This 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 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. An appendix lists “homebrew” titles that have been created by fans and amateur programmers and are available for download or purchase. Includes glossary, bibliography and index.

Fulltime freelancer and pop culture expert Brett Weiss lives in Fort Worth, Texas. In addition to his reference books about classic home video games, he has written for numerous magazines and newspapers.

Brett Weiss
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 316
Bibliographic Info: 41 photos, glossary, appendix, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2012 [2007]
pISBN: 978-0-7864-6938-3
eISBN: 978-0-7864-8755-4
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      vii
Preface     1

1. Adventure Vision      5
2. APF MP1000      7
3. Arcadia 2001      11
4. Astrocade      18
5. Atari 2600     28
6. Atari 5200      133
7. Atari 7800      153
8. ColecoVision     168
9. Fairchild Channel F      203
10. Intellivision     209
11. Microvision      243
12. Odyssey      247
13. Odyssey2      254
14. RCA Studio II      268
15. Telstar Arcade      272
16. Vectrex      274

Appendix: Homebrew Games      283
Glossary      285
Bibliography      295
Index      297

• “A labor of love…comprehensive…recommended”—Library Journal

• “Thoroughly researched”— Game Informer

• “Useful”—ARBA

• “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

• “A must-read…both fun and informative, a highly recommended purchase”—Video Game Collector

• “A quality production…offers exactly what you want in a collection of capsule reviews, well-written…clear and to the point…the current gold standard for video game reference guides”—Retro Gaming Australia

• “Brett is a talented writer whose passion for various artistic endeavors, such as video games and music, comes through in his own work. The Classic Home Video Games series is one worth reading. Whether you grew up with these games or you’re simply looking for an entertaining history lesson, there’s a lot here to enjoy. Pick up these books and game on!”—Michael Cavacini, award-winning communications professional, writer, and professor