PDA

View Full Version : The two books no Famicom collector should ever be without!!



rbudrick
04-05-2004, 05:21 PM
http://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/ASIN/4872338030/250-7768612-4926644

http://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/ASIN/4915540650/250-7768612-4926644

Guys,

I must tell you, though it wwas expensive, I would have paid double for these books.

The first contain interviews with the original developers of the Famicom including Shigeru Miyamoto, Yuji Horii and many others. GREAT interviews where they talk about the early years and the current state of things. It also contains a list of every Famicom game ever released (As far as I can tell), and a short description (some a few lines, some a paragraph, some a page), of all of them. There is a picture of every game box (includes all FDS games). They are listed by release date and the book is in English AND Japanese!!! You simply can't be without this book! It was released by the Tokyo Metropolitan Fine Arts Museum of Photography, if I remember correctly. The pictures are awesome, the interviews are just a killer additional bonus. Being able to read it in English is priceless. It is just SUCH a good book. A bit on the Engrish side in a few parts, but it's osme of the most legible Engrish ever (the book is heavy on typos, some of which I even caught in Japanese, but no big deal).

The second book is very similar, and may even be from the same publisher, as the fonts and many other things are very similar, but it is quite different just the same. It is an encyclopedia of every Famicom game released. There are 4 games per page and the encyclopedia is 2 books (they come in a cool cardboard glossy sleeve). The book is all Japanese and is in alphabetical (syllabetical?) order by title according to the standard Japanese order (a, ka, sa, ta, na, ha, ma, ya, ra, wa, n, I think, I don't remember!). It lists A paragraph on each game, it's release date, a screenshot of the title screen, a pic of the game, the box, and a shot of the gameplay. The FDS games are in alphabetical order in it's own section. This encylopedia has a few other things in it I haven't fully translated yet, but there is definitely a large cheat code section for Famicom games.

These two books even include listings forthe Barcode games!

I am so happy with these books, I could shit myself, they are just so thorough.

DP, if there's ever a list in the guide for Famicom games, these are THE resource.

-Rob

Aussie2B
04-05-2004, 05:35 PM
Is that first book the recently released book about the Famicom 20th anniversary exhibition? I've been meaning to pick that up.

rbudrick
04-05-2004, 08:02 PM
Yep, that's the one. Just came out in late '03, I believe.

-Rob

gamergary
04-06-2004, 09:02 AM
I have the first book. I didn't like it as much because it only had a little information about some of the games then pictures for the rest of the games. I'll look into getting the second book eventually.

rbudrick
04-06-2004, 12:44 PM
Yeah, they kinda wrote the most about the popular ones, with a few exceptions. As a reference book for collectors though, there's nothing else like it. I suppose it would have been massive if it had desciptions for all the games. :-) Of course, the second book does an ok job of that. Although it would be even better if they had more than one paragraph per game (hey it is an "encyclopedia"). :-) I suppose it woulda been 2-4 times bigger though.

-Rob

Parodius
04-06-2004, 01:53 PM
I got mine from www.otaku.com Came to $60 with shipping if memory serves me right.

HERE (http://www.otaku.com/cgi-bin/productlist.asp?catsearch=&sdsearch=fami+complete)

Ed Oscuro
04-06-2004, 04:13 PM
Hey...I was about to dismiss this, but when you said Japanese AND English, that's great! On the other hand, that's some money I don't have to spend on other stuff, like games ;)

I will consider it though! Thanks for the plug!

rbudrick
04-06-2004, 06:05 PM
yes, but think about how much it will aid you in collecting said games. :-)

-Rob

k8track
04-06-2004, 07:01 PM
Looks great, I'll have my girlfriend pick up a copy of both when she goes back home to Japan for a while in May.

I was poking around the Japan Amazon site and stumbled across a Famicom DVD:

http://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000QX38U/ref=pd_rhf_f_1/249-6996890-2581903

and a CD of Famicom music:

http://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000VSBKK/ref=pd_rhf_f_1/249-6996890-2581903

My office computer doesn't have Japanese text installed (not that I can read a lick of Japanese anyway); can anyone tell me if the DVD has an English audio or subtitle option? I'll DEFINITELY be getting that CD. My girlfriend certainly has her work cut out for her; she'll be transporting American games to her otaku Japanese friends back home, then she'll be bringing stuff back for her otaku boyfriend. I feel for her.

slownerveaction
04-06-2004, 07:11 PM
I've got one of the Famicom 20th Anniversary CDs (there are a few). Some of them are original soundtracks, but mine is all new arrangement/remixes of classic Famicom themes My personal favorite: Motoi Sakuraba's remix of Super Mario Bros! I got mine over at www.cocoebiz.com (great place for importing game soundtracks).

There's tons of this Famicom 20th Anniversary stuff around... I wish I could afford it all...

Ed Oscuro
04-07-2004, 11:17 AM
yes, but think about how much it will aid you in collecting said games. :-)
In all seriousness, not much.

I don't have enough money to buy all the stuff I want right now, and I'd have no way of telling which of the games shown are great and which are duds. For example - Dirty Pair looks to be a sweet game by the cover? Heh, I hear it's nothing special or even that great.

I'd get the book mostly for the interviews and pictures. I would like to get one soon, but I have many other projects that have to come first.

It's like what I feel about the special edition GBAs - they're nice, but I'd rather get the real thing first.

rbudrick
04-07-2004, 01:18 PM
Well, whenevr I see a famicom title, and I have trouble with the Japanese (can't decipher the title), it's great to have this reference. It'll also help route out pirate versions, since there's pics of the carts and boxes. They do for Famicom games everything the DP guide would (except the DP guide is totally in English), only they give pics too of the cart, box and screenshots.

I was amazed at the name changes many American releases went through.

If I see a bin full of Famicom games (rare, but it happens), it sure makes it easier to scan through them if I am looking for a title, knowing what the box or cart looks like.

Any first year Japanese student should be able to use these books (which I don't assume any of you are :) but it's mostly the second book that would help in) well enough to aid them in their famicom collecting. But, yes, I understand the money issue! <looks at cobwebs and dead bugs in wallet> I figure, famicom collectors can use whatever references they can! There just isn't enough good ones out there for us gaijins. :)

-Rob

NE146
04-07-2004, 01:56 PM
How bout just scanning the book for us :D