NEW SUPER NINTENDO BOOK NOW AVAILABLE: The SNES Omnibus Vol. 1

[8bitgamer]

The SNES Omnibus: The Super Nintendo and Its Games, Vol. 1 (A-M) is now in stock on Amazon. You can check it out here:

 

https://www.amazon.com/SNES-Omnibus-Super-Nintendo-M/dp/0764355325/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

 

Or order a signed copy direct from me here:

 

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

 

The SNES Omnibus Vol. 1 features:

 

*350+ game write-ups (EVERY U.S. release from A to M)

*2000+ full-color photos

*213,800 words

*Fun and nostalgic SNES stories from more than 70 industry professionals

*Professionally published by Schiffer Publishing (this is NOT self-published)

*Bookstore distribution

*History; fun facts; memories; quotes; and more!

*Large format book with beautiful hardcover binding, glossy pages, and dust jacket

*Author Brett Weiss has been gaming since 1975 and writing professionally about games since 1997

 

THANKS FOR READING!!

Edited August 2, 2018 by 8bitgamer

[+GoldLeader]

Wow! This looks Amazing!

 

And just by skimming the sample pages, I realized Arkanoid: Doh It Again can be controlled by the SNES Mouse! How did I not know this? (Or maybe I forgot long ago, since I would have Loved a Paddle controller for it)...

 

Best of luck with it!

 

 

*Edited because I appear to be far too tired to keep my Arkanoid games straight hehaa

Edited August 2, 2018 by GoldLeader

[8bitgamer]

Wow! This looks Amazing!

 

And just by skimming the sample pages, I realized Arkanoid: Doh It Again can be controlled by the SNES Mouse! How did I not know this? (Or maybe I forgot long ago, since I would have Loved a Paddle controller for it)...

 

Best of luck with it!

 

 

*Edited because I appear to be far too tired to keep my Arkanoid games straight heha

 

Wow! This looks Amazing!

 

And just by skimming the sample pages, I realized Arkanoid: Doh It Again can be controlled by the SNES Mouse! How did I not know this? (Or maybe I forgot long ago, since I would have Loved a Paddle controller for it)...

 

Best of luck with it!

 

 

*Edited because I appear to be far too tired to keep my Arkanoid games straight hehaa

Thanks!

[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-snes-omnibus-vol-1-m.html

[Lost Dragon]

I'm looking at picking this up as it's received glowing reviews on Amazon.UK.

 

I only had a SNES for a while but Alien 3,Mr Do!, Choplifter III etc were simply fantastic.

 

 

I loved the idea of insider insights, but i am hearing rumblings that some people's memories seem a little off..

 

Test Drive II:The Dual was flagged up.

 

The account presented makes out the ZX Spectrum press were all over it..

 

Yet the 2 key magazines here in the UK were luke warm towards it Your Sinclair giving it 52% and calling it complete tosh..Crash took a liking to it a bit more..76%.

 

But it's also presented as arriving later on the 16 bit machines?

 

Whilst indeed the ST version did arrive some months after the ZX Spectrum version, console versions later again, the Amiga original was a good few months earlier than the ZX Spectrum release.

 

I only bring this up as constructive criticism and wonder if there is a revised edition planned and if so should i hold off purchasing until then?

 

Or just skip over the odd inaccuracies here and there and buy now?.

 

Many thanks for your time and my very best wishes for Volume 2 and future projects.

[8bitgamer]

I'm looking at picking this up as it's received glowing reviews on Amazon.UK.

 

I only had a SNES for a while but Alien 3,Mr Do!, Choplifter III etc were simply fantastic.

 

 

I loved the idea of insider insights, but i am hearing rumblings that some people's memories seem a little off..

 

Test Drive II:The Dual was flagged up.

 

The account presented makes out the ZX Spectrum press were all over it..

 

Yet the 2 key magazines here in the UK were luke warm towards it Your Sinclair giving it 52% and calling it complete tosh..Crash took a liking to it a bit more..76%.

 

But it's also presented as arriving later on the 16 bit machines?

 

Whilst indeed the ST version did arrive some months after the ZX Spectrum version, console versions later again, the Amiga original was a good few months earlier than the ZX Spectrum release.

 

I only bring this up as constructive criticism and wonder if there is a revised edition planned and if so should i hold off purchasing until then?

 

Or just skip over the odd inaccuracies here and there and buy now?.

 

Many thanks for your time and my very best wishes for Volume 2 and future projects.

 

The writer of the Test Drive II piece said he was inspired to get the game by the positive comments in the reviews. Even mediocre reviews typically have some positive comments.

 

He doesn't mention 16-bit COMPUTER versions, so that's really not relevant in this case.

 

If you have any other questions about the insider insights, let me know. Thanks.

Edited September 28, 2018 by 8bitgamer

[Lost Dragon]

Many thanks for taking time out to answer my questions, it is appreciated.

 

I think my confusion arose over the Insider Insights sections, as i was under the impression these would be established bloggers, YouTube personalities and Video Game Writers giving a personal account of why the SNES version of a game meant so much to them....

 

For example if someone asked me why i bought a SNES just to play SNES Alien 3, i would try and point out how it differed so much from the already excellent Megadrive version, how the hardware was used to great effect, atmosphere created etc.

 

Focus would be on SNES with MegaDrive version used as a comparison and why you really needed both systems.

 

 

Talk of such a radical different system as the ZX Spectrum version would personally seem out of place to myself, but that's a personal preference.

 

 

I appreciate space is very limited in sections such as Insider Insights, but this makes it even more important a writer is careful choosing words and there is a degree of clarity.

 

If he or she simply says a later release on 16 bit systems, the reader is left unsure if that refers to consoles or computers.

 

Your book has quite a high price tag and whilst i am not for an instant doubting it's superb VFM..it does create a high stand or writing expected by a potential purchaser such as myself.

 

I think a recent review summed up my concerns far better than i could..here's a quote from it:

 

 

 

 

Book Reviews

SNES Omnibus: Book Review.

 

"There’s an endless supply of retro gaming themed books being released these days, and it’s always refreshing to see a small selection of those books covering Nintendo, I can only imagine the fear of god they face from “Big N’s” legal talons in the protection of their I.P’s when they see people producing a book based on their consoles, software or its third-party software too. So with this in mind I’m sure Brett Weiss took this into consideration when beginning his work on the SNES Omnibus book, in this Volume one he explores the Super Nintendo’s American region released titles from A-M with a massively high page count of 450+ pages, just as a side note, for this review I will not be able to comment on paper quality and print quality as I received a digital version of the book for review, but I believe the book is quite big and thick, possibly justifying the higher than usual price tag of $50 / €42 / £37 at the online checkout."

 

 

 

"So what’s it all about? Well there is a fantastic foreword by Bill Loguidice covering the technicalities of the system as well as well-informed insights about the SNES’s beginnings in the United States and he himself is the author of eight technology books and was a writer and producer of Gameplay: The Story of the Videogame Revolution, a feature film documentary on the history of video games. The book follows up with a Pre-face acknowledgment by the author Brett Weiss to inform the reader about who he is and what his history of video games is like etc, in others words a self-promoting page which I normally bypass to get straight to the content. The book there after jumps straight into the games where your greeted with four to five images, these are made up with box Art of the game, a photo of the game’s cartridge and screenshots of the game littering the page followed by what I feel was a basic break down of the game and info on the other formats it may have appeared on, looking simply like something just to add to the games wordcount."

 

"One interesting addition that helps flesh out the game spreads within the book is the “Notable Quotable” concept, these are great as a reference about what was said about the game back in the day by video game journalists reviewing the game within your favourite video games magazine, they really are used to great effect in the SNES Omnibus book, but I also feel that these should have been only used for AAA titles, rather than for most games to just fill out the pages on the lesser popular or mediocre games. The book also adds another spin on content aspects with “Insiders Insights” here Brett has organised for inclusion of the book, You-Tubers, Game Reviewers, Video Game Bloggers and such like to contribute their personal perspective and memories of the games found inside the book, this is a great touch and adds additional depth to what has already been written. I did find some of the insider’s insights very touching, especially Catherine Despira’s insider for “Bugsy 2” dam near brought a tear to my eyes! Where other insights were simply perspectives of other formats of the some games (Adams Family, Test Drive 2: The Dual and Midway Arcade Classics) attempting to size up the SNES without actually playing that version! Which left me thinking why have them included if they don’t know the machine?"

 

It makes the Insider Insights seem a little hit n miss in places.

 

Please take this as constructive criticism for going forward with Volume II

Edited September 28, 2018 by Lost Dragon

[8bitgamer]

For the The Test Drive II insider insight, he did comment on the SNES version when he referenced the 16 bit machines.

 

Part of the strength of the book is that the Insider Insights are from a wide variety of people of different ages and backgrounds. That they discuss other versions in addition to the SNES versions is a plus in my book (so to speak).

 

The Insider Insights vary greatly in tone and content. Some may be more to your liking than others. I like that there is such variety.

 

Here's another review to consider, from someone name C. Chandler on Amazon:

 

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.

[8bitgamer]

There are some YouTube videos reviewing The SNES Omnibus, if anyone wants to check them out: