Game Instruction Booklets

[Shadowfox]

Hey there, I've been thinking....

It's really cool to see the Instruction Booklets for some of these games in PDF form, however, when you print them out, they don't look the same as the original booklet.

Now I know, this might be overkill for most people, but I think it would be AMAZING if we would scan them in and clean them up like we do for the cases. Something like this:
http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/gameslist/manuals/AGB_Final_Fantasy_VI.pdf

If someone was willing to do the touch up work on the booklets I'll scan all mine in.

I'm just throwing it out there...

[pneboy]

might wanna look at this webiste
http://www.replacementdocs.com/news.php

[Strong and Nerdy (formerly tmntfreak7)]

I think he means to take the scans and make the text vector and clean up the images

I have considered this but in the long run it really is not worth the time, effort, or the money.  If you print out 25 pages for a GBA manual at even $.50 a pop you're still out around $12.  Times that buy even 10 games and then you're out $120.  As far as Gameboy/GBA games are concerned you can't even fit them in the DS case so really it kind of defeats the purpose for even having that manual.

The reason the example you provided looks so good is because that manual is most likely directly from Square.  They probably sent Nintendo the final document they used when printing their manuals.

Shadowfox, I'm not trying to put your idea down or anything, but I just don't think people have the time to take something like that on considering it's not something that a large majority of people would even care about.

If you have a few games that you just HAVE to have done or else you'll die I'm sure someone can help you out, but to go through an entire catalog of games is simply unrealistic. 

[BadChad]

As far as Gameboy/GBA games are concerned you can't even fit them in the DS case so really it kind of defeats the purpose for even having that manual.

I dissagree with you there. An exacto knife and 2 minutes of your time and you can fit manuals beautifully.

[Nintendo-Atari-Sega-Nerd]

Hi I'm not completele in objection with you shadowfox it's true that the manuel can be real bitches when it comes to printing not because of the fact that people don't fix them up but more in a way that they usually scan it(example in a manuel of 14 pages+cover+back) cover-back, 1-2, 3-4... but they should scan it cover-back, 1-14, 2-13... so that when you come to stapple time its perfect. I thought maybe I would do an FAQ on how to scan with printing result

[Shadowfox]

I guess, in my mind, I was thinking more along the lines of the older games (Like SNES) But in the Nintendo 64 area of the site there are several Instruction Booklets uploaded, but if I print them out "as-is" they are not "perfect" because it would not be printed or stapled right. (Just like Nintendo-Atari-Sega-Nerd mentioned) Now, I can scan my Instruction Booklets just like Nintendo-Atari-Sega-Nerd said cover-back, 1-14, 2-13, ect... If someone were to clean up the scans, I would think we could up load the Booklets in printable "sets". (See, I have several booklets, but I stored them loose and some of the pages need to be touched up, I would LOVE to give people the power to print out their own booklets to hard to find games like the Mega Man X's, Chrono Triger, Mario Allstars, ect...) 

If someone wants to clean one up, I'll cut/print it out and compare the original with the print and I'll find the right paper to print them on and post the pictures on TCP.

[Random]

Just a tip/opinion, don't use PDF, instead use .cbz format wich actually is a .zip file containing the images. This is not the best format for printing to automatize the process for all the pages (as far as I know). But it has some advantages:

1. Its a free format (forget it, PDF is also a free format since 2008)
2. You can edit/restore/replace single pages without "decrunching" and "crunching" the whole file.
3. There are some nice cbz viewers around (I know your project is about printing, anyway) wich, in my opinion, are better for computer viewing (faster loading times, automatic color/contrast adjusting, etc...)

For a continuosly evolving project like your I think the #2 is the more important feature.

Time ago I added one of those viewers in my gaming front-end and here is the result:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=764rnYekUT8

Kind regards and thanks, really thanks for your work.

[Nintendo-Atari-Sega-Nerd]

Hi again guys just tell me what you think of doing an FAQ on scaning Instruction Booklet to be easier to print afterward.

[Doom]

You have to remove the staples and scan every single page.

Very tedious.

[Arseen]

You have to remove the staples and scan every single page.

Very tedious.

I'm willing to do that with my manuals (those that are stabled not glued) if someone else then provides scans of manuals missing from my collection.

[Nintendo-Atari-Sega-Nerd]

Well for now I only have my Legend of Zelda OoT inst. book. and soon my Metroid NES but to remove the staples you can use a knife it's easier

[Random]

[Arseen]

You have to remove the staples and scan every single page.

Very tedious.

I thinks he means da scanning being tedious, not unstabling.

[Nintendo-Atari-Sega-Nerd]

indeed you can use this but sometime it can tear your ist. book. so I wouldn't recomend that if you're going to re-staple it latter on.