Automatic or Manual - A Rant
I just hit the local Gamestop to pick up a copy of Resident Evil 5. I’m not going to talk about that game in particular, especially since I haven’t started it and also because I hate mentioning Gamestop because every person I’ve met who’s worked at one is kind of grating, but I found myself doing something with this game (instead of playing the thing) that I hadn’t done with any other game of this generation or last - I flipped through the manual. It’s a weird thing, looking through this little booklet and it took me back to the little horizontal NES manuals that came in the flimsy cardboard box. Remember those and all the weird drawings that were in there? All the weird descriptions that were in there too? For example, check out the text for the original Super Mario Bros’ backstory:
“One day the kingdom of the peaceful mushroom people was invaded by the Koopa, a tribe of turtles famous for their black magic. The quiet, peace-loving Mushroom People were turned into mere stones, bricks and even field horse-hair plants, and the Mushroom Kingdom fell into ruin.
“The only one who can undo the magic spell on the Mushroom People and return them to their normal selves is the Princess Toadstool, the daughter of the Mushroom King. Unfortunately, she is presently in the hands of the great Koopa turtle king.
“Mario, the hero of the story (maybe) hears about the Mushroom People’s plight and sets out on a quest to free the Mushroom Princess from the evil Koope and restore the fallen kingdom of the Mushroom People.
“You are Mario! It’s up to you to save the Mushroom People from the black magic of the Koopa!”
Whoa! Black magic?! The bricks were the shrooms?! Where did all that stuff come from? Mario was way darker than he pretended to be. Oh, and check out Sonic’s manual:
“CRUSH DR. ROBOTNIK!
“Dr. Ivo Robotnik, the mad scientist, is snatching innocent animals and turning them into evil robots! Only one tough dude can put an end to the demented scientist’s fiendish scheme. It’s Sonic, the real cool hedgehog with the spiked haircut and power sneakers that give him super speed.
“Help Sonic fight horders of metal maniacs and do the loop with the Super Sonic Spin Attack. Speed down twisting tunnels and swing over dangerous booby traps. Leap across lava pits and dodge burning rocks. Then splash through the chilling waters in an underground cavern. And in you’re lucky, you can warp to the secret zone where you spin around in a floating maze! Your greatest challenge lurks in a secret lab where you come face to face with Dr. Robotnik himself!
“Spin through space, loop ’til you’re dizzy, save the animals and become the super hero. Be Sonic! Be atomic!”
There are two things about this little bit of text that get me. One, apparently it’s Sonic’s sneakers that make him fast - he’s not just a fast rodent. That basically means that any character can be Sonic, but I’m going to assume that Sega just glosses over that fact. The other thing that strikes me is that this thing reads like it’s trying to convince you to buy the game. “But Eliot,” you start, with your wry grin, “some kids may have rented the game and that was a way to hype a purchase a bit more.” True, but when you’ve rented the game, you’re just about to play it and can decide whether you like it on your own. No need for extra hype in writing.
Also, “Super Sonic Spin Attack”? You mean when you’re running and press “Down” and he just turns into a ball? That’s a long name for a button press, but ok….
Manuals back then even had cool stuff in them about game characters. Check out this clip from Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out:
Or this one from Blaster Master:
Totally unnecessary, but really cool additions. What did the manual for RE5 have in it? An ad for Dark Void, a prologue (that pretty much said “You’re this guy, you meet some girl.”), a 2-page spread that maps the controls, another 2 pages detailing the menu, a page for how to continue and save, another spread mapping the controlling (this time describing the pause menu), instructions on how to set up Xbox Live (like physically setting it up, with a diagram of the router and cables), some “hints” that say that you shouldn’t leave your partner behind (duh), an ad for Bionic Commando, an ad for Dark Void, an ad for Capcom’s site, and an ad for 2 separate DVDs. What the hell? That’s a lot of fluff. Seriously.
The bit that most inspired this post was just the inclusion of a manual at all these days. I’m not sure I know anyone who reads these things. Typically, I just hop right into the game and trust that either the game will provide me with a tutorial or I’ll just have to learn quickly enough, lest I succumb to an early death. The concept of a game manual is nice in theory, but it’s really just a tradition at this point. They don’t provide anything the player couldn’t already figure out just by playing the game. We live in an age where games are allotted enough time and space on their media to provide backstories, character development, hints, etc. These manuals are just toilet reading, comprised of mostly advertisements.
So part of me wonders two things: 1. Would games these days be cheaper without the manuals included? I mean, if anyone was that interested in reading them, couldn’t they just put a digital copy on the game disc? Any curious party could pop the disc in and flip through a digital manual. PC software eliminates lengthy tech and operation manuals by doing this, why not games? And, if someone were so inclined, they could print it out. The second thing I wonder is if anyone still reads these things? If you do, feel free to chime in with a post.
Thanks for replacementdocs.com and their massive collection of manuals. Those took me back…
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