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

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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.

This is the perfect introductory book about games i’ve read yet. It connects the dots and draws interesting parallels with modern games which keeps it relevant & interesting. This is what makes it more than just a book about game “nostalgia”. It also focuses on little known computer classics, which is nice. A very enjoyable read.