History Main / StrategyGuide

* Enix's ''Main/IllusionOfGaia'' included a full walkthrough of the game as the majority of the game manual. This is only fair, given that many of the Red Jewels were GuideDangIt, LostForever, or both.

* While they've gotten ''slightly'' better about this, Prima guides tended to be full of errata, particularly their ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing'' (UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube) guide, which had ''tons'' of misplaced screenshots and incorrect dates and times. Their ''VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures'' and ''VideoGame/Kirby64TheCrystalShards'' guides weren't even ''finished,'' ending before they could tell you how to fight the final boss (and in the case of ''Crystal Shards'', claiming that the TrueFinalBoss is a "[[LightIsNotGood friendly]] [[BloodyMurder inhabitant]] [[EldritchAbomination of Shiver Star]]", among [[BlatantLies other insanity]].).

* The strategy guide for the old-school TBS ''MasterOfMagic'' was a massive tome with information about every unit, spell, and item in the game, along with page after page of data and charts detailing the math involved in combat. This was pre-Internet (or at least pre-GameFAQs) so that information was largely unavailable otherwise.
* The official ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'' guide was amazingly sparse. It was very general and less than 100 pages. Why was it so empty? Well, it had several codes that would reveal "secret information" if you joined Squaresoft's website and entered them. Yes, they made an awkward competitor to GameFAQs. [[https://web.archive.org/web/20051207135601/http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/june03/dumbestmoments/readers/ GameSpy readers listed it among the dumbest moments of the gaming industry]], noting this only made Square avoid this for ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX''.

* ''WorldOfWarcraft'' provides particularly pointless ones, as each new patch makes the guide increasingly inaccurate or incomplete. Also, because there is no circumstance where you would be able to play the game where you wouldn't also have access to free, more accurate, and probably more in-depth online guides.

* The strategy guide for ''SidMeiersAlphaCentauri'' is notable for including an index not just for itself but for the original rule book that came with the game.

Strategy guides are typically based on the pre-release version of a game, which often leads to blunders. In one infamous example, an official strategy guide for the Dreamcast version of ''Half-Life'' was released, but the game was subsequently cancelled. Maps in the official strategy guide for ''Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'' contained Rampage icons that don't exist in the final version.

!!Example:

* Prima Games released a fairly decent guide for ''VideoGame/GranTurismo 4''. However, automaker Peugeot is almost completely absent from the guide. They actually got worse with the guide for ''ForzaMotorsport 3''. Lamborghini and every make associated with General Motors is missing.

* The PlayStation2 version of one of ''Myst III: Exile'' bundled a "hint guide" into the instruction booklet.

* ''[[http://www.video-game-ephemera.com/038.htm The Pigskin Player's Handbook]]'' is a rare example of an official strategy guide for an ArcadeGame.

* The strategy guide for ''VideoGame/Riven: The Sequel to Myst'' contains multiple formats for their hint delivery, the most subtle just outlining what a puzzle appears to involve visually, the most dramatic being a fully-fledged narrative of a person stuck on the five islands and solving the puzzles to get the Good End.

* While they've gotten ''slightly'' better about this, Prima guides tended to be full of errata, particularly their ''AnimalCrossing'' (UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube) guide, which had ''tons'' of misplaced screenshots and incorrect dates and times. Their ''VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures'' and ''VideoGame/Kirby64TheCrystalShards'' guides weren't even ''finished,'' ending before they could tell you how to fight the final boss (and in the case of ''Crystal Shards'', claiming that the TrueFinalBoss is a "[[LightIsNotGood friendly]] [[BloodyMurder inhabitant]] [[EldritchAbomination of Shiver Star]]", among [[BlatantLies other insanity]].).

It is quite unfortunate to note that some games, [[RevenueEnhancingDevices intentionally]] or [[GuideDangIt unintentionally]], ''require'' a guide to complete.

*** The ''VideoGame/TexMurphy'' games went one step further than that by building the hint guide into the game itself. Each incremental hint cost a certain number of points (gained by solving puzzles) and the system was structured so that it was impossible to "look ahead".

->Well, I've traveled for too much time
->to see you spend one more dime
->on stupid strategy guides
->when the answer wasn't inside
->Just figure it out you dummy
->Then you won't have to spend nine ninety-nine
->-- '''Star Salzman''', ''VideoGame/MegaManX'' - [[http://www.ocremix.org/remix/OCR01149/ Dreams Come True]]

'''Strategy guides''' are different than {{Walkthrough}}s in that they provide a portable, professional, and easily accessible hard copy while playing. However, they are more likely to avoid giving outright spoilers and [[{{Munchkin}} munchkin-like]] hints, preferring to suggest ideas rather than spoiling the playing aspect. Aside from average gaming information, they also usually contain:

* While they've gotten ''slightly'' better about this, Prima guides tended to be full of errata, particularly their ''AnimalCrossing'' (GameCube) guide, which had ''tons'' of misplaced screenshots and incorrect dates and times. Their ''VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures'' and ''VideoGame/Kirby64TheCrystalShards'' guides weren't even ''finished,'' ending before they could tell you how to fight the final boss (and in the case of ''Crystal Shards'', claiming that the TrueFinalBoss is a "[[LightIsNotGood friendly]] [[BloodyMurder inhabitant]] [[EldritchAbomination of Shiver Star]]", among [[BlatantLies other insanity]].).

* The official ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'' guide was amazingly sparse. It was very general and less than 100 pages. Why was it so empty? Well, it had several codes that would reveal "secret information" if you joined Squaresoft's website and entered them. Yes, they made an awkward competitor to GameFAQs.

* The strategy guide for ''Riven: The Sequel to Myst'' contains multiple formats for their hint delivery, the most subtle just outlining what a puzzle appears to involve visually, the most dramatic being a fully-fledged narrative of a person stuck on the five islands and solving the puzzles to get the Good End.

* The first edition of the Prima guide for VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion states that there are 10 Ayleid Statues for the Collector quest, then immediately lists 11 locations.

* A relatively new player on the strategy guide scene is [=FuturePress=], a company based in Germany that does guides for the European market. The company releases guides fairly infrequently compared to some of their competitors, but when they do a guide they really go all out, with some of the highest quality guides in the industry. Of particular note is their strategy guide for ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'', a 400-page hardcover tome with detailed strategies for getting to HundredPercentCompletion in addition to a regular walkthrough. The guide also contains details on every single enemy in the game and every one of Bayonetta's weapons and attacks. The gorgeous guide has received stellar reviews from pretty much everyone who's read it, which... is not very many people since the only version of the guide is the hardcover Collector's Edition with a limited print run. In addition, the guide is a case of NoExportForYou for Americans and Canadians, since Brady Games (which later decided ''not'' to release a Bayonetta guide at all) held exclusivity rights over the North American strategy guide market. Combine all of those factors and you now have a guide which is selling for upwards of '''[[CrackIsCheaper $250]]!!!''' on Amazon (and people are indeed buying it for that price, though you can also find unwrapped copies on Ebay for slightly less if you're lucky). The success and rave reviews for the Bayonetta guide convinced [=FuturePress=] to begin selling guides to the North American market, and their ''VideoGame/{{Vanquish}}'', ''{{Killzone}} 3'', and ''VideoGame/{{Portal 2}}'' guides have all been released in North America to rave reviews.

* Prima Games released a fairly decent guide for ''GranTurismo 4''. However, automaker Peugeot is almost completely absent from the guide. They actually got worse with the guide for ''ForzaMotorsport 3''. Lamborghini and every make associated with General Motors is missing.

* Fan-made class handbooks exist for DungeonsAndDragons fans for every edition from 3.5 onward. They can be found at Gleemax, [[Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick GiantITP]], and Podcast/BrilliantGameologists (the latter having a subforum dedicated to handbooks). These are more min-max related than guides here, but what do you expect from a tabletop game? Links to them are being added to the Class Page.

* While they've gotten ''slightly'' better about this, Prima guides tended to be full of errata, particularly their ''AnimalCrossing'' (GameCube) guide, which had ''tons'' of misplaced screenshots and incorrect dates and times. Their ''VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures'' and ''VideoGame/Kirby64TheCrystalShards'' guides weren't even ''finished,'' ending before they could tell you how to fight the final boss (And in the case of ''Crystal Shards'', claiming that the TrueFinalBoss is a '[[LightIsNotGood friendly]] [[BloodyMurder inhabitant]] [[EldritchAbomination of Shiver Star]]', among [[BlatantLies other insanity]].).

* While they've gotten ''slightly'' better about this, Prima guides tended to be full of errata, particularly their ''AnimalCrossing'' (GameCube) guide, which had ''tons'' of misplaced screenshots and incorrect dates and times. Their ''VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures'' and ''VideoGame/Kirby64TheCrystalShards'' guides weren't even ''finished,'' ending before they could tell you how to fight the final boss.

->-- '''Star Salzman''', Mega Man X - [[http://www.ocremix.org/remix/OCR01149/ Dreams Come True]]

* There's a [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jluv2HxFEqs&feature=related strategy guide]] available for ''[[NinjaGaiden Awesome Gaiden]]'', but [[NintendoHard even he can't help you]].

* The Nintendo Power strategy guide for the original NES ''VideoGame/{{Final Fantasy|I}}'' contained a number of gaffs, including suggesting strategies not implemented in the final game (the Giant Sword wasn't more effective against giants, for instance), and labeling the contents of every chest without noting that some were "linked" and contained the same item that could only be gotten once.

* The Prima guide for VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion states that there are 10 Ayleid Statues for the Collector quest, then immediately lists 11 locations.
** Well, you have to find 1 statue, sell it and then you have to find the other 10 for the quest.

*** I seem to remember hint books with the red strip of see through film that you would use to read the hints. Maybe I am thinking of the Lucasart Games' hint books though.

* A relatively new player on the strategy guide scene is [=FuturePress=], a company based in Germany that does guides for the European market. The company releases guides fairly infrequently compared to some of their competitors, but when they do a guide they really go all out, with some of the highest quality guides in the industry. Of particular note is their strategy guide for ''{{Bayonetta}}'', a 400-page hardcover tome with detailed strategies for getting to HundredPercentCompletion in addition to a regular walkthrough. The guide also contains details on every single enemy in the game and every one of Bayonetta's weapons and attacks. The gorgeous guide has received stellar reviews from pretty much everyone who's read it, which... is not very many people since the only version of the guide is the hardcover Collector's Edition with a limited print run. In addition, the guide is a case of NoExportForYou for Americans and Canadians, since Brady Games (which later decided ''not'' to release a Bayonetta guide at all) held exclusivity rights over the North American strategy guide market. Combine all of those factors and you now have a guide which is selling for upwards of '''[[CrackIsCheaper $250]]!!!''' on Amazon (and people are indeed buying it for that price, though you can also find unwrapped copies on Ebay for slightly less if you're lucky). The success and rave reviews for the Bayonetta guide convinced [=FuturePress=] to begin selling guides to the North American market, and their ''VideoGame/{{Vanquish}}'', ''{{Killzone}} 3'', and ''VideoGame/{{Portal 2}}'' guides have all been released in North America to rave reviews.