Retro GameBook Color - A Celebration Of Nintendo's First Colour Handheld

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Ninty Media has already scored one success with GameBook: The Unofficial DMG Companion, a guide to the original monochrome Game Boy, but it has now returned with a sequel – this time focused on the Game Boy Color.

We were fortunate enough to be sent a copy of GameBook Color and we can confirm it's just as packed with quality content as its forerunner – including chapters from Hookshot Media contributors such as Mike Diver, Ashley Day and Ryan Craddock.

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The format is very much as it was with the previous book; an introduction section gives you the history of Nintendo's first full-color handheld before passing over to the various writers, who pick a theme (be it a game or an element of the console's hardware) and dig into their memories for anecdotes and stories that illustrate keenly how this diminutive handheld captured the hearts and minds of an entire generation.

At the back of the book, there are pages devoted to some of the system's key games, as well as a bonus feature on the ill-fated Virtual Boy – the final contribution made by the late Gunpei Yokoi to Nintendo's hardware catalogue.

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The words are pretty damn great, but these are augmented by some amazing bespoke artwork – with the highlight (for us, anyway) being Wil Overton's gorgeous piece for Zelda: Link's Awakening.

If we had any feedback, it would be that the paper stock used makes some of the excellent macro photography look slightly dull, but this is a relatively minor complaint – we can't imagine any self-respecting Game Boy fan is going to be disappointed with this.

Ninty Media is tackling the GBA next, and we can't wait to see how that one turns out.

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GameBook Color is available now, direct from the publisher, for £29.99. The deluxe version – which we were sent – costs £49.99.