Das inoffizielle MegaDrive Pixelbuch (German) (2nd Edition)

Frenzied hedgehogs, isometric adventurers, all-encompassing turn-based strategy, parallax-scrolling spaceship battles at a faster-than-light 7.6 MHz, role-playing journeys like something from another planet and horizontal hand-held action with a hard-hitting 16-bit punch: even before Mario was allowed to embark on his first hopping escapades on the Super NES, Nintendo's rival Sega opened the 16-bit battle. To give the mighty video game empire from Kyoto a thrilling head-to-head race, produce timeless classics and delight gaming fans with hardware that felt like pure, unadulterated arcade magic in 1988.

Magic that has been captured in this "unofficial Mega-Drive PIXELBOOK" on 340 pages packed with articles, interviews, screenshots, maps, boss images and pixel artwork created especially for this work - to look at, read and marvel at again and again. You've never seen your favorite 16-bit games like this before - games like "Sonic: The Hedgehog", "Story of Thor", "Monster World 4", "Wonder Boy in Monsterworld", "Landstalker", "Soleil", "Comix Zone", "Streets of Rage", "Mega Man", "Probotector", "Mega Turrican", "Shining Force", "Dungeons & Dragons: Warriors of the Eternal Sun", "Phantasy Star 4", "Super Fantasy Zone", "Gley Lancer", "Thunder Force 4", "Castle of Illusion", "Quackshot" and many, many others that receive their definitive print memorial in this exquisitely crafted collector's edition.

In addition to the two well-known games journalists Robert Bannert and Thomas Nickel, the retro popes John Linneman and Audi Sorlie from Digital Foundry have written for the new PIXELBUCH, while the foreword comes from M2 boss Naoki Horii himself, who specializes in retro remakes. In addition, "ToeJam & Earl" creator Greg Johnson, Factor 5 member Andreas Escher, "Phantasy Star 3" composer Izuho Numata, "Musha Aleste" graphics wizard Kazuyuki Nakashima and homebrew artist Luis Martins ("Paprium") talk about their development experiences with 16-bit hardware.

PIXEL PRESS REVIEWS

"The new pixel book comprises 340 pages, comes with a sturdy hardcover and thread binding and is printed on 150-gram paper. This brings out the numerous screenshots, artwork and other material on the games covered with vibrant colors and thus pleases your eyes. As in the previous book, sometimes more, sometimes less long texts alternate with lots of pictures. All in all, a great interplay of textual and visual input. (...) If you've already devoured the SNES pixel book, there's no reason for you to hesitate with the Mega Drive pixel book. The book is equally worthwhile for anyone who enjoys indulging in retro nostalgia or simply wants to learn more about the Mega Drive and its games."

Benjamin Jakobs, Eurogamer.de

"On 340 colorful and high-quality printed pages, a retro wonderland unfolds that you can hardly get enough of even after hours. Many of the "over 200 classics", according to the cover, are presented in double-page articles - each game is briefly described, shown in beautiful and crystal-clear screenshots and enhanced with lots of pixel freezers, panoramas, character portraits, maps and more. Just one look at the double-page spreads for Dynamite Headdy, Ristar or Shinobi III conjures up a mental movie in the reader's brain - the visual realization of the book is really successful. In terms of content, you will encounter a nice gallop through the genres, which in turn are always roughly outlined by multi-page articles. You can sense the authors' expertise and are almost certain to find your own favorites appropriately acknowledged in the book."

Matthias Schmid, MAN!AC.de

"It is this attention to detail in the book that gives the impression that every game has something special and should be given a chance. With sprites that protrude into other images and the many colorful elements, the book looks modern and dynamic - exactly how the Mega Drive gaming experiences must have felt. (...)

The Mega-Drive PIXELBUCH appeals to two target groups. For older readers, a look at the book guarantees flashbacks to their youth. A double dose of nostalgia, so to speak! For modern gamers, it offers a glimpse into the past. You can get to know gaming history and retro charm in a very colorful way.

This charm is not only illustrated by what feels like thousands of pictures, but also by the text passages, where sparks literally fly as every genre, no matter how small, comes to life with loving and detailed lines."

Sebastian Pabst, Zauberwelten-Online.de