Last October (2024), I posted this image on social media, announcing that the Before Mario book was officially sold out. All stock had been depleted, and there were no current plans for another print run.
Originally published a little over a decade ago, I thought this would be a good moment to reflect on the journey of the book and share some memories from that time.
How it started
I have always been a collector first and foremost, with a growing passion for vintage Nintendo items.
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| The Before Mario collection back in 2007 |
In 2011, I started this blog, thinking it would be fun to share stories and information about my collection and Nintendo’s early history.
At the time, there was very little information available online about this period of Nintendo, and the blog quickly found an engaged and growing audience.
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| The first review of the blog, in Edge magazine |
Over the next three years, I covered a lot of ground, publishing 180 blog posts. Then, in January 2014, I received a proposal from Nintendo historian and publisher Florent Gorges, founder of Omaké Books, to turn part of the blog into a book.
I loved the idea and quickly reached an agreement with Florent to move forward with the project.
Getting to work
Although the original plan was to reuse content from the blog, I decided to reshoot all the photography specifically for the book to ensure the best possible print quality.
Over several months, I photographed hundreds of items, carefully selecting and editing the best images.
The blog text was also refined and condensed to fit the book’s format, with short, focused blurbs of information.
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| Before Mario book (pages 198-199) |
My goal was to let the imagery do most of the storytelling, dedicating the majority of the space to visuals.
I thoroughly enjoyed working on the content and layout alongside Florent.
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| Before Mario book (pages 166-167) |
Coming soon!
By the fall of 2014, all the preparation work was complete, and the book was sent to the printers. Time for the public announcement!
The book was made available for pre-order on the Omaké Books website.
As a special gesture to early supporters, the first 500 copies featured a limited-edition black cover, along with a signed bookmark and a trading card.
Before the pre-order period even ended, all 500 limited edition copies had sold out!
This early success also meant I had to get busy signing those bookmarks—500 in total.
It took me an entire evening to get through them all.
Once the limited-edition black cover sold out, the remaining customers received the standard white cover edition, which featured the Ultra Hand on the front, one of Nintendo’s most iconic vintage toys.
Presentation day
Fast forward to October 2014, in Paris, France.
The books had arrived from the printers, and it was time for the big moment. A special event was held to officially present Before Mario to the world.
Florent handed me the very first copy—an unforgettable moment.
After months of dedication and hard work, the result was now tangible, stacked in boxes filled with freshly printed books.
This event also marked the first opportunity for pre-order customers to pick up their copies in person.
After the launch, we made our first delivery to a video game store specializing in retro games and related books. Seeing Before Mario on a shop shelf for the first time was another exciting milestone.
Most pre-orders, however, were shipped worldwide, reaching collectors across the globe.
As books started arriving, people began sharing photos of their copies online.
It was (and still is) surreal to think that Before Mario became a part of so many personal collections.
The feedback was incredible, with readers expressing their appreciation for the work that had gone into the book and the final result.
Meanwhile, copies of the book also made their way to Kyoto, into the hands of Satoru Okada. Okada played a key role in the design and development of many of the Nintendo items featured in the book, and I was deeply honored when he agreed to write the foreword. Now, he could see firsthand how his work had been documented.
Okada-san also signed a copy of the book for me—something I will cherish forever as a token of his involvement.
Once pre-orders were fulfilled, regular sales began. It was a special feeling to see Before Mario displayed in shops and available at gaming events.
Reviews and announcements soon followed, with generally favorable coverage in the gaming press.
One standout review came from Norman Caruso, better known as The Gaming Historian, who featured the book on his YouTube channel—a major highlight for me.
Going around the world
In 2015, during a trip to Japan, I took a moment to pose with a copy of my book in front of Nintendo’s original head office in Kyoto.
At the time, this building was no longer in active use and closed to visitors. Little did I know that years later, Before Mario would find its place inside the Nintendo library here.
During this trip I also exchanged books with Isao Yamazaki, a fellow Nintendo historian and friend, who had recently published a book in Japan.
Another highlight came also in 2015 when I participated in Gamescom, the massive gaming expo in Cologne, Germany.
Gamescom is one of the largest gaming events in the world, spanning five days and drawing 345,000 visitors, more than 6,000 journalists, and 700 exhibitors.
I set up an exhibition in the retro hall, showcasing part of my collection.
For many attendees, this was their first opportunity to see these rare Nintendo items in person. It was also the perfect chance to introduce Before Mario to an interested crowd.
Meeting readers face-to-face and hearing their enthusiastic responses was a fantastic experience.
For many, it was their first time learning about this early chapter of Nintendo’s history—before the video games they knew and loved.
Over the course of the event, we met thousands of people and sold many books.
Fast forward to 2023, when I visited Nintendo’s former headquarters in Kyoto once again—this time stepping inside for the first time. The building had reopened the previous year as a hotel, carefully remodeled to preserve not only its original structure but also many of its original items and overall atmosphere.
Still owned by the Yamauchi family’s foundation, the building now houses a special library on the second floor, known as the Nintendo dNa Library, reinforcing its role as the birthplace of Nintendo.
As the greatest honor I could imagine, Before Mario was included in the library’s permanent collection.
The following year, I returned to this special place with friends Florent Gorges and Fabrice Heilig, my longtime collaborators in documenting Nintendo’s history.
This was October 2024, when we visited the new Nintendo Museum on its opening day.
Sold out!
Around the same time, Omaké Books' stock of Before Mario had completely sold out. Only a handful of copies remained, but these had minor defects and couldn’t be sold.
We decided to give them away in a prize draw, with the final copies finding new homes in Germany, France, Portugal, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Mexico.
This was a fitting conclusion to the book’s journey, highlighting its global appeal and adding one last special moment to the many memories it had created.
The journey comes full circle
Looking back, Before Mario has had an incredible journey—one that far exceeded anything I could have imagined when I first started my blog in 2011. What began as a personal passion for collecting and sharing Nintendo’s pre-video game history turned into a book that reached readers and collectors across the world.
From its initial publication in 2014 to its inclusion in the Nintendo dNa Library almost a decade later, Before Mario has found its way into the hands of enthusiasts, historians, and even those who were directly involved in shaping Nintendo’s early years. Along the way, I’ve had the privilege of meeting readers, exhibiting my collection, and seeing firsthand how this less known chapter of Nintendo’s past has fascinated so many.
I also want to express my gratitude to Florent Gorges. Without his encouragement, belief in this project, and collaboration through Omaké Books, Before Mario would never have existed in the form it does today.
Now, with the book officially sold out, this chapter has come to a close—but my passion for Nintendo’s history continues. Whether through this blog or new projects in the future, I remain dedicated to uncovering and sharing the untold stories of the company’s remarkable evolution.
Thank you to everyone who has supported Before Mario over the years. Your enthusiasm and curiosity have made this journey truly special!
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