Using outside resources to beat a game is rarely an issue these days. Most titles are built to hold your hand and guide you from objective to objective. I honestly don’t mind this type of design, but it can become overbearing. Sometimes it’s nice to have a game just let go. So I was pleasantly surprised when I found myself occasionally becoming lost while trying to get through Golden Sun on the Game Boy Advance. Most of the information you need is there, but occasionally it’ll ask you to find your own way.
I was having trouble locating a particular destination and almost turned to GameFaqs. Instead, I randomly flipped through the digital manual on Wii U and found a handy little map that not only marks the location of each area but also the order you are supposed to visit them. That may seem against the spirit of exploration, but it’s not always easy to tell exactly how you are supposed to get somewhere. The map just gives you a location to find your way to.
I rarely ever buy into special editions, so I’ve never gotten an a map presented to me outside of the game itself. It was neat and exciting finding a helpful tool hidden away in the manual.
