Classic Home Video Games, 1972-1984: A Complete Reference Guide [Hardcover]

Brett Weiss (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 6, 2007

This thoroughly researched reference work provides a comprehensive guide to popular and obscure video games of the 1970s and early 1980s, covering virtually every official United States release for programmable home game consoles of the pre-Nintendo NES era. Included are the following systems: Adventure Vision, APF MP1000, Arcadia 2001, Astrocade, Atari 2600, Atari 5200, Atari 7800, ColecoVision, Fairchild Channel F, Intellivision, Microvision, Odyssey, Odyssey2, RCA Studio II, Telstar Arcade, and Vectrex.

Organized alphabetically by console brand, each chapter includes a history and description of the game system, followed by substantive, encyclopedia-style entries for every game released for that console, regardless of when the game was produced. Each video game entry includes publisher/developer information and the release year, along with a detailed description and, frequently, the author's critique. A glossary provides a helpful guide to the classic video game genres and terms referenced throughout the work. An appendix lists a number of "homebrew" titles that have been created by fans and amateur programmers and are available for download or purchase.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A labor of love...comprehensive...recommended. --Library Journal

Weiss's deep familiarity with his chosen subject matter is an asset of the text, and as a writer he conveys information clearly and without pretension...Weiss's reviews of obscure games make the book a treasure...impressive and fun book...valuable...the breadth of coverage here is astounding...a fun read and a nostalgic trip supreme...undeniably smart, historically valuable and wide-ranging in coverage. --GameCulture Journal

About the Author

Freelance writer and former comic book store owner Brett Weiss lives in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 316 pages
• Publisher: McFarland (July 6, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786432268
• ISBN-13: 978-0786432264
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #478,219 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

An authority on retro and modern popular culture, Brett Weiss is a meticulous, disciplined, detail-oriented writer. His areas of expertise include books, antiques, collectibles, video games, comic books, music, toys, horror, science fiction, vintage television, movies, and industry figures.

Weiss also writes fiction, primarily of the science fiction and dark fantasy varieties.

Weiss is a member of the Comics Buyer's Guide Review Crew and has had articles published in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, The Writer, Mystery Scene, AntiqueWeek, Fangoria, Filmfax, Game Informer, Video Game Trader, Classic Gamer Magazine, Scary Monsters, Toy Shop, Toy Cars & Models, Back Issue Magazine, Alter Ego, and other publications. He's also an archivist for mycomicshop.com, writing comic book descriptions.

Weiss is the author of four books: Filtered Future, The Land of Oz and other Dark Tales of Science Fiction and Horror (Dark Dreamers Publishing, 2012), Classic Home Video Games 1972-1984 (McFarland, 2007), Classic Home Video Games 1985-1988 (McFarland, 2009), and Classic Home Video Games 1989-1990 (McFarland, 2011).

When not writing, he enjoys reading, hiking, cycling, playing basketball and tennis, watching movies, playing video games, and hanging out with his wife and kids.

He lives in the Dallas/Fort Worth area with his lovely wife, who is essential in helping him with various computer and photography conundrums that frequently arise; his two wonderful kids, who do a great job of making life fun; and a crazy dog and a fat, but sweet cat.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is It!!!!, January 29, 2008

By 

Sinistar (Canton, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Classic Home Video Games, 1972-1984: A Complete Reference Guide (Hardcover)

This tome seems to have been written with my video game tastes and interest in mind. I don't care too much what has gone on in the video game world after 1984, except for games that have been released for the systems covered in this book. If you love the classics like I do, check this out...I haven't seen a better book than this one. Each system is covered reasonably extensively with reviews of all the original games released. I would of liked the author's take on homebrews as well....but at least he includes a list in the appendix of what has been released for the various systems. I enjoy the editorial content; I get a feel for what his likes and dislikes are and then judge the game accordingly. Of course, I agree more than disagree with the majority of reviews of the games I have played. It was delightful to read about systems and their respective games that I don't own as well. Plus, I enjoy browsing through the glossary provided. This book is a labor of love, and I recommend it to everybody who is fond of the "Golden Age" of home video gaming.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A few more steps needed to become the ultimate resource., June 24, 2008

By 

Shallowgamer (Saint Louis, MO) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Classic Home Video Games, 1972-1984: A Complete Reference Guide (Hardcover)

Before I start nitpicking, let me begin by saying that this book is great. As far as other reviewers feel about Weiss's personal opinions about games, I WELCOME them. The author would be performing a disservice by not warning collectors about duds before we unload a hefty amount of cash on them.

Now let's talk about room for improvement. For the price, and the type of book (hardbound compendium), I expected something with more keepsake quality. The pages are thin, and all of the photos are in black and white, which in my opinion deters from what the pictures are trying to convey.

While this book is thorough in describing each game for each system, the essays on the systems themselves are all rather short, 1-2 pages. A longer passage, including more hardware specs, history, and even company politics at the time would have been great.

But at the end of the day, it's a welcome addition to my library. As part of a dying breed, I love being able to walk over to my bookshelf to look up a game, rather than having to google it. Great job, Brett. Perhaps a 2nd edition will knock it out of the park.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely well done!, March 20, 2008

By 

114EVR - See all my reviews

This review is from: Classic Home Video Games, 1972-1984: A Complete Reference Guide (Hardcover)

I recently received my copy of Classic Home Video Games. GREAT JOB!

After purchasing several expensive pinball books that ended up being more along the
lines of a family photo album, e.g., "Here's me with Wayne Neyens", "Here's
another picture of me with Wayne Neyens", "Here's a picture of my kid with
Wayne Neyens"...this book was a welcome addition to my library. This book is
highly professional and, as such, extremely useful. The caliber of this book
is along the lines of legal reference books. Frankly, I never expected to
see this degree of organization and editorial discipline in this particular
arena.

This contribution to the chronicling of the classic video games will be
priceless to collectors for generations to come. This book is the benchmark and
basically defines the niche.

Please be aware that this is a serious reference work. It is not a "coffee table" picture book. Also, as with any type of review, there is a certain amount of subjectivity involved, however, the author provides useful, relatively unbiased information considering there were undoubtedly page limits that had to be adhered to.

I have a large library of collectible-type books spanning an eclectic variety of subjects, and this is one of the best such books that I have. If you look upon yourself as a video game collector or enthusiast, this is a MUST HAVE.