Choosing a video game strategy reference usually means reconciling three things: which console or game you want to master, how much wear you are willing to accept, and what the guide should include beyond the basic walkthrough. The four reference books below cover that decision neatly, from the cheapest Super Game Boy guide to the most expensive Tomb Raider 3 walkthrough, with two mid-price guides in between.
Quick take
For most shoppers, the practical sweet spot is the middle of the price range. The Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories guide pairs a fold-out poster with a complete walkthrough and 144 illustrated pages. The Granstream Saga guide from Prima Games also lands near the middle and covers that RPG specifically. If your priority is a colorful, low-cost reference for Super Game Boy play, the Super Game Boy guide is the easiest entry point. The Tomb Raider 3 guide is the outlier: it is a used official walkthrough, but it is priced well above the other three, so it makes sense mainly for a collector.
Price comparison
The bars below show where each guide sits relative to the full listed-price range.
| Guide | Listed price | Price position |
|---|---|---|
| Super Game Boy Nintendo Strategy Guide Book | USD 11.99 | |
| Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories Official Strategy Guide | USD 15.99 | |
| The Granstream Saga: Prima's Official Strategy Guide | USD 15.00 | |
| Tomb Raider 3 PS1 Strategy Guide | USD 81.20 |
Decision matrix
| Guide | Best for | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Super Game Boy Nintendo Strategy Guide Book | A colorful guide to the Super Game Boy and compatible Game Boy games | Good condition, so shelf wear is visible on the covers |
| Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories Official Strategy Guide | A walkthrough for Chain of Memories | Trade paperback from 2004 |
| Tomb Raider 3 PS1 Strategy Guide | PS1-era Tomb Raider fans who want the official walkthrough | Collector-oriented price point |
| The Granstream Saga: Prima's Official Strategy Guide | Players who want a Prima-made guide for this RPG series | Very Good condition, with focus on the Granstream Saga |
Product notes
Super Game Boy Nintendo Strategy Guide Book
For a low-cost entry into the category, this official Super Game Boy guide is hard to pass up. It is in Good condition, with visible shelf wear on the covers, including light corner wear and creasing, so consider it a working reference rather than a display piece. The full-color cover alone pulls together screenshots from Tetris, Dr. Mario, Yoshi, Kirby's Dream Land, Metroid Return of Samus, Wario Land, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, Donkey Kong, and Super Mario Land. If you want a snapshot of that era's Game Boy library, this guide gives you that context in one place. Its limitation is the same as its appeal: it is built around the Super Game Boy accessory and compatible Game Boy games, not a multi-console overview.
Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories Official Strategy Guide
Published in 2004, this DK Games trade paperback is a content-rich guide at the lower end of the price range. The book has no torn or missing pages, and it includes a fold-out poster alongside a complete walkthrough for the Game Boy Advance game. The 144 pages are credited to Greg Sepelak and Beth Hollinger. The reason to choose it is straightforward: you want the full Chain of Memories experience without paying top dollar. The slight limitation is that its contents are aimed at Chain of Memories, so it works best when you are actually playing that GBA entry.
Tomb Raider 3 PS1 Strategy Guide
The Tomb Raider 3 PS1 Strategy Guide is the one to reach for if Tomb Raider 3 is the exact game on your shelf. It is an official walkthrough book for the PlayStation version. The catch is the price: at $81.20, it is much more expensive than the other three guides in this comparison. If you collect Tomb Raider material or need the specific walkthrough for this entry, the higher cost may be justified. For a general PlayStation reference, though, you would be paying for a single-game book. This guide is also the one with the widest price gap from the lowest-priced option in the group.
The Granstream Saga: Prima's Official Strategy Guide
This Prima Games guide is a tidy middle-ground option at a moderate price. It is a walkthrough specifically designed for the Granstream Saga series, and the condition is Very Good. If you are working through that RPG and want tips, tricks, and strategies tied to its story and systems, this title puts the focus where you need it. The limitation is scope: the guide is devoted to Granstream Saga, so it will not act as a general-purpose role-playing reference. If you are choosing between this and the Kingdom Hearts guide, the decision comes down to which game you are actually playing. Both sit in the same budget area, but they serve different libraries.
Final recommendation by use case
Choose the Super Game Boy guide if you want the least expensive way to get a colorful, game-by-game reference for Super Game Boy play. Choose the Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories guide when you are playing Chain of Memories on Game Boy Advance and want the guide written for that entry. Choose the Tomb Raider 3 PS1 Strategy Guide if you have a collector's interest in that specific PS1 era and are comfortable with the higher listed price. Choose The Granstream Saga guide if you want a strategy reference for one RPG at a moderate price.
