For devoted gamers as well as those interested in groundbreaking graphic design, this is the first, most comprehensive, and only critical guide ever published to video games. The video game has arrived as entertainment and as an art form. This is the first serious critical evaluation ever published of the best video games and is a testament to the medium’s innovativeness and increasing emphasis on aesthetics. Organized chronologically and for all platforms (PC, Xbox, PlayStation, etc.) and covering all genres from the bold (Grand Theft Auto and Halo) and dark (Resident Evil and Silent Hill) to the spiritual (Final Fantasy) and whimsical (Legend of Zelda), the book traces the video game from the rough early days of Pong to the latest visual fantasia.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"[This book] contains contributions by a handful of my favorite writers, so even though I haven't yet got a galley-glimpse of the finished product, I can just about guarantee it's going to be a good one. The book's already up for pre-order at Amazon, and, should you make your way chronologically through its list, probably will indeed just about last you all of your remaining years." ~BoingBoing.net
"Compiled by an international team of critics, 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die is a collection of chronologically-ordered games from the 70s to 2010." ~Kotaku.com
"Compiled by an international team of critics, 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die is a collection of chronologically-ordered games from the 70s to 2010." ~Kotaku.com
About the Author
Tony Mott is the longtime editor-in-chief of Edge, the leading magazine review of the video game industry. With more than thirty years of experience, he draws on a wealth of expert and in-depth knowledge.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 26 people found the following review helpful
By mega Tron
Format:Hardcover
I've been a gamer since the early 1980's. It's a special hobby for me because video games (at least on a larger scale) came to be around the same time I was born, so it's something that I feel that has grown with me. With that said, I really, really like this book. Not only does it feature a large selection of classic and not-so-classic games across the entire spectrum of platforms (including arcade, home consoles, portables and PC) going back to the very beginning of video games, but also a very well-thought out and contemporary analytical view of each game. This is what elevates the book above other "lists" to me. The editors of Edge Magazine discuss each game in both a historical and a modern context that is very easy to relate to, all while making it a very informative and enjoyable book to read. Another nice aspect of the book is that most of the writers who assembled this book work out of the UK (a burgeoning gaming market), so it's nice to get a different perspective on these games and the industry rather than the usual American or Japanese angle. It is different and always interesting. As a bonus, most of the games in the book include a screen shot of the game, which is always nice to bring back those memories of the good old days.
Also, I think some people have been missing the point about this book's selections. This isn't necessarily a 1,001 "Best Games" book. There are obviously some very good games from across all the gaming generations that are not on here. Rather, this is a list that encompasses the entire spectrum of gaming...the important games that you should play if you want to have a complete picture of the history of video games from the 1970's through mid 2010. An example...sure, the original NES Contra is a great game, and I like it better than I do Contra 3 for the SNES. But I do think that Contra 3 is a better representation of what made the Japanese-developed, over-the-top American-centric 2D side-scrolling action games so special, especially in today's context, and I understand why it's included in this book, while Contra was not. Everybody has their own opinions and their own lists of what games are best. But if you approach this book from more of an almost educational perspective, I think you will get much more out of it.
This is a book all gamers should own. Those like myself who have been in it since the beginning will find the book particularly special. Kudos to the publishers and the writers at Edge for a read that has given me as much joy as a great game!
Also, I think some people have been missing the point about this book's selections. This isn't necessarily a 1,001 "Best Games" book. There are obviously some very good games from across all the gaming generations that are not on here. Rather, this is a list that encompasses the entire spectrum of gaming...the important games that you should play if you want to have a complete picture of the history of video games from the 1970's through mid 2010. An example...sure, the original NES Contra is a great game, and I like it better than I do Contra 3 for the SNES. But I do think that Contra 3 is a better representation of what made the Japanese-developed, over-the-top American-centric 2D side-scrolling action games so special, especially in today's context, and I understand why it's included in this book, while Contra was not. Everybody has their own opinions and their own lists of what games are best. But if you approach this book from more of an almost educational perspective, I think you will get much more out of it.
This is a book all gamers should own. Those like myself who have been in it since the beginning will find the book particularly special. Kudos to the publishers and the writers at Edge for a read that has given me as much joy as a great game!
48 of 67 people found the following review helpful
By Melante
Format:Hardcover
This book really left me with very mixed feelings. It's a fantastic idea and it works great as a coffee table item but, overall, its actual execution left me disappointed.
The game reviews are written by several journalists and, when there are too many hands writing a book, a lack of consistency in style and quality becomes apparent. While most reviews are entertaining and some make you wish to really pick up a few old games that most people may have forgotten by now, the superficiality and lack of important information in others really left me appalled.
For example, take Atari's game Breakout. The review just quotes Nolan Bushnell as the one who came up with the original concept but completely forgets to mention that the actual game was designed by Steve Jobs and programmed by Steve Wozniak! This game is fundamental because it deeply influenced the whole computer industry as it inspired the development of the Apple II besides helping Jobs to kickstart Apple thanks to the thousands of dollar bonus he received from Atari! But all these important bits of information, which make the game unforgettable and worth playing today, are missing. Omissions like these are unforgivable, IMHO, and seriously compromise the value of the whole book.
But that's not all. While the selection of the actual 1001 titles is obviously subjective and I won't get into any debate on why they picked title X instead of Y, the book is obviously skewed towards very recent games: there are more than 100 entries from 2009 alone while there are only a few dozens from the classic days. Was 2009 the best creative year in the gaming industry? I doubt it.
Actually, now that I think about it, I have a comment about game X or game Y too :P In the foreword Peter Molineux quotes Ico as one of his favorites games (indeed, it's one of my favs too) but then Ico, while quoted in "Shadow of the Colossus", doesn't find a place for itself among the 1001 titles while, on the other hand, we have 8 (yes, eight!) Grand Theft Auto games! Can you believe it??
This book would have really been much, much better with a little more effort and research. What a pity.
The game reviews are written by several journalists and, when there are too many hands writing a book, a lack of consistency in style and quality becomes apparent. While most reviews are entertaining and some make you wish to really pick up a few old games that most people may have forgotten by now, the superficiality and lack of important information in others really left me appalled.
For example, take Atari's game Breakout. The review just quotes Nolan Bushnell as the one who came up with the original concept but completely forgets to mention that the actual game was designed by Steve Jobs and programmed by Steve Wozniak! This game is fundamental because it deeply influenced the whole computer industry as it inspired the development of the Apple II besides helping Jobs to kickstart Apple thanks to the thousands of dollar bonus he received from Atari! But all these important bits of information, which make the game unforgettable and worth playing today, are missing. Omissions like these are unforgivable, IMHO, and seriously compromise the value of the whole book.
But that's not all. While the selection of the actual 1001 titles is obviously subjective and I won't get into any debate on why they picked title X instead of Y, the book is obviously skewed towards very recent games: there are more than 100 entries from 2009 alone while there are only a few dozens from the classic days. Was 2009 the best creative year in the gaming industry? I doubt it.
Actually, now that I think about it, I have a comment about game X or game Y too :P In the foreword Peter Molineux quotes Ico as one of his favorites games (indeed, it's one of my favs too) but then Ico, while quoted in "Shadow of the Colossus", doesn't find a place for itself among the 1001 titles while, on the other hand, we have 8 (yes, eight!) Grand Theft Auto games! Can you believe it??
This book would have really been much, much better with a little more effort and research. What a pity.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Butch Pa
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is probably going to be one of the strangest reviews I've ever written. Let's go.
First, overall, it's a decent book...however...it is my guess that when it comes to video games, everybody has his or her favorites; unless you and the author are identical twins, everyone is going to feel that this or that game is missing, or this game should not have even been included...this game should have gotten more coverage, this other game should have gotten less coverage. In other words most readers will have disagreements about these things.
The good news is that most people should find enough of their favorites in here to make things worthwhile. Don't get me wrong here, this is not really worth it for the casual gamer. Those of us who are more into gaming will find this book a nice addition to our collections.
All kind of systems are covered here; arcade machines (my favorite), and home counsel's. So let's get to the part of the review which most people will find...ummmm...different.
This book just feels good in your hand. The size, weight, and density all say quality printing. The paper is thick, shiny, and smooth. There is also a great new book smell to the thing. So if you like those kind of things, you should be well pleased.
First, overall, it's a decent book...however...it is my guess that when it comes to video games, everybody has his or her favorites; unless you and the author are identical twins, everyone is going to feel that this or that game is missing, or this game should not have even been included...this game should have gotten more coverage, this other game should have gotten less coverage. In other words most readers will have disagreements about these things.
The good news is that most people should find enough of their favorites in here to make things worthwhile. Don't get me wrong here, this is not really worth it for the casual gamer. Those of us who are more into gaming will find this book a nice addition to our collections.
All kind of systems are covered here; arcade machines (my favorite), and home counsel's. So let's get to the part of the review which most people will find...ummmm...different.
This book just feels good in your hand. The size, weight, and density all say quality printing. The paper is thick, shiny, and smooth. There is also a great new book smell to the thing. So if you like those kind of things, you should be well pleased.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not For Retro Fans
The book should be re-titled 1001 MODERN Video Games You Must Play Before You Die. The games are listed in chronological order by year; 70s -10 games, 80s - 167 games, 90s - 253... Read more
Published 22 days ago by David
4.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect gift for a gamer
The book has 1001 video games listed, pictured, and described starting in the "golden age" of video gaming. Excellent gift for a gamer or someone who works in the industry. Read more
Published 2 months ago by K. Flowers
5.0 out of 5 stars
1001 video Games You Must Play Before You Die
Used as a gift for my son who is an ardent gamer. He loved it! Full of useful history and information.
Published 4 months ago by Jacqueline Hlubb
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great History, Erratic Timeline & Writing Style
This is a great nerdy coffee table book. The print quality is extremely high, and the screenshots give it a much needed visual appeal over simple walls of text. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Christopher Young
2.0 out of 5 stars
Completly pointless
How to justify that a 1001 long list of games doesn't list a single King Quest, Gold Box or Wizardry game? Read more
Published 5 months ago by Felipepepe
4.0 out of 5 stars
Massive book, but could have been better
The writers tend to use the same tired words over and over (about 3 dozen editors in all), and not every single game has a picture (though 90% of games do). Read more
Published 5 months ago by A. Perng
3.0 out of 5 stars
Too much, too young, too fast
I've read books in this same format before, and as a lifelong video game geek, I was hoping to make new discoveries with the help of this book, as well as find classics and... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Loviatar
2.0 out of 5 stars
Its ok but has a lot of mistakes in it
I grabbed this book from a shelf on a store and checked around for the games i knew and some that i didn't but had heard of i am going to college on game art and animation so i... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Syrius
3.0 out of 5 stars
Fun Book
Some of the picks are a little cheesy... come on Canabalt? L.A.M.E. But whatever, if you pick 1,001 games we're not going to agree on the whole list. Read more
Published 16 months ago by M. Black
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not for Retro Fans...
Or anyone looking for a balanced history of video games.
The book is a disappointment. It spends 155 pages on the 70's and 80's, about 240 on the 90's, and 600 on the... Read more
The book is a disappointment. It spends 155 pages on the 70's and 80's, about 240 on the 90's, and 600 on the... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Crisler
