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| The Entertainment Review |
| By: Jon M. Gibson Publisher: Chronicle Books |
Artists have been inspired by a wide variety of different objects and mediums to help them with their art. Some are
inspired by stories, others by weather, music, seasons, and yet others are inspired by videogames and the
characters that grace the television screen. Good art comes from those artists that have a strong emotional
inspiration and many artists will agree that there is nothing in the world that is more powerful than the nostalgic
feeling of childhood. “I Am 8-Bit” is a compilation of art from a wide variety of artists who took a lot of inspiration from
their memories of surrounding themselves in the amazing fantasy worlds that could only be found in the world of
videogame.
“I Am 8-Bit,” in its simplest form is a book filled with art that is inspired by videogames from the 1980s. However,
readers shouldn’t let that fool them into thinking that this book is only for people who remember spending their
childhood getting calluses all over their hands from joysticks and D-pads. In all actuality most readers weren’t even
alive in the 1980s, but they are still going to enjoy this book as much as anyone who remembers when the Atari was
the top videogame system in the gaming industry.
With a total of 146 pages completely filled with creations from a wide variety of artists who took inspiration from their
most intimate memories of playing videogames in their childhood, “I Am 8-Bit” is more than capable of providing
readers a walk down memory lane for those that are old enough to remember the games being presented, and also
give younger gamers from the 1990s an interesting look at the experiences that captivated the minds of those who
gamed before them. Readers will see a wide range of emotions ranging from nostalgia, joy and even sorrow, all in
the form of the videogames that they found to be near and dear to their heart. However, most of them are based off
of strictly nostalgia though.
The only real issue that many will find with the book is the price tag that accompanies it. “I Am 8-Bit” is available for
the steep price of $22. It is difficult to part with that much cash in order to look at some other person’s emotional
experience with specific videogames from the past. Those that are collectors of videogame memorabilia will want to
get their hands on this book because it is a very unique collector’s item.
In the end “I Am 8-Bit” is a great book to own for those readers who are collectors or who feel like taking a stroll down
nostalgic memory lane, at least for those readers that are old enough to have experienced gaming in the 1980s.
However, for anyone that has no experience is nothing more than browsing material because of the fact that it has
such a high price tag. The artists the contributed the 146 pages of artwork based on games from the 1980s did a
great job and all of the art is superb. Anyone who loved the games of the past will love this book, and those who didn’
t experience the games of the 1980s, it is fun to see how even those games could have such a great emotional
connection to their games.
inspired by stories, others by weather, music, seasons, and yet others are inspired by videogames and the
characters that grace the television screen. Good art comes from those artists that have a strong emotional
inspiration and many artists will agree that there is nothing in the world that is more powerful than the nostalgic
feeling of childhood. “I Am 8-Bit” is a compilation of art from a wide variety of artists who took a lot of inspiration from
their memories of surrounding themselves in the amazing fantasy worlds that could only be found in the world of
videogame.
“I Am 8-Bit,” in its simplest form is a book filled with art that is inspired by videogames from the 1980s. However,
readers shouldn’t let that fool them into thinking that this book is only for people who remember spending their
childhood getting calluses all over their hands from joysticks and D-pads. In all actuality most readers weren’t even
alive in the 1980s, but they are still going to enjoy this book as much as anyone who remembers when the Atari was
the top videogame system in the gaming industry.
With a total of 146 pages completely filled with creations from a wide variety of artists who took inspiration from their
most intimate memories of playing videogames in their childhood, “I Am 8-Bit” is more than capable of providing
readers a walk down memory lane for those that are old enough to remember the games being presented, and also
give younger gamers from the 1990s an interesting look at the experiences that captivated the minds of those who
gamed before them. Readers will see a wide range of emotions ranging from nostalgia, joy and even sorrow, all in
the form of the videogames that they found to be near and dear to their heart. However, most of them are based off
of strictly nostalgia though.
The only real issue that many will find with the book is the price tag that accompanies it. “I Am 8-Bit” is available for
the steep price of $22. It is difficult to part with that much cash in order to look at some other person’s emotional
experience with specific videogames from the past. Those that are collectors of videogame memorabilia will want to
get their hands on this book because it is a very unique collector’s item.
In the end “I Am 8-Bit” is a great book to own for those readers who are collectors or who feel like taking a stroll down
nostalgic memory lane, at least for those readers that are old enough to have experienced gaming in the 1980s.
However, for anyone that has no experience is nothing more than browsing material because of the fact that it has
such a high price tag. The artists the contributed the 146 pages of artwork based on games from the 1980s did a
great job and all of the art is superb. Anyone who loved the games of the past will love this book, and those who didn’
t experience the games of the 1980s, it is fun to see how even those games could have such a great emotional
connection to their games.
