I've done seven years of research for my book," says Nathan Lockard. "But I didn't know it was research until three years ago." That's when Lockard, now a high school junior in Redmond, Washington, started to get serious about videogames. The 16 year-old reviewed every game he could get his hands on (800 in all) and released them in his book The Good, The Bad, and The Bogus.
Lockard and his reviewers accept nothing but the most kick-butt action from games. Anything less receives critical commentary, such as, "The controls are the pits. Yuk!"
The Good, The Bad, and The Bogus is not without its flaws. Despite the occasional nice 'n' nasty barb, the language is surprisingly tame and colorless. A thesaurus and a creative-writing course appear to be in order.
An online service with up-to-date game info would be an ideal counterpart to the book. While Lockard can't offer this - yet - gamers can stay plugged in with the subscription to his newsletter that comes with the book.
The Good, The Bad, and The Bogus: Nathan Lockard's Complete Guide to Video Games, US$14.95. Adventure Press: +1 (206) 343 7729.
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