Power-Up: How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra Life Paperback – October 21, 2016

[Disclaimer: A full review will be forthcoming after I finish the book].I recently purchased this book and, in one day, have gotten about 40 or so pages in. I can easily say that I am greatly enjoying my time with it so far.Kohler writes very clear and concise. It has been very informative to read on the Japanese side of the video games industry, especially regarding its origins and both some of the significant people and companies that made it happen. Kohler's pacing for the two chapters I have read so far seems to be very balanced; just enough side information, fun facts, pictures, and minor variations throughout that make this so much more than a dry history book or thesis paper (which, ironically, this book started out as). It has been entertaining as well to read more in depth on Shigeru Miyamoto's beginnings (i.e., childhood interests, novel and academic/technical experiences, first encounters with Nintendo).As Kohler puts it in the introduction, what you are getting here is a snapshot from his perspective and research of how the Japanese contributed to the video game industry as a whole. I noticed other reviewers stating things such as: "there were other companies other than Nintendo", it is "too narrow in scope", and it is "too short and too shallow", but would like to remind you that Kohler never claims his intent is to provide an all-in-one, comprehensive book on the subject matter. I believe, if you go in with this knowledge, it won't disappoint.Even though I have a long way to go before I'm able to provide my definite thoughts, I feel confident in saying that I'd highly recommend this book to any gamer that has an appreciation for not only the games that they play, but the companies and individuals that started the games industry as well.I hope this helps you in making a decision. I'm glad I chose to give this one a try.

this is a good life-long journey in the vein of nintendo power and more. how did i know? cuz' i used to grade this guy. his father wrote most of the book but he handled the final edit. it's like a real family writing together. i was over at gamefaqs typing reviews for fun and believed this book to be pretty accurate. i like it and found that some developing can lead to more. i was a dos instructor with published software, he was a pupil of mine. fun read, fun time, thumb up big.........

Author Chris Kohler has writtenna superb volume covering the rose of Japanese gaming culture. Unique insights from premier developers including Miyamoto. Well-written and concise. A must-read for classic gaming aficionados.

As an almost 40 year old American man, I've of course grown up playing Japanese video games. This book is an interesting look at video gaming's history, and how the Japanese have had such a large part in making it what it is today. Highly recommended.

I enjoyed this book, mostly. Within its scattershot set of chapters about Japanese games in general, there's a fascinating, albeit sketchy, history of Nintendo that contained many small revelations for me, despite that I've been playing video games incessantly since 1987 or so. But the rest of the material was less compelling for me. The chapter about music games and music in games actively frustrated me--it gave only a brief survey of either topic, and seemed to spend most of its words on a tedious, obsessive examination of Final Fantasy albums. A chapter about Akihabara, Japan's premier consumer electronics marketplace, pushed the trivia-to-insight ratio similarly high. In his effort to treat video games as if they deserve the attention of artists, Kohler concentrates too much on material that is only interesting to fans.Still, on the whole I'm glad I read this book, and I hope Kohler's stated desire to encourage further such works is satisfied; there is clearly much more to say.

My son needed this book for school it arrived fast and for a decent price.

Good quality, heavy duty hooks.

Classic