100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿

Overnight NZ-wide delivery on in-stock orders 🚀

A Handheld History

4.22 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 69 ratings, 14 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
A Handheld History by Lost in Cult provides an engaging exploration of portable gaming. It delves into the evolution, impact, and cultural significance of various handheld consoles over the decades, blending nostalgic reflections with technical insights to celebrate the enduring appeal of gaming on the go.
Read More
Format: Hardback
$5599
Elsewhere:
$6999
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you love exploring the evolution of handheld gaming and the cultural impact of portable technology. It's perfect for those who appreciate a blend of nostalgic storytelling and insightful commentary on how these devices have shaped the gaming world.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

A Handheld History is a unique celebration of portable platforms and their iconic games.

A comprehensive celebration of handheld consoles and their iconic games from indie journal publisher Lost In Cult

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A Handheld History is a unique celebration of portable platforms and their iconic games.

Forty years ago, businessmen fiddling with calculators inspired Gunpei Yokoi to create the Game & Watch. Ever since then, handheld gaming has been hugely influential, spawning communities who trade Pokémon in the playground and share Miis on the subway. This introspective adventure will delve into decades of gaming memories and reconnect you to that long car journey full of discarded AA batteries before speeding ahead to the contemporary days of blockbusters in your backpack.

Handheld gaming is celebrated loudly, proudly, and across hundreds of beautifully assembled pages of art and essays. Featuring words from many incredible voices, this is an unmissable ode to the gaming device that you keep close to your heart – right in your jacket pocket.

Words and art by:

Alex Olney

Ashens

Bob Wulff

Brandon Saltalamacchia

Brian Crecente

Hannah Kwan Cosselmon

Janet Garcia

Jason Bradbury

Jeff Grubb

Jonathan Traynor

Kevin Kenson

Larry Bundy Jr.

Mike Diver

Raul Higuera

Stephen Maurice Graham

Plus many more!

Made in collaboration with Retro Dodo. This edition published in partnership with Expanse, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The book celebrates the nostalgia of handheld gaming with visually rich illustrations, personal stories, and historical timelines that appeal to gaming enthusiasts. It brings to life the joy and playfulness of portable gaming experiences while providing a detailed study of the evolution and aesthetic impact of handheld devices. The work is noted for encouraging intellectual discussions around gaming, making it a treasured collectible for fans of the genre.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780008598174

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 12 October 2023

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Expanse

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 33.0mm

Width: 195.0mm

Height: 252.0mm

Weight: 1120g

Pages: 272

About the Author

Lost In Cult is an independent book publisher and design studio based in the United Kingdom dedicated to celebrating video games as a culturally significant art form. Lost In Cult puts the industry's best writers and artists in conversation with the medium's most important works and creators to examine their rich, often-overlooked history. With a dual emphasis on long-form prose and bespoke artwork, Lost In Cult challenges curiously-minded games enthusiasts to consider the field differently, exploring themes and ideas which conceptualise both perennial classics and overlooked gems through contemporary lenses.

Also by Lost in Cult

View all
  • The Console Chronicles
    The Console Chronicles will take you on a unique journey through the history of gaming platforms. Fifty years ago, the home console was an anomaly that predated when everyone around the world knew the name Nintendo. With each passing generation, consoles evolved, their pixels exchanged for polygons. Over time, these machines gained popularity and brought the beginnings of a new...
    Hardback
    $7199
    Elsewhere:
    $8999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Anime Archives
    Embark on a voyage through a chronological history of anime that explores both the marquee cinematic touchstones and enduring series that have shaped the medium. The Anime Archives celebrates it all, from the Studio Ghibli films that fans queued for at the cinema to the eagerly-anticipated weekly One Piece episodes, and Attack on Titan’s enormous cultural footprint, no icon will...
    Hardback
    $5600
    Elsewhere:
    $6999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Joysticks to Haptics
    Joysticks to Haptics is the ultimate compendium of gaming controllers and retro peripherals from the world of gaming. As video games are played, memories are left in the grooves of their controllers. Atari joysticks still remember being pushed to the limit from afternoons spent playing Frogger. GameCube controllers echo with the clatter of intense Super Smash Bros bouts. Each gesture...
    Hardback
    $6400
    Elsewhere:
    $7999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Arcade Adventures
    Pre-order
    Arcade Adventures
    Arcade Adventures tells the story of video game arcades, from the pioneering technology of the 1970s and the golden age of the 1980s, to the modern experiences of today. Arcades were a true pioneer of gaming, existing long before consoles were played in homes around the world. Arcade Adventures celebrates the history of these beloved spaces, from the enduring playability...
    Hardback
    $8999
    Pre-order
    Out 6 Oct 2026

More from Computing & Technology

View all
  • Digital Minimalism
    Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport presents a revolutionary strategy for optimising your interaction with digital technology in a way that fosters productivity, focus, happiness, and creativity. Most of us recognise that our reliance on texting, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter is not due to sheer lack of intelligence or depth, but because these platforms truly offer significant value in the form...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    Empire of AI
    An eye-opening account of the tech arms race shaping our planet, from an award-winning journalist and AI insider to the world of Sam Altman and OpenAI. When longtime AI expert and journalist Karen Hao first began covering OpenAI in 2019, she thought they were the good guys. Founded as a nonprofit with safety enshrined as its core mission, it was...
    Paperback
    $2899
    Elsewhere:
    $3700
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Careless People
    Shocking and darkly funny, Careless People gives you a front-row seat to the decisions that are shaping our world and the people who make them. Welcome to Facebook. Sarah Wynn-Williams, a young diplomat from New Zealand, pitched for her dream job. She saw Facebook's potential and knew it could change the world for the better. But, when she got there...
    Paperback
    $2800
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Open to Work
    ‘Open To Work helps you stop fearing the future and start shaping it with purpose.’ Jay Shetty‘An instantly useful guide to futureproofing your career.’ Adam Grant‘Open to Work lays out a smart and clear path to the future of work’ Brené Brown In a world where AI is transforming work at a rapid pace, Open to Work is your essential...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies
    The founder of the field of AI risk explains why superintelligent AI is a global suicide bomb and we must halt development immediately. AI is the greatest threat to our existence that we have ever faced. The technology may be complex but the facts are simple. We are currently on a path to build superintelligent AI. When we do, it...
    Paperback
    $3200
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Amazing Generation
    A children's version of the global bestseller The Anxious Generation How can we live a happy and exciting life without a smartphone? The Anxious Generation started a world-changing conversation about the effects of smartphones and social media on young people. Now bestselling authors Jonathan Haidt and Catherine Price have teamed up to talk directly to those young people about how...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Infinity Machine
    A revelatory portrait of the visionary behind Google DeepMind, the race to control the future - and what it means to win. Even in a tech world crowded with visionary leaders, Demis Hassabis is recognised as a special case. Born to working-class, immigrant parents in North London, a chess prodigy by five and wizard coder in his teens, he turned...
    Paperback
    $3499
    Elsewhere:
    $4500
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Co-Intelligence
    From Wharton professor and author of the One Useful Thing Substack, comes an urgent and definitive playbook for working, learning and living in the new age of AI. For fans of Kevin Kelly, Ray Kurzweil, Cal Newport, and Martin Ford. A New York Times Bestseller Co-Intelligence is the very best book I know about the ins, outs, and ethics of...
    Paperback
    $3400
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Bullet Journal Method
    The Bullet Journal Method by Ryder Carroll is an indispensable guide to gaining control over your chaotic life using the power of a simple pen and notebook. Whether you're a seasoned planner or a beginner, this book lays out a revolutionary system that provides structure, clarity, and purpose to your everyday activities. It's not just a method of organising your...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Careless People
    Shocking and darkly funny, Careless People gives you a front-row seat to the decisions that are shaping our world and the people who make them. Welcome to Facebook. Sarah Wynn-Williams, a young diplomat from New Zealand, pitched for her dream job. She saw Facebook's potential and knew it could change the world for the better. But, when she got there...
    Paperback
    $3200
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (4)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Little Book of Data
    Data is not about number crunching. It’s about ideas. And when used properly (read: ethically), it is the problem solver of our time. Yet many savvy people seem to be in data denial: they don’t think they need to understand data, or it’s too complicated, or worse, using it is somehow unethical. As data and AI (just an accelerated way...
    Paperback
    $3400
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Don’t Burn Anyone at the Stake Today
    An electrifying, thought-provoking exploration of how the digital era is reshaping our world, by bestselling, Women's Prize-winning writer Naomi Alderman. What's the most useful thing you could know about your own life? In this era-defining book, developed from her groundbreaking Radio 4 essay series, Naomi Alderman turns her boundless curiosity and incisive thinking to a question that affects us all—how...
    Hardback
    $3500
    Elsewhere:
    $4500
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.