this post was submitted on 30 May 2024
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Authentic Link's Awakening Game Manual (lemmy.world)
submitted 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) by Jim_Just_Jim@lemmy.world to c/retrogaming@lemmy.world
19 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Won an original Link's Awakening Game Boy manual on a Goodwill charity auction. Had to share the nostalgia.

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[–] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 20 points 11 months ago (3 children)

This makes me sad. Because this post is basically, "hey, if you weren't alive at the time, this is what this iconic game manual looks like."

And granted, I guess thats EVERY post on this sub.....

Maybe I'm just having a sad day. Because I love the content. I don't mean to imply I'm anti-this post.

I'm just like "yeah......it's the manual........just like every game ever gets......."

And then I hear Jon Lajoie singing at me "BUT YOU WERE WROOOOOOOOOONG!!!!!!"

Games today don't get manuals, and I feel like an old man yelling at clouds......

[–] TheOctonaut@mander.xyz 11 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I can smell it. I can smell now the difference between Nintendo booklets and Sega booklets and PC booklets (Christ, trying to type in the Age of Empires 2 cd key).

I have 1000 games on Steam, and I know a lot of them come with some sort of PDF, and I'm not saying things aren't better, but I can miss that one aspect of the first half hour of experiencing a new game being reading, touching, smelling its lore and artwork.

[–] Jim_Just_Jim@lemmy.world 7 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

Whew. I hear you so hard. FWIW, I did actually win the cartridge in this auction as well, but since it's just a cartridge and no box, I didn't think many people here would appreciate a pic of a cart as much as they would a pic of the manual.

I'm also an old man yelling at clouds so I'm right there with you. Isn't it crazy that we've found ourselves here so quickly?

And also, mad props for referencing Jon Lajoie. A very talented individual who doesn't get enough credit. I love his work! For anyone reading this thread who has never heard of him, I encourage you to check him out. He has an awesome sense of humor!

I commiserate with you. The days of manuals are gone. And for what it's worth, the Zelda material is super sad for me as well because my late baby sister and I bonded tightly over the Zelda games. So these games are just super bitter sweet to me as well for so many reasons. When I play these games, I hear her laughter and feel her next to me. The games mean more to me than most, I suspect.

You're not alone. In fact, it sounds like you're my favorite kind of people! Thanks so much for commenting. I wish it weren't true, but the day of the manual has come to a close and you and I are the minority. But you are not alone. Let's appreciate what we have left. The next generation will never be so fortunate!! Do not be discouraged. Sounds to me like you're pretty rad!

We all have sad days. You are not alone!

[–] zero_spelled_with_an_ecks@programming.dev 4 points 11 months ago

Tunic has a manual.

[–] savvywolf@pawb.social 11 points 11 months ago (3 children)

If anyone loves old game manuals, I'd recommend the game Tunic. It's such a charming little game and, without spoiling too much, the manual is a core part of it.

[–] simple@lemm.ee 4 points 11 months ago

There's even a deluxe edition of the game that comes with a physical version of the manual! Though having all the pages from the start is a little spoilery.

[–] HipsterTenZero@dormi.zone 2 points 11 months ago

I can also recommend the game Vermis, which is just the manual, with no game attached

[–] waterSticksToMyBalls@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago

If you can snag the physical edition of untitled goose game, it comes with some absolutely killer swag

[–] Nemo@midwest.social 7 points 11 months ago

Vimm's Lair has scans if as many old manuals as they could find, if anyone likes looking through old manuals.

[–] No_Change_Just_Money@feddit.de 4 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Is there a widely accepted reason why they stopped adding manuals to games?

I was allways reading them before playing the game, and it got very excited for game play.

[–] SquirtleHermit@lemmy.world 8 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Cost cutting, the advent of digital distribution, as well as technological and game design improvements that allowed for such information to be conveyed in game, all contributed to game manuals becoming less and less valuable. Due to these factors, they kept getting smaller and smaller until one day the just stopped being commonly made.

Though my nostalgia still misses them (and strategy guides).

[–] Jim_Just_Jim@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago

I remember going to Toys R Us with Dad, picking a game out, and then eagerly reading the game manual on the long drive home. It got me SO hyped!! Definitely wish they still made manuals!

[–] WhoDestroysTheGond@lemmy.ca 4 points 11 months ago

Like those occasional illustrations in Alice in Wonderland or Narnia, game manuals provided a window into a world you couldn't fully see (in the case of old consoles, due to low res or low poly graphics) and served as a jumping off point for so many children's imaginations to fill in the rest of the details.

https://atariage.com/manual_page.php?SystemID=2600&SoftwareLabelID=128&ItemTypeID=MANUAL&currentPage=0

Screenshot of Defender for the Atari 2600 with a spaceship flying around with blocky pixel graphics

Cover of the Defender manual, featuring a realistic painting of humans being abducted by alien spaceships

[–] captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works 4 points 11 months ago

The manual to A Link to the Past contains basically the franchise's design document. Go read the little lore section at the beginning of that manual and tell me they haven't been just pulling nouns out of it to make games out of for the last 20 years.

[–] Corr@lemm.ee 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

This is an awesome post. Thank you for sharing it. I really appreciated reading your comments, and I hope you're doing well

[–] Jim_Just_Jim@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago

Thanks! Just hoped that it would make someone out there smile!

[–] Jim_Just_Jim@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago

And for all you manual lovers that wish new games came with them, there is a very talented artist who goes by the name "mbpuk" that makes some really awesome mini manuals that fit in the Switch game case!