The SNES Omnibus vol 1 and 2 were excellent books that offered a great look into the classic games on the 16-bit Nintendo system. The NES Omnibus vol 1 was a great look at half of the titles on Nintendo’s grey box, so what can I say about the NES Omnibus Vol 2? Well, I can say it is an interesting book especially since I have a personal connection to it.
This is not a review, as I am one of the contributors to the book. I can mention that there is a great deal of information about the other half of the NES library, but I would also like to talk about how I came to write four pieces of Insider Insights. And that story is also connected to my enjoyment of the rest of the book.
I became a fan of Brett Weiss’s books after reading the previous three Omnibus and I reached out to him via email about contributing. I chose to write about The Mafat Conspiracy, Mighty Final Fight, Othello and NES Tetris, because each of these games meant something to me. The Mafat Conspiracy, for instance, is the sequel to a game I played much of as a child and one I cherished when I got my hands on the sequel, especially being a fan of the Golgo 13 manga series.
While Mighty Final Fight is a game I am fond of due to how I got a copy while in university from a friend who ran a small store, Tetris and Othello meant something to me for other reasons. This was a chance to talk about how my family influenced my gaming habits and the impact they had on me as a person. I have written multiple editorials, retro thoughts pieces and thoughts on gaming, but these two games played a massive role in what led to my writing in general.
The rest of the book has other examples of great information on the NES games, both licensed and unlicensed and is again a treasure trove of information for gamers wanting to learn more about the classic titles. From the most well-known to the most obscure, all is covered here, along with little details we may not have known, as well as quotes from media of the time.
All in all, The NES Omnibus Volume 2 was something I was happy to contribute to and the book itself is an essential guide for the NES library. RPGs, strategy games, action games and more are covered here, and this may be a good place to learn about titles you didn’t know about before, and games you will want to add to your collection or try out on a digital platform.