The NES Endings Compendium: Years 1985 - 1988

[ReyVGM]

Since we've been BUDDIES and PALS for a long time, I decided to take the chance of being considered a spammer to announce my first baby: The NES Endings Compendium: Years 1985 - 1988 (available on amazon).

(If a mod deems this a shameless spam, I won't feel bad if the thread is deleted.)



I learned Indesign last year just to create this book, an idea which began as an earworm and turned into the brain-nagging equivalent of someone badly playing the bagpipes. So naturally I had to do something to shut him up! (I'm not crazy, I swears it.)

I've always been a huge fan of game endings, so naturally this book is about how NES games ended and a summary of their overall story. I was inspired by the look of 90s magazines such as Nintendo Power and EGM. If you find the design to be "busy", then good. I want people to have eyegasms ("eye orgasms" for the uninitiated (don't google that]).

I hope the book is a

, so I can make the rest of the series.

 

[FelixSH]

Oh my god, that looks so great. Reminds me a ton of the videogame magazines I read as a kid. I absolutely love the design.

I don't have the money for it at the moment, but I hope it sells well.

 

[WildcatJF]

I will definitely snag this when I have some money Rey, this is PERFECT for my research haha. Awesome!

 

[Positronic Brain]

I didn't know it was you! This went into my wishlist last week, but now that I know this is from a fellow Tyrant I'm pulling the trigger. Really looking forward to going through it.

 

[Sarge]

Nice. Definitely reminds me in ways of vintage Nintendo Power. I loved those layouts. Well done!

 

[Tato]

I really appreciated the style, design, and approach this book took. Had a great time reading it and will pick up future ones for sure.

 

[Ixo]

How’d you enjoy learning InDesign? (What do you mean Broken Link on spread 4??? I didn’t move anything!) It really looks like you took your time with all the details to make it period accurate.

 

[Phantoon]

Wow, that looks really 90s videogame magazine. It looks really cool.

 

[zonetrope]

I would not have guessed that you had just learned InDesign from those screenshots. The layout is really well done and really true to the classic NP style.

 

[ReyVGM]

Oh my god, that looks so great. Reminds me a ton of the videogame magazines I read as a kid. I absolutely love the design.

I don't have the money for it at the moment, but I hope it sells well.

Wow, that looks really 90s videogame magazine. It looks really cool.

Glad you appreciate the design!

I will definitely snag this when I have some money Rey, this is PERFECT for my research haha. Awesome!

Anything to forward the knowledge of others

I didn't know it was you! This went into my wishlist last week, but now that I know this is from a fellow Tyrant I'm pulling the trigger. Really looking forward to going through it.

Nice. Definitely reminds me in ways of vintage Nintendo Power. I loved those layouts. Well done!

I really appreciated the style, design, and approach this book took. Had a great time reading it and will pick up future ones for sure.

I feel honored. Thanks!

I would not have guessed that you had just learned InDesign from those screenshots. The layout is really well done and really true to the classic NP style.

Well, my initial pages were very amateurish (for example, this was my original Double Dragon page:

https://imgur.com/vzByJAG

). As the months passed and I learned more, I redesigned everything again over and over until I settled on the "look" the final book has.

How’d you enjoy learning InDesign? (What do you mean Broken Link on spread 4??? I didn’t move anything!) It really looks like you took your time with all the details to make it period accurate.

It was surprisingly easy to learn for what I needed. I know the program has a ton of advanced features and options, but I didn't really need them. And yeah, the error messages drove me crazy at first because it told me the page number, but it didn't actually tell me WHERE the error was in the page.
I thought it was going to be harder, because I'm terrible at photoshop and I thought I was going to struggle with the menus and stuff. But it was actually fairly easy to figure out (after watching lots of tutorials, of course).

 

[Falselogic]

But how do I get a signed copy?!

 

[ReyVGM]

But how do I get a signed copy?!

Sorry, the books are sent straight from amazon.

But still, my signature looks like hieroglyphic ass, so you wouldn't really want that in the book.

 

[LBD_Nytetrayn]

My only issue is that I feel like there should be a way to highlight the "end" in "compendium," but damn if I can't think of a good way.

But yeah, where do I sign up?

 

[ReyVGM]

My only issue is that I feel like there should be a way to highlight the "end" in "compendium," but damn if I can't think of a good way.

But yeah, where do I sign up?

I really struggled with the logo and font. I think it could have looked better, but I ran out of time.

 

[4-So]

Thanks for the heads up! Just ordered a copy. As much NES as I've played, and it's quite a bit, I rarely finished any games back then. Looking forward to digging in.

 

[jpfriction]

Looks to be my jam, ordered.

 

[LBD_Nytetrayn]

I really struggled with the logo and font. I think it could have looked better, but I ran out of time.

Oh, it looks great! I just love puns.

 

[Octopus Prime]

Placed my order

 

[ReyVGM]

Looks to be my jam, ordered.

Thanks for the heads up! Just ordered a copy. As much NES as I've played, and it's quite a bit, I rarely finished any games back then. Looking forward to digging in.

Thanks!

Oh, it looks great! I just love puns.

Oh, me too. I tried to keep myself from adding puns though. What might be funny to me could be cringey to others.

Placed my order

Ready to roll out!

 

[ReyVGM]

For those that like their books to turn into weapons at a moment's notice, the HARDCOVER version of the NES Endings Compendium 1985-1989 is now available!

 

[Kazin]

Ooh, I'm glad I didn't get paid until today, because I got the hardcover!

 

[Positronic Brain]

Hi, @ReyVGM ! Can you digitally autograph this photo of my copy?

(this must be what those cool kids mean when they talk about "NFTs")

By the way, thanks for including the best 4 best frames of all NES endings!

Spoiler: Number's up!

 

[Beowulf]

Amazon claims my copy will arrive today!

 

[Octopus Prime]

Amazon is being GREEDY and won't give me my copy until this weekend

 

[ReyVGM]

Hi, @ReyVGM ! Can you digitally autograph this photo of my copy?

My signature looks like a broken dick, so I wouldn't recommend it.

By the way, thanks for including the best 4 best frames of all NES endings!

With a pop-art replay!

Amazon claims my copy will arrive today!

Hurray!

Amazon is being GREEDY and won't give me my copy until this weekend

Booo.

 

[ReyVGM]

Ooh, I'm glad I didn't get paid until today, because I got the hardcover!

I have to buy mine too because amazon won't give hardcovers to the authors.

 

[Beowulf]

This is a delightful book; it brings back the ol' Nintendo Power sense of wonder. Bright, colorful, well-laid-out. The choice to break it up by year makes for some interesting contrasts (the US got wildly disparate games for a while there), and I find it interesting that there are a couple of games I'd never heard of, even after doing most of the Famiclone handheld project. Nice work!

 

[muteKi]

I have to buy mine too because amazon won't give hardcovers to the authors.

Well how else is Bezos going to afford a new set of Russian nesting yachts?

 

[ReyVGM]

Well how else is Bezos going to afford a new set of Russian nesting yachts?

Yeah, fuck Bez...

*free shipping*

Oooh, thank you!

This is a delightful book; it brings back the ol' Nintendo Power sense of wonder. Bright, colorful, well-laid-out. The choice to break it up by year makes for some interesting contrasts (the US got wildly disparate games for a while there), and I find it interesting that there are a couple of games I'd never heard of, even after doing most of the Famiclone handheld project. Nice work!

Glad you like it! Yes it was very important to me to go with the colorful and "crazy" look of old magazines. Throughout the book's development I was terribly afraid people would think the design was too colorful, or that it might look childish, or amateurish.

 

[4-So]

Got my copy in today. Good stuff.