Prima Games
Template:Company-infobox Prima Games is a publisher of video game strategy guides founded in 1990 and based in California. The company is a division of Random House.
Prima Games published several officially licensed guidebooks for Mario games, which competed with concurrent Nintendo Power guides. Following Nintendo Power's sale by Nintendo of America and acquisition by Future USA, Prima entered a partnership with Nintendo in 2007[1].
Early in its life, the publisher released several unofficial guides (often suffixed with "Unauthorized Game Secrets") to games it did not have a license for. Such guides were made for Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Diddy Kong Racing and Mario Kart 64, among others.
On November 8, 2018, publisher DK announced that the Prima Games imprint would be discontinued in spring 2019 due to a large decline in strategy guide sales.[2] However, on March 14, 2019, Asteri Holdings acquired the digital assets of Prima Games from DK Publishers[3].
Gallery of Mario-relevant official guides
Nintendo 64
Prior to obtaining a license from Nintendo, Prima published several game guides for the Nintendo 64. After becoming licensed, Prima released a few editions which included several games in the one guide. Many of the games which were covered by such editions were the games Prima published before becoming licensed, such as Yoshi's Story.
Nintendo 64 Game Secrets guide
Pocket edition for the N64, which includes a bonus section for the Game Boy
Game Boy/Game Boy Color
Many of the games on the Game Boy and Game Boy Color were not vast enough to each have their own game guide, so like the Nintendo 64, several "mash up" editions were published. Two of them featured Mario on the cover. The game Super Mario Bros. Deluxe was the only Mario game for the Game Boy Color to get its own guide.
Game Secrets 1999 edition
Game Secrets 2001 edition
- Prima Guide-SMBD.jpg
Nintendo GameCube
The following six guides were published for Mario games on the Nintendo GameCube.
Game Boy Advance
Five Mario and one Donkey Kong game guides were published for the Game Boy Advance.
- Prima Guide-SMA.jpg
- Prima Guide-SMA4.jpg
Nintendo DS
Few guides were made for Mario games on the Nintendo DS. A total of six games were covered, but four of them were part of a compilation.
The Pocket edition, covering New Super Mario Bros., Mario Kart DS, Super Mario 64 DS and Mario Party DS
Wii
Nine Mario games were covered by Prima for the Wii console. Both a premiere and collectors edition were published for Super Mario Galaxy and its sequel. The collectors edition included bonus content, such as original concept art
- Prima Guide-MP9.JPG
- Prima Guide-NSMBW.jpg
Super Mario Galaxy (premiere edition)
Super Mario Galaxy (collectors edition)
Super Mario Galaxy 2 (premiere edition)
Super Mario Galaxy 2 (alternative premiere edition)
Super Mario Galaxy 2 (collectors edition)
Nintendo 3DS
Seven Mario games for the Nintendo 3DS have received guides. Two of these, Mario Kart 7 and New Super Mario Bros. 2, were also covered in a "Player's Guide Pack" alongside Animal Crossing: New Leaf and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, featuring truncated renditions of their guides, though the guide's download code also allows readers to unlock the full versions of said guides on the Prima website. Unlike the rest of the guides, the New Super Mario Bros. 2 complete guide is opened upwards. There is a guide for Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, although the guide is shared with the Wii U version as well.
Player's Guide Pack
Wii U
There are four Wii U Mario games that have been covered by Prima. A guide for Super Mario 3D World was also released, but only in a smaller format similar to 3DS game guides. There is also a guide for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, although the guide is shared with the 3DS version as well.
- Prima Guide-NSMBU.JPG
Nintendo Switch
The guide for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is available as both a "starter guide" digital-only version on the Nintendo eShop, and the full guide which is available in print. Super Mario Odyssey was released in two formats: a standard, paperback version and a hardcover "Collector's Edition" that comes with a poster.
Super Mario Odyssey (hardcover)
Super Mario Odyssey (paperback)
References
- ^ Nintendo Power Magazine (Internet Archive: Wayback Machine)
- ^ Sommers, Erin (November 08, 2018). People, Etc.: DK to Close Prima Games. PublishersLunch. Retrieved November 09, 2018
- ^ Sinclair, Brendan (March 14, 2019). Asteri acquires Prima Games. gamesindustry.biz. Retrieved June 09, 2019
