Niko Nirvi
Encyclopedia
Niko Nirvi is a long-term major icon in the Finnish
gaming world. He is well known for writing computer game reviews since the 1980s in MikroBitti
, C=Lehti
and the computer game yearbooks that were predecessors of the Pelit
magazine
. He has worked for the latter since its founding in 1992, and holds a column in addition to making reviews and other reports.
Nirvi began his career as a game reviewer in 1986 on pages of MikroBitti. He had made a bet with his friend that he could get his review published in the magazine. He sent two reviews, Zoids and Uridium
and the former was published (they already had one Uridium review). Nirvi wrote reviews and a regular column about new games for Mikrobitti and became the "game editor" of the magazine. He also wrote reviews for C=Lehti. When Pelit, that concentrated solely on gaming, was founded by the same publisher, Nirvi joined its ranks as an editor, and has written a regular column for each issue.
Trademarks of his are signing with "Nnirvi" or a variation, and never showing his face in the magazine. Photos of him are always either covered or edited in a way that the face is unrecognizable. His personal picture in his articles is usually a gaming or movie character whose face is blurred (for example Master Chief) while the rest of the crew's articles feature their real faces. Wallu's drawings of Nirvi depict him as a bearded man with Spock
's Vulcan ears.
Nirvi's style is typically humorous, and sometimes unorthodox. Some of Nirvi's most unconventional reviews were published in C=Lehti. The review of Domark
's motorboat game Hydra was written as a nursery rhyme from the beginning to the end. The review of Battle Island contained just three words: "shitty Commando clone".
, Star Wars
and Star Trek
. He has also stated that he has read Lord of the Rings over ten times.
Nirvi has given several statements about the usefulness of computer gaming. At one interview he said that gaming is a completely useless hobby. On the first issue of Pelit (1992) he wrote that gaming helps people overcome their fears towards computers (that is typical for some old people). In another interview he declared that many strategy games can develop the players' intellectual capabilities: they can teach English, history and strategic thinking.
Nirvi's favorite games from the 1980s are Star Wars (Atari
's arcade game), Ultima IV
, Hack (the precursor of Nethack
), Elite and Dungeon Master. In 2000 he stated that the best PC game ever is UFO: Enemy Unknown.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
gaming world. He is well known for writing computer game reviews since the 1980s in MikroBitti
MikroBitti
MikroBitti is a Finnish computer magazine, founded in May 1984 and published by Sanoma Magazines, a division of the Sanoma Group. MikroBitti is aimed mainly for beginner to mid-level computer users...
, C=Lehti
C-lehti
C-lehti was a Finnish computer magazine targeted specifically at Commodore computers.C-lehti was started in 1987 as a spin-off of MikroBitti and was published roughly every two months. It was Finland's first ever computer magazine to only cover one specific family of computers...
and the computer game yearbooks that were predecessors of the Pelit
Pelit
Pelit is a Finnish video games magazine published 11 times a year by Sanoma Magazines, a division of the Sanoma Group. Being by far the largest of its kind in Finland and covering both PCs and consoles, it has for a long time lacked serious competition and is thought by many to be the magazine of...
magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
. He has worked for the latter since its founding in 1992, and holds a column in addition to making reviews and other reports.
Nirvi began his career as a game reviewer in 1986 on pages of MikroBitti. He had made a bet with his friend that he could get his review published in the magazine. He sent two reviews, Zoids and Uridium
Uridium
Uridium is a science fiction side-scrolling shoot 'em up for the Commodore 64 . It consists of fifteen levels, each named after a metal element, with the last level being called Uridium...
and the former was published (they already had one Uridium review). Nirvi wrote reviews and a regular column about new games for Mikrobitti and became the "game editor" of the magazine. He also wrote reviews for C=Lehti. When Pelit, that concentrated solely on gaming, was founded by the same publisher, Nirvi joined its ranks as an editor, and has written a regular column for each issue.
Trademarks of his are signing with "Nnirvi" or a variation, and never showing his face in the magazine. Photos of him are always either covered or edited in a way that the face is unrecognizable. His personal picture in his articles is usually a gaming or movie character whose face is blurred (for example Master Chief) while the rest of the crew's articles feature their real faces. Wallu's drawings of Nirvi depict him as a bearded man with Spock
Spock
Spock is a fictional character in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by Leonard Nimoy in the original Star Trek series, Spock also appears in the animated Star Trek series, two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, seven of the Star Trek feature films, and numerous Star Trek...
's Vulcan ears.
Nirvi's style is typically humorous, and sometimes unorthodox. Some of Nirvi's most unconventional reviews were published in C=Lehti. The review of Domark
Domark
Domark Software was a video games software house based in the United Kingdom. The name was derived from the given names of its founders, Dominic Wheatley and Mark Strachan...
's motorboat game Hydra was written as a nursery rhyme from the beginning to the end. The review of Battle Island contained just three words: "shitty Commando clone".
Personal opinions
Nirvi has made it clear that he does not like sports or sports related video games. He has been a big fan of Babylon 5Babylon 5
Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created, produced and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The show centers on a space station named Babylon 5: a focal point for politics, diplomacy, and conflict during the years 2257–2262...
, Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
and Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
. He has also stated that he has read Lord of the Rings over ten times.
Nirvi has given several statements about the usefulness of computer gaming. At one interview he said that gaming is a completely useless hobby. On the first issue of Pelit (1992) he wrote that gaming helps people overcome their fears towards computers (that is typical for some old people). In another interview he declared that many strategy games can develop the players' intellectual capabilities: they can teach English, history and strategic thinking.
Nirvi's favorite games from the 1980s are Star Wars (Atari
Atari
Atari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
's arcade game), Ultima IV
Ultima IV
Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar, first released in 1985 for the Apple II, is the fourth in the series of Ultima computer role-playing games. It is the first in the "Age of Enlightenment" trilogy, shifting the series from the hack and slash, dungeon crawl gameplay of its "Age of Darkness"...
, Hack (the precursor of Nethack
NetHack
NetHack is a single-player roguelike video game originally released in 1987. It is a descendant of an earlier game called Hack , which is a descendant of Rogue...
), Elite and Dungeon Master. In 2000 he stated that the best PC game ever is UFO: Enemy Unknown.