From Spirits to Amiibo to the fact that LITERALLY EVERY PREVIOUS CHARACTER IS BACK, there's a lot going on in the upcoming Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. To help newcomers and overwhelmed fans alike study up before the game's release, one fan took it upon themselves to create a 52-page manual that describes everything from item effects to individual character movesets. The best part is, the manual is a free download.
People who have been gaming for a few console generations might remember the days when physical game releases included an actual booklet. A lot of these manuals contained unique art and even extra bits of lore, such as Pokémon Red's "Trainer's Guide" being written by Professor Oak or the original Super Mario Bros. manual telling us that blocks were people!
Unfortunately, those manuals are a thing of the past. Gaming companies in 2018 are equal parts profit-minded and environmentally-conscious. There's no money in unnecessarily-detailed manuals, and they waste paper anyway. As such, new games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate don't ship with a manual in the box. Enter OharaLibrarianArtur.
Ohara made their own digital manual in the style of the booklets of old. They did a great job matching the aesthetic of the game's branding and made liberal use of art assets from the official Super Smash Bros. Ultimate website to give it a professional look. Being a fan product, however, it also goes into more advanced tactics like shorthopping and perfect shielding that a Nintendo manual might gloss over.
At 52 pages, it's clear that this manual is the product of passion and research. Ohara even went to several demo events for the game and took notes on the characters' movesets. Because of this, the manual even includes move breakdowns for characters like Isabelle that are brand new.
Take a look at some of the pages:
OharaLibrarianArtur has also declared that the manual is a work-in-progress, and that they're open to any feedback that will make it more informative and appealing. You can see the current version here, and download it here.