Strategy Guides

Files From Subcategories

1. 

   Quake III Arena Official Strategy Guide

   By Areala

   I'm not sure why Prima (or anybody, really) thought this game needed a strategy guide. I mean, Quake III Arena was literally nothing more than 'deathmatch-on-demand' with the possibility of fighting against AI bots if you didn't have any real-life friends. All the weapons and power-ups were culled from iD Software's previous Doom and Quake titles, and chances are if you bought Quake III you had already been playing deathmatch with your friends for five years and had a solid understanding of techniques like rocket jumping. The only thing really new for this game were the levels themselves. But, you know, props to Prima for managing to still get 200 pages' worth of content out of it somehow. Good on you, guys!
   Unlike previous guides to Quake games, this one's also in full colour, so there's that...
   Enjoy! ❤️
   

   307 downloads

   0 comments

   Updated December 20, 2023

2. 

   Totally Unauthorized Combat Guide to Duke Nukem 3D

   By Areala

   Guides which brand themselves as "totally unauthorized" are a mixed bag. I mean, the writers of the authorized guides get their info from the game's publisher and developer, they get the rights to use artwork, screenshots, and other assets, and typically offer some bonus features like interviews with the developers, a CD-ROM stuffed with extra goodies, and other tidbits. The "unauthorized" guys, though? They have to make do with whatever artwork the in-house artists come up with, don't get any special access to designers and programmers, and have to build their strategies from scratch. To stand out, the unauthorized guides are usually a few bucks cheaper than the official one right next to it on the shelf, and that's usually all they've got. But occasionally an unauthorized guide will go above and beyond the call of duty to kick ass and take names, making itself worthy of your cash despite not being authorized.
   This book, my friends, is one of those special snowflakes. Because despite Sybex buying the right to make the official guide for Duke Nukem 3D (and making a kick-ass guide in their own write, complete with its own CD on the back cover), Steven Schafer and the hooligans at Brady Games laced up the combat boots and waded into the trenches to make their combat guide totally worth the money.
   In here, you'll find the normal write-ups on weapons, enemies, and power-ups. In here, you'll see the same level maps as you'd see in the official book. But that's only the first 150 pages. From page 152 on, you're treated to an orgy of information concerning configuring and playing multiplayer DukeMatch games, a comprehensive breakdown of all the game's media files (textures, sprites, sounds, etc...), and a complete tutorial on how to make your own levels using the Build Engine (which is where all that index info on the game's internal media files comes in handy, and can help you best utilize and/or replace assets as needed).
   The official guide devotes a whole two pages to this. They're basically like, "Yeah, um, Duke Nukem 3D includes a level editor. It's called Build. Check it out!". Probably this was so people would feel enticed to fork over another $24.99 in order to get Sybex's Duke Nukem 3D Level Design Handbook (which is a great book in its own right, well worth the buy if you want to get into the nitty-gritty of level creation, and will be appearing here in the not too distant future), but I'm not joking when I tell you this unauthorized book can teach you enough to make the level design book almost completely unnecessary.
   It also covers the secret DukeMatch-only level, "Faces of Death", which comes with the game, but requires a command-line interface trick to get working if you want to see it in single-player, and is something even the official guidebook doesn't bring up.
   I reiterate: the official guide leaves out all mention of the fact this level even exists, but the Brady gang gives it two full pages of maps and basic level info. What?!
   This book kicks some serious ass, and as far as I'm concerned, if you're a Duke Nukem 3D fan, you need it in your library.
   Enjoy! ❤️
   

   240 downloads

   1 comment

   Updated December 20, 2023

3. 

   Quake II Authorized Strategy Guide

   By Areala

   It's a Quake II strategy guide which printed the maps twice: one in green-and-greyscale, once in full colour! And they're just as useless no matter which version of them you're viewing! Hooray!
   Otherwise, this is just your bog-standard strategy guide to an FPS. There's the obligatory enemy list, weapons load-out, multiplayer tips, a page and a half on using the console, and those full colour maps!
   Also, whoever had the bright idea to only put page numbers on every other page, or just stop them for a bit then start up again later, deserves to be dipped in horseradish and thrown to the jellyfish. 😡
   You don't need this. You're going to download it anyway, because you're a digital hoarder, and that's totally fine. I'm just pointing out the obvious.
   Enjoy! ❤️
   

   366 downloads

   0 comments

   Updated December 20, 2023

4. 

   Unofficial Quake Level Design Handbook

   By Areala

   You've no idea how long I've wanted to bring this one to the site.
   Stupid expensive on the second-hand market, even moreso if you want a copy with the CD intact, but not as outdated as you might think considering people are still making levels for the original Quake to this day! Matt Tagliaferri knows his game level design, and this book brings together every trick and tip in his arsenal to help you build the best Quake level your heart can dream up.
   I've included a rip of the ISO file for the CD-ROM within the download, so you can mess around with that. The qED software itself won't work with current versions of Windows, but the bonus levels are playable in the main game or any one of its many source ports as-is. Just open the .cbz file with your favorite file compression software, and you'll see the QUAKE_LEVEL.ISO file right in the front. You know I wouldn't be your Retromags Goddess if I left it out.
   Pretty straightforward, but I need to point out the back cover text promises the level editor will be compatible with Duke Nukem Forever, because that game was on track to come out a year after this book was published!
   Enjoy! ❤️
   

   260 downloads

   1 comment

   Updated December 20, 2023

5. 

   Best Action & Arcade Games Strategies & Secrets

   By Areala

   Well, here's something completely different! Your beloved Retromags Goddess providing you (yes, you specifically!) with a book about games from the MS-DOS era!
   Wait, sorry, I got my notes mixed up. This is actually just the next in a long line of books dealing with classic DOS games brought to you by yours truly.
   In order, this book covers:
   Duke Nukem 3D Quake MechWarrior 2 Crusader: No Remorse Hexen Heretic Star Wars: Dark Forces Descent Doom II Doom Earthsiege 2 Earthsiege Terra Nova Wing Commander IV Wing Commander III Fury3 Magic Carpet Renegade Now, you don't get full walkthroughs for all of these games. What you get instead for most are general, overall strategies that will serve you well throughout a playthrough, taken from articles and reviews written by the staff members of Computer Games Strategy Plus.
   The book also came with a CD-ROM containing playable demos for nearly all of the games covered by the book, plus eighteen other games not covered between the covers. My copy, sadly, is lacking this disc, but the good news is that some other enterprising soul uploaded it to Archive.org, and you can grab your own copy of it to play around with!
   Now, enough words! Download this book, enjoy the nostalgia, pay me my tribute by kicking that 'Thanks' button like you're Duke Nukem's mighty boot, and prepare for the next awesome release from your Retromags Goddess! ❤️
   *huggles*
   Areala
   

   232 downloads

   6 comments

   Updated December 20, 2023

6. 

   007: Nightfire - Prima's Official Strategy Guide (2002)

   By dablais

   007 - Nightfire - Prima's Official Strategy Guide (2002)
   

   238 downloads

   • prima

   2 comments

   Submitted December 16, 2023

7. 

   Return To Castle Wolfenstein - Prima's Official Strategy Guide (2001)

   By dablais

   Return To Castle Wolfenstein - Prima's Official Strategy Guide (2001)
   

   246 downloads

   • prima

   0 comments

   Submitted December 4, 2023

8. 

   Command & Conquer - Red Alert 2 - Prima's Official Strategy Guide (2000)

   By dablais

   Command & Conquer - Red Alert 2 - Prima's Official Strategy Guide (2000)
   

   248 downloads

   • prima

   2 comments

   Submitted November 26, 2023

9. 

   Command & Conquer - Renegade - Prima's Official Strategy Guide (2002)

   By dablais

   Command & Conquer - Renegade - Prima's Official Strategy Guide (2002)
   

   184 downloads

   • prima

   0 comments

   Submitted November 26, 2023

10. 

    Spyro The Dragon - Prima's Official Strategy Guide (1998)

    By dablais

    Spyro The Dragon - Prima's Official Strategy Guide (1998)
    

    483 downloads

    • prima

    0 comments

    Submitted November 26, 2023

11. 

    Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare - Prima's Official Strategy Guide (2001)

    By dablais

    Alone in the Dark - The New Nightmare - Prima's Official Strategy Guide (2001)
    

    287 downloads

    • prima

    1 comment

    Submitted November 23, 2023

12. 

    Alias - Prima's Official Strategy Guide (2004)

    By dablais

    Alias - Prima's Official Strategy Guide (2004)
    

    143 downloads

    • prima

    1 comment

    Submitted November 23, 2023

13. 

    Mario Party 4 - Official Strategy Guide (2002)

    By dablais

    Mario Party 4 - Official Strategy Guide (2002)
    

    325 downloads

    • bradygames

    1 comment

    Submitted November 19, 2023

14. 

    Yu-Gi-Oh! - The Sacred Card - Prima's Official Strategy Guide (2003)

    By dablais

    Yu-Gi-Oh! - The Sacred Card - Prima's Official Strategy Guide (2003)
    

    197 downloads

    • prima

    0 comments

    Submitted November 19, 2023

15. 

    Command & Conquer - Generals Zero Hour - Prima's Official Strategy Guide (2003)

    By dablais

    Command & Conquer - Generals Zero Hour - Prima's Official Strategy Guide (2003)
    

    192 downloads

    • prima

    1 comment

    Submitted November 19, 2023

16. 

    Command & Conquer - Tiberian Sun - Advanced Strategies - Prima's Official Strategy Guide (2000)

    By dablais

    Command & Conquer - Tiberian Sun - Advanced Strategies - Prima's Official Strategy Guide (2000)
    

    214 downloads

    • prima

    1 comment

    Submitted November 19, 2023

17. 

    Command & Conquer - Yuris Revenge - Prima's Official Strategy Guide (2001)

    By dablais

    Command & Conquer - Yuris Revenge - Prima's Official Strategy Guide (2001)
    

    204 downloads

    • prima

    0 comments

    Submitted November 19, 2023

18. 

    Yu-Gi-Oh! - Trading Card Game Rule Book - Prima's Official Strategy Guide

    By dablais

    Yu-Gi-Oh! - Trading Card Game Rule Book - Prima's Official Strategy Guide
    

    186 downloads

    • prima

    0 comments

    Submitted November 18, 2023

19. 

    Super Smash Bros. Melee - Prima's Official Strategy Guide

    By dablais

    Super Smash Bros. Melee - Prima's Official Strategy Guide
    

    423 downloads

    • prima

    0 comments

    Submitted November 16, 2023

20. 

    Mario Kart Super Circuit - Prima's Official Strategy Guide

    By dablais

    Mario Kart Super Circuit - Prima's Official Strategy Guide
    

    430 downloads

    • prima

    0 comments

    Updated November 10, 2023

21. 

    Mega Man X Official Game Secrets (1994)

    By Argus

    Mega Man X Official Game Secrets (1994)
    

    448 downloads

    2 comments

    Submitted October 14, 2023

22. 

    Silver - Prima's Official Strategy Guide (1999)

    By Argus

    Silver - Prima's Official Strategy Guide (1999)
    

    220 downloads

    0 comments

    Submitted September 27, 2023

23. 

    Banjo-Tooie Official Strategy Guide (2001)

    By Argus

    Banjo-Tooie Official Strategy Guide (2001)
    

    608 downloads

    2 comments

    Updated September 21, 2023

24. 

    Banjo-Kazooie - Prima's Official Strategy Guide (1998)

    By Argus

    Banjo-Kazooie - Prima's Official Strategy Guide (1998)
    

    565 downloads

    1 comment

    Submitted September 4, 2023

25. 

    Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000 Official Strategies & Secrets (1999)

    By Argus

    Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000 Official Strategies & Secrets (1999)
    

    136 downloads

    0 comments

    Submitted August 21, 2023