Bitmap Books Reprint: 4 Best-Selling Video Game Books Are Back
Bitmap Books Reprint: 4 Best-Selling Video Game Books Are Back
Quick Summary
The Bitmap Books reprint covers four popular titles that sold out or were in high demand: ARTCADE (Extended Edition), The Games of a Lifetime, The Art Of The Box and Go Straight. All four are on sale now. Prices start at £29.99 / $41.00 / €36.95 and go up to £34.99 / $48.00 / €42.95. They arrive just as the gifting season begins.
What Is the Bitmap Books Reprint?
If you love old games, you have probably heard of Bitmap Books. They are a publisher that makes high quality books about video game history and art. Their books are known for thick pages, bold printing and a lot of care in how they look and feel.
The Bitmap Books reprint is simple to explain. Four of the publisher’s most popular and most requested titles are being printed again, so you can buy them now. Fans who missed them the first time no longer have to hunt for second hand copies at high prices.
The timing matters too. The reprint lands right as gift buying season starts, so it is a good moment to pick up something for a gamer you know, or something for your own shelf.
Why These Video Game Books Matter
Games are not just things we play. They are also art, memories and history. Before the internet, we learned about games from box covers, magazines and arcade posters. Those things shaped how we imagined games before we ever pressed start.
Good video game books keep that world alive. They collect the artwork, the stories and the people behind games so that they do not fade away. That is what makes the four books in this reprint special. Each one looks at a different side of gaming, so there is something for almost every type of fan.
Book 1: ARTCADE, the Arcade Game Art Book (Extended Edition)
Price: £29.99 / $41.00 / €36.95
If you want an arcade game art book, this is the one to look at first. ARTCADE celebrates the bold artwork that used to cover arcade machines in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Think of the big painted panels on the front of a cabinet, and the side art that made a machine stand out in a crowded arcade.
Inside you will find hundreds of well reproduced examples. The art is inspired by games such as Pac-Man, Out Run, Street Fighter II, Moon Patrol, R-Type, Choplifter, Double Dragon, Bubble Bobble, Galaga and Donkey Kong, plus many more.
This Extended Edition adds more than the original release. Here is what is new:
- More written content and extra features
- A brand new interview with artist Larry Day, whose work includes Moon Patrol and the pinball machine Catacomb
- A how-to chapter made with Escape Pod, a leading creator of restored arcade artwork, showing how battered coin-op art is brought back to life
The book is a premium hardcover. It also comes in a glow-in-the-dark slipcase made from heavy board, which gives extra protection and looks great on a shelf.
Book 2: The Games of a Lifetime
Price: £32.49 / $44.00 / €39.95
This is a story book as much as a picture book. Across 420 pages, it follows video game history through the eyes of Jaz Rignall. Jaz was a hardcore gamer who won the 1983 UK National Arcade Championships. He later became a games journalist and helped launch well known magazines such as ZZAP!64, CVG and Mean Machines.
He also played a part in bringing Japanese games to Western players, reporting on import consoles and games when hardly anyone else did.
The book opens with a foreword by Richard Leadbetter of Digital Foundry. After that, the story is told by Jaz with hundreds of game screenshots taken on many systems, from the Atari 400 to the PlayStation 5. You will spot the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, NES, PC Engine, Amiga, Super Nintendo and plenty more.
You also get archive photos, box art, vintage arcade flyers and magazine and hardware shots. There are new illustrations by Wil Overton, who has reimagined classic Mean Machines artwork in his own style. The cover uses special Pantone inks and a custom illustration by pixel art specialists Army of Trolls, packed with nods to Jaz’s career and gaming history.
Book 3: The Art Of The Box
Price: £34.99 / $48.00 / €42.95
Think back to the days before online trailers and big marketing campaigns. Often the only advert for a game was the box on a shop shelf. Early graphics were simple, so the box art had to make you imagine space battles, knights and wizards, military missions and scary aliens. Each cover was painted by hand, often on a tight deadline with a very loose brief.
The Art Of The Box shares the stories of 26 artists who illustrated game packaging. They include Bob Wakelin, Steve Hendricks, Ken Macklin, Tom DuBois, Steinar Lund, Marc Ericksen, Julie Bell and Susumu Matsushita. Wherever possible, the details come from live interviews. The book looks at how each artist started, what inspired them, which games they worked on and where their careers went next.
The artists come from the UK, Europe, North America and Japan. The artwork was supplied by the artists themselves and is shown without logos or shop stickers, so you see it as the artist meant it. The book runs to 564 pages, with over 100,000 words and more than 350 full colour images. It is a hardback with heavy gloss paper and a ribbon bookmark.
Book 4: Go Straight, the Guide to Side-Scrolling Beat-‘Em-Ups
Price: £34.99 / $48.00 / €42.95
Beat-’em-ups are the games where you walk from left to right and punch everything in your way. Go Straight is a full guide to the genre, written by award-winning author Dave Cook. It opens with a foreword by Yoshihisa Kishimoto, the creator of Double Dragon.
The book covers more than 200 games across 37 years. It starts with Irem’s 1984 arcade game Kung-Fu Master, moves through the 1990s peak and ends with indie brawlers such as Mother Russia Bleeds and Streets of Rage 4.
At over 450 pages, it looks closely at favourites such as Double Dragon, Golden Axe, Final Fight and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It also digs into lesser known games worth trying, like Denjin Makai, Shadow Force and Gaia Crusaders. Each game is reviewed, and there are hints, tips and guides to levels and enemies, along with screenshots, sprites and level maps.
The book is printed lithographically, so colours look vivid and the pages feel high quality. It is a hardback with a spot-varnished cover featuring artwork by Jorge M. Velez.
Which of These Retro Gaming Books Should You Choose?
All four are strong retro gaming books, but they suit different people. Here is a simple way to choose:
| If you love… | Pick this book |
|---|---|
| Bold arcade posters and cabinet art | ARTCADE (Extended Edition) |
| Gaming history told as a personal story | The Games of a Lifetime |
| Painted box covers and the artists behind them | The Art Of The Box |
| Fighting games and side-scrolling brawlers | Go Straight |
A Simple Example
Here is a realistic situation. Imagine your brother, Rahul, grew up spending his pocket money in the local arcade and still talks about the day he beat the high score on a fighting game. You want a birthday or festive gift that shows you remember those days.
A game console would be too expensive and he may not need one. A book is different. If he loved fighting games, Go Straight lets him revisit Double Dragon and Final Fight and even find new games he never tried. If he mostly remembers the look of the machines, ARTCADE would bring back that feeling in a glance. Either book could sit on his coffee table, and guests will pick it up without being asked.
That is the kind of present people actually keep.
Why These Make Great Gaming Gifts
People who love games are often hard to shop for. They may already own the latest titles, and you may not know what they are missing. Books solve that problem. Here is why these four work well as gaming gifts:
- They suit many ages: Older fans enjoy the nostalgia, and younger fans learn where their favourite games came from.
- They look good on display: The hardback format, special slipcase and printed covers make them a feature on a shelf.
- They last: A game may be forgotten in a year. A well made book can be enjoyed for decades.
- They are easy to match to a person: With four different topics, you can pick one that fits their taste.
The Bitmap Books reprint is good news for anyone who missed these titles the first time. Whether you want an arcade game art book, a personal history of gaming, a tribute to box art or a deep guide to beat-’em-ups, one of these four is likely to fit. They are on sale now, and with gift season starting, it is a good time to choose one for someone else or for yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
What books are included in the Bitmap Books reprint?
Four titles: ARTCADE: The Book of Classic Arcade Game Art (Extended Edition), The Games of a Lifetime, The Art Of The Box and Go Straight: The Ultimate Guide to Side-Scrolling Beat-‘Em-Ups.
How much do the reprinted Bitmap Books cost?
ARTCADE costs £29.99 / $41.00 / €36.95. The Games of a Lifetime costs £32.49 / $44.00 / €39.95. The Art Of The Box and Go Straight each cost £34.99 / $48.00 / €42.95.
Which Bitmap book is best for arcade fans?
ARTCADE (Extended Edition) is the best match, because it focuses on arcade marquee and side art from the 1970s to the 1990s.
Are the reprinted books available now?
Yes. According to the announcement, all four are available to buy today.
Are these good gifts for gamers?
Yes. They are hardback, nicely printed and cover different parts of gaming, so you can match one to the person’s taste.
