I Am 8-Bit

These days, videogames are characterized by intensely realistic graphics, difficult objectives achieved via complex maneuvers, and, thanks to artificial intelligence, the possibility of encountering a variety of different of scenarios in each level. But if you’re a product of the ‘80s, then you know that gaming wasn’t always so high-tech. Jon M. Gibson’s I Am 8-Bit (Chronicle Books) is a collection of “art inspired by classic video games of the ‘80s,” – when ‘2-player’ actually meant one player at a time, and ‘secret moves’ were as simple as knowing when to duck down into a pipeline or bang a brick with your head to retrieve a few extra coins. Though we’re huge fans of the many next-level advances in gaming technology, we also appreciate the ways in which the video games of yesteryear have inspired this book’s contributors; for many of us, the fondest childhood recollections are of endless hours we spent playing old school favorites like Duck Hunt and Pac-Man. With a dynamic collection of art (ranging from photographs to oil paintings to various mixed media), I Am 8-Bit is a true ode to ‘80s nostalgia, and a poignant reminder that there was indeed life before X-Box 360.

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ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN YRB MAGAZINE COPYRIGHT © 2006