Snes Starfox 2 translated!!!!

[kai123]

Finally it has been done!!!! Thank the guys over at:

http://agtp.romhack.net/

Can't talk now must go play.... 8-)

[Cauterize]

wow thats great, gonna download it now... :)

for lazy people, a direct link to the patch is here: http://agtp.romhack.net/download/starfox2.zip

http://agtp.romhack.net/images/starfox2/00.png

http://agtp.romhack.net/images/starfox2/03.png

http://agtp.romhack.net/images/starfox2/05.png

http://agtp.romhack.net/images/starfox2/11.png

[Tank]

Freaking Awesome!

[The Manimal]

all i see is a search link to find the ROM O_O

[Daria]

all i see is a search link to find the ROM O_O

You can download the patch from agtp but they won't help you find the rom. Not that it's hard or anything. But translation groups like to stay legal.

[Cauterize]

all i see is a search link to find the ROM O_O

thats because the rom is already out, this is just a patch to translate it!

[ubersaurus]

Did Zsnes ever update to run Star Fox 2 right?

[EricRyan34]

Where does everyone get the N64 Emulators and Roms??

[digitalpress]

Where does everyone get the N64 Emulators and Roms??

It's not an N64 game. It's the SNES prototype.

To answer your question: I use the Usenet groups.

[EricRyan34]

Where does everyone get the N64 Emulators and Roms??

It's not an N64 game. It's the SNES prototype.

To answer your question: I use the Usenet groups.

Thanks!

[buttasuperb]

Cool.

Now if someone would translate Samurai Shodown RPG.

[XxMe2NiKxX]

Cool. Too bad I can't apply the patch to my cart, it'd be nice to know what's going on.

[Tank]

Whats the Story behind StarFox 2? All i know is its a prototype :hmm:

[Jasoco]

I gotta find that ROM. It's so sad the game never came to be. Now all we get is Adventures with no flying and Armada with wlking levels. I DON'T WANT NO FUCKING WALKING LEVELS! IF I WANTED WALKING, I'D BUY JET FORCE GEMINI!! :angry:

Either way, SF2 looks sweet. It was so far advanced and ahead of the original. Shame it was cancelled. Anyone remember why it was?

[K3V]

I want an actual cart of this to play on a real SNES. Is it possible?

[Jasoco]

Don't we all. :(

I'd love to play more StarFox. And would love to play this.

[Pedro Lambrini]

Too fucking cool! I am totally over the moon! This game is just amazing! Sooo much better than the 1st one.

BTW: Wasn't it canned because it was the end of the SNES's life and the N64 was coming?

Am now off to apply the patch - and no doubt watch my emu crash - I never have much luck with them!

[zmweasel]

BTW: Wasn't it canned because it was the end of the SNES's life and the N64 was coming?

Quoting Chris Kohler's interview with one of Star Fox 2's designer/programmers in the book Power-Up:

"[Dylan] Cuthbert and team finished Star Fox 2 in early 1995. But by the time they were done, Nintendo was gearing up to release their fully 3-D next-generation game hardware, the Nintendo 64. And they made the decision that all Super FX 3-D projects would not be released--the rationale being that they wanted to show players a clear distinction between the two-dimensional games of old and the forthcoming three-dimensional revolution."

-- Z.

[badinsults]

I am very happy that Gideon Zhi managed to remove all the debugging stuff. This is a great game.

[Pedro Lambrini]

Well, I applied the patch in both ways it says in the Readme and I applied it to 3 different versions of the ROM and I still couldn't get the fucker to work! I knew it - sometimes I hate being right! I just get a bad checksum and then a black screen...

[kainemaxwell]

Excellent news! When someone gets a working rom let us know how it plays!

[zektor]

I've successfully patched it, and it only works in Snes9x (tested and confirmed working in 1.41-1). Joe, can I send it to you so you can add it to the rom section for download?

EDIT: It also works in zsnes, kind of. The screen flickers like crazy, but it plays. Better off sticking with snes9x on this one :)

[digitalpress]

I've successfully patched it, and it only works in Snes9x (tested and confirmed working in 1.41-1). Joe, can I send it to you so you can add it to the rom section for download?

EDIT: It also works in zsnes, kind of. The screen flickers like crazy, but it plays. Better off sticking with snes9x on this one :)

Bring it on! I noticed that I still have the "unpatched" ROM online, but I'm not sure if it's the "best ROM" that's referred to in the patch docs.

Thanks, Zektor!

[kai123]

Excellent news! When someone gets a working rom let us know how it plays!

The rom works fine and is a blast to play if you are a fan of starfox.


Well, I applied the patch in both ways it says in the Readme and I applied it to 3 different versions of the ROM and I still couldn't get the fucker to work! I knew it - sometimes I hate being right! I just get a bad checksum and then a black screen...



You did use the Snes tool to clear the header before you patched it, right?
Guys if you google for the rom you can find it easily. Also if you want to make your own cart then you can by using these instructions.
http://snesdev.romhack.de/

I haven't done it yet but I will in the future. :evil:

[zektor]

Excellent news! When someone gets a working rom let us know how it plays!

The rom works fine and is a blast to play if you are a fan of starfox.


Well, I applied the patch in both ways it says in the Readme and I applied it to 3 different versions of the ROM and I still couldn't get the fucker to work! I knew it - sometimes I hate being right! I just get a bad checksum and then a black screen...



You did use the Snes tool to clear the header before you patched it, right?
Guys if you google for the rom you can find it easily. Also if you want to make your own cart then you can by using these instructions.
http://snesdev.romhack.de/

I haven't done it yet but I will in the future. :evil:

The version of the rom I had actually did not have a header.

[zektor]

I've successfully patched it, and it only works in Snes9x (tested and confirmed working in 1.41-1). Joe, can I send it to you so you can add it to the rom section for download?

EDIT: It also works in zsnes, kind of. The screen flickers like crazy, but it plays. Better off sticking with snes9x on this one :)

Bring it on! I noticed that I still have the "unpatched" ROM online, but I'm not sure if it's the "best ROM" that's referred to in the patch docs.

Thanks, Zektor!

Done. I sent it from another email addy, but you'll know it's me :)

[kai123]

Some do some don't, there are so many versions of this rom floating around. It is hard to keep up with which one is which. @_@

[zektor]

Some do some don't, there are so many versions of this rom floating around. It is hard to keep up with which one is which. @_@

This is why you must get them ALL! :)

BTW: the "Beta TD" version of the rom is the one that needs patching!

[badinsults]

Goodsnes, urg. Why can't they just remove the bad dumps from existance. The rom utility NSRT (http://nsrt.edgeemu.com) can fix pretty much all of the bad dumps using the -fix option, and give the following output:

---------------------Internal ROM Info----------------------
File: Star Fox 2 (Private Build) (J).SFC
Name: STAR FOX 2 Company: Nintendo
Header: None Bank: LoROM
Interleaved: No SRAM: 512 Kb
Type: Super FX + Batt ROM: 8 Mb
Country: Japan Video: NTSC
ROM Speed: 200ns (SlowROM) Version: 1.0
Checksum: Good 0x5F3F CRC32: 79F3433D
--------------------------Database--------------------------
Name: Star Fox 2 (Private Build)
Country: Japan Version: 1.0
Port 1: Gamepad Port 2: Gamepad

So, search for Star Fox 2 (Private Build) (J).SFC on google to get the proper rom.

[zektor]

Well, I once said this myself. But, fact of the matter is that I have come across times where a "good" dump would NOT work in an emulator, while the "bad" dump would work fine. Now, understood this is most likely the fault of the emulation itself, but nonetheless this was the only way I could play the specific rom. Now I just keep them all (full set), and why not. It doesn't take alot of space for today's standards, and when you run goodsnes on your roms you can specify to use the -dirs switch to create directories for good/bad/hacks/japan...etc roms and it will put the respective rom in that directory for you.

[SoulBlazer]

I've heard 90 percent of Starfox 2 was moved into and recycled for Starfox 64. Can anyone confirm that?

[badinsults]

Well, I once said this myself. But, fact of the matter is that I have come across times where a "good" dump would NOT work in an emulator, while the "bad" dump would work fine. Now, understood this is most likely the fault of the emulation itself, but nonetheless this was the only way I could play the specific rom. Now I just keep them all (full set), and why not. It doesn't take alot of space for today's standards, and when you run goodsnes on your roms you can specify to use the -dirs switch to create directories for good/bad/hacks/japan...etc roms and it will put the respective rom in that directory for you.

Well, that is all good and such, but the reason why a lot of games don't work is because there are some small fixable errors in the rom. The author of Goodsnes has not yet put these fixed roms in his database. And it isn't a small amount of them, I think there are upwards of 300 "good" roms that are problematic. NSRT fixes these problems, and cuts out all of the bad dumps.

[zektor]

It definitely sounds like a great idea to do away with the bad/hacks. I would actually love to do this for all of the roms I have. But, there still is yet one more problem. The author of NSRT has stated that he will not catalog roms that are bad, even if the said rom is the only alternative. There are quite a few games in which no good dump is known to exist, so one must rely on playing a "bad" dump until a good dump surfaces. Now, that leaves out some games I do not want to lose.

[hydr0x]

Cool. Too bad I can't apply the patch to my cart, it'd be nice to know what's going on.

yeah, sure, as if you'd own the actual cart...

[Cauterize]

I want an actual cart of this to play on a real SNES. Is it possible?

im halfway there... i got a super wild cart (snes back up unit) so i can play games off a floppy disk....

[Pedro Lambrini]

I've successfully patched it, and it only works in Snes9x (tested and confirmed working in 1.41-1). Joe, can I send it to you so you can add it to the rom section for download?

Erm, I didn't know you had ROMs here. Where are they? I've had a look and can't find them.

BTW: I have it sort of working now - Loads of flickering ever now and again (and yes, it's in SNES9x 1.41!) :)

[badinsults]

I've successfully patched it, and it only works in Snes9x (tested and confirmed working in 1.41-1). Joe, can I send it to you so you can add it to the rom section for download?

Erm, I didn't know you had ROMs here. Where are they? I've had a look and can't find them.

BTW: I have it sort of working now - Loads of flickering ever now and again (and yes, it's in SNES9x 1.41!) :)

A new WIP of Zsnes should be released within a few days that fixes the flickering problem.

[Aussie2B]

Maybe it's just me, but this seems totally pointless. o_O Seriously, who the hell would say "Oh, I'd love to play the ROM of Star Fox 2, but it's in Japanese, so I can't"? It's a shooter, for goodness sakes. Who cares about the worthless little dialogue the characters have between each other. There are countless Japanese games that are virtually impossible to play without at least some knowledge of the language; if someone wants to do a fan translation, THOSE are the games they should be working on. But I guess fan translators are more concerned with doing projects that'll be the easiest for them and get them the greatest amount of attention and fame...

[Leo_A]

That's nonesense, people are doing what they want in their own free time that just happen to benefit others.

They should do what they want, not what you want them to do.

[digitalpress]

Erm, I didn't know you had ROMs here. Where are they? I've had a look and can't find them.

Go to the front page and click "Emulation". The rest is easy. Actually, that part is easy too, I'm not sure why you couldn't find it.

There isn't a link to SNES ROMS (and there probably won't be for some time) at the moment but I will give you a direct link to this one as soon as I upload it, which should be later tonight.

[Pedro Lambrini]

Oops, should've been a bit clearer :embarrassed: ! I knew there were ROMs for other systems. What I meant was "Where are the SNES ROMs?". Sorry 'bout that. I'll wait patiently 'till tonight. Thanks DP (can I call you Joe!?)

[zektor]

A new WIP of Zsnes should be released within a few days that fixes the flickering problem.

That's great news! I have never really had any problems with Zsnes, while with Snes9X it's always something. I had a problem awhile back with it not viewing roms correctly, and it ended up being a registry problem (old reg settings from a previous version conflicting) and this is why I despise emulators that store settings in the Windows registry.

[Aussie2B]

That's nonesense, people are doing what they want in their own free time that just happen to benefit others.

They should do what they want, not what you want them to do.

Of course, but it's sort of the equivalent of writing a walkthrough of Final Fantasy 7 on GameFAQs at this point. It's completely unnecessary and not particularly helpful or beneficial.

I'm not telling them what I want them to do because I don't use fan translations anyway; I'm just saying what *I* would do. It's the same reason why I only write FAQs on games that actually need the coverage.

[zektor]

I think the real novelty here is that we can see the game how it possibly might have been had it been released in the States, and that alone (to me at least) is pretty beneficial.

[K3V]

I want an actual cart of this to play on a real SNES. Is it possible?

im halfway there... i got a super wild cart (snes back up unit) so i can play games off a floppy disk....

Will that work with StarFox2? Let me know if you have any luck, if it works I might have to get one :)

[digitalpress]

Thanks DP (can I call you Joe!?)

I'd prefer if you called me "Gretchen".

[Pedro Lambrini]

Thanks DP (can I call you Joe!?)

I'd prefer if you called me "Gretchen".

Ok, I'm going to hold you to this Gretchen! :)

[hydr0x]

Maybe it's just me, but this seems totally pointless. o_O Seriously, who the hell would say "Oh, I'd love to play the ROM of Star Fox 2, but it's in Japanese, so I can't"? It's a shooter, for goodness sakes. Who cares about the worthless little dialogue the characters have between each other. There are countless Japanese games that are virtually impossible to play without at least some knowledge of the language; if someone wants to do a fan translation, THOSE are the games they should be working on. But I guess fan translators are more concerned with doing projects that'll be the easiest for them and get them the greatest amount of attention and fame...

what the **** are you talking of? do you know how much time numerous people (j2e, dejap, agtp staff and a LOT of other people) have spend translating the best jap rpg's ??? there are translations of Tales of Phantasia, Star Ocean, Romancing Saga, Treasure Hunter G, Seiken Densetsu 3, Dragon Quest V and loads of others (Arabian Nights will be released in the near future!!). you have no idea how many projects there were before SF2... next time inform yourself before posting something like that... if you need more info check out donut.parodius.com and the zsnes message board or ask Evan, he's a lot more into the scene than i am (was quite active a few years ago though)

[digitalpress]

OK folks, Zektor has sent along the patched ROM:

http://www.videogamearchive.com/emu/snes/starfox2patched.zip

... and the current version of the emulator SNES9X:

http://www.videogamearchive.com/emu/snes/snes9x.zip

Have fun.

[Pedro Lambrini]

I dl'd the ROM and I noticed the size - it's 666k! Is this a scarey Halloween coincidence or is this ROM evil!? Oh no, I think it's, it's c-c- coming after me, no, no stay away, stay awaaaayyyy aaarrrgghhh!!!!!

ahem, sorry!

[delafro]

I saw that too. What are you trying to pull Santulli? Or should I say, Satan?

[K3V]

OK folks, Zektor has sent along the patched ROM:

http://www.videogamearchive.com/emu/snes/starfox2patched.zip

... and the current version of the emulator SNES9X:

http://www.videogamearchive.com/emu/snes/snes9x.zip

Have fun.

Awesome, got it. Thanks Zektor and DP!

[Azazel]

Maybe it's just me, but this seems totally pointless. o_O Seriously, who the hell would say "Oh, I'd love to play the ROM of Star Fox 2, but it's in Japanese, so I can't"? It's a shooter, for goodness sakes. Who cares about the worthless little dialogue the characters have between each other. There are countless Japanese games that are virtually impossible to play without at least some knowledge of the language; if someone wants to do a fan translation, THOSE are the games they should be working on. But I guess fan translators are more concerned with doing projects that'll be the easiest for them and get them the greatest amount of attention and fame...

I mostly agree with you about translating action/shooter games but I don't think this particular person is doing it for fame as he's already released a bunch of patches over the years.

[scooterb23]

What are you trying to pull Santulli? Or should I say, Satan?

Gretchen.

And yes, thanks for putting this up...I shall have some fun playing tonight :)

[Aussie2B]

what the **** are you talking of? do you know how much time numerous people (j2e, dejap, agtp staff and a LOT of other people) have spend translating the best jap rpg's ??? there are translations of Tales of Phantasia, Star Ocean, Romancing Saga, Treasure Hunter G, Seiken Densetsu 3, Dragon Quest V and loads of others (Arabian Nights will be released in the near future!!). you have no idea how many projects there were before SF2... next time inform yourself before posting something like that... if you need more info check out donut.parodius.com and the zsnes message board or ask Evan, he's a lot more into the scene than i am (was quite active a few years ago though)

I already know all that... :/ You make a pretty weak argument when you claim that I'm not informed when when I actually AM informed...

I still stand by my point that there are much more deserving titles out there. Although, I will say that I find the reaction stranger than the actual choice of what title to translate. It really seems ridiculous to me that some people act as if they can finally play the game because the "massive language barrier" of some insignificant Japanese dialogue would keep them from playing a good shooter... o_O Even those games that that you listed aren't especially difficult to play and enjoy in Japanese. Most of those games are very linear and are filled with typical, predictable RPG stuff. Not to mention there are plenty of well written guides on the net to help with those popular Super Famicom RPGs. Again, I think it's an issue to fame and what's easiest to do. Why do something difficult and extremely obscure when you can do an easy Squaresoft RPG and get instant fame all over the net? If they were *truly* concerned with helping people out with their fan translations, I could direct them to plenty of very fun but VERY text-heavy titles that even I have a difficult time playing.

[Daria]

Maybe it's just me, but this seems totally pointless. o_O Seriously, who the hell would say "Oh, I'd love to play the ROM of Star Fox 2, but it's in Japanese, so I can't"? It's a shooter, for goodness sakes. Who cares about the worthless little dialogue the characters have between each other. There are countless Japanese games that are virtually impossible to play without at least some knowledge of the language; if someone wants to do a fan translation, THOSE are the games they should be working on. But I guess fan translators are more concerned with doing projects that'll be the easiest for them and get them the greatest amount of attention and fame...

Wow... that was so off the mark I don't even know where to begin.

Gideon Zhi doesn't need fame:

Shin Megami Tensei
Shin Megami Tensei 2
Madou Monogatari
Monstania
Another Bible
Ball Bullet Gun
Chaos World
Cyber Knight
Gunman's Proof
Live A Live
Phantasy STar Adventure
Super Robot Wars 3
Slyvan Tale
Treasure of the Rudras
Wizardry 1-2-3 ~The Story of Llylgamyn~
Ys IV - Mask of the Sun
Demon of Laplace

All completed RPGs he's worked on.

Oh and you'd probably be intrested in knowing he's currently working on Star Ocean: Blue Sphere, just needs a translator. How good did you say your Japanese was AussieB? Prehaps you could quit accusing others of wasting their time on games they love and help translate a game you'd love instead?

:P

[NE146]

Hey... all I can say is I'M glad starfox 2 is translated :D Just helps me with the immersion (and yes I do get immersed in this kinda stuff) 8-)

[deadtech]

This is cool news. I seem to recall a poster on this board that had a site set up to sell various patched/unreleased SNES carts. Am I crazy? If this is a bit "sensitive" feel free to PM or email me about any leads on this. Thanks folks!

-deadtech

[kainemaxwell]

Heck, to me I'd think ToP and DQ5/6 would have been couple the hardest to translate, along with Star Ocean.

[SoulBlazer]

Star Ocean was translated? I thought the emulators had problems running that game properly.

[Daria]

Star Ocean was translated? I thought the emulators had problems running that game properly.

You're information is outdated. DeJap's since solved the compatibility issue and has translated the game, although I still don't think the final patch is out. It's playable though, just not completely polished.

[kai123]

For those of you with a modded xbox, starfox 2 plays fine on xsnes version 1. I have played through several times and haven't had a problem.

BTW anybody know what the General Pepper tokens are for besides restoring health?

[badinsults]

The latest WIP of zsnes is out, which plays Star Fox 2 without the flickering:

http://www.ipherswipsite.com/zsnes/

[SoulBlazer]

Huh, thanks Daria. I'll check the ROM out when the final patch comes out. I liked SO 2 and am loving SO 3 right now, so I'm eager to check out the first one. :)

[ArnoldRimmer83]

I already know all that... :/ You make a pretty weak argument when you claim that I'm not informed when when I actually AM informed...

I still stand by my point that there are much more deserving titles out there. Although, I will say that I find the reaction stranger than the actual choice of what title to translate. It really seems ridiculous to me that some people act as if they can finally play the game because the "massive language barrier" of some insignificant Japanese dialogue would keep them from playing a good shooter... o_O Even those games that that you listed aren't especially difficult to play and enjoy in Japanese. Most of those games are very linear and are filled with typical, predictable RPG stuff. Not to mention there are plenty of well written guides on the net to help with those popular Super Famicom RPGs. Again, I think it's an issue to fame and what's easiest to do. Why do something difficult and extremely obscure when you can do an easy Squaresoft RPG and get instant fame all over the net? If they were *truly* concerned with helping people out with their fan translations, I could direct them to plenty of very fun but VERY text-heavy titles that even I have a difficult time playing.

I don't understand what your hostility about translations stems from. So Star Fox 2 doesn't need Japanese knowledge to play. Its still neat to be able to play the game in a form that "might've" been what the game could've been like had it been released. And you don't think translating RPGs is necessary because of walkthroughs? That's absurd, as I'm sure a lot of people would prefer playing anything text heavy like an RPG in a language they understand, instead of having to keep checking a walkthrough next to them every few seconds.

You also seem to think that games are very easy to translate. They are not. Some games (such as Star Fox 2) store their text in compressed formats, making it impossible to hack, unless you can figure out the compression scheme. You should try translating a game yourself, and see how it goes.

You are also apparently a big fan of Tri-Ace. How do you feel about Tales of Phantasia and Star Ocean being translated?

[kjmontana]

For those of you with a modded xbox, starfox 2 plays fine on xsnes version 1. I have played through several times and haven't had a problem.

How about DreamSNES for DC?

[lendelin]

The reference to Kohlers "Power Up" cleared a lot up.

I want to point out that the book is very informative and dlivers a lot of new (!) information about game design, profiles about designers and conditions under which specific games and entire classic series of games were produced.

You find useful information about the FF series, Mario series, Argonaut, and games like Gitaroo-Man; conditiopns of game development and the industry in Japan; and moreover, an attempt to analyze the tough nut of incorporating stories into gameplay.

Just wanted to take the opportunity to recommend the book again. :)

The one little sentence about the book in the recent GI doesn't do it justice at all. At least they could have spared four sentences about the publication by someone who actually read it.

[kai123]

For those of you with a modded xbox, starfox 2 plays fine on xsnes version 1. I have played through several times and haven't had a problem.

How about DreamSNES for DC?

I haven't went back to DC emulation since I modded my Xbox. I just don't see the need really. Sorry. :/

[zektor]

I dl'd the ROM and I noticed the size - it's 666k! Is this a scarey Halloween coincidence or is this ROM evil!? Oh no, I think it's, it's c-c- coming after me, no, no stay away, stay awaaaayyyy aaarrrgghhh!!!!!

ahem, sorry!

Aww, it is probably just a coincidence...or maybe...

Muahaha! :evil:

[zektor]

The latest WIP of zsnes is out, which plays Star Fox 2 without the flickering:

http://www.ipherswipsite.com/zsnes/

Thanks for the tip! Yes, it indeed does play the game without the flicker.

[zektor]

OK folks, Zektor has sent along the patched ROM:

http://www.videogamearchive.com/emu/snes/starfox2patched.zip

... and the current version of the emulator SNES9X:

http://www.videogamearchive.com/emu/snes/snes9x.zip

Have fun.

Awesome, got it. Thanks Zektor and DP!

Hey, all I did was patch it, and DP hosted it. The real thanks go to the great folks who worked so hard on the translation. Good show!

Game on!

[Pedro Lambrini]

I am now very chuffed! That's all I've got to say. Except maybe thankyou to everyone involved - it is appreciated. That includes the ZSNES team for updating their emu as well. Thanks guys :)

[hydr0x]

I am now very chuffed! That's all I've got to say. Except maybe thankyou to everyone involved - it is appreciated. That includes the ZSNES team for updating their emu as well. Thanks guys :)

yeah, new wip was released yesterday which improves STar Fox 2 a lot :)

[kainemaxwell]

You are also apparently a big fan of Tri-Ace. How do you feel about Tales of Phantasia and Star Ocean being translated?

Myself, I was happy ToP was translated and really happy to start playing it. Hadn't had a rpg catch my attention that much since FF3 back then. Star Ocean, haven't touched yet.

[zmweasel]

The reference to Kohlers "Power Up" cleared a lot up.

I want to point out that the book is very informative and dlivers a lot of new (!) information about game design, profiles about designers and conditions under which specific games and entire classic series of games were produced.

You find useful information about the FF series, Mario series, Argonaut, and games like Gitaroo-Man; conditiopns of game development and the industry in Japan; and moreover, an attempt to analyze the tough nut of incorporating stories into gameplay.

Just wanted to take the opportunity to recommend the book again. :)

The one little sentence about the book in the recent GI doesn't do it justice at all. At least they could have spared four sentences about the publication by someone who actually read it.

It's a solid read, although Kohler's blatant Miyamoto/Nintendo fanboyism (the book's working title was "Super Mario Nation") got on my nerves pretty quick. I don't disagree that Miyamoto is a genius, but passages like "Super Mario Bros. filled our days until we saved the Princess. This was something we'd never experienced with any of our drawer full of Atari games. This was a symphony of colors and music" and "I thought about how amazing it was to be sitting there in Nintendo's conference room" make me cringe.

-- Z.