Commodore Amiga: A Visual Commpendium – Book Review
The Commodore Amiga, a home computer that was born in the mid eighties, that had amazing graphical prowess compared to home consoles that were barely able to squeeze out their ‘8 bits’, might be a distant memory to some. Nonetheless even today the Amiga has its fair share of enthusiasts who would love to see many of its original games remade, remastered or even new entries in one of the many popular franchises. Even though we can’t promise you any of that, we do however have the chance to present you with a fun alternative to quench your thirst for some good old fashioned trips down retro-memory lane.
When first browsing through the book with its massive 424 pages, it becomes clear that the creators did their best to present you with a great collection of artwork, information about more than a hundred games, several developers, publishers and interviews with important artists, developers, etc, during the lifespan of the Amiga.
The book starts off with some basic information about the birth of the Commodore Amiga and after that it’s pretty much great titles, remarks and artwork all the way until you see the back cover of the book. Even though the artwork reigns supreme, every single one of the mentioned games in the ‘Commpendium’ marks when and by who it was released and has a little text accompanying the art. This text are quotes from the developers, reviewers or some basic information about the game itself. Overall, it’s fun to have a short text on every page, which makes it that much more than an art book.
Even though the book provides sufficient information, interviews and small reviews, the art is what really catches the eye, as it is simply amazing. It seems that just like great wine, some of these games age quite too. Even today, many games that are being released with ‘old school’ graphics, can still hold a candle against some of these so called antiquated Amiga titles. Artwork is brought to you in different fashions, namely art that spreads over two pages wide, or on a single page, be it in-game art, illustrations from cinematics or even the original posters that were used for the original covers and/or promotions.
The arrangement of the articles, pictures and other items makes sure things don’t get monotone after flipping through the pages, as the designers and writers decided to mix things up from time to time. After the introductions of several games you’ll see some extra artwork, or an interview or some fun facts about the console and certain game developers/publishers. Add the fact that all games are being placed in the order of their original year of release, it will be fun to see the evolution of the games the Amiga had to offer.
On par with the qualitative content are the materials used for the book. You’ll be treated to glossy thick paper, giving a more sturdy feel to the book. This make it a tad harder to flip through all the pages rapidly, but it will make it a lot easier to keep a clean, unwrinkled book after several reading sessions. On top of that, the book is stored in a cardboard ‘binder’ and the folder that serves as the coating of the book has signatures of many of the original people behind the rise of the Amiga. All in all, a well appreciated extra touch.
Conclusion
Commodore Amiga: A Visual Commpendium, already showed some wit with the double ‘mm’ from commodore in Commpendium, and it simply is a great accessory for everyone who used to have an Amiga or is still gaming on one. You’ll be treated to fun facts, lots of information about titles and above all – amazing artwork spread over 424 pages. Enjoy this graphic ride down old memory boulevard.
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