Physical strategy guides were once fixtures at bookstores and on newsstands. Then, the Internet—and in particular, websites like GameFAQs and later, YouTube—changed everything. Though I understand the convenience of the web, I've recently gone down a new rabbit hole of collecting old BradyGames and Prima strategy guides. Those two were the powerhouses of the form, and I find them far more readable and easy to reference than today's main go-tos when recently heading back into the 64-bit world of Turok.

Also, there's a reason speedrunners and other gaming communities are still obsessed with games on systems like N64: They are very, very rich texts to explore, even if contemporary games have gotten far more enormous. And sometimes, you'll find tips and tricks in these physical guides that never made it onto the Internet.

All that to say: This is my new thing, I guess. And as expected, there's a robust community out there of folks who also collect these things, and I'm learning a ton from them.

One more note: There are still a couple of publishers releasing gorgeous, expansive physical guides for new games. (I'd suggest Piggyback, if you're into the Zelda franchise.)