Böcker av Kieren Hawken

The follow up to the hugely successful Sinclair ZX81, in fact it was originally named the ZX82, the Sinclair ZX Spectrum was created as a computer for the masses rather than the classes and advertised as the first colour computer that could be purchased for less than £100 (the 16k model anyway). Thanks to its affordable price, wide range of software, easy to learn BASIC programming language and simple set-up, which needed nothing more than a standard TV and regular tape player, the Speccy, as it affectionately became known, went on to become the best selling computer in the United Kingdom and revolutionised the region's games industry. But it didn't just change the history of the industry, it also changed my own life as my first computer and put me on the path that led to me writing this book in the present day! This second edition of A Compendium of ZX Spectrum games now features over 300 game reviews, 3 totally new developer interviews and a fascinating fact filled article on the last computer to carry the iconic Sinclair name. This isn't a list of the best Spectrum games, a list of the worst ones or indeed a complete guide to what's available - it's simply a meandering nostalgia filled journey through the Speccy's 10,000+ games. These range from the earliest titles released at the start of the eighties, to public domain games and even modern homebrews that have been released in more recent years. This is book is a perfect companion to a true British icon!

First released in Japan in October 1988, the Sega Mega Drive is undoubtedly one of the most important and popular consoles of all time. Partly this is because it represents Sega's most successful period in the home market, but there's actually much more to it than that. When the console came to North America as the Sega Genesis in August 1989 it did something that nobody thought was possible and knocked market leaders Nintendo off their lofty perch. Led by the Genesis Does What Nintendon't campaign, the console offered a true 16-bit arcade-like experience in the home. The 1990 release of Sonic The Hedgehog only cemented Sega's position further and with it the blue speed demon became one of the moist enduring video game icons ever. A Compendium of Sega Mega Drive & Genesis Games: Volume 1 has over 300 game reviews, fascinating facts and trivia, 3 developer interviews and a look at the rarest and most unusual models of the best-selling 16-bitter. This makes it the ideal companion for the serious Sega fan, people looking to start a collection or those of you who just want to re-live some nostalgia from argualbly the greatest era of gaming!

Back in the 80s and early 90s you couldn't move without coming across an arcade machine, they were everywhere. As well the arcades themselves you found them at your local café, corner shops, takeaways, cinemas, amusement parks and who can forget the buzz of when the fun fair came to town? People would queue up to play the latest coin-ops and brag how far they could get on one credit, a coin was almost like a magic token. As consoles caught up with coin-op technology the arcades we all knew and loved disappeared almost completely. The modern arcade is nothing more than a glut of gambling machines, coin pushers and the odd driving game. I wrote this book to help us remember how great the arcades once were, bring nostalgic memories to those of us who grew up with them and help you discover some titles that you might have missed. With the modern wonders of MAME and other emulators we can now enjoy all the greatest arcade games without carrying a bag of change around with us. A Compendium of Arcade Games: Volume 1 has over 300 game reviews, fascinating facts and trivia, 3 developer interviews and a foreword by Guinness World Record holder and star of Man Vs. Snake Tim McVey. So if you are looking for new games to explore or just want to relive your youth then this is the book for you

Amongst all the 8-bit computers released in the early eighties the MSX is totally unique. This is because the machine wasn't produced by a single manufacturer. Initially developed as a joint venture by Microsoft Japan, ASCII Corporation and Spectravideo as way to create a common PC standard, long before the IBM PC Compatible achieved that same goal. Subsequent upgrades of the hardware, including the MSX2, MSX2+ and MSX Turbo R, would improve various aspects of this whilst remaining fully backwards compatible. The computer was hugely successful in Japan but also saw large market shares in places like The Netherlands, Brazil, North Africa, Korea, Taiwan and Spain. In this book I take you through the life of the MSX computers looking at a varied cross section of the 4000+ games available with a review and screenshot of each one. This is not a list of the best games, a list of the worst games or indeed a complete guide to what's available. This is a meandering journey through the MSX library from the earliest titles released back in 1983 to modern homebrews and even some Asian bootlegs! A Compendium of MSX Games: Volume 1 features reviews for over 300 games, developer interviews, fascinating facts and trivia, important history, technical details and personal stories that really help bring the book to life and so much more besides.