This and the recently-released SF:25 present buyers with a conundrum. Should I purchase this if I already have an earlier entry into the book series?
For many people, this purchase is simple. If you do not own Udon’s Art Of Capcom or Udon’s Art Of Capcom 2, run, do not walk, and purchase this. This hardcover collection is almost 600 pages in length, is presented on high-quality paper and is an anthology of a decade of wonderful artwork. I’m so glad Udon was given the helm of so much Capcom artwork, as their output is among the best art the gaming world has ever seen. There’s no question this is a must-have in your collection if you are fond on Street Fighter or Capcom games. And for perspective, Street Fighter comprises about 350 of those 600 pages.
The paper is just like the original versions and is printed on a thinner stock than SF:25. The binding is great but loose enough to enjoy flipping through. Some books I own are too tight to open up without worry. Not this one.
I highly recommend this if you don’t own a prior book. However, some of us already have one of those aforementioned Udon collections. What to do?
I own the first Udon’s Art Of Capcom but failed to purchase the second and then it went out of print and became awfully costly. Having seen the second collection, I will admit I prefer the art quality of the first book, but without owning it, I purchased this Complete Edition day 1. I do not regret it.
The same would go if you already had the second book but not the first. Buy this. The amount of art included is incredible.
However, if you have both, there are several noteworthy additions (and just a few drawbacks). First, the good:
The Complete Edition has 75 pages of brand-new material, including nine 25th Anniversary pieces that appear in neither. Those are all great, new, never-before-seen pieces. All this new art was organized in proper order, with SF, Darkstalkers, Rival Schools, World Of Capcom and Game Projects sections. Also, this is a hardcover and getting the originals in hardcover were harder to find. This looks *great* on my bookshelf. And it’s huge too.
The downside: In only a handful of cases, the art presented in the original books has been shrunk down. What was a pair of images on a page originally now is four in the Complete Edition. Very few times was this done. Also, the original first book had a Cover Illustration Tutorial about how it was made in Photoshop. This does not carry over. Also absent is the tribute art commentary of the originals. Each had a new piece with the artist’s comments on inspiration and technique. These are lost. I quite liked those (like the details in Darkstalkers: Official Complete Works) but they aren’t here. While that’s a drawback, no art is missing from this edition.
There is almost no question you need this in your library. The only reason to avoid this is if you have both Udon books already. While I think the first was superior in quality and content, the second had some amazing artwork and the Complete Edition’s layout, presentation, paper, binding and overall quality is typical Udon: top-notch. It’s nice feeling your dollars are going towards something you love and when that love is returned in such a high-caliber, glorious presentation.
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