In 1990, Nintendo’s executives were astonished to see that a third-party developer had cut right to the chase with an unapproved peripheral device that promised unlimited lives, endless ammunition, and other perks to players. The player would still have to perform the tasks, but at least they had clues. A tip line gave them advice walkthroughs in books and issues of Nintendo Power explained tricky paths in games like The Legend of Zelda or Super Mario Bros.
In the years following the launch of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in North America in 1985, Nintendo developed several outlets to help gamers navigate through difficult titles. Among Nintendo’s low points, it was even worse than the Power Glove.
