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

Chris Kohler

Oct 2016 · Courier Dover Publications

About this ebook

"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

Ratings and reviews

Having moved to Japan myself based on hunches and vague answers of "I think Japanese game designers are the best in the industry" without any concrete ideas in why I think so, this book has been an incredibly informative repository of anecdotes, interviews, and facts that I will now heavily rely upon moving forward in these sorts of conversations. My childhood growing up in the 90s with a SEGA Mega Drive, watching my mother share an interest in games like Golden Axe and Streets of Rage, was where I saw this book's points firsthand. Moving into the days of the first PlayStation and watching my mother's disinterest with games begin, it wouldn't be until the days of the Nintendo DS, Wii, and ultimately smartphones that brought her back into them. Having read this book cover to cover, I see the wider picture. Games have an immense potential that the Japanese have really exploited in a very unique way and are still only scratching the surface. Brilliant read. Thoroughly recommended book!

About the author

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!