[oriolid]

I wonder if it occurred to Nintendo at the time that they could have sold the device by themselves. Right now it seems that one of the best business models in (casual mobile) games is to make the game unwinnable at some point and then sell boosters that allow progress to next level.

[rograndom]

That was what Nintendo Power magazine subscriptions were for. Recurring revenue for stuff that should've been in the game manuals (maps, secret explanations, etc)

[oriolid]

To me it sounds more like cheats for people who can't be bothered to draw the map or find the secrets than something that should be included in game instructions. So, almost like selling gems now.

Btw, the map that came with Star Control II was brilliant storytelling addition. It was really there for copy protection, but in-game it represented the game universe in the past and if you had the map, you were in for some surprises.