Long before giant polygonal ships populated by gamer avatars soared through the digital cosmos, or highly tuned 3D race cars hurtled across photorealistic open-world landscapes, gaming was all about pixels. At first, they were clunky affairs, made of simple forms and abstract shapes, barely recognisable as their real-world counterparts. But as gaming hardware became more powerful, so the artist’s craft began to take shape, producing beautiful, timeless artwork that reached its peak on Nintendo’s 16-bit Super Nintendo. Created in collaboration with German publisher Elektrospieler this lavish, 272-page volume celebrates the golden age of 16-bit gaming on Nintendo’s ultra-popular home console. The book, which has been painstakingly translated from the original German text, features in-depth articles exploring the major genres to be found in the SNES’s huge portfolio of games. These are accompanied by tens of thousands of screenshots, specially taken, composed and selected for this volume, comprising a combination of single images, cut-outs, sprawling montages and gigantic level maps. So, whether as a colossal spaceship, multi-screen boss monster, giant fortress, or comprehensive level overview, you can admire your favourite games and characters in ways rarely seen before. The book features a huge number of titles, from obscure oddities to the biggest classics, including Street Fighter II, Super Mario World, Super Castlevania IV, Axelay, Chrono Trigger, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Final Fantasy VI – all beautifully presented and preserved for eternity. The many games have been grouped by genre, alongside thoughtful and fascinating insights into the evolution of genres and design trends, and their impact on today’s video game landscape. Overall, the project represents the culmination of many years’ work by its authors, Robert Bannert and Christine Bauer, and translator Thomas Nickel. The book is full colour throughout, beautifully printed on high quality paper, and sumptuously illustrated by some of the very best game artwork on the SNES. For connoisseurs of pixel art, fans of the Super Nintendo, or anyone simply wanting to reminisce about the 16-bit era, ‘The SNES Pixel Book’ will be a fine additional to your retro-gaming collection. Specifications 272 pages. 250mm × 250mm. Spot-varnished 3mm protective board slipcase. Spot-varnished cover. Edge-to-edge high quality lithographic print. Hardback. Sewn binding for enduring quality and the ability to lay flat for ideal double-page image viewing. Shrink-wrapped. Volumetric weight: 2.5kg
