CoN 25th Anniversary: 1997-2022
Any other readers out there have this guide?

Posted: 31st January 2015 23:50

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Here's a new topic for you, Spooniest. We talk about all the grandparents out there with this game, but is anyone else out there actually old enough to have gotten this in their mailbox?

user posted image
user posted image

If you're wondering, those lousy photos were taken on top of my desk last night after pulling this guide off of my own bookshelf. It's still got my childhood address printed on the back page for mailing, even.

I'm not sure if this was ever on newsstands or if you had to be a subscriber to get it, but as a subscriber from issue one, I got this as part of my subscription that year (along with three others that are generally less interesting). It's got some ludicrous art and design, and isn't anything like the polished guides you saw later in the decade for various games. I definitely used it for a good long time, though, and this guide (and later, the Nintendo-produced Final Fantasy III guide) were big parts of why I decided to first make CoN.

So there, a bit of sideline nostalgia for the most nostalgia-ready forum.

This post has been edited by Rangers51 on 31st January 2015 23:51

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Posted: 1st February 2015 14:47

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I've owned four player's guides so far, and still have two of them, but none of them are quite as old as this one!

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Posted: 4th February 2015 05:23

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I'm really fascinated by the cover art - or more so, the decision to go with this particular art style. It says a lot about Japanese perceptions of marketing to American audiences: a topic I am not in any way prepared to launch, but which fascinates me.

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Posted: 4th February 2015 21:55

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Quote (Death Penalty @ 4th February 2015 00:23)
I'm really fascinated by the cover art - or more so, the decision to go with this particular art style. It says a lot about Japanese perceptions of marketing to American audiences: a topic I am not in any way prepared to launch, but which fascinates me.

"American Kirby Fantasy Is Hardcore D&D"?

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Posted: 5th February 2015 01:50

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Quote (Death Penalty @ 4th February 2015 01:23)
I'm really fascinated by the cover art - or more so, the decision to go with this particular art style. It says a lot about Japanese perceptions of marketing to American audiences: a topic I am not in any way prepared to launch, but which fascinates me.

Well, it's interesting that you bring that up, because I doubt that Nintendo of Japan or Squaresoft had anything to do with this, other than "okay, yeah, that'll be a good idea." Nintendo Power was a company owned magazine that was run by Nintendo of America - I'm sure NoJ had overall control but I highly doubt they were interested in overseeing the editorial decisions of the American company to any meaningful level.

That would mean that every design decision - and I use that term pretty loosely - in the production of this guide would have had to come from Redmond. And thinking of American gaming in the early 90s... yeah, that makes sense to me.

I think FF1 is the FF game most like a tabletop RPG, so even GMH's comment kind of makes sense. smile.gif

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Posted: 5th February 2015 01:56

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Quote (Rangers51 @ 4th February 2015 21:50)
Quote (Death Penalty @ 4th February 2015 01:23)
I'm really fascinated by the cover art - or more so, the decision to go with this particular art style. It says a lot about Japanese perceptions of marketing to American audiences: a topic I am not in any way prepared to launch, but which fascinates me.

Well, it's interesting that you bring that up, because I doubt that Nintendo of Japan or Squaresoft had anything to do with this, other than "okay, yeah, that'll be a good idea." Nintendo Power was a company owned magazine that was run by Nintendo of America - I'm sure NoJ had overall control but I highly doubt they were interested in overseeing the editorial decisions of the American company to any meaningful level.

That would mean that every design decision - and I use that term pretty loosely - in the production of this guide would have had to come from Redmond. And thinking of American gaming in the early 90s... yeah, that makes sense to me.

First of all, lulz to GMH.

That makes sense, Josh. I wonder, then, what "overall control" looked like - if there were discussed strategies that Nintendo of America was free to implement as seen fit, or if the folks over in Japan simply dumped cartridges off and then went home. ....I'm sure there's a book about this somewhere. Maybe I'll even read it someday!

The tabletop comparison seems rather apt, if one were to try to create a lineage for the early JRPGs construction as well as marketing/perception.

Are there other drawn images in the guide, Josh, or is it otherwise just screenshots and icons like in the spread you posted in the first image?

This post has been edited by Death Penalty on 5th February 2015 01:59

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Posted: 5th February 2015 14:15

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It would make for a pretty interesting story. And to top it off, Nintendo does give me the impression that they're slowly opening themselves up to the world, so perhaps it will actually be told at one point.

To your question, they divide the game up into chapters, despite the game itself not ever really doing this, and each chapter has its own similar and awkward full-page illustration. There's also a special illustration for the final battle. Beyond that, most of the imagery is screenshots and text flourishes. I'll try to get more photos taken in the near future.

I also have some other ancient guides on my shelf. Once upon a time, I took them from my collection at my parents' house in order to sell them, but I think now I'll likely keep them forever. I'd start up a list and take requests, but I doubt I'd get any replies, so maybe I'll just unilaterally make some topics at some point.

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Posted: 5th February 2015 23:46

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Quote (Rangers51 @ 5th February 2015 10:15)
To your question, they divide the game up into chapters, despite the game itself not ever really doing this, and each chapter has its own similar and awkward full-page illustration.

That's potentially really interesting, the division into chapters. Does the guide use that structure to augment the game's plot in any way? It seems like that could be a neat way to fill out a NES game's story, akin to fanfiction or some of the compendium books Square Enix put out in Japan.

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Posted: 19th February 2015 21:57

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OP belatedly delivers more art.

user posted image

user posted image


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Posted: 16th April 2015 03:09

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Those. Are hilarious/awesome. I suppose that art style is just as representative of the game as are the Amano sketches, but since we're usually imagining in terms of Amano, it feels so weird to look at these.

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Posted: 17th May 2015 09:24

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I remember this guide. Either my next door neighbor or my best bud from school had it, I looked at it briefly.

I suppose I ought to go hunting around for a scan of it, but then, I have the bloody game memorized at this point. smile.gif

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Posted: 11th October 2015 21:22

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Quote (Rangers51 @ 31st January 2015 23:50)
Here's a new topic for you, Spooniest. We talk about all the grandparents out there with this game, but is anyone else out there actually old enough to have gotten this in their mailbox?

user posted image
user posted image

If you're wondering, those lousy photos were taken on top of my desk last night after pulling this guide off of my own bookshelf. It's still got my childhood address printed on the back page for mailing, even.

I'm not sure if this was ever on newsstands or if you had to be a subscriber to get it, but as a subscriber from issue one, I got this as part of my subscription that year (along with three others that are generally less interesting). It's got some ludicrous art and design, and isn't anything like the polished guides you saw later in the decade for various games. I definitely used it for a good long time, though, and this guide (and later, the Nintendo-produced Final Fantasy III guide) were big parts of why I decided to first make CoN.

So there, a bit of sideline nostalgia for the most nostalgia-ready forum.

I have the original guide, which is how I knew what to do in the game, and what dropped what.

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Posted: 12th October 2015 11:51

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Quote (Magitek_slayer @ 11th October 2015 17:22)
I have the original guide, which is how I knew what to do in the game, and what dropped what.

This was the original guide, at least in the United States. Can't speak for wherever you are - in Spain, apparently.

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Posted: 13th October 2015 12:21

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Quote (Rangers51 @ 12th October 2015 11:51)
Quote (Magitek_slayer @ 11th October 2015 17:22)
I have the original guide, which is how I knew what to do in the game, and what dropped what.

This was the original guide, at least in the United States. Can't speak for wherever you are - in Spain, apparently.

That is because at the time I lived in North Carolina.

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Posted: 5th January 2016 03:13
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I have three,but none of them are quite as old as yours.


This post has been edited by Rangers51 on 23rd June 2016 16:22
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Posted: 5th January 2016 14:32

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Quote (Magitek_slayer @ 11th October 2015 16:22)
I have the original guide, which is how I knew what to do in the game, and what dropped what.

Monsters do not drop items in Final Fantasy I.

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Posted: 5th January 2016 16:21

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Quote (Spooniest @ 5th January 2016 16:32)
Quote (Magitek_slayer @ 11th October 2015 16:22)
I have the original guide, which is how I knew what to do in the game, and what dropped what.

Monsters do not drop items in Final Fantasy I.

Unless you're playing the GBA/PSP/Mobile version of the game perhaps?

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Posted: 5th January 2016 19:43

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Quote (Pooka @ 5th January 2016 11:21)
Quote (Spooniest @ 5th January 2016 16:32)
Quote (Magitek_slayer @ 11th October 2015 16:22)
I have the original guide, which is how I knew what to do in the game, and what dropped what.

Monsters do not drop items in Final Fantasy I.

Unless you're playing the GBA/PSP/Mobile version of the game perhaps?

Hence, not the original guide.

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Posted: 7th January 2016 02:48
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Quote (Pooka @ 5th January 2016 16:21)
Quote (Spooniest @ 5th January 2016 16:32)
Quote (Magitek_slayer @ 11th October 2015 16:22)
I have the original guide, which is how I knew what to do in the game, and what dropped what.

Monsters do not drop items in Final Fantasy I.

Unless you're playing the GBA/PSP/Mobile version of the game perhaps?

Yes...
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Posted: 22nd June 2016 18:05

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I actually had that NP Player's Guide. It was full of misinformation, but it was helpful.

Damn. I wish I still had that. Still have my original cart, but nothing that came with it. I keep saying I'm going to get a complete copy someday.
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Posted: 10th December 2016 12:42

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Quote (Rangers51 @ 31st January 2015 19:50)
We talk about all the grandparents out there with this game, but is anyone else out there actually old enough to have gotten this in their mailbox?

My contact with Nintendo Power was from when I was single-digit in age visiting the public library two blocks away from my house. Whoever bought the subscription for my local library didn't keep it up-to-date, so the issues we had to work with were out-of-date (I remember the "newest" NP talking about how the N64 was coming out soon after the GameCube was declared a dead system).

But, anyways, that rambling was to establish my hipster street-cred as remembering that cover on a Nintendo Power Magazine whilst digging through the back issues.

Also: You are so old, R51

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