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How to Master the Video Games Paperback – January 1, 1981
- Print length180 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherBantam Books
- Publication dateJanuary 1, 1981
- ISBN-100553201646
- ISBN-13978-0553201642
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Product details
- Publisher : Bantam Books
- Publication date : January 1, 1981
- Edition : First Edition
- Language : English
- Print length : 180 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0553201646
- ISBN-13 : 978-0553201642
- Item Weight : 4.2 ounces
- Best Sellers Rank: #3,447,542 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Tom Hirschfeld is a New York Times bestselling author whose nonfiction books total over 1.5 million copies in nine languages. After a three-decade business career, he is now writing full time. He lives in New York City with his family.
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A Real Study of Great Games
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2016Format: PaperbackVerified PurchaseHirschfield begins his analysis of each game with a diagram of one of the racks, a look at the controls on the machine, and an overview of the scoring. He does most of his teaching in the three sections that follow, "Dangers," "Observations," and "Strategies." "Dangers" explains the different ways you can die. In Space Invaders, enemies can hit you with a missile or make it to the bottom row; either way you're dead. Hirschfield prefaces the strategies section with his surprisingly detailed "observations" that often span several pages. I always looked for a quick kill on the flagship rack in Gorf, but Hirschfield points out that the player's ship cannot be hit if it remains in the extreme upper left or right. Venture is a deep game and Hirschfield goes just as deep to cover it in the eight pages he dedicates. The strategies section is peppered with valuable mental notes to make. The best counter to a diagonal shot in Berzerk is another diagonal move perpendicular to the bullet. "Resist the natural tendency to retreat into the wall you just emerged from," Hirschfield says.
The author covers Armor Attack, Asteroids, Asteroids Deluxe, Astro Blaster, Astro Fighter, Battlezone, Berzerk, Centipede, Crazy Climber, Defender, Galaxian, Gorf, Missile Command, Monaco GP, Moon Cresta, Pac-Man, Phoenix, Pleiades, Rally-X, Scramble, Sky Raider, Space Fury, Space Invaders, Space Invaders Part II, Space Odyssey, Space Zap, Star Castle, Targ, Venture, and Wizard of Wor.
On emulators, hand-held devices, or original arcade hardware, people are still playing every game Hirschfield dissects. Great video games don't die. Hirschfield's strategies are just as relevant today as they ever were, possibly more so. Hirschfield thanks several people who helped him make this book possible. They probably didn't know he would capture what is now a very celebrated moment in time. If you lived it, every page of this text will be special. If I could give this ten stars I would.
5.0 out of 5 starsHirschfield begins his analysis of each game with a diagram of one of the racks, a look at the controls on the machine, and an overview of the scoring. He does most of his teaching in the three sections that follow, "Dangers," "Observations," and "Strategies." "Dangers" explains the different ways you can die. In Space Invaders, enemies can hit you with a missile or make it to the bottom row; either way you're dead. Hirschfield prefaces the strategies section with his surprisingly detailed "observations" that often span several pages. I always looked for a quick kill on the flagship rack in Gorf, but Hirschfield points out that the player's ship cannot be hit if it remains in the extreme upper left or right. Venture is a deep game and Hirschfield goes just as deep to cover it in the eight pages he dedicates. The strategies section is peppered with valuable mental notes to make. The best counter to a diagonal shot in Berzerk is another diagonal move perpendicular to the bullet. "Resist the natural tendency to retreat into the wall you just emerged from," Hirschfield says.A Real Study of Great Games
Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2016
The author covers Armor Attack, Asteroids, Asteroids Deluxe, Astro Blaster, Astro Fighter, Battlezone, Berzerk, Centipede, Crazy Climber, Defender, Galaxian, Gorf, Missile Command, Monaco GP, Moon Cresta, Pac-Man, Phoenix, Pleiades, Rally-X, Scramble, Sky Raider, Space Fury, Space Invaders, Space Invaders Part II, Space Odyssey, Space Zap, Star Castle, Targ, Venture, and Wizard of Wor.
On emulators, hand-held devices, or original arcade hardware, people are still playing every game Hirschfield dissects. Great video games don't die. Hirschfield's strategies are just as relevant today as they ever were, possibly more so. Hirschfield thanks several people who helped him make this book possible. They probably didn't know he would capture what is now a very celebrated moment in time. If you lived it, every page of this text will be special. If I could give this ten stars I would.
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- Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2003Format: PaperbackVerified PurchaseThis cheap little paperback, printed on bulk-rate paper, isn't a gem of strategy, but it is a nice period piece for looking at the early days of "the video games." In today's marketplace of photorealistic 3D graphics, 5.1 surround sound, and internet-enabled play, it's fun to go back and see what people really valued back then: gameplay. Sure, we talk about "gameplay over graphics" nowadays, but it really meant something back then.
- Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2012Format: PaperbackI used to lose at the video games; I was crushed by my ineptitude and ignorance about them- you could in fact say that they were the Master of me. I picked up this book, and studied it daily; and I can now profess that it does indeed work! The secrets contained within transcend any one game, and rather give you the knowledge and tools needed to master ALL the video games, which is exactly what I have done.
I now spend my time in my mountaintop dojo contemplating the meaning of the video games, perfecting them in my mind as I no longer have the need to even play them in order to achieve complete mastery.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2005Format: PaperbackI bought this book when I was 10 and I still have it. The object of the book was to enable you to get higher scores. Compare that to modern video games - when was the last time video games had *scores?*
I like the bonus section in the back of the book that showed you "exercises" to strengthen your gaming fingers. These were awesome too - roll a pencil around a door knob with your fingers to increase your dexterity!
- Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2023Format: PaperbackVerified PurchaseMuseum own myself, enjoy!








