NEOGEO: A visual history - Bitmap Books
Categories:
[blog]
Tags:
[video games],
[review],
[book]
- NEOGEO: A Visual History, Bitmap Books, 2017
- 400 pages
Another Bitmap book, another must-own for fans of the system. In this case, the NEOGEO and associated platforms - arcade MVS, home AES, handheld Pocket, and the CD based home systems. A lavish design (the metallic gold pages are luxurious) combined with offical sanction by SNK form a masterful package of both informative text and beautifully presented art.
As usual for Bitmap, the art pieces are given pride of place on the pages, with plenty of 2-page spreads of significant pieces. Sprite sheets, sketches, backgrounds, game covers, hardware, flyers, fanzines, ads, logos, artworks, and of course screen shots are all covered and all looking great.
While the art definitely accounts for the majority of the book, the background history and interviews combined with the ever-present captions impart a wealth of knowledge that even those pretty well knowledgable about the NEOGEO will find educational.
I've yet to see a Bitmap Books release not well-worth owning, and NEOGEO: A Visual History is absolutely in-line with the rest of their output. The NEOGEO was a force of nature back in the 90s (especially to those not fortunate enough to be able to acquire one!), and exploring its majesty is always warranted.