Attract Mode

Arcade fans remember the Golden Age of the late 1970s and early 1980s, but the heyday of coin-op video games really spanned more than 20 years. From the beginnings of the modern video arcade through the so-called renaissance of the early 1990s, Attract Mode: The Rise and Fall of Coin-Op Arcade Games covers a 23-year span starting in 1971 with the launch of Computer Space. Attract Mode covers more than 130 games in vivid detail and includes discussion of some 200 more, all within the context of the industry as it rose and fell.

From the sweat and urgency of Space Invaders, to the gripping gameplay of Robotron: 2084, this book has it all-arcade industry beginnings, the rise of vector graphics games, and the increasingly wholesome image and the meteoric rise of arcade games as pop culture and how it all came crashing down-only to see multiple revivals, even as gamers increasingly played console and computer games at home.

This book analyzes what made arcade coin-op games great, and specifically what was great about playing the games in the arcade that you can't get from an emulator. Whether you're a student of arcade and video game history or simply want to relive some of the best times of your youth, be sure to get your copy of Attract Mode today.