Books about Pinball from Amazon.com

Home of Sega, Nintendo, and Sony, Japan has a unique and powerful presence in the world of video games. Another thing that makes Japan unique in the gaming world is the prevalence of game arcades While the game arcade scene has died in the U.S., there are 9,500 "game centers" in Japan with more than 445,000 game machines
Arcade Mania introduces overseas readers to the fascinating world of the Japanese gemu senta. Organized as a guided tour of a typical game center, the book is divided into nine chapters, each of which deals with a different kind of game, starting with the UFO catchers and print club machines at the entrance and continuing through rhythm games, fighting games, shooting games, retro games, gambling games, card-based games, and only-in-Japan games.
Covering classic games from Space Invaders to Street Fighter, games that are familiar to Americans in their home console versions (Rock Band, Guitar Hero and Dance, Dance Revolution), as well as the unique, quirky games found only in Japan, Arcade Mania is crammed full of interviews with game makers and star players, and packed with facts about the history, background and characteristics of each game, all lavishly illustrated with photographs and game graphics. This book is a must-have for gamers everywhere.
.
Price: $13.52 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Eagerly anticipated, this third book from pinball author Michael Shalhoub includes over 900 color photos and covers the most recent period in pinball history, from 1982 through 2005. Each chapter is devoted to a specific year and features descriptions, release dates, and historical background on the games released that year from manufacturers Gottlieb, Williams, Bally, Data East, Stern, Sega and others. Current values are listed for each machine shown in the book. Interspersed with the games are stories and interviews with many of the legendary designers and artists who created them. Readers will gain fascinating insight into the planning that went into the games, how the designers and artists got their start in the industry, behind-the-scenes tales of life in the pinball world, and more. "Michael Shalhoub's Pinball Compendium is a great documentary of our business," says designer Steve Ritchie of the second book in the trilogy. "I especially like the personal insight he gives readers into the personalities behind the pin game business, and the great photos he has come up with. I learn something new every time I pick up the book." Along with its two companion volumes (the first covering the 1930s-1960s and the second covering 1970-1981), this book is a must-have for all who love the sights and sounds of the world's great pinball machines..
Price: $37.77 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Exciting and challenging, pinball games have been enthusiastically played since their inception in the 1930s and are treasured by countless collectors worldwide This lavishly illustrated book chronicles pinball games from 1970 through 1981, one of the industry's most prolific eras. Hundreds of machines from Gottlieb, Williams, Bally, Chicago Coin, and other manufacturers are showcased -- including many never before published. The extensive text provides descriptions of the games, their special features, historical significance, release dates, and designers. Collectors will love the exclusive interviews with some of pinball's greatest designers and artists. Current values are listed for each machine shown in the book. Along with its companion volume (covering the 1930s to the 1960s), this is a wonderful reference and a tribute to all who were part of pinball's fascinating history..
Price: $37.77 [Notify me when price goes down.]

This fantastic book tells the detailed history of pinball games from the 1930s to the 1990s, including the evolution of all sorts of game features--from flippers and bumpers to sound, scoring, and tilt mechanisms--all immersed in the complex and magnificent artwork characteristic of pinball machines. Pinball manufacturing giants like Gottlieb, Williams, and Bally are well represented, in addition to several lesser-known and foreign manufacturers. With a listing of over 3,000 games built to date, statistics, updated pricing information, and over 900 color photographs (including close-ups, flyers, images of rare prototypes, and games never before seen in print), this is essential for the libraries of all pinball lovers. The pinball machine is here to stay--due in part to the exponential increase in the number of serious collectors and enthusiasts. What other modern amusement machine can boast a longevity of over 60 years, withstanding the test of time and ever-changing technology, while maintaining its instantly recognizable form? The rolling, bouncing silver ball, as unpredictable as the flip of a coin or even life itself, has kept up with cutting-edge advancements in electronics, mechanics, and even computers, to amuse and test the skill of players worldwide! .
Price: $37.77 [Notify me when price goes down.]

For James Burke, knowledge is a vast interconnected web -- which means you never know how a new discovery or development or even a chance accident will affect everything else. To prove his point, he takes us on twenty exhilarating, all-new journeys through history's strange byways and little-known shortcuts -- from the zigzag path that starts with medieval spicy food and ends with smart bombs to the road that connects bottle caps with Bowie knives. Through these and hundreds of other fascinating examples -- further linked by 447 cross-references -- Burke proves once again that he has "one of the most intriguing minds in the Western world" (Washington Post)..
Price: $3.87 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Pinball! From its inception in the 1930s, this unique form of entertainment has challenged and inspired millions of enthusiastic players and become the passion of countless collectors around the world. Illustrated with over 600 color photos, this exciting book chronicles the development of pinball machines from the 1930s through the late 1960s, featuring exclusive rare interviews with some of the greatest designers in the industry. Hundreds of pinball machines from Gottlieb, Bally, Genco, Williams, United, and other manufacturers are showcased -- including many never before published. The extensive text provides descriptions of the games, their special features, historical significance, release dates, and names of designers and artists. Current values are listed for each machine shown in the book. Pinball enthusiasts will also love the many stories featuring the thrill of the "Silver Ball." This is a wonderful reference tool and a tribute to all those who were part of the pinball machine's fascinating history..
Price: $36.46 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Pinball games have long been regarded as the twentieth century's ultimate coin operated amusement, touching the lives of generations of players in numerous cultures. This visual chronicle, with examples from the game's beginnings to the present day, focuses in particular on the years from 1958 to 1998. It showcases fifty fascinating pinball games, each with its own chapter outlining the special features. Covered in detail are cultural influences, design and artistic trends, historical connections, collectibility, values, and unique game rules. Over 800 full color photographs display whole machine shots, close-ups of backglasses and playfields, and ball's-eye-view images. They put the pinball enthusiast right into the action! This beautiful book is an essential reference for the libraries of pinball collectors and aficionados everywhere..
Price: $41.97 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Pinball games combine excitement, challenge, technology, and fantastic artwork. They are sought after collector items, snapped up by enthusiasts who keep them running and "alive" both mechanically and cosmetically. Silverball lovers of all ages and tastes will be enthralled by the fifty pinball games -- both vintage and contemporary -- showcased in this book. Each has its own chapter outlining the game's special features, historical background, game rules, graphic images, collectibility and current value. Over 400 extraordinary full color photographs give a complete visual survey of each game. Enjoy whole machine shots, close-ups of backglasses and playfields, and ball's-eye-view images that reveal wonderful details of the playfield action. Along with its companion volume, Pinball Snapshots, this outstanding book will be thoroughly enjoyed by pinball collectors, historians, and graphic artists, as well as devotees of coin-operated amusement games..
Price: $41.97 [Notify me when price goes down.]