History Main / SpoiledByTheManual

* ''VideoGame/{{Earthbound}}'', since the manual doubles as strategy guide.

** ''Brawl'''s manual shows [[VideoGame/MetalGear Solid Snake]] and VideoGame/{{Sonic|TheHedgehog}}, although [[TrailersAlwaysSpoil their presence is not much of a secret]]. Heck, you don't even need the manual for this one. Just look at the back of the box and see the two non-Nintendo characters taking up roughly a third of the illustrations.

* The instructions booklet for ''VideoGame/SpongebobSquarepantsBattleForBikiniBottom'' spoils all of the levels by deliberately listing them on the last few pages, as well as providing screenshots and summaries of the main objectives for each level. Somewhat subverted for the Chum Bucket Lab though, as the image shown is just a question mark to hide the FinalBoss' identity.

** ''Melee'''s instruction book shows in some pics that [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Luigi]], [[VideoGame/DrMario Dr. Mario]], [[VideoGame/FireEmblemElibe Roy]], [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Young Link]] and [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Mewtwo]] are playable.

* ''VideoGame/GoldenSun: The Lost Age'' sets up three members of the hero's four-member party, and his alliance with Alex, an Adept of the fourth element... who is not with them on the box art. A random sailor you encounter very briefly and don't see again until ''almost halfway through the game'' is. Hint, hint. Also spoilered in the manual proper when it includes instructions on how to navigate with Piers's ship, and the [[{{Feelies}} map and relationship chart]] that come with the game also spell out that Piers is playable and Alex is not.

* ''Videogame/{{Earthbound}}'', since the manual doubles as strategy guide.
* ''Videogame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'''s manual shows an illustration of the final battle between Link, Ganondorf and Princess Zelda, a double spoiler in just one illustration!

* Lampshaded in ''VideoGame/{{Deltarune}}'', where the unused assets for the manual Ralsei gives you lists the controls for the overworld, menus, text... and (not-actually-in-the-game) cooking, with three of the four buttons corresponding to "butter" and the final one being used for "pulsar cannons."

This is related to TrailersAlwaysSpoil and SpoilerOpening. See InterfaceSpoiler where the spoiling is done by an interface element instead of a manual.

* In ''[[VideoGame/PuyoPuyo Puyo Puyo 7]]'', a dark version of Arle unsurprisingly named Dark Arle plays a major role. The manual plainly states she's actually the normal Arle but possessed.

* ''Videogame/TheLegendofZeldaTheWindWaker'''s manual shows an illustration of the final battle between Link, Ganondorf and Princess Zelda, a double spoiler in just one illustration!

* In the instructions for ''[[VideoGame/MarioTennis Mario Power Tennis'', there is a pic of the character selection screen. With every secret character unlocked.

* In the instructions for ''VideoGame/MarioGolf: Toadstool Tour'', there is a pic of the character selection screen. With every secret character unlocked.

* ''Videogame/TheLegendofZeldaTheWindWaker''s manual shows an illustration of the final battle between Link, Ganondorf and Princess Zelda, a double spoiler in just one illustration!

** ''Brawl'''s manual shows [[VideoGame/MetalGear Solid Snake]] and Franchise/{{Sonic|TheHedgehog}}, although [[TrailersAlwaysSpoil their presence is not much of a secret]]. Heck, you don't even need the manual for this one. Just look at the back of the box and see the two non-Nintendo characters taking up roughly a third of the illustrations.

** The ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'' manual would spoil the name and traps of every act, as well as the existence and purpose of the Final Zone.

** ''Brawl'''s manual shows [[Franchise/MetalGear Solid Snake]] and Franchise/{{Sonic|TheHedgehog}}, although [[TrailersAlwaysSpoil their presence is not much of a secret]]. Heck, you don't even need the manual for this one. Just look at the back of the box and see the two non-Nintendo characters taking up roughly a third of the illustrations.

* The instructions booklet for ''VideoGame/SpongebobSquarepantsBattleForBikiniBottom'' spoils all of the levels by deliberately listing them on the last few pages, as well as providing screenshots and summaries of the main objectives in each level. Somewhat subverted for the Chum Bucket Lab though, as the image shown is just a question mark to hide the FinalBoss' identity.

* The European reprinted manuals for a number of [[UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis Sega Genesis/Mega Drive]] games were more complete but would often spoil details like the name or layout of later levels or enemy types, including bosses. For example:
** The ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'' manual would spoil the name and traps of every act, as well as [[spoiler: the existence and purpose of the Final Zone]].

** The Genesis's version of ''VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesTournamentFighters'''s manual spoiled its [[SNKBoss SNKBosses]].

** The manual of the SNES North American release of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'' - in the equipment section in the back, it lists the classes of all the characters, to designate what each can equip. Particularly blatant in the case of Edge and [=FuSoYa=], since you know there's more game coming after each DiscOneFinalDungeon because you haven't met a ninja or Lunarian yet.
** One of the screenshots on ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'' Advance's back of the box has Krile, a character [[spoiler:who doesn't appear after Galuf's PlotlineDeath]] and a screenshot spoiling TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon.

* ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'''s manual spoils the identities of four eventual party members, and eagle-eyed gamers can spot clues that [[spoiler:there is another world involved]].
* ''VideoGame/TalesOfTheAbyss'''s American manual for the [=PS2=] version spoils a major development of the protagonist Luke simply with the cover - the cover of the manual was also the cover of the game. Not only that, it initially shows Luke's character page with him having long hair, but we already saw him with short hair. Later pages, explaining the status screen show Luke with short hair and flat out calling him Luke Fon Fabre. So already, the emotional impact of the scene of Luke [[ImportantHaircut cutting his hair short]] to symbolize his will to change is ruined simply by buying the game and looking at the manual. Incidentally, the Japanese manual ''did not'' spoil this. The manual was redone for the [=3DS=] version of the game and fortunately does not contain this blatant spoiler.

** Lampshaded in the case of ''VideoGame/MegaManXCommandMission'', where [[spoiler:Colonel Redips's name was intentionally misspelled as "Rideps" in the manual to prevent giving away the plot twist that he was TheMole (by disguising as "Spider") and the ultimate BigBad.]]
* ''Tecmo's VideoGame/{{Deception}}'' has the manual give away the fact that [[spoiler:Fiana]] is an acquirable summoned monster.
* The manuals of ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquer'' and ''Red Alert'' give you the full tech-tree, including the factions' super-weapons. It thus doesn't come as much of a surprise to the player that in the campaigns, Nod develops nukes, GDI has a KillSat, the Iron Curtain project is about temporarily making things invulnerable and the Allies develops a teleporter. [[spoiler: The Soviets]] developing nukes in ''Red Alert'' is given a partial spoiler -- you know the game has nukes, since they are in the manual... but the manual shows the ''multiplayer'' tech-tree, in which both factions have nukes, so which side develops them first in the course of the campaigns is still left open.
* Subverted in ''VideoGame/GhostTrick''. The manual is carefully written to never make any claims regarding [[spoiler:who you really are]], ensuring that it is completely accurate even after all the [[PlotTwist plot twists]].

* The page describing the ship's manifest from ''VideoGame/StarControl2'' displays artifacts required to complete the game, such as an Illwrath cloaking device. [[spoiler:Subverted: there is no such device obtainable in the actual game]].
** It's also averted in a broader sense; the manual is written to give the impression that you'll be rejoining and resuming the war from the previous game, hiding the fact that [[spoiler:the war was lost nearly twenty years ago.]]
* The manual for ''The Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle'' shows a screenshot of the password screen. The problem? Inputting the password in the screenshot takes you to the last level of the game.

* Not immediately apparent with ''VideoGame/JakAndDaxterThePrecursorLegacy'', but in the original [=PS2=] version the game's manual folded out into a map of the locations visited in the game provided by Jak's uncle, showing the names and roughly the path the player would take through the game. The problem is that the last level is called '[[spoiler: Gol and Maia's]] Citadel' which spoils the names of the BigBad. The problem? [[spoiler: The whole point of Jak and Daxter's journey at the beginning is because they believe Gol can turn Daxter back into a human/elf, and since there's a man and a woman seen in the opening cutscene it's very easy to work out who these two are...]]

* Not immediately apparent with ''VideoGame/JakAndDaxterThePrecursorLegacy'', but in the original PS2 version the game's manual folded out into a map of the locations visited in the game provided by Jak's uncle, showing the names and roughly the path the player would take through the game. The problem is that the last level is called '[[spoiler: Gol and Maia's]] Citadel' which spoils the names of the BigBad. The problem? [[spoiler: The whole point of Jak and Daxter's journey at the beginning is because they believe Gol can turn Daxter back into a human/elf, and since there's a man and a woman seen in the opening cutscene it's very easy to work out who these two are...]]

* The European reprinted manuals for a number of [[SegaGenesis Sega Genesis/Mega Drive]] games were more complete but would often spoil details like the name or layout of later levels or enemy types, including bosses. For example: