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saintdoormatius's review against another edition
3.0
Kohler's thesis is solid and most fruitful early in the book when he analyzes early Japanese games as introducing narrative and other gameplay facets to the nascent medium. Later chapters, though, seem off-topic: as interesting as the Akihabara chapter is, it feels unnecessary. No matter how far off field Kohler gets, though, he manages to spice up those chapters with deft references to previous game creators or topics he examined. And throughout, Kohler masterfully balances his passion for the subject with a honed critical eye (which I've come to appreciate from his writing and podcasts).
joshuavrysen's review against another edition
4.0
Fantastic for anyone who cares about video games,
as in, really cares about them as an art form with cultural significance.
Maybe it would be interesting if you don't care about video games, but I imagine this is a prerequisite.
as in, really cares about them as an art form with cultural significance.
Maybe it would be interesting if you don't care about video games, but I imagine this is a prerequisite.
cognos's review
4.0
Great video game history with a strong focus on Nintendo. The book was a joy to read. Full of interesting facts that I constantly felt the need to share with someone.
feitclub's review
4.0
(Full disclosure: I know the author personally, though I did pay for this book)
This is a good introduction to video game history with most of the stories still fresh and relevant to today's market (a special chapter at the end helps bridge the gap between the book's original edition and 2016). Savvy, long-time video game enthusiasts may be familiar with much of the ideas and arguments presented here, but that doesn't make it any less fun to read. Rather, readers well-versed in video games will likely be more excited by the luminaries Chris Kohler interviewed to write this book than those who are unfamiliar with gaming history.
An all around informative work that should be of great interest to anyone who has ever played a video game and wondered about who made them.
This is a good introduction to video game history with most of the stories still fresh and relevant to today's market (a special chapter at the end helps bridge the gap between the book's original edition and 2016). Savvy, long-time video game enthusiasts may be familiar with much of the ideas and arguments presented here, but that doesn't make it any less fun to read. Rather, readers well-versed in video games will likely be more excited by the luminaries Chris Kohler interviewed to write this book than those who are unfamiliar with gaming history.
An all around informative work that should be of great interest to anyone who has ever played a video game and wondered about who made them.
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