Sega Arcade Classics Volume 1 cover, by Jonathan “Persona” Kim
If you are at all interested in strange/great/obscure/interesting games, you probably read Hardcore Gaming 101 on a fairly regular basis. Well, the folks behind that indispensable resource have released their second book (the first was a guide to classic adventure games), and it’s all about early Sega arcade games! Simply put, this is the most in-depth and complete English-language guide to these titles I have ever encountered.
Covering everything from classics like OutRun and After Burner to more obscure titles like Dynamite Dux, the book has everything you’d ever want to know about each game, and way more. There are breakdowns of every sequel (direct or spiritual), every port (including foreign PC versions), and even fan-made homages/hacks. I consider myself fairly well-versed on many of these games and I was constantly learning new and fascinating tidbits while reading this. The writing is passionate, but also level-headed, professional, and informed. The page layouts are bright and colorful, totally fitting the Blue Skies Sega of the era.
Back cover of the book, with a list of the games covered within.
If you are even remotely interested in Sega’s amazing early-ish arcade output (which I assume you are, if you are reading this blog), you owe it to yourself to pick it up.
BUY:
Digital version (the version I purchased- looks and runs great on my Kindle Fire)
HG101 page for the book, featuring other language versions.
Blue Skies Daily 
Pingback: Sega Arcade Games on the Wii Virtual Console | Blue Skies Daily