I found what may be what a lot of gamers need, expecially those of you who enjoy collecting older titles. There is a site called Replacement Docs that provides a valuable service. They offer, in PDF format, gaming manuals, maps, and documentation for a huge selection of previously released game titles.

From the Replacementdocs.com webiste…

Have you ever rented a game that came with no instructions?

Have you ever bought a used game and found out later that the package you received didn’t come with an essential map or answers to copy protection questions required to play the game?

Have you ever bought a re-released game and then realized that they only included an Installation Guide, no game instructions at all?

Has your wife (or husband!) ever just thrown out all your game manuals because they thought “you didn’t need them anymore”?

…If so, replacementdocs is here to help!

Their library of documents is constantly being updated. I have been unable to find another site that provides the same level of service as Replacementdocs. They are highly recommended.

Most people have been trying to predict the next-gen console war winner on their graphics capability alone. This, my friends, is a mistake.

You only have to look at the current generation of systems to see that the most powerful console does not always equal the most market share. The current Xbox is much more capable than the PS2 but, despite that fact, Sony was the clear “winner” when it comes to market share in the current generation. Nintendo’s GameCube, which is also more capable graphically than the PS2, is a distant third. It should be obvious that it takes more than mere muscle to come out on top.

The next round of console wars is almost upon us. All three hardware manufacturers are trying to position their next-gen system as being “the one”. Now, more than ever, it will take more than snazzy graphical effects and beatiful scenery to end up in first place. All three systems, no matter what anyone tells you, will be more than capable enough to produce incredible graphics, smart a.i., and huge gaming worlds. The “big three” will need to offer something above and beyond graphics to convince gamers that they should spend their hard-earned dollars on their console. This is where I think Microsoft will have an advantage over Nintendo & Sony.

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This is an impressive mod, especially if you’re a gamer like myslef. Brent Housen’s friend has taken a Mac mini, gutted it, and reassembled it inside an NES. The power button on the NES puts the Mac mini to sleep, and the Reset button ejects the CD tray. Pretty damn sweet. I just hope you don’t have to blow on the CD’s repeatedly to get them to work.

Source: Joystiq

We’ve all been there. You order something from the Apple Store, and then you compulsively check Apple’s status page to see where your order is. Finally, your Mac is shipped and now, you compulsively check FedEx to see where the heck your Mac is (’On the truck?! Why the heck has it been on the truck for 2 days?!’).

Mike Pointek has whipped up the Apple Order Status widget to help with the first part of this Mac ritual. Instead of visiting Apple’s website, you can just pop into the Dashboard for an hourly (you can choose the update interval) status report.

Source: TUAW

This week’s Game Over column addresses the recent flurry of news about a PS3 delay — news that Sony, by the way, has categorically denied while failing to produce any tangible evidence to the contrary. The basic reasons behind the delay speculation: the PS3 is very expensive to produce right now, and the specs for the Blu-ray drive haven’t even come in yet.

Chris Morris, the columnist, reminds us of all the pressures on Sony to get the PS3 on the market soon, and discounts a lot of the chicken little delay predictions.

Granted, the possibility of a delayed PS3 launch and prohibitively expensive production costs make for some great headlines and forum chatter, but there are a few other realities to also consider.

Check out the column for his list of reasons why the PS3 can’t afford a delay, and why it won’t matter for Americans anyway. He’s right about one thing: if we get the system before the end of the year, all will be well and good. But he also cites a lot of market pressures that could force Sony to jump the gun. We’ll dissect them here, and explain why they’re not worth the rush.

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