Nintendo requests takedown of scans for 1996 Super Mario 64 strategy guide from Internet Archive

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 Book, was 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, said the following to Kotaku:

“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.”

Source

25 thoughts on “Nintendo requests takedown of scans for 1996 Super Mario 64 strategy guide from Internet Archive”

    1. Slapped of “pro-crime” activists

      You mean someone defending themselves from a thief seem ludicrous to you? Where you live homey, I need a new tv and since you don’t believe in right to property. I think I’ll be taking it from your crime supporting arse.

      1. +Slapped of “pro-crime” activists
        Yeah because stealing a physical product that cannot be copied and pasted is totally the same as a magazine from the 90’s that you can’t even buy anymore.
        I know this is a hard lesson but try to think before you speak.

        1. Capitalism is a cancerous ideology that is going to lead to the erasure of so many cultural artifacts like this. Funny how you’re buying right into it because “muh personal rights of a megacorp that controls a huge portion of an insanely massive industry”. Having scans of a strategy guide that can no longer be bought is archivist work and you’re arguing to erase it from history

              1. I hope you commit seppuku. Get out of this fucking country and go back to China! People like you are the reason why we need to put people like you to death

              2. Keep in featuring IP you know is protected MNN, and I’ll keep reporting your criminal behaviour to the news platforms and nintendo’s legal department.

                See also: probably time for you lot to start finding new work.

              3. This seems like a new low for Nintendo. Why on Earth does it matter if pages from a magazine are shown? It’s not like it’s a game ROM.

              4. …Um, who is this hurting by archiving it for the future?

                No, seriously, who is this hurting?

                IT’S A JPEG, FROM A BOOKLET THAT ISN’T EVEN BEING MADE ANYMORE. Literally no one is losing anything from these being uploaded.

                1. Yeah they’re working against the preservation of their own media. It’s pretty disgusting and telling. Soon 3DS and Wii U eshop games will be unobtainable and they’ll be going after people who host downloads for them online, effectively erasing those games from history as well just like they always do

                2. But if they take it down, how will I ever know how to beat the game since Nintendo’s help service line is gone now?

                  1. This is a very silly and waste of time issue to even be concerned with for Nintendo.

                    That’s Nintendo though, too much of anything good and its a problem!

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