Supercade: A Visual History of the Videogame Age 1985-2001
by Van Burnham

4 out of 5 stars

This book gives a comprehensive history of the development of videogames in the 1980s and 90s. I love that this book begins with a quote from George Bernard Shaw, “We don’t stop playing because we grow old… we grow old because we stop playing.”

The chapters are separated by year, going through each major game that was released that year. We get to learn about Super Mario Bros., Oregon Trail, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, Prince of Persia, Legend of Zelda, and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
I remember playing some of these games! Ah, those were simpler times. I lost count of how many times I “died from dysentery.” The nostalgia is strong with this book!

Every page in this book is so colorful and full of beautiful photos and bright graphics. There is even a cool unfolding timeline of the most popular games in history! The whole design of this book is absolutely brilliant and readable. The book is huge and heavy with thick glossy paper, and it features hundreds and hundreds of games.

I like that the author includes little anecdotes about their own personal experiences playing these games in the 1980s and 1990s, and how much it meant to them and inspired them.

From the popular games to the flops, we get to journey through time and relive the fun through this book! They may not have had the fancy graphics and sound effects of games today, but those games had great stories and imaginative designs that kept us entertained for hours. Decades later, there’s just nothing to compare with classic Tetris.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.