The price of strategy

Just yesterday I was watching the Resident Evil retrospective on Gametrailers when I was struck with the urge to play RE: Code Veronica. So today I dusted off the Gamecube and threw the game in only to realize that I had no idea where I left off. Then I remembered the trusty Official Dreamcast Magazine I have tucked away with a strategy guide in it. When I say tucked away, I really mean buried in a box in my closet. So I took a deep breath and delved into the depths of my closet and, of course, didn't find it. I did find, however, strategy guides for every other game from the PS1/N64 era.

That's at least 80 bucks right there. God I'm lazy.

Just yesterday I was watching the Resident Evil retrospective on Gametrailers when I was struck with the urge to play RE: Code Veronica. So today I dusted off the Gamecube and threw the game in only to realize that I had no idea where I left off. Then I remembered the trusty Official Dreamcast Magazine I have tucked away with a strategy guide in it. When I say tucked away, I really mean buried in a box in my closet. So I took a deep breath and delved into the depths of my closet and, of course, didn't find it. I did find, however, strategy guides for every other game from the PS1/N64 era.

That's at least 80 bucks right there. God I'm lazy.

I got an SSBM strategy guide (pretty good guide overall but of course did not anticipate all the advanced techniques and changes in the metagame) but was bundled with my gamecube/ssbm bundle.

I have never bought a strategy guide in my life... wait, I literally just remembered as I am writing this that I have a Diablo 2 guide in my closet. I don't think I bought it though. I really don't remember. There's a good chance it was my friends originally. Anyways, I always was short on cash before the gamefaqs days so it just really wasn't an option.

I dont use them so I havent bought any. SOme of my friends do buy them for EVERY game they get and I would hope that they feel idiotic for it :P

You know, I do have some actualy. Like JJ, I got some with games but I doubt I ever used them. one for Starcraft 2(battlechest) and one from a Myst game.

I bought a strategy guide to Madden NFL 08 for some reason. I threw it away. Who would need a strategy guide now? That's what the internet is for.

I bought a strategy guide for World of Warcraft since it's a big big game and was also my first endeavor into MMOs since Everquest 1.  But, other than that, I don't bother because gamefaqs exists and somewhere on the web, people publish everything a store-bought game guide could offer for free.

I should probably state that all these guides were bought way before I had a computer. I can't imagine that these guides sell nearly as much as they used to now that everyone in the world owns a computer.

The last guide i brought was fallout 3 which is extremely detailed and worth the moneyz in my opinion. I still flick through and read my final fantasy 7 guide just for memories sometimes......

I bought a Fallout 3 guide and it turned out to be pretty useful.

I bought the Fallout 3 hardcover guide because it was epicly good looking. I bought some other guides because they feature nice artwork, there are a ton of retro guides I would pay millions of monies (if I had any) for though, like all the Resident Evils, etc just because they look so much fucking better than shitty GameFAQS, and actually offered decent advice on Mercs modes etc.

I have a bunch of varying quality ones, alongside art books, Mass Effect, HL2 (purely for the artwork, who needs a guide for HL2?! Srsly) SFA Anthology, etc etc. The one I regret the most though would be, well two things.

I regret my asshole of a dad ripping most of the spines off them to put them into ringbinders. I mean, sure the ones he did that to were his books but WHAT THE FUCK DUDE?!!?!?!? I managed to save the Parasite Eve II guide from being thrown out, but its had its spine ripped off and been ringbindered :\

And the SFIV guide, that thing is fucking awful even for the artwork, the information in it is flat out wrong, and strategy is for advanced SF players kinda basic info, other than that its a simply moves list. Fucking crap.

Last one?  I have never bought one except for a pokemon one I bought when i was 12, that was 11 years ago.  The last one I got though was maybe the very same code veronica strategy guide, but I think mine was from gamepro, dont remember.  I did subscribe to that dreamcast mag though.  It really helped on that game.  But after that, never got one, just not worth it, not with the internet out there an all.

All I can say is thankyou ALEX and all the other Gamefaq Kiddies.

Bought a Soul Calibur IV guide last year - an obvious waste of $30 since it's a fighting game. Oh well. The only time I'll ever buy another guide is if an RPG comes out I'm interested in. I love getting everything. By the way... give me that FF IX guide!

Last one I bought was the FFXII guide. No regrets there, since too many online WTs and FAQs leave out much info, necessitating two or three different bookmarks to have all the same info. Plus the artbook is cool. I'll get the FFXIII guide too, but those are the only games I really pay for a guide to.

The last strategy guide I bought was for Shenmue. The game didn't have a huge community at the time (well, it still doesnt really) so it was worth it for all the info on sidequests and hidden events and such. Also it had a lot of Japanese culture info and pretty glossy pictures. 

The only strategy guide I ever acquired (aside from the one that came with Earthbound) was F-Zero GX. And I got that with a Nintendo Power subscription, so I didn't really pay for it.

F-Zero's strategy guide didn't have all the info I wanted though... not enough detailed info on creating your own vehicles...

Last guide I bought was FF7 for 25 cents about a month ago. I don't even like/own that game.

I think the last one I got was a free digest version for Phantom Hourglass. I also got an F-Zero GX guide, which is soooooo awesome because that game is haaaard.

"All I can say is thankyou ALEX and all the other Gamefaq Kiddies. "