, interesting, and fun, with great accompanying photographs of many games. I can recommend this book to anyone with an interest in videogames, from intelligent teenage gamers to nostalgic adults, from hardcore gamers to gaming-industry professionals.

In short, it’s a classic book for anyone with a serious interest in videogames, and I recommend it highly! Personally, I got my money’s worth and then some! “Vintage Games” was a pleasant surprise.

4 Stars pure nostalgia
For readers who grew up after 1975 and who spent too much time and almost surely too much money at video arcades, the book is a sweet stroll thru your memories. May I suggest that when reading it, you play a sound track of top music hits from the 80s or 90s? This combined sensory input might help reinforce the book’s contents.

All the major video games are here. Remember how quickly the state of the art evolved from 1979 to 82? Space Invaders in 79 was a massive hit coming out of Japan. Yet in those few years, it was quickly obsoleted by better graphics and more intricate abilities in the games. I hesitate to call these story lines, but you might.

An attraction of the book is that it’s not focused so much on describing in heavy detail the games. Rather, as the title says, it offers the view of an insider in the infant gaming industry. We can see when game teams were quite small and ditto for the budgets. When, at least in principle, you and just a few talented friends could write a best seller in a few months. Although in practice, even then, a few companies grew large and dominated the scene.

As to the book’s choice of the most influential games, it seems pretty uncontroversial. These were all huge hits in their time.

5 Stars A great book for anyone who loves Video Games!
A great book for anyone who ever loved or is in love with video games. Most of the games explored in this book I grew up on and I have many memories sitting in front of our small 13 inch tv playing thenm. The Final Fantasy VII chapter is great and just made me relive some moments as a young girl who couldn’t put this game down. This makes a great gift and I highly recommend anyone who loves to play video games.

5 Stars Excellent book for anyone interested in video games
I read the book cover to cover over a span of 3 days (it’s hard to put down). Each chapter stands on its own, so it’s easy to read in small segments as well.

Because game developers draw from other titles for inspiration, the book will reference itself as applicable to show how these influences propagated across games over time. There are numerous examples of what did/didn’t work, as well as discussion to support these claims. Additionally, several of the supplemental/external references are available over the web, so pursuing areas of interest is easy.

As the title says, the book is about influential games, which aren’t always the best-selling games (though they usually inspire a best-selling game if the original work wasn’t a hit in its own right). It’s a collection of ‘firsts’, as well as cataloging those that followed (with varying degrees of success).

Ultimately it was a very enjoyable read that flowed very well from chapter to chapter. Certainly it was nostalgic thinking back to when those earlier games were released, but the combination of the discussion and additional insight made it like living those experiences for the first time.

4 Stars Interesting
Wow, this is a great book, something I guess people call a real page turner. Glossy pages with full color photos. I love the progression from the begining of a type of game (think say, Karate Champ) to its logical progression. There is an abundance of screenshots (I wont say overabundance, you can never have enough!), and its so cool to see some classic arcade games show.

The chapter 14 / pole position was one of my fav chapters in the book.

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Warcraft War of the Ancients 1 The Well of Eternity Bk 1

Warcraft War of the Ancients 1 The Well of Eternity Bk 1

Many months have passed since the cataclysmic Battle of Mount Hyjal, where the demonic Burning Legion was banished from Azeroth forever. But now, a mysterious energy rift within the mountains of Kalimdor propels three former warriors into the distant past — a time long before orcs, humans or even high elves roamed the land. A time when the Dark Titan Sargeras, and his demon pawns persuaded Queen Azshara and her Highborne to cleanse Azeroth of its lesser races. A time when the Dragon Aspects were at the height of their power — unaware that one of their own would soon usher in an age of darkness that would engulf the world of…War Craft(R). In the first chapter of this epic trilogy, the outcome of the historic War of the Ancients is forever altered by the arrival of three time-lost heroes: Krasus, the dragon mage whose great power and memories of the ancient conflict have inexplicably diminished; the human wizard Rhonin, whose thoughts are divided between his family and the seductive source of his now-growing power; and Broxigar, a weathered orc veteran who seeks a glorious death in combat. But unless these unlikely allies can convince the demigod, Cenarius, and the untrusting night elves of their queen’s treachery, the burning Legion’s gateway into Azeroth will open anew. And this time — the struggles of the past may well spill over into the future…

User Ratings and Reviews

3 Stars I don’t get it
Ok, I have to admit it as much as I wanted to like this book considering the rave reviews I had heard and read hear on Amazon I did not like the story. I don’t know if I just wasn’t in the right mood or what. The quality of the writing is still there and that is usually enough for me but not this time. Can we break some new ground here or tell some new stories instead of telling an alternate version of a story that all diehard Warcraft people know? This probably has something to do with the fact that this book was written by the same guy who wrote Day of the Dragon a book I liked at first but didn’t like quite so much on subsequent rereads.

Overall-Read it if you are a dragon fan who wants to be confused about the overall war craft timeline. There was also a time when I would buy the rest of the trilogy and make an attempt to read the books out of loyalty to the franchise that is not going to happen with there books.

5 Stars Excellent reading complelling story line!!!
As usual all fantasy books begin with a bland fisrt chapter however after this point the story really takes off. I finished this book in record time considering im not usually an avid reader.

If you are a fan of warcraft lore and want to know the background to the evolving characters of the warcraft universe. I suggest starting with this book. I tuned page after page night after night, great work by Knakk

5/5

5 Stars Great Start
THis book is the first of a trilogy. I highly recommend that if you read this book, you commit to reading the other two. This gives an excellent historical view of how the World of Warcraft evolved over time and how relationships developed, both good and bad.

5 Stars Under-rated Trilogy
I am by all means not an “avid” reader but I must say that this is one of the best trilogies I have ever read. I am deployed right now and being a hardcore WoW player, I do not get to play the game out here, so the books very much compensate that.

Reading the first 5 pages will get you hooked! Richard A. Knaak just delivers from start to finish. The characters are very unique and the way he describes the personality and the relationships between the characters is phenominal. I am very suprised to read that Richad A. Knaak steered in more of a Mature theme with this book, even describing in great detail how someone and/or how something died. Because you really don’t see that much gore in the game.

This series will have you hooked and will make you not want to put down the book until it’s finished. It also answer questions like: How did Illidan become evil? Who is Rhonin? What were the great Dragons or “Aspects” like? What happened during the first “World War”? How did “Deathwing” come to be? Read the trilogy and it will answer all of your questions, and to top it off you will have more of a respect to the Warcraft storyline and appreciate the game alot more. Also you can visit some the characters in game!!!! Buy the whole Trilogy. You will not be dissapointed!

4 Stars The Well of Eternity (WarCraft: War of the Ancients, Book 1)
It’s the first warcraft book i read and its one of the best things i read(of course u have to like warcraft 1st XD)so i would recommend if u buy this book buy book 2 and 3 cuz you’ll curse yourself when u get to the end of the first one good luck ppl

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Film School Confidential

Film School Confidential

Thinking about going to film school? Don’t send in that application just yet–first read this book, the definitive guide to film schools around the country. The 26 institutions reviewed are rated according to the quality and accessibility of their equipment, the kind of films their faculty encourage students to make (“industry,” “independent,” “experimental”), and cost. The authors discuss the schools’ programs in detail, advise readers about whether film school is the right choice for them, provide tips about getting into the programs, and describe what to expect once film school begins. Karin Kelly and Tom Edgar’s prose is spirited and their entertaining introductory portrait of the state of American filmmaking will interest anyone who cares about contemporary movies. An informative and amusing glossary closes the volume, which explains why no one should try to lift an ARRI kit by the handle, why “experimental film” is just another word for “cinematic masturbation,” and why no good movie script ever contained the line, “you just don’t get it, do you?”

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Chose Chapman U
Does say what it claims to do. Excellant guide, helped me choose Chapman U due to its excellant equipment and policies.

4 Stars Good overview of graduate film programs
Overview of the top graduate film programs: gives good insight into each program and their respective strengths and characteristics. Very helpful in understanding the ‘signature’ of a school. Would be great to have an equivalent for undergrad film programs!

3 Stars A few issues
The book has its value for discussing in detail several schools throughout the country. I would even say it is a must-have before you visit ANY film school (even if’s not in the book). The grudge I have is how the authors sometimes weigh in with their personal preferences while discussing school facts (eg, they call Valencia, CA “depressing to live” – while that may be true it is highly subjective and should not be mentioned in a section which is supposed to inform an applicant). The introductory chapters are helpful, but the authors on occasion fall for juvenile foot-in-mouth comments like minimizing the work of McKee and Field by arguing they haven’t had any produced screenplays (which is ridiculous – that’s like saying a Superbowl team coach sucks because he can’t throw a ball like Joe Montana). The glossary is tongue in cheek but is obviously filler, no substance. Other than that, if one ignores these annoyances the book can be helpful.

4 Stars Book worth it, film school…?
Excellent- great discussion of the value proposition of film school. One thing I found odd though- they estimated one year rent and living expenses in New York at $20k. Living where, in a cardboard box, eating ramen noodles? Anyway, I highly recommend the TV reality show series “Film School,” on DVD. As for the question of whether to go, I think it says a lot that the #1 reason to go is the contacts you’ll make. Do you need to spend three years and god only knows how much money to make some friends/contacts? Anytime that’s used as a justification for the cost of grad school, watch out! They say the same thing about business school, and I don’t know a single person who wouldn’t be where they are today if it weren’t for b-school.

5 Stars Must-read book
An absolute “must-read” for anyone contemplating educational options in this industry. Very easy to read but dense with useful and practical advice.

Would have appreciated more coverage of undergraduate options, though. While the authors make the case for undergraduate school as a time of broad educational exposure, it is conceivable to do that within a context of film.

For a young person interested in film, it is hard for them to delay their involvement until graduate school. They can certainly get a liberal arts degree (and thus the broad exposure) with a film/film studies major and then decide if they want to continue on to grad school (and if so, what particular emphasis). However, there are also undergrad options that are more concentrated on the actual production side of things. Some coverage of the undergrad options would have been very much appreciated.

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WarCraft War of the Ancients Archive

WarCraft War of the Ancients Archive

Months have passed since the cataclysmic Battle of Mount Hyjal, which put an end to the Burning Legion’s invasion. Most Legion forces on Azeroth have been slain or driven into hiding. Yet now a mysterious energy rift in the mountains of Kalimdor propels three heroes to the distant past: the dragon mage Krasus, the human wizard Rhonin, and the weathered orc veteran Broxigar. It is a time long before orcs, humans, or even high elves roamed the world. A time that marks the Legion’s first invasion of Azeroth, brought about by Queen Azshara and other night elf nobles. A time when the Dragon Aspects are at the height of their power unaware that one of their own will soon turn on the world he was charged to protect.

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Timeline
This review is for people who are about to start reading somw Warcraft books. I have created a chronological list of the Warcraft novels for people to get an overview of all of the books and for people to know where to start:

Warcraft books timeline

1. Warcraft War of the Ancients Archive

-Trilogy Book One: The Well of Eternity

-Trilogy Book Two: The Demon Soul

-Trilogy Book Three: The Sundering

-Rise of the Horde (about the horde in Outland)

2. Warcraft Archive (Warcraft 1)

-Book One: Day of the Dragon

-Book Two: Lord of the Clans

-Book Three: The Last Guardian

-Book Four: Of Blood and Honor

-World of Warcraft: Tides of Darkness (Warcraft 2)

-World of Warcraft: Beyond the Dark Portal (Warcraft 2 exp)

3. Warcraft The Sunwell Trilogy Archive (Warcraft 3)

-Trilogy Book One: Dragon Hunt

-Trilogy Book Two: Shadows of Ice

-Trilogy Book Three: Ghostlands

-World of Warcraft: Cycle of Hatred (Right before World of Warcraft)

Warcraft Legends

-Volume One

-Volume Two

-Volume Three

-Volume Four

Others

-World of Warcraft: Night of the Dragon

Hope that you can use this. Cheers Martin!

4 Stars nice to know history
It’s nice to read the story behind the game if World of Warcraft is something that you play. I do so I was interested. It would be an interesting read for anyone that likes dungeon and dragon type stories to read. Considering the content

5 Stars Good even for those who don’t play WoW!
I have to disagree with other reviewers who found this book mediocre. I have read nearly every World of Warcraft book, and I found this one to be among the best. For people who don’t play the game, this is still a great fantasy novel.

The book actually contains a trilogy about a group of heroes trying to defeat the ultimate evil, with the very fate of the world hanging in the balance. I found the way Knaak wrote the characters of Krasus, Rhonin, and the Night Elves to be very well done. I also thought the story plot was well thought out, with plenty of twists and surprises to keep it entertaining. I was grateful that I read this book after all three original novels were completed so that I wouldn’t have to wait to see what happened!

Knaak does an excellent job of writing a “history” of WoW, while also putting together an outstanding story.

3 Stars Informative. Entertaining. Wordy in the extreme.
When you’re on a two-week trip out of town and plan to be waiting in line and sitting in planes for hours upon hours, a 700-page fantasy novel by an unbelievably long-winded author is just what the doctor ordered.

4 Stars Knaak’s Illiad
This is most definitely Knaak’s best work among the warcraft novels he has penned and I highly recommend it.

I would almost agree with another reviewer that Knaak is at best a Most average fantasy writer but this series invokes a bold, fresh, and exciting innovation that although is difficult to notice at first,really pays tribute to his creativity

Within the context of the books, especially the latter two, KnaaK’s story plays out with an odd similarity to Homer’s Iliad. Knaak’s take on achilles’s rage is somewhat manifest in Neltharion (a character which should have had more development), the fields of troy akin to the plains between Zin-Azahri and Mount Hyal, and champions on both side of conflicts. Mind you, he does not rip from the Iliad, i am merely saying that he seems to draw inspirations from it to create a story that truly has a most epic feel. Which is befitting for this particular chapter in warcraft lore.

Also of note: Knaak goes to great lengths to really expand on the framework of the warcraft lore in such a way that the book becomes most nostalgic to warcraft fans yet he retains a simplicity that allows those unfamiliar with the warcraft universe to enjoy it as well (the warcraft archive (another bookset) does not have this versatility).

I was dissapointed in aftermath/end of the book. It seemed as if the author was rushing what should have been an additional 3 chapters and rolling them into 1. It’s brevity downplayed the grandness of the story

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Starcraft Dark Templar 1 Firstborn Bk 1

Starcraft Dark Templar 1 Firstborn Bk 1

Jake Ramsey — an unassuming, yet talented archaeologist — has been given the chance of a lifetime. Hired to investigate a recently unearthed Xel’Naga temple, he knows this latest assignment will open up whole new possibilities for his career. Yet, when Jake discovers the remains of a long-dead protoss mystic, his hopes and dreams are irrevocably drowned in a flood of alien memories. Bonded to the spirit of the dead protoss, Jake has become the sole inheritor of the protoss’s total history — every event, every thought — every feeling. Struggling to maintain his own fragile identity amidst the raging psychic storm in his mind, Jake soon realizes that he has stumbled upon a secret so cataclysmic in magnitude — that it will shake the very foundations of the universe. FIRSTBORN An original tale of space warfare based on the bestselling computer game series from Blizzard Entertainment.

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Pleasantly Surprised
This is not the typical kind of book I read. It is the typical book for my son. He always reads books based off of video games. I made a bet with him trying to broaden his horizons. I told him that I would read one of his books if he read one of mine. So he gave me this one. I was VERY reluctant to start it but once I did, I found it was not so bad. I actually was able to read the whole book and enjoy it while doing so. I personally would of gave it 3 stars since I liked it but did not love it. My son on the other hand said he would give it 5 stars because he did love it. So I compromised and gave it 4. If you are into science fiction or books based off of video games, I am sure you’ll probably like this one.

5 Stars Loved this book
I don’t know anything about Starcraft or Dark Templars, so I had absolutely no preconceived notions about what this book should be. I do love archeology and I enjoy reading books that provide a lot of character development and growth. I think this book was a wonderful read. It flowed well and I even enjoyed the segues into previous Protoss lives. I saw those episodes as stories within the story, providing background and understanding of another species, and I began to enjoy them as much as the main character did. The conflicts the characters faces gave lots of opportunities for them to grow and change and discover more about themselves and each other. This book was a perfectly enjoyable experience. I also read the second book in the series and loved it just as much; it was in the second book that I learned more about what a dark templar is, but it didn’t matter for this book. I can’t wait for the third book. When does it arrive??

1 Star If only we could give “ZERO” stars.
If only we could give zero stars. I feel as if someone robbed me. There goes a couple of hours of my life, spent reading this trash, that I’ll never be able to get back! Not to mention the cash I’m out. I gave my copy to the Goodwill pile! No way would I make a Freecycler spend a drop of gas driving to pick this piece of trash up.

5 Stars A great beginning you won’t want to end.
Many will complain that there’s barely any mention of the “Dark Templar”, but it’s only book one of THREE. You have to lay the ground work first and it’s marvelous.

The story is great, very interestingly told, never boring, never lingering on uninteresting details or overly-describing something just to make time. Everything has its purpose and it hooks you in to read more and more. I finished this in just 3 days because I couldn’t put it down!

If you’re hungry for more of the Starcraft lore and can’t wait for Starcraft 2, you MUST get this. It’s a great tale and a must read for any Starcraft fan. If you’re not one, you may find yourself as one after this.

5 Stars Action packed; couldn’t put it down
action packed. couldn’t put it down.

the story develops and gets better in book 2 – shadow hunters. i’m so looking forward to book 3.

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