Two Excellent Books On Japanese Video Games Will Be Restocked At Amazon Very Soon

Published by Thames & Hudson, Japansoft: An Oral History is a 348-page book filled with insights from developers who worked at emerging studios in the early days of the Japanese video game industry. Developers from Sega, Enix, Capcom, Nihon Falcom, and Hudson Soft are featured in this insightful oral history. Written by Alex Wiltshire, Japansoft was originally published in 2022 but has been out of print for a while.

A good chunk of the content first appeared in John Szczepaniak’s The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers, a truly massive book (well, books) that is worth checking out if you want an even wider look at the beginnings of the game industry in Japan. But even if you’re familiar with Szczepaniak’s books, Japansoft does have new reporting based on interviews Wiltshire conducted, including conversations with Nasir Gebelli (Final Fantasy, Red Racer), Manami Matsumae (Rockman, otherwise known as Mega Man), Harumi Fujita (Bionic Commando), Tomohiro Nishikado (Space Invaders), and Noritaka Funamizu (1943, Area 88).

Along with these exclusive interviews, the book takes an overarching look at the history of game development in Japan and features illustrations from popular artist Yu Nagaba. You’ll also find a variety of photographs, ads, and other visuals scattered throughout. All told, there are 89 illustrations–30 of which are in full color.

If you’re interested in preordering Japansoft ahead of its September 3 release, you should definitely check out Szczepaniak’s book. When we referred to it as “massive,” we weren’t exaggerating. Clocking in at 1,346 pages across three volumes, this deep dive could keep you busy longer than a JRPG.

All three volumes are in stock at Amazon for list price ($30 each) and are sold and shipped directly from Amazon. The ebook versions are significantly cheaper, and Kindle Unlimited subscribers can actually read all three without spending a dime. Note that the page count expands drastically in ebook format due to design differences.

The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers (Paperback)

Volume I (526 pages) — $30Volume 2 (396 pages) — $30Volume 3 (424 pages) — $30

The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers (Kindle)

Volume I — $8Volume 2 — $7Volume 3 — $7

Originally released in 2021, this gorgeous hardcover volume from revered indie publisher Bitmap Books takes an in-depth look at over 600 titles, with everything from Final Fantasy and Fire Emblem to Persona and Etrian Odyssey covered across its 652 pages, so there’s a good chance you’ll find a bunch of your favorite Japanese games here.

Aside from covering the history of Japanese role-playing games, the book itself is a work of art. Bitmap clearly treats each book as a labor of love and thinks carefully about the layout of each page. Like most books published by Bitmap, A Guide to Japanese Role-Playing Games is very much a “face outward” on your shelf caliber book. As an added little flourish, you can save your spot with the attached ribbon bookmark.

The book’s initial run sold out fast, so the new printing could have the same fate. It’s been available to preorder for a few months alongside a handful of other Bitmap reprints slated to release the same day, but after Amazon fulfills preorders, it’s not uncommon for books (and Blu-rays) to disappear on launch day.

Related to that possibility: Based on number of reviews, A Guide to Japanese Role-Playing Games remains the most popular book from Bitmap’s catalog at Amazon.

As mentioned, Bitmap Books is reprinting several other volumes from its back catalog on September 3. The list includes a history of horror games, a book highlighting the artists who design cover art, and a comprehensive deep dive into side-scrolling beat-‘em-ups.

From Ants to Zombies: Six Decades of Video Game Horror (Hardcover) — $42Go Straight: The Ultimate Guide to Side-Scrolling Beat ‘Em Ups (Hardcover) — $45The Art of the Box (Hardcover) — $45The King of Fighters: The Ultimate History (Hardcover) — $45PC Engine: The Box Art Collection (Hardcover) — $40

The upcoming reprints don’t tell the full story of Bitmap Books–far from it. For the past decade, the publisher has steadily created a diverse library of beautiful books for retro gaming enthusiasts. From NES and Super Nintendo Visual Compendiums to gorgeous books on Game Boy box art and SNES pixel art, here’s a look at books that are currently in stock at Amazon for at or around list price.

Super NES/Super Famicom: A Visual Compendium (Hardcover) — $63The SNES Pixel Book (Hardcover) — $57NES/Famicom: A Visual Compendium (Hardcover) — $58N64: A Visual Compendium (Hardcover) — $53Game Boy: The Box Art Collection (Hardcover) — $60The Games That Weren’t — $63The Secret History of Mac Gaming: Expanded Edition (Hardcover) — $53NEOGEO: A Visual History — $54Commodore 64: A Visual Compendium (Hardcover) — $45Commodore Amiga: A Visual Compendium (Hardcover) — $47Artcade: Book of Classic Arcade Game Art (Hardcover) — $65Metal Slug: The Ultimate History (Hardcover) — $73The War of the Worlds Illustrated (Hardcover) — $40 | Yes, the H.G. Wells novel, randomly