Capcom 30th Anniversary Character Encyclopedia (Book) Review

All of your favorite Capcom characters, old and new, compiled into one swoon-worthy volume.

As you probably deduced from the very descriptive title, the Capcom Character Encyclopedia is a volume that contains over two hundred memorable characters from all your favorite Capcom games. The characters are listed in alphabetical order, beginning with the unforgettable Ada Wong of Resident Evil fame, and ending with the colorful Zero from Mega Man X. This is a format that makes it easy to flip through to a specific character, if you aren’t the type who needs to compulsively read things from cover to cover (What? Everybody does that, right?!?).

Each character is given one full page in the book. This is filled with a full cover illustration of the character at its finest, as well as a smaller illustration of a different pose and the logo for the game they appear in. There is also a Data box, contains quickly referenced facts about that particular character. These differ from character to character, offering information on everything from their first appearance, to their occupation or school affiliation, to basic stats like height and weight.

The highlight of each page (other than the vivid illustrations), is the detailed bio that is given on the character. They are written in story teller fashion, giving you a full rundown of each character’s personal story in just a few paragraphs. Prepare yourself for an even bigger backlog than you likely already have, because the well written bios alone will have you tracking down old games to get just a little more of these riveting stories. From the origins of Phoenix Wright to the backgrounds of your favorite Street Fighter brawlers, its loaded with gaming knowledge old and new.

Final Thoughts

Capcom 30th Anniversary Character Encyclopedia is a must have for any serious Capcom collector. With all your favorite Capcom video game personalities gathered into one impressive volume, its 207 pages hold a huge chunk of gaming history. Each character is fully represented, both visually and with a brief re-telling of their story, making it a great book to spend an afternoon rifling through. It is presented in a colorfully bound hardcover volume that would be a welcome gift for the gamer in your life, or a perfect addition to your own collection.