Ever miss the days of old when the Atari 2600 and the original Nintendo ruled the land? Wish you could relive the old days of Pac Man and Super Mario Brothers but you don't have your classic systems any more?
If you answered yes to any of these questions and still have a hunger to play or at least learn about the classic games of the past, then Chris Kohler's 'Retro Gaming Hacks' is for you!!
While it's called a "Hacks" book, this book is mainly comprised of talking about emulators and how to play these classics on your PC, Macintosh, or another gaming machine. While the book goes into detail about buying classic games and systems online and/or buying vertical JAMMA machines, the easiest and most economical way is to run emulators. Since the games of old all use the most basic of graphics engines and memory relative to the computers of today, the best way you can experience said games is via the home computer route.
With over 400 pages of material, Mr. Kohler talks about systems such as the Atari 2600, 5200, and 7800. The Colecovision, Commodore 64, and the Amiga. The original Nintendo, SNES, Sega Master System, Genesis and Dreamcast are not forgotten either. Basically if there is an emulator available for a gaming system, this book covers it all.
After discussing a myriad of ways to find and run emulators, Chris talks about some basic programming and how to write your own DOS based games, and also discusses how even Dreamcasts and XBOXs can serve as great emulator machines to play these stapled of the video game world.
If you collect, play, or just want to learn more about the classic games of the past, this book is for you. If you already know how to use emulators for the PC but want to branch out and learn to emulate on other operating systems, this book is for you. If you just want to take a stroll down memory lane and relive part of your childhood, this book is for you.
A very entertaining read, and great for hobbyists that love to tinker with old game systems and don't mind getting their wire cutters out or sautering iron hot and ready to go.
***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
