I miss old Instruction manuals, and other things.

JaredThaJa888 · 12-04-2011, 02:43 PM

I feel like it was more fun being a VG fan in the 16 Bit and earlier days, and not even for the games themselves.

Modern Instruction Manuals are only good for their official stated purpose, to tell you how to play the game. In the old days they used to have cool Artwork and other interesting fun things.

The first 3 Zelda Games manuals felt kinda like reading an ancient or sacred mythical text. I never owned the Link's Awakening manual, but I suspect it was similar. And I bet the first 6 Final Fantasy games also had this quality in their Manuals, only 3 of the main series where available in English though.

Mario games also, SMB2, SMB3, Mario World, and RPG, where all had lots of fun stuff. Characters making comments and so on. I remember the Donkey Kong Country ones a little but too.

I don't have any of these anymore unfortunately, I know I could look at them online somewhere but that's not the same.

Older Commercials for Video Games where more fun too. That Creepy Animated Wario, the weird FF3 ad with the moogle in his office, told us nothing about the game but it was cool. That Mario RPG ad with the weird old guy. I also remember Nintendo and Sega used to actually take cheap shots at each other, today the Console War isn't nearly so fun.

Technological advancement has made them lazier in how they promote their games. Now all they need to do is show some flashy graphics and people will buy it, especially if they happen to be High. And for the Wii they just show a lame Norman Rockwell looking family jumping around like idiots.

Random User · 12-04-2011, 03:09 PM

Unfortunately I wasn't born soon enough to catch the old console wars, but I've seen the old commercials on YouTube and the like. To be honest I'm a bit jealous and wish I could've seen them myself. Now the console wars are just a bunch of butthurt kids on the Internet crying about which company is the best.

As for the artwork in the instruction booklet... That's another thing I was unfortunate enough to miss for the most part. I do recall there being some manuals that I once owned that had nice artwork in it, though.

Sim Kid · 12-05-2011, 09:55 AM

The first Fire Emblem game was even advertised with a commercial that was like a scene out of an opera in Japan. :O

Actually, another thing they do to advertise games is to get some magazine or review site to give it a positive review.

**Valigarmander** · 12-05-2011, 10:00 AM

The two-pound trilingual slabs of paper NOA prints nowadays aren't so bad all the time. Though I do miss the hand-drawn artwork, the detailed stories and the sections where they'd show you all the game's enemies and such.

Sim Kid · 12-05-2011, 11:34 AM

I wonder if maybe they don't do those anymore because they know people won't read them. or because it's often the first thing to get lost, along with any supplementary material or feelies. (Especially worse when it's used for copy protection...but hey, it was kinda fun when they got creative with the copy protection.)

However, I wished someone recorded this, I have noticed much less used games that I bought not coming with the manual - even as far back as the Playstation Era, I'd buy games that were made in the 90s or first-run copies of games like Final Fantasy Tactics that had the manual still inside. When I bought my copy of Bully used, I was surprised that it not only included the manual, but also the map of the game world rockstar normally includes. I was impressed; especially since my copy of Oblivion on the 360 that I bought in 2009 only had the disc and the box. I've had this happen with other games.

***Marilink*** · 12-05-2011, 01:43 PM

I really wish that games used official artwork in their manuals these days. Yeah, 3D models are nice to have in-game, but give me some cool art besides that!

Daos · 12-06-2011, 06:38 PM

I have to agree. I enjoyed reading the manuals for my older games simply for the amazing art and comments. My favorite were Link to the Past and Super Mario Bros 3.

Dizzy · 12-06-2011, 06:58 PM

I feel that the Yoshi's Story manual is worth mentioning as my favorite of the N64 manuals.

Kargath · 12-09-2011, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJ Blue J

I really wish that games used official artwork in their manuals these days. Yeah, 3D models are nice to have in-game, but give me some cool art besides that!

That's what the two hundred page artbook is for :P

***Cosmonautical*** · 12-09-2011, 10:59 PM

Those are cool when they're actually released (and don't put a game over 100 bucks). They're usually concept art for landscapes and enemies, though, not commissioned spot pieces.

1-up Salesman · 03-16-2012, 11:18 PM

I really like the Sin and Punishment: Star Successor instruction manual. It reminded me a lot of older manuals, telling me more about the back-story than the actual game even hinted at.

12-04-2011, 02:43 PM	#1
JaredThaJa888 Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Racine Wisconsin Gender: Posts: 676 Thanks: 0 Thanked 15 Times in 15 Posts	I miss old Instruction manuals, and other things. I feel like it was more fun being a VG fan in the 16 Bit and earlier days, and not even for the games themselves. Modern Instruction Manuals are only good for their official stated purpose, to tell you how to play the game. In the old days they used to have cool Artwork and other interesting fun things. The first 3 Zelda Games manuals felt kinda like reading an ancient or sacred mythical text. I never owned the Link's Awakening manual, but I suspect it was similar. And I bet the first 6 Final Fantasy games also had this quality in their Manuals, only 3 of the main series where available in English though. Mario games also, SMB2, SMB3, Mario World, and RPG, where all had lots of fun stuff. Characters making comments and so on. I remember the Donkey Kong Country ones a little but too. I don't have any of these anymore unfortunately, I know I could look at them online somewhere but that's not the same. Older Commercials for Video Games where more fun too. That Creepy Animated Wario, the weird FF3 ad with the moogle in his office, told us nothing about the game but it was cool. That Mario RPG ad with the weird old guy. I also remember Nintendo and Sega used to actually take cheap shots at each other, today the Console War isn't nearly so fun. Technological advancement has made them lazier in how they promote their games. Now all they need to do is show some flashy graphics and people will buy it, especially if they happen to be High. And for the Wii they just show a lame Norman Rockwell looking family jumping around like idiots.

12-04-2011, 03:09 PM	#2
Random User Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Equestrian Republic of Spanglidesh Gender: Posts: 3,562 Thanks: 321 Thanked 195 Times in 143 Posts Blog Entries: 4	Unfortunately I wasn't born soon enough to catch the old console wars, but I've seen the old commercials on YouTube and the like. To be honest I'm a bit jealous and wish I could've seen them myself. Now the console wars are just a bunch of butthurt kids on the Internet crying about which company is the best. As for the artwork in the instruction booklet... That's another thing I was unfortunate enough to miss for the most part. I do recall there being some manuals that I once owned that had nice artwork in it, though.

12-05-2011, 09:55 AM	#3
Sim Kid Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: The state of Denial Gender: Posts: 8,884 Thanks: 80 Thanked 198 Times in 122 Posts	The first Fire Emblem game was even advertised with a commercial that was like a scene out of an opera in Japan. :O Actually, another thing they do to advertise games is to get some magazine or review site to give it a positive review.

12-05-2011, 10:00 AM	#4
Valigarmander The Bee's Knees Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: The land of rain and trees (Oregon) Gender: Posts: 29,755 Thanks: 1,649 Thanked 5,700 Times in 2,580 Posts Blog Entries: 20	The two-pound trilingual slabs of paper NOA prints nowadays aren't so bad all the time. Though I do miss the hand-drawn artwork, the detailed stories and the sections where they'd show you all the game's enemies and such.

12-05-2011, 11:34 AM	#5
Sim Kid Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: The state of Denial Gender: Posts: 8,884 Thanks: 80 Thanked 198 Times in 122 Posts	I wonder if maybe they don't do those anymore because they know people won't read them. or because it's often the first thing to get lost, along with any supplementary material or feelies. (Especially worse when it's used for copy protection...but hey, it was kinda fun when they got creative with the copy protection.) However, I wished someone recorded this, I have noticed much less used games that I bought not coming with the manual - even as far back as the Playstation Era, I'd buy games that were made in the 90s or first-run copies of games like Final Fantasy Tactics that had the manual still inside. When I bought my copy of Bully used, I was surprised that it not only included the manual, but also the map of the game world rockstar normally includes. I was impressed; especially since my copy of Oblivion on the 360 that I bought in 2009 only had the disc and the box. I've had this happen with other games.

12-05-2011, 01:43 PM	#6
*Marilink* Gotta catch 'em all! Supermod! Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Location, Location. Gender: Posts: 29,118 Thanks: 2,535 Thanked 1,822 Times in 1,007 Posts	I really wish that games used official artwork in their manuals these days. Yeah, 3D models are nice to have in-game, but give me some cool art besides that!

12-06-2011, 06:38 PM	#7
Daos Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Earth Gender: Posts: 6,228 Thanks: 146 Thanked 245 Times in 179 Posts	I have to agree. I enjoyed reading the manuals for my older games simply for the amazing art and comments. My favorite were Link to the Past and Super Mario Bros 3.

12-06-2011, 06:58 PM	#8
Dizzy Podiaphobe Join Date: Oct 2007 Gender: Posts: 19,359 Thanks: 1,764 Thanked 1,161 Times in 804 Posts Blog Entries: 116	I feel that the Yoshi's Story manual is worth mentioning as my favorite of the N64 manuals.

12-09-2011, 10:59 PM	#10
*Cosmonautical* Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: I rub my tilde all over your asterisk Gender: Posts: 28,100 Thanks: 2,151 Thanked 5,338 Times in 2,433 Posts	Those are cool when they're actually released (and don't put a game over 100 bucks). They're usually concept art for landscapes and enemies, though, not commissioned spot pieces.

03-16-2012, 11:18 PM	#11
1-up Salesman Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Letting you guys know that I'm planning on continuing Attack of the Spammers soon. Gender: Posts: 4,095 Thanks: 2,162 Thanked 250 Times in 194 Posts Blog Entries: 9	I really like the Sin and Punishment: Star Successor instruction manual. It reminded me a lot of older manuals, telling me more about the back-story than the actual game even hinted at.