Power-Up : How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra Life

Rating:
Summary: Something about Japan by someone who understands Japan
Review: Kohler has done a very, very good job of surveying the Japanese video game industry.
Unlike other writers who have written game histories, Kohler speaks Japanese and lived in Japan. He covered the Japanese video game market for international publications. Frankly, the depth of his understanding shows throughout this book.
Kohler's interviews are direct and insightful. He managed to get access to many of Japan's leading game designers. As somebody who has read many books about the video game industry, I noticed that Kohler's knowledge of the Japanese language resulted in a more direct style of interview.
Kohler managed to get his hands on the creators of such games as ICO, Parapa, and, of course, Mario.
One thing I will say about "Power-Up" is that it is a specialized book. If you are looking for a general survey of gaming, or a picture book with glossy full-color art, this is not the book. This is NOT a book for folks who want to read about the games they played as kids.
"Power-Up" is a highly-specialized book. I believe that it belongs on the top shelf of ANY collector who considers himself/herself a serious student of video games. This is a resource, like Lenny Herman's "Phoenix," that will be appreciated by hardcore gamers for a very long time.

Rating:
Summary: Historical correctness isn't enough
Review: I'm a rather even-tempered kind of guy -- except when I see falsehoods bandied about like truths. I see that all the time in videogame journalism. Not an issue of EGM or Gamepro goes by without me going into a rage at the ignorance of the editors. And the less said about G4techTV, the better.

I stayed calm throughout Power-Up. Chris Kohler certainly knows his stuff. But his writing left me feeling empty -- there's no soul to it nor any brilliant (or even not-so-brilliant) insights. Power-Up is dry to the point of reading like an instruction manual, as another reviewer mentioned, or an assigned class report. When Kohler does digress, he tends to toss in entirely irrelevant and boring trivia (for example, he spends a full page on the installation of FF XI, noting how the PS2 version works with any USB keyboard, not only the overpriced official Sony product).

I've found many of Chris Kohler's articles in Wired (et al) to be both informative and well written, so it's a real pity that Power-Up doesn't make itself deserving of shelf space by Steven L. Kent's The First Quarter. Power-Up's not a bad book, just mediocre.

Rating:
Summary: For fans, by a fan.
Review: I've read a number of video game books over the years, and while most are well researched and informative, they seem to take a cynical or flat out negative tone most of the time. Possibly because they are more focused on the business side of the industry. Not so with this book. A labor of love by a fan who actually speaks and reads the language in which Japanese video games are created, he takes us on a journey from the beginnings of Nintendo in the late 1800's to the modern era without missing a beat along the way. The author also examines aspects of the industry that have gone unexamined in other texts, such as game music and Akihabara. It also includes a number of interviews with leading members of of various aspects of the Japanese gaming world. All in all, it's a wonderful example of what these inds of books can be, and I truly hope to see moreon this subject, both from this author and others, in the near future.

Rating:
Summary: Interviews with industry movers and shakers
Review: Power Up examines video games in general, and Japanese video games in particular, as an interactive storytelling medium. But video games were not always regarded as art - Japanese influence pioneered cinematic techniques that transformed games from primitive, non-story plaything such as the classic Pong to sweeping epic sagas such as the hero's complex journey in role-playing games like Final Fantasy 7. Though non-Japanese games are included in the discussion, Power Up especially examines how storytelling ideas in Japanese videogames have so thoroughly permeated the gaming world, from the first-ever game cutscenes in Donkey Kong onward. Author and dedicated game fan Chris Kohler presents his research of and personal interviews with industry movers and shakers such as Shigeru Miyamoto (creator of Mario), Hideo Kojima (designer of Metal Gear Solid), and many more. The impact of classic series on game storytelling and narrative include discussions of specific series such as a Mario games, Pokemon, Final Fantasy, and Grand Theft Auto among others. Black-and-white photographs and screenshots illustrate this fascinating exploration of everything from how videogame music evolved from bleeps and boops to full-symphony orchestras to the adventures that might await any truly hardcore gaming fan who dares to shop in Akihabara. Though Power Up concentrates especially on video game history, references to modern developments up through 2004 keep this survey current. A highly recommended treat for gamers in particular, and a valuable resource for students and researchers seeking to better understand the cultural shifts in video games as a communicative, interactive, expressive artistic medium as vibrant (and popular!) in its own right as books and movies.


Rating:
Summary: Perfectly done, yet not perfect
Review: this is a topic that nobody has ever touched on, as far as I can remember. Hence, it's so perfectly done that it has no elements of comparison.

but it's not perfect. for one thing, it's just as interesting to read as a text manual. if you're into that sort of thing, this is right up your alley.

if this is up your alley, keep reading. this book does everything it can to try and make the concept of making great video games worth reading about. that is a feat unto itself and a hard one at that. what people care about is the finished product. and that product most likely will come from japan and it just might be brilliant. another thing about this piece is that it has no problem reminding us of just that. a well done book, probably the best in the genre. and that's not saying much.