Full color, beautiful artwork, a real attention to detail. Alot of people never read them. It's a shame. I was sooo happy when FF7 had a real manual, even though I knew how to play already. I think that possibly some of the nicer ones should be preserved online.
Most manuals online are just plain ol' text.
The only time a manual was read was during the car ride home after buying the game at the mall. You play the damn thing until you understand what's going on, and by that time the game is over. Buy the next game and repeat. If you want a story, watch the intro. Sure, after you've played it a zillion times, you don't need it anymore.