Tag: Books
Book Review Japansoft: An Oral History - A True Treasure You Need To Read
Celebrating the unsung heroes with this exceptional book
A few years ago, British journalist and author John Szczepaniak launched a Kickstarter campaign with a grand vision – to document the memories of some of Japan's most influential yet underappreciated games developers. The result was an extensive three-volume series (and accompanying
Gallery This Gorgeous SNES Pixel Art Book Will Make The Perfect Christmas Gift
272 pages of pixel-perfect goodness
Award-winning specialist publisher Bitmap Books has just announced an English-language version of Robert Bannert and Christine Bauer's Unofficial SNES Pixel Book – and you can order it today. Translated from the original German in collaboration with Elektrospieler, this 272-page tome is packed full of lovely...
Gallery Finally, Metal Slug Has The Official Book It Deserves
"Thank you!"
Metal Slug is arguably one of the few series from the '90s which has managed to endure and persist despite the passage of time and the advances of technology; it seems that blowing up 2D sprites has a timeless quality to it, and we've personally been really enjoying revisiting these classic games on Switch. If you're a fan of the...
Guide The Best Video Game Books
Slim volumes, huge coffee table books, the lot
The only thing more fun than playing video games is reading about them, and in the past few years, we've seen the number of game-specific books explode as players seek to learn more about the industry and writers strive to catalogue and analyse what has become one of the world's most popular forms of...
The first of its kind
Remember when we told you about Bitmap Books' upcoming Metal Slug release a couple of months ago? Well, pre-orders are now live, so what are you waiting for? Metal Slug: The Ultimate History is an officially-licensed book which documents the franchise's creation and
News Unauthorised Translations Of The Satoru Iwata Book "Will Be Subject To Criminal Charges"
An official translation could happen
Recently, a book celebrating the life of late Nintendo president Satoru Iwata was released in Japan. Featuring words shared by Iwata-san on the official Nintendo website and contributions from the likes of Shigeru Miyamoto, it has understandably been subject to high demand from gaming fans around the world...
News Shigeru Miyamoto, Like All Of Us, Still Dearly Misses Satoru Iwata
"We never fought about anything"
Four years ago, Nintendo lost CEO Satoru Iwata, arguably one of the most important people in the company's long history. Under Iwata's watchful eye, Nintendo rose to heights it had never before experienced; he oversaw the development of the DS – the company's most successful piece of hardware – and the Wii – a...
News A Book Celebrating The Life Of Satoru Iwata Announced For Release In Japan
With words from Shigeru Miyamoto
A book aiming to celebrate the life of late Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has been revealed. It will be released in Japan, although no launch date has currently been set. The book comes from Japanese company Hobonichi - which was founded in June 1998 by EarthBound creator, Shigesato Itoi - and will collect words...
News New Book Aims To Chronicle The Unseen History Of SNK's Metal Slug Series
Metal Slug: The Ultimate History will go behind the scenes
UK publisher Bitmap Books has announced that it is producing an officially-licenced history of SNK's beloved Metal Slug franchise, and has been given "unprecedented access" to the company's archives in order to compile the publication. Metal Slug: The Ultimate History is the first...
News New Book Delves Into The History Of Star Fox And F-Zero
Otherwise known as "the franchises fans really want"
Star Fox and F-Zero. Hearing those two names – assuming you're of a certain age – will probably force you to come out in fits of nostalgia, your mind flooded by memories of the good old days when the SNES and N64 were the hottest tickets in town. Today, neither franchise really seems to be at...
Feature Dark Horse On Creating The Ultimate Companion To The World Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
"I played it like an archaeologist"
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was perhaps the perfect launch title for Switch; not only is it a critically-acclaimed classic in its own right, but it also took the beloved series in an exciting new direction, something which could also be said about the Switch itself, thanks to its unique hybrid nature...
News It Looks Like The Official Super Mario Encyclopedia Plagiarised A Fan-Made Wiki
Dark Horse by name, Dark Horse by nature?
Update: One of the translators involved with the book has explained on Twitter that they often use online wikis as sources when an accepted or official name doesn't exist: Original Story: Dark Horse Publishing recently released an official Super Mario Encyclopedia, which, according to the publisher's...
With new content and images
Back in 2013, video game journalist and historian John Szczepaniak embarked on a crowdfunded adventure to chart the hitherto untold stories of the Japanese game development community. He flew out to Japan and spoke to some of the unsung heroes of the gaming world - as well as few true legends, such as Henk Rogers and Yuzo...
News This NES Encyclopedia Catalogues Every Game Released For The System In Lovely Book Form
Will be available worldwide
Whether you're old enough to remember buying your very own, or you're simply interested in gaming history, you'll no doubt be aware of the NES. The Nintendo Entertainment System - to give it its full name - first found its way into people's homes during the '80s, introducing players to the likes of Super Mario Bros. and...
Gallery This Dead Cells Book By Third Editions Looks Beautiful And Informative
Out February 2019
Dead Cells is a beautifully designed game, so how about a special book to go with it? The Heart of Dead Cells book, produced in collaboration with the game's developer Motion Twin, is part "making-of" and part art book. It offers a plethora of illustrations and exclusive behind the scenes information about the game's universe,...
Feature The Unlikely Story Of Sega And Nintendo's Early Coin-Op Alliance
Before they were enemies...
They didn't call it a 'console war' for nothing; the titanic struggle for domination of the living room that took place between Sega and Nintendo in the 1990s has gone down as the stuff of video gaming legend. The two companies fought tooth and nail during the 16-bit era, with the SNES and Mega Drive (Genesis if you're in...
Random Admit It, You Need This Sega Pop-Up Book In Your Life
Hang-On! Space Harrier! After Burner! Cardboard!
Sega's classic '80s arcade machines are works of art; they were designed to attract your attention and tempt you to part with your spare change, and as a result were brightly-coloured, exotic creations that even today possess an undeniable aesthetic charm. Sadly, unless you're like Nintendo Life...
News Kickstarter For The Sega Master System Visual Compendium Is Now Live
And it's got Sega's blessing, too
Our pals over at Bitmap Books are at it again, this time focusing their attention on the Sega Master System, the 8-bit console that took on the NES and failed (unless you were in Brazil or Europe, in which case it emerged victorious). The latest entry in the popular Visual Compendium series - which has already...
Competition Win A Set Of Third Editions Books, Including Zelda, Dark Souls And Final Fantasy
Book worm
French publisher Third Editions does a fantastic line in deep and engaging video game books, and has previously released titles focusing on the likes of Zelda, Dark Souls and Metal Gear Solid. The company is currently running a Kickstarter campaign to translate more of its books into English, and has kindly prov
News After The NES And SNES, Bitmap Books' Next Tome Tackles The Sega Master System
To be this good takes ages
UK publisher Bitmap Books has confirmed that its next "Visual Compendium" will switch focus to Nintendo's rival, Sega. Bitmap's last two compendiums focused on the NES and SNES, and showcased loads of lovely screenshots, artwork, features and exclusive interviews. The next book will highlight the talents of th
Zelda: BOTW book included
If you're a fan of video game books then chances are you'll already be familiar with the name Third Editions. This French publisher has produced some incredible books in the past and recently translated some of them into English - including an excellent analysis of the Zelda series. The company is now seeking
Gallery Leafing Through Bitmap Books' SNES / Super Famicom Visual Compendium
You can order it from today
The SNES is so hot right now. Not only have we seen the SNES Classic Edition fly off the shelves amid rave reviews, we've also got the lovely new Analogue Super Nt to look forward to. To cap it all off, today sees the launch of Bitmap Books'
News Unofficial Nintendo GameCube Anthology Book Hits Kickstarter
By the book
Remember the superb N64 Anthology we covered a while back? Well the team behind that excellent tome are now producing a sequel in the shape of the GameCube Anthology. A crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter has gone live, and currently sits at just shy of 29,000 Euros - the target goal is 40,000 Euros. The final book will be 360...
News Sega Dreamcast: Collected Works Looks Like A Dream Come True
Sega's swansong
We love a good book here at Nintendo Life, and they don't get much better than Read-Only Memory's Collected Works series, which takes an in-depth look at classic consoles. As a follow-on to the excellent Sega Mega Drive/Genesis: Collected Works there is now a Dreamcast book campaign on Kickstarter.
News Prima Games' Nintendo SNES Classics Book Will Go Nicely With A SNES Mini
Now you're reading with Super Power!
Alongside the NES Mini, Prima released a lovely book featuring some of the games included on the mini-console to coincide with this. It really reminded us of the old Nintendo Power days and was a nice accompaniment to the NES Mini (that is if you were able to buy one!). To go with the SNES Mini, you'll be able...
News Get Ready For Splatoon 2 With This Ink-redible Art Book
320 pages of Splatoon goodness
We're about to go into Splatoon 2 overdrive, starting with the Nintendo Direct this Thursday. It's clear that Nintendo are going really big on this colouful sequel to the much loved Wii U series debut. With an insane about of Splatoon merch coming out this month, Nintendo also seems to be banking on the franchise big t
News Bitmap Books Announces Officially Licensed NEOGEO: A Visual History
400 pages celebrating the Rolls Royce of game consoles
UK publisher Bitmap Books - previously responsible for The Unofficial NES/Famicom: A Visual Compendium and Super Famicom: The Box Art Collection - has announced that its next project is NEOGEO: A Visual History, an officially licensed publication celebrating one of the most iconic gaming...
News Rare Treasures Aims to Chronicle the History of Rare
Published by Dark Horse Comics
Rare was a prominent part of Nintendo’s history in the 90’s, responsible for major games such as Donkey Kong Country, Banjo-Kazooie, and GoldenEye 007, though it rather famously departed from the Big N in 2002 for supposedly greener pastures with Microsoft. Still, the company holds a special place in the heart of...
Publisher was only seeking £25,000
Bitmap Books latest Kickstarter campaign has ended pretty spectacularly, raising £224,773 (around $291,000) despite only asking for £25,000. 5,101 backers pledged their support for the book, which follows the NES Visual Compendium crowdfunding campaign that raised £
News Here's Your First Look At UDON's Shovel Knight: Official Design Works
Coming in August this year
We reported last month that an official Shovel Knight art book was on the way, and now Yacht Club Games has shown off a few pages from the publication. Created in conjunction with UDON Entertainment - which can count Street Fighter, Okami, Mega Man, Dark Souls, Bayonetta and Sonic the Hedgehog amongst its other...
News An Official Shovel Knight Art Book Is in the Making
Launching late this summer
Shovel Knight was one of the breakout Nindie hits of the last generation, offering a near-perfect retro adventure that keeps on giving to this very day. Part of the game's charm comes from the 8-bit art style that simultaneously calls back to days gone by, while also bringing something new to the table by doing things that...
Book Review The Unofficial NES/Famicom: A Visual Compendium
Could this be the perfect coffee table book?
We've seen an explosion in books celebrating retro video game history lately. One of the most prolific publishers is UK-based Bitmap Books, which is responsible for many of our favourites - including the excellent Super Famicom: The Box Art Collection. Their catchily titled 'Visual Compendium' series has...
Video Leafing Through The NES / Famicom Visual Compendium
The ultimate coffee table companion?
Bitmap Books' series of visual compendiums already has a strong following amount retro gamers but its latest iteration has been perhaps the most notable yet, for two key reasons. Firstly, it utterly smashed its Kickstarter goal of £25,000 and eventually raised a whopping £190,000, and secondly, it very nearly...
Book Review Hardcore Gaming 101 Presents: The Guide To Shoot-Em-Ups Volume 1
Bullet point
The humble 2D shooter may have fallen out of favour with the mainstream these days, but it's certainly one of the most important genres in the world of video gaming. Were it not for Space Invaders – the shooter that arguably birthed a genre – then our industry may well have evolved in an entirely different fashion. During the '80s...
A minimalist trip down memory lane
We've seen lots of attractive coffee table art books aimed at retro gaming fans in recent times, which is no bad thing. Joining the ranks is a publication simply titled 8-Bit Art Book - by Ear Books - which pays homage to the visual quality of classic games spanning from 1975 to the early '90s. The author Stephan...
News You'll Want This Sonic The Hedgehog Art Book On Your Coffee Table
Shipping April 2017
Sonic turned 25 this year, and Sega marked the occasion by confirming that the popular character would be getting two new outings next year, one of which is the gorgeous-looking Sonic Mania. Art house Cook & Becker also has something special for fans of the Blue Blur coming next year - a coffee table book which shows off a...
Book Review Super Mario Adventures
A wonderfully bizarre tour of the Mushroom Kingdom
He's undoubtedly one of the most recognisable faces ever to grace the box art of a video game, but aside from his blue-collar occupation and a dislike for turtles, fans in the early '90s didn't know a whole lot about Super Mario himself. Beyond the pixels onscreen and information found buried within...
News Take A Sneak Peek At Prima's Playing With Power: Nintendo NES Classics Book
It's dangerous to go alone!
Hot on the heels of the launch of the Nintendo Classic Mini on the 11th of this month is Prima's Playing With Power: Nintendo NES Classics Book, which is available on the 18th November. The book offers a retrospective on 17 NES classics including complete walkthroughs for Super Mario Bros. 3, Donkey Kong, and The Legend...
Book Review Nintendo 64 Anthology
A fitting tribute to a beloved console
So much for the internet destroying printed media. In the past few years we've seen a wealth of amazing video game-related books, including Sega Mega Drive: The Collected Works, Britsoft and – still to come – the
Book Review Hardcore Gaming 101 Presents Data East Arcade Classics
Are you a bad enough dude to read this book?
Alongside the likes of Capcom, Konami and Namco, Data East was one of the quintessential software makers of the '80s arcade scene, but unlike those other firms it perhaps didn't have the pulling power to ensure long-term success. The company has long since been dissolved and its properties sold to the...
News Super Mario Adventures is Being Reprinted as a Graphic Novel
Available this fall
Before the days of the internet, Nintendo Power was the source for all news and secrets about Nintendo. While all those pages held invaluable information for the time, they also played home to some entertaining comic strips, such as Howard & Nester and Super Mario Adventures. Naturally, it's relatively difficult for fans of...
News NES Visual Compendium Dispute Comes To An End, Kickstarter Resumes For Final 24 Hours
A happy end
Bitmap Books appears to have come to some agreement with Nintendo of America regarding the intellectual property dispute on its NES: A Visual Compendium book. The publication - which is part of Bitmap's Visual Compendium range - had proved to be a massive crowdfunding success on
News This New Book Chronicles the Early Days of Satoru Iwata's Life
The President, Programmer, and Gamer
The late Satoru Iwata contributed much to Nintendo's history. While it's easy to remember him for his more recent accomplishments in the Wii and DS eras, many are aware that Iwata's time at the company has lasted for much longer; he got his start as a part-time programmer at HAL Laboratory in the 1980's. This...
Book Review The Unofficial Guide To Konami Shooters
A timely reminder that Konami was really good at making games, once
Konami may be retreating from the production of video games these days but not so long ago the company was seen as one of the leading lights in the industry, challenging the likes of Capcom, Sega and Nintendo when it came to creating compelling, must-have experiences. This...
News Bitmap's Next Visual Compendium Turns Its Attention To The Nintendo Entertainment System
And the Famicom, of course
UK publisher Bitmap Books has carved out quite a niche for itself in recent years. Focused on quality coffee table tomes related to video gaming, the company has produced a wide range of retro classics, with the most recent examples being the lavish Artcade and positively lush Super Famicom: Th
Gallery Cover To Cover With Super Famicom: The Box Art Collection
Art attack
Super Famicom: The Box Art Collection launches this month, but we've been lucky enough to have the chance to thumb through an advance copy ahead of its official release. Published by Bitmap Books and created by fanatical Super Famicom fan Stu Brett, this 276 page tome highlights some of the best cover artwork of the 16-bit years.
Exclusive Unboxing The Super Famicom Box Art Collection Collector's Edition
A work of art
We've been keenly following the progress of the Super Famicom Box Art Collection book for some time now, from its initial (aborted) crowdfunding campaign to the news that it would be published by Bitmap Books. After what feels like forever, the book is
News Nintendo 64 Anthology Aims To Be The Ultimate Resource For Fans
An encyclopedia to honour Nintendo's beloved system
The N64 turns 20 this year and is regarded as one of Nintendo's finest machines, not only because it pushed technological boundaries and introduced numerous innovations, but also because it was home to some of the best games in the company's library. Author and fan Mathieu Manent is working with...
Book Review Artcade: The Book Of Classic Arcade Game Artwork
Got any spare change?
It's hard to believe it now, but there was a time when the evolution of the video game industry happened not in the home, but at locations like bowling alleys, cinemas, bars and - if you're from the UK - humble fish and chip shops. While home consoles have been a massive part of gaming for decades, they traditionally lagged...
News Cult SNES Hero Plok Stars In Another Action-Packed Comic Book
"It feels great to get fourth Plok book out there"
Plok is without a doubt one of the true hidden gems of the SNES library. Created by British coding siblings Ste and John Pickford, Plok originally starred in a unique platforming epic for the 16-bit console but has since gone on to become the lead character in a series of web-based comics, drawn by...
