Leaps + Bounds by Bitmap Books - Book Review

The latest release from Bitmap Books intends to provide a visual guide to the nine (so far) console generations that have (in most cases, but not all) graced the homes of gamers over the last fifty plus years. From an original concept from Hans Kleinenberg, text by Stew Shearer, illustrations from Adam Rufino, and design by Sam Dyer and Hans Kleinenberg, let's have a look at how they do.

The preface is provided by Bitmap Books, before a rather nice foreword by the CEO of Analgue, Christopher Taber. A curated selection of milestones mark the progression of the home console before we get ot the core of the book - the consoles themselves, categorised by the aforementioned generations. 

The format is simplicity itself. Each machine (excluding the unreleased consoles, which we'll get to presently), receives two pages. the first details the year of release, dates of availability, sales figures (where known), and number of games released. A potted history of the console gives some background, and the lovely artwork of Adam Rufino completes page one. The second page is dominated by a screenshot of a selected title from the console's library, and two or three facts to add flavour to the entry. Overall, this works well, and the contrast between the artwork and the screenshot is appreciated. Some might decry the lack of photography of the actual hardware, but I really do like what they've done here. 

Unreleased hardware retains the details and artwork, but no screenshots. 

There is some good stuff in here, and the only real criticism I can offer, aside from a re-wording of the New 3DS's 4GB mention, is that the Pippin was NOT built using the same kit as the Apple Classic II. Sorry, peeps, but simply not true. There's a Wikipedia page entry with the story of the Pippin's genesis, but the referenced links do not support the detail in that particular section. For the sake of this book review, however, categorically, the Pippin that was prototyped and delivered to consumers was not built using the same hardware as the Classic II. Not even the same processor architecture. An evolution of an earlier project, possibly, but that raises the question as to how accurate the Wiki entry is. There's nothing to corroborate a lot of the "Bandai and Apple" section, so I don't know, but if someone does have additional info, then I'd be happy to learn more. 

There was probably an earlier console concept at Bandai, but the Pippin does not use a 68030.

Does this spoil Leaps + Bounds for me? No, not at all. This are mere niggle in the overall scheme of things, but it is something that the potential buyer should beware of, as well as anyone who wants to use this tome as a source of reference. Always check your sources and, where possible, more than one. As an aside, the most recent issue of PC Pro has a retro piece on the Pippin and it pretty much regurgitates the Wiki story. If you hadn't guessed by now, I have many questions about the history and I may post again on the topic in the coming days.  

Overall, I really do like the latest publication from Bitmap Books, and it's one that will be enjoyed as much by reading through cover to cover, as it will be just dropping in for casual perusal. You can pick up a copy of Leap + Bounds directly from Bitmap Books, as well as the usual online and physical bookstores.