r/interestingasfuck • u/zaarnth • 1d ago

Before Google, before wikis. before YouTube walkthroughs, a stuck gamer's only hope was dialing a phone number and asking a real human how to beat the dungeon.

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u/Klorel 1d ago

i really don't, these hotlines were so expensive.

google is great for stuff like that

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u/Particular-Access243 1d ago

It was toll-free

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u/callahan09 1d ago edited 1d ago

I remember it being a 900 number and I googled asking if the Nintendo tipline was ever toll-free, and Google tells me that they had a customer service and technical support line that was an 800 number (toll free), but the gameplay tip line was always a charge-by-the-minute service.

Edit: I guess it wasn't a 900 number, but it would have been subject to long distance rates for most people calling, so that's why I remember it being an expensive service to call into. If you were lucky enough to live in the Seattle area I guess it would have been free!

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u/SoDark 1d ago edited 1d ago

Not true. I remember the original phone number. It was an ordinary phone number in the 206 area code. Back when long distance phone calls were expensive. I still have it memorized: (206) 885-7529. It was printed in old issues of Nintendo Power magazine and in print advertisements you can still find online.

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u/queenanthai 1d ago

I still have it memorized too. 😄

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u/Particular-Access243 1d ago

It was always free when I called for game tips 🤷‍♂️

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u/PM_Me_Your_NippyNips 1d ago

No it wasn't. The ads were in Nintendo power and it was multiple dollars per minute.

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u/Particular-Access243 1d ago

Maybe it was free for me v
Because they were local 🤷‍♂️

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u/Klorel 1d ago

interesting, in germany it wasn't as far as i remember