When it launched in 1994, the Sony PlayStation significantly changed the home video game console market. It eventually became the first machine to ship more than 100 million units, launched a number of new game titles, and started a revolution in the way gaming was perceived and marketed. So the new PlayStation Anthology book from publisher Geeks-Line has a fair bit of ground to cover.

Obviously we can’t judge it by the cover alone. But it’s an attractive hardback which starts from the creation of Sony following World War 2. And it runs until the PlayStation was discontinued (The PS one officially  stopped in 2006).

So the PlayStation Anthology Book gets you the full history, including the creation, successes and fame. And that includes the notable official and unofficial games throughout the life of the console.

It also features the shared concepts between Nintendo and Sony which led to the idea of the PlayStation, and the official games which were cancelled before release. So plenty of information on the Super NES CD-Rom and more. And apparently some of the information might not have been seen before – and certainly hasn’t been collected in a hardback book.

Then there are also 26 exclusive interviews with important figures from the whole PlayStation era. So that gives an insight not only into the official history, but also an honest picture of what it was like to work on the platform, and with individuals like Ken Kutaragi. Interviewees include Rodney Alan Greenblat (PaRappa the Rapper), Osamu Sato (LSD), composer Hitoshi Sakimoto (Final Fantasy Tactics, Gradius V and many more), and Hideaki Itsuno (Capcom, including the first Streetfighter Alpha).

PlayStation Anthology Book Interview List:

• Lorne Lanning (Oddworld Inhabitants – Abe’s Oddysee, Abe’s Exoddus)
• Charles Cecil (Revolution Software – Broken Sword)
• Yūji Horii (Enix – Dragon Quest)
• Rodney Greenblat (PaRappa the Rapper)
• Osamu Sato (Asmik – LSD)
• Kanta Watanabe (Fill-in-Café – Panzer Bandit, Rakugaki Showtime)
• Hitoshi Sakimoto (Square Enix – Vagrant Story, Final Fantasy Tactics)
• Martin Edmondson (Reflections – Destruction Derby, Driver)
• Hiromasa Iwasaki (Denkegi PlayStation)
• Masaya Matsuura (Composer – PaRappa the Rapper)
• Denis Friedman (Psygnosis – Adidas Power Soccer, The City of Lost Children)
• Jason Rubin (Naughty Dog – Crash Bandicoot, Jak and Daxter)
• Carlo Perconti (Toka – Burning Road)
• Michiru Yamane (Composer– Castlevania)
• Pascal Jarry (SCEE – Porsche Challenge, Rapid Racer)
• Naosuke Arai (Technosoft – Thunder Storm)
• Yokoyama Hideyuki (Atlus – Thousand Arms, Legend of Kartia)
• Julien Merceron (Ubisoft – Rayman 2)
• Yoshinori Kitase (Square Enix – Final Fantasy)
• Tommy Tallarico (Composer – Time Crisis, Earthworm Jim)
• Harada Katsuhiro (Namco – Tekken)
• Minoru Kidooka (Arc – Guilty Gear)
• Suda51 (Grasshopper – Silver Case)
• Akitoshi Kawazu (Square Enix – Final Fantasy, SaGa Frontier)
• Ian Livingstone (Eidos – Tomb Raider)
• Hideaki Itsuno (Capcom – Street Fighter Alpha, Star Gladiator)

Of course, no look back at a vintage games console would be complete without listing all of the accessories and perippherals that were available. And also running through the list of the rarest and most collectible games. And although that information can be found online, there’s nothing like sitting down with a good book and flicking through the pages while daydreaming about what you’d like to find hidden in a local secondhand shop.

So the 386 page PlayStation Anthology book is interesting for retro gamers and anyone else who remembers the iconic console. In fact, the release of the PlayStation wasn’t long before I went to university, so my memories of studying are mingled with the investment of part of my student loan, and long nights with friends trying to achieve everything possible in Oddworld: Abe’s Odyssey.

But maybe as a fan you want more? Well, there’s also a Collector’s Edition PlayStation Anthology book available, which runs to 458 pages, and also includes a complete guide to the total of 4,500 game titles released in every territory. Perfect if you’re still looking to finish your collection!

It’s quite hard to look at the examples while I’m writing this, and not rush off to check prices on eBay. Fortunately the standard classic edition of the PlayStation Anthology book is more cost-effective and takes up less space, as you can order it now for £34.90 from Amazon.

The PlayStation Anthology Book Collectors Edition is only available direct from Geeks Line at the moment. It costs £41.96. Geeks Line has also produced a Nintendo 64 Anthology, available via Amazon for £25.99 or via their site.