Some of my fondest childhood memories involve cycling to the local arcade with a handful of 20 pence pieces and experiencing the kind of immersive experiences my Sega Mega Drive simply couldn't offer. Of course, with the passing of time and the march of technology, the traditional arcade has become something of a relic, and it's easy to see why, given that there are few experiences you can have with an arcade machine now that you can't have at home, aside from a handful of the more quirky machines.
There was something about those old machines though. The bold design work, the tactile controls and the giddy thrill of watching the machine respond with a gleeful “Ding” upon receiving your cash injection.
It's this nostalgia for what once was, as well as an admiration for the designs behind the beautiful cabinets that housed every game from Pong to Time Crisis that fuels this glorious coffee table tome, which compiles some of the greatest coin-op cabinet arcade marquees in a stunning landscape hardback book. “Artcade” is a unique collection of coin-op cabinet marquees, some dating back 40 years to the dawn of video gaming.
Originally acquired by Tim Nicholls from a Hollywood props company, this archive of marquees (many of which had suffered damage over time) have now been scanned and digitally restored to their former glory. The full collection of classic arcade cabinet artwork is presented here for the first time in this stunning landscape hardback book, and accompanied by interviews with artists Larry Day and the late (and spectacularly named) Python Anghelo. The book is packed with 324 Pages and has been crafted in A4 landscape, Lithographic print, Sewn binding and protective spot varnished dust jacket.
ARTCADE - The Book of Classic Arcade Game Art
The project was funded through Kickstarter, and is due for publication in April with design work by StudioCollate. It contains artwork from dozens of coin-ops including Asteroid, Battlezone, Street Fighter II, Out Run, Moon Patrol, Gyruss, QBert, Bubble Bobble and many more. Each marquee takes up a full double-page spread in the book, and is faithfully recreated using beautiful lithographic printing on the highest quality paper.
Nicholls has spent almost 3 years trying to put the book together and over a thousand hours assembling the high-resolution scans, restoring the images in Photoshop and colour-correcting them back to their vibrant, as–new appearance. The results of all that hard work are now available as a lasting record of the amazing artwork that adorned the arcades during the golden era of coin-op video gaming.
The book is being published through Bitmap Books, a specialist independent publisher of retro gaming books covering the early days of home computers and consoles. Founded by graphic designer Sam Dyer, every Bitmap Book is presented as a visual celebration of the genre, allowing fans to relive the golden age of video games. Each volume is filled with interviews, quotes and anecdotes from the artists, programmers and publishers that created the games.
All of their books are bound using thread for maximum durability and, where possible, include special bonus features such as promotional postcards or posters and special packaging. It's independent publishers like this that are the reason my bank balance is so low and my coffee table is less of a table and more of a glorified book shelf, and I wouldn't have it any other way!
Benjamin Hiorns if a freelance writer and struggling musician from the dark heart of Kidderminster in the UK. His favourite arcade game ever is The Simpsons Arcade Game from Metal Gear Solid developers Konami.
