Mike Sholars

A deceptively broad book for one so short. Taking the cartoon dog game (or more likely, its demo disc) you might remember from childhood as a cultural artefact, Mike Scholars uses it to explore everything from the mechanics of rhythm action games to the purpose and value of representation in media. All while providing a forensic rundown of the game's actual contents.

This sort of monograph on a single cultural item is increasingly popular (there are series covering everything from albums to Doctor Who episodes), but the art is not always there, and I've read some that have lacked cohesion and others that have felt overly specific. This, though, is an exemplar of how to do it.… (altro)

I GOTTA BELIEVE!

This was a fantastically written book covering the history of 'music games' and of course the development of the game itself. Personal highlights for me were the personal touch of the author's life experience around the game and what it meant to them personally, and of course the interviews with the people involved in the game's development were fascinating.

I was personally shocked how little I really knew about the game and everything it had to offer. I will for sure keep an eye out for the author in the future, will read more Boss Fight Books, and will surely revisit Parappa in the future and hopefully he can help me believe in myself just a little more.… (altro)