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The last time you bought a Strategy Guide?

The last one I bought was the one for Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete at its release. I think I had discovered the usefulness of guides on the internet by then, so the only reason I bought it was for the artwork and other extras it contained.
 
The last one I bought was the Metal Gear Rising Hardcover guide for like $20 or less at launch so it was kind of a impulse buy. I am really looking at the hardcover Windwaker guide but when the softcover is half the price it's hard to justify it.
 
If you guys had the guide in your hands for a said game, would you still prefer internet help for that said game?

I personally would prefer the physical copy in my hand - even though it probably wouldn't help me much at night, it would reinforce a good sleeping schedule. Lol.
 
oneida said:
the SCV guide from Future Press (same company that published the DS guides.) work of art!

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The FF12, UMvC3, MvC3 and SFxT guides from Brady were also very good.
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Yeah this, godlike stuff. Future Press is legit ( I wish I had the Bayonetta one)
 
I bought the Max Payne 3 strategy guide last year because it was extremely cheap before that Star Ocean - The Last Hope which I only partially used.
 
i bought a guide with vanilla marvel vs capcom 3. i figured it'd be handy since there were so many characters, didn;t really get into it and then ultimate mvc3 came out.
 
Final Fantasy VII is the first and last time I've ever purchased a strategy guide.

Not sure why I did. I remember being at Costco with my parents and just sweeping the thing off the book table into the cart. And don't get me wrong, I used the shit out of that guide.

I also never did it again. There's even less point now with guides being so widely available online for free.
 
I only buy them for the art. The last one I bought was the Nier one I believe? I also imported the Grimoire book thing which was much nicer.
 
Fallout : New Vegas.

The guides for the epic WPRG's tend to be thorough and at least worth a lazy read when you're not doing anything better, even years later.
 
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Ogre Battle 64 Person of Lordly Caliber Prima Guide

This was the only strategy guide I've ever owned. I never actually used it except to look at the character models of all the characters and units in the game. I remember the inside cover had an ad about Persona 2 Eternal Punishment. I just saw it as just another JRPG since I had no clue what Shin Megami Tensei was at the time.
 
It's been quite a long time since I bought a strategy guide. The last one was for Final Fantasy IX.

PlayOnline.com was advertised on the cover!
 
Never, though I actually want to buy one now after reading this thread. It would remind me of the days of when I'd be relaxing in my bed reading a video game magazine. Speaking of which, I can't even remember the last time I bought a video game magazine. 2005 maybe? The last time I can clearly remember was in the summer of 2005, just before the xbox 360 came out
 
If you flip through the shelf at a bookstore, most guides today are terrible because they're put together a few months before a game's release to hit the release day window. They look like they took a bunch of information and dumped it into a preexisting layout without much care to art design. Then when they don't sell at stores, massive amounts of leftovers are priced at $0.01 and thrown out. Some Japanese games like Pokémon have the benefit of using the Japanese guide books as a source of information.

Guides are worth buying when they're more of a supplement to a game, with things like art, maps, and interviews with the staff, than an information dump. Many of Nintendo Power's guides were released after a game's release with a lot of care put into it (Metroid Prime's guide also covered the unlockable NES Metroid for example).

The last guide I bought was for Zelda: Skyward Sword out of tradition.
 
The first and only time was for Dragon Age 2. It was mostly just to see what was on the vendor lists.
Oh wait, I take that back. I ended up buying the awesome Street Fighter Alpha and Alpha 2 guides.
 
lordxar said:
Bought Dark Souls 2 guide with the game. Also bought the DS1 guide too when I got it. Their really nice books. Heavy glossy paper and hardback. Not some crappy paperback. About the only thing I use it for is maps when I'm hunting items and crafting. I would rather play the game myself than look ahead but in this case its part of my Souls ritual now. I don't buy other guides anymore. The Internet has enough info of I get stuck.
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I could just repost this, 100% true for me.

I think before the Souls guides, the last one I bought was for RE2... along with a really terrible t-shirt.
 
I actually just bought one for Final Fantasy X HD. First one I've gotten in donkey's years. Before that... I think I got the Crash Warped guide?
 
When places like GAME are selling off their old guides they usually reduce them to £1 or £2 and that's the only time I really buy them. I think the last guide I bought at full price or near full price was the Xbox Shenmue II guide but nowadays I'd rather just use my phone/tablet and Gamefaqs if I get completely stuck. Some of the limited edition hardback ones are very nice but I'd rather spend that money on games.
 
The last time was last week when I ordered the Dark Souls II collector guide. I usually never buy those but just for the images and because I am a fanboy, I had to. Even though with wikis and the Internet, I can't see the use of those guides (apart from being like a complementary artbook).
 
The other week for Animal Crossing New Leaf, even though it's not got much 'guide' to it I just liked the size of it. Before that would have been Ni No Kuni, although that's still in the shrink wrap and I've completed the game.
 
Ni No Kuni, because it was hardcover, had DLC and was priced great. Love the art in this game so I felt it would be worth it for that reason too.

Don't regret the purchase at all. Some strategy guides are great just for the visuals alone.
 
Lightning Returns CE guide. CE guides are the only ones I will buy. Got the FFXIII, Metal Gear Rising and Bayonetta ones as well. Gorgeous books.
 
I think the one for Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 was the last one I bought. The frame data really came in handy at the time. Though I think the most recent I received is one of those limited edition FFXIII ones with the hardcover. Got it as a gift.
 
Dark Soul II. Before that... I don't know. Deus Ex HR? I think

EDIT: Bought FF XIII-2 and the guide just after new year. Not really sure on my reasoning for that, not even opened either
 
I don't think I ever bought a guide, except some guides that used to be included in gaming mags ages ago. If I get stuck, I search for solution on internets.
 
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