Rodrigo Copetti has just released the third book in his Architecture of Consoles series, called “The Pioneer Race”. This book focuses on the Sega Saturn, PlayStation, Virtual Boy, and Nintendo 64. All of Rodrigo’s work is available for free on his website or in cheaper eBook versions, however physical editions like this allow for high quality pictures and an easy reference to keep around. The hardcover is $40, paperback is $22 and the eBook version is $10, all available from the same links:
#3 – The Pioneer Race: https://amzn.to/4lConAM
#2 – The Sprite Decade: https://amzn.to/44SHzFG
#1 – The Supercomputers: https://amzn.to/4jqvBHe
Rodrigo’s Site: https://www.copetti.org/writings/consoles/
Rodrigo has been doing deep-dive analysis of consoles for years and his documentation is some of the most thorough I’ve ever seen. I sometimes use it as a technical reference, other times just to learn more about these consoles…and honestly, sometimes I just enjoy looking at the pictures. In fact, I’ve purchased Rodrigo’s other two books on paperback and even referenced them as “amazing retro nerd coffee table books”. This is the first time I’ve gotten a chance to see the hardcover in person though and it did not disappoint (click for a full-sized picture):
…and if you’d like to know more about how Rodrigo does these analysis, check out the podcast we did awhile back: Simply search any app for “RetroRGB Rodrigo”, or check out the video here:
