Every now and then, a video game company will rise above the simple one-page insert, and actually come up with a manual that’s almost as fun to read as the game is to play. I’d like to recognize a few of the teams that made an effort. I’ve got a few suggestions to start off:
Most informative: Aces of the Pacific. The manual reads almost like a history textbook, and it’s filled with personalities, tactics, and trivia. One of my high school teachers even used a chapter as a handout for our WWII in the Pacific section, and since he was actually there, I consider that high praise.
Coolest backstory: Echelon for the C64. What can I say, I’m a sucker for pirates.
Fallout, Fallout 2, and Fallout: Tactics had the right amount of humor in them to ensure that I read every paragraph, even the pointless boring crap about how to install.
Along with Aces of the Pacific, I’d pick Red Baron as another highly informative manual. Apparently Dynamix thought they were on to something there.
Alpha Centauri has one of the best manuals I have seen. Lots of useful tables and some nice appendices at the end with made-up statistics about the fictional world.
I was quite pleased to see that the inch-thick Neverwinter Nights manual was spiralbound – a detail many manufacturers overlook. For some interjections of subtle humor, though, I found the Planescape: Torment manual an interesting read.
I seem to recall enjoying a cheap Xerox copy of the M.U.L.E. manual when I was younger – found it about two years after I started playing the game. (Man, I miss M.U.L.E. … wish I had the space to set up my old C64, just to play that)
Lunar: Silver Star Story and Lunar: Eternal Blue. It’s hardbound and about 100 pages. Great story description, character set up, illustrations, etc. Excellent.
I have to back the Fallout manuals. It’s been a while since the last in the series was released, but I still find myself going back to them for a quick laugh. Is there any rumor of additional Fallout(s)?
**Swimming Chicken[\b]
Well, nothing solid, but Black Isle will be releasing IWD2 soon, and Feargus Urquhart has mentioned they’ll look at Planescape 2 (may or may not be directly related to Planescape). Fallout 3 could not be completely off their minds. I do think they’re not entirely sure what to do with engine/issues. We may see a new 2D engine, incorporating more 3D elements a la Fallout tactics.
but back on topic, Fallout had good manuals. Baldur’s Gate was packed with info, and though difficult to comprehend for the first-time DnD’er, it also had a lot of funny quotes by Volo Geddarm and Elminster(!).
I’m sorry, but what’s IWD2? Am I that out of the video game loop that I don’t recognize that tag? While I’ve never played Planescape, I have heard that it’s quite good and as soon as I finish Arcanum (to my satisfaction) I think I’ll pick it up.
Another good manual was from a game that I can’t remember. Shoot. It’s probably 10 + years old by now. The game was basically a Sci-Fi space ship shooter game. What I remember is that there were cut outs in the back that you could fold up and make space ships out of… Damn I wish I remembered what game that was- I think it was out around the same time as Wasteland if that helps?
Another vote for Fallout. Those cartoon things were hilarious.
One was a guy on the ground dead and there was a guy standing above him with a knife. The dead guy was holding a picture of the man who stabbed him signed “My Friend”.
I don’t care if it was morbid. It was funny dangnabit…
IWD2 = IceWind Dale 2. The original IceWind Dale was a very different game from most RPG’s, as it is a big dungeon crawl that Black Isle was gutsy enough to relese opposite Diablo 2 (and posted very good sales).
I like it much better than Aranum, mostly due to that horrible weapon degrading.
Are you sure you don’t mean Wing Commander Privateer?
Zork games had a very silly and fun manual. Huge numbers of cheezy jokes and stuff.
Kick ass man! I’m almost certain that was the name of the game!!! Thank you so much, that was bugging the hell outta me. As I recall that was a pretty neat game too.