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Boss Fight Books: Season 2 covers Metal Gear Solid, Spelunky, and more
The second season of Boss Fight Books will feature in-depth analyses of Metal Gear Solid, Baldur's Gate 2, and other landmark games, independent publisher Gabe Durham announced this week. Boss Fight Books: Season 2 is a collection of six books that each exhaustively cover a single game, with developer interviews and other supplementary material accompanying author insight. Announced works include Spelunky by designer Derek Yu, Baldur's Gate 2 by author Matt Bell, Bible Adventures by Gabe Durham, World of Warcraft by Daniel Lisi, and Metal Gear Solid by Hey Ash, Whatcha Playin'? creators Ashly and Anthony Burch. The subject of a sixth book will be picked from nominations suggested by Kickstarter backers. Originally pitched as "the 33 1/3 of video games," Boss Fight Books launched last year with a series of six volumes covering Galaga, Jagged Alliance 2, and other titles at length. Actor Ken Baumann penned the first entry in the series, offering a personal look at Nintendo's widely praised SNES RPG Earthbound. Boss Fight Books: Season 2 has already surpassed its Kickstarter funding goal. Books will begin shipping out to backers in May, 2015. [Image: Boss FIght Books]
Why a TV star gave up acting and wrote a book about Earthbound
From 2008 to 2013, Ken Baumann played the role of Ben Boykewich on ABC Family's drama series, The Secret Life of the American Teenager. The Texas native also guest-starred on shows like Castle and Eli Stone, and appeared in several feature and TV films. At 24 years of age, Baumann recounts his upbringing and familial relationships – along with tidbits about acting, struggles with illness, and more – in his new book, Earthbound. Yes, that Earthbound – Nintendo's Earthbound (known in its native Japan as Mother 2), released for Super Nintendo in 1995. Baumann's book Earthbound is the first entry in the Boss Fight Books series, which profiles games of personal significance to each author, with Galaga, Jagged Alliance 2, and others on the way. Baumann's Earthbound is as much an exploration of the creation, content, and legacy of the role-playing classic as it is a self-reflective deep dive into the author's own psyche and past – so much so that it's difficult at times to tell where one half of the narrative ends and the other picks back up. That's because, as Baumann explains, he can't separate his own story and that of the game.
