New NES Book
For those of you who have asked, here's an update on Classic Home Video Games Vol. 2:
I put the manuscript in the mail today, which means the book should be out sometime in late 2009, maybe as early as the fall.
The book includes descriptions/reviews of every U.S.-released game for the Atari 7800 (updated/revised/expanded from Vol. 1), the NES, and the Sega Master System. The entries are longer than those in Vol. 1, with most falling between 125-185 words. When possible, I compared the games to their arcade, computer, and other-console counterparts, and plenty of historical data is included as well.
The book also includes an introduction by Bill "The Game Doctor" Kunkel, which I'm really excited about. As a teenager, I eagerly devoured every issue of Electronic Games Magazine, and I'm honored that he wrote the intro.
One of the pleasures of writing the book was discovering certain titles that I had never played before, such as the surprisingly enjoyable The Ninja for the Master System and the delightful Kiwi Kraze for the NES. And it was fun to revisit old favorites, such as Contra, Mario Bros., and Popeye. And of, course, there were drawbacks as well, such as trudging through such dreck as Hydlide and Wolverine for the NES and the "great" series of sports titles for the Master System.
As soon as I get more info (release date, cover scan, etc.,), I'll let you know.
Thanks to those of you who purchased Vol. 1, helping make a second volume possible.
Brett
I put the manuscript in the mail today, which means the book should be out sometime in late 2009, maybe as early as the fall.
The book includes descriptions/reviews of every U.S.-released game for the Atari 7800 (updated/revised/expanded from Vol. 1), the NES, and the Sega Master System. The entries are longer than those in Vol. 1, with most falling between 125-185 words. When possible, I compared the games to their arcade, computer, and other-console counterparts, and plenty of historical data is included as well.
The book also includes an introduction by Bill "The Game Doctor" Kunkel, which I'm really excited about. As a teenager, I eagerly devoured every issue of Electronic Games Magazine, and I'm honored that he wrote the intro.
One of the pleasures of writing the book was discovering certain titles that I had never played before, such as the surprisingly enjoyable The Ninja for the Master System and the delightful Kiwi Kraze for the NES. And it was fun to revisit old favorites, such as Contra, Mario Bros., and Popeye. And of, course, there were drawbacks as well, such as trudging through such dreck as Hydlide and Wolverine for the NES and the "great" series of sports titles for the Master System.
As soon as I get more info (release date, cover scan, etc.,), I'll let you know.
Thanks to those of you who purchased Vol. 1, helping make a second volume possible.
Brett
Comments
The book will include photos (57 in all), but it is set up like an encyclopedia.
Thanks for the kind words!
sounds really great, let us know when its released
Sounds like a book I will be buying. Thanks for the heads up.
Cool!
Thanks for your interest. I don't think you'll disappointed.
What sets my book apart from any other resource is that each entry encapsulates every important aspect of the game in question. Gameplay is detailed plainly and specifically, review content is pithy and precise, numerous comparisons are made to other games, and historical data is included, all contained within each 125-185 entry. You could slog through five online reviews and still only have a vague idea about what a game is like, but reading a single entry in my book about that same game will tell you pretty much exactly what to expect from the game, and oftentimes where that game fits within the context of video game history.
Also, the book will be published by McFarland, which is an esteemed literary publisher that only accepts quality material that has been heavily proofed and edited and thoroughly researched.
Plus, you've got entries for every game for the relevant systems (SMS, NES, 7800) all in one book (a publishing first), which is a handy resource whether you are at home, at a game store, or at a convention. This will be the type of book you will thumb through again and again.
Thanks for inquiring!
I remember when Ninja Gaiden II came out for X360, the reviewer on gamespot bitched and moaned about the camera angles and gameplay. He was obviously biased against hating the game because it was "too difficult". Then a bunch of reader critics chimed in and it was eventually exposed that the reviewer had never even made it past Chapter 8 (on "easy"), which is barely halfway through the game. Considering the game play picks up quite and bit in the later levels, his opinion was completely worthless....
So does that mean you beat every single game on those systems? Personally, I would never review a game unless I had at least beaten the main story line and took a glimpse at the unlockable content.
I remember when Ninja Gaiden II came out for X360, the reviewer on gamespot bitched and moaned about the camera angles and gameplay. He was obviously biased against hating the game because it was "too difficult". Then a bunch of reader critics chimed in and it was eventually exposed that the reviewer had never even made it past Chapter 8 (on "easy"), which is barely halfway through the game. Considering the game play picks up quite and bit in the later levels, his opinion was completely worthless....
Unlockable contents is kind of a non-issue on 8bit systems
I've had an NES system hooked up to one television set or another since the summer of 1987, when I got one for my birthday (I've probably burnt out four or five of the consoles since). Similar stories apply for the Master System and Atari 7800. I haven't beaten every single game for those systems (some were too hard, some were too damned long, and others, such as Ms. Pac-Man and Joust, go on theoretically forever) but I've rented (yes, there was a time when you could rent NES games from most any video store), bought, borrowed, checked out (several local libraries used to stock NES titles, amazingly enough) and otherwise played the hell out of most of them.
Well I guess that makes you about as qualified as you can be then! Seems like you know what you are talking about as opposed to the typical biased game reviewer who rates games they barely played, or give reviews heavily biased towards genre.