Arcade Mania: The Turbo-charged World of Japan's Game Centers [Paperback]

Brian Ashcraft (Author), Jean Snow (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2009

Home of Sega, Nintendo, and Sony, Japan has a unique and powerful presence in the world of video games. Another thing that makes Japan unique in the gaming world is the prevalence of game arcades. While the game arcade scene has died in the U.S., there are 9,500 "game centers" in Japan with more than 445,000 game machines.
Arcade Mania introduces overseas readers to the fascinating world of the Japanese gemu senta. Organized as a guided tour of a typical game center, the book is divided into nine chapters, each of which deals with a different kind of game, starting with the UFO catchers and print club machines at the entrance and continuing through rhythm games, fighting games, shooting games, retro games, gambling games, card-based games, and only-in-Japan games.
Covering classic games from Space Invaders to Street Fighter, games that are familiar to Americans in their home console versions (Rock Band, Guitar Hero and Dance, Dance Revolution), as well as the unique, quirky games found only in Japan, Arcade Mania is crammed full of interviews with game makers and star players, and packed with facts about the history, background and characteristics of each game, all lavishly illustrated with photographs and game graphics. This book is a must-have for gamers everywhere.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A delightfultour of the most innovative, unusual, and dow nright bizarre stuff you can find in a Japanese arcade."
—Chris Baker, Wired Magazine

"A fascinating, funny, and sharp-eyed look at the place where they play-test the future."
—Warren Ellis, author of Crooked Little Vein and Transmetropolitan

"Arcade Mania! is the definitive history for anyone who's ever been ensnared by a UFO catcher, lost in Rhythm Heaven, or drained of time and money spent because of a great game arcade. And for those of us who don't quite fit that description, it's a tantalizing tour of what we've been missing."
—Stephen Totilo, MTV News

"...his writing style is as fast and furious as the pixilated, fantastical landscapes he evokes."
—The Christian Science MonitorM

"It's an essential work for anyone curious about the technological and cultural evolution of arcade games in Japan."
—The Dallas Morning News

About the Author

Osaka-based co-author BRIAN ASHCRAFT is the editor of Kotaku, one of the biggest gaming blogs on the net (one of the top 20 most popular blogs in the world, according to the website Technorati: http://technorati.com/pop/blogs/) with approximately 750,000 hits (23 million readers) per day.

Based in Tokyo, JEAN SNOWs art, design, and media-themed blog (www.jeansnow.net) boasts about 3,000 readers per day. Both are experts on the Japanese gaming scene, and are experienced writers: in addition to their blogging activities, Ashcraft is a contributor toWired Magazine, and Snow has a column on design in The Japan Times.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Kodansha USA (January 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 4770030789
• ISBN-13: 978-4770030788
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.6 x 7.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #619,561 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

86 of 92 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Arcade Mania is great fun for gaming fans! December 2, 2008

By CheapyD

Format:Paperback

Length: 2:29 Mins

Although arcades are all but gone in the USA, but they still live on in a big way in Japan. Take a fun trip through Japanese game centers with Arcade Mania!

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is absolutely fantastic and definitely a must own video game book for fans of Japanese video gaming and more! December 13, 2008

By Dennis A. Amith (kndy) TOP 50 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

I've always been fascinated with the video games that have come from Japan and it's no secret that I play a lot of the imports (good and bad) and even in Tokyo, well take some time playing at the video game arcade machines at the local arcade or on the second-story of a grocery store in the middle of nowhere.

When you're in Japan, may it be at Sega Joypolis or a dingy arcade, you can't help be mesmerized by the various types of machines available for people to take part in. The types of games that are attracting various gamers and there is just so much available, to cover the various machines would be a major task.

That was until I read "ARCADE MANIA!" by Brian Ashcraft (with Jean Snow). I'm literally in awe of how much coverage was featured in this book. The first thing that caught my attention was the hip layout but most of all, the people featured in the book and the history behind the various arcade machines.

Brian Ashcraft's work for Kotaku.com and Wired Magazine is well-known, along with Jean Snow who also writes for Wired Magazine's Game|Life blog. Both men delivered in what probably is one of the best written books on video gaming.

Chapter 1 features "CRANE GAMES". I have to admit that when I'm in Tokyo, I spent a bit of money trying to get some of the items at these various crane games. Because the prizes offered are not always stuffed animals but some prizes are just rare items specifically for the crane game (or UFO catcher). And in Japan, when you think of crane games, you think of Yuka Nakajima.

Just reading this chapter and reading the interview with Yuka Nakajima giving her game tips, seeing the various photos of UFO catchers and also the competition between Yuka Najajima and Aya Toyoda was surprising to find its inclusion in this book but immediately, I liked where this book was heading.

Chapter 2 then goes into sticker-picture machines aka Purikura machines. If you are into Japanese pop culture, may it be a trip to your local Japanese mall in America or somewhere in Japan, it's quite fun to get a group of friends and hit the purikura machines. But what was cool about this chapter was the interview with Sakurina, a model for "Koakuma Ageha" magazine who was discovered by a scout because of purikura and now she's featured outside a variety of those machines.

Chapter 3 goes into rhythm games and its history in Japan and an interview with Aaron Chmielowiec who scored a AAA on "Dance Dance Revolution" and his ability to remember patterns (including the algorithms of "Pac Man" when was younger). This chapter was pretty cool because it features quite a bit on various rhythm-based machines including "Taiko no Tatsujin" and "Rhythm Tengoku".

Chapter 4 features shooting games (aka shoot `em ups or shmups). From the history of "Space Invaders" to "Ikaragua" to the "Shmups skills test". There is a lot of cool information on the genre in this chapter and I really enjoyed the interview with Kenta Cho who is known for his doujin software such as "Gunroar" and "Tumiki Fighters".

Chapter 5, my favorite chapter, covers fighting games. From "Street Fighter II" to SNK games and the popular PC game "Melty Blood", I just felt this chapter was well-written. And there was one key thing that definitely caught my attention in this chapter and that was the interview with Daigo Umehara and also a piece on his battle with Justin Wong at EVO 2004 (Evolution is a competitive fighting tournament that primarily featured fighting game competitions at the time).

I was at the event to interview Daigo (and the other Japanese fighting game competitors) at EVO 2004 and was also to see that comeback against Justin Wong which was detailed in the book. It was one of the most impressive competitive battles I have seen in my life and both Daigo "The Beast" and Justin Wong are two competitive individuals. To find that certain match included in this chapter was truly awesome. Wasn't expecting to see it mentioned at all but just shows how thorough Ashcraft and Snow's coverage was in each chapter. Awesome!

Other chapters include "Games of Chance" (for those who love mahjong games), "Dedicated Cabinets" featuring specialized games from gun games to driving games and a cool interview with Sega's Yu Suzuki. There is a chapter on "retro games" and a cool interview with Goichi Suda (Suda 51) of Grasshopper Manufacture fame. And a well-written in-depth chapter on "card-based" games

I can't tell you how impressed I was with this book. Brian Ashcraft and Jean Snow have done a great job with this book which was well-researched, good selections for their interviews and just a wealth of information that this book has... I'm very impressed of how well-written and well-researched this book truly is.

I've read a good share of video gaming books and to have one written about the Japanese arcade game industry but also how it seems to crossover to the video game console systems, I have no doubt that people who are fans of Japanese video games of various genres will surely find this book, not only just a good read but it's absolutely fantastic. Definitely an A+!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Arcade Mania- simply AMAZING! December 5, 2008

By Robyn Cancio

Format:Paperback

My first date was at an arcade. I recall, fondly, my early childhood and teen years, blowing thousands of quarters and game tokens on my favorite arcade games. Beating my brother at Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or X-Men was the highlight of most visits.
With the demise of so many game centers in North America, I have turned to my beloved home game consoles.
"Arcade Mania" takes me back to when I was a kid. As a huge fan of crane games and classic fighters, it was very interesting to learn how and when my favorite games were designed.
Arcades are huge in Japan. Mr. Ashcraft does a splendid job shedding light on the true gamer mindset of the Japanese people. All sorts, salaried office workers, housewives, teenagers, and children alike spend countless hours pouring their hard earned money into varying game machines. The gamer profiles of real arcade gamers are a great addition to the historical aspect of this book. I especially related to the bit about Yuka Nakajima.
This book is a must read for anyone claiming to be a gaming enthusiast. The arcade may soon be a thing of the past here in America. "Arcade Mania" allows you to share a passion for arcade gaming and recapture treasured memories from your past.