This is an absolutely stunning collection of photographs and stories about the history of side-scrolling beat-em-up games. It’s a very comprehensive guide (spanning over 400 glossy pages!) and beautifully curated. I thought I’d played quite a few games from this genre over the years but there were tons of games featured in here I’d never even heard of! The games featured are from those released between 1980 and 2021 and across multiple platforms. The book has obviously been a labour of love and bitmap books have really outdone themselves yet again with this meaty publication. The games are ordered in chapters chronologically by decade and what I really like is it not only reveals backstories about each of the games but also describes the endings of games which are often quirky are provide unexpected twists. It’s glossy and full colour and there are loads of folder out flaps which reveal more information (game maps, character lists etc) which is a nice touch. Looking through this book for a 40 something gamer like me who has also worked in the gaming industry was a moving and nostalgic journey down memory lane. Double dragon, renegade, streets of rage, golden axe, ninja warriors. They’re all in here and many more you probably didn’t even know existed. Buy this from amazon https://amzn.to/3DZUGFv
Product details
RRP: £34.99
Publisher : Bitmap Books (4 April 2022)
Language : English
Hardcover : 456 pages
ISBN-10 : 1838019154
ISBN-13 : 978-1838019150
See more videos like the one
above on my youtube channel
Artbooks Reviewed 