If you grew up with video games, you probably have fond memories of Atari consoles, the Commodore 64, and greasy-joysticked arcade cabinets in the local pizza parlor. Those days may be gone, but this chapter can help you relive those glorious games on modern hardware—or play new games on that classic hardware.

Before the Game Boy, who could have predicted the market for portable game playing? These days, who can ignore it? Instead of explaining how to complete Tetris on level 9-5 using telekinesis, this chapter explores different ways to take your games with you, including ways to have fun with portable game machines you might not have considered.

Is there a sweeter word in a game studio’s press release than “MMORPG?” Probably, but there are hundreds of thousands of players in dozens of persistent worlds. This chapter demonstrates how to enter this world, find friends and money, and even make a name for yourself.

Are there serious PC gamers who don’t worry about having the latest and greatest gear? Perhaps a few. There are so many ways to improve your gaming experience; from quieting your PC to connecting your console or computer to your home stereo system, there is something for everyone in this chapter.

If you’ve ever dreamed about having your very own arcade machine, this chapter will show you everything you need to know to start. Alternately, it proves why the $50-or-less Dreamcast is a hacker’s delight.

What happens when you break a game’s rules? What happens when you ignore the goal and strike out on your own? According to speedrunners, sequence breakers, save hackers, level builders, and machinimaniacs, fun happens. This chapter explains why the fun starts after you’ve rescued the princess.

As computers increase in power, consoles become more like computers, and the Internet connects everything, making games grows ever easier. Maybe you have a killer story to tell. Maybe you’d like to tweak an existing game. Whatever the case, this chapter will guide you to the point of playing your own creations.

Everything else cool that didn’t fit in the other chapters ended up here. This chapter isn’t discarded remains, though—not with such hacks as learning just enough Japanese to play imported games or overclocking your Sega Genesis.