20 Video Game BOOKS Reviewed – Guides & Novels for Retro Collectors!

50 Comments

1. José on May 23, 2021 at 3:31 am

   Hey MetalJesus! James Rolfe from Cinemassacre did a a video of him reading the Worlds of Power: Megaman 2 book. It’s really cool! You should check it out because, you remember how good Megaman 2 OST was? Well, there’s a surprise in the video 😉

   
   
   
2. The Nostalgia Factor on May 23, 2021 at 3:31 am

   I love the lack of gun weapons on the covers of the Worlds of Power books…

   
   
   
3. Seikowski V on May 23, 2021 at 3:32 am

   I was hoping you guys would cover the Doom novels. Maybe next time.

   
   
   
4. Karm VGMC on May 23, 2021 at 3:32 am

   I love watching videos like this. Too bad the Super Nintendo Compendium is out of stock but I added my email to get a notification when and hopefully more get in stock. Other books I have like these that you may want to find are Capcom 30th Anniversary Character Encyclopedia and An Illustrated History of 151 Video Games. Now JBR did another video like this on his channel and I mentioned this same thing so if you are looking for more material like this then check this guy’s site out at http://www.daddarulekonge.com/ This guy has made some great PDF game books. Also check out my creations inspired by that guy, hope you like them. This one https://archive.org/details/TheEncyclopediaOfNintendoDSRPGs and this https://archive.org/details/RPGsOfThePSPPlayStationPortable

   
   
   
5. Gary Whitlock on May 23, 2021 at 3:32 am

   Lol wut?? 9:29

   
   
   
6. jdoll atari on May 23, 2021 at 3:32 am

   i always liked the history books ultimate history of video games or phoenix etc.

   
   
   
7. The Emerald Beast on May 23, 2021 at 3:32 am

   Console wars as a Novel is really good!

   
   
   
8. Travis Taylor on May 23, 2021 at 3:33 am

   Excellent video! I love video game books, gonna have to hunt these down.

   
   
   
9. Thomas Wilson on May 23, 2021 at 3:33 am

   I’ve read the worlds of power Simon quest. It was in my 4th grade class bookshelf.

   
   
   
10. SilverKnight on May 23, 2021 at 3:34 am

    AHH, THE BLASTER MASTER BOOK. I KNEW IT EXISTED.

    Sorry for caps, I’ve literally been trying for YEARS to remember what the name of the book was I read with THAT cover on it. Blaster Master. At last, one of the great mysteries of my life has been solved!

    
    
    
11. Bangtan_Shrimp on May 23, 2021 at 3:39 am

    I saw John Hancock do a video like this! 😀 Both pretty awesome videos!! I love collecting Video game books but mainly focus on artbooks for the most of my collection!

    
    
    
12. TheGreatDonro on May 23, 2021 at 3:39 am

    Love John’s shirt. R-type is the shit!

    
    
    
13. Kevin Ng on May 23, 2021 at 3:40 am

    If it hasn’t been mentioned, I’d also recommend the Untold History of Japanese Game Developers Vol 1 & 2.

    
    
    
14. Myles Goldman on May 23, 2021 at 3:42 am

    I gotta say, i’m not a die-hard gamer like you or your other subscribers, I do love video games and everything but dont have an atari or anything. However, I find your videos so relaxing, I don’t know what it is, but they’re just awesome.

    
    
    
15. EdgarG on May 23, 2021 at 3:42 am

    That Atari Art book is a beutiful thing!

    
    
    
16. SupaFly is 187 on May 23, 2021 at 3:43 am

    Cool video! I have the Worlds of Power: Ninja Gaiden book, I think I’ve had it almost 30 years.

    
    
    
17. IntyMichael on May 23, 2021 at 3:43 am

    I highly recommend: „The Encyclopedia of Game Machines – Consoles, handheld & home computers 1972-2012“ by Gameplan
    It‘s a overview to all games systems.
    Greetings from the German guy you met in the hotel lobby in Portland.

    
    
    
18. kenta falls on May 23, 2021 at 3:43 am

    I really want that NES Guide by Pat. But it’s so expensive for me right now.

    
    
    
19. MurdockEx on May 23, 2021 at 3:45 am

    The Myst trilogy is amazing and LitRPG is catching on.

    
    
    
20. Enzo Warren on May 23, 2021 at 3:45 am

    METAL JESUS PLEASE READ— you feature a lot of obscure consoles and video games on your channel, but there is one set of games that neither you nor any other channel like yours has featured; flip-phone triple-a titles. Call of Duty Black Ops, World at War, and Modern Warfare, for example, were released on flip-phones as top-down shooters. Its hard to find any videos whatsoever on these titles, but i vividly remember playing them a long time ago, and i managed to find one video of Black Ops: https://youtu.be/BctYeT929-8

    Also, there was a Resident Evil released as a first-person rail-shooter for flip phones, although im not sure if youd be able to find any videos of that game. I remember the graphics being less-impressive than GBA graphics, and the framerate always seemed pretty low.

    
    
    
21. cmoneytheman on May 23, 2021 at 3:46 am

    This dude looks like a homeless person that messy wild hair like he from the 70s this the 2000s nobody must told him yet

    
    
    
22. thatwasprettyneat on May 23, 2021 at 3:46 am

    i love this channel

    
    
    
23. ssssahek on May 23, 2021 at 3:48 am

    One book I really liked was Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America by Jeff Ryan.

    
    
    
24. emarskineel on May 23, 2021 at 3:48 am

    Love me some strategy guides

    
    
    
25. TheManiacZach on May 23, 2021 at 3:48 am

    I would LOVE a book about the GameCube or Wii! I wonder if either of those exist?

    
    
    
26. Cold Snap on May 23, 2021 at 3:50 am

    I got the Blaster Master book when I was a kid.
    Even now, it is a far, far more engrossing read than it has any right to be.
    I’m dead serious. I read it again recently just to be sure it wasn’t nostalgia.
    It was so good, it was ACTUALLY ACCEPTED AS CANON by the creators!
    Ever played Blaster Master Zero? The names Jason Frudnick, Fred and Eve are taken directly from that book.

    
    
    
27. Comedy Hub on May 23, 2021 at 3:52 am

    Congrats on 830,000 subscribers! That is insane! Here’s to many more. 😉

    
    
    
28. Micah Buzan ANIMATION on May 23, 2021 at 3:52 am

    I’ll have to check some of these out. I’ve been working on "The Ultimate History of VIdeo Games" for over a year.

    
    
    
29. Julián Ramírez on May 23, 2021 at 3:56 am

    My favorite videogame books (beside artbooks) is "You Died: A Dark Souls companion" by Keza McDonald. A must have for any fan of Dark Souls. It’s not a guide, but a look at the community of the game, the speedrunners, the trolls, the artists, the devs, the reviewers. A fantastic work.

    
    
    
30. Eric Nolen on May 23, 2021 at 3:56 am

    The Adam computer had a slot for colecovision games. The expansion module your thinking about Riggs is black with silver buttons but is used to play 2600 games. I had one too back in the day and blew my mind when I heard you mention it lol.

    
    
    
31. Saul Weinberger on May 23, 2021 at 3:56 am

    Thanks for looking at these!! I’ll have to buy some of them!

    
    
    
32. Mystery Thingx on May 23, 2021 at 3:56 am

    Man you guys had some crappy games back in the "old days"

    
    
    
33. TravestyJunction on May 23, 2021 at 3:59 am

    So Riggs has had some of these books in his bathroom?

    
    
    
34. scotty thompson on May 23, 2021 at 4:00 am

    cool video talk metal jesus rocks

    
    
    
35. KuroPixel on May 23, 2021 at 4:00 am

    Fantastic! I would love it if you covered more of this kind of thing. 🙂

    
    
    
36. Jorge Alberto Ziade Roda on May 23, 2021 at 4:03 am

    Excelentes libros… Una consulta Jhon Riggs… Existen estos libros en español???

    
    
    
37. BlueTarantulaProductions on May 23, 2021 at 4:05 am

    I actually would like to go back and read the original Doom novels from the early 90’s

    
    
    
38. aozgolo on May 23, 2021 at 4:06 am

    I love video game books, it really started with the old manuals, and then the strategy guides which I really enjoyed all the art and maps and background lore and cool info that fleshed out those worlds I love so much in games. I have a nice collection now, including Hyrule Historia, Legend of Zelda Arts & Artifacts, The World of the Witcher, The Skyrim Library Volumes 1 – 3, The King’s Quest Companion (a strategy guide AND novelization of King’s Quest 1 through 7), Dragon Quest 25th Anniversary Handbook (in Japanese but with loads of art and screenshots!) A whole bunch of strategy guides including some really awesome hardcovers from Fangamer for Stardew Valley, Earthbound, and Mother 3, my latest pickup is actually a paperback novelization of Planescape: Torment, so I’m always looking for some great video game books.

    
    
    
39. Stephen Bull on May 23, 2021 at 4:08 am

    Thanks for that. Now I know what I want people to get me for Christmas!! Problem solved.

    
    
    
40. Kelvin Perez on May 23, 2021 at 4:11 am

    Yessssssss I can finally see you again Metal Jesus. One month without power no thanks to hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico lot’s of love from here.

    
    
    
41. The Cliff Bailey on May 23, 2021 at 4:13 am

    I *LOVED* the Worlds of Power books!! I only remember Ninja Gaiden and Metal Gear… might have been my only ones, actually as I got yelled at by a friend’s mom for trying to corrupt her son by letting him read the Ninja Gaiden book. She was upset because there’s a demon in it.

    
    
    
42. CSeidel94 on May 23, 2021 at 4:13 am

    Hey Metal Jesus, Long time viewer, rarely comment. This time I had a question for you.
    I love these style of books, but I have never seen one for the N64 (One of, if not my favourite console of all time). Do you, John, or even the rest of the crew know of any?

    
    
    
43. CatWizard 9X on May 23, 2021 at 4:15 am

    There are some DOOM novels I stumbled upon online that I REALLY hope to read sometime soon!!!

    
    
    
44. Terdog on May 23, 2021 at 4:16 am

    Forgot one, it know its more of a history lesson between Sega of America / Japan & Nintendo. But for me, Console Wars is a must read.

    
    
    
45. GAIN on May 23, 2021 at 4:20 am

    Just subscribed! Love this!

    
    
    
46. D Wood on May 23, 2021 at 4:20 am

    Grabbed a bunch of samples on the Kindle store. Sweet!

    
    
    
47. Marco _saunders on May 23, 2021 at 4:23 am

    Never noticed you sound exactly like major nelson 🤔

    
    
    
48. Vince Grant on May 23, 2021 at 4:28 am

    Riggs rocks! great vid jesus

    
    
    
49. AxeholetheGreat on May 23, 2021 at 4:29 am

    $130.00 nope.

    
    
    
50. William Hall on May 23, 2021 at 4:29 am

    Please promote local video game stores and bookstores instead of suggesting to everyone that they buy from Amazon.