Articles

Retail Sam & Max to ship with strategy guide 06 Jun, 2007 / Comments: 12

By Jason


When you last checked Gamestop's Sam & Max product page just to see if their "temporary box art" had changed, you may have noticed that it is now listed as shipping with a bonus - a free strategy guide! This is also the case with the EB Games page so I don't know if it's something that's only going to be offered from those stores, or what. There's also no word on what, if anything, will be included in the hint book other than the walkthrough itself. I'm sure you shouldn't expect anything as extravagant as what LucasArts used to offer, but who knows what's in there.

This very much reminds me of Escape from Monkey Island, which was released with a "Quick-Path" walkthrough inside the box of the PC version. (If you recall, this was just a straight up, no nonsense walkthrough; the full-fledged strategy guide, sold separately, was big and thick and had all sorts of junk in it.) This was done presumably so that non-adventure gamers would not give up on the game after getting stuck and would therefore, you know, actually buy it. I find it interesting to see the trend continue.
12

12 Comments

  • MrSneeze on 06 Jun, 2007, 23:06…
    For some reason, I don't remember EMI coming with a strategy guide. My version only had the CDs and a thin manual (not to mention that the back of the box art was in Dutch for some reason). I don't remember where I got it from, but the manual was in English alright.

    Anyone have any ideas?
  • Jake on 07 Jun, 2007, 06:17…
    (Don't count on it, Mr. Sneeze)
  • MrSneeze on 07 Jun, 2007, 15:04…
    :P "Oh my God! They're all over the place!"
  • Udvarnoky on 07 Jun, 2007, 03:15…
    I could be wrong, but it was my impression that all original North American boxed copies of the game came with the quick-path guide. To my memory the only manual for the game was the jewel case slip.
  • MrSneeze on 07 Jun, 2007, 04:02…
    Ah, maybe it was a US only thing then, although I could be wrong. Thanks for replying, though.
  • Jake on 06 Jun, 2007, 22:19…
    Good to see GameStop and EB's websites continuing their stalwart tradition of releasing information that isn't real.

    Not the strategy guides - I have no idea if those are real or not, but it would be pretty cool if someone was making one - but those special features that they're listing at the bottom of the GameStop page. What the heck are those? That list appears to be a made up mystery list of things which don't even necesarilly exist. Take everything on that page with a HUGE grain of salt.
  • Udvarnoky on 06 Jun, 2007, 22:33…
    Hmm...I didn't see that at first glance, but just made a new post about a similar description on Amazon's page. Can you confirm that the extras listing is rubbish despite the corroboration?
  • fov on 06 Jun, 2007, 22:59…
    It's not rubbish. There are just a couple of inaccuracies. Should be fixed soon.
  • Jake on 07 Jun, 2007, 06:17…
    This is the correct answer. (Always trust Emily) The final list of extras on the Adventure Company's release will be appearing very soon. It looks like a slightly outdated list of disc contents went out to online retailers recently, apparently by mistake.
  • Udvarnoky on 06 Jun, 2007, 22:39…
    Also worth noting is that the Amazon description is not a copy and paste of what Gamestop wrote. It's a different writeup that lists the same extras.
  • pheeph on 06 Jun, 2007, 22:16…
    will it have a story-like walkthrough of sorts like "Hit the Road" hint book?
  • Udvarnoky on 06 Jun, 2007, 21:47…
    It sounds like, unlike with EMI, the Sam & Max strategy guides are going to be handed out to customers who buy the game until the store's quantities are depleted, like a T-shirt or something. Won't be inside the box.