Table of Contents
If someone has ever told you to stop playing video games all the time and read a book instead, this list of the best gaming books should satisfy your gaming cravings while making your parents, partner, or brain happy. We all love playing the best SNES games and the best Master System games, which is why you’re here on Retro Dodo. But do we ever stop to think about how hard our favorite games were to make?
Do we ever stop to think about how hard it was for companies like Sega and Nintendo to get where they are today? The answer is probably not for most people, including myself. Once we start playing LylatWars or King of Fighters and start hitting buttons, we can’t help but get lost in the game. Here is where the best books about games come in. They show us a whole new side of video games and give us a look into the minds of the people who make the games that have changed our lives.
Best Books for Gamers Comparison Table
| Book Title | A Handheld History | Game Boy: The Box Art Collection | Console Wars | Blood, Sweat, and Pixels | Tournament Trouble |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Author(s) | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Sylv Chiang and Connie Choi |
| Genre | Video Game History | Art, Video Games | Non-fiction, Video Games | Non-fiction, Video Games | Children’s Fiction |
| Format | Paperback | Hardcover | Paperback | Paperback | Paperback |
| Pages | 200 | 250 | 400 | 300 | 200 |
A Handheld History
| Title | A Handheld History |
| Author | N/A |
| Genre | Video Game History |
| Format | Paperback |
| Pages | 200 |
First of all, our own book, A Handheld History, is the best book about video games. Yes, Retro Dodo’s new book, A Handheld History, has been getting a lot of attention in the past few months. We reached our crowdfunding goal of $24,000 in one month in less than 23 hours, which is an amazing thing that you, the Retro Dodo reader, and the rest of the retro game world made possible.
From Gunpei Yokoi’s first ideas to the best retro handhelds coming out today, A Handheld History tells the story of the game world, how the handheld console came to be, and why it is so popular today.
The Good
- Provides a comprehensive overview of handheld gaming history
- Engaging and informative content
- Includes visual illustrations and images
The Bad
- No specific author mentioned
- Limited details about the publisher and publication date
Game Boy: The Box Art Collection
| Title | Game Boy: The Box Art Collection |
| Author | N/A |
| Genre | Art, Video Games |
| Format | Hardcover |
| Pages | 250 |
The brilliant minds behind Gameboy: The Box Art Collection can be found over at Bitmap Books, and it is the next entry on our list of the finest gaming books. Because Bitmap Books is the publisher of some of the most visually amazing gaming compendiums that we have ever seen, that publisher’s name is going to come up quite a bit as we progress through this piece.
This book will teach you everything you need to know about the handheld that not only defined a generation but also an entire industry, the Game Boy, regardless of whether you are a die-hard fan of the Game Boy or are new to the world of Nintendo.
The Good
- Showcases the unique and nostalgic box art from Game Boy games
- High-quality, visually appealing artwork
- Provides a glimpse into the history of Game Boy gaming
The Bad
- No specific author mentioned
- Limited details about the publisher and publication date
Console Wars
| Title | Console Wars |
| Author | N/A |
| Genre | Non-fiction, Video Games |
| Format | Paperback |
| Pages | 400 |
Author Blake J. Harris looks at Sega’s rise and fall in a very interesting way. Through interviews with people like Tom Kalinske, the former CEO of Sega in the United States, readers get some of the best access ever to how what is arguably the biggest console fight of all time went down.
Even more impressively, Console Wars looks at how marketing and development helped Sega of America steal market share from Nintendo. In the history of video games, the 16-bit age is one of the most famous times. This book is a must-read if you want to know what happened from the inside. The authors were able to talk to former workers in a way that has never been done before.
The Good
- Offers an inside look into the battle between gaming consoles
- Captivating storytelling and historical insights
- Explores the rivalry and competition in the gaming industry
The Bad
- No specific author mentioned
- Limited details about the publisher and publication date
Blood, Sweat, and Pixels
| Title | Blood, Sweat, and Pixels |
| Author | N/A |
| Genre | Non-fiction, Video Games |
| Format | Paperback |
| Pages | 300 |
Video games are fun, interesting, and a good way to forget about the rest of the world. The book Blood, Sweat, and Pixels by Jason Schreier shows that making video games is almost the exact opposite. This brutally honest look at what developers and game teams go through to bring a game to market is so good that you’ll only need to pick it up once to read it from cover to cover.
Schreier has great access to conversations with dozens of current and past game developers about what goes on behind the scenes. Everything from money worries to differences in creativity are described in great detail, making you love the games you play even more. One of the best video game stories ever told is Schreier’s inside look at how Stardew Valley’s independent maker, Eric Barone, made a game that has sold more than 20 million copies.
The Good
- Provides an in-depth look into the challenges and development process of popular video games
- Engaging storytelling and behind-the-scenes anecdotes
- Offers insights into the dedication and hard work required in game development
The Bad
- No specific author mentioned
- Limited details about the publisher and publication date
TOURNAMENT TROUBLE BY SYLV CHIANG AND CONNIE CHOI
| Title | Tournament Trouble |
| Author | Sylv Chiang and Connie Choi |
| Genre | Children’s Fiction |
| Format | Paperback |
| Pages | 200 |
Tournament Trouble is the title of the first book in a brand-new series for middle grade readers called Cross Ups. The series is about video games, as you might have guessed from the title. The one thing that Jaden, age 12, cares about more than anything else in the world is developing his skills at the game Cross Ups, which he and his friends are utterly obsessed with. Jaden has been playing Cross Ups since he was seven years old.
He wishes he didn’t have to hide his love of gaming from his mother since she believes that playing video games makes people more violent. She is under the assumption that playing video games causes individuals to become more aggressive.
The Good
- Engaging story centered around tournaments and gaming
- Suitable for young readers interested in gaming and competition
- Promotes teamwork, friendship, and problem-solving skills
The Bad
- Limited details about the publisher and publication date
FAQs
“Ready Player One” by Ernest Cline, “Masters of Doom” by David Kushner, “Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter” by Tom Bissell, and “The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia” by Eiji Aonuma are all books that every gamer should read.
Yes, there are a few books that can help you get better at games. Some suggestions are “The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses” by Jesse Schell, “Game Feel: A Game Designer’s Guide to Virtual Sensation” by Steve Swink, and “The Gamer’s Brain: How Neuroscience and UX Can Impact Video Game Design” by Celia Hodent.
Good books about the history of video games include “The Ultimate History of Video Games” by Steven Kent, “Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle that Defined a Generation” by Blake J. Harris, and “Game Over: Press Start to Continue” by David Sheff.
