<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[RSS Feed]]></title><description><![CDATA[RSS Feed]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com</link><image><url>http://direct.ecency.com/logo512.png</url><title>RSS Feed</title><link>http://direct.ecency.com</link></image><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Wed, 13 May 2026 16:03:04 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="http://direct.ecency.com/created/toguideornottoguide/rss.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[To Guide or Not to Guide: Mercenaries - Playground of Destruction Official Game Guide (2005, Prima Publishing)]]></title><description><![CDATA[Pandemic Studios' Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction, published in 2005 by LucasArts for the PS2 and Xbox, is in my humble opinion the single greatest sandbox-style game ever made. The design philosophy]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/gaming/@modernzorker/to-guide-or-not-to-guide-mercenaries-playground-of-destruction-official-game-guide-2005-prima-publishing</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/gaming/@modernzorker/to-guide-or-not-to-guide-mercenaries-playground-of-destruction-official-game-guide-2005-prima-publishing</guid><category><![CDATA[gaming]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[modernzorker]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 09 Jan 2019 20:38:03 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/2N61tyyncFaFVtpM8rCsJzDgecVMtkz4jpzBsszXjhqan9qBxNiB8shbemWh8ErV967tqQsrC5gpxdBPTSN7LHDQynF5ZgN2cuUunNGTszVbxcFhx1d5ksGQcTPoKmhcRyc5fmFCQEj8?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[To Guide or Not to Guide: NES Game Atlas (1991, Nintendo of America)]]></title><description><![CDATA[In the days before satellite navigation, cellular phones, and GPS, every driver planning a cross-country voyage knew the most important thing he or she could pack in their car wasn't an extra change of]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/books/@modernzorker/to-guide-or-not-to-guide-nes-game-atlas-1991-nintendo-of-america</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/books/@modernzorker/to-guide-or-not-to-guide-nes-game-atlas-1991-nintendo-of-america</guid><category><![CDATA[books]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[modernzorker]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 11 Sep 2018 21:12:03 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/qjrE4yyfw5pEPvDbJDzhdNXM7mjt1tbr2kM3X28F6SraZeMjJuSBkfRt1vfXpVS7qjdmpLNYaPPzLp5seEKvQJHprZUg9Gt7praDrnhwn3iHdeXZMUwvc8AS?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[To Guide or Not to Guide: The Official Nintendo Player's Guide (1987, Tokuma Shoten)]]></title><description><![CDATA[Welcome back my fellow geeks and gaming historians to another installment of "To Guide or Not to Guide", the series which looks at the processed tree corpses of bygone decades devoted to video]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/books/@modernzorker/to-guide-or-not-to-guide-the-official-nintendo-player-s-guide-1987-tokuma-shoten</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/books/@modernzorker/to-guide-or-not-to-guide-the-official-nintendo-player-s-guide-1987-tokuma-shoten</guid><category><![CDATA[books]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[modernzorker]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 09 Sep 2018 22:05:36 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/4i88GgaV8qiFU89taP2MgKXzwntUGAvkoQiKU7VxyD37q9CFsAeoeWkAe5QQKVMb18T9h5f4soaA1Zg7sMtU4jzF18DiQVq4q5ivaE1VGPUkSJGr69VVcgPSrA?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[To Guide or Not to Guide: Virtua Racing Official Racing Guide by David Cassady (1994, Brady Publishing)]]></title><description><![CDATA[I know what you're thinking, but trust me, you want to read this one. "Why?" I know you're questioning. I questioned myself. But as a result of this questioning, I went on my own epic quest of]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/books/@modernzorker/to-guide-or-not-to-guide-virtua-racing-official-racing-guide-by-david-cassady-1994-brady-publishing</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/books/@modernzorker/to-guide-or-not-to-guide-virtua-racing-official-racing-guide-by-david-cassady-1994-brady-publishing</guid><category><![CDATA[books]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[modernzorker]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 11 Jul 2018 22:02:18 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/HNWT6DgoBc14riaEeLCzGYopkqYBKxpGKqfNWfgr368M9VJcx4ZStFSJ1xeJoL3NtCQhaWPTjd1nQkPzuWJtfyfsbmD2JoifXCxpL8oJHFFwbPtfFJDWBZRJ2vS?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[To Guide or Not to Guide: The Lost Episodes of DOOM by Mendoza, Klie, & Carter (1995, Sybex)]]></title><description><![CDATA[There were plenty of computer-related and game-related books published prior, but Doom well and truly blew the doors off the industry. Before Doom, you got books about playing different sorts of games.]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/books/@modernzorker/to-guide-or-not-to-guide-the-lost-episode-of-doom-by-mendoza-klie-and-carter-1995-sybex</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/books/@modernzorker/to-guide-or-not-to-guide-the-lost-episode-of-doom-by-mendoza-klie-and-carter-1995-sybex</guid><category><![CDATA[books]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[modernzorker]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 08 Jul 2018 23:10:51 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/4i88GgaV8qiFU89taP2MgKXzwntUGAvkoQiKU7VxyD37q91BW6UqNcNFUSqbfpFVn9uFi3A6rbzXsWKPS9EPLr8GWRoXmZWcPXKSy5tRN4ESDfEieXttxWchyp?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[To Guide or Not to Guide: Awesome Sega Genesis Secrets by J. Douglas Arnold (1991, Sandwich Islands Publishing)]]></title><description><![CDATA[Note: Unless otherwise stated, all images in this article are scanned by me from my own sources. Before I get into the meat and potatoes of this review, I just want you to take a few moments and look at]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/gaming/@modernzorker/to-guide-or-not-to-guide-awesome-sega-genesis-secrets-by-j-douglas-arnold-1991-sandwich-islands-publishing</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/gaming/@modernzorker/to-guide-or-not-to-guide-awesome-sega-genesis-secrets-by-j-douglas-arnold-1991-sandwich-islands-publishing</guid><category><![CDATA[gaming]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[modernzorker]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 26 Jun 2018 01:13:12 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/4i88GgaV8qiFU89taP2MgKXzwntUGAvkoQiKU7VxyD37q939kGiVdHzzMWGZRU7Sz7Nk9VqX2WUXnCVb7h41Qgwy9DF38vh8JhDpHvmDhQ3NkbcZeS5NQhoRSE?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[To Guide or Not to Guide: Ultimate Unauthorized Nintendo Super NES Game Strategies by Sandler & Badgett (1991, Bantam)]]></title><description><![CDATA[Note: Unless otherwise indicated, all images are scanned from my own source materials. You knew it had to be coming. Corey Sandler and Tom Badgett hit upon a winning combination for Bantam's "Game]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/books/@modernzorker/to-guide-or-not-to-guide-ultimate-unauthorized-nintendo-super-nes-game-strategies-by-sandler-and-badgett-1991-bantam</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/books/@modernzorker/to-guide-or-not-to-guide-ultimate-unauthorized-nintendo-super-nes-game-strategies-by-sandler-and-badgett-1991-bantam</guid><category><![CDATA[books]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[modernzorker]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 22 Jun 2018 23:18:36 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/6VvuHGsoU2QBt9MXeXNdDuyd4Bmd63j7zJymDTWgdcJjo1LwnmwrhzvaZYbJXbyLvYPWAHLMrTrQUmcJUdd7Jnn3nfE3D6a4DQVhZN2uyFQ41X5VwuHDHKzYDJyfeW?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[To Guide or Not to Guide: Winner's Guide to Sega Genesis (1990, Kate Barnes)]]></title><description><![CDATA[Listen up, chumps: when it comes to gaming, you've got two choices. You can be a loser, or you can be a winner. Losers take forever to get anything done. They start games, they get a little ways in, they]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/books/@modernzorker/to-guide-or-not-to-guide-winner-s-guide-to-sega-genesis-1990-kate-barnes</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/books/@modernzorker/to-guide-or-not-to-guide-winner-s-guide-to-sega-genesis-1990-kate-barnes</guid><category><![CDATA[books]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[modernzorker]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 22 Jun 2018 01:17:30 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/HNWT6DgoBc14riaEeLCzGYopkqYBKxpGKqfNWfgr368M9U6cY3q2gaT4pS6nsVh3wzExfzEVoap4dpHkmKZ7yekuCC5dnrV7HNkJpmw7Zht5x2QmEDk1ukrteUn?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[To Guide or Not to Guide: Conquering Adventure Games (1984, Carl Townsend)]]></title><description><![CDATA[Look at the cover of this book. Check out the valiant hero, with his glowing broadsword. Witness his female companion, dashing along after her protector as they cross the stone bridge together. Don't they]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/books/@modernzorker/to-guide-or-not-to-guide-conquering-adventure-games-1984-carl-townsend</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/books/@modernzorker/to-guide-or-not-to-guide-conquering-adventure-games-1984-carl-townsend</guid><category><![CDATA[books]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[modernzorker]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 20 Jun 2018 22:59:06 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/qjrE4yyfw5pEPvDbJDzhdNXM7mjt1tbr2kM3X28F6SraZe6QCBaFFfovXeUrwcQJEKo2J2Z2jicchMHYgtu3xLehFqM2mjc4evAgunZbhcLK96WkQEfytpuC?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[To Guide or Not to Guide: The Final Fantasy Companion (1999, Game Informer Magazine)]]></title><description><![CDATA[Note: Unless otherwise noted, all images in this article are scanned from my own sources. Game Informer magazine gets a pretty bad rap these days. It's the house organ for GameStop stores, maintaining]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/books/@modernzorker/to-guide-or-not-to-guide-the-final-fantasy-companion-1999-game-informer-magazine</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/books/@modernzorker/to-guide-or-not-to-guide-the-final-fantasy-companion-1999-game-informer-magazine</guid><category><![CDATA[books]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[modernzorker]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 13 Jun 2018 21:41:54 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/4i88GgaV8qiFU89taP2MgKXzwntUGAvkoQiKU7VxyD37q9VbthwnVFaQiL4uY4mZLaFsv9tFgE5Vc6ctcv3zooXncGWrGtAMWvCVTVMjiUZj7n3aQqMFmqnF7C?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[To Guide or Not to Guide: Behind the Scenes at Sega (1995, Prima)]]></title><description><![CDATA[Note: Unless otherwise indicated, all scans in this article are from my own source materials, and (c) Prima Publishing. Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please? It's my profound honor to]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/books/@modernzorker/to-guide-or-not-to-guide-behind-the-scenes-at-sega-1995-prima</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/books/@modernzorker/to-guide-or-not-to-guide-behind-the-scenes-at-sega-1995-prima</guid><category><![CDATA[books]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[modernzorker]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 12 Jun 2018 17:51:27 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/HNWT6DgoBc14riaEeLCzGYopkqYBKxpGKqfNWfgr368M9VXkQRnzB49M9qJHtX2DbTMNebnmoZw8G18yScnKHEtt1sosH6BtqTaJ8XDQX7uPkozkvT1bQceoemU?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[To Guide or Not to Guide: The Completely Unauthorized Final Fantasy VII Ultimate Guide (1997, Versus Books)]]></title><description><![CDATA[Note: Unless otherwise stated, all images in this article were scanned from my own collection. Role-playing games and strategy guides go together like pepperoni and pizza. There's just so much going on]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/books/@modernzorker/to-guide-or-not-to-guide-the-completely-unauthorized-final-fantasy-vii-ultimate-guide-1997-versus-books</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/books/@modernzorker/to-guide-or-not-to-guide-the-completely-unauthorized-final-fantasy-vii-ultimate-guide-1997-versus-books</guid><category><![CDATA[books]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[modernzorker]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 11 Jun 2018 00:27:03 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/6VvuHGsoU2QBt9MXeXNdDuyd4Bmd63j7zJymDTWgdcJjo1VyiMdJRXMfZM39Ed9op4R2n1CzJuYViJq9F9r3kJo67TgJG6dkgbF6zkw9GPnTaKdizCUygvzwbxoXnW?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[To Guide or Not to Guide: Tricks of the Doom Programming Gurus (1995, SAMS Publishing)]]></title><description><![CDATA[Note: All images in this article are sourced from my own scans unless otherwise indicated, and are (c) 1995, SAMS Publishing. iD Software unleashed Hell in 1993, then brought Hell to Earth in 1994. Most]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/books/@modernzorker/to-guide-or-not-to-guide-tricks-of-the-doom-programming-gurus-1995-sams-publishing</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/books/@modernzorker/to-guide-or-not-to-guide-tricks-of-the-doom-programming-gurus-1995-sams-publishing</guid><category><![CDATA[books]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[modernzorker]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 02 Jun 2018 04:01:03 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/2FFvzA2zeqoVJ2SVhDmmumdPfnVEcahMce9nMwwksSDdRvNh3gJLru6tgh7WbLYV4k65zG6objxr3XyWPQREUvZB6g4iXa862VQwHz1Tz261TyyKxAKiZFHWryqy8?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[To Guide or Not to Guide: Ultimate Unauthorized Nintendo Game Strategies (1989, Corey Sandler and Tom Badgett)]]></title><description><![CDATA[Note: All images in this article are sourced from my own scans, unless otherwise indicated, and are (c) 1989 Bantam Books, Inc. I still remember the day I saw this book sitting on the shelf at the local]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/books/@modernzorker/to-guide-or-not-to-guide-ultimate-unauthorized-nintendo-game-strategies-1989-corey-sandler-and-tom-badgett</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/books/@modernzorker/to-guide-or-not-to-guide-ultimate-unauthorized-nintendo-game-strategies-1989-corey-sandler-and-tom-badgett</guid><category><![CDATA[books]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[modernzorker]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 01 Jun 2018 01:45:06 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/HNWT6DgoBc14riaEeLCzGYopkqYBKxpGKqfNWfgr368M9U6eFzSg9q1vLFh8upNx3JYRnffjJ1ktoV52QzEhbnX11PWjuGkkeYzxpRE8WA5sMUa6kdfDKFyvHhG?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[To Guide or Not to Guide: Secret Codes for Super NES (1996, Brady Publishing)]]></title><description><![CDATA[I was an avid Super Nintendo fan in my youth. I still am, to be honest, but back when the 16-bit console wars were waging, I threw my lot in with Nintendo's console and never looked back. While my hopes]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/books/@modernzorker/to-guide-or-not-to-guide-secret-codes-for-super-nes-1996-brady-publishing</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/books/@modernzorker/to-guide-or-not-to-guide-secret-codes-for-super-nes-1996-brady-publishing</guid><category><![CDATA[books]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[modernzorker]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 27 May 2018 18:30:42 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/6VvuHGsoU2QBt9MXeXNdDuyd4Bmd63j7zJymDTWgdcJjnzuLYYfpaUj5TMyS5seSLAaDZLbLZup7aSNtDxGR5ytgfVdkV845sVYn21w69WvvUftZ7QrwtC416hcLKG?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[To Guide or Not to Guide: Scoring Big at Pac-Man (1982, Craig Kubey)]]></title><description><![CDATA[You want to talk about throwbacks to an earlier era? Let's march through history and take a look at one of the grandfathers of the modern-day, full-color, tome-sized books we call strategy guides. Back]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/books/@modernzorker/to-guide-or-not-to-guide-scoring-big-at-pac-man-1982-craig-kubey</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/books/@modernzorker/to-guide-or-not-to-guide-scoring-big-at-pac-man-1982-craig-kubey</guid><category><![CDATA[books]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[modernzorker]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 23 May 2018 18:41:30 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/4i88GgaV8qiGEw1xifwYz2xp7RJEnNpBZq7dn2K63AjyrRxrkeX6qjQFvoETJbArh5A8QtDPJoWG6ezdHEwubNqcgSC4aWmXZZ2ZVQMRiGWKi9QP1TN853tQiA?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[To Guide or Not to Guide: Totally Unauthorized Tomb Raider II Pocket Guide (1997, BradyGames)]]></title><description><![CDATA[Source: Who's got two thumbs and scanned those images? THIS GUY! (c) BradyGames Having been thoroughly insulted by BradyGames' treatment of Tomb Raider II in their Totally Unauthorized PlayStation Games]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/books/@modernzorker/to-guide-or-not-to-guide-totally-unauthorized-tomb-raider-ii-pocket-guide-1997-bradygames</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/books/@modernzorker/to-guide-or-not-to-guide-totally-unauthorized-tomb-raider-ii-pocket-guide-1997-bradygames</guid><category><![CDATA[books]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[modernzorker]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2018 18:01:57 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/2FFvzA2zeqoVZ5NRzV2o8MyJEzowAL6rjbt8w3dTHikSeZMAdZ15SNS6f68S2tmTwRchWZBrd4HCAYmJCPsuZvUEhoGyPTCLGyzrmiSyeE8dZVFhXTbQrs2Y78shx?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[To Guide or Not to Guide: Totally Unauthorized PlayStation Games Book, Volume 5 (1998, BradyGames)]]></title><description><![CDATA["To be, or not to be: that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/books/@modernzorker/to-guide-or-not-to-guide-totally-unauthorized-playstation-games-book-volume-5-1998-bradygames</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/books/@modernzorker/to-guide-or-not-to-guide-totally-unauthorized-playstation-games-book-volume-5-1998-bradygames</guid><category><![CDATA[books]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[modernzorker]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 16 May 2018 15:12:18 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/Zskj9C56UondJxcjVaienfhVaNb7LJVWG6e787gZr5kTmCYqk9MBKcPoGTD8KbHG8kXpB5gWQwij65NWhRJC3VfbTa7RSn9dN19kuBc7qEcY1LYTpHYA?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item></channel></rss>