Before Reddit threads, Discord servers, and YouTube walkthroughs, there were books like this—and phone lines, schoolyard rumours, photocopied maps, and absolute conviction that someone out there knew where the dungeon key was. 

This unofficial guide documents a moment when games created their own informal help networks—Nintendo tip lines, magazine Q&As, late-night calls to friends who’d “gotten further than you.” A small, funny artefact of pre-internet gaming culture.

You gotta watch this video if that sings to you.

In the 1980's, Nintendo operated a real phone hotline called Nintendo Power Line or Nintendo Tip Line, where players could call to receive gameplay tips and advice from employees known as "Game Counselors".
byu/Deepakhn inDamnthatsinteresting