The 100 Greatest Console Video Games: 1977-1987

by Brett Weiss

There have been many top 100 books before, but rarely one like this. Here are the best of the early video games, shown in over 400 color photos and described in incredible detail in the entertaining and informative text. Each game's entry features production history, critical commentary, quotes from industry professionals, gameplay details, comparisons to other games, and more. This book celebrates the very best of the interactive entertainment industry's games from this highly crucial, fondly remembered decade. This pivotal period was marked by the introduction of the indispensable Atari 2600, Odyssey2, and Intellivision, the unleashing of the underrated Vectrex, the mind-blowing debut of the next-gen ColecoVision and Atari 5200, plus the rebirth of the industry through Nintendo's legendary juggernaut, the NES. Whether you're young or old, new to the hobby or a hardcore collector, this book will introduce you to or remind you of some of the greatest, most historically important games ever made.

Genres: Video Games, Nonfiction, History, Games, Reference, Gaming

240 pages, Hardcover

First published July 28, 2014

About the author

Brett Weiss has been a professionally writer for more than 20 years. He’s the author of nine books: Encyclopedia of KISS, How to Get Published: 50 Successful Query Letters; The 100 Greatest Console Video Games: 1977-1987; Retro Pop Culture A to Z: From Atari 2600 to Zombie Films; The Arcade and Other Strange Tales; Classic Home Video Games 1972-1984; Classic Home Video Games 1985-1988; Classic Home Video Games 1989-1990; and The SNES Omnibus: The Super Nintendo and Its Games, Vol. 1 (A-M).

In addition, Weiss has written more than 1500 published articles in such publications as the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, The Miami Herald, The Sacramento Bee and The Charlotte Observer, The Writer, Mystery Scene, AntiqueWeek, Antique Trader, Fangoria, Filmfax, Game Informer, Video Game Trader, Classic Gamer Magazine, the Comics Buyer's Guide, Toy Shop, Toy Cars & Models, Back Issue magazine, Alter Ego, Robot magazine, and Native Peoples, among many others. Weiss also has a national column in AntiqueWeek called The Pop Culture Collective.

When not writing, Weiss enjoys reading, hiking, cycling, playing basketball and tennis, watching movies, going to museums, collecting video games, listening to rock ’n roll, and hanging out with his family.

Weiss lives in Fort Worth, Texas with his lovely wife, two crazy dogs, and a fat cat. He loves it when his kids come home from college to visit.

Reviews

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think one of the gems of this particular compilation of greatest console video games is the fact it details some of the background creation and facts surrounding the games released in this span of ten years. I ended up learning much about games that were created somewhat before my generation (I was born in 1984, and while I was able to play some of the games in this list as a child, many of those listed were new to me, and an apt history lesson for this avid retrogamer.) Weiss compiles his own personal list of the greatest console games of the time, spanning Atari systems, NES, Intellivision, among other consoles. There's a preference towards shooter and arcade style games versus RPG, but many of these are classics in their own right (Super Mario Bros, Mario Bros, Castlevania, Pac-Man, etc.), and I definitely saw a number of titles that were obvious precursory games that inspired cult classic titles for other platforms ("Spy Games", the racing shooter game, seemed to me to be a big influence for the early 90s cult classic PC game "MegaRace.")

I really enjoyed reading this collection, and while I wish there were more titles I recognized that made the top 100 (or 200 - I was excited to see Excitebike at least in the second 100), it made for an enlightening, fun, and informative collection. I'd definitely like to see what other lists Weiss comes up with that are in later years spanning this, just to see other factual tidbits and histories behind the games.

Overall score: 4/5 stars.

Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher.

[Melek · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm in love with this book.

While I like playing PC games, I can't count myself a gamer, nor do I understand much about the technical parts of gaming. I played my fair share of Atari games and Super Mario when I was a child, but apart from those, I think I've never got my hands on anything this old. I haven't heard of almost any of this games, which is probably not too weird considering that at the age of 18, the oldest of these games could easily be my father. After reading this book, I wish I could.

The first thing that catches your eye when you open the book is the design. It is hard not to get impressed by the illustrations and the interior page design. It both makes reading very interesting, and very hard because more often than not, you find yourself staring at the pages in awe.

Apart from that, the information it includes is very broad. It doesn't bore you with pages and pages of techie stuff, nor does it treat you like you're just too dumb to get what it's talking about, you learn just what you'd like to learn and move on. This is very important when it comes to reading non-fiction.

Overall, this book deserves 6 out of five stars. I would just run to the nearest bookstore to buy it if it were to be published in my country as well. It makes you want to start saving today to be the next gratest classic console games collectioner. Made me, at least.

[Cassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was somewhat reserved when I picked up The 100 Greatest Console Video Games: 1977 - 1987. Given the countless video game databases and top whatever lists populating the Internet, I prematurely judged that Brett Weiss's work would either be a stuffy and soulless encyclopedia or a pompous "this is why I am right" countdown of the biggest hits of the first decade of gaming. The 100 Greatest Console Video Games: 1977 - 1987 is anything but. Rather than regurgitating a deluge of uninteresting details, Weiss provides a brief history lesson on each of his chosen titles while deftly explaining why each deserves to be considered one of the best games of its time. Of course, as the author notes, this is all just one man's opinion. Fortunately, Weiss has compiled a wealth of carefully researched quotes from game developers, critics, and even other fans to help backup his opinion. The 100 Greatest Console Video Games: 1977 - 1987 is the definitive guide to the formative era of gaming. For a full analysis, please check out our review at http://southeastbymidwest.com/2014/12...

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

An excellent reference for those who never lived through these salad days of console gaming, or those who wish to look back on them fondly. I can imagine a gaggle of gamers hanging in the den having vociferous arguments about which games should go where. The brief essays accompanying the entries are good for those who want the commentary, but the draw is truly in the graphics and the potential of the list itself.

[Popzara Press · Rating 3 out of 5]

A smart, light, and fun compilation that avoids delving into ranks, focusing on highlighting the best console titles of a decade of rapid advance for the video game industry.

The 100 Greatest Console Video Games: 1977-1987 Book Review on Popzara

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed at The Dinglehopper

This is a masterwork of scholarship in a field we're only beginning to recognize the need for. While on the surface it looks like many other X best Y's and while the average gamer might have her own list of ten or even twenty, Brett Weiss has thrown down a gauntlet with the kind of intertextual support typically unseen outside of Oxford University Press or more recent Tolkien ephemera.

These probably actually are the one hundred greatest console games of the period. Not your favorites, not the most popular, but objectively. The burden of proof is now on everyone else who might disagree. They'll need ten citations and a cross system comparison in addition personal testimonials just to begin that debate, though.

I'm sure I excluded some cartridges that many gamers - including you, constant reader - hold in particularly high regard, and for that I don't apologize.

Rather, I hope my perceived oversight makes your blood boil (or at least simmer), forcing you to fire up the respective classic console, plug in that old favorite that I neglected to include, and extol the virtues of that game to anyone who will listen online or in person.

It's bold, but aside from forgetting a title you might be especially nostalgic about, you needn't worry. No matter what you loved, more than one of your favorites will be in here.

The years covered include the Second Generation, The Great Video Game Crash, and the beginning of the Third Generation. The selection is omnivorous, with games for the Arcadia 2001, Astrocade, Atari 2600, Atari 5200, Atari 7800, ColecoVision, Intellivision, NES, Odyssey2, Sega Master System, and Vectrex. If any of that isn't familiar, it will be by the time you finish the book.

Each entry includes original box art, publication data, and one or more of the following: screenshots, cartridge photos, instruction manual art, box back, and ad copy. In addition to descriptions of the games, entries are heavily sourced with reviews from contemporary publications and current enthusiasts. None of this is just Brett Weiss's opinion. You'll also learn about how to play the games, or variants, on modern systems. And the entries end with an interesting fact about the game and a one sentence "WHY IT MADE THE LIST."

The selections are system specific. If a game was demonstrably better on the Intellevision than the Atari version, Weiss explains why.

So of the games are ubiquitous. Combat, sold with the Atari 2600 (VCS) made the list. Others are so obscure only serious retro gamers have even heard of them. "Most Gamers who have actually played Bounty Bob Strikes Back love it."

Some stand out for other reasons. Centipede was the first shooter to appeal to women and a recognized and remembered classic even on the 2600, which is noted here but justly not included in the praise for the 5200, Colecovision, and 7800 ports.

The original was programmed by Dona Bailey in 1980. Check out what happened and note how little has changed in more than three decades.

"When asked if things changed once she programmed Centipede, Baily said, "yes," but not necessarily for the better. "There was a lot of surly attention after that...people just started, you know...the typical kind of thing people would say was, either it was a fluke or I didn't really do it, somebody else did it."

Since the book is well researched and clearly referenced, I was able to find the original interview

Yes, but I’m not sure it was for the better! There was a lot of surly attention after that. It’s not always popular to do something [like] that -- the first thing that happened, I was not ready for at all, and I still haven’t figured out how to deal with this part -- people just started, y’know... the typical kind of thing that people would say was, either it was a fluke or I didn’t really do it, somebody else did it. I’m a very peaceful person, and I felt sick of fighting, so I really just disappeared, and I haven’t had contact with the industry for at least twenty years.

Sounds disturbingly familiar. The gamergate movement is apparently upholding a tradition in its fourth decade when it attacks game developers like Zoe Quinn and Brianna Wu.

A few entries made me want to expand my collection. Shark! Shark! for the Intellivision is all about fish who eat fish. Brett Weiss loves it because it was an early example of power leveling your avatar and killing sharks. It's another game programmed by a woman, this time Ji-Wen Tsao. Its initial print run was 5600 copies versus supported titles that released 800,000.

Some of them are true loves, Possibly in despite the consensus rather than because. Rambo: First Blood Part II for the Sega Master System is lovingly described even as its criticisms are fairly presented.. Weiss wants to spread the word so much he includes the cheat codes for the game, without which it's unbeatable.

My favorite console game of the era, Warlords, finally appeared at number 96, with "some of the best party-style, four-player gaming ever created, regardless of the era". Something of a hybrid between Pong and Breakout, it was the first game whose coin-op version derived from the console game rather than vice versa. And it was programmed by a woman, Carla Meninsky. Her first game, Dodge'Em, also appears in the book.

With a foreword from Twin Galaxies founder Walter Day, an appendix of one hundred honorable mentions with brief descriptions, a bibliography (including websites), and a title based index, this book is indispensable for collectors, enthusiasts, and researchers.

Recommended for Ernest Cline, retro gamers, and would be Kings of Kong.

NetGalley

[Oliver Bateman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detailed write-ups and useful archival content, but Weiss and I hail from different generations and have very different tastes. A good historical collection, though.

[Christopher Lawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

√ "Good, old-fashioned fun in a kill-or-be-killed format"

That title is from the 1983 "Artillery Duel," created by "Xonox."

This book provides an extensive look at 100 of the most popular games in that 10 year period. There are lots of fun pictures of the game apparatus, such as the controls or screen. Some highlights of the book:

♦ For each section, there is a discussion of the history of the game, the developers, playing technique, unique features, and why it was included in this book--"Why it made the list."
♦ For each game, Brett includes a photo of the actual game cover, cartridge, poster, or instruction manual.
♦ There is also a "Fun Fact" for each game. For instance, one of the author's favorites, Asteroids, was "one of the most successful coin-op games ever produced, selling more than 70,000 units to arcade operators and other buyers."
♦ Many of these games had primitive graphics, and sample screens are included to show just how far technology has advanced.
♦ Tips for successful play are included. For example, in "Artillery Duel," "toggle the powder charge" and be sure to take the wind speed into account.
♦ Tricks or Easter Egg secrets are also included where applicable.
♦ There is an extensive bibliography as well as index.

√ 100 GREATEST CONSOLE VIDEO GAMES is a well-researched, nicely designed book. Plus, a lot of fun to read! It would be great fun to have a party with a lot of these games around. Recommend!

[Richard Cosgrove · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a seasoned gamer, the time period covered by Brett Weiss's book of 1977 to 1987 meshes perfectly with the era that I grew up discovering and playing games in. Consequently working my way through the 100 games on offer here is like taking a very enjoyable trip down memory lane.

Between my friends and I we had all of the consoles of the day, be they Atari 2600, Intellivision, NES or ColecoVision, all of which are represented here and so the games chosen are pretty much a who's who of the collections that we had over the years.

There are the classics, like Donkey Kong on the Coleco which was virtually arcade perfetc, Missile Command and River Raid on the Atari 2600, Burgertime on the Intellivision and Super Mario Bros on the NES, but there are a number of "I'd forgotten about that!" moments as well, such as Mouse Trap on Coleco and Yars' Revenge on the Atari 2600.

Each of the 100 games is lovingly described, with lavish photos, fun facts and even tips on how to play them. For those of us that were there, it's a joy to flick through this book and reminisce and for those of you who weren't this is the ideal 'best of' compilation of this decade to let you know what all the fuss was about, and to demonstrate how the huge blockbuster games of today are ultimately seeded by these gems from yesteryear.

[Joe Hempel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a classic gamers wet dream. While you may not agree with his list order, it’s hard to argue with any of the information presented. There is nothing looked over. The presentation is beautiful with full color large pages of box art and game images for almost every game, this will have you going back and trying to get a hold of these classics.

Everything is covered from Colecovision to Atari 2600, even up to the first few years of Nintendo, nothing is missed. Not only does he talk up all of these games like Pitfall, Araknoid, and Legend of Zelda, he even includes a list called The Next 100 just in case he missed one of your favorites!

In an age where games were being spit out by the billions, there were a TON of crappy games, and Brett Weiss has done the work for you and compiled the best of the best!

The Bottom Line: If you’re a gamer buy it, and PROUDLY display it on your coffee table. This is a no brainer for the gaming niche audience.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC from NetGalley.

An informative and interesting read. I liked the fact that the author chose to make the list alphabetical rather than attempt to rate the games from 1-100. This made it easier for me to read it, not worrying about whether or not I was disagreeing with his assessment of the order.

I learned some new tidbits I didn't know about several of the games that were on this list. Not to mention, I read about a few games I hadn't heard about before.

My only disappointment with this book was the fact that several of the entries were sequels to entries previously in the book. There were 3 or 4 different Donkey Kong games on the list alone. I am sure that there are many other games out there that could have made the list without having to resort to adding several sequels onto this list.

Looking forward to another installation for another decade.

[2kasmom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book covers all the fun games you played or rented as a kid. My kids are still loving the 8 and 16 bit favorites. Games like Centipede, Donkey Kong, Frogger, Joust, Ms. Pac-Man, The Legend of Zelda, Mario Bros., and so much more!!

The fun never ends ... but this book brings back all the memories of the games and the joy they gave to all of us in their day. In full color - these are complete descriptions including year, number of players, developer, and so much more!

I found that this book is handy for trivia games, memories, or even just as a conversation piece on the coffee table. A true collectors dream!!


***This ARC copy was given free from Netgalley.com for review purposes.

[Héctor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good game selection; a little bit Atari-centric.

The selection of games is good and the info and fun facts are enjoyable;no too lengthy and not too short.

The only two things that I would have liked to be in here would be more in game pictures and more NES and SEGA games.

[Trevor Oakley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Weiss writes about these classic games as if they were fine cuisine: you want to sample everything!