A new book is currently being crowdfunded on Kickstarter that aims to chart the history of Capcom's iconic Final Fight series.
Beat 'Em Up Volume 1: The Unofficial History of Final Fight is the work of the writer Darren Hupke, who was previously behind the 32 Bit Library series — a set of curated retrospectives of the PS1 library.
It is described as a "book made by a fan [...] for fans" and plans to chart the history of the series from the original 1989 arcade game all the way up until the final entry in the series (the PS2 and Xbox title Final Fight: Streetwise), across 10 chapters and 250+ pages.
In these chapters, Hupke intends to dig into the development history of each game, sharing plot summaries, character biographies, level maps, classic reviews, regional differences, and more, with the goal being to take players "back to the best parts of these classic experiences."
According to the Kickstarter, there will also be a couple of guest contributors too, including Rex Nabours (who has submitted some words for the Final Fight Revenge chapter) and Audi Sorlie (who is contributing articles about the franchise's music and sound design).
Already, the project has hit its $2000 target, having raised $5095 from 95 backers. But you still have 10 days left to secure your own copy if you've yet to back the book.
The cheapest option available is a $5 digital edition, but there are also physical editions ranging from a $40 softcover to a limited edition hardcover copy priced at $75 that includes a bunch of additional extras like a sticker, bookmark, art print, and an enamel pin.
You can find out more about the project here.