Enlarge / Samus Aran poses for the back page of the Japanese Metroid manual. (credit: Nintendo)

Well before the NES Mini‘s launch, Nintendo and other companies were already plumbing the nostalgic depths with classic-gaming re-releases, either as boxed items or downloadable software. However, most of these haven’t come paired with that era’s most common pack-in item: the instruction manual.

Sadly, the NES Mini doesn’t come packed with a giant printed instruction manual for its 30 games (which could have affected its $60 price point). But the new, tiny hardware did prompt Nintendo to do something it has rarely ever done: scan and upload full, original-era print manuals as free PDF downloads.

We at Ars are big fans of digital archival in general, but in my case, that applies especially to classic gaming manuals. I pored through my collection of NES instruction booklets on a regular basis in the late ’80s and early ’90s. If it weren’t for the manuals, in fact, I might not have gotten so much gaming access as a kid in that era.