Acorn - A World in Pixels

by idesine

Celebrate the visual games history of the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron with this case bound book, contained within a beautiful slip case. Spread over 476 pages, with a foreword by Richard Hanson (Superior Software) and Life of an Acorn Gamer by TV's Iain Lee, it features over 150 classic games, with exclusive interviews with key figures in the industry at the time - from the likes of David Braben and Ian Bell (Elite); Geoff Crammond (Revs/Aviator); Peter Irvin (Exile); Tim Tyler (Repton); Nick Pelling (Frak!); Peter Scott (Sim City/The Last Ninja); Gary Partis (Psycastria/Dr Who); Chris Roberts (Stryker's Run); Steve Furber (Acorn) and many, many more - and features on subjects such as key publishers, cover art and classic magazines. The book showcases the computers' inimitable graphic style and is packed full with memories and anecdotes from programmers, artists, publishers, reviewers and enthusiasts. Remember Elite, Chuckie Egg, Repton, Exile, Starship Command, Thrust, Citadel, Revs, Imogen, Codename:Droid, Firetrack, Arcadians, Mr Ee!, Zalaga, Castle Quest, Galaforce, Snapper and many more. An unmissable publication for anyone who grew up with an Acorn 8-bit machine.

476 pages, Hardcover

First published November 23, 2020

Reviews

[Colin Hoad · Rating 5 out of 5]

The BBC Micro and the Acorn Electron were the brainchild of British technology company Acorn Computers back in the early 1980s. Not only did Acorn dominate the fledgeling educational market in Britain, they were also responsible for the steady rise in the number of computers to be found in children's bedrooms up and down the country, where they were primarily used for playing games. The gaming industry was in its infancy back then, and many of these games were programmed solo by budding programmers - some of whom were still at school themselves.

This books brings together all of the most famous games and gives them first class treatment in the form of interviews, articles and stunning artwork, paying homage to the programmers, publishers, artists and sound engineers who brought them to life. It is a feast for the eyes, with page after page of beautifully selected scenes from the games, including some original artwork made exclusively for the book. The publisher, idesine, have clearly undertaken a Herculean task in tracking down and obtaining input from all of the major names from the Acorn gaming scene. There are interviews with the likes of Ian Bell and David Braben ("Elite"), Kevin Edwards ("Galaforce"; "Crazee Rider"), Nick Pelling ("Frak!"; "Arcadians"), Peter Scott (responsible for countless arcade conversions), Mat Newman ("Fortress"), Tim Tyler ("Repton") and many, many more. There's even a foreword from Richard Hanson, the owner of Superior Software.

Practically every game and its programmers from 'back in the day' are here, and there are extensive articles about each of the major software houses ("Superior Software", "Acornsoft", "Micro Power" et al.) as well as fascinating content about the current retro gaming scene. Newly produced artwork has been commissioned based on the original box art for classics like "Citadel", "Spellbinder" and "Exile", and there are some sumptuous double-page spreads of complete maps from games like "Wizadore", "Star Port", "Bone Cruncher" and more.

The look and feel of the book is really good, too, with lots of thought and attention to detail clearly having gone into its production. The cover - with its lovely assembly of famous games characters drawn by artist Ste Pickford - is glossy and sturdy, with a sleek slipcase to protect the book within.

If you had a BBC Micro or an Acorn Electron back in the 1980s and want to relive the thrill of the games that you knew and loved, this book is absolutely for you. It is an extensive, illustrated love letter to the 8-bit marvels that inspired a generation to get into gaming - and, in many notable cases, programming as well. Thank you to idesine for this beautiful work of art.