Commodore Amiga: A Visual Compendium

Launched in 1985, the Amiga ushered in a new age of home computing. Its powerful 16-bit Motorola CPU and custom graphics and audio chipsets made it an instant hit among both gamers looking to move on from their 8-bit systems, and artists and musicians moving into the digital realm.

Early titles like Defender of the Crown, Barbarian and Hybris demonstrated the Amiga’s graphics credentials, while arcade-perfect conversions of Marble Madness, Space Harrier and Rainbow Islands showed that it could match the power of dedicated coin-op cabinets. Over the next decade, it would play host to an extraordinary diversity of titles; games like Rocket Ranger, Populous, Cannon Fodder, Speedball and Worms ushered in new genres and helped to redefine the videogame landscape.

Over the course of some 420 pages, Commodore Amiga: a visual compendium showcases more than 140 of the biggest titles, bringing them vividly to life with a double-page screen grab or loading page. Each is accompanied by quotes and commentary from renowned Amiga artists, developers and publishers, including R.J. Mical, David Braben, Sid Meier, Ron Gilbert, Julian Eggebrecht, Tobias Richter, Dave Gibbons and many more.

Beyond the games themselves, it also covers the origins of the hardware and the vibrant demo scene, and includes interviews with artists and profiles of the most prominent games publishers. Presented in hardback, using high-quality lithographic printing on superior paper stock, this book is a wonderful celebration of the machine’s graphics prowess and a reminder of the wealth of quality games the Amiga brought to bear.

Reprint updates
In this latest reprint of Commodore Amiga: a visual compendium, Bitmap Books have added a handful of new game reviews, as well as including a spread for Dune. Contributor entries now include their role in the game or profession, in line with more recent visual compendiums.

Book specifications

420 pages. 170mm × 230mm. Edge-to-edge high quality lithographic print. Hardback with double thickness cover. Sewn binding for enduring quality and the ability to lay flat for ideal double-page image viewing. Spot-varnished cover and dust jacket that highlight key elements against a matte background. Two coloured bookmark ribbons. Shrink-wrapped.