Swords and Serpents
Platform - Nintendo Entertainment System
Type of Material - Manual
Production Date - Unknown
Location - Manual Map Pages
Writing Instrument - Pencil
Material Source - Photos from eBay Auction
Summary - This Swords and Serpents manual contains several maps made using the dot-based grids included in the manual. Swords and Serpents' manual brings to consoles the practice of including grid notepads and papers with PC games. Their inclusion signifies a shift in hardware and software capabilities from single-screen arcade action games to game spaces with greater spatial complexity and depth. More than this, these papers present a counterpoint to screen and cinema-biased readings of "video" games. Rather than thinking and experiencing games through screens alone, these papers encourage players to locate themselves on the page and navigate digital spaces with pencil, connecting the player experience here more closely with practices found in analogue and table-top wargaming.
