Retro Gaming: A Byte-sized History of Video Games

Packed with all the characters, games, consoles and franchises that you used to love (and possibly still do), this is a compact, conversational compendium of all-time highs—alongside just a handful of humorous (in hindsight) lows—from over 40 years of arcade, computer, console and handheld hits. From Atari’s early arcade classics and home games consoles of the 1970s, through to classics that keep on giving, such as Halo and Tomb Raider, this book summarizes the significant releases, research and revolutions that have made video games a massive industry. Evergreen favorites from Nintendo, SEGA and Sony are present and correct—no collection would be complete without entries for Mario and Sonic, Tetris and Crash Bandicoot. But we also give credit to the less-celebrated but utterly vital titles, characters, controllers and systems that have helped the world of gaming expand and evolve. 

Mike Diver is a music and video game journalist and the author of Indie Games: The Complete Introduction to Indie Gaming. He has also written a number of video games-related articles for magazines Drowned in Sound, Vice and Edge.