J. Douglas Arnold
Personal Information
Description
While still in High school, J. Douglas began writing tips and reviews of games with his friend Zach Meston, and with the help of his mothers publishing company "Sandwich Islands Publishing" (SIP) he began producing a bi-monthly video games fan magazine called "Amiga Games Guide". Up until that point SIP had done newsletters and a travel guide called "The Mauian". With the success of his first book in 1991 for 'Compute! Books', "Compute's Nintendo Tricks and Tips" ISBN: 087455246X he began to develop his own series of gaming book in the same lines as Prima's "Secrets of the Games", and Bantam's "Game Mastery" series, while Bantam's series used titles such as 'Ultimate Nintendo Games', Arnold and SIP would use the opening title 'Awesome', and the series title "Gaming Mastery". His first book with SIP was "Awesome Sega Genesis Secrets" ISBN: 0962467642. While at first he wrote most of the books himself, he teamed up with others for later books, became director of the series for SIP, when he was not the actual author. The early books had illustrated covers but later ones simply had a colorized design and layout that Arnold would generally make himself. After the initial gaming series, the gaming books went under various series titles, including "Player's Guide", "Survival Guide", and "Trainer's Guide" for Pokémon related books. Occasionally he would place 'Stereograms' within the books for readers to find, and list their locations at the end of the book. Although nearly all of these gaming books were unofficial and not licensed, there were some notable exceptions as his and long time co-author Zach Meston made guides for 'Working Designs' games. A few years later Meston would be working at this company himself. And the electronic talking toy "Furby". Early in the year 2000, SIP was sued by Nintendo of America for publishing a translation of the Japanese instructions in their guide "Pokémon Gold and Silver: Japanese Translation Guide" ISBN: 1884364519. He produced several more game guides ending with "Pokémon: Trading Card Game, Player's Guide Volume 3: Team Rocket" in 2001, for a total of 10 years of producing gaming guides. After this he left the video game field and currently still works with his family on the annual "Best of Maui" travel guide, as President/Art Director. {Sources: About the Author and Copyright Page's- Staff credits, in SIP gaming books. Best of Maui, travel guide with contributions by J. Douglas Arnold published annualy by SIP, IGN.com News Zach Meston's official webblog }
Books
Nintendo 64
This is a strategy and walkthrough guide for 10 Nintendo 64 (N64) games. It has many color screenshots for each game. It has tips, cheats strategies and fighter moves for the games. Each section tells the games 'Developer', Publisher', 'Age rating', 'Number of Players', Game Type', the way the 'Gave Save' is loaded, what 'Peripherals' can be used to play it, its 'Pros' and 'Cons'. There is a second part to the book that has mini cheat codes and tips for 40 games, and a third part lists GameShark codes for 43 games. Parts of the 'Yoshi's Story' section were previously published in 'Yoshi's Story: Survival Guide' ISBN, 1884364438, condensed from 128 page book to 14 page section in this book, with fewer screenshots, most of which are reused from the previous book.
Mortal Kombat 3
This is a move by move, and strategy guide book for the the video game Mortal Kombat 3. It looks at the home console versions of the game as well as the original arcade version. It tells how to do each characters moves, special moves, combos, and tips on how to beat the bosses. There are also sections for the moves to the first and second games in the series. Multiple screenshots, in gray-scale, are on nearly every page, there is also a screenshot of 'Street Fighter II', and the game 'Night Trap' in the introduction. The first two versions of the arcade game have their password, 'Kombat Kodes' listed. And for five dollars and the mail in order form at the back of the book an extra 16 page of this guide could be bought when 'Version 3.0" was released.
Awesome Super Nintendo Secrets Three
This is a strategy, hints, tips, and cheats book, of Super Nintendo Entertainment System {SNES} games. Its first section has walkthroughs for 17 games, the second section has tips, cheats, and passwords for 35 games. There are many gray-scale screenshots for the first section of the book. Cover Art is by Richard Fields. The book originally cost $11.95.
Awesome Super Nintendo Secrets
This is a strategy, hints tips and cheats book, of Super Nintendo Entertainment System games. Its first section has walkthroughs for 21 games, the second section has tips, cheats, and passwords for 22 others. There are many gray-scale screenshots for the first section of the book. Cover Art is by Richard Fields.
Compute's Nintendo Tips & Tricks
This is a tips, and strategy book. It has level by level tips for 24 Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) games. Each of these has a 'Introduction' to the game, a description of the 'Gameplay', tips, strategies, and sometimes passwords. The second part of the book has 36 entries for mini tips, cheat codes, and passwords, however 13 of these entries refer the reader to earlier pages in the book, where these type of tips were already mention for that game. Each of the games in the first part of the book has gray-scale screenshoots. This is J. Douglas Arnold's first full length book, pre-dating his 'Gaming Mastery Series' and 'Survival Guide' series for Sandwich Islands Publishing. Compute! Nintendo books in this series; Compute's Nintendo Tips & Tricks. 087455246X Compute!'s Guide to Nintendo Games. ISBN: 0874552214 Compute!'s Nintendo Secrets. ISBN: 0874552346 The Big Book of Nintendo Games. ISBN: 0874552486 Compute!'s Nintendo Adventure Games. ISBN: 0874552435 The Official Guide to Mega Man. ISBN: 0874552419 Conquering Super Mario Bros., and {Conquering Super Mario Bros. Adventures} ISBN: 0874552427, and 0874552656 Conquering Zelda, and {Conquering Zelda Adventures} ISBN: 0874552397, and 0874552702 Castlevania: The Official Hint Book. ISBN: 0874552613 Compute's Guide to Super NES Games. ISBN: 0874552494
Digimon Cards! Collector's and Player's Guide
This is a unauthorized collector's guide to the card game "Digimon" {Digital Monsters}. It has color images of each card, for both the USA, and Japanese relesases of the cards. It also discusses the cartoon, toys, video games, and other Digimon products. The book also describes the way the game is played, along with tips and sratiges.
PlayStation survival guide
This is a walkthrough, hints, tips, and strategy book for PlayStation video games. It has walkthroughs for 11 game, with many grey scale screenshots. Each walkthrough also tells what type of game it is, how many players, the games developer, publisher, if any accessories are required to play the game, the age rating for the game, lists the overall pros, and cons of the game and tells if, or how much save space the game will take in a memory card. Each walkthrough also lists it's individual author who wrote this section of the book. The books then has a 11 page section of mini hints and tips for 89, other PlayStation games.
Awesome Super Nintendo Secrets 2
This is a hints, tips, strategy and walkthrough guide for games on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It has detailed walkthroughs, level by level descriptions for 32 games, and originally, quick tips passwords and cheats for 23 games, (despite the back of the book saying there are "over 25 Other Hot Games". It also says it is 320 pages but the last numbered page is 311, with the earlier title pages and such not being numbered. A UK version of the guide was also released with 111 games in the quick tips section. There are multiple gray-scale screenshots of each of the main 32 games, as well as diagram maps for the game "Equinox". Block area diagrams are given for the games "Prince of Persia", and "Wing Commander, showing which order to take the areas, and allows for details about that area in the text. Hidden within the book are dot matrix Stereograms, on pages zero, 24, 26, 97, 149, 152, 177, 240, 254, 286, 297 {missing from UK version}, and 306 {307 in UK version}. For the USA version there are black and white photos for each of the 'Peripherals' sections except for the 'Super NES Mouse'. {This and the "Buyer's Guide" section have been removed for the UK version.} The books front cover art is by Richard Fields.
Awesome Sega Genesis Secrets
This the first video game book by Sandwich Island Publishing, it is a strategy, hints tips and cheats book. It has walkthroughs for 21 games, Selected strategies for 9 others. The final section of the book has tips and cheats, and passwords for 30 more games and for games featured earlier in the book, it refers the reader to the page with the tips section. The last page of the book is a order form if the reader wishes to buy additional copies of this book. There are many grey-scale screenshots for each section, of the book. Cover Art is by Tom Helmintoller.
Tekken 1 & 2 Survival Guide
This is an Unauthorized player by player guide to the moves and fighting techniques of the two Tekken games, including how to unlock secrets hidden in the Playstation versions. It has black and white screenshots for all the characters and shows many of the characters fighting moves.
PlayStation Player's Guide 2
This is a walkthrough, hints, tips, and strategy book for PlayStation video games. It has walkthroughs for 13 games, with many gray scale screenshots. Each walkthrough also tells what type of game it is, how many players, the games developer, publisher, if any accessories are required to play the game, the age rating for the game, lists the overall pros, and cons of the game and tells if, or how much save space the game will take in a memory card. Each walkthrough also lists it's individual author who wrote this section of the book. The books then has a 22 page section of mini hints and tips for 83, other PlayStation games.
3DO Games Secrets
This is the second unofficial guide for the 3DO, by Zach Meston, and J. Douglas Arnold. The first being "3DO Games Secrets" ISBN: 1884364179, this new book features new games, and strategies. It has walkthroughs, hints, tips, and strategies for 27 featured games, which are covered in detail, as well as descriptions on how the games work. There is also a list of game companies, and 108 reviews. There is also a interview of Ken Soohoo, of Interactive Designers. Lastly there are three top 5 lists, written by people that work at The 3DO Company. It havs multipule grey scale screenshots for each of the 27 featured games, and in-game, screenshot maps for the game 'Captain Quazar'. There are diagram style maps, and grey scale screenshots. The book was originally sold at $16.95.
Awesome Sega Genesis Secrets 3
This is a walkthrough, hints, tips, and strategy guide book for the "Sega Genesis" {Sega MegaDrive} and Sega CD video game systems, it features 33 in depth walkthroughs, and several "Tricks and Passwords" on various other games. There are grey scale screenshots, and hidden image "Single Image Random Dot Stereograms" {SIRDS}, scattered throughout the book. The book was originally sold at $11.95.
Heimdall
This is a walkthrough, strategy, hints and solutions, guide to the Sega CD (Sega Mega CD) game "Heimdall". A Viking quest game, were the main character and his group must go from town to town, and defeat various monsters and solve puzzles. It also gives information on the earlier Amiga, and IBM Personal Computer versions of the game. There are many gray-scale screenshots, as well as full maps for each location with in the game. It describes each character, item, and spell, with statistics and charts.
Vay
This is a walkthrough and strategy guide for the Sega CD video game, 'Vay'. It has many gray-scale screenshoots, and the occasional character production artwork on pages 11 and 28. Maps of each area are made from multiple screenshoots. Besides the walkthrough there are alphabetical listings of the monsters, items, weapons and armor for reference. According to the introduction the book was written from April to May 1994, in "four weeks of nonstop work". The books co-author Zach Meston would later begin working for 'Working Designs' a few years later.
Awesome Sega Genesis Secrets 4
This is a walkthrough, hints, tips, and strategy guide book for the "Sega Genesis" {Sega MegaDrive} and Sega CD video game systems, it features 33 in depth walkthroughs, and several "Tricks and Passwords" on various other games. There are grey scale screenshots, and hidden image "Single Image Random Dot Stereograms" {SIRDS}, scattered throughout the book. The book was originally sold at $11.95.
Castlevania
This is a strategy guide to the video game "Castlevaina: Symphony of the Night" for the PlayStation, PS, PS1, PS one, PSX}. It has many grey scale screenshots, and diagram style maps, of each part of the castle. It also has text describing how to complete each area, and find the game's various items, as well as tips and strategies for beating various enemies, and bosses. This book originally cost $12.95.
