Vintage Games

"They say you can't go back again, but reading Vintage Games comes close. Open the book, and I'm back in the video arcades of my youth. Turn the page, and I'm in college again, discovering the secret joys of the early PC games. Turn the page again, and I'm back in my living room, playing Mario with my young kids. But Vintage Games is more than just a trip down memory lane, because the authors analyze each game in ways that bring fresh insights to those nostalgic memories.--Steve Meretzky, Veteran Game Designer "An interesting and insightful trip down a gamer's memory lane, focusing on titles that have become benchmarks in videogame history.--Didi Cardoso, Managing Editor, Grrlgamer.com"The video game industry has a poor track record when it comes to preserving its history. Fortunately, scholars and enthusiasts have stepped in to fill the void, and Vintage Games is an essential contribution to this effort. Loguidice and Barton are to be commended for documenting the history of gaming's greatest landmarks.--Michael Abbott, The Brainy Gamer Blog and Podcast, Professor of Theater and Film Studies, Wabash College"Essential reading for video game fans and game studies scholars alike!--Laurie N. Taylor, Digital Library Center, University of Florida"A must-read for anyone even remotely interested in video gaming history - from the hardcore to the casual. A book that anyone that has ever held a joystick would enjoy."--Shane R. Monroe, Host of RetroGamer Radio/Monroeworld.com"The book is smart and fun - much like the games it addresses.--Dr. Matthew S. S. Johnson, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

• Chapter 1 Alone in the Dark (1992): The Polygons of Fear; Chapter 2 Castle Wolfenstein (1981): Achtung! Stealth Gaming Steps Out of the Shadows; Chapter 3 Dance Dance Revolution (1998): The Player becomes the Star; Chapter 4 Diablo (1996): The Rogue Goes to Hell; Chapter 5 Doom (1993): The First-Person Shooter takes Control; Chapter 6 Dune II: The Building of a Dynasty (1992): Spicing up Strategy in Real Time; Chapter 7 Final Fantasy VII (1997): It's Never Final in the World of Fantasy; Chapter 8 Flight Simulator (1980): Digital Reality; Chapter 9 Grand Theft Auto III (2001): The Consolejacking Life; Chapter 10 John Madden Football (1988): Modern Sports Videogames Kickoff; Chapter 11 King's Quest: Quest for the Crown (1984): Perilous Puzzles, Thorny Thrones; Chapter 12 Myst (1993): Launching Multimedia Worlds; Chapter 13 Pac-Man (1980): Japanese Gumption, American Consumption; Chapter 14 Pole Position (1982): Where the Raster Meets the Road; Chapter 15 SimCity (1989): Building Blocks for Fun and Profit; Chapter 16 Space Invaders (1978): The Japanese Descend; Chapter 17 Street Fighter II (1991): Would you Like the Combo?; Chapter 18 Super Mario 64/Tomb Raider (1996): The Third Dimension; Chapter 19 Super Mario Bros. (1985): How High can Jumpman Get?; Chapter 20 Tetris (1985): Casual Gaming Falls into Place; Chapter 21 The Legend of Zelda (1986): Rescuing Zeldas and Uniting Triforces; Chapter 22 The Sims (2000): Who Let the Sims Out?; Chapter 23 Ultima (1980): The Immaculate Conception of the Computer Role-Playing Game; Chapter 24 Ultima Online (1997): Putting the Role-Play Back in Computer Role-Playing Games; Chapter 25 Zork (1980): Text Imps Versus Graphics Grues;