Prima Guides's Final Fantasy Box Set

[The Twilight Mexican]

Do we have news on this somewhere already? I couldn't find any.

Anyway, apparently Prima Guides announced this last year and it has been delayed several times but currently has a release date of July 7. I can't believe this is actually a thing that's happening, but they're re-releasing the old BradyGames North American strategy guides for FFVII, FFVIII and FFIX in a prestige format (hardcover, fancy pages, etc.):

Now, if you're like me, your first question will be "Will the FFIX guide still be absolute shit?" Apparently, it will actually have the PlayOnline content included this time.

That answered, if you're still like me, you're wondering "WHY? They can dress up medicore guides from 15+ years ago, charge what breaks down to $43 each for them and still not manage to do official English releases of the infinitely-superior-in-every-way-Ultimanias? How the fuck does that make sense??"

I'm boycotting this shit so hard.

 

[Lex]

Wait, BradyGames pulled that PlayOnline shit with the IX guide too? I thought it was just Piggyback.

Also I feel like I knew about this already, around the time I looked up the FFVIII collector's edition stuff. Maybe that was a different box set of some kind.

 

[Tetsujin]

Wait, BradyGames pulled that PlayOnline shit with the IX guide too? I thought it was just Piggyback.

I'd say it probably was a requirement by Square for the officially licensed guides to push their PlayOnline platform.

Bloody stupid idea of course.

 

[ForceStealer]

I'd say it probably was a requirement by Square for the officially licensed guides to push their PlayOnline platform.

Bloody stupid idea of course.

 

[vaderSW1]

Wow! My Final Fantasy VII guide is beat to shit from having used it so much, I could really use a new one. Having it in hardback would be fucking amazing! I'm all in for these! Especially if the Final Fantasy IX guide is fixed. That PlayOnline strategy guide was the absolute worst.

 

[sariasage002]

I'm... actually really tempted by this set. If given the choice, I would definitely prefer the Ultimanias... but since I've never had even a regular edition guide for 7, 8 or 9 (I borrowed the guides from the library when I needed them), I would love to have these. I'm planning to finally get a PS4 at the end of June, so I'll have to see how much extra money I have left after that.

 

[vaderSW1]

So my box set arrived yesterday much to my great excitement. It really is a beautifully put together set. I'm so happy to have a redone version of the Final Fantasy IX strategy guide without all the awful PlayOnline garbage. I haven't actually had a chance to sit and read them all front to back yet but I did thumb through them. I have noticed some spelling errors. They also fucked up Vincent Valentine's bio by inserting Red XIII's bio on Vincent's page. Hopefully, those will be the only errors I find.

The set also came with an insert that advertised they were doing another box set with redone Final Fantasy X, X-2, and XII guides. All done in the same hardcover format as this set.

I'll report something more in-depth maybe on a future episode of the podcast.

 

[Lex]

I would absolutely have bought this if it wasn't bradygames trash, but unfortunately Piggyback's guides only started from FFVIII so it would necessitate them actually making one from scratch (which I would love).

I like the general look of these tbh, I have considered buying them because Amazon has been flashing them at me every time I'm looking for something. Which really surprises me because the trash that is BradyGames is american and I use UK amazon :/

 

[Channy]

I forgot I preordered these last year until I got an email yesterday it shipped. I'll post pics of how they look but I remember being excited about them. Of course I was also preordering everything under the sun back then

 

[vaderSW1]

I would absolutely have bought this if it wasn't bradygames trash, but unfortunately Piggyback's guides only started from FFVIII so it would necessitate them actually making one from scratch (which I would love).

I like the general look of these tbh, I have considered buying them because Amazon has been flashing them at me every time I'm looking for something. Which really surprises me because the trash that is BradyGames is american and I use UK amazon :/

Why do you consider BradyGames trash? I've never had any issues with them aside from the God awful Final Fantasy IX guide (but I think that was, in fairness, due to Square pushing PlayOnline).

I believe I own only 1 Piggyback guide and it is the Final Fantasy XIII guide. It was very well put together. Much like some of the BradyGames guides I have.

 

[Lex]

The Bradygames guides all have information missing or plain incorrect, and not just here and there - literally all over. The guide for FFXII doesn't even tell you to avoid the chests for the zodiac spear, the FFVII guide for PC doesn't mention or give a strat for Safer Sephiroth (it just says "this is better left unsaid" or something - the PS version has a guide).

Aside from the errors (which to be frank should merit zero points on their own since they're supposed to be guides), aesthetically, physically, anything made by Brady/Prima is of sub-standard quality. It sounds stupid, but the design, the art, the layout and even the gsm of the paper used in Piggyback guides is far superior every single time. The only guides piggyback have published that aren't completely perfect in every way are VIII's (which had two errors in its original print run, now fixed) and IX's, which looks great but pulls the same playonline crap the brady one did.

Piggyback never made a VII guide, so I own both the PC and PS versions of the brady version.

I know how insufferably arrogant I sound, but this is one of the only topics (how random and ridic amirite) you'll see me get like this on. I didn't know the difference until the XII guide made me miss the zodiac spear (I had an american copy of XII 6 months before the game and the piggyback guide were released in the UK so I got the american guide not knowing there was a difference because it pretends its "official") and ever since then I've held a deep-rooted grudge and general hatred toward the company as a whole, because they are consistently wrong and Piggyback is ridiculously on top by comparison.

I own Prima guides for other franchises (OoT, Resident Evil 5 etc.) and they don't bother me. I think it's because its FF I'm like... thinking about all the poor gamers out there who want to be completionists and think they're doing the right thing because the guide tells them they are, only to get to the end of - say - FFX-2 and be stuck with 98%. They fucking suck and all of the staff should feel bad all of the time.

 

[Flintlock]

From memory, the FFIX BradyGames guide was crap for reasons beyond PlayOnline. For example, on the very first page, it says "light the candle in the center of the room!", and then further down the page, "before lighting the candle, explore the room for hidden treasure". That is not the correct order to write those instructions.

 

[Lex]

^See? Horrendousness fucking everywhere. Fuck bradygames.

 

[Channy]

only to get to the end of - say - FFX-2 and be stuck with 98%. They fucking suck and all of the staff should feel bad all of the time.

I was one of those sad bastards. BradyGames, you fuckers.

 

[Lex]

Moar proof. Sweet vindication

 

[JBedford]

Piggybacks's always do seem better than BradyGames. I think anyone with an opinion on which is better will always side of Piggyback for FF guides. I've never really taken the time to read them, I only use them for specific information, but Piggyback guides look nicer, have fewer errors, and have more information. The only time I think this isn't true is the Piggyback guide for FFX lacked Bribe quantity values IIRC. You aren't always guaranteed the same value in the game, but it'll be a % of that quantity so it's useful to know.

You wonder how they can have different levels of information when you would assume the same information is made available to both companies. Of course, the Ultimanias still usually beat them both on information.

Edit: I don't know if it's just my screen, but the four times I say "Piggyback" in my post lined up perfectly as the first word of the first four lines of my post.

 

[Joker]

The guide for FFXII doesn't even tell you to avoid the chests for the zodiac spear

if by "doesn't tell you" you mean "mentions it at least five times including once at every chest that needs to be avoided"

the ffx guide they put out was pretty awful, but man I love my old ffvii one

although that could just be nostalgia - I still remember being annoyed by the materia section errors and stuff

 

[ultima espio]

Are these brand new guides or re releases of old ones? The only FF7 guide I know of is the Bradygames one. According to the FF wiki that's the only one.

 

[Lex]

The guide for FFXII doesn't even tell you to avoid the chests for the zodiac spear

if by "doesn't tell you" you mean "mentions it at least five times including once at every chest that needs to be avoided"

If yours does they've published a revision, because I've got mine here and I checked the page for outside Old Dalan's at the start and there's no mention of avoiding the chest. The Piggyback one does, are you sure it's the brady guide you've got?

Are these brand new guides or re releases of old ones? The only FF7 guide I know of is the Bradygames one. According to the FF wiki that's the only one.

I can't answer your question about the guides, but yeah the Bradygames guide is the only VII guide. Bradygames/Prima are one and the same now.

 

[Joker]

Pretty sure? I mean I worked the Gamestop prerelease, so it's just the like, special edition fancy one - I got Vaan, though :/

But I'm not sure who published it, to be fair - I just figured it was Brady because FF.

 

[vaderSW1]

The guide for FFXII doesn't even tell you to avoid the chests for the zodiac spear

if by "doesn't tell you" you mean "mentions it at least five times including once at every chest that needs to be avoided"

If yours does they've published a revision, because I've got mine here and I checked the page for outside Old Dalan's at the start and there's no mention of avoiding the chest. The Piggyback one does, are you sure it's the brady guide you've got?

Are these brand new guides or re releases of old ones? The only FF7 guide I know of is the Bradygames one. According to the FF wiki that's the only one.

I can't answer your question about the guides, but yeah the Bradygames guide is the only VII guide. Bradygames/Prima are one and the same now.

The Prima/BradyGames guide does mention which chests not to open but I don't believe it actually does in the actual game walkthrough section. It is actually in the side quests section in the back of the book. I'd have to go back and look at it. It's been too long.

There definitely are mistakes and some design flaws to the Prima/BradyGames guides but I guess I never really let it get me upset (aside from the God awful Final Fantasy IX guide). I hadn't realized there was this vitriol out there for the guides.

 

[Kuja9001]

The guide for VIII tells you to spam GFs on nearly every battle even Omega.

 

[Joker]

I checked mine - it's Bradygames, and I know it mentions in the earlier, pre-walkthrough parts about not getting chests, and then points out each one as the game progresses.

 

[Lex]

Mine for sure doesn't, so idk why there are two different versions floating around. They still suck anyway

 

[ultima espio]

A reviewer on Amazon answered my earlier question, this is the exact guide for FF7 from 1997. Exactly the same but in hardback.

So they haven't changed at all, they are just prettier. The FF9 one gets rid of the playonline crap apparently.