Bitmap Books NES/Famicom: A Visual Compendium

With its cutting-edge graphics and extensive catalogue of iconic games, the Nintendo Entertainment System or NES (known as the Famicom in its native Japan) played a huge part in the history of video gaming. Nintendo’s console stormed onto the market and immediately raised the bar with classic titles such as Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros. Mega Man, The Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy, Fire Emblem and many more. Over the course of its 20-year lifespan the console sold in excess of 60 million units, made Nintendo a household name, and introduced youngsters everywhere to whole new worlds, characters and stories.

For many, this would be a turning point in their lives, leading them to become artists, game designers and programmers. It helped to popularise manga and anime among Western gamers, and brought icons of Western culture into Japanese homes. Nintendo’s little 8-bit console changed the world of entertainment forever, and its influence cannot be overstated.

NES/Famicom: a visual compendium aims to showcase the very best pixel art, box art and product design, including Japanese Famicom artwork as well as that used for Western game editions.

Spread over 512 pages, it features more than 170 classic games, with articles on the leading developers, interviews with key figures in the industry and mini-features on subjects such as packaging, fan art and unreleased games. Each book comes in a 3mm protective board slipcase with animated-effect lenticular images.