Videogames have always been one of the most interesting parts of the annual statfest that is the Guinness Book of Records. By now though the amount of records has far outstripped the 2 pages usually allocated in the big book and now commands 256 pages of its own. So is the new spin-off worth the £15.99 asking price?

Firstly it has to be acknowledged that GWR have done this properly by enlisting the help and database of gaming record keepers Twin Galaxies. It is these guys who have provided the massive high score table at the back of the book to hold the big arcade score list as well as the speedrun tables that appear on every individual game section.

The book in its first year is pretty much a collection of the industry's history. The book starts by introducing the book itself and Twin Galaxies as well as describing the process of bringing the book together. The details for submitting or making a record attempt are also listed. Next comes the timeline of 2007, starting with Gears of War topping the 360 chart and ending with the launch of Singstar for the PS3. Doesn't sound like such a good year when you think of it like that. The 'Year in Review' section closes with the 20 best selling games of the year, rather pleasingly including Peggle at 18.

Next comes the hardware section, starting with the history of consoles and gaming machines from the Magnavox Odyssey to the Wii. Next the most notable consoles are covered over the usual 2 page spread that all GWR fans will be familiar with. Its funny to note that the N64 and Gamecube hold so few records between them that they share a section. All the console stats are included in there as well, useful next time you're arguing over specs. There's also a list of the 5 best selling games on each of the featured consoles.

Next is the games section, the games are split by genre (action adventure, fighting, shooting, platform, sports, racing, RPG, MMORPG, strategy, simulation, music and puzzle. Each genre section contains dedicated spreads for the most important games in their class. Rather pleasing inclusions include Alone in the Dark, Trackmania and Ultima Online. There are also interviews in this section with Twin Galaxies founder Walter Day, the youngest pro gamer Lil Poison, pint size musician Tommy Tallarico and Traveller's Tales head Johnathan Smith.

Finally there comes a big arcade love fest with the 100 best selling arcade machines and some select arcade records. No prizes for guessing the best seller. Then comes the big high score load, which is pretty much a wall of stats. And Ikaruga high scores.

Overall the book is a celebration of the gaming industry and the gamers who have made it into what it is. Its also not entirely stoic like the normal book thanks to records like 'Worst Game Dialogue' and 'First Game to Feature a Gravity Gun'.

Overall the book is a worthy way to spend £16 if you're interested and if you can find it cheaper then it should be considered a must buy.

I'll end this here, I've gotten distracted by 4chan.

>NJ