5/5

Diary of a Manual: Part One

08/25/22 — by George Smrekar

Whether you disc or download, the modern era of gaming has all but done away with paper. Manuals have gone the way of legend, relegated to cheap digital links or in-game button mapping. Collectors may still seek their complete editions with wide-eyed wonder, but how do you explain the appeal to a generation born without? Can you explain color to a blind man? We’ll try in this two part special, beginning with a Diary of Dragon Warrior.

Better known these days as Dragon Quest, Dragon Warrior first appeared in North America in 1989 on the Nintendo Entertainment System. A triple-A turn-based tour-de-force, I still hold it in high regard not only for the game, but for the pomp and circumstance surrounding it. Ushering in a Nintendo Power campaign, DW also boasted the quintessential instruction manual and map pack of that era. A lost art in pack-in perfection. Let’s get first impressions out of the way. Dragon Warrior’s manual or ‘Explorer’s Handbook’ as it’s called, is a joy to behold. Big, quality paper, full color, a mix of screenshots and hand drawn art. 64 pages filled to the brim with win. From the Table of Contents to the Index, I dare say there’s little filler. It’s at its most basic in the beginning. Stuff like ‘press start to begin’ and how to save up to three different adventures. From page 4 however, things take a different turn.

On page 4, a banner for Tantegel Castle adorns the header. What follows is for all intents and purposes the beginning of a walkthrough. ‘Listen to King Lorik’ it beckons, with color screenshots, written directions and a control scheme to get you started. It continues on the next page with somewhat of a RPG primer. Remember that RPGs of this scale especially on console, were rare at the time. Zelda, Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest were all rookie IP treading uncharted waters. This manual took care to remedy that by including a step-by-step guide on the importance of talking to NPCs. What we know today as the in-game tutorial. What we don’t have today that this manual does, is a complete map to Tantegel Castle 1-F on the next page with points of interest (treasure) fully labelled. There’s also a checklist of things to do before you leave, so you don’t miss key story points about saving the Princess etc.

From here it’s said the adventure truly begins. A screenshot of the overworld takes front and center with an icon guide for castles, towns, forest, mountains, craggy mountains, water and the end-game final destination itself. Charlock Castle. In plain sight but just out of reach. The manual, er, handbook directs the player east towards the Town of Brecconary with a full map of what lies ahead. The Weapon and Armor shop is your destination, but your eyes are also drawn to a Wizard, an Inn and an Item Shop. Exploration is the name of the game and the rewards for wandering off the beaten path are laid bare in a beautiful hand-drawn Glossary complete with item stats, cost, form and function. Special items from Alefgard are also teased including Cursed items and the Legendary Erdrick’s gear. Wrapping it up is a how-to on saving your game as well as a re-reminder to talk to everyone you can.

The rest of the Level 1 walkthrough deals with how to grind. Kill Slimes for gold, heal at the inn, level up and save at the King. Rinse and repeat. Ah, farming. The dawn of an institution. Once you’re of sufficient level the Handbook illustrates how to fight and cast spells, how to replenish HP and MP and the penalty for death (losing half your coin). The other option is to reload an earlier save. With this tidbit, save scumming is born.

The Level 2 walkthrough is basically a brief guide to get you to level 4, 5 and beyond. You’re expected to farm a bit and are told about some quality of life improvements that will come later in the game ie. the Radiant Spell. Useful for dark areas. Once you’re levelled appropriately it’s off to the Town of Garinham. Once again presented in full color with a rundown of all the weapons/armors/items one can buy here, before pointing you towards the Town of Kol and the next step in your journey to the Princess. It’s all rather charming and insightful. The perfect companion app before apps existed. Great reading for those longer car rides of yore.

Fully snapped screens for dungeons and caves for levels 5-9 follow with another overworld map to get your bearings. A brief enemy bestiary shows up teasing the south, including the presence of a dragon. The next farming spot of Rimuldar is used as a checkpoint to either level yourself up, or to backtrack a bit should you have keys to open chests from earlier in the game. Story beats continue prompting you as Erdrick’s descendent, to reclaim his lost arsenal and fulfill your wider destiny as a whole. The Grave of Garinham back at Tantagel Castle beckons you to Metroidvania yourself back there and use the enclosed maps to navigate the mazes that lie ahead. Once again, the manual/handbook lays it all out for you with pics and tricks. A shortcut is even written for your convenience on P.43. It’s truly a guidebook at no extra cost. Laid before you are the paths to the Silver Harp, the Fairy Flute and Princess Gwaelin herself. A dragon awaits, as do tips on how to beat it. Hurt, Stopspell, Broadsword? Yes please.

The Biome then changes to that of a desert. Domdora Desert and the new enemies within. Demon Knights, Goldmen, Wyverns will dot your way to Hauksness as you close in on Erdrick’s armor/token and the finale of the Wise man’s quest to get you the Rainbow Drop (needed to build a bridge to the final area). It’s assumed you are level 18 by now. At level 19 begins the siege of the Dragonlord’s Castle itself, full of false leads and dangerous guardians. Five maps are included for each of the floors as well as a shortcut to Erdrick’s Sword. By the time you make it to the Dragonlord (who is actually pictured in the manual itself) you should be level 20 and expecting a surprise or two. Thus ends the walkthrough, but not the story.

Rounding off the Handbook is a written and illustrated backstory of Alefgard and how Erdrick came to pursue the Dragonlord in these fantastical lands. Origin stories that add color and layers to the proceedings. From the mysterious disappearance of Erdrick to your arrival to pick up the pieces and set things right, it’s quite a good read. All leading to a teaser for Dragon Warrior 2. The saga continues. But not before one final Appendix of all things item and spell. Should you desire more, the pack-in for Dragon Warrior isn’t finished yet.

Along with the Explorer’s Handbook, the game came with a folded up, good sized poster of the game that doubled as a full screenshot collage of all the dungeons. Once again, a tease of the Dragonlord sitting on his throne in the last castle with the player directly in front of him. This image alone fueled many a fantasy at the time. Spoiler? Perhaps, but more-so something to look forward to. A position to aspire to. Last but not least the game also included a second double-sided poster featuring a complete in-game overworld map of Alefgard on one side along with points of interest (towns, swamps, caves, castles). On the flip-side, a complete Bestiary ‘monster identification chart’ with screenshots of all the enemies as well as specs. Max HP, gold, XP, color coded on yet another overworld map revealing their locations. A grinder’s glory. Many a minute were spent studying what was yet to come, from Shadow Knights to multi-colored dragons, as well as the most tantalizing screen of the Dragonlord to date.

The hype in (and on) the box was real. If Dragon Warrior knew how to do one thing with its pack-ins it was how to get you hooked on the world before you even started. Then how to keep you there. One of the finest examples of an instruction manual done right and the lost art of it all. Controller mapping on an options screen simply can’t hold a candle. There have been exceptions of course, but even in the 80s one would have to suffice with black and white pics and lesser content at times. Dragon Warrior set a standard and still does to this day. In ‘Diary of a Manual: Part Two‘ we will fast forward 30 years and see what passes for paper nowadays, taking a look at one of the better pack-ins of our time. What’s changed, what’s the same, what’s the point? Stay tuned as we go map vs map, as 1989 meets 2020 with Cyberpunk: 2077.