“Collecting Classic Video Games”

Just in case you can’t tell, this month’s issue of Discover Vintage America is all about Generation X collectibles, and video games came of age as this generation did, too.

That’s why it only seems appropriate to review a book about the games that shaped our childhood and played such a significant role in our formative years (and, for some of us, they continue to be a large part of our adulthood as well).

Enter Player One: “Collecting Classic Video Games” by Billy Galaxy (I have to assume the author’s name is a pseudonym, but if it isn’t … well done, Mr. Galaxy). Those of us who grew up in the 1970s and 1980s will see familiar names in this book – names that kept our entire nation entertained over the years.

The book goes over some of the legends of video game consoles, including Atari and Nintendo, but doesn’t forget about some of the lesser-known players, such as Bally’s Astrocade and Magnavox’s Odyssey. The video games themselves span companies both still in operation and now defunct, with titles including Asteroids, Donkey Kong, Tetris, and Pac-Man. The games are portrayed in more than 1,000 color photographs.

In “Collecting Classic Video Games“, you’ll find examples of which system is compatible with which game; hand-held, tabletop, and standalone games; and even a section listing collectible video game memorabilia.

Capping off this informative jog down memory lane is a price guide in the back of the book, meaning you can blow the dust out of those old game cartridges and find out what they’re actually worth today.

Have a blast powering up your knowledge of beloved video games with this comprehensive, simply fun volume.

Contact Corbin Crable at editor@discovervintage.com.