Product Description

There is no book yet written in English on the subject of Japanese video games. There are many books written on Japan, and many books written on video games. But these books cover Japanese video games only in passing, and none are written from the standpoint of trying to understand the reasons behind the success of Japanese video games. Only BradyGames' Power-Up book examines why video games are fun and what Japanese designers do to make their games more fun, in addition to covering the history of Japanese video games. The book also contains interviews with accomplished game designers, artists and muscians. Not Final Cover.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #464479 in Books
• Published on: 2004-09-23
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 312 pages

About the Author

Chris Kohler currently lives in North Branford, Connecticut. He graduated summa cum laude from Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts in May 2002, receiving a BA in Japanese and the Japanese Language and Literature Prize. His graduation thesis was titled "The Cinematic Japanese Video Game" and earned highest honors.

Customer Reviews

fills a hole
I found this book very interesting and enlightening, in spite of a few problems. The author is clearly passionate about Japan and Japanese games but his slightly clumsy writing style lets him down a little. Some sections could have done with condensing and the book is very heavy on Final Fantasy and Miyamoto-san's games. Also note that it is written from a very American perspective and doesn't contain much about the role of Europe.
Don't, however, let these minor complaints stop you from buying what is otherwise a good introduction to games in Japan and why the Japanese do them so well. It fills the current academic void (in English at least) and is full of genuine passion and understanding.

Very Good
This book is based solely on Japanese games, such as Mario and Final Fantasy. Its an interesting read, and i would recommend it to anyone interested in Japanese game history. However, it could have done with more coverage of Japanese companies like Sega or Capcom, instead of its large coverage of Square and Nintendo.