A Super Fan Collected Every Super Nintendo Game Manual and Made Them Free (npr.org) 23
A Twitch streamer has crowdsourced the manuals for upwards of 850 unique Super Nintendo games and made them free on an online archive. From a report: Video game consoles have come a long way since the Super Nintendo arrived in the U.S. in 1991 and launched a new generation of gamers, but sometimes there is no beating the classics. The console was wildly popular, with more than 700 games released for the system in the U.S., and Kerry Hays (aka "Peebs" on the Twitch streaming platform) has been working on beating every. single. one. "We had wondered, some of these games, had anyone ever even beaten them before? They were so weird and obscure or difficult," he said. And so, Hays turned to the manuals.
For those who weren't playing a lot of video games in the '90s, almost all of them came with a manual inside the case that had lots of helpful information. The manual was where you would find the buttons to push and how the console works. It could also include your lore, backstory, and maybe even a map. "And if you're really lucky, you get a little bit of a walkthrough that would tell you, like, the first 10% of the game," Hays said. [...] The collection is hosted on the Internet Archive and contains upwards of 850 unique Super Nintendo manuals -- and it's all free. Hays says he's not in it for the money.
For those who weren't playing a lot of video games in the '90s, almost all of them came with a manual inside the case that had lots of helpful information. The manual was where you would find the buttons to push and how the console works. It could also include your lore, backstory, and maybe even a map. "And if you're really lucky, you get a little bit of a walkthrough that would tell you, like, the first 10% of the game," Hays said. [...] The collection is hosted on the Internet Archive and contains upwards of 850 unique Super Nintendo manuals -- and it's all free. Hays says he's not in it for the money.
Nintendo (Score:5, Funny)
Cue Cease and Desist” letters in 3... 2... 1...
Re: (Score:3)
Came to say pretty much the same thing.
However, I suppose since most of the games aren't actually owned by Nintendo, it would be up to the game maker to take action. (IANAL)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Why put the onus on The Internet Archive? Just put it on the Pirate Bay and link to it from a web site.
Re:Nintendo (Score:5, Informative)
Why put the onus on The Internet Archive? Just put it on the Pirate Bay and link to it from a web site.
Because the Internet Archive is a recognized library in the US. As such it is protected under Title 17 of the US Code of Laws, section 108 "Limitations on exclusive rights: Reproduction by libraries and archives". Specifically section e: (emphasis mine)
(e)The rights of reproduction and distribution under this section apply to the entire work, or to a substantial part of it, made from the collection of a library or archives where the user makes his or her request or from that of another library or archives, if the library or archives has first determined, on the basis of a reasonable investigation, that a copy or phonorecord of the copyrighted work cannot be obtained at a fair price, if—
(1)the copy or phonorecord becomes the property of the user, and the library or archives has had no notice that the copy or phonorecord would be used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research; and
(2)the library or archives displays prominently, at the place where orders are accepted, and includes on its order form, a warning of copyright in accordance with requirements that the Register of Copyrights shall prescribe by regulation.
Essentially, since you cannot simply order a copy commercially, they can distribute copies as needed.
Re: (Score:1)
What about the games themselves? Many you cannot buy in any form (not offered by Nintendo or a reseller). I don't know anymore but they used to have the No-intro and Everdrive packs, which are basically all the games for all the major systems GBA and prior. For some time they had all the Sony Playstation games but that got taken down. How does the legal system view older out-of-production games?
Re: (Score:1)
Yep, someone in Japan woke up this morning and shouted "OH NO! GREAT DISHONOR!"
Nintendo is like Disney when it comes to protecting their IP. They'd sue you if you set up a ROM server on Mars.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: Nintendo (Score:1)
Cool, someone finally did what... (Score:2)
Byuu/Near never dared to do a decade ago!
Re: (Score:1)
RIP Byuu. His work will live on.
Re: Cool, someone finally did what... (Score:1)
Re: (Score:1)
https://www.pcgamer.com/near-c... [pcgamer.com]
Re: (Score:1)
Home Improvement (Score:2)
Real Men don't need instructions.
Re: Home Improvement (Score:1)
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:1)
Not just Nintendo. What about every console maker and computer system people from Atari to Commodore to IBM? (Im being facetious, actually, I dont think its up to the console makers to maintain this)
Re: (Score:2)
Not just Nintendo. What about every console maker and computer system people from Atari to Commodore to IBM? (Im being facetious, actually, I dont think its up to the console makers to maintain this)
Per TFA, they don't have to because he's going to try...
Sincerely, go
Re: (Score:2)
Not just Nintendo. What about every console maker and computer system people from Atari to Commodore to IBM? (Im being facetious, actually, I dont think its up to the console makers to maintain this)
Yeah, but imagine if they did... wouldn't that make the world a little bit nicer?
Would you rather be famous for your corporate lawyers working 24/7 to take this stuff down as fast as possible?
Doing God's work (Score:1)
I just went to the website and OMG!!! The man is doing God's work of video game preservation!!!!
Respect.
Re: (Score:2)
The man is doing God's work of video game preservation!!!!
What sim [wikipedia.org] are you playing?