This is a creative nonfiction graphic novel on the history of video games. I’ll start with the pros:
Interesting tidbits on game development, tech innovation, commercialization, and the names behind it.
Trivia on what inspired beloved characters and cult following games.
The massive shifts in popular game modes throughout time.
The creative way in which this information is presented (as time travelling characters that pop into momentous times in video game history).

What it could be better:
The colors were dull considering the exciting subject material.
Some parts were a slog to read and I found it hard to get back into the story.
There were some parts where the audience is treated as very knowledgable on the subject, but other times definitions of basic gaming jargon was offered (like farming, and tanking). What irritated more about this was that it happened after midpoint of the game. If your audience doesn’t know that after reading half the book, they would have dnf’d.
Overall, I’m glad I read it but it could use improvement.

Are you a big fan of video games and want a fun story that takes you through the history of gaming? This book is perfect for you—or anyone curious about how video games began and evolved over time. The main characters guide you on a journey through gaming history in an engaging and educational way. I’ll definitely be getting this book for my son—it’s a great, fun resource for homeschooling! The art is vibrant and complements the information perfectly, making the learning experience enjoyable and easy to follow.

This is perfect for videogame fans and novices alike. It makes a great non-fiction graphic novel as the author and illustrator literally draw themselves into the story and time travel through the evolution of video games. They have a handheld videogame device that serves as a wikipedia fact-checker, named Robicheaux (Roby). This was so interesting to me as a child of the 90s who casually played Mario Brothers and Sonic, and even remember playing a knock-off game of pong and Dungeons and Dragons on our basement atari console. My grandpa bought a used atari game in the 90s and the grandkids loved playing retro games even before it was a thing.

Then I must have missed all of the games that game in the 2000s and 2010s because it was all new to me, but I loved learning about technology, music, and art converging through this medium. The book is a page turner, with Emilie and Jean keeping the reader entertained, and interjecting their own feelings about the games. They deliver humor and nostalgia in equal measures, then even deliver a bit of action at the end of the book!

I really enjoyed this and will recommend it to everyone I know who likes videogames!

This was honestly a very interesting concept. Emilie Rouge's illustrations were fantastic, often adapting to the styles of the games and titles being discussed. As someone who is a casual gamer, I was really excited to read this graphic novel. Jean Zeid is clearly an expert, and I'd like to read a more detailed book by him.

I'm stating all this because the book was honestly very dense and uninteresting. I remember following Crash Course Gaming History when they ran that series, and enjoyed every episode. I genuinely felt like I learned a lot there. But with this graphic novel... it felt more like info dumps. At some point, I started losing interest because the information wasn't easy to follow. The frequent going back in time sort of muddled the chronology for me. Plus, almost none of the humour made me laugh.

The book is too surface-level to appeal to enthusiasts, and too dense with info-dumps to appeal to casual readers and gamers. I really wanted to like this one, but I found it just okay. I'm rating it a 3-star because the illustrations are genuinely great, and the info—if you can pace yourself—is actually quite interesting if consumed in smaller bites.

This was a fun, nostalgic romp through video game history, most of which I was lucky enough to experience firsthand. I've read plenty of books on the topic, but this book really stood out because of the creative art and narrative style it employed. I enjoy graphic novels, but sometimes they can feel more marketed toward children. This book managed to walk the line between fun and informative perfectly.

The age of video games it´s a very complete exploration of the world and history of video games, presented in a graphic narrative format that is used sparingly.
Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for this advanced reader's copy.

Thanks to Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for this eARC. Very detailed documentation on the history of video games.

This book was a relatively fun read.

I loved the graphic novel format - it was perfectly fitting for the theme.
I loved the humorous details and some of the interactions between side characters.

What I didn't like was how the book was filled with data (dates, names, and events) that were absolutely chaotic and had no logical consistency for me.
I understand that it is hard to organize such a big pile of information, but I got completely lost in it, and felt like I was going through an ADHD dictionary half of the time.

I did learn a lot of interesting facts, which I will definitely research further, because most of the things were only lightly touched upon.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the authors for granting me this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

The Age of Video Games offers a solid overview of gaming history with some insightful moments. It’s informative, but lacks the deeper analysis or storytelling flair that could’ve brought it to life. Great for newcomers, but seasoned gamers may crave more depth and nuance.

The Age of Video Games is a super fun read! This graphic novel takes the reader on an adventure through the history of video games to the current day of e-sports and YouTube commentary. I had a great time following Jean and Émilie’s adventure and also learned a lot about little-known creators.

The book breaks the fourth wall to address the reader directly as the authors/characters discuss video games even as they are pulled into something resembling a game. This set up is a wonderful way to introduce discussions about video game tropes while also presenting real history. It’s also a fun way for the reader to follow the narrative.

The Age of Video Games is an excellent resource for anyone interested in video games and their history.

This review is my honest opinion of the book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a digital copy for me to read in advance of the publication date.

This book is a fantastic introduction to the history of video games. This graphic novel does a fantastic job at balancing the amount of information shared and the art. Speaking of the art - they did a great job, the illustrations are suer cute. This book is great for people who know nothing about video games and for video game fans who are looking to learn more about what's lead up the to the games we have now.

This book includes not just information about past games, but information about the people who created them, from the small developers to the big companies that have become household names.

I would like to thank McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review

This is an engaging and well-researched graphic novel about the history of video games. The Age of Video Games not only covers the history of video games and how they came to be, but also the impact they have on society. The combination of graphic novel and non-fiction is such a fun and accessible way to learn about a topic. I will admit the dialogue between the two characters was a bit silly at times, but it provided a good break and helped keep me focused and engaged with the topic.

Thank you, Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing, for the digital ARC.

How better than to tell the story of the history of video games, but in the form of a graphic novel. This book helps us travel through time to find out the history of video games.

The storyline is informative, but not overwhelming with too much information, it has just the right amount to get a basic knowledge but have some fun trivia pieces as well. (I thought I was being smart when I was telling my partner about some of the stuff I learnt - forgetting that he is a video game nerd and knows it all already).

I regally enjoyed this book. It’s pretty and will be good for all ages.

The Age of Video Games is exactly what it says on the tin. A graphic novel that explores the history of video games from Pong to joysticks, 8-bit to VR it offers a lively illustrated exploration into its conception and evolution.

This graphic novel uses the narrative style of having the author and illustrator be "characters" in the book. One asking questions and the other being the guide through the history. This style has it's good moments but in general it falls flat. The jokes don't land, the dialogue is clunky and the chronology isn't always chronological. It was a good idea but a poor execution.

The art style is nice enough. It is quite simplistic but it does it's job.

I had a good enough time reading this and I did learn some things. Though it is also quite dense and could have been more light.

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel publishing for providing an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own

Unfortunately this wasn’t as exciting of a graphic novel as I was hoping for going into it. The characters didn’t vibe well with me and it was a bit awkward at times. It really felt like it was just jam packing all the information into every page where it felt like I was studying for a test and having to memorize all the important names and dates and events. The art style was really nice and I enjoyed the little side kick as a fun ice breaker between the two main characters but this one just didn’t do it for me.

This was such a fun and super educational comic all about how video games have changed over the years! As a gamer myself, I had a blast reading it and totally recommend it to anyone who’s even a little curious about gaming history. Especially great for kids who wanna learn in a cool way instead of reading dry theory stuff—this makes it so much easier to get into! Perfect intro for future game devs too. Honestly, this was such a fun read. 🕹

Thanks so much to Jean, Émilie and NetGalley for the ARC and the opportunity to geek out over games like this!

I liked the art style and the characters who traveled through the video game history. Some fun nostalgia for me and I learned some while reading. I can see this actually being part of a video game course, and there is potential for more here if concentrated on individual genres. Absolutely worth a read for comic and game lovers alike, with a side of history.

I'm super grateful to have gotten an ARC of the English translation of this book through NetGalley. A huge thanks to Andrews McMeel Publishing.

The concept of The Age of Video Games is that Jean Zeid - a journalist and video game historian - is explaining the history of video games to artist Emilie Rouge- a fan. We, as the readers, get to follow along on the journey because this story is told in comic book form; Zeid and Rouge get the comic book treatment and are inserted in some of the most famous video games throughout history.

I requested this ARC through NetGalley because I was planning on doing some posts about video games over on my blog Grrrl Fans and I thought this would give me some historical context that I could build on.

I really liked the way that Zeid and Rouge framed this story. Inserting themselves into various games and having Zeid (an expert) explain things to Rouge (a fan) was a fun way of going about this. Rouge had the opportunity to respond the way that someone who was learning this information might respond.

Thanks to The Age of Video Games, I learned some history of video games. I discovered some people I want to learn more about.

The only real bit of feedback I can give is that I really don't like NetGalley's app, and that seemed to be the only way to read this. I realize the authors and publishers don't have any control over NetGalley's app, though.

All in all, a good overview of video game history.

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the ARC.

Unfortunately this really missed the mark for me. I struggled to read it right off the bat with the, in my opinion, unnecessary introduction of the two characters. The pacing and dialogue were awkward, with parts difficult to read with the attempted targeting of a Gen Z and younger audience. It really felt like there was an assumption the reader would be lacking any common intellect, with unnecessary handholding from A to B. It will likely appeal more to the age 10 - 16 American demographic.

TLDR; not for me, disappointed at the lost potential here.

1.5/5

Thank you to Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this graphic novel. This is Magic School Bus mixed with a documentary on Video Game history. This art is beautiful, and the information is interesting to read about, however, I think that it is one that I would personally reread in small doses due to all of the facts coming at me since I know very little. Because of these points, I have to give this a 4 out of 5 stars.