Tag: Books - Page 2
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...
News Hardcore Gaming 101's Next Book Focuses On Taito's Arcade Legacy
From Elevator Action to Liquid Kids
Video game site Hardcore Gaming 101 has become something of a goldmine for retro gamers, with its staff tirelessly uncovering gems from the past that everyone else has all but forgotten about. The site also produces a line of excellent books which feature both new and re-written content, and the latest offering...
Book Review The 200 Best Video Games Of All Time
Hardcore Gaming 101 does it again
People love putting things in lists - it's human nature. Since the dawn of the internet however, such lists have taken on a life of their own; starved of time, short on attention and faced with a seemingly unlimited amount of free content, the average web user wants information delivered in the shortest time...
News Super Famicom: The Box Art Collection Is Getting A Collector's Edition With Art By Wil Overton
Pre-orders open today
Those of you looking for the perfect coffee table accompaniment will no doubt have already earmarked some cash for the purchase of Super Famicom: The Box Art Collection, a lavishly-produced tome we've featured on the site a few times in the past. Penned by Stu Bre
News Super Famicom: The Box Art Collection Pre-Orders Go Live Next Month
Starting 2016 with a bang
Back in October, we delivered the happy news that Stuart "Super Famicom Guy" Brett's Super Famicom: The Box Art Collection had found a publisher and would be coming to store shelves in the near future. Bitmap Books has now revealed that pre-orders will open on January 2nd, giving you something to look forward to early in...
News You'll Want To Get Your Paws On This Lavishly Illustrated Animal Crossing Guide
Unofficial, but in the best way possible
A Guide to Village Life isn't an official publication to accompany Animal Crossing: New Leaf - hence the fact that the game's name doesn't appear anywhere on the cover. However, that's not a bad thing at all - it's highly unlikely that any official guide would have the same degree of love and care lavished on...
News Fangamer Launches Legends Of Localization Book 1: The Legend Of Zelda
It's dangerous to read alone
Fangamer is publishing a book all about the localisation (or localization, if you prefer) of the very first Legend of Zelda title on the NES, and it looks set to be an essential purchase for truly hardcore fans of the series. Written by professional translator Clyde "Tomato" Mandelin, whose credits include Attack on...
News Britsoft: An Oral History Charts The Birth Of The British Games Industry
Packed with exclusive interviews
While the exploits of Japanese and North American games makers are well documented, the considerable contribution that the United Kingdom has made to the global gaming scene is perhaps less well known. Thankfully that appears to be changing; last year's From Bedrooms to Billions documentary took an extensive look at...
"A series about art impacting life"
There once was a time when the notion of someone writing a serious book about the impact of video games would have seemed laughable, but the medium has become such an entrenched part of our popular culture that we're now blessed with many fine tomes on the topic. As if to illustrate the fact that gaming is now on...
News Nintendo of Japan Has Just Published a 30th Anniversary Super Mario Bros. Complete Encyclopedia
255 pages of gaming history
As many of you are likely aware, we're currently approaching the end of the year that has marked the 30th anniversary of the Super Mario series. It's hard to believe that this iconic game franchise has only been around for 30 years when you look at the impact it's had on the game industry and the world as a whole, but...
News Super Famicom: The Box Art Collection Is Back, And Better Than Ever
Book returns with publisher backing, Steve Jarratt editing
This time last year we reported on a book which look certain to adorn the coffee tables of Nintendo fans the world over. Stuart Brett's Super Famicom: The Box Art Collection was a glorious celebration of the lush Japanese artwork found on 16-bit Nintendo game covers of the period, and a...
Book Review The Unofficial Game & Watch Collector's Guide
LCD legacy
Game & Watch was Nintendo's first foray into the world of portable electronic gaming. These small, pocket-sized devices used LCD screens to create crude but surprisingly playable games, perfect for passing the time on the way to and from work (in fact, creator Gunpei Yokoi even stated that he was inspired to create the range after...
News Splatoon Art Book Making A Splat Landing In Japan This Year
300+ pages of kid/squid goodness
As if the Inklings among us didn't already have enough to celebrate, it looks like the 2-disc soundtrack we recently reported on isn't the only piece of Splatoon merchandise emerging from the watery depths this year. Freshly announced by Famitsu magazine and translated by
News Summer Video Game StoryBundle Features Some Awesome Nintendo-Related Reads
Castlevania! Untold History of Japanese developers! Bible Adventures!
The Summer Video Game StoryBundle is now available, and might be of particular interest to Nintendo fans thanks to the inclusion of some riveting reads. Hardcore Gaming 101's superb Castlevania retrospective is in there, as is John Szczepaniak's indispensable Untold History of...
News The First Hardcore Gaming 101 Digest Aims To Chart The Impact Of Two Of Capcom's Greats
Strider and Bionic Commando go under the microscope
Hardcore Gaming 101 isn't just a great resource for retro gamers - it has also published some excellent physical books on our beloved hobby, including one which takes a look at Sega's arcade lineage and a comprehensive history of Konami's Castlevania. The site's next project is
News A Book About The Iconic Bitmap Brothers Is Being Kickstarted
The full history of the creators of Gods, The Chaos Engine and Speedball
If you're a UK gamer with a keen sense of history then the name The Bitmap Brothers will be instantly recognisable. Most active during the 16-bit era, "The Bitmaps" are considered by many to be gaming's first "rock star" developers, and produced such classics as Gods, The Chaos...
News Konami Demands That Hardcore Gaming 101 Presents: Castlevania Book Be Removed From Sale
"Their qualm is that it's unlicensed, but it doesn't need to be"
At the request of Konami, the review-packed book Hardcore Gaming 101 Presents: Castlevania by Kurt Kalata has been removed from sale. The full colour book was only released two months ago on September 13th, and not only includes overviews of nearly every Castlevania title, but also...
Book Review Hardcore Gaming 101 Presents: Castlevania
A bloody good read
Castlevania is one of those franchises which will always be inexorably linked with Nintendo. The series became a household name thanks to its well-received NES outings, and in the days of the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS it strengthened this connection with six excellent "Metroidvania" releases. Although its future may well...
Book Review Boss Fight Books - Super Mario Bros. 2
Subcon-text
For how unique it is compared to other games in the Mario line, it’s amazing how easily Super Mario Bros. 2 is taken at face value or glossed over entirely. Many fans are happy to share the fact that the game is actually a reskin of Japanese title Doki Doki Panic after the original Super Mario Bros. sequel was deemed too difficult and...
News New Hardcore Gaming 101 Book Takes On Konami's Classic Castlevania Series
Physical and digital versions available now
Remember Sega Arcade Classics Volume 1? Well Hardcore Gaming 101 founder Kurt Kalata is taking a break before starting Volume 2 and has put together another fine tome in the form of Hardcore Gaming 101 Presents: Castlevania. Kalata will be famous among seasoned Castlevania fans as the man behind The...