Video game of the year A year-by-year guide to the best, boldest, and most bizarre games from every year since 1977

From Atari consoles to cell phones, from single-color, moving dots to 3D, movie-like experiences, video games have grown to an enormous industry over the past almost 50 years. Entertainment and technology journalist Minor traces their history in terms of each year's most significant big-name game, one that presents a new direction in the field. The main content is a chronological, year-by-year discussion of the chosen game, from 1977's Pong to 2022's Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe. Each year's coverage has the same structure: a front page with one-line play synthesis, a full-page, cartoon-style art rendition of the game by Wren McDonald, a one-page summary in large print, a few pages that analyze the game and its industry context, and a one-page "extra life" feature about other strong contenders of the year or industry information. Minor's writing has a consistently engaging, insider quality. In addition, the book's visual aspects reflect the colorful world of gaming, from the font style to the inclusion of rainbow-colored text on black within each year's coverage. It should garner interest from both gamers and popular-culture followers.

This entertaining debut from PCMag editor Minor examines pivotal video games from 1977 to 2022, spotlighting one title per year that demonstrates "how uniquely and delightfully bizarre even the most famous games tend to be." He begins with Pong, which he credits with paving the way "for nearly every single video game that followed," and expounds on such early innovators as 1979's Speed Freak, a racing title that was among the first to harness "the open freedom of 3D visuals," and 1985's Super Mario Bros., whose imaginative worldbuilding and gameplay "revolutionized" the medium. Other milestones include Sega's creation of Sonic the Hedgehog to compete with Nintendo, Halo ushering in the rise of console multiplayer gaming, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City raising open-world level design to new heights, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons offering a tranquil respite during Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020. Though largely admiring, Minor makes some criticisms, suggesting that 2008's evolution simulator Spore failed to meet sky-high expectations and that 2017 juggernaut Fortnite cribbed its conceit and gameplay from PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds. The author's passion and strong grasp of video game history make this an excellent ode to the medium. Illus. (July)