Nintendo is extremely protective of their IPs so it doesn’t come as a huge surprise that they have sadly issued a takedown notice for a Japan only 1996 strategy guide for the sublime Nintendo 64 launch game, Super Mario 64. The guide, which is named the Super Mario 64 Complete Clear Guide Bookwas notable for the fact that it contained various real-world Super Mario 64 level dioramas which were used to serve as 3D maps showing where players should go for specific Power Stars. The Super Mario 64 Complete Clear Guide Book has not been available for purchase for decades, which is just one of the reasons why fans aren’t happy with the takedown notice from Nintendo. The person who uploaded the scans to the Internet Archive (which contains no adverts), Comfort Food Video Games
“Sadly archive.org sent me their usual takedown notice email telling me Nintendo of America challenged the copyright of the scan and it was removed. Frankly I’d love to challenge the legitimacy of that and how Nintendo of America would have anything to do with a Nintendo of Japan licensed Gem Books guide from 1995 but I can’t really fight the Nintendo legal team here. It’s incredibly disappointing.
While I fully understand protecting one’s IP and copyrights I didn’t think I was hurting anyone by scanning and uploading a 27 year old guide that is extremely out of print. Truthfully I think it helps Nintendo while only hurting the people selling this guide for literal hundreds of dollars. All I wanted to do was spread my love of this incredible guide and to a larger extent my love for the company.
I’m a rookie to the video game preservation scene but I can’t think of anything more depressing than how it’s a bunch of hard working people spending their free time and money painstakingly archiving and preserving history while major corporations like Nintendo are doing nothing to help. In fact they’re actively hindering the cause.”
