Internet darling and crowd-funding website, Kickstarter, is known for supplying endless opportunities for prospective entrepreneurs to get creative projects onto the market with the helping hand of interested backers. Projects on the site range from indie films, food-related products, journalism endeavors, and vast amounts of iPhone case designs that may or may not be worth the initial $5 pledge. In the case of video games though, Daniel Lanciana is putting together his creative talents with the help of the Kickstarter community to fund a full-fledged 240-page hardcover Mike Tyson’s Punch Out!! encyclopedia. Suddenly, the coffee table book market just got a whole lot geekier and pixelized.
A non-profit fan creation, Lanciana was compelled to pursue the project out of a knack for finding, absorbing, and simplifying any topic that interests him.
“The passion behind the project was to print myself a copy, which I’ve done,” Lanciana tells Joystiq in a recent interview. However, the fear of Nintendo and their lawsuit-ready lawyers could poise a threat if completely funded. “Getting it to a wider audience would be great, but if it’s crushed by Nintendo I won’t mind at all as I would have given it my best shot.”
Applying this information, Lanciana is setting out to give fans of Mike Tyson’s Punch Out!! a bit of closure with a 25th anniversary retrospective of the classic NES boxing title.
As of today, Lanciana’s Kickstarter fund is less than $8,000 short of his $25,000 goal with less than 20 days before the deadline. Starting with a $10 pledge, backers will be able to receive a PDF copy of Lanciana’s project, whereas those who pledge $125 or more will receive the deluxe hardcover edition. In addition, the maximum pledge is of $250, which guarantees backers with a autographed deluxe edition of the book and a collectable poster.
Features of the book will include the history, development, critical reception, and character biographies of the original game, along with full-page parody images and a look into underbelly of Punch Out!! merchandise. That last feature alone is enough for one to explore the concept of backing this carefully crafted encyclopedia.
For any avid gamer, Lanciana’s project is a prime example of what the Kickstarter community can produce. With over 200 backers and counting, Lanciana is doing what any young self-professed retro gaming entrepreneur would do: Giving back to the fans of a classic game a well-thought and creative gift.
Now, if only Nintendo’s lawyers won’t spoil the fun by sending Mr. Lanciana a cease-and-desist order.