We've reviewed a couple of great gaming-related books at GBAtemp but it's heartwarming to see one of our very members come up with such a book of their own. One such endeavor comes from @ReyVGM , who has been around here for a long time and was even a moderator in the IRC channel. ReyVGM, or Rey Esteban, recently launch his first book The NES Endings Compendium: Years 1985 - 1988. In it, he explores the endings of NES games from 1985 and 1988 (150 games total) while revisiting some of the gaming industry's most iconic games.

ReyVGM's book is inspired by magazines from the 90s such as Nintendo Power and EGM and is presented in a similar nostalgic fashion. This means that each page looks different and as such he couldn't use a template. This design choice led to him taking nearly an entire year to complete the book. But Ray has no regret regarding his decision.

However, prior to this project, Rey tells me that he did not know anything about book design. After asking some prominent book-designers about an adequate software, he settled on Adobe InDesign and spent a couple of weeks to learn the ropes by watching YouTube tutorials and doing some tests.

Once he felt confident that he had the skills required to start, he began writing and designing the book.

​

After nearly a year since then, The NES Endings Compendium: Years 1985 - 1988 is now available to purchase. You can get a copy in paperback for $20 or in hardcover for $30 on Amazon. You can also purchase a digital (PDF or MOBI) on Itch.io as from $8.

Special thanks to @bladerx for pointing out ReyVGM's work and we wish him the very best with his book and hope to see more books about gaming history from him!

The NES Endings Compendium Amazon Link
The NES Endings Compendium Itch.io Link

 

[T-hug]

Yep, there are a lot of video game books being made today. None of them broach this subject though, that's why I decided to make one of my own.

Hope you enjoy it if you do buy it.

When we will see the GBA endings book m8?

 

[MikaDubbz]

PatTheNESPunk released an entire compendium of every NES game I believe...

Yeah, those books wouldn't at all be covering the games I'm talking about. I'm talking about mostly unofficial stuff: Micro Mages, Little Medusa, Battle Kid 1 and 2, etc. etc.
I'm well aware of what Pat chronicled in his books which is exactly why I proposed what I did to kinda complement his books which showcased all the official NES games released during its lifetime. While I find the games that pop up for it these days to be extremely fascinating in their own right.

 

[ReyVGM]

I'm not sure if I would say I just don't enjoy them. Me saying I'm "too cool" for books is a joke, I just don't know a thing about the industry and I have so much other things to do that I don't really pay any mind to them. Also I had no idea there was a DS version before this. Its so weird seeing the beautiful artwork crunched down to DS sprites. Oh no, now I'm just asking the world for a DS pixel book! Nah, but I do like the look of DS games a lot actually. 3D stuff looks like PS1 more so than N64, and mixed with the tiny resolution and more efficient sprite-making methods, the outcome is very distinctly DS. One thing that stands out to me more than anything is seeing the modern character designs and art styles on these older-looking games. I think it's the same reason why seeing super detailed Gamecube versions of older character designs in Melee looks so interesting. This has nothing to do with anything though so I'll stop.

Actually, the Wii and DS Batman B&B are different games. So if you liked one, playing the other one technically counts as playing a "sequel" or something.

Nice work Rey!
Nice work!

Thanks! It was a long road to get here. I'm already working on the sequel!

That book must cost a fortune to print. Each page is like an entire ink cartridge worth of color.

Haha, it does have a lot of colors

When we will see the GBA endings book m8?

Oh, I would love to do one. But first I must finish the NES era and then do the SNES one.

 

[Costello]

hey there Rey, great to see you're still around
you bet your ass if I see this in a library it's an instant buy for me!
I'd rather have it my hands - never was a big fan of ebooks.
I'll be looking for it for sure! Thanks for hanging around our little community

 

[Sicklyboy]

Well now that's cool as hell. Hardcover get!

 

[ReyVGM]

hey there Rey, great to see you're still around
you bet your ass if I see this in a library it's an instant buy for me!
I'd rather have it my hands - never was a big fan of ebooks.
I'll be looking for it for sure! Thanks for hanging around our little community

Oh Costello!

I was just telling Prans how I've been coming around here since the GBTemp days and the IRC chan. I remember I was an OP in a lot of those emu/r0mz channels back in the day. Fun days.

If you want a physical version, you can get it from amazon. I like to hold stuff in my hands too!

Well now that's cool as hell. Hardcover get!

Haha, great. That's the one I'm going to buy for myself too (amazon doesn't give out free/discounted hardcover versions for anyone).

 

[6adget]

Too f@cking cool. I have been a book nerd since I was a kid. mostly fiction. Almost everything I read is in ebook format. I read more books a week than my wife, and she's a teacher, I think secretly it irritates the shit out of her. I just sent her the amazon link and told her to buy me the hardcover copy, and the paperback copy for the waiting room at my shop. Any book that beautiful deserves to be printed, not pixelated.

 

[ReyVGM]

I think secretly it irritates the shit out of her. .

I laughed a lot at that line.

Any book that beautiful deserves to be printed, not pixelated.

You should really be a writer because that last line is excellent.

 

[realtimesave]

Lmao Rey VGM is still around xD that roxxxxxxx

 

[realtimesave]

When we will see the GBA endings book m8?

hi thuggard.

 

[Redhorse]

I still buy books, especially guides, mostly for the art.
I have the original Nintendo Power Guides and Prima Guides, for Fire Emblem & F.E. Sacred Stones, Advance Wars 1&2 GBA, Golden Sun 1&2 (with maps & map poster!) as well as others.

I recently saw a copy of 'Top 100 Video Games everyone Should Play before Dying'; beautiful, book, amazing content. I have to buy that one hard copy.

 

[realtimesave]

I should buy the SNES and Gameboy books because I have all the roms and flash carts and hardware....

This NES book looks interesting too. I wonder what's the msrp gonna be. oops nevermind it's in the OP.. not a bad price 30 bucks hard cover.

 

[BitMasterPlus]

Another thing I'd waste my money on if I could lol

 

[realtimesave]

I like the idea that we can financially help out reyvgm museum and at the same time get a nice book in the process.

 

[Tasilz]

Too f@cking cool. I have been a book nerd since I was a kid. mostly fiction. Almost everything I read is in ebook format. I read more books a week than my wife, and she's a teacher, I think secretly it irritates the shit out of her. I just sent her the amazon link and told her to buy me the hardcover copy, and the paperback copy for the waiting room at my shop. Any book that beautiful deserves to be printed, not pixelated.

I agree, I do not perceive books at all except in a natural cover.