My copy of the just-released NES Encyclopedia by Chris Scullion (@scully1888) has just arrived, and what a fantastic book it is. Chris has compiled a list of all 700-odd official releases for the NES, as well as several hundred unlicensed games, making this a definitive look at Nintendo’s mega-hit console.

The unlicensed games are particularly interesting – I had never heard of most of them, and they’re an odd mix of Atari ports, Bible games and games featuring nudey pixellated ladies that I would never have associated with Nintendo’s machine.

But even for games I already know a lot about, Chris has unearthed some fascinating facts. And every entry is a joy to parse, each written in Chris’s characteristic humorous style (Chris used to work on the Official Nintendo Magazine and now writes the retro-focused website Tired Old Hack).

Chris reckons that if the book sells well, there may be more encyclopedias in the works – possibly one for the Super NES next. Can’t wait.

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