# Wasn't there a Nintendo Game Tips hotline or something? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [May 6, 2014, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasnt-there-a-nintendo-game-tips-hotline-or-something/687818 "2014-05-06T16:43:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasnt-there-a-nintendo-game-tips-hotline-or-something/687818/1 "2014-05-06T16:43:21Z")
I vaguely remember a phone number you could call for instructions and/or tips on games. Given I’m in tech support now, this idea seems both depressing and hilarious. Was it real or am I insane (or both)? ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasnt-there-a-nintendo-game-tips-hotline-or-something/687818/2 "2014-05-06T16:57:54Z")
It was real - I seem to recall that a Doper worked the lines. Hopefully they’ll drop in. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasnt-there-a-nintendo-game-tips-hotline-or-something/687818/3 "2014-05-06T17:42:07Z")
It existed. Sega had one too. They were 1-900 numbers that charged per the minute. I don’t think I ever called one, personally, nor did I know anyone who did. I can’t imagine how many callers the Sega one got from the poor kids who couldn’t figure out that damn barrel in Carnival Night from Sonic 3. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasnt-there-a-nintendo-game-tips-hotline-or-something/687818/4 "2014-05-06T17:44:14Z")
> **[Inside A Nintendo Power Line Game Guide](https://kotaku.com/inside-a-nintendo-power-line-game-guide-5980638)** > > When you used to call the Nintendo Power Line as a kid, you'd have been excused for thinking you were talking to some kind of gaming master, a person with such an innate knowledge of the game in question they could tell you anything you needed to... A neat look at the documentation they used to dole out their tips. But you want to know the crazy part? Nintendo didn’t shut the line down until 2005. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasnt-there-a-nintendo-game-tips-hotline-or-something/687818/5 "2014-05-07T06:57:05Z")
I called them at least once. Since I didn’t pay the phone bill at the time I wasn’t too worried about the cost. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![awldune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@awldune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/awldune)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasnt-there-a-nintendo-game-tips-hotline-or-something/687818/6 "2014-05-07T15:11:09Z")
I seem to remember it was a free call, but in a Washington state area code. I called it once, to find out how to progress in Castlevania II (the thing where you kneel down with an orb equipped and a whirlwind transports you.) ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasnt-there-a-nintendo-game-tips-hotline-or-something/687818/7 "2014-05-07T17:24:33Z")
I think I did too about the first Legend of Zelda game. Something about finding a dungeon… ---
**Author:** ![Calatin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/439d5e/32.png) [@Calatin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Calatin)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasnt-there-a-nintendo-game-tips-hotline-or-something/687818/8 "2014-05-07T18:04:33Z")
> [@awldune](#): > > I seem to remember it was a free call, but in a Washington state area code. > > I called it once, to find out how to progress in Castlevania II (the thing where you kneel down with an orb equipped and a whirlwind transports you.) Was that to cross a body of water, like a lake or something? I called about Castlevania II, as well. Not sure if I did about Legend of Zelda, or if I waited for spoilers / hints to be published in Nintendo Power. Kids today have it so easy. ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2014, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasnt-there-a-nintendo-game-tips-hotline-or-something/687818/9 "2014-05-08T03:33:44Z")
> [@Calatin](#): > > Was that to cross a body of water, like a lake or something? Nope, it was to get past the rock wall in the northwest corner of the map once you had the red stone. You also need to pull a similar stunt (using the blue stone or the red stone in the southeast somewhere) to expose the way to the castle containing Dracula’s heart. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2014, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasnt-there-a-nintendo-game-tips-hotline-or-something/687818/10 "2014-05-08T13:16:51Z")
> [@Hoopy\_Frood](#): > > Nope, it was to get past the rock wall in the northwest corner of the map once you had the red stone. You also need to pull a similar stunt (using the blue stone or the red stone in the southeast somewhere) to expose the way to the castle containing Dracula’s heart. Yeah, I have no idea how you were supposed to find them on your own. ---
**Author:** ![Calatin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/439d5e/32.png) [@Calatin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Calatin)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2014, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasnt-there-a-nintendo-game-tips-hotline-or-something/687818/11 "2014-05-08T19:23:46Z")
For some reason, I think I also used the tip line for “StarTropics.” I loved that game. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2014, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasnt-there-a-nintendo-game-tips-hotline-or-something/687818/12 "2014-05-08T19:37:54Z")
Was it related to Nintendo Power magazine? I looked up a couple of instruction manuals for NES games online and didn’t see any mention of a tip line in the manuals. I do have a vague recollection of its existence, but I never called it. ---
**Author:** ![Sterling\_Archer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Sterling\_Archer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sterling_Archer)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2014, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasnt-there-a-nintendo-game-tips-hotline-or-something/687818/13 "2014-05-08T21:04:29Z")
I totally called that