A couple of weeks ago, we reported on HD scans of the Super Mario 64 Complete Clear Guide Book that had been recently shared online for all to enjoy. This book isn’t your average strategy guide – it contains page-filling photos of incredible, real-life 3D dioramas of Super Mario 64’s levels that were made specifically for the book, as well as developer commentary on some behind-the-scenes details. Unfortunately, celebrations were short-lived, as is usually the case when Nintendo’s lawyers step in.
According to Kotaku, Nintendo of America issued a takedown notice to the Internet Archive, the site that hosted the scans, which was then forwarded to the scans’ uploader, 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,” Comfort Food Video Games told Kotaku. “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.”
This is yet another case in Nintendo’s long-running history of shutting down Nintendo-related fan works and projects. However, this one appears to be getting some particularly raw backlash due to the fact that the Super Mario 64 Complete Clear Guide Book was never released outside of Japan and has been out of print for over two decades since its 1996 release. Nintendo is no longer profiting from the book, and without these user-uploaded scans, many of us will never have a chance to see it. Unless, of course, you’re willing to fork over an extortionate amount for a rare physical copy via online outlets.
Thankfully, the scans are still doing the rounds outside of the now-defunct Archive upload. Comfort Food Video Games has provided alternative means of obtaining the scans, but you may want to hurry before you lose another opportunity.
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Written by Reece Heather
A lifelong Nintendo fan and a longtime editor at Zelda Universe, Reece will forever be grateful that he somehow dodged the Naughty List of Christmas 1998, when Santa delivered the life-changing gift of a Nintendo 64 with Super Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie, and Mario Kart 64. When he's not playing games, Reece is usually reading Punisher comics, delving helplessly into the weirdest depths of anime and manga, or spending time with his cocker spaniel Gracie -- the goodest girl ever!
