Let Me Play: Stories of Gaming and Emulation [Paperback]

Radford Castro (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 25, 2004

* Do you ever skip dinner to finish that "impossible" level? * Have you ever tossed your keyboard out the window after losing a game, or swung your controller around because you lost that power up? * Would you like to learn a little bit about the underground world of emulation?

If you answered yes to any of the above, this book was meant for you. With an insider's look at how people interact with the games and with each other, Radford Castro's tales of gaming are almost as fun as playing the games themselves.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Radford Castro is a writer from Vallejo, California. For more than two decades, he has followed the gaming industry and participated in video game tournaments. He has also written short stories about video games for several popular gaming sites and message boards.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

I had just finished kindergarten when I first saw the Atari 800. I was walking with my dad and my uncle Aladdin at the Military Base Exchange Store (in Alameda, California) and saw it in the electronics section. It actually had a computer keyboard. Apparently there was a system before the Atari 800, but whatever that was, I didn't want it.

Kids needed to have the latest thing in the TV commercials. I was one of them. I tugged my dad by his pants. Looking up at him, I begged him to buy it for me. My uncle giggled and told me to wait for a bit. My uncle kept telling me that something better would debut soon. My dad was a little upset, since he'd just bought me an electronic organ to play music on. He then proceeded toward another part of the store, but for some reason I was still captivated by the Atari 800's beveled computer buttons. I wanted to press some of those buttons so bad, just to see what it felt like. My dad then came around the corner of the store and told me that the system was too expensive. I told him that I wanted it or else. Being the little brat I was, I grabbed a plastic lightsaber sitting near the electronics section and pointed it toward my dad's stomach. I then muttered that if he didn't buy me the system, he would turn into Darth Vader. I had no idea who the hell Darth Vader was at the time, since my dad never got a chance to take me to the movies, but all of my friends told me that Darth Vader was bad. Since then I had thought all "bad" people were Darth Vader.

When we left the store, my uncle and dad noticed how I kept looking at the Atari 800 with my nose pressed against the store window. My dad and uncle would always team up against me and tell me to wait. I would then go into the common routine most children demonstrate when leaving their favorite store. For a few minutes, I would place myself in depression and pout in front of my dad because I hadn't got my latest toy. Five minutes later my mom would bake cookies, and all would be forgotten. My mom also repeated what my dad and uncle kept telling me during my frequent trips to the stores. She told me just to wait or else she wouldn't make cookies for me. This was just too much pressure for me.

My grandma was also living with us at the time, and I wanted someone to side with me in getting the Atari 800. My grandma asked me what it was. I told her it was the greatest thing ever created. She then told me that the name Atari 800 sounded like the name of an evil prophet, and that it might not be a good idea to get this Atari since she didn't know what it would do to the family. I felt that my chances for getting this system were pretty much screwed.

Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Hats Off Books (October 25, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1587363496
• ISBN-13: 978-1587363498
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,798,817 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Play on..., December 28, 2004

By 

Spin Doc (SoCal) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Let Me Play: Stories of Gaming and Emulation (Paperback)

If anything, the author presents an entertaining and comedic take on his experiences with video gaming. Of particular amusement to me is his hilarious take on his early video gaming years. As a young video game player in the early eighties and nineties, I can easily relate to the author's stories of fighting over quarters pizza parlors, the excitement of opening the box of the latest game systems, and challenging the "Street Fighter" masters at the local arcades. The book also includes a pretty comprehensive section on emulation, and the quizzes scattered throughout the book will pick your video game brain. If you're looking for a candid look at a true gamer's experience and want a time capsule of what's gone on in the video game market over the last 2 decades, this book may be for you.

4.0 out of 5 stars This 1st time author is a decent writer but can really, April 4, 2005

By 

dat_gamer "gamer from the east" (Philly, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Let Me Play: Stories of Gaming and Emulation (Paperback)

get crazy sometimes. I'm a pretty big gamer so I share some of the experiences the writer has. Some of the stories can really get outrageous sometimes but they're really funny. If you're not a gamer, avoid this book. About half of the book may not make any sense to you since the writer assumes alot of things from the reader. I really dig his quiz though. It brought me back to memory lane.