For some of us, the Nintendo 64 holds a special place in our hearts. The thrill of running through a 3D world like Super Mario 64, or simply exploring the depths of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Not to mention the hours we spent knocking off opponents in Goldeneye 007 and wreaking havoc on the road with F-Zero X.
With that, Bitmap Books has just released a new entry that focuses on the N64 era, titled The Unofficial N64: A Visual Compendium. And like previous historical books it released, it’s an absolute must-have for anyone that was a fan of the console.
Featuring an absolutely stellar quality build and over 400 (!) pages of beautiful visuals and text, it goes in-depth with a number of its releases – even games you might have forgotten about. If you’re a fan of this sort of thing, you absolutely need this book.
(Image: Bitmap Books)
Opening Up
The book itself is an absolute looker, coming in a case complete with a holographic cover, highlighting several games from the “A-Z” spectrum. It’s a great look and really makes it shine on a shelf.
As for inside the book, it’s terrific. Along with a quality build, the pages themselves are lovingly created with the right level of colors and text. You’ll see these pictures and instantly be brought back to a period of nostalgia, eager to flip through your favorites and maybe discovering something you missed along the way. (“What the heck is Quest 64?!”)
What’s more, N64: A Visual Compendium features various talents from that era, discussing their time with it. David Doak of Goldeneye and Perfect Dark fame provides the awesome foreword, and there are also submissions by Kevin Bayliss, Michael Mendheim, Julian Eggebrecht and so many others. You’ll re-learn some of the best things about these games, while also discovering something new.
The end result is a well-rounded book with hardly any faults. It even has colorful bookmarks if you want to save favorite pages – or want to catch up on reading about Quest 64 some other time. (Hey, better than Superman 64, tell you what.)
(Image: Bitmap Books)
Where’s the Best Place To Start?
The great thing about N64: A Visual Compendium is that you could literally start on any page and get a wealth of information.
There is an index if you feel like skipping to your favorites, but this large and in-depth book dares you to dive in and read about stuff you might have missed. For instance, the 64DD add-on that only came out in Japan. Or, hey, maybe even some games you never thought you’d discuss again.
And thanks to the talented writers on board – as well as the savvy of Bitmap Books’ own Sam Dyer – you’ll get the most out of your read. Whether you’re figuring out that Beetle Adventure Racing was a solid game (even against the likes of the Rush titles) or learning just what the heck Body Harvest turned out to be, there’s something for everyone.
It might just make you drag that system out of storage (or on your game shelf, some of us still play like champs) and get in a few rounds, simply out of nostalgia. No one select Oddjob, okay?
One other cool thing is that, along with a physical copy of the book, Bitmap also graciously includes a digital one, so you don’t have to wait for the final thing to ship to see what it has to offer. Obviously physical is best, but this is a splendid option for those that want to read it without lugging it around in their bag. (Did we mention it’s a heavy book?)
(Image: Bitmap Books)
The Ultra 64 Era Lives Again
Like other Bitmap Books releases, The Unofficial N64: A Visual Compendium is a must. It truly combines history with thought-out design, with an elegant design that shines on every page. Plus there’s a ton of information here, including some things you may not have known about certain releases. And even if a game seemed “bad” to you, it’s fascinating to see it from a different angle (even though nothing will fix Superman 64, sorry).
Head over and order the book today. You’ll be glad you did.
GAMERHUB RATING: FIVE (out of FIVE) JOYSTICKS
(Big thanks to Sam Dyer for the review copy!)
