Before Mario?

I just ordered the new book called Before Mario (the author can be found here) and I am very much looking forward to receiving my copy!

Why this book?

My love for all things Nintendo (well, all retro video games actually, but especially Nintendo) is an undisputed fact. I have a rather solid collection of old games and old machines, and some new as well. Also, I really like reading about the old days. Revisiting those memories makes me feel like a school kid again!

Many years ago I read the book Game Over by David Sheff [amazon] [bokus] It is an excellent write-up on the history of Nintendo (and the rest of the video game industry as well). It tends to focus a lot on Nintendo as a company, on Hiroshi Yamauchi as a leader, Miyamoto as a creative genius, and the American video game market during the eighties. Also it ends around the launch of the N64, which was a while ago, so I would be happy for recommendations on more recent literature in the same vein!

Diversion and expectations

Recently I started diving into this wonderful book called 8 bitar (8 bits). Unfortunately it is only available in Swedish, but it is really a dream to read for an old gamer like me! 🙂

So, anyway, back to the subject. I ordered the book from French Omaké books, but I am not entirely certain that I will get the limited edition. It is probably sold out already, but that’s quite alright as the regular white cover looks awesome as well! It is going to be extremely interesting to read about and look at all these toys. After all they paved the way for Ice Climber, Mario and Donkey Kong. Hopefully this book will also allow me to be able to look into the mind of a collector several achievement levels above me!