Saw this in new releases at the library and gave it a once-over. Pleasantly laid out, the central conceit is to tally up the years of gaming by singling out one title that perhaps best encapsulates that year's *moment*, or perhaps what would prove most impactful going forward. So the never-ceasing fun debate for "best" games falls away a little bit, and becomes more historical and sweeping (haha, and also just as debate-filled, probably). Each segment is peppered with a couple paragraphs from designers, critics, etc with their own gaming memories and picks for other important games.
I mainly just wanted to check in on the state of Barnes & Noble-style "coffee table information" as it regards modern gaming, and some of the entries were very interesting, considering the general audience! A couple picks:
1988 - Mega Man 2
-> Emphasis on the culmination of a gaming recipe, and how that is what sets a series legacy in stone
2003 - The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
2006 - Wii Sports
-> Sea change in gaming participation; true non-videogamers of every age and stripe joining in with a "social activity"
2013 - Depression Quest
-> A succinct explanation and verdict on the whole of Gamergate; very interesting to see this actually hashed out for a general audience in one of these mainstream List books!
2017 - Fortnite
-> Probably unavoidable, but goes beyond gaming as a service, but metaverse and happening space and community (corp sanctioned) commons for an entire generation, as traditional commons and venues are eroded away
★ UT '99 ★
