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

"Chris Kohler brings the passionate intensity of a hardcore fan to his writing, but he also has the background knowledge and the critical facilities to explore video games as an industry, as a medium, and as a cultural phenomenon." — Wired

Why are Japanese video games a worldwide sensation? This enjoyable and informative survey explores the reasons, starting with how Japanese developers raised the medium to an art form. The book also traces the ways in which the developers' ideas infused popular culture beyond the gaming world.
Interviews, anecdotes, and personal accounts offer insights from giants of the industry, including Shigeru Miyamoto, Hideo Kojima, and others involved in the creation of Donkey Kong, Mario, Pokémon, and other games. This revised edition includes updated material throughout the book as well as a new bonus chapter.

"While it appears that Japanese gaming is on the wane today, it's worth your time to read about an era when nothing could be further from the truth." — IGN

"Quite excellent... a great read." — Hardcore Gaming 101

"Direct and insightful ... I believe that it belongs on the top shelf of any collector." — Steve Kent, author of The Ultimate History of Video Games

Chris Kohler started writing for Wired in 2002 and founded wired.com's Game|Life channel in 2005. He is the author of Retro Gaming Hacks and co-hosts the Stitcher Award–winning podcast Good Job, Brain!

ForewordIntroduction1. Super Mario Nation2. An Early History of Cinematic Elements in Video Games3. The Play Control of Power Fantasies: Nintendo, Super Mario and Shigeru Miyamoto4. Quests and Fantasies: The Japanese APG5. Game Music, Music Games6. A Tale of Two Gaijin7. Adventures in Akihabara: The Japanese Game Marketplace8. Lost in Translation: This Game Are Sick9. Pokémon: Shikaku Sedai no Sekai Shôhin10. Future GamesConclusion. Thank You, Mario (But Our Profits Are in Another Country)BibliographyIndex