Video game of the year : a year-by-year guide to the best, boldest, and most bizarre games from every year since 1977 /
Jordan Minor.
- 295 pages : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 23 cm.
Foreword Introduction 1977. Pong: the first game of the year 1978. Space Invaders: the aliens of the year 1979. Speed Freak: the hot rod of the year 1980. Pac-Man: the mascot of the year 1981. Donkey Kong: the irreplaceable game of the year 1982. Pitfall!: the third-party game of the year 1983. Dragon's Lair: the cartoon of the year 1984. Tetris: the communist game of the year 1985. Super Mario Bros.: the Citizen Kane of the year 1986. Dragon Quest: the Japanese role-playing game of the year 1987. the Legend of Zelda: the adventure of the year 1988. Mega Man 2: the sequel of the year 1989. SimCity: the utopia of the year 1990. The secret of Monkey Island: the George Lucas game of the year 1991. Sonic the hedgehog: the rival of the year 1992. Wolfenstein 3D: the shooter of the year 1993. NBA Jam: the slam dunk of the year 1994. Super Street fighter II Turbo: the next round of the year 1995. Donkey Kong country 2: the illusion of the year 1996. Super Mario 64: the third dimension of the year 1997. Final Fantasy VII: the change of the year 1998. Metal gear solid: the Hideo Kojima game of the year 1999. System shock 2: the premonition of the year 2000. Half-life: counter-strike: the mod of the year 2001. Halo: combat evolved: the Xbox savior of the year 2002. Grand theft auto: vice city: the crime of the century 2003. the Legend of Zelda: the wind waker: the Nintendo left swerve of the year 2004. World of Warcraft: the matrix of the year 2005. Resident Evil 4: the new nightmare of the year 2006. Wii sports: the locomotion of the year 2007. Rock band: the jam of the year 2008: Spore: the pipe dream of the year 2009. Uncharted 2: among thieves: the Sony blockbuster of the year 2010. Super meat boy: the flash game of the year 2011. Minecraft: the building blocks of the year 2012. The walking dead: the zombie of the year 2013. Depression quest: the firestorm game of the year 2014. Destiny: the (eventual) game of the year 2015. The Witcher 3: wild hunt: the tome of the year 2016. Pokémon go: the phenomenon of the year 2017. Fortnite: the blob of the year 2018. Super smash bros. ultimate: the museum of the year 2019. Sekiro: shadows die twice: the punishment of the year 2020. Animal crossing: new horizons: the escape of the year 2021. Co-op: bonus round 2022. The Stanley parable ultra deluxe: the choice of the year Epilogue: New game?
"Breaking down the 40-year history of the world's most popular art form, one video game at a time Pong. The Legend of Zelda.Final Fantasy VII. Rock Band.Fortnite. Animal Crossing: New Horizons. For each of the 40 years of video game history, there is a defining game, a game that captured the zeitgeist and left a legacy for all games that followed. Through a series of entertaining, informative, and opinionated critical essays, author and tech journalist Jordan Minor investigates, in chronological order, the innovative, genre-bending, and earth-shattering games from 1977 through 2022. Minor explores development stories, critical reception, and legacy, and also looks at how gaming intersects with and eventually influences society at large while reveling in how uniquely and delightfully bizarre even the most famous games tend to be. From portly plumbers to armor-clad space marines and the speedy rodents in between, Video Game of the Year paints individual portraits that, as a whole, give readers a stronger appreciation for the vibrant variety and long-lasting impact of this fresh, exciting, and massively popular art form. Illustrated throughout with retro-inspired imagery and featuring contributions from dozens of leading industry voices, including New York Times bestselling author Jason Schreier (Blood, Sweat, and Pixels; Kotaku), Max Scoville (IGN), Rebekah Valentine (IGN), Blessing Adeoye Jr. (Kinda Funny), and Devindra Hardawar (Engadget), this year-by-year anthology is a loving reflection on the world's most popular art form"--