Bitmap Books Preparing a Sega Master System Compendium, Kickstarter Coming In May

If you're a classic gamer, chances are you might have heard about a company called Bitmap Books. As of late, the publisher has been responsible for a number of outstanding compendiums that look back upon the history of consoles, including the Nintendo Entertainment System, the Super NES, and more. (You can find their full line-up here, in case you missed out on any of these.)

But now the publisher is looking to dive deep into the history of a console that didn't get as much appreciation as originally expected – not in the United States, at least. According to Resetera, the company is planning to produce a compendium that looks back upon the Sega Master System, which was around on the market for several years before Sega opted to replace it with the Genesis in 1991, moving the gaming era into 16-bit.

The book will no doubt take a look back at the Sega Master System's impact on the gaming market, even if it couldn't quite stand toe-to-toe with Nintendo's 8-bit hardware. It should also dive quite deeply into the European game market, where the Master System managed to thrive for several years, with hundreds of game releases ranging from Sonic the Hedgehog to Streets of Rage to The Lion King.

There's also the possibility that the book could look at the limited amount of games released by Brazil as part of its Tec-Toy line-up for its Master System hardware, including rare games like Battletoads: Battlemaniacs, Street Fighter II and Gunstar Heroes, among others.

Bitmap Books looks to launch a Kickstarter for the compendium starting on May 7, though a goal hasn't been announced as of yet. As you can see from the early art for the book, it looks to be another must-have from the company – and a fine history lesson for those that are wondering just what the Sega Master System is all about.

We'll have more details on the Kickstarter, as well as a potential publishing date if funds are met, in the weeks ahead. But this looks to be another great book from the company, reminding us about the way the industry used to be, well before the days of Fortnite and Red Dead Redemption 2.

And, for that matter, I need to find Sonic the Hedgehog for Master System again. Hmmmm…

Again, you can find Bitmap Books' line-up of offerings here.