New Content Announced for Battlefront 2!

Hey all! So I've been playing quite a bit of Battlefront 2 lately and things have certainly changed since I last played it last year. EA really has tweaked the system where it is no longer on a pay-to-win basis, but even more than that is the content they have added in since its original release! There has been quite a bit more been added here with the likes of the brand new mode dubbed 'Galactic Supremacy' a Clone Wars era mode harking back to the mode featured in the original Battlefront series to Anakin, Obi Wan, Grevious and Count Dooku all being playable heroes! EA has tried to step things up it seems. Although this post isn't going to delve into what's changed since its original release but rather what i'm personally looking forward to and what's on the horizon according to EA via Battlefront 2's official website.

Droidekas!

Or, destroyer droids as others may refer to them as. Yup, they're becoming playable! In this month to be precise! According to the official Battlefront 2 website anyway. It's weird that EA didn't include these units in the beginning as they are undoubtedly one of the Confederacy's top droid units. From their Sonic Spin Dash type roll to their ability to utilise temporary shield generators to protect them; the Droideka is a formidable foe. Even the Jedis fear them. Cue the scene from Episode 1 when Obi Wan and Qui Gonn are on the Trade Federation ship and straight up leg it when they show up! It's actually quite funny. The Droidekas show up and suddenly they're both like 'nope!' And both use the force to run as fast as I do to the bathroom after a dodgy pint; I digress though. One thing I do want to know is whether or not the Droideka will be a new addition to the droid army or will to replace an already existing unit? Hopefully it'll be the former. Regardless though, I very much look forward to playing as these droids. Ever since I saw them in Episode 1 I was a fan and very much enjoyed playing them on the previous Battlefront games.

Feliciua

Felicua was one of the planets briefly featured in Revenge of the Sith and one of the planets which were playable in the old Battlefront 2. It was never my favourite map to play on, but on the flipside it is definitely a map which stands out. It's a floral and fungi paradise with giant oversized plants and flora everywhere! As I mentioned, it was shown briefly in Episode III in the scene where one of the Jedi (I can't remember for the life me who she is called off the top of my head) is betrayed by her clone brigade and shot point blank several times.

As I said, it was never a favourite map of mine on the original Battlefront 2 but here's a chance to make the map more appealing this time around. I still believe EA's Battlefront 2 still lack maps and planets which is why it is good news to see a brand new planet, albeit a planet I wasn't particularly fond of, show up in EA's version. One of the great things about Star Wars are the planets which feature throughout and to see another one added here is good news in my book. According to the official Battlefront 2 website we can expect to see Felucia in Autumn/Fall 2019.

Everything else!

There are other ( in my opinion) more minor updates which are being added to Battlefront in the upcoming summer months too. From a new Clone Wars skin we can expect for Anakin, to the Clones getting their own new reinforcement class to help battle the Confederacy and their Droidekas, namely, the TX-130 Tank which once again made its appearance in previous Battlefront games.The most recent mode Capital Supremacy is also due to feature the Naboo city of Theed to become a playable map to keep the mode feeling fresh. There  will also be a few appearances up for grabs for the Clone troopers too! It seems EA have listen to fans and are showing the love to the prequel trilogy in addition to steadily releasing new content as they promised which is great to see. Hopefully the support for Battlefront 2 continues and the tragic initial launch period for the game will be a very distant memory Far Far Away... 

 

Banjo-Kazooie Finally In Smash Bros!!

Hey guys and gals! It's been a while since my last blog post! But hey, forget about that! Banjo & Kazooie are finally added to a Smash Bros game!! Yeah, for real! Nintendo announced it at this year's E3 right at the end of their presentation and fans are going crazy over it as the bear and bird have been requested by numerous gamers ever since the first Smash released back in the N64 days! Ever since their debut back on the N64 these two have been loved by numerous gamers due to their stunning first and second 3D platforming games. A few, including myself, even put their first title above the likes of Mario 64! This was the level of quality Rare first put into the bear and bird combo and since then have become dear characters.

So we know what they look like in Smash thanks to the gameplay shown in the presentation and they even showcased some of the moves we can expect to see! I have to say all of this, including the new Spiral Mountain level which is coming too, looks fantastic. Banjo & Kazooie had a great range of moves they could perform in their two respective games and it looks like they transfer well to Smash. Even their voices sound just how they did back in the day!! Combine this with the aforementioned brand new Spiral Mountain stage and the one or two (hopefully more) music tracks which are bound to be shown off too then this looks like one of the very best third party characters Nintendo has added to their favourite fighting franchise.


My next thoughts are how will they play? Slow and heavy like Bowser or nimble and agile like Diddy? Or perhaps a mixture in-between? We won't know until the day of release which is scheduled to be Autumn of this year. I can see them being favourites among the Smash community though; not just for the fact it is actually Banjo & Kazooie who we finally get to play as, but due to their seemingly diverse move-set they seemed to be demonstrating during the presentation. Either way though, well done Nintendo! They really seem to be granting the dreams of gamers via Smash characters at the moment and hopefully it'll continue! 

Game of Fame #2: Resident Evil 4

Game Of Fame: Resident Evil 4

Console: Various (originally debuted on Gamecube)

Year: 2005

Hello one and all! welcome to another new post in my Game of Fame blog series. The first Game of Fame was easy to choose as it was always going to be my first in the series due to the impact it had on the industry. For those of you haven't read my first Game of Fame post its on Super Mario Bros and the post can be found here: http://stephensonite.blogspot.co.uk/2018/03/game-of-fame-1-super-mario-bros.html

Anyway, as I was saying, choosing the first post was going to be easy, but choosing the second was a bit harder. All these amazing and classic games were rushing to my head until I though about my own second favourite game of all time: Resident Evil 4. 

Capcom managed to reinvent the survival horror genre in the mid 90's thanks to the Resident Evil franchise. Headed by Shinji Mikami and inspired by a Japanese exclusive NES Capcom horror title roughly translated to Sweet Home, the team managed to create a brand new franchise which really did scare players through making the player feel under-powered by using limited weaponry and ammo, fighting tough zombies and other mutants, claustrophobic and corridor like map design and weird tank-like controls in addition to stiff movement  to hinder the player. The first major three games in the series were all big hits, particularly the second one and picked up numerous game awards amongst critics and gamers alike. After three or four games of essentially the same feel, Mikami and the team felt it was time for change. Development for RE titles have never usually been straight forward as the team were literally about ninety percent done with RE2 when Mikami decided the game wasn't up to standards and thus they scrapped it. RE4 however took ages to develop. It went through multiple changes and gameplay styles before it eventually became the version which we all know today. Mikami wanted different enemies to zombies as he thought they were now becoming stale and more importantly, not scary. The team thought of many horrifying enemies to include from ghost poltergeist type enemies to crazy dolls wielding knives! Eventually the team choose the enemies, choose the new location and choose the not so new protagonist and it was all uphill from there.

The game was met with unanimous praise when it was released in 2005 on the Gamecube. The emphasis of the game changed from survival horror to survival action enticing more casual and new players to pick up and play the game. Gone are the static camera angles and clunky movements (for the most part), instead the camera is positioned right behind Leon and over his shoulder. For the first time in the franchise's history the game doesn't have zombies as the main enemies. This time around the enemies are ravenous infected villagers which can run, climb, use weapons, set traps and organise themselves. Due to these new enemies, players found themselves having to think fast as unlike zombies the infected villagers, or Ganados as the game label them as, don't mess about and stand still for long. It was a welcomed and different change for the series and helped new-comers ease their way into the series. However there was scepticism amongst RE fans as many (including myself at first) thought removing zombies from the series would be taking away a core component of the franchise; which it kind of was. But in the end this proved to be the correct decision by Capcom.

The story itself isn't anything original but it works. The president of the United State's daughter, Ashley has been kidnapped and the US government send in a highly trained agent to find her and get her out of harm's way safely and back to her father. The agent in question is one Leon S Kennedy, the same rookie cop from fan favourite title RE2. This time though Leon isn't a new rookie but a competent secret agent. Throughout the game, Leon is led to myriad of different settings from a rural Spanish village to highly secured secret base. These settings are full of atmosphere and suspense, reminding the player that the game is still a horror title and not 100% a full-on action game. This time around though Leon can find a whole war chest full of weapons. Weapons can either be found, which is quite rare, or can be bought from The Merchant. This mysterious cockney character can be found in various locations and is a chance to upgrade the weapons you have, purchase weapons and first aid sprays and sell any valuable items or weaponry. Again this adds to the more action style of play.

Another major reason for the game's success was down to the fact the game managed to balance both genres of action and horror. Even though Leon is more equipped with various types of weaponry, the mutants and possessed villagers you face combined with the haunting environments Leon and Ashley need to explore make the feel on edge and not over powered. The game is great in terms of balance, knowing when to introduce the player to a new weapon or health upgrades but also to newer more threatening enemies; like I said before, you never feel over-powered and still makes the game feel like a traditional Resi game in terms of horror. The game is also broken up into chapters and rarely does the player have to revisit locations they have previously explored. These two brand new features add to the more 'action' aspect of the game, but I feel are both welcomed additions as they better the pacing of the game. Usually after a chapter is over players are left wanting more due to these mechanics; compared to previous RE titles where the player is forced to find limited ink ribbons and constantly retrace their steps. These mechanics added to the game in terms of creating anxiety through limited saves and remembering what's behind every door, but at the same time created a more slower pace and familiar atmosphere to the player making hard to encourage the player to continue once they've found a typewriter (save point).



Resident Evil 4 really does excel in a lot of areas and it shows by the fact it has won multiple awards, is constantly being released on the newest consoles and features on many gamers' top video games of all time lists in addition to being a Game of Fame! The game is paced terrifically; contains memorable characters; has competent 3rd person gameplay, of which many other later games would be inspired to use such as Gears of War; creates a scary atmosphere using various differentiated environment; improves upon past RE titles such as the save system and control; and generally leaves gamers who play the game incredibly satisfied and wanting more. Even Capcom knew how well they struck gold when they created RE4 and set the team on the path to better it by adopting a more action orientated approach to each subsequent RE title, but they failed to create the same almost flawless experience which RE4 had managed to provide as RE4 had more than just action, it focused on the horror and side of things too. It may of became more action-orientated but at the same time knew it had to have its horror elements intact too.  These reasons are why Resident Evil 4 is a Game of Fame.

My Retro Gaming Merch #3: Nintendo Monopoly Collector's Edition

Welcome all to chapter three of my retro gaming merchandise blog posts! So with this post I'm combining the giants of gaming, Nintendo, to one of the big boys of board games, Monopoly. I'm going to assume that you've all played at least one version of Monopoly before as it's probably the most famous board games to hit the shelves. If you've haven't, I strongly recommend you do so as it's a very enjoyable one...and quite long too, so be prepared to sink hours into this thing if you want to play it the proper way. Each version of Monoploy is essentially only a re-skin anyway. There aren't any new rules added to each version (as far as I'm aware), so pick your favourite franchise, because odds are there will be a Monopoly board game of it, grab some friends and start playing!

I'm not really here to talk about the rules of the board game, but rather explain the details which can be found in this particular Nintendo edition. So first of all lets take a look at the unique collectable tokens which come with this particular version. They are all made of metal, as you would expect from any Monopoly game, and you can see the tokens are very finely detailed and are of good quality; they don't feel cheaply made and do have a 'collectable' type feel to them. Of course the tokens also come from a few of Nintendo's popular franchises. So the playing tokens are:

• Super Mushroom (Super Mario franchise)
• Starman (Super Mario Franchise)
• The Master Sword (Legend of Zelda franchise)
• Samus' Helmet (Metroid franchise)
• Captain Olimar's Ship (Pikmin franchise)
• Gyroid (Animal Crossing franchise)

Talking about franchises, most of Nintendo's most popular franchises are present and correct here as you don't explore the board buying properties but rather characters from the Nintendo universe. For example Mario is the most expensive and is the Mayfair or Broadwalk (if you're from the States) of the game; the cheapest being Waluigi. But don't worry, as I said the game features multiple Nintendo characters and not just ones from the Super Mario universe. So you'll find the likes of Link, Samus, Tom Nook, Kirby, Donkey Kong, and more all up for purchase. Chance and Community Chest cards also take the form of question mark blocks and brick blocks from the Mario franchise once again. Most Chance and Community Chest cards contain the same sort of rewards and punishments (depending how lucky you get) as the rest of the Monopoly games. However, they try and tailor them to gamers to make it feel that little bit more authentic. For example, instead of winning second prise in a beauty contest and winning money you win second place in a gaming contest instead. Each card has a retro, almost steamboat Willie style picture of Mario on the card too adding to the charm. The game board itself is what you'd expect from a Monopoly game and feels quality and is laid out in the style as the original.

If there were any negatives to say about the game I would say that some Nintendo franchises go missing. I understand they can't include every character on here but some key characters are missed. The main two which stand out for me are Pokemon and Star Fox. The reason Nintendo probably missed out these franchises was down to Pokemon having its own Monopoly game and Star Fox not being that popular enough at the time the game was released. However, the Zelda franchise has its own Monopoly board and some of the characters still feature on here (which I'm very thankful for by the way.) I just feel there are a bit too many Mario characters featured on here, and some of them could of made way for other lovable Nintendo franchises. Again the reason probably behind the over-inclusion of Mario is probably down to his popularity and enticing people who aren't all that popular with Nintendo's other franchises to purchase it. Apart from this small gripe though the game is great. If you're a fan of Monopoly and Nintendo then I strongly urge you to go out and purchase it! Even if you're just a casual gamer you'll probably enjoy the ride as the rules haven't changed since the original and the game is still is as fun to play today as it was all those years ago, except this time you're buying famous characters you know and love rather than random streets you either haven't heard of or have no connection to.  

Super Nintendo Classic Mini Review

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past year and half or so you've probably noticed Nintendo has been releasing miniature versions of their past famous gaming systems. So far they have only released two: the Nintendo Entertainment System Mini (NES Mini) and the Super Nintendo Mini (SNES mini). Both consoles contain multiple golden games which were released for the system during its original release and are installed onto the console instead of having to hunt down the cartridges (which are getting more expensive by the day), Nintendo has installed a vast amount of classics onto a miniaturised model of the console. Unfortunately both systems have been in very high demand and as such the price for these things have skyrocketed. Especially the NES mini which usually goes for around £90 these days! However, I only own the SNES mini at this point in time. So I thought I'd do a review about the SNES mini and whether or not its worth getting one. Hopefully at some point I can snag an NES mini too at when I do I'll be sure to do a review for that system too.

So the second console in Ninty's Mini Classic lineup then: The SNES! Back in the early and mid 90's Nintendo's second console was a runaway success. Sega did give the console a great run for its money, but in the end the SNES really did prevail over it. The software defines the hardware however and the SNES had some genre-defining games for the system; games which still appear in gamers' and critics top 10 best games of all time lists to this day. Before talking about the games on the system though lets have a quick talk about the system itself.


As you'd expect the system looks exactly like a SNES in miniature form (quality reviewing from Stephensonite today). The controller on the other hand is practically a one to one replica of an original SNES controller: Same size, buttons, shape and overall feel of the original SNES controller. This is a good thing as the SNES controller is often one of the preferred controllers on many gamers' lists, including my own. The cable length of the controllers could do with being a bit longer however. For some reason Nintendo have opted to make the cables shorter than the original controllers, which I don't really understand. Apparently the cables were even shorter for the NES mini! As I said, I don't understand that decision, all it does is require the player to sit closer to the TV and thus make the playing experience that bit uncomfortable. They could of easily made the cable length as long as the original controller, or better yet, make the controller wireless! I know they probably went against the wireless option to give the player a more authentic experience, but still, they should of made the length of the cables longer. It isn't a huge issue but it would of been nice to sit further away from my rather large HD TV (not trying to brag.)


 The system does come bundled with two controllers though which was a great decision by Nintendo as you can play with a friend right from day one of opening the box. The ports also differ from the original controller ports, so you can't use an old SNES controller you may have lying around. But it does share the same port as the controllers from the old classic controller for the Wii, you know the controllers which you could plug into the bottom of the Wii remote? So you can use an old Wii classic controller if you have a spare one!The system itself also outputs in HD and makes the games look very crisp and clear. You can, however, select from various filters such as an old CRT television filter if you really crave the original experience.

Anyway, enough of the boring stuff! Time to talk about the games for the system and if its worth picking this mini beast up! So here is the full game list available for the European & America SNES Mini:

1. Super Mario World
2. Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past
3. Super Metroid
4. Donkey Kong Country
5. Super Mario Kart
6. Super Ghouls & Ghosts
7. Street Fighter 2 Turbo: Hyper Fighting
8. Earthbound
9. Super Castlevania 4
10. Star Fox
11. F Zero
12. Super Punch-Out!!
13. Mega Man X
14. Kirby's Dream Course
15. Final Fantasy III
16. Contra III: The Alien Wars
17. Secret of Mana
18. Super Mario RPG
19. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
20. Kirby Super Star
21. Star Fox 2 (Previously unreleased!)

So there you have it! The full 21 games available for the system. And for those of you retro gaming readers you'll see quite a few knock-out hits; some real all-time classics. There's even a brand new game which has never officially been released before: Starfox 2. If you've never played anyone of these games before though, first of all, how?! Second of all you can rest assured that there are a great bundle of games included with this system. From probably the best Super Mario game ever made to some of the best RPGs, to the ultimate 1 on 1 fighter; the system seems to have multiple tastes catered for here. There are of course classics which aren't included on the system, but this is really down to licencing issues. This is why you won't find the likes of Turtles In Time or some of the Capcom Disney SNES titles as licences have expired and Nintendo are unable to purchase or rather borrow them for the SNES mini. Aside from a few games which couldn't be licensed though, there really isn't no filler here. Practically every game on the list is either a master of a single player experience or an amazing multiplayer one, or both in some cases. The catalogue will be sure to keep gamers occupied for hours and for those of you who have never played these titles, its a perfect way of popping that particular cherry. Its also a cheaper way of playing these games. Seriously, the popular RPG Earthbound goes for prices around £100 plus for an authentic copy. In fact the game wasn't even released here in the UK! So doing the maths you can see purchasing one of these mini systems would work out cheaper overall.


So overall then is the system worth purchasing, especially seeing as though there are emulators and roms available for so many different devices these days. In fact some people are selling the SNES modified with even more games. I'm talking 200 more! But still, the legality of such a modified device is questionable. However, I would recommend picking up the authentic SNES mini. It is a great piece of gaming history and is great device to either reminisce about the games you used to play as a kid or introduce to some of the best games ever developed. The games are in HD and have save state slots which the player can choose when to save the game, they're all installed and ready to be played instead of waiting hours upon hours of updates. It really is a great novelty system and if it is classed as a 'plug-in and play system'then its the best damn plug-in play there has ever been. Just watch out for the prices some people are asking for on Ebay and Amazon. But if you manage to find one in the region of £69-85 I recommend picking one up; you won't be disappointed. 

My Smash for Switch Wish List

Hiya guys and gals! So as of late I've been hearing about various people from various websites start to mention, probably Nintendo's most popular franchise, Super Smash Bros which is due to be released on Ninty's newest console the Nintendo Switch. While it sure won't be released anytime soon, that hasn't stopped fans and gamers from talking about all sorts of aspects about the game, from potential new characters they'd like to see having a scrap to brand new modes of play. So that made me think of what I would like to see released in the new Smash. So here we go! A wish list regarding what I would like to see in the next Smash Bros game! In no particular order by the way.

A new Subspace emissary type mode

Lets face it, the last Smash Bros game which was released for the Wii U felt a bit of an empty single player experience due to the fact there wasn't an adventure mode which was present in the last two Smash games. And to be honest, I wasn't that impressed with the Subspace Emissary mode which featured in Smash Bros Brawl for the Wii. What I would love to see would be a fleshed out adventure mode containing levels from the Nintendo universe. The Subspace Emissary lacked due to the fact the levels were mostly comprised of generic levels: a zoo, a generic spaceship, generic grassy plains etc. Granted, there were one or two levels inspired by the Ninty universe, but these could of been better and were very few and far between. Wouldn't it be great to control Link throughout the Mushroom Kingdom or have Mario exploring the dark depths of Brinstar? It would be fantastic to have a woven storyline incorporating all of the various gaming characters the Smash franchise seems to include these days; the possibilities are all there for a captivating and entertaining story for a great single player, or heck, even multiplayer experience. In order for the next Smash game to be truly great I do believe it needs a great adventure mode again; another board game type mode like last time is just not good enough.

Customiseable move sets

I believe the time has come where players are able to choose from a range of moves they wish their favourite Smash fighter to have. For example, someone like Link makes the use of his bow when pressing the B button and nothing else, but what about if you could select something else in its place? How about a charge up hammer strike? With the use of the Megaton Hammer link could charge up his strike and then release to deal the damage! Or how about instead of pushing down and B to make Link reach for a bomb, he could instead reach inside his...um...inventory to pull out a random weapon which he could wield for a certain time before it broke (just like in Breath of the Wild). How about someone like Mario? Instead of pressing right and B on the controller to swish his cape, what about if instead it made him throw Cappy? Or how about changing his B move from using a fire flower to throwing out a question block, hitting that question block and then using one of the many power ups the plumber has used throughout the years? My ideas for moves for various characters could go on and on but I have to end it at some point! You get the idea though. I know creating an array of moves for all the characters would take time and effort regarding balancing the characters (not making them too over or under powered), but I feel it would be a great addition to the franchise and no one Character would feel the same. Even if you all were using Samus they would feel that bit different due to the moves the player has selected for her.

Better online play

The online play for the previous Smash title wasn't bad by any means but it could of been better. Nintendo has never been one for leading the way when it comes to online play but it would make Smash a sensational game if the online mode was given proper care and attention. Imagine having ranked modes under various rules and circumstances; from professional ranked matches which take place on Final Destination type stages to ranked matches for special rules such as giant smash or tiny smash. Nintendo could also host tournaments where the victor earns a certain reward the higher they climb up the tournament ladder. They could even host certain new event matches each week which players could partake in and even download them to the Switch in order to play them at a later date; the online possibilities with this game are many and I think it's time Nintendo started to exploit them.

Signing up more third party characters

To give credit to Nintendo I already think they have been hitting this particular objective, what with the likes of Sonic, Mega Man, Ryu and even popular characters such as Cloud from Final Fantasy VII! A game which wasn't even released for a Nintendo console! Most players expected to see him as a playable fighter in the PS3 game Playstation AllStars Battle Royale, but it seemed Nintendo had the last laugh signing him up as a playable fighter for their Smash franchise instead. It really is fantastic to see all of these iconic characters do battle with each other in familiar historic gaming arenas with the timeless music to fight along side it; it is an area Nintendo has done well and needs to continue to do so. There will always be multiple characters which fans will love to see in the next Smash instalment and Nintendo needs to continue to sign up as many famous gaming faces as they can as this will entice more gamers to play the game and the Smash community to grow.

Console Wars (Blake J Harris) book review

For this particular blog post I'd thought I'd do something a little different and review a book! Shock! Don't worry though, I haven't lost my head completely as the book is still about video games; the famous console battle between Nintendo and Sega to be precise. So is it a book worth picking up and reading on those spare moments you're not glued to your console screens? Let's find out shall we?

So as mentioned previously, the book is all about the events which happened in the late 80's leading up to the mid to late 90's; the famous battle between gaming powerhouse Nintendo and the cool newcomer, Sega. It ultimately tells the tale in great detail from various key people involved in 'the war', not just employees/employers of Nintendo & Sega but people from various companies and backgrounds who were involved in this important piece of gaming history. However, most of the story, and yes that's how how the book is set up, part novel and part factual history book, takes the Sega perspective of events as the 'main character' (if you want to call it that)Tom Kalinske, who became president of Sega Of America during this key point.

Console Wars definitely manages to differentiate itself from other history/factual written works as the majority of it is written as a story as previously mentioned. Harris went on dozens of interviews and trips to question the key players in order to gain the information they had and to understand what went on from their prospective. He then used the information he obtained to weave it altogether into a story. The book essentially tells the story of how Tom Kalinske became president of Sega of America (SOA) and how he lead the way in transforming the company into one of the most famous names associated with video games. The book spans across several years covering key events such as the creation of Sonic The Hedgehog, Sega's overtaking of Nintendo in terms of sales and market-share and the launch of the Saturn and its downfall plus more! The book isn't all about Tom Kalinske's and Sega's journey though. The book flips back and forward to multiple people who were instrumental during this time, such as Minoru Arakawa, Howard Lincoln and the rest of the Nintendo of America team to Olaf Olaffsson and his pioneering efforts to bring Sony on board into the video game market and ultimately go on to create the Playstation. There are so many first source stories and information contained in this book that even the most dedicated video game fans and historians will learn something new.

So that's what the book contains but is it any good? Does it translate well into a story? Are all the various viewpoints from different people make it too hard to read? Well I'm happy to report the book is very good. In fact I own quite a few gaming history books and I would say this one is my favourite precisely because it is told as a story rather than a generic historic documentary. And even though Harris flips back and forth between various people's viewpoints in the story, it still doesn't feel chaotic or hard to follow; it just feels like a story book with multiple characters helping to tell the same story. The book contains so much inside information that a gaming fan, especially one who loves either Nintendo or Sega.. or both, will very enjoy. The book goes in depth about some of the great and curious aspects of gaming such as how the employees of SOA had to battle against the employees of Sega of Japan  (SOJ) to create Sonic in the way he is known today, or the details of how Sega nearly patterned with Sony following Nintendo's rejection but ultimately just missed out or why Sega decided to use aggressive advertising; it's all here! It is a fantastic book filled with all the facts and events which Sega put in place to challenge Nintendo and how they did it.

In conclusion then, the book is a definite must have for any retro gaming fan or any gaming historian really. The book is laid out so well and documents the various events in so much detail that, for me personally, It is my favourite piece video game history documentation. The way it is written as a story just adds that extra flourish. If you've ever been interested in the great battle between Nintendo vs Sega then this book is a must have for your shelf!

Final score: 9/10