Over 20 years of videogame history told through the machines that made it all possible. Charting the history of videogames hardware from 1977 to 2001, this handbook inspects many of the greatest games machines ever made, retelling their fascinating behind-the-scenes stories and detailing the best games you should look out for once you’ve bought one. This revised edition includes new features on the Microvision, the Game Boy and the Atari 7800. Featuring: Classic Computers - From the Acorn Electron to the Apple II Vintage Consoles - From the Atari 5200 to the PlayStation Retro Handhelds - From the Microvision to the Nintendo Game Boy The Best Games - From Space Invaders to Super Mario Bros

Welcome to Videogames Hardware Handbook

AMSTRAD CPC • With a staggering 3 million sales, there is no doubt the CPC range of computers was a success for Amstrad, even if it trailed behind all of its competitors. We take a look back at why we should learn to love Lord Sugar’s plucky little underdog

LORD ALAN SUGAR • Lord Alan Sugar is not known for his forgiving, sentimental nature but, exactly 30 years after he launched the CPC 464, he took to Twitter to profess: “11 Apr 1984 was a proud day for me”. It led to a number of fellow users pointing out that Amstrad is no more today but Lord Sugar hit back. “Many asking ‘Where is Amstrad now?’”, he wrote. “I sold Amstrad to Sky for £125m in 2007”. We briefly caught up with him about the time in between

KEY EXCLUSIVES • Five fantastic games that helped define the CPC range

THE CPC RANGE

POKÉMON MINI • Put aside your preconceptions for a second. Though each of its games featured the love-or-hate-them Pokémon, Nintendo’s Pokémon Mini handheld has as much right to appear within these pages as any other system, as we explain

(IM)PERFECT TEN • Only ten commercial games were ever released for the Pokémon Mini. But which, if any, were worth playing?

HOMEBREW HIGHLIGHTS • All of the playable homebrew games currently available for the Pokémon Mini from www.Pokémon-Mini.net

SEGA MEGA DRIVE • THE MEGA DRIVE WAS SEGA’S FIRST SUCCESSFUL CONSOLE. SOME ARGUE IT WAS ALSO ITS LAST, HAILING A BELLEROPHON STYLED RISE AND FALL. IT REPRESENTS SO MANY THINGS, TO SO MANY PEOPLE, FOR SO MANY REASONS. WE TRY TO CAPTURE SOME ESSENCE OF WHAT IT ALL MEANT

PERFECT TEN GAMES • Sega’s most successful console is home to dozens of great title, but here are ten of the very best. Obviously, you may disagree with some of the entries, or perhaps with some of the omissions, and if you do let us know. Then we can politely explain to you why we’re right and you’re wrong. Enjoy

VIC-20 • ACCORDING TO NEIL HARRIS, WHO JOINED IN EARLY 1981 AS PART OF THE AMERICAN PRODUCT LAUNCH TEAM, COMMODORE WAS A $50 MILLION PER YEAR COMPANY WITH BARELY ANY PRESENCE IN THE US. THE VIC-20 COMPUTER WAS ABOUT TO CHANGE ALL THAT. WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE MACHINE DESTINED TO LEAVE COMMODORE’S FIRST FOOTPRINT ON VIDEOGAME HISTORY

PERFECT TEN GAMES • It may have only survived for five short years (four in the West) but Commodore’s VIC-20 still had a healthy range of games available on it. So join us as we look back at ten of the machine’s best games. If you’re planning on entering the world of the VIC, then these are the games that you can’t possibly do without

VIC-20and the rest... • The VIC-20 certainly had its fair share of classic titles, as well as a fair few stinkers as well. Take a gander over the following two pages and see how many classics you can remember playing

PC-ENGINE GT • IT MAY HAVE FAILED TO SELL IN THE NUMBERS EXPECTED BUT THE PCENGINE GT REMAINS ONE OF THE MOST DESIRABLE PIECES OF CONSOLE HARDWARE EVER PRODUCED. WE STOCK UP ON AA BATTERIES AND LOOK BACK ON THE MACHINE THAT DELIVERED PORTABLE GAMING IN A CLASS OF ITS OWN

PERFECT TEN GAMES...