FIRST LOOK -- The SNES Omnibus: The Super Nintendo and Its Games, Vol. 1 (A-M)

[8bitgamer]

I finally received the go-ahead from my publisher to show some sample pages from my forthcoming book, The SNES Omnibus: The Super Nintendo and Its Games, Vol. 1 (A-M).

Click on the link for a closer look at the pages. Thanks for reading and enjoy!

http://www.brettweisswords.com/2018/...bus-super.html

[Wraith Storm]

Looks great, man!

I like the layout and especially how you include a picture of the original magazine adds for those games. That's something unique that I have yet to see in other books.

I kinda wish there was a book that was nothing but an archive of old video game adds that ran in magazines back in the day.

Keep up the good work!

[gbpxl]

Looks great, man!

I like the layout and especially how you include a picture of the original magazine adds for those games. That's something unique that I have yet to see in other books.

I kinda wish there was a book that was nothing but an archive of old video game adds that ran in magazines back in the day.

Keep up the good work!

Some of the ads from the mid-90s were insane. there were ads featuring naked women, BDSM, deformed people. the ads worked in getting you to look at them but I'm not sure if that really translated to sales. I think it just grossed people out and led to a lot of pissed off parents and canceled subscriptions

[8bitgamer]

Looks great, man!

I like the layout and especially how you include a picture of the original magazine adds for those games. That's something unique that I have yet to see in other books.

I kinda wish there was a book that was nothing but an archive of old video game adds that ran in magazines back in the day.

Keep up the good work!

Thank you!

Here's more info on The SNES Omnibus for anyone interested:

http://www.brettweisswords.com/p/the...s-vol-1-m.html

[gbpxl]

I'm gonna get a ton of flak for this and possibly get banned but I'm gonna be "that guy" here. I'm not a huge fan of it. I might be a little biased because I am used to full color spreads with writing in just about every square inch of the pages, different kinds of font, lots of hand drawn artwork, etc, meticulous attention to details, and I just don't see any of that here. Granted, to properly encapsulate 7+ years of video game releases, 724 titles, and all the history that comes with it, in the span of time you are allotted and the resources available to you, would probably result in a book that took years to complete and cost the reader much more than your asking price.

The main thing I wanted to see in this book was release months. I know that unless a game was hyped a lot or was a launch title, we usually don't have much to go off of for official release dates, but the months are relatively easy to find. I'm probably one of the few people that actually cares about that though so meh.

The other thing I really was hoping to see was production totals. I know that these numbers are well-guarded (for what reason I do not know) but that information is invaluable to a collector. Obviously the numbers don't describe true rarity (i.e. the actual amount of cartridges floating around out there) but it's a starting point. You would be able to see relative rarity of a game if it has 1/10 of the amount of carts produced compared to Super Mario World for example.

I spend a lot of time with a magazine in front of my face. What your magazine looks like is like a very early Electronic Gaming Monthly issue- a lot of white space, plain, boring font, very very basic info on games. I can't really zoom in on your sample pictures to see what the text says so I can't comment on that.

I don't really know who this book is geared toward- is it early 20-somethings who want a general idea of what games are out there for a system that came out long before they came into the world? Is it the hardcore SNES fan who wants to know everything about every SNES game ever released in the U.S.? If there isn't any new information I can glean from the book, it doesn't do much for me. There's a lot to be said about a system that came out 2 years after its primary competitor and maintained market dominance even when more powerful systems were coming out in the years after its launch.

Do you have information on variants? Misprints? Errors? Pack-in features? PCB pictures (that'd be really helpful in a time when counterfeiting is so prevalent and even encouraged by some.) What about scores given to games from magazines of their time? How many MB are the games? Maybe I am asking too much. I've been spoiled with the likes of Whitman Red Book for coins and Car and Driver, publications that give the reader so much information on its subject that it's almost unfathomable. Right now Nintendo Age is probably the best resource available for the kind of information I want, but it's nice to not have to support an authoritarian regime in order to see that information and also would be nice to see it in paper form.

Sorry, don't mean to come off as being inconsiderate. I could feign interest and not buy it or I could tell you what would make me want to buy it and then if you do a revised edition in the future, I'd be interested. There's so much information out there that I don't see the book being possible with anything less than a staff of like 30 people. There's just way too much information out there that needs to be double checked and cross referenced that it's not possible for 1 person to do it alone.

[8bitgamer]

I'm gonna get a ton of flak for this and possibly get banned but I'm gonna be "that guy" here. I'm not a huge fan of it. I might be a little biased because I am used to full color spreads with writing in just about every square inch of the pages, different kinds of font, lots of hand drawn artwork, etc, meticulous attention to details, and I just don't see any of that here. Granted, to properly encapsulate 7+ years of video game releases, 724 titles, and all the history that comes with it, in the span of time you are allotted and the resources available to you, would probably result in a book that took years to complete and cost the reader much more than your asking price.

The main thing I wanted to see in this book was release months. I know that unless a game was hyped a lot or was a launch title, we usually don't have much to go off of for official release dates, but the months are relatively easy to find. I'm probably one of the few people that actually cares about that though so meh.

The other thing I really was hoping to see was production totals. I know that these numbers are well-guarded (for what reason I do not know) but that information is invaluable to a collector. Obviously the numbers don't describe true rarity (i.e. the actual amount of cartridges floating around out there) but it's a starting point. You would be able to see relative rarity of a game if it has 1/10 of the amount of carts produced compared to Super Mario World for example.

I spend a lot of time with a magazine in front of my face. What your magazine looks like is like a very early Electronic Gaming Monthly issue- a lot of white space, plain, boring font, very very basic info on games. I can't really zoom in on your sample pictures to see what the text says so I can't comment on that.

I don't really know who this book is geared toward- is it early 20-somethings who want a general idea of what games are out there for a system that came out long before they came into the world? Is it the hardcore SNES fan who wants to know everything about every SNES game ever released in the U.S.? If there isn't any new information I can glean from the book, it doesn't do much for me. There's a lot to be said about a system that came out 2 years after its primary competitor and maintained market dominance even when more powerful systems were coming out in the years after its launch.

Do you have information on variants? Misprints? Errors? Pack-in features? PCB pictures (that'd be really helpful in a time when counterfeiting is so prevalent and even encouraged by some.) What about scores given to games from magazines of their time? How many MB are the games? Maybe I am asking too much. I've been spoiled with the likes of Whitman Red Book for coins and Car and Driver, publications that give the reader so much information on its subject that it's almost unfathomable. Right now Nintendo Age is probably the best resource available for the kind of information I want, but it's nice to not have to support an authoritarian regime in order to see that information and also would be nice to see it in paper form.

Sorry, don't mean to come off as being inconsiderate. I could feign interest and not buy it or I could tell you what would make me want to buy it and then if you do a revised edition in the future, I'd be interested. There's so much information out there that I don't see the book being possible with anything less than a staff of like 30 people. There's just way too much information out there that needs to be double checked and cross referenced that it's not possible for 1 person to do it alone.

No flak from me, just some answers and opinions.

*Regarding zooming and and reading the text, if you click on the following link, click on the images, and save the sample pages to your desktop, you can get a really good look at the text:

http://www.brettweisswords.com/2018/...bus-super.html

*What's new and different about the book are the "insider insights" by 79 different industry people, including programmers, store owners, popular YouTubers, journalists, authors, and the like. Contributing writers of the wonderful, funny, sad, nostalgic, and life- and game-affirming stories in the book include Blake J. Harris (author of Console Wars), Kurt Kalata (Hardcore Gaming 101), Tim Lapetino (author of Art of Atari), Shawn Long (RGT 85 on YouTube), Rob McCallum (filmmaker), Brittney Brombacher (BlondeNerd.com), Eric “8-Bit Eric” Perez (YouTuber), Christopher “The Old Ass Retro Gamer” Pico (YouTuber), Benjamin Reeves (senior editor for Game Informer), John Riggs (RIGG’d Games on YouTube), Greg Sewart (former Previews and Reviews Editor for Electronic Gaming Monthly), and too many others to list. These stories will take you back to the 1990s, when people read Nintendo Power, GamePro and Electronic Gaming Monthly to get their fill of info on new games, when renting a fistful of cartridges at Blockbuster to play with friends all weekend was a rite of passage, and when grabbing those little tickets in the aisles of Toys “R” Us and taking them to that magical, game-filled room at the front of the store was about as thrilling as going to Disneyland. Lots of good, "you had to be there" kind of stuff.

*The book is for anyone who loves nostalgia, reading about video games, Super Nintendo fans, collectors. etc. It's a massive coffee table book with tons of photos, clear and easily digestible text, fun, original stories, and simple, uncluttered design.

*Regarding all the data you are looking for, such as production numbers, errors, and the like, you are right, it would take many people spending years hunting all of that down. It will never happen with a niche subject like this. With the info that is in the book, I've done tons of research, and double, triple and quadruple checked everything, and so it's very accurate (unlike so much of what you'll find online).

*Thanks for responding to my post. I appreciate your tone--you haven't been inconsiderate at all. Here are some advance reviews of The SNES Omnibus:

*** "This book is not only a reference volume, but it keeps alive the spirit of Nintendo's legacy." - Walter Day, industry icon and founder of Twin Galaxies.

*** "I read the whole thing and loved it! My favorite chapters were the more intimate ones, where the contributing writers talked about how the games affected them from a personal standpoint...I kept turning the pages looking to connect with the writers, and it happened a lot...The quotes and factoids are great...Grammatically, it's spotless...There's a plethora of balance, knowledge, and fun here...This is the best book Weiss has written so far." - Patrick Hickey, Jr., author of The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult and Classic Video Game Developers

*** "Each one of Brett's books is painstakingly researched, very well-written and extremely polished. This Super Nintendo book is no exception and should definitely find a place in the library of every retro-gaming enthusiast."- Dr. Roberto Dillon, author of The Golden Age of Video Games and Ready: A Commodore 64 Retrospective.

*** "Brett Weiss proves again that he is the master of game directories"- Leonard Herman, author of Phoenix IV:The History of the Videogame Industry.

*** "Weiss puts a heartwarming and personal spin on all that is still great with the Super Nintendo." - Michael Thomasson, author of Downright Bizarre Games: Video Games thatCrossed the Line!

You can pre-order the book and get more info here:

http://www.brettweisswords.com/p/the...s-vol-1-m.html

[8bitgamer]

I'll have my advance copy of The SNES Omnibus on display at CORGs on June 2. If you can't make it to the show in Columbus, Ohio, you can check it out on my website--please share on social media.

Thanks!

http://www.brettweisswords.com/2018/...o-and-its.html

[Natty Bumppo]

Looks great - I just ordered a copy through you.

I am really glad to see you have Schiffer as your publisher - I have some other books by them and they are usually very well done.

[8bitgamer]

Looks great - I just ordered a copy through you.

I am really glad to see you have Schiffer as your publisher - I have some other books by them and they are usually very well done.

Thanks for your order! Yes, Schiffer is excellent. I'm so glad I switched over to them. They published my "100 Greatest" book as well:


https://www.amazon.com/100-Greatest-...=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

[Natty Bumppo]

Thanks for your order! Yes, Schiffer is excellent. I'm so glad I switched over to them. They published my "100 Greatest" book as well:


https://www.amazon.com/100-Greatest-...=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

Are the pages going to be glossy - most of Schiffer's stuff is.

[8bitgamer]

Are the pages going to be glossy - most of Schiffer's stuff is.

Yes, beautiful, crisp and clear glossy pages.

[8bitgamer]

Here's a new interview I did about my forthcoming SNES Omnibus book:

https://www.twingalaxies.com/feed_de...ndo-golden-age

[Natty Bumppo]

Heh - just realized this is going to be released on my birthday.

[8bitgamer]

Heh - just realized this is going to be released on my birthday.

Nice! Hope someone gets it for you!

[Natty Bumppo]

Got my copy in the mail just now - a quick glance through shows it was worth getting - I will dig into it more deeply when I clear some other things off my table.

When is part two coming out? (Hand grenade estimate obviously.)

[8bitgamer]

Got my copy in the mail just now - a quick glance through shows it was worth getting - I will dig into it more deeply when I clear some other things off my table.

When is part two coming out? (Hand grenade estimate obviously.)

Great--glad it arrived safely!

The SNES Omnibus: The Super Nintendo and Its Games, Vol. 2 (N-Z) will be out in 2019. Probably summer.

Thanks!

[8bitgamer]

The first review has appeared on Amazon, which now has the book in stock:

https://www.amazon.com/SNES-Omnibus-...ustomerReviews

Here's that review, written by C. Chandler:

Brett Weiss, author of The 100 Greatest Video Games (1977-1987) has created a new series called the SNES Omnibus. Split up into two editions, Brett takes the entire Super Nintendo library and splits it right down the middle. The first release which debuted at the end of July covers all games that start with the letters A-M. Featured in a beautiful hard-bound edition in a glossy dust jacket features information about the famed 16-bit system and it's video game library.

The first thing you will notice when you crack open the SNES Omnibus is how colorful the pages are. Every page seems to stand out due to the massive amount of artwork that decorates throughout the book. Screenshots, box and cartridge art as well as original advertisements from magazines all adorn the pages of each game entry. Most entries stick to a single page per game, although there are some where two pages are necessary just due the sheer amount of information that was provided for that title. Contributor entries also are posted throughout, recalling memories of their childhood or how they had an opportunity to purchase a rarer title but failed to do so in the past. All of it is entertaining and informative, and gives you a perspective into some of the lives of fellow video game collectors.

Overall the SNES Omnibus Volume 1 is a great addition to any video game enthusiast's bookshelf. I found myself scouring the pages of this masterpiece like I would as a child receiving this month's issue of Nintendo Power. I found no errors in any of the factoids presented. The paper quality is above par for most retrogaming books that are similar in nature. The only downside I found is now I have to wait until Volume 2 is released to get games N through Z! If you are remotely a fan of the Super Nintendo, you owe it to yourself to pick this book up.

[Steven]

Looks like a ton of work was put into this.

Please excuse me for pointing out a typo, but in the Amazon review there is a picture of Fighter’s History. It mentions “Clay” but that should be “Ray” instead. I know typos happen in lots of published works so no biggie, but definitely something to fix when you get the chance.

[8bitgamer]

Looks like a ton of work was put into this.

Please excuse me for pointing out a typo, but in the Amazon review there is a picture of Fighter’s History. It mentions “Clay” but that should be “Ray” instead. I know typos happen in lots of published works so no biggie, but definitely something to fix when you get the chance.

Easy fix, thanks for pointing it out! (Not sure how it happened.)

[8bitgamer]

SNES Omnibus Update!
Hey guys and gals, I’ve got a little news about Vol. 2.

*I’ve seen the cover for The SNES Omnibus: The Super Nintendo and Its Games, Vol. 2 (N-Z), and it looks awesome!

*I’ll be able to reveal the cover to Vol. 2 in September, which is when the book will be listed (but not available yet) on Amazon.

*Vol. 2 will be released in the spring of 2019. Pre-orders will be available well before then, TBA.

*Vol. 2 will have even more pages, words, and photos than Vol. 1 because of all the “Super” titles, but it will cost the same: $49.99.

*New “industry insiders” contributing nostalgic stories for the book include best-selling author John Jackson Miller (Star Trek, Star Wars) and popular YouTubers Kelsey Lewin and John “Gamester81” Lester, among others.

*Many returning favorites are featured as well, including Game Informer senior editor Ben Reeves, who wrote the new foreword.

*Meanwhile, Vol. 1 signed copies are still available direct from me with a free copy of Old School Gamer Magazine #5.
Click here for details:
http://www.brettweisswords.com/p/the...s-vol-1-m.html