Pre-orders launch on May 9th at 5pm BST. Shipping will begin on May 26th.

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 videogaming.

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.

Book specifications
512 pages. 170mm × 230mm. 3mm protective board slipcase with “animated” lenticular fascia. Edge-to-edge high quality lithographic print. Hardback with free PDF. Sewn binding for enduring quality and the ability to lay flat for ideal double-page image viewing. Spot-varnished cover and dust jacket that highlight key elements against a matte background. Two coloured bookmark ribbons. Shrink-wrapped. Free PDF for viewing on the go.

Reprint updates
In this latest reprint of NES/Famicom: a visual compendium, we’ve updated the Nintendo feature to reflect the demise of the Wii U, as well as the introduction of the Switch and, of course, the NES Classic Edition. Contributor entries now include their role in the game or profession, in line with more recent visual compendiums. The first edition’s gatefold pages have been removed, but the content is, of course, retained.

Includes contributions from:
Kaz Aizawa, Martin Alessi, Mat Allen, Lance Barr,^, Kevin Bayliss, Ian Bell, Colette Bennett, René Boutin, Gary Bracey, Frank Cirocco, Samuel Claiborn, Wes Copeland, David Crane, David Darling, Tom duBois, Andy Dyer, Marc Ericksen, Greg Ford, David Giltinan, Tim Girvin, Alberto J. González, Kouji Hiroshita, Machiguchi Hiroyasu, Keiji Inafune, Shigesato Itoi, Satoru Iwata, Yoshiaki Iwata, Steve Jarratt, Masashi Kageyama, Masato Kato, Sam Kennedy, Yoshio Kiya, Professor Yoshihiro Kishimoto, Koji Kondo, Scott Marshall, Damien McFerran, ‘Trickman’ Terry Minnich, Shigeru Miyamoto, Jerry Momoda, Robert Morgan, Mark Morris, Tokihiro Naito, Wes Nihei, Philip Oliver, Toru Osawa, Jared Petty, John Pickford, Ste Pickford, Julian Rignall, Andy Roberts, Perry Rodgers, Hironobu Sakaguchi, Yoshio Sakamoto, Masahiro Sakurai, Bruce Schlickbernd, Kazuko Shibuya, David Siller (Sushi-X), Mat Sneap, Audun Sorlie, John Szczepaniak, Takashi Takebe, Gregg Tavares, Shinichiro Tomie, Michitaka Tsuruta, Masayuki Uemura, Masahiro Ueno, David Warhol, Michael Winterbauer, David Wise, Manabu Yamana, Kinuyo Yamashita and Hideo Yoshizawa.