As physical games rarely ship with manuals anymore, one The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD fan steps up to provide what Nintendo neglected. The manual is entirely custom and looks impressively official, fitting right in with the aesthetic of Skyward Sword.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is generally regarded as the definitive version of the game, but some fans have noticed that it lacks a physical manual. This practice of omitting a once-standard item is all but ubiquitous in the current state of physical games and can be frustrating for players who prefer physical releases.

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Reddit user RowanFN1 posted photos to r/NintendoSwitch showcasing a small custom-printed Nintendo manual, made to fit into the clips inside a Nintendo Switch game case. Inside the manual are convincingly-structured pages featuring the new control scheme and short character biographies. The control scheme page shows special attention to detail by using the official Skyward Sword Joy-Cons to demonstrate the button mappings. The booklet is then shown tucked into the Nintendo Switch game case, where its cover appears convincingly official.

Recently The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword has seen a resurgence in popularity as the re-release makes it easier than ever to access, and its connections to Breath of the Wild undoubtedly boosted sales. The in-game tutorials in some sense omit the need for a manual since the game teaches mechanics as it progresses, but some players are still frustrated with recent games only including the game itself. After all, a good manual can function as a quick reference for controls, a story primer, and something to make the purchase feel like it is more valuable.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD introduces many quality-of-life changes over the original Skyward Sword. The game had a less glowing reception than other Zelda titles upon release, with many reviewers complaining about its use of motion controls. The re-release introduces the ability to control the sword with the second analogue stick as well as retaining the original's motion controls, offering the best of both worlds for players who prefer authenticity and those who would choose comfort.

With many modern games requiring large day-one patches to play the full version and even additional purchases to unlock all the content, physical media has been relegated from a way to have more control over a game purchase to an annoying form of DRM. A physical manual is a sure way to gain goodwill in the age of manuals either digital or nonexistent, but sadly fans are forced to step up to fill the void left by publishers.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is available now, exclusively for Nintendo Switch.

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Source: Reddit