40 years ago I was being blown away by C64 World Games, yet another stellar entry in Epyx' benchmark Games series. This was the pinnacle of multi-event sports games, featuring top-of-the-line audiovisuals and superbly tuned, extremely fun gameplay. A massive all-time classic.

Here's a game I don't remember ever seeing. Dodgy Geezers was a graphic adventure developed using The Quill, a text adventure creation system, and published by Melbourne House. Just a really weird and obscure video game oddity from 40 years ago.

If you haven't bought my book yet, the third printing is now available, should you be interested in reading something about video games that is a little different - and very personal.

35 years ago, Toys "R" Us was a very fast-growing biz. Already huge in the states, this toy store chain was rapidly spreading to the four corners of the UK - and with it came shelves and shelves full of the latest consoles and games. Which one of these was your local store?

Pretty good example of how a game's box art and video game magazine covers can differ in terms of quality. I mean, there's nothing especially wrong with this box art per se, but Oli Frey's interpretation of the game is a far more effective attention-grabber.

40 years ago I was having fun with this Gauntlet variant, which featured a two-player mode in which one player takes the role of the hero while the other is their golem minder. Very entertaining, despite the actual playing area being the size of a postage stamp.

45 years ago, this Atari coin-op classic was creeping into the arcades. When people say they don't make 'em like they used to, this is a good one to point to. A trackball-controlled shoot 'em up featuring mushrooms and spiders - and of course the eponymous centipede. Bonkers.

45 years ago, Frogger hit the arcades. Created by Konami and published by Sega, this simple-but-fun road-crossing game was a breath of non-violent fresh air as players guided the awesome amphibian to his home at the top of the screen. A fabulous game that I played a ton!

45 years ago, the Golden Age of Arcades was in full swing with classics like Namco's Galaga wowing gamers across the globe. This shooter has a special place in my heart 'cos I won a coin-op in the 1983 UK Arcade Championships, and man did I absolutely play it to death! Fab game!

35 years ago, I was astounded by the sheer quality of Master System Kick Off. This football-game-for-the-super-skilled was extremely fun - assuming you were able to master its challenging, but highly rewarding gameplay. A decent aftermarket joystick is very much recommended!

This 1981 Bally Midway flyer explains why arcade games seemed to be appearing everywhere at this point in time. Coin-ops were generating huge revenue and everyone wanted in on the action. Malls, stores, and sometimes even your local corner shop or fast food joint had them!

Taito's weird and wonderful Golden Age of Arcades classic Qix (pronounced kicks) is celebrating its 45th anniversary. This highly original playfield-filling game was and still is an extremely unusual and interesting concept. Super-tense and tricky to play, but also very fun!

40 years ago, Amstrad's new PC/Speccy +2 were delayed, more ST models were touted, and Boots were being dicks. That Pergamon story is interesting tho'. An inaugural CD-ROM transfer service that helped pave the way for what would become the most successful media format of the 90s.

The place to buy my book down under.