Old Gaming Memories

I bought Rainbow 6:Vegas today on the way to work. I'm working 5 pm to 1 am tonight, so I'll probably try it out when I get home. It really brought home some of those old NES memories to have a game and not be able to immediately play it.

I used to buy a game and go back home and play it immediately. That was when I was in college and later when my kids were little and my job and other activities not as all consuming. Now, with 2 kids, a job that is much more involving and a wife witth her own career, I can't always say when I get to play.

Suddenly I was back in that mindset of when I was a Timmy myself. I had just gotten The Adventures of Link or Double Dragon or Super Mario 3 and I couldn't play it until my Mom was done grocery shopping or I had walked the dog. So I did what I used to do, I got out the manual and I read through it.

My conclusion? Manuals now-a-days suck. With playable tutorials and voice overs, there's no need for a detailed "How to Play" or "Story" Section.

Seriously, have a look at the "Introduction and "Character Descriptions" could they be more generic? It seems like stuff we used to get for free is now $10 more and in the "Collector's Edition."