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    Bitmap Books

    Been drooling over both the SNES Visual Compendium and the Super Famicom Box Art Collection for a while now. The pics on their site looks insanely good, but I’m wondering if anyone of you have looked through any of their books first hand?

    Would love some input before spending nearly £70 (including shipping to Norway) on these!

    #2
    The Point and Click one looks gorgeous but I have never taken the plunge.

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      #3
      I've only got the Super Famicom art book book and tbh it's a load of old rubbish. The quality of the print is outstanding but the pictures are dull and the writing is not interesting. It really is just a willy waving contest for the guy that made it, hey look at all these mega expensive games I have. No actual information about the art or any contact with any artists. Cookie cutter rubbish.

      I do quite like the visual compendiums though. I would say they are far more worthy of the cash. Really nice images and some decent enough writing. They are what they are but regardless, all Bitmap stuff is superbly produced in terms of materials.

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        #4
        Originally posted by nakamura View Post
        It really is just a willy waving contest for the guy that made it, hey look at all these mega expensive games I have.
        It’s not the first time I’ve heard someone refer to showing off games collections as ‘willy waving’, but I do chuckle at the irony of it.

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          #5
          Haha I don't know why but the term sticks to me. I've used it in the past!

          As for other Bitmap ones, yeah they are good. I just don't rate that one.

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            #6
            The Super Famicom art book was a cancelled Kickstarter that was rescued, so it is a bit different to many of the others. I've got all the compendium books, and they are well worth it, you get contributions in there from many of the people involved with the games, even Japanese developers. Whereas the NES and SNES ones are unofficial (but licensed), the upcoming SMS book is fully endorsed by Sega.
            Lie with passion and be forever damned...

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              #7
              I bought one for my dad the spectrum one, was pretty good but for me personally would like less of the visual and more of the information, and to be honest i was a bit gutted that Kickstarter for the Neo geo book was took down as seeing the sample pages that was more what i would have liked

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                #8
                I bought the Super Famicom box art one...because I have a Super Famicom collection myself...thought it would be a nice to have this alongside

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                  #9
                  I've got the Neo Geo: A Visual History and Super Famicom: The Boxart Collection and I've barely looked at either, tbh.
                  My train of thought was how I like the boxart, but don't want to get the games. Retro prices are out-of-hand and usually the artwork is better than the game!

                  In reality, I never really fancy a nice sit down with a cuppa and a look at the artwork.
                  When I stumble across it, I have a quick flick, but as Nakamura says, if you want to know more about the game or the artist, it's lacking.
                  The boxart is really pretty and quite often you want a screenshot to show what the game's like.
                  I'd probably like a Japanese Mega Drive boxart book more.

                  Non-Bitmap Books:

                  I also have Everyday is Play, which I helped Kickstart. It's a book of videogame-inspired art.



                  The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers:



                  Electronic Plastic. Which is a beautifully designed collation of LCD games. LOVE this one!



                  The History of Nintendo Vol. 1.


                  The PC Engine Bible Vol.1: The HuCards.

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                    #10
                    Be extremely careful buying from pixnlove, they have a string of pissed off customers all across the net. They took peoples money and never got the books the ordered, the preorders for some people have been never fulfilled just eternally sat in limbo. I struggled getting my history of nintendo volume 2 off them it took a lot of hassle and threatening emails till they eventually gave me what i had paid for.

                    The problem is the history of nintendo books are totally amazing which means if you try to find them from anywhere else they are scalped to hell, don't even try looking on amazon as the ripoff sellers there are wanting £200+ for vol 1 & £500+ for vol 2 i **** you not.

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                      #11
                      As much as I'd like to look through books of box art, I don't feel any need to own them. If they were no more than £20, I'd buy the ones that really appeal to me just for the hell of it. But ultimately, I feel that a book with some box art photos isn't interesting enough to appeal to me.

                      Pat The Nes Punk's book featuring reviews of every NES game appeals to me, but it would cost over £100 to import it from America. There aren't many retro gaming books that interest me, so I only have a few.

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                        #12
                        Originally posted by importaku View Post
                        Be extremely careful buying from pixnlove,
                        I got the PC Engine Bible from here and Nintendo Vol 1 from eBay, so no worries there!
                        Thanks for the warning, though.
                        Shame they're not in English.

                        Je peux seulement parler un peu de français, que j'ai appris à l'école.
                        J'ai onze ans et aime jouer au football dans le parc avec mes amis.

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                          #13
                          Thanks for all the comments! I think I’m gonna pick up the SNES Visual Compendium, been so into SNES this week (hopefully still am when book arrives)!

                          Kinda agree with you, QC, I’m hardly gonna sit down and flick through pictures of box art.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            I received an email earlier on today from Bitmap Books…

                            Metal Slug: The Ultimate History

                            Bitmap Books is incredibly proud to announce Metal Slug: The Ultimate History, the first officially-licenced book to document the lineage of one of gaming’s most beloved franchises.

                            An instant classic upon its debut in 1996, the original Metal Slug laid the foundations for an action-packed series which would become globally renowned for its tight gameplay, gorgeous hand-drawn visuals and playful sense of humour. Metal Slug has effortlessly retained these core attributes across multiple sequels and spin-offs in the years since, and this publication – the first officially-licenced and fully-endorsed book of its kind, ever – aims to not only illuminate the rich history of the franchise via hundreds of screenshots and a comprehensive written account of its often mysterious history, but also seeks to celebrate the iconic artwork which has made millions of players fall in love with the antics of the plucky Peregrine Falcon Squad.

                            To help achieve this goal, SNK has offered unprecedented access to its vast archives of concept artwork and illustrations, some of which is being made publically available for the first time. The book also contains 11 exclusive and incredibly detailed interviews with key members of the development team such as Kazuma Kujo and Toshikazu Tanaka. These insightful discussions bust myths and reveal the real truth behind the creation and evolution of this esteemed franchise.

                            Thanks to SNK and the talented team behind this classic 'run-and-gun' series, Metal Slug: The Ultimate History will offer the most complete insight yet into one of gaming's most appealing and beloved series.

                            Metal Slug: The Ultimate History will be available to pre-order in July with delivery planned for September 2019. More details to follow soon.
                            Last edited by _SD_; 09-05-2019, 18:13.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              I’ll definitely be buying that.

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