Earliest Known Forced Tutorial?

[GryeDor]

Hey all, I've been doing some research on the matter and am curious to discover the first video game to feature a forced tutorial.

It seems right around the Playstation/N64/Saturn era is when the first level of a game started getting replaced by a tutorial level that took you through the game mechanics. I want to find the first.

The earliest example I can think of is Banjo-Kazooie, which was the June of 1998. This one though allows you to skip it if you already know what you're doing.

I think Perfect Dark may have had one as well, but it's been so long since I've played that I can't remember... not to mention it came after Banjo.

If you know of other games earlier that featured a tutorial, skippable or mandatory, post it here - I'd love to discover these!

Here's where we are at so far...
Earliest Skippable Tutorial: Tomb Raider (NOV 96)
Earliest Mandatory Tutorial: Unknown

[Curlypaul]

The first level of PD is a proper level, but there is the option to do some of the training missions in the base. I'm not sure if they can be classed as pure tutorials though as they are more like challenges - press 5 buttons in 3 seconds kind of thing.

Interesting question though. I hate forced tutorials - if I'm playing it for the second time I just want to get straight for the game.

[TEKTORO]

Does Tomb Raider count,I cant remember off hand if it was optional.Traning in her mansion?

[AppleQueso]

Does Tomb Raider count,I cant remember off hand if it was optional.Traning in her mansion?

It was optional.

[TEKTORO]

O ok,yea but with all those commands it may aswell been manditory

[Zing]

The arcade game Mario Bros. has an un-skippable demonstration of how to defeat each enemy the first time you would encounter it.

[GryeDor]

The arcade game Mario Bros. has an un-skippable demonstration of how to defeat each enemy the first time you would encounter it.

VERY interesting... did that carry over into any of the home ports? Never have the chance to play the arcade itself.

Does Tomb Raider count,I cant remember off hand if it was optional.Traning in her mansion?

It was optional.

Nice, that at least predates Banjo, never was into the Tomb Raider series when it was brand new. Although one of my friends once told me he found a code that gave you an animation of Lara bathing nude.

[Inazuma]

Rockman X on the Super Famicom had a forced tutorial, but it was so well designed, you wouldn't know it.

[Zing]

The arcade game Mario Bros. has an un-skippable demonstration of how to defeat each enemy the first time you would encounter it.

VERY interesting... did that carry over into any of the home ports? Never have the chance to play the arcade itself.

I have yet to see it on any port. I expected it on the NES port, which I played for the first time this summer, but it wasn't there. The NES version does still play the music, but no tutorial.

An example of the tutorial is at the 26 second mark in this video.

[MrPopo]

Rockman X on the Super Famicom had a forced tutorial, but it was so well designed, you wouldn't know it.

I dunno, I'd call that a very loose definition of forced tutorial at best.