Strategy guides are like a coffee table book for your favorite game. Another nice thing about them is that they let you relive moments in the game without having to play through 12 hours of something. Nothing beats the nintendo guides from the 80's.
The Fallout 3 game of the year edition strategy guide is really well made. Reading through it you can tell the writer/s genuinely love the game. It is also great for finding every collectible or hidden item.
My favorite strategy guide was the Earthbound strategy guide. Not only is Earthbound one of my favorite games of all time, the strategy guide had one of the most interesting layouts, it was like a travel manual.
thanks for that video.the main reason i never bothered to get guides is because i don't wanna rely on them too much to get me through the games.the artwork bit...makes me think about them differently,so i thank you for the insight :)
nice video, I feel the same way about guides. RPG strategy guides usualy always go up in value ver the years as well. Your FF7 Ultimate guide, what is it about that particular guide thats makes it the most desireable FF7 guide? also when I went go go pick up Persona 4 I found it funny that the guide was like a mini handbook, I did not buy it yet though.
Some Let's Play series are truly excellent, like those by HCBailly. I get the impression he grew up with the same games I did, which is how I feel when I watch your channel. It was a wonderful time for gaming.
I liked it back then when they had pictures, rather then text... It was so useful to see a picture and be able to quickly tell if are you farther in the book, back, or are you on the right page. or just looking at the pictures as a little review book to see the if the game looks interesting, before you shell out the money you saved up for like a month was so useful.
lol as youngling I remember calling the Nintendo Power hotline for help with Donkey Kong '94 in a near silent whisper so that my parents wouldn't know and because of my shame at not being good enough to have done it myself. I'm sure someone else mentioned this, but the GamePro Street Fighter guide art was done by the "in house" artist, I think he won a contest back in the day.
My favorite strategy guide is my pokémon platinum guide. This is one of the largest guide books that I've ever seen with a massive 624 pages, it's like a phone book. It even came with pokémon stickers if you had bought it from gamestop like I did. If you bought it from walmart it would include a poster with Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina on it. I would sometimes and still do every now and then sketch the pokémon or trainers art from the book. It's one of the most helpful guides that I own in my collection.
Now i could be totally off on this but, from what I remember. Phantasy star 2 i think was the ONLY game to ever have a full strategy guide packed in with the game. That was awesome.
yeah happy console gamer i think you have inspired me to collect video game guides so far i have Mario Galaxy,Metroid Prime 3,FFXII,Lost Odyssey,Infinite Undiscovery,Eternal Sonata,Twilight Princess,Tales of Vesperia
I miss the old strategy guides, and I miss print media in general. And if hard copies of video games become a thing of the past, I'll miss them also. I've noticed, however, that since long, detailed strategy guides have become less common in recent years, the number of Let's Play series on youtube have increased. Perhaps these help fill the void.
OMG!!! You used the music from Namco X Capcom. I love that game game even though It was a hella confusing to understand. I just guess N check till I memorized what each menu did. But the music and game itself was awesome. My brother is still trying to figure out how I goth through the whole game with out ever getting a game over screen and with out equipping my characters. I just loved that game.
Great video HCG!!! I have to say one of my favorite strategy guides is Lunar Eternal Blue for the Sega CD. The guide is very informative as well as very entertaining to read.
I must admit I don't collect strategy guides, infact the only one I own is for GTAIV and that's because the publisher sent me it for promotion. But I do own several 80's Nintendo Strategy guide VHS videos they released, presented by the US national gaming team (?) funny as hell. Oh, I own some paperback NES guides forgotten the series name tho.
1:57 No doubt about it that is Leon Magnus's theme irony of fate one of the most awesome themes in an rpg heard it on radiant mythology for the psp and without a doubt that song starting from 3:37 that is from castlevania lament of innocence just cannot remember which area it was in such along time ago but I think it was a lab or something. Either way good music happyconsolegamer.
I still got my phantasys star 2 strategy guide. But yeah, there not selling as many strategy guides now because most people just get walkthroughs off the internet, at least thats what I think.
Ocarina of Time. :O He sure likes his strategy guides, anyway! Kinda nice to see someone who has such dedication and liking for something like that. You can really tell that he likes to share his thoughts at the very end. Anyway, good video.
Your collection of games and stuff is absolutely amazing! How much did you invest in all that? Keep up the great reviews, you always seem so enthusiastic, that's very cool.
I know what you mean. I try to get most of the Zelda guides, even though I don't need them. I just like the art. Really wish I would have gotten the hardcover ones though.
awsome, I dont like people saying that as well, like you said at the end, you get the guide and people think you cheating 'cos you have the guide for it. But its a collectable item as well. I have a few guide I might do a video response when I get back home
i have the nintendo guide to! got it for 5 bucks, but i wus wondering if u have the stickers in the very back of the book? i do, theres like mario and zelda stickers.
I just picked up several SG(s) at a local Goodwill bookstore for real cheap... Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 New & Sealed - $3 Prima Mario Kart 64 - $3 Nintendo Power Jade Empire - $3 Prima XBox GTA 3 & VC - $3 Brady Games Medal of Honor Frontline - $3 Prima God of War 3 (Mint) - $3 Brady Games
I still have the Official Nintendo Super Mario RPG guide, it's in pretty good condition. I miss being able to go to the magazine rack and finding guides, your right they're becoming extinct.
Somehow he mastered the projection of his voice for these videos, and I don't think it's just the mic. Also, damn, the dude rehauled his look and it totally paid off.
strategy guides are cool, and I agree... they are collector's items I got the GTA4 guide for £0.80 so I got it despite having no real interest in playing the game
I've got close to 200 guides from over 25 years. I just feel like it makes the game feel more "complete", as you've stated before. I don't read them word-for-word.
i only have 3 guides, animal crossing, pokemon fire red leaf green, came with it when i bought and a pokemon diamond pearl, got as b-day present along with the game
I'm might do a tutorial in game (a strategy would be a BIG no no), but I so want to do everything solo, even to the point that I get so frustrated by myself when I fail at not understanding an obstacle.
Barnes and Noble has an entire section for strategy guides, at least here in the US. EB Games/Gamestop look at games as just product, they don't care for things such as art or culture.
I've found the Bradygames guides very frustrating. Haven't bought any after Final Fantasy IX. I prefer Prima or Piggyback guides. Can anyone tell me if they've gotten better?
hell yeah same here as a collector same here looks cool like i bought skyrim special edition guide hard cover just for collect item to look cool i love cool guides doesn't mean i look at them if i get stock in game maybe still wanna own it as cool collect item hahaha hell yeah i am not only one doesn't thing that way it got pager 1117 allot love it reminds me of lord of rings ^^ smells like new :)
Doesn’t feel like I’m watching the same John. This guy looks like the type of guy that would rob me and stab me. The 2019 John looks like someone I’d buy a beer ennyday!
this is sad,but, when I was little my family was poorer and we couldnt get any video games. One of my friends gave me the strategy guide to Dragon Warrior VII and I would read it over and over again pretending I was playing it...
the few i have bought have been overpriced and pretty useless (as a guide) admittedly I have only bought 3 , as I see them as purly another money making excersize, I would rather spend the funds on games or a console ,though I would allways pick up a bargin if I saw one, who would`nt! as a side note I think a symptom of people who buy them as a collectors item to make money just puts the price up for ordanairy gamers.. BTW you are now my No1 game channel & Im sure you will be lots of others too!
I think the only guide I have that sucks as much as the Wild Arms guide you have is the one for Tales of Vesperia. that guide was written for the Beta version of the game. Another thing about guides from around the time FF-12 came out that didn't last to long thankfully was collectible covers.
dont open them until the game is beaten. its one of the things i like to do, beat a game, look at the guide. lost odyssey is a guide i have yet to open.
they dont sell any strategy guides anymore cuz games nowadays are too damn easy lol that and you can get all the shit online...its sucks tho, im trying to get every single guide for all the fighting games i have and its crazy how i can get things like a sf2 turbo strat for like literally 1 dollar
Strategy guides are like a coffee table book for your favorite game. Another nice thing about them is that they let you relive moments in the game without having to play through 12 hours of something. Nothing beats the nintendo guides from the 80's.
This is still so good. Who’s here in 2024??
The Fallout 3 game of the year edition strategy guide is really well made. Reading through it you can tell the writer/s genuinely love the game. It is also great for finding every collectible or hidden item.
I loved strategy guides😊 still buying them to this day I was a sucker for free posters or the free music cd in Street fighter 3😎
This is so funny as a time capsule, to see people change and evolve, Johnny used to look like such a bad boy.
You've changed a lot brother....!
My favorite strategy guide was the Earthbound strategy guide. Not only is Earthbound one of my favorite games of all time, the strategy guide had one of the most interesting layouts, it was like a travel manual.
This was a good episode!! I was amazed seeing
that old nintendo power players guide because it's something i forgot existed till you mentioned it!
thanks for that video.the main reason i never bothered to get guides is because i don't wanna rely on them too much to get me through the games.the artwork bit...makes me think about them differently,so i thank you for the insight :)
nice video, I feel the same way about guides. RPG strategy guides usualy always go up in value ver the years as well. Your FF7 Ultimate guide, what is it about that particular guide thats makes it the most desireable FF7 guide? also when I went go go pick up Persona 4 I found it funny that the guide was like a mini handbook, I did not buy it yet though.
Some Let's Play series are truly excellent, like those by HCBailly. I get the impression he grew up with the same games I did, which is how I feel when I watch your channel.
It was a wonderful time for gaming.
I liked it back then when they had pictures, rather then text... It was so useful to see a picture and be able to quickly tell if are you farther in the book, back, or are you on the right page.
or just looking at the pictures as a little review book to see the if the game looks interesting, before you shell out the money you saved up for like a month was so useful.
lol as youngling I remember calling the Nintendo Power hotline for help with Donkey Kong '94 in a near silent whisper so that my parents wouldn't know and because of my shame at not being good enough to have done it myself. I'm sure someone else mentioned this, but the GamePro Street Fighter guide art was done by the "in house" artist, I think he won a contest back in the day.
I had one and only one Strategy Guide in all time, can't find them here in my country, it's Vagrant Story.
yeah, guides are gone here in new york too, i noticed it around the time when gamestop replaced ebgames, i miss ebgames :/, anyways, great video man.
My favorite strategy guide is my pokémon platinum guide. This is one of the largest guide books that I've ever seen with a massive 624 pages, it's like a phone book. It even came with pokémon stickers if you had bought it from gamestop like I did. If you bought it from walmart it would include a poster with Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina on it. I would sometimes and still do every now and then sketch the pokémon or trainers art from the book. It's one of the most helpful guides that I own in my collection.
Now i could be totally off on this but, from what I remember. Phantasy star 2 i think was the ONLY game to ever have a full strategy guide packed in with the game. That was awesome.
Your right. Earthbound did have a players guide packed with the game. I wonder what the first game was to have a Players guide packed with the game.
yeah happy console gamer i think you have inspired me to collect video game guides so far i have Mario Galaxy,Metroid Prime 3,FFXII,Lost Odyssey,Infinite Undiscovery,Eternal Sonata,Twilight Princess,Tales of Vesperia
In the UK the best place to get game guides at the high Street seem to be Gamestation or Blockbuster Video.
@huynh2er I can really agree, I think guides are pretty fun to read too.
Nice video, I never thought about guides in this way !
I miss the old strategy guides, and I miss print media in general. And if hard copies of video games become a thing of the past, I'll miss them also.
I've noticed, however, that since long, detailed strategy guides have become less common in recent years, the number of Let's Play series on youtube have increased. Perhaps these help fill the void.
OMG!!! You used the music from Namco X Capcom. I love that game game even though It was a hella confusing to understand. I just guess N check till I memorized what each menu did. But the music and game itself was awesome. My brother is still trying to figure out how I goth through the whole game with out ever getting a game over screen and with out equipping my characters. I just loved that game.
Great video HCG!!! I have to say one of my favorite strategy guides is Lunar Eternal Blue for the Sega CD. The guide is very informative as well as very entertaining to read.
I must admit I don't collect strategy guides, infact the only one I own is for GTAIV and that's because the publisher sent me it for promotion.
But I do own several 80's Nintendo Strategy guide VHS videos they released, presented by the US national gaming team (?) funny as hell.
Oh, I own some paperback NES guides forgotten the series name tho.
the gamestops in philadelphia are satrting to do down a little bit more.but the toys r us near my house has alot more
2 of my fav guides
marvel vs capcom 2 and soul soul calibur 2
1:57 No doubt about it that is Leon Magnus's theme irony of fate one of the most awesome themes in an rpg heard it on radiant mythology for the psp and without a doubt that song starting from 3:37 that is from castlevania lament of innocence just cannot remember which area it was in such along time ago but I think it was a lab or something. Either way good music happyconsolegamer.
I still got my phantasys star 2 strategy guide. But yeah, there not selling as many strategy guides now because most people just get walkthroughs off the internet, at least thats what I think.
chapters actually sell a lot of strategy guides as well!
Ocarina of Time. :O
He sure likes his strategy guides, anyway! Kinda nice to see someone who has such dedication and liking for something like that. You can really tell that he likes to share his thoughts at the very end.
Anyway, good video.
great episode. i really love these documentary type of things.
Your collection of games and stuff is absolutely amazing! How much did you invest in all that?
Keep up the great reviews, you always seem so enthusiastic, that's very cool.
eb games here in toronto have a lot of strategy guides
great point, johnny. a great piece to add to any favorite game
I know what you mean. I try to get most of the Zelda guides, even though I don't need them. I just like the art. Really wish I would have gotten the hardcover ones though.
@juniorgod321 Like the Rogue Galaxy guide, I've seen it go for over 70. That's more than anyone has paid for the game.
awsome, I dont like people saying that as well, like you said at the end, you get the guide and people think you cheating 'cos you have the guide for it. But its a collectable item as well. I have a few guide I might do a video response when I get back home
i have the nintendo guide to! got it for 5 bucks, but i wus wondering if u have the stickers in the very back of the book? i do, theres like mario and zelda stickers.
I just picked up several SG(s) at a local Goodwill bookstore for real cheap...
Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 New & Sealed - $3 Prima
Mario Kart 64 - $3 Nintendo Power
Jade Empire - $3 Prima
XBox GTA 3 & VC - $3 Brady Games
Medal of Honor Frontline - $3 Prima
God of War 3 (Mint) - $3 Brady Games
I still have the Official Nintendo Super Mario RPG guide, it's in pretty good condition. I miss being able to go to the magazine rack and finding guides, your right they're becoming extinct.
Holy shit! Never noticed that Namco X Capcom music in the background!
his voice sounds different, could it be the mic?
or could it be because he was younger? O.o?!?!
Somehow he mastered the projection of his voice for these videos, and I don't think it's just the mic. Also, damn, the dude rehauled his look and it totally paid off.
You should do another strategy guide video do you have some new ones?
Man, I have that same Mario 64 strategy guide. I bought it because some of the stars were driving me nuts!
I still have all my guides too, Dragon Quest VIII and IX guides by BradyGames are massive!
strategy guides are cool, and I agree... they are collector's items
I got the GTA4 guide for £0.80 so I got it despite having no real interest in playing the game
That's Prima for you. Got a bunch of those for pc games. All black and white.
Ive got that nintendo players guide in my basement. Didn't think it was an actual collectors item
I've got close to 200 guides from over 25 years. I just feel like it makes the game feel more "complete", as you've stated before. I don't read them word-for-word.
4:02 --
Anti-Soul Mystery Labs music from Castlevania - Lament of Innocence
^_^
Is that Lament of Innocence playing in the background? IT IS!
I'm a Castlevania dork. :D
I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that Earthbound came packed with a strategy guide.
i only have 3 guides, animal crossing, pokemon fire red leaf green, came with it when i bought and a pokemon diamond pearl, got as b-day present along with the game
I'm might do a tutorial in game (a strategy would be a BIG no no), but I so want to do everything solo, even to the point that I get so frustrated by myself when I fail at not understanding an obstacle.
i had the mario 64 guide
got me through the game
Barnes and Noble has an entire section for strategy guides, at least here in the US. EB Games/Gamestop look at games as just product, they don't care for things such as art or culture.
oh man wuts that music playing in the beg of the vid in background i just know it..can't remember it tho driving me crazy...
Holy shit I didn't know that MGS strategy guide existed. I need it! NEED IT BAD.
nice collection man
if only public libraries were as cool as your room!
H.C.G, I do the same thing. I get it just in case I need it but rarely use it. It's fun just looking at it :D.
I've found the Bradygames guides very frustrating. Haven't bought any after Final Fantasy IX. I prefer Prima or Piggyback guides. Can anyone tell me if they've gotten better?
hell yeah same here as a collector same here looks cool like i bought skyrim special edition guide hard cover just for collect item to look cool i love cool guides doesn't mean i look at them if i get stock in game maybe still wanna own it as cool collect item hahaha hell yeah i am not only one doesn't thing that way it got pager 1117 allot love it reminds me of lord of rings ^^ smells like new :)
AWESOME, i heard a song from TALES OF DESTINY, great RPG
@ineebriate was it the bradygames one?
i like my FF8 and limited edition MGS4 strategy guides.
Massive stragity guides havent been matched since now skyrim, its like the length of all the harry potter books
More interesting guides
whats in a strategy guide because i never had one because im the bomb at games but i will maybe get for red dead redemption
Like what Egon said in Ghostbusters... "Print is dead." LOL I love my strategy guides! ^^
Doesn’t feel like I’m watching the same John. This guy looks like the type of guy that would rob me and stab me. The 2019 John looks like someone I’d buy a beer ennyday!
this is sad,but, when I was little my family was poorer and we couldnt get any video games. One of my friends gave me the strategy guide to Dragon Warrior VII and I would read it over and over again pretending I was playing it...
I just find the guides take up way too much room but if you have the room they are nice to collect
I have that LoZ:OoT Guide!
Parasite Eve 2? Awesome! Maybe you can help me get past the giant bald goriila thing that I could never get past. :0)
I go to gamefaqs DOT com when I get stick on the PS3 browser. Now I use my iPhone.
the few i have bought have been overpriced and pretty useless (as a guide) admittedly I have only bought 3 , as I see them as purly another money making excersize, I would rather spend the funds on games or a console ,though I would allways pick up a bargin if I saw one, who would`nt! as a side note I think a symptom of people who buy them as a collectors item to make money just puts the price up for ordanairy gamers.. BTW you are now my No1 game channel & Im sure you will be lots of others too!
I think the only guide I have that sucks as much as the Wild Arms guide you have is the one for Tales of Vesperia. that guide was written for the Beta version of the game. Another thing about guides from around the time FF-12 came out that didn't last to long thankfully was collectible covers.
dont open them until the game is beaten. its one of the things i like to do, beat a game, look at the guide. lost odyssey is a guide i have yet to open.
bought a UMVC 3 strategy guide but ended up selling the game because of all the spamming online. Book looks cool though
that is actually the art work from the artists at gamepro! check through some of your older issues and you will notice the same art style
i used to buy strategy guides,but now i don't mainly because it would take up shelf space
Man I used to have some nice strategy guides, Pokemon red blue yellow, and Zelda the wind waker amongst others. Now i don't :(
quiero la guia del final Xll para ps2
I actually have the official nintendo players guide. It was my Mom's and my Aunts. The entire Zelda map is marked with %99 of the secrets.
I have 3 different strategy guides for ocarina of time.
i remember in my old game shop the boss would come out if you were looking at strategy guides and be like.... cheater!
Damn you sure have alot of books!!!
good vid
wow that IS HD :P
i want the legend of zelda ocarina of time strategy guide
Wow a persona 1 strategy guide. Thats gotta be worth atleast $75
@HUDZHERRELL its worth like $8, nothing rare but collectors want it
super merio , ey :))
i get them at metrotown HMV
Rogue Galaxy, good game.
they dont sell any strategy guides anymore cuz games nowadays are too damn easy lol that and you can get all the shit online...its sucks tho, im trying to get every single guide for all the fighting games i have and its crazy how i can get things like a sf2 turbo strat for like literally 1 dollar
i found a resident evil 3 strategy guide....even the poster...but i had no cash so it was no go...it was in mint condition....and i had no money...