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Commodore Amiga: a visual Commpendium
Launched in 1985, the Amiga ushered in a new age of home computing. With its powerful CPU and custom graphics and audio chipsets, it was an instant hit among gamers looking to move on from the eight-bit systems, as well as artists and musicians moving into the digital realm. Over the course of some 420 pages, Commodore a visual Commpendium showcases more than 140 of the biggest titles, bringing them vividly to life with a double-page screen grab or loading page. This is accompanied by quotes and commentary from renowned Amiga artists, developers, publishers and journalists. Presented using high-quality lithographic printing on superior paper stock, this book is a wonderful celebration of the machine s graphics prowess and a reminder of the wealth of quality games the Amiga brought to bear.
426 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 15, 2015
This is a beautiful, gorgeous book. Also a large book at 410 pages (not that it'll take you that long to get through them though), printed on heavy paper with excellent quality (and, surprisingly, on a fingerprint-resistant paper!) and actually proof-read (if you excuse the occasional it's/its mistake).
Clearly, this is a product of love and labor. Great screenshots, lovely tidbits on every page and really interesting interviews (well, they're canned, but the replies are interesting), it will leave you wanting more.
So why not a five-star? Well, because it kind of lacks identity. It's not an Amiga games book, because very little information is given on the games themselves - if you're not already familiar with a title there might be surprisingly little information on it and you'll have to look it up to see what it was all about. It's not strictly a pixel book either, because the blurbs accompanying each two-page spread seldom talk about the pixel themselves - what made a screenshot special, what techniques were used, specs and the like. So I'm not sure where to categorise the book.
But if you don't worry about that and just browse through all those wonderful pixels, it's a great coffee-table book, and a great read!
Clearly, this is a product of love and labor. Great screenshots, lovely tidbits on every page and really interesting interviews (well, they're canned, but the replies are interesting), it will leave you wanting more.
So why not a five-star? Well, because it kind of lacks identity. It's not an Amiga games book, because very little information is given on the games themselves - if you're not already familiar with a title there might be surprisingly little information on it and you'll have to look it up to see what it was all about. It's not strictly a pixel book either, because the blurbs accompanying each two-page spread seldom talk about the pixel themselves - what made a screenshot special, what techniques were used, specs and the like. So I'm not sure where to categorise the book.
But if you don't worry about that and just browse through all those wonderful pixels, it's a great coffee-table book, and a great read!
June 4, 2025
I never owned an Amiga but I’ve admired the thing way back and wished I had one. Way back I bought an Amiga magazine even though I didn’t own one and I’ve seen pictures of its games in British video game magazines we owned back then. I’ve seen it a few times in a shop display. There was a kid at school who said he owned one and he once invited me to come to his house and I was thrilled to try the Amiga 500..but I didn’t go! There was something mythical even mystical about this computer! I’ve always charmed by its crispy pixel art. Yes we owned a SNES back then and I loved it so much but there is something different about the Amiga’s pixel art. I’ve seen pictures of graphic adventure games and wondered: why wouldn’t these types of games come to the SNES?
And that’s why after all these magical irreplaceable years, I bought this book. Charming book.
And that’s why after all these magical irreplaceable years, I bought this book. Charming book.
September 2, 2021
A nostalgia trip on the iconic Commodore Amiga video games. The book is, as the name suggests, a visual commpendium; it is mainly composed of in-game or poster art from various well-known and iconic video games for the Commodore Amiga platform and a short description for each. To that end the book delivers its promise.
January 19, 2022
Simply brilliant, great selection of games, publishers, writer and artists. Interesting interviews and insights with great pictures of cover art and the games make so vivid by a book that is printed at a quality you so rarely get these days.
July 2, 2015
The glorious fruits of a hugely successful Kickstarter campaign, Commodore Amiga: A Visual Commpendium is an absolute must-have for any fan of the Amiga scene of the 80s and 90s. If you grew up with an Amiga, whether you used it for games or graphics, you’ll want this book, and will revel in warm nostalgia at the turn of every page.
While the actual format is quite a handy size, this is a thick book, lovingly put together – you get a feeling for the passion and enthusiasm of the project on every spread. We get an insight into the Amiga’s development, along with original concept art, a look at the Workbench operating system (complete with the dreaded ‘Guru Meditation’ featuring on its own spread!), and being a visual compendium, wouldn’t be complete without a look at Deluxe Paint – the precursor to Photoshop, that defined a generation of CG artists, including myself.
But the main focus of this book is the games scene, which was arguably the Amiga’s strong point. Games on the Amiga looked and sounded better than all the competition and in some cases, were just as good as their arcade originals. While it isn’t possible to cover every game, this book does look at what you might consider the most popular – too numerous to list here, but the odds are, many, if not most of the games you loved will be covered here.
And with interviews and quotes from the original artists and software developers, this book really is a labour of love from all involved. And the love for the Amiga and its groundbreaking games is still evident today, with the retrogaming scene on the rise, and classic Amiga titles appearing on iOS. As the Amiga turns 30, those whose lives it has changed have made this fantastic book happen, and made it available for everyone.
My only comment would be that many of the games or sections of games houses would have benefitted from more screenshots from the actual games – in many cases there’s just 1 double-page shot from the game or the loading screen. Part of me wanted to see just a little bit more, but at the same time I appreciate just how much there has been crammed into the book! There is a nice, if short section featuring the artwork from the game boxes.
I wouldn’t be doing what I do today without the Amiga – and I do miss it. But in the absence of dusting off the old A1200 and scouring my loft for all relevant cables, Commodore Amiga: A Visual Commpendium fits the bill perfectly. It’s my teenage years in print, and a wonderful souvenir of of a genre defining computer.
If you had an Amiga, you need this book. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
While the actual format is quite a handy size, this is a thick book, lovingly put together – you get a feeling for the passion and enthusiasm of the project on every spread. We get an insight into the Amiga’s development, along with original concept art, a look at the Workbench operating system (complete with the dreaded ‘Guru Meditation’ featuring on its own spread!), and being a visual compendium, wouldn’t be complete without a look at Deluxe Paint – the precursor to Photoshop, that defined a generation of CG artists, including myself.
But the main focus of this book is the games scene, which was arguably the Amiga’s strong point. Games on the Amiga looked and sounded better than all the competition and in some cases, were just as good as their arcade originals. While it isn’t possible to cover every game, this book does look at what you might consider the most popular – too numerous to list here, but the odds are, many, if not most of the games you loved will be covered here.
And with interviews and quotes from the original artists and software developers, this book really is a labour of love from all involved. And the love for the Amiga and its groundbreaking games is still evident today, with the retrogaming scene on the rise, and classic Amiga titles appearing on iOS. As the Amiga turns 30, those whose lives it has changed have made this fantastic book happen, and made it available for everyone.
My only comment would be that many of the games or sections of games houses would have benefitted from more screenshots from the actual games – in many cases there’s just 1 double-page shot from the game or the loading screen. Part of me wanted to see just a little bit more, but at the same time I appreciate just how much there has been crammed into the book! There is a nice, if short section featuring the artwork from the game boxes.
I wouldn’t be doing what I do today without the Amiga – and I do miss it. But in the absence of dusting off the old A1200 and scouring my loft for all relevant cables, Commodore Amiga: A Visual Commpendium fits the bill perfectly. It’s my teenage years in print, and a wonderful souvenir of of a genre defining computer.
If you had an Amiga, you need this book. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
June 30, 2016
A beautifully presented love letter to the Amiga, it's games and the demo scene that surrounded it. The book mainly consists of double-page spreads for each game it features. These are accompanied with some insightful comments from the developers, a journalist from the era or just a keen enthusiast. These comments rarely offer anything substantial which is why the book is broken up with some fascinating interviews and features on key developers, software and publishing houses. Not exactly the most comprehensive book on the Amiga but certainly one of the most beautifully presented.
May 7, 2015
Excellent reading, the memories of the games, the quotes from developers/musicians/artists are excellent. Couldn't put it down
August 6, 2015
A book with beautiful screenshots, photos and stories about game makers etc. One of the most beautiful books in its category.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews