Even though non-fiction video game books have been available for decades, the choice could have been better. Yet, now you can pick between hundreds of them, with something for everyone. While some are all about history lessons, others focus on stories about specific games or systems. Furthermore, you can choose between text-heavy literature, those that are all about the illustrations, or something in between. You'll find all of them in our list of the best video game books, as they aren't just fun to read but also feature gorgeous designs and hardback covers. Therefore, these books about gaming culture represent a perfect gift for a gamer dear to you. Although, you might want them in your collection too!

10. Sega Arcade: Pop-Up History

As we mentioned, all the books on our top ten list are not only fantastic reads, but they are all visually striking. Yet, Sega Arcade: Pop-Up History goes a step further, making it unique. While Sega's arcade history is vibrant, the focus is on just six titles - OutRun, Hang-On, Space Harrier, After Burner, Power Drift, and Thunder Blade. All these are iconic, and this book will let you learn more about them straight from the mouth of the developer Yu Suzuki.

Yet, that striking part we mentioned is all about the pop-up pages recreating the arcade cabinets as 3D objects! While you can appreciate them through words and pictures, this takes things to another level. Some of these cabinets were insanely expensive at the time, and even today, few people can afford them. While this is a book you can easily experience in a day, its uniqueness makes it a splendid buy!

9. The Game Console 2.0

Subtitled "A Photographic History from Atari to Xbox," this book tries to cover as many consoles as possible. This means it's about more than just the most popular systems in the video game industry but the ones you have yet to hear of. Yet, while PlayStation, N64, or Xbox 360 earn six pages, PC-FX, Apple Pippin, or GX4000 got only one. As you can imagine, the focus here is on the visual side, as the author Evan Amos photographed every console. We can't give enough praise for the quality of his work, as even the oldest and most obscure devices look brand new!

As a special treat, Amos even deconstructed many systems and their controllers, so you could examine their insides. It's fascinating to see the messy Sega Saturn mainboard or how the powerful Xbox console resembles a PC. Every system includes basic info and a few sentences about its life. Yet, this is the easiest and most visually pleasing way to get through the chronology of video games! Just get a 2.0 revision, as it contains 50 more pages and as many systems.

8. PC Engine: The Box Art Collection

PC Engine: The Box Art Collection is the newest addition to the excellent Bitmap Books series focused on video game cover art. As the PC Engine remains a relatively exotic platform, this book will take you to an undiscovered, and wonderful world. This product overviews over 300 games, and while the box cover illustrations are the focal point, there's more. Every title has a decent info box and screenshots, giving you an idea if you should play them.

Additionally, you'll find a decent history lesson about the PC Engine, further illustrating its uniqueness. With so many hardware revisions, things got complicated, but this book explains it quite well. As usual for the Bitmap Books, the book looks gorgeous (especially the Collector's Edition), and it needs to be on your shelf if you love the platform or are at least curious about it.

7. NEOGEO: A Visual History

As the Holy Grail of retro gaming, Neo Geo deserves much love from book publishers. Yet, NEOGEO: A Visual History is the only one worthy of the system. Almost 400 pages cover the most essential aspects of the console/arcade system, serving some beautiful pictures to illustrate it. While the focus is clearly on the visual side, many fun stories exist. For example, the writers gave a terrific overview of the Neo Geo hardware, including the Neo Geo CD.

Of course, many games earned their place here, though don't expect individual reviews. Instead, the focus is on their covers and the beauty of pixel art graphics. This includes the titles from the early SNK days, with some still very playable today. Yet, the book also holds numerous interviews with people from SNK and game developers. Their insight into the system is precious and will make you appreciate it even more. While we hope for more Neo Geo books, this officially licensed one will always stay a great purchase.

6. The Games That Weren't

The Games That Weren't give us an incredible insight into the dark side of gaming – the titles that were never published. Yet, you will learn that canceled games are nothing new, as the book covers video game development from 1975 to 2015. This includes titles from many platforms, ranging from arcades to modern consoles. The in-depth coverage is most impressive here, as 80 titles are spread over almost 650 pages. As you can imagine, this includes lots of exclusive content and even concept art if the screenshots are unavailable. Also, if the game is playable in some form today, you'll know about it.

As a surprise, there's a section dedicated to systems that never saw the light of the day, including the Atari 2600 predecessor. Finally, expect interviews with legends such as Geoff Crammond, Jon Hare, or Jeff Minter. While reading about your favorite games is always fascinating, those that never made it form the alternative narrative as you wonder what might have happened.

5. Sega Dreamcast Collected Works

Looking at the best gaming books, you'll see that every retro Nintendo system is covered numerous times. Yet, the beloved Sega platforms deserved just a few releases. Still, Read-Only Memory pays respect to the tragic Dreamcast, which ended Sega as a hardware company. The authors included some exclusive material with permission from the company, such as photos of manufacturing prototypes or rare hardware.

The interviews with the top developers are even more fascinating, including Yu Suzuki, Naoto Ohshima (Sonic Adventure), and Masayoshi Kikuchi (Jet Set Radio). This book only aims to cover some games for the system, as it focuses on some of the most famous ones. Yet, it succeeds at creating an ultimate Dreamcast story that shouldn't be missed.

4. The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia 

Nintendo hit the spot with The Legend of Zelda series, which has remained incredibly popular since its birth in 1986. Every game in the series created by Shigeru Miyamoto was a system seller, and luckily, we can explore that in the official Nintendo books. While all of them are amazing, The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia is the one you need to buy first. On 320 pages, you'll find tons of information about every official Zelda game, concluding with Twilight Princess HD. Unfortunately, Breath of the Wild is left out, even though the book came out after the game.

Yet, what's in here is very impressive, as it covers pretty much everything to know about the series. This includes Hyrule and other lands, main heroes and villains, and different races you meet. The book also pays attention to the equipment and even the evolution of the world maps throughout the series. The archives section is dedicated to each game and features development documents. Finally, there's an in-depth interview with The Legend of Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma.

3. A Guide to Japanese Role Playing Games

This book may be controversial because of how it defines JRPG. This means it considers only role-playing games made in Japan instead of defining them based only on gameplay. Yet, even without those Western-developed JRPGs, this is still a mammoth book, covering titles from 1982 to those you can play on modern systems. This includes the Final Fantasy series but also many obscure ones. Hence, it has more than 600 games spread over 650+ pages. This leads us to another controversy, as the book also covers tactical RPGs such as Jeanne D'Arc, or actions like The Legend of Zelda.

While there are plenty of beautiful pixels to look at, the focus is on the story, as every game is covered in detail. Heck, before you even get to them, you'll learn more about the genre's history. With so much content, A Guide to Japanese Role Playing Games is the reference book for everyone loving the genre. Also, if a Japanese title has an English fan translation, you'll know about it!

2. Super Nintendo Anthology Gold Edition

There are tons of Super Nintendo books, but none rivals Super Nintendo Anthology Gold Edition! On over 500 pages, you'll find everything you need to know about the beloved console. This includes the system's chronology, starting decades before it was released. Yet, that's only the beginning, as you'll learn all about the console's hardware on over 100 pages. Do expect detailed stories about the audio and graphical capabilities, but also accessory reviews.

Finally, over 350 pages are dedicated to games published for the system. What makes this book special is that it's the only one covering almost a thousand Japanese-only games. Naturally, the most relevant ones like Star Ocean, International Superstar Soccer Deluxe, or Mortal Kombat got a whole page. In contrast, others received only a few sentences and a single screenshot. While Game Geeks' books about gaming culture are generally incredibly detailed, Super Nintendo Anthology Gold Edition is their best work so far!

1. Undisputed Street Fighter

Capcom's Street Fighter II redefined gaming by revolutionizing the fighting genre. Everywhere on Earth, you could see people competing against each other in official, worldwide tournaments. Undisputed Street Fighter covers the game's impact on the rise of pro gaming, but it doesn't forget anything else. After the in-depth history section, you will dive deep into stories connected to the series, including merchandise, comics, and movies.

Yet, most of the book is dedicated to all fighters in the series, including Street Fighter V. Naturally, icons like Ryo and Ken got much more space than someone like Elena or Abel. While there are newer Street Fighter books, this one offers the best content. If you love fighting games, you need it!

As a perfect combination of great design and fun content, all these best video game books in our top ten deserve a place in your collection. Alternatively, they are the perfect gift for gamers, especially older ones. Likewise, consider the alternatives we listed, as they are also excellent choices. As the new books keep coming, we'll refresh this list when needed!

Do you have some gaming books in your collection? Which one is your favorite? Let us know down below!

Cover photo: TopTens archive