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Classic
video game e-books and computer game
e-books Cost, delivery, and
payment To make it convenient for you to place orders, Silicon Wasteland is a PayPal merchant. PayPal accepts most major credit cards, and orders are securely processed through their Web site. (Clicking any Buy Now button will automatically transfer you to their site.) There is no charge for enrolling in PayPal or using it anywhere on the Web to make purchases. (In case you aren't familiar with PayPal, it is the primary means of processing customer payments for eBay auctions.) |
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Based on the format popularized by my initial best-selling Nintendo book (Compute's Guide to Nintendo Games), this book provides reviews, tips, and secrets for 68 popular Nintendo (NES), 21 Game Boy, and 3 Super NES games. In addition, there are reviews of 15 Nintendo and Game Boy accessories. At 466 pages, this was a truly huge Nintendo book. (Most early game books topped out at 250 pages.) Unlike some of the other books that were available at the time, this one (like my others) was based on hours of hands-on play with every game and device. In fact, by the time this book was completed, I'd trashed three Nintendos. |
Nintendo Games Orig. published: 1991 Pages: 466 e-book price: $7.99 |
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Guide to Nintendo Adventure Games was a work of love for me, offering detailed maps and tips for seven of my favorite Nintendo (NES) adventure games: The Bard's Tale, Final Fantasy, The Immortal, Shadowgate, Swords and Serpents, Ultima: Quest of the Avatar, and Wizardry. I was delighted when Wizardry was released for the Nintendo. Previously, on the chance that I might have missed something cool, I spent eight months of my life mapping every square inch of the game on an Apple II. |
Orig. published: 1991 Pages: 120 e-book price: $7.99 |
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My final game book for Compute! Books, Conquering Super Mario Bros. Adventures, 2nd Edition, is a strategy guide for the first three Super Mario Bros. games for the Nintendo (Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2, and Super Mario Bros. 3) and the first Mario game for the Super Nintendo (Super Mario World). In the original 1991 edition of this book, only the three NES games were covered. To produce the best possible strategy guide and get the necessary screen shots, I had to beat each of the four games hundreds of times. To avoid the possibility of being sued by Nintendo, all of their trademarked characters were edited out of the screen shots using Photoshop (adding weeks of work to the project). |
Orig. published: 1992 Pages: 218 e-book price: $7.99 |
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Not surprisingly, Return to Zork Adventurer's Guide was my most successful Prima title. I say "not surprisingly" because there were a gazillion copies of Return to Zork sold and given away with new PCs. The book includes general playing tips, detailed tips for specific situations, and a complete walkthrough. To avoid spoiling the game for those players who prefer to figure things out for themselves, a thorough explanation of all events, people, and items found in a game section can be found at the end of the relevant chapter. |
Orig. published: 1993 Pages: 154 e-book price: $7.99 |
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When we first proposed this book, it was intended to be a guide to all of The Simpsons video games. (There were seven, I think.) However, because more than a year passed before we received approval to use trademarked Simpsons images in the book, the only game that was still current was Virtual Bart (SNES and Genesis). As a result, it was the shortest strategy/tip book I've ever written. On the other hand, it was also the only Simpsons game book ever published. Normally, books on arcade games often seem pointless. But Acclaim's Simpsons games were extremely hard to beat--and Virtual Bart was no exception. |
Official Guide Orig. published: 1994 Pages: 80 e-book price: $7.99 |
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Shadow of the Comet was an excellent graphic adventure/puzzle game based very loosely on the writings of horror author H.P. Lovecraft. In addition to the walkthrough (consisting of location-based solutions), the book includes a section that recounts of every bit of dialogue (in case you missed or forgot something) and a diskette of saved games. Although the game has no exact parallel in H.P. Lovecraft's bizarre short stories, it's closest to his tale The Call of Cthulhu (1928). To familiarize gamers with Lovecraft's writings, I obtained special permission from his estate to reprint this 30-page story at the end of the book. |
Orig. published: 1994 Pages: 166 e-book price: $7.99 |
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Alone in the Dark 3 was an excellent, challenging adventure/puzzle game. Like the Dust book (below), I worked directly with the game company to create the Alone in the Dark 3: Official Strategy Guide. To prevent spoiling the game for players, I concocted a special format for the book. In each area, the book lists the available items and the puzzles you must solve. If you get stuck in that area, you can flip to the end of the chapter and read only the solution for the problem that has you flummoxed. |
Official Guide Orig. published: 1995 Pages: 154 e-book price: $7.99 |
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Dust: A Tale of the Wired West was a different sort of adventure game. Rather than offering a single approach to every puzzle or problem, there were often multiple solutions. In addition, the manner in which you interacted with the townsfolk directly affected the possible solutions. With extensive help from the people at Cyberflix, Dust, A Tale of the Wired West: Official Strategy Guide is packed with more information than the usual game book. Each chapter contains information and gentle tips for a day/section of the game. Detailed solutions for the day/section can be found at the end of every chapter. Appendices show the important characters, the full text of books and documents found in the game, and an inventory of all items and their uses. |
Orig. published: 1995 Pages: 144 e-book price: $7.99 |
