Fami-Complete

Fam-tastic? No, that doesn't work. Forget it.

I picked this up a few weeks ago, and I'm pretty pumped about it.

Fami-Complete is a two-book set detailing every Famicom game every released, along with peripherals, accessories, console models, cheat codes, and even an NES game list. Neat-o.

It comes in a superslick slipcover with a bunch of Japanese on it that I can almost read now. It has some tiny corner damage, but I'm not crying over it.

Book One (with a Famicom-fashioned binding) has high-quality, full-color photos of box art, cart/cassette art, and screenshots of almost every Famicom game (completed in Book Two). It also includes basic information, review, developer info, year released, and original price. Very cool. It also includes a huge cheat code section in the back, along with a very detailed index.

Book Two (which has a Disk System binding) finishes up the cart/cassette list, and has the entire Disk Card list (with box art, screenshots, etc.) as well. It also includes a "Gadgets Collection," which includes color photos and information about all (as far as I know) Japanese add-ons and peripherals. There's also a section on limited edition items, such as special games given as prizes and special-model consoles. The last main section is a list of all NES titles, unreleased Famicom games, and alternate/prototype titles. It's followed by several indexes and appendices.

These books are very high-quality, and look and feel as such. The binding looks pretty good, and I imagine the people buying these aren't eight years old, so the books are going to last. The only complaint I have is the lack of strength in the slipcover. Putting these books back in the cover a lot is really going to wear down those outer edges. But it's a small complaint.

I'm glad I picked these up. It's generally way harder to find Famicom-era stuff in the U.S. than it is in Japan.

Someday I shall travel there...

Someday...