As featured in
The Yorkshire Reporter, June 2022

[b]Rating[/b]: 5 out of 5 stars What’s what on the film of the game… Everything and anything about the wonder years of video games film spin-offs from the 1990s to now and beyond. Proving wishes do come true – in December 2021 – I got an advance reader’s copy of Christopher Carton’s book A Guide to Video Game Movies (2022) in exchange for an honest review. This was read just in time for Santa’s Christmas shop. As I am the stepmum to a pair of retro-loving gamer boys teens who have seen every superhero movie and are now into video games and their movies, this was the book of Santa’s dreams. After reading it, I dutifully added a sledge load of video-themed films to my stepdudes’ Christmas watch list in my role as Santa’s little helper. Just seeing the fabulous cover and title of this book, I was thrilled with the idea of stunning my stepdudes after I regaled them – and their dad, my Darlin Husband – with my then new found knowledge. With Carton’s book as a guide,.. Read more
NetGalley, Gill Jacob

One thing I’ve always admired about his writing is his to make what you’re reading feel like you’re talking to him over a table at a cafe, as he draws you in as a reader ensuring that he’s never talking down to his audience, rather sharing his knowledge on something he’s clearly an expert in. The Mega Drive and Genesis Encyclopedia is no exception. These books are behemoths and the preservation of these classic games is something he clearly takes very seriously. That he can take on these giant projects and still make it feel like he’s talking directly to you in his calm, easy going style is one hell of a talent. Read the full review [link=https://fingerguns.net/games/2021/11/18/the-sega-mega-drive-genesis-encyclopedia-review-scully-does-what-nintendidnt/]here[/link]
Finger Guns

[b]Rating[/b]: 5 out of 5 stars If you trembled with terror as the T-Rex thundered towards you, prayed you would reach the end of a level with only a sliver of health or tried to lock the elderly butler in the freezer, then this rigorous unofficial history of the birth of Tomb Raider and its sequel is the book for you. I vividly remember loading up Tomb Raider for the first time and being dumbstruck by its atmosphere and realism. It cost around £40 which was a fortune back in 1997, but I still have it and play it. This was something nobody had seen before; it required an entirely new sklllset from the player. The freedom of movement, though limited by today’s standards, was mind blowing. Once it clicked, I lost hours of my life inside its world. Released in the time of the Spice Girls, Tony Blair and Britpop, Tomb Raider quickly became a global phenomenon. Author Daryl Baxter has interviewed every member of the creative team behind the games (including Lara’s voice artists) and vigorously.. Read more
NetGalley, Wyn Lewis

[b]Rating[/b]: 5 out of 5 stars Having lived through the growth of gaming era, this was a fun walk through the past. My first gaming experiences came from playing the arcade game Space Invaders and a first ti me two-and-a-half-hour binge on Pac-Man, where a buddy of mine and I played so long and hard we rubbed the skin off our pointing fingers and developed blisters. Fanatics aren’t born, they are created. Author Charlie Fish’s book starts way before my initial experiences, opening the door to a time when games were birthed in companies and at universities. The book is nicely split into sensible chapters, which include platforms, the most important creators, companies and marketing, gender representation, and the games themselves. His choice to break the games discussion into decades was a good idea, as the gamer universe is huge and recent games would have dwarfed their ancestors. This enabled a balanced view of the games most popular in the 80s, 90s, etc. I also enjoyed the numerous.. Read more
NetGalley, Dee Arr