Nintendo Power
Encyclopedia
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America
, but now run independently. As of issue #222 (December 2007), Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US
, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.
The first issue published was July/August 1988 spotlighting the NES
game Super Mario Bros. 2
. It remains one of the longest-running video game magazines in the United States and Canada, and is Nintendo's official magazine in North America.
, separating itself from a more traditionally speculative approach as used by its contemporaries. The magazine has remained financially successful and is one of the longest-running game oriented magazines still in circulation.
In mid-1998, Nintendo Power allowed outside advertising within its pages, something formerly reserved for Nintendo-based products only. In its early years, ads only appeared in the first and last few pages of the magazine, leaving no ads to break up the magazine's editorial content. These front cover advertisements were often simply subscription offers.
In July 2005, Nintendo Power created a new design to appeal to a limited gaming audience, including a new logo and article format. Along with the cosmetic overhaul came a greater focus on Nintendo fans, staff reviews, rumor-milling and fan service including an expanded and enhanced reader mail segment (known as "Pulse") and an equally revamped "Community" section. Nintendo
also introduced a new incentive promotional offer that involves the registration of three Nintendo (or Nintendo affiliated) products through Nintendo.com to receive a free three issue trial subscription to Nintendo Power.
Today, the magazine has shifted its focus from game strategies to mainly news, previews, and articles on upcoming games. The overall composition has shifted to a more ostentatious design, with less standard framework and more aggressive, bright colors and shapes.
Nintendo Power began as the several page long Nintendo Fun Club
News (which was sent to subscribers for free). However, in mid-1988 Nintendo Fun Club News was discontinued after seven issues and revamped as Nintendo Power. The first issue published 3.6 million copies, with every member of the Nintendo Fun Club receiving a free one. Almost one third of the members subscribed.
The magazine was edited at first by Fun Club "President" Howard Philips, himself an avid game player. While the Fun Club News focused solely on games made in-house by Nintendo, Nintendo Power was created to allow for reviews of games produced by those licensed by Nintendo, such as Konami
, Capcom
, and the like. Nintendo Power' s mascot
in the late 1980s and early 1990s was Nester, a comic character created by Philips. After Philips left the company, Nester became the magazine's sole mascot. Early issues of the magazine featured a two-page Howard and Nester comic, which was later replaced with the two-page Nester's Adventures, later reduced to one page, and eventually dropped altogether. Subsequently, Mario
replaced Nester as the mascot of the magazine. Later, during the early 2000s, the magazine made another mascot out of its Senior Writer, Alan Averill. Apparently very camera-shy, Averill himself never appeared in any photos; rather, he was represented by a plush toy of a Blue Slime
from Dragon Quest
. Fans often clamored to see what Averill actually looked like, but the magazine continued to substitute with photos of the toy, and even claimed that Alan was, in fact, a Blue Slime. Eventually, Averill retired from Nintendo Power, joining Nintendo of America's localization department. To this day, most fans have never seen a real image of Averill. The inclusion of a photo of Mr. T
in the Player's Pulse section became a running gag in the early half of 2005. More recently, running gags have centered around Chuck Norris
references and jokes at the expense of writer Chris Shepperd.
During the early 1990s the magazine used what was a unique and very expensive promotion; giving away a free copy of the new NES
game Dragon Quest
to every new subscriber. This promotion was in part a move on Nintendo's part to make money off Dragon Warrior (Dragon Quest in Japan) which had not sold nearly as well as Nintendo had anticipated, and it was left with a large number of unsold cartridges on its hands. The promotion both helped the company get rid of the unsold merchandise, and won the magazine thousands of new subscribers.
Following the release of the Super NES
, the magazine featured lengthy, continuous comic stories based on Super Mario World
and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
. After these stories ended, they were replaced by similar multi-issue stories based on Star Fox, Super Metroid
, and later on, N64
games such as Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
and Blast Corps. Comics based on the animated series of Pokémon
and Kirby: Right Back At Ya!
also made several appearances. More recently, short excerpts based on Custom Robo
and Metal Gear Solid
have been featured, as well as a very short Metroid Prime
comic, and one based on the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon
games translated from the original Japanese version.
In issues 196-200, Nintendo Power featured a "Top 200" game list, revealing 40 of them in countdown form every issue. The top 5 were, from fifth to first: Super Mario 64
, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
, Resident Evil 4
, and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
.
Starting in issue #206, the magazine began a page called Super Smash Bros. Brawl Wii Smash Files, which put the spotlight on announced characters in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
. The section ended abruptly long before the game's release.
would begin publishing Nintendo Power. The company's first official issue was released in October, as issue #222 (December 2007). It was also revealed that circulation would be increased to 13 issues a year, with the extra magazine being a holiday season bonus issue.
Before the magazine's 20th anniversary, it began a temporary section called 20 Years of Nintendo Power. This section took "a look back at classic gaming moments through the eyes of Nintendo Power." Part of the year-long celebration of Nintendo Power's 20th anniversary, this section ran only for 2008, ending with the Holiday 2008 issue.
Issue #231 (August 2008) celebrated Nintendo Power's 20th anniversary and made a list of the top twenty games from each of Nintendo's home and handheld consoles, and the best one for the unsuccessful Virtual Boy
.
In February, Nintendo Power released a bonus issue called 20 Years of Nintendo Power. It contained information on classic Nintendo Power articles from the NES to the Wii era. It also had stories behind Pokémon's
arrival in the United States, 3-D gaming, every Legend of Zelda game, and more. It was only available in stores; it did not ship to subscribers.
In issue #252, Nintendo Power included a top ten list for the best games of the decade.
Nintendo Power has also released several seasonal Buyer's Guides, poster magazines, a 2010 calendar, and two special guides dedicated to Mario
and The Legend of Zelda
respectively, available only at retail.
The latest issue is November (Volume 273), which previews Mario Kart 7 for the Nintendo 3DS
. It also spotlights The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
, Super Mario 3D Land, Shinobi
, Rayman Origins
, and Mario and Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games. It also had "7 reasons you should buy Mario Kart 7". There was also a tenth anniversary feature for the GameCube. They ranked the top 25 GameCube games. They are as follows:
from the Sonic the Hedgehog series was a fox
, not a mutant squirrel (as Nintendo Power called him). Hoffman, however refused to believe him. This section is a reference to American actor David Hasselhoff
.
While Nintendo Power does respond with a serious response to several of the letters it receives, it's more than common for a joke response to be posted. However, the amount of letters posted in Pulse has dropped drastically. For example, in Volume #206, 18 letters were posted in the first two pages of Pulse and 17 contained a response. In Volume #257, eight letters were posted in the first two pages and six received a reply.
A section called "Top Sellers" and "Most Wanted" was originally merged in 2005 with "Pulse". It showed the top five games of each console people wanted most, and the top sellers of each system. The former required input into the NSider Forums, which closed September 17, 2007. The section was consequently removed in late 2007. Future US stated that they "didn't really want to lose" the "Most Wanted" and parts of the "Community" sections (NSider Reviews, Fan Art, etc.), but, according to Future US, "[Future US] have always depended on input from people at nintendo.com's NSider forums." Future US continued with that due to Nintendo's decision to indefinitely close the NSider forums, "Unfortunately, there isn't much we can do right at this moment." However, Future US hinted that they would possibly create a new forum to replace the NSider forums and they will be currently "looking at ways to bring those cut sections as soon as possible." In issue #256, Most Wanted was revived in the form of Reader's Most Wanted, placed within the Game Forecast in "Power Up."
As of Volume #256, Pulse expanded a new page called "The Score." Results from online polls are posted, with topics related to Nintendo gaming.
There's even the "Star Power" Section in which each month talks about a video game character on his/her career graphs (with high points and low points), the staff's four favorite games with that character in it, the quote(s) from the character's game(s), and other details. Here's what was shown so far:
December 2011: Mario
At the end of Power Up is the Game Forecast (formerly "Pak Watch" and later "Game Watch Forecast"). This section is a list of upcoming games and their status in relation to release. As of Issue #223 (Holiday 2007) Future US switched from the previous three dot progress meter to using specific time frames of release but warns readers that the release time frames are subject to change. There was formerly a little column in between the page called Bits of Tid, in which little pieces of information in the world of gaming are shown. Next to the Game Forecast is Readers Most Wanted that shows the top 10 games gamers want. Opinions can be inputted through an online Nintendo Power survey.
titles, the results showing most wanted games from both readers and staffers. EarthBound
was currently #1 on the list the subscribers sent in, and Mega Man: The Wily Wars
was currently the #1 title the employees want to see on the Virtual Console. As of volume #245, Wanted! has been officially discontinued. In this month's issue, September 2011, previews Colors! 3D and gives you a download bonus for a Tornadus for Pokedex 3D. August 2011 is the first issue with 3DS virtual console and 3d classics reviews.
.
.
, Super Mario Sunshine
, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
, Resident Evil 4
, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
, and Super Smash Bros. Brawl
.
The second-highest reviewed games are New Super Mario Bros, Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, Super Mario Galaxy 2
, Pokemon HeartGold and Pokemon SoulSilver versions, and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
, and Rayman Origins
which all scored a 9.5. Among the worst reviewed games have been Ant Nation
, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
and X-Men: Destiny
for DS
, which have all received scores of 2.0, and Kung Fu Panda 2 on the Wii
got a 2.5. Also, NASCAR 2011: the game, Transformers: Dark of the Moon-Stealth Force Edition for Wii, and Transformers: Dark of the Moon-Autobots/Decepticons all got a 3.0.
A Reviews Archive is placed at the end of the issue's reviews, showing the scores for all previously reviewed games from the last 10 issues. The staff provides extra commentary on them throughout the archive. In previous volumes, a blue dot next to the game title represented a Wi-Fi compatible title, but has been removed from issues #244 on.
s, and Animal Crossing
. A number of features such as Reader Reviews and NSider Fan Art were removed due to their dependence on input at the NSider Forums, which was shut down indefinitely on September 17, 2007.
information and coverage. Originally written by Alan Averill, who has since left Nintendo Power. Discontinued in the late 90s, due to a lack of role-playing games on the Nintendo 64.
) and celebrity interviews. The column disappeared after Volume 16, but the celebrity interviews remained until late 1992.
games. It appeared with the release of the system, and came to a close in 2004.
's lifespan, the magazine ran a special column focusing on the handheld. However, it ended shortly after the Super NES
was released.
games, but then changed its name in 2002 to accommodate Nintendo GameCube
games as well. However, it vanished from the magazine during 2003.
games, then changed to feature the top 20 games for all the systems in 1992. In 1995, the name was changed to "Power Charts", and featured varying numbers per list, as handheld console lists received only half as much space as consoles. It was removed in 2001, but brought back in 2002, then revamped in 2005 as "Top Sellers", this time being listed in order of top sales and for "Most Wanted, the NP staff and reader's choices for best games. This section was merged with Pulse. Top Sellers and Most Wanted was removed after Nintendo's decision to indefinitely close down the NSider Forums on their website for a big site overhaul in 2007. Most Wanted was revived in 2010.
and Custom Robo Arena
. Since its omission, the 'miniguides' have begun bearing a normal article format, such as the "Galactic Tour" article for Super Mario Galaxy
in issue #222.
. Starting in January 1991, Nintendo Power became a full fledged monthly magazine with issue #20. Issues prior to that have become highly collectible.
The first four Nintendo Player's Guides in book format were the NES Game Atlas (featuring maps of popular NES franchises), Game Boy (featuring select Game Boy
games), Mario Mania (featuring information about Nintendo's mascot, Mario, but was mostly a full strategy guide of the then-new Super Mario World
), and Super NES (featuring select Super NES
games). All four were mailed free to subscribers of Nintendo Power in 1992. Later, a fifth free Player's Guide, Top Secret Passwords, featured passwords (and a few cheats) for selected NES, Super NES and Game Boy games. This guide was sent to subscribers who were now in the Super Power Club. Though originally billed as a subscriber exclusive, it was eventually sold at retailers.
Beginning with The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Player's Guides adopted a "one specific game" format, much like the earlier Nintendo Power Strategy Guides. They are separate entities from the magazine itself. The concept is now emulated by other publishing companies such as Brady Games or Prima
for Nintendo and other video game console
s. Almost all major Nintendo video games released from then to 2007 had an OGNP associated with it.
OGNPs are often sold at video game retailers, magazine stands and can also be ordered directly from Nintendo Power. Most Nintendo Power subscription packages include a free OGNP as an incentive.
With all of the FAQ
s for video games on the internet in modern times, OGNPs have suffered lower sales, and have long been a major incentive used for renewing subscription through the mail. T-shirts and the like are offered on occasion through the mail-in offers, however, by subscribing through the internet, many more premiums are available (more T-shirts, for example).
As of mid-2007, Nintendo seems to have quietly discontinued the series after the publication of the guide for Pokémon Battle Revolution
. Guides for popular games, including recent releases, are going out of stock at the Nintendo online store. No guide was published for Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
and none have been announced for soon-to-be-released major Nintendo projects. However, Chris Slate stated in Issue #223 that the project is on hiatus.
Nintendo now outsources production of official guides to Prima Games
. This can be seen with Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
, and Super Mario Galaxy
, among others. For The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
, and "Mario Kart Wii
," Prima released "special digest" versions of those games' strategy guides, which were NP subscriber bonuses(as such, they carried the label "Supplement to Nintendo Power Magazine"). These have been the only such guides since 2007.
These are the Game of the Year winners from 1988-2010:
In issue 252, Nintendo Power, in addition to their games of the year awards, included a top ten list for the best games of the first decade of the 21st century. They are as follows:
and games such as Donkey Kong Country
, Star Fox 64
, Diddy Kong Racing
, Banjo-Kazooie
, and Pokémon
. One of the tapes covered both Donkey Kong 64
and Jet Force Gemini
. Some of the tapes featured "hidden" previews at the end after the credits.
The practice has ceased with the availability of DVDs and online video. Nintendo Power included one bonus DVD in the August 2005 (v. 194) issue, featuring videos for The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
, Nintendogs
, and other games.
In the August 2011 (v. 270) issue, they included a Pokemon DVD that had a "Catch 'em all" music video and the first episode of the Black and White Animated Series.
and its games. A copy of the first issue was given complementary to subscribers in addition to being sold at newsstands. Four issues of Nintendo Power Advance were printed, the last of which served as a strategy guide for Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2.
With the release of Pokémon for the Game Boy
, Nintendo Power included six mini-issues of 'Pokémon Power' mainly featuring tips and strategies for the game.
In 1989, a smaller version of the magazine called Pocket Power was distributed at movie theaters showing The Wizard
.
Nester was the long-time teenage mascot
and comic strip star of Nintendo Power. Nester was created by Howard Phillips, "President" of the Nintendo Fun Club and a former editor of Nintendo Power, to be the supporting character in his comic strip, Howard & Nester. The comic strips generally advertised new games, often by dream sequences where Nester was actually a given video game character. From 1989 to 1993, The Nintendo Power Awards featured Nester-shaped trophies and were referred to in the magazine as the "Nesters" as a reference to the Oscars
.
In the June 1991 issue (Volume 25), Philips was written out of the strip after his real-life counterpart left Nintendo to work for Lucasarts. The strip was retitled Nester's Adventures the following issue and continued publication until Volume 55 (December 1993). Nester, now as a college student, appeared in Nintendo Power issue #100. He would be seen again in issue #231, the magazine's twentieth anniversary, here a grown man with a son new to Nintendo.
Nester has also been featured in a few video games that were released while the character was still featured in the magazine. His first appearance was as a commentator in NES Play Action Football
. Nester was the main character in Nester's Funky Bowling
for the Virtual Boy
, which also introduced his sister Hester. The character of Lark in Pilotwings 64
for the Nintendo 64
was based on Nester. Several games for the NES featured the name "NESTER" as one of the pre-set names on high-score lists, or a default character name like in To The Earth
for example.
A prominent NES
emulator has been named after him
.
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
, but now run independently. As of issue #222 (December 2007), Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US
Future US
Future US is a United States media corporation specializing in targeted magazines and websites in the video games, music, and technology markets. Future US is headquartered in the South San Francisco with offices in New York City and Los Angeles...
, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.
The first issue published was July/August 1988 spotlighting the NES
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
game Super Mario Bros. 2
Super Mario Bros. 2
Super Mario Bros. 2, often abbreviated SMB2, is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System as a sequel to the 1985 game Super Mario Bros. The game was also remade as part of the Super Mario All-Stars collection for the Super Nintendo Entertainment...
. It remains one of the longest-running video game magazines in the United States and Canada, and is Nintendo's official magazine in North America.
Overview and design
From the beginning, Nintendo Power has focused heavily on providing game strategy, tips and tricks, reviews, and previews of upcoming games. Seeing as the magazine enjoyed twenty years of Nintendo-directed publication, NP was the ultimate source for detailed mapping and insider knowledge delivered directly from the programming teams. As a result, the magazine has enjoyed the reputation of being the definitive source for all things NintendoNintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
, separating itself from a more traditionally speculative approach as used by its contemporaries. The magazine has remained financially successful and is one of the longest-running game oriented magazines still in circulation.
In mid-1998, Nintendo Power allowed outside advertising within its pages, something formerly reserved for Nintendo-based products only. In its early years, ads only appeared in the first and last few pages of the magazine, leaving no ads to break up the magazine's editorial content. These front cover advertisements were often simply subscription offers.
In July 2005, Nintendo Power created a new design to appeal to a limited gaming audience, including a new logo and article format. Along with the cosmetic overhaul came a greater focus on Nintendo fans, staff reviews, rumor-milling and fan service including an expanded and enhanced reader mail segment (known as "Pulse") and an equally revamped "Community" section. Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
also introduced a new incentive promotional offer that involves the registration of three Nintendo (or Nintendo affiliated) products through Nintendo.com to receive a free three issue trial subscription to Nintendo Power.
Today, the magazine has shifted its focus from game strategies to mainly news, previews, and articles on upcoming games. The overall composition has shifted to a more ostentatious design, with less standard framework and more aggressive, bright colors and shapes.
Issues #001 - #221
Nintendo Fun Club
The Nintendo Fun Club was a fan club marketed by Nintendo. It was free to join and those who joined it received a free subscription to Nintendo Fun Club News, a periodical that discussed popular games and games that were planned for the near future. It offered tips and tricks, Nintendo video game...
News (which was sent to subscribers for free). However, in mid-1988 Nintendo Fun Club News was discontinued after seven issues and revamped as Nintendo Power. The first issue published 3.6 million copies, with every member of the Nintendo Fun Club receiving a free one. Almost one third of the members subscribed.
The magazine was edited at first by Fun Club "President" Howard Philips, himself an avid game player. While the Fun Club News focused solely on games made in-house by Nintendo, Nintendo Power was created to allow for reviews of games produced by those licensed by Nintendo, such as Konami
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
, Capcom
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
, and the like. Nintendo Power
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
in the late 1980s and early 1990s was Nester, a comic character created by Philips. After Philips left the company, Nester became the magazine's sole mascot. Early issues of the magazine featured a two-page Howard and Nester comic, which was later replaced with the two-page Nester's Adventures, later reduced to one page, and eventually dropped altogether. Subsequently, Mario
Mario
is a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...
replaced Nester as the mascot of the magazine. Later, during the early 2000s, the magazine made another mascot out of its Senior Writer, Alan Averill. Apparently very camera-shy, Averill himself never appeared in any photos; rather, he was represented by a plush toy of a Blue Slime
Slime (Dragon Quest)
The Slime is the mascot of the Dragon Quest console role-playing game franchise. Designed by Akira Toriyama of Dragon Ball fame, the basic slime resembles a water drop with two large eyes and a big smile...
from Dragon Quest
Dragon Quest
, published as Dragon Warrior in North America until 2005,Due to the inconsistent usage by sources since Square Enix obtained the naming rights to Dragon Quest in North America. Dragon Quest has been used by sources to refer to games released solely under the Dragon Warrior titles...
. Fans often clamored to see what Averill actually looked like, but the magazine continued to substitute with photos of the toy, and even claimed that Alan was, in fact, a Blue Slime. Eventually, Averill retired from Nintendo Power, joining Nintendo of America's localization department. To this day, most fans have never seen a real image of Averill. The inclusion of a photo of Mr. T
Mr. T
Mr. T is an American actor known for his roles as B. A. Baracus in the 1980s television series The A-Team, as boxer Clubber Lang in the 1982 film Rocky III, and for his appearances as a professional wrestler. Mr. T is known for his trademark African Mandinka warrior hairstyle, his gold jewelry,...
in the Player's Pulse section became a running gag in the early half of 2005. More recently, running gags have centered around Chuck Norris
Chuck Norris
Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris is an American martial artist and actor. After serving in the United States Air Force, he began his rise to fame as a martial artist and has since founded his own school, Chun Kuk Do...
references and jokes at the expense of writer Chris Shepperd.
During the early 1990s the magazine used what was a unique and very expensive promotion; giving away a free copy of the new NES
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
game Dragon Quest
Dragon Quest
, published as Dragon Warrior in North America until 2005,Due to the inconsistent usage by sources since Square Enix obtained the naming rights to Dragon Quest in North America. Dragon Quest has been used by sources to refer to games released solely under the Dragon Warrior titles...
to every new subscriber. This promotion was in part a move on Nintendo's part to make money off Dragon Warrior (Dragon Quest in Japan) which had not sold nearly as well as Nintendo had anticipated, and it was left with a large number of unsold cartridges on its hands. The promotion both helped the company get rid of the unsold merchandise, and won the magazine thousands of new subscribers.
Following the release of the Super NES
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
, the magazine featured lengthy, continuous comic stories based on Super Mario World
Super Mario World
, subtitled Super Mario Bros. 4 for its original Japanese release, is a platform video game developed and published by Nintendo as a pack-in launch title for the Super Famicom/Super Nintendo Entertainment System , and is the fourth game in the Super Mario series...
and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, known as in Japan, is an action-adventure video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game console, and the third installment in The Legend of Zelda series. It was first released in Japan in 1991, and was...
. After these stories ended, they were replaced by similar multi-issue stories based on Star Fox, Super Metroid
Super Metroid
, also known as Metroid 3, is an action-adventure video game and the third game in the Metroid series. It was designed by Nintendo Research & Development 1, programmed by Intelligent Systems, and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game console...
, and later on, N64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
games such as Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire (video game)
Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire is a 1996 video game, developed by LucasArts. It was one of the first games made available for Nintendo's 64-bit system, Nintendo 64. A version for Windows 95 was released a year later...
and Blast Corps. Comics based on the animated series of Pokémon
Pokémon
is a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
and Kirby: Right Back At Ya!
Kirby: Right Back at Ya!
Kirby: of the stars, known in Japan Kirby right back at ya!', is an anime series based on Nintendo's Kirby franchise. The series was produced by Warpstar Inc., a company formed between a joint investment between Nintendo and HAL Laboratory, Inc.The series, which takes place in a village called...
also made several appearances. More recently, short excerpts based on Custom Robo
Custom Robo
is a science fiction robotic fighting video game franchise developed by NOISE and published by Nintendo Co., Ltd..The series currently spans five games, and has titles on the Nintendo 64, Nintendo Game Boy Advance, Nintendo GameCube and Nintendo DS...
and Metal Gear Solid
Metal Gear Solid
is a videogame by Hideo Kojima. The game was developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and first published by Konami in 1998 for the PlayStation video game console. It is the sequel to Kojimas early MSX2 computer games Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake...
have been featured, as well as a very short Metroid Prime
Metroid Prime
Metroid Prime is a video game developed by Retro Studios and Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube, released in North America on November 17, 2002...
comic, and one based on the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon
- Manga :*Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Ginji's Rescue Team, manga adaption of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team*Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blazing Exploration Team, manga adaption of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, Explorers of Darkness, and Explorers of Sky.-...
games translated from the original Japanese version.
In issues 196-200, Nintendo Power featured a "Top 200" game list, revealing 40 of them in countdown form every issue. The top 5 were, from fifth to first: Super Mario 64
Super Mario 64
is a platform game, published by Nintendo and developed by its EAD division, for the Nintendo 64. Along with Pilotwings 64, it was one of the launch titles for the console. It was released in Japan on June 23, 1996, and later in North America, Europe, and Australia. Super Mario 64 has sold over...
, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, released as in Japan, is an action-adventure game and the tenth installment in The Legend of Zelda series. It was released for the Nintendo GameCube in Japan on December 13, 2002, in North America on March 24, 2003, in Europe on May 2, 2003, and in Australia on...
, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, known as in Japan, is an action-adventure video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game console, and the third installment in The Legend of Zelda series. It was first released in Japan in 1991, and was...
, Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 4, known in Japan as , is a survival horror third-person shooter video game developed by Capcom Production Studio 4 and published by multiple publishers, including Capcom, Ubisoft, Nintendo Australia, Red Ant Enterprises and THQ Asia Pacific...
, and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
is an action-adventure video game developed by Nintendo's Entertainment Analysis and Development division for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It was released in Japan on November 21, 1998; in North America on November 23, 1998; and in Europe on December 11, 1998...
.
Starting in issue #206, the magazine began a page called Super Smash Bros. Brawl Wii Smash Files, which put the spotlight on announced characters in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
. The section ended abruptly long before the game's release.
Issues #222 and beyond
On September 19, 2007, Nintendo officially announced that the large magazine publisher Future USFuture US
Future US is a United States media corporation specializing in targeted magazines and websites in the video games, music, and technology markets. Future US is headquartered in the South San Francisco with offices in New York City and Los Angeles...
would begin publishing Nintendo Power. The company's first official issue was released in October, as issue #222 (December 2007). It was also revealed that circulation would be increased to 13 issues a year, with the extra magazine being a holiday season bonus issue.
Before the magazine's 20th anniversary, it began a temporary section called 20 Years of Nintendo Power. This section took "a look back at classic gaming moments through the eyes of Nintendo Power." Part of the year-long celebration of Nintendo Power's 20th anniversary, this section ran only for 2008, ending with the Holiday 2008 issue.
Issue #231 (August 2008) celebrated Nintendo Power's 20th anniversary and made a list of the top twenty games from each of Nintendo's home and handheld consoles, and the best one for the unsuccessful Virtual Boy
Virtual Boy
The was a video game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was the first video game console that was supposed to be capable of displaying "true 3D graphics" out of the box. Whereas most video games use monocular cues to achieve the illusion of three dimensions on a two-dimensional...
.
In February, Nintendo Power released a bonus issue called 20 Years of Nintendo Power. It contained information on classic Nintendo Power articles from the NES to the Wii era. It also had stories behind Pokémon's
Pokémon
is a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
arrival in the United States, 3-D gaming, every Legend of Zelda game, and more. It was only available in stores; it did not ship to subscribers.
In issue #252, Nintendo Power included a top ten list for the best games of the decade.
Nintendo Power has also released several seasonal Buyer's Guides, poster magazines, a 2010 calendar, and two special guides dedicated to Mario
Mario
is a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...
and The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda, originally released as in Japan, is a video game developed and published by Nintendo, and designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. Set in the fantasy land of Hyrule, the plot centers on a boy named Link, the playable protagonist, who aims to collect the eight fragments...
respectively, available only at retail.
The latest issue is November (Volume 273), which previews Mario Kart 7 for the Nintendo 3DS
Nintendo 3DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo. The autostereoscopic device is able to project stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi software...
. It also spotlights The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
is an action-adventure game for the Wii console and the sixteenth entry in the Legend of Zelda series. Developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development, it was released in Europe on November 18, 2011 in North America on November 20, 2011, in Japan on November 23, 2011, and on November...
, Super Mario 3D Land, Shinobi
Shinobi
Shinobi is the Japanese word for male ninja. It may also refer to:*Shinobi , a series of video games**Shinobi , the original video game in the series developed by Sega**Shinobi , the PlayStation 2 sequel...
, Rayman Origins
Rayman Origins
Rayman Origins is a platform game developed and published by Ubisoft for PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360, Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita. The game was released on November 15, 2011 in North America, November 24, 2011 in Australia and November 25, 2011 in Europe for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii....
, and Mario and Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games. It also had "7 reasons you should buy Mario Kart 7". There was also a tenth anniversary feature for the GameCube. They ranked the top 25 GameCube games. They are as follows:
- 25. Ikaruga
- 24. Animal Crossing
- 23. F-Zero GX
- 22. The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures
- 21. Tales of Symphonia
- 20. Star Wars Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron II
- 19. Donkey Kong Jungle Beat
- 18. Skies of Arcadia Legends
- 17. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
- 16. Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes
- 15. Luigi's Mansion
- 14. Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg
- 13. Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
- 12. Beyond Good & Evil
- 11. Viewtiful Joe
- 10. Resident Evil
- 9. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
- 8. Pikmin
- 7. Super Mario Sunshine
- 6. Soul Calibur II
- 5. Metroid Prime
- 4. Super Smash Bros. Melee
- 3. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
- 2. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
- 1. Resident Evil 4
Pulse
Formerly "Player's Pulse", this is a traditional mailbag section that features letters to the editor as submitted by readers. At first it was two different sections titled Mailbox and Video Spotlight, the latter of which featured mail from notable gamers. But during 1989, they merged into one section. Now, the first two pages are dedicated to basic letters while the third page is for responses to a requested topic. Starting in #239, a new column on the second page titled Don't Hassle the Hoff began, spotlighting senior editor and veteran Nintendo employee Chris Hoffman's response to a letter. For example, a fan tried to explain that the character TailsMiles "Tails" Prower
, better known by his nickname , is a character, as well as the main deuteragonist in the Sonic the Hedgehog series of video games, comics, animated series and film released by Sega....
from the Sonic the Hedgehog series was a fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
, not a mutant squirrel (as Nintendo Power called him). Hoffman, however refused to believe him. This section is a reference to American actor David Hasselhoff
David Hasselhoff
David Michael Hasselhoff is an American actor, singer, producer and businessman. He is best known for his lead roles as Michael Knight in the popular 1980s US series Knight Rider and as L.A. County Lifeguard Mitch Buchannon in the series Baywatch...
.
While Nintendo Power does respond with a serious response to several of the letters it receives, it's more than common for a joke response to be posted. However, the amount of letters posted in Pulse has dropped drastically. For example, in Volume #206, 18 letters were posted in the first two pages of Pulse and 17 contained a response. In Volume #257, eight letters were posted in the first two pages and six received a reply.
A section called "Top Sellers" and "Most Wanted" was originally merged in 2005 with "Pulse". It showed the top five games of each console people wanted most, and the top sellers of each system. The former required input into the NSider Forums, which closed September 17, 2007. The section was consequently removed in late 2007. Future US stated that they "didn't really want to lose" the "Most Wanted" and parts of the "Community" sections (NSider Reviews, Fan Art, etc.), but, according to Future US, "[Future US] have always depended on input from people at nintendo.com's NSider forums." Future US continued with that due to Nintendo's decision to indefinitely close the NSider forums, "Unfortunately, there isn't much we can do right at this moment." However, Future US hinted that they would possibly create a new forum to replace the NSider forums and they will be currently "looking at ways to bring those cut sections as soon as possible." In issue #256, Most Wanted was revived in the form of Reader's Most Wanted, placed within the Game Forecast in "Power Up."
As of Volume #256, Pulse expanded a new page called "The Score." Results from online polls are posted, with topics related to Nintendo gaming.
Power Up
Formerly News until issue #256, it is a lengthy, multi-page segment devoted to news relating to video games, their publishers/developers, and announcements. As of issue #256 it also contains a "Collector's Corner" which spotlights gaming-related merchandise, "Star Power" which spotlights a video game character, "A Winner Is.../Dodongo Dislikes..." that highlights brief highs and lows in the gaming world, "Warp Zone" that displays what Nintendo Power wrote 5, 10, and 20 years ago, and a short "Power Quiz." However, the answers are displayed at the bottom of the page, unlike the lengthier "Power Quiz" in the past.Ther is also a section called 'That was awesome! Our favorite video game moments'.There's even the "Star Power" Section in which each month talks about a video game character on his/her career graphs (with high points and low points), the staff's four favorite games with that character in it, the quote(s) from the character's game(s), and other details. Here's what was shown so far:
- July 2010: YoshiYoshi, is a fictional dragon-like character who appears in video games published by Nintendo. His debut was in Super Mario World on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as Mario and Luigi's sidekick , and he later established his own series with several platform and puzzle games, including Super...
- August 2010: Captain Falcon
- September 2010: Little Mac
- October 2010: Bowser
- November 2010: ZeldaPrincess Zeldais the name of a fictional character in The Legend of Zelda series of video games. The name has applied to every female member of Hyrule's royal family, which includes several distinct characters in Hyrule legend. Though she is the eponymous character, the player controls the main protagonist, Link...
- December 2010: Fox McCloud
- Holiday 2010: Mega Man
- January 2011: Olimar
- February 2011: Sonic the HedgehogSonic the Hedgehog (character), trademarked Sonic The Hedgehog, is a video game character and the main protagonist of the Sonic video game series released by Sega, as well as in numerous spin-off comics, cartoons, and a feature film. The first game was released on June 23, 1991, to provide Sega with a mascot to rival Nintendo's...
- March 2011: WaluigiWaluigiis a fictional character in the Mario series of video games. He accompanies Wario in spin-offs from the main Mario series, oftentimes for the sake of causing mischief...
- April 2011: Mike Haggar
- May 2011: Kirby
- June 2011: Ryu Hayabusa
- July 2011: TingleTingleis the video game character of the eponymous Tingle series. He was originally part of the The Legend of Zelda series, first appearing in Majora's Mask, released in the year 2000. Since his first appearance, he has appeared in each installment of the series up through Spirit Tracks, except for...
- August 2011: NightsNights (character)Nights is a video game character from the games Nights into Dreams... and Nights: Journey of Dreams, developed and published by Sega. Nights is gender-less, known as a "Nightmaren" who resides in Nightopia, a dream world where the dreams of all human beings are acted out every night...
- September 2011: Donkey Kong
- October 2011: Phoenix Wright
- November 2011: Earthworm Jim
December 2011: Mario
At the end of Power Up is the Game Forecast (formerly "Pak Watch" and later "Game Watch Forecast"). This section is a list of upcoming games and their status in relation to release. As of Issue #223 (Holiday 2007) Future US switched from the previous three dot progress meter to using specific time frames of release but warns readers that the release time frames are subject to change. There was formerly a little column in between the page called Bits of Tid, in which little pieces of information in the world of gaming are shown. Next to the Game Forecast is Readers Most Wanted that shows the top 10 games gamers want. Opinions can be inputted through an online Nintendo Power survey.
Download
Debuting in issue #212, "Wii Channels", as it was known at the time, provides information on recently released and upcoming Wii Channels and Virtual Console, WiiWare, and DSiWare titles. The Evaluation Station is a collection of mini reviews of the latest Virtual Console, WiiWare, and DSiWare titles. Reviewists rate the games on a scale of "Grumble Grumble," "Hmmm...," and "Recommended." It also featured a column called Wanted! devoted to the most wanted Virtual ConsoleVirtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
titles, the results showing most wanted games from both readers and staffers. EarthBound
EarthBound
EarthBound, also known as EarthBound: The War Against Giygas! and released as in Japan, is a role-playing video game co-developed by Ape and HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game console...
was currently #1 on the list the subscribers sent in, and Mega Man: The Wily Wars
Mega Man: The Wily Wars
Mega Man: The Wily Wars, released in Japan as is a video game compilation by Capcom for the Sega Mega Drive. The game features remakes of the first three Mega Man games that were originally released for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The Wily Wars was released in cartridge format in Japan and...
was currently the #1 title the employees want to see on the Virtual Console. As of volume #245, Wanted! has been officially discontinued. In this month's issue, September 2011, previews Colors! 3D and gives you a download bonus for a Tornadus for Pokedex 3D. August 2011 is the first issue with 3DS virtual console and 3d classics reviews.
Previews
Information on upcoming games spread throughout pages accompanied by numerous screenshots and artwork. In volume #252 it changed from a column-esque layout to a more standard article design.Power Profiles
A column containing information and an interview with a person involved in the game industry. It debuted in issue #216 and featured famed video game designer Shigeru MiyamotoShigeru Miyamoto
is a Japanese video game designer and producer. Miyamoto was born and raised in Kyoto Prefecture; the natural surroundings of Kyoto inspired much of Miyamoto's later work....
.
Playback
A section reminiscing about games of old. This department made its debut in the #201 (March 2006) with Earthworm JimEarthworm Jim
Earthworm Jim is a run and gun platform video game starring an earthworm named Jim in a robotic suit who battles evil. Created by Doug TenNapel and designed by David Perry, the game was developed by Shiny Entertainment and Playmates Interactive Entertainment, released by Sega for the Mega...
.
Reviews
A section where staff writers review the latest games. The games are rated on a scale of 1-10 with increments of .5. They used to be rated on a scale of 1-5 with any increment. Currently the only perfect 10s in Nintendo Power history are Metroid PrimeMetroid Prime
Metroid Prime is a video game developed by Retro Studios and Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube, released in North America on November 17, 2002...
, Super Mario Sunshine
Super Mario Sunshine
is a platforming video game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube. It was released in Japan in July 2002, in North America in August 2002, and in Europe and Australia in October 2002...
, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, released as in Japan, is an action-adventure game and the tenth installment in The Legend of Zelda series. It was released for the Nintendo GameCube in Japan on December 13, 2002, in North America on March 24, 2003, in Europe on May 2, 2003, and in Australia on...
, Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 4, known in Japan as , is a survival horror third-person shooter video game developed by Capcom Production Studio 4 and published by multiple publishers, including Capcom, Ubisoft, Nintendo Australia, Red Ant Enterprises and THQ Asia Pacific...
, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is a first-person action-adventure game developed by Retro Studios and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. It is the tenth game in the Metroid series, and the final entry in the Metroid Prime trilogy—excluding two spin-off titles. It was released in...
, and Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
.
The second-highest reviewed games are New Super Mario Bros, Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, Super Mario Galaxy 2
Super Mario Galaxy 2
is a platforming video game developed by Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It was first announced at E3 2009 and is the sequel to Super Mario Galaxy. It was released in North America on May 23, 2010, in Japan on May 27, 2010, in Europe on June 11, 2010, and in Australia on July 1,...
, Pokemon HeartGold and Pokemon SoulSilver versions, and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
is an action-adventure video game developed by Nintendo's Entertainment Analysis and Development division for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It was released in Japan on November 21, 1998; in North America on November 23, 1998; and in Europe on December 11, 1998...
, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, released as in Japan, is the fifteenth installment of Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series. Developed by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console, it was released worldwide throughout December 2009 after Nintendo president Satoru Iwata announced the...
, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D is an action-adventure video game co-developed by Grezzo and Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS handheld console. The game was released on June 16, 2011 in Japan, June 17, 2011 in Europe, June 19, 2011 in North America and June 30, 2011 in Australia; however, it...
, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
is an action-adventure game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development, and published by Nintendo for the GameCube and Wii video game consoles. It is the thirteenth installment in The Legend of Zelda series...
, and Rayman Origins
Rayman Origins
Rayman Origins is a platform game developed and published by Ubisoft for PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360, Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita. The game was released on November 15, 2011 in North America, November 24, 2011 in Australia and November 25, 2011 in Europe for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii....
which all scored a 9.5. Among the worst reviewed games have been Ant Nation
Ant Nation
Ant Nation is a real time strategy video game from Konami for WiiWare and Nintendo DS. The WiiWare version was released on July 13, 2009 in North America and the Nintendo DS version was released on September 8, 2009.-Gameplay:...
, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (video game)
Hypers Daniel Wilks commends the game for "being better than Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End". However, he criticises it for being "dull, repetitive and lazy".-External links:*...
and X-Men: Destiny
X-Men: Destiny
X-Men: Destiny is a video game based on the X-Men comic book series. It was developed by Silicon Knights and published by Activision. The game was released in North America on September 27, 2011 for the PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360, and Nintendo DS consoles...
for DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
, which have all received scores of 2.0, and Kung Fu Panda 2 on the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
got a 2.5. Also, NASCAR 2011: the game, Transformers: Dark of the Moon-Stealth Force Edition for Wii, and Transformers: Dark of the Moon-Autobots/Decepticons all got a 3.0.
A Reviews Archive is placed at the end of the issue's reviews, showing the scores for all previously reviewed games from the last 10 issues. The staff provides extra commentary on them throughout the archive. In previous volumes, a blue dot next to the game title represented a Wi-Fi compatible title, but has been removed from issues #244 on.
Community
The community section is dedicated to Nintendo-related things, such as events, music, collections, fan art, cosplay, mods, food, websites, and in the past, art of the month, reader reviews, MiiMii
A is a digital avatar used in Nintendo's Wii and Nintendo 3DS gaming consoles. They allow users to capture a likeness of themselves and others. After creating one using the Wii's Mii Channel or the Nintendo 3DS's Mii Maker, they can be used as playable characters in various titles for the...
s, and Animal Crossing
Animal Crossing: Wild World
is a 2005 social simulation video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console, and is the second game in the Animal Crossing series....
. A number of features such as Reader Reviews and NSider Fan Art were removed due to their dependence on input at the NSider Forums, which was shut down indefinitely on September 17, 2007.
Counselors' Corner
Nintendo's game counselors would answer game-related questions, providing hints and strategies. It was removed in 2003. Nintendo of America eventually closed its game counselor hotline in 2005, and all employees working as counselors at the time were moved to other departments.Epic Center
Role-playing gameRole-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
information and coverage. Originally written by Alan Averill, who has since left Nintendo Power. Discontinued in the late 90s, due to a lack of role-playing games on the Nintendo 64.
NES Achievers / Power Player's Challenge / Arena
Players send in their best game scores to try to win free T-shirts, originally Super Power Stamps. Later it challenged readers to do insanely hard stunts such as a 3 heart run without being forced to continue after defeat in Zelda games.NES Journal
A newsletter within the magazine, often featuring media news relating to Nintendo (such as the premieres of the cartoon shows and the release of The WizardThe Wizard (film)
The Wizard is a 1989 adventure dramedy film starring Fred Savage, Luke Edwards, and Jenny Lewis...
) and celebrity interviews. The column disappeared after Volume 16, but the celebrity interviews remained until late 1992.
The Nindex
A list of released Nintendo GameCubeNintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
games. It appeared with the release of the system, and came to a close in 2004.
Game Boy
Early in the Game BoyGame Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
's lifespan, the magazine ran a special column focusing on the handheld. However, it ended shortly after the Super NES
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
was released.
Game Boy A-Go-Go / Title Wave
This section featured short strategy reviews for various video games. Originally, it focused on Game Boy ColorGame Boy Color
The is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than...
games, but then changed its name in 2002 to accommodate Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
games as well. However, it vanished from the magazine during 2003.
Power On
Entertainment section featuring caption contests and celebrity interviews. Began in 2002, but ended in mid-2005. As of volume 215, the caption contests have returned in the "Community" section.Pokécenter
For latest Pokémon news and updates, TCG strategies, and team analysis. It became part of the magazine in April 1999, and ended in the July 2005 issue when it merged with several other sections.Game Over
A one-page strategy divulging details on how to conquer a final boss of a selected game. This feature also made its debut in the March 2006, volume 201 edition of Nintendo Power as a replacement for the previously discontinued "Beat the Boss" articles (first appeared in Volumes 86 and 87, July/August 1996). Game Over sometimes takes the place of Power Quiz.Power Quiz
A quiz about a selected game, series, or area of Nintendo. Alternates issues with Game Over. Answers are posted in the next issue, as well as on Nintendo.com. It has been revived deficiently in "Power Up" as of issue #256, but there are fewer questions and answers are now posted at the bottom of the page.Classified Information
List of cheats on new games. Slowly died off when increasingly fewer cheats were added into games.Top Sellers
An evolution from different versions of this section including "Top 30", "Top 20" and "Power Charts". Originally, it featured the top 30 NESNintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
games, then changed to feature the top 20 games for all the systems in 1992. In 1995, the name was changed to "Power Charts", and featured varying numbers per list, as handheld console lists received only half as much space as consoles. It was removed in 2001, but brought back in 2002, then revamped in 2005 as "Top Sellers", this time being listed in order of top sales and for "Most Wanted, the NP staff and reader's choices for best games. This section was merged with Pulse. Top Sellers and Most Wanted was removed after Nintendo's decision to indefinitely close down the NSider Forums on their website for a big site overhaul in 2007. Most Wanted was revived in 2010.
NP 411/Contact Us
Information on how to reach the magazine's departments and where to find information on a specific game in that magazine. As of issue #222, this has been integrated into Pulse. Pulse is from issue #222 and up.Nintendo Power Official Miniguide
A small, basic guide to newly-released games. It usually did not provide information for the whole game, but provided helpful tips, strategies, and selective walkthroughs. Some of the miniguides they have implemented into the magazine were Magical StarsignMagical Starsign
Magical Starsign, known in Japan as , is a role-playing game for the Nintendo DS developed by Brownie Brown. It is the sequel to the Japan-exclusive Game Boy Advance title, Magical Vacation. Magical Starsign is the second game in the Magical Starsign series and was released in Japan and the United...
and Custom Robo Arena
Custom Robo Arena
Custom Robo Arena, known in Japan as , is a science fiction action role playing game for the Nintendo DS. It is the fifth title in the Custom Robo series. The name was announced on May 9, 2006 at the E3 convention, and released in Japan on October 19, 2006, then later in the United States on March...
. Since its omission, the 'miniguides' have begun bearing a normal article format, such as the "Galactic Tour" article for Super Mario Galaxy
Super Mario Galaxy
is a 3D platform game developed by Nintendo EAD Tokyo and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It was released in most regions in November 2007, and is the third 3D original platformer in the Mario series, after Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine. The game follows the protagonist, Mario, on a...
in issue #222.
Player's Poll Sweepstakes
Since issue one, Nintendo Power has had a "Player's Poll Contest" (later called "Player's Poll Sweepstakes") where there would be a grand prize, a 2nd place prize, and 3rd place prize once a multiple-choice survey about the magazine's content and demographic was submitted. Ever since the Future US takeover, effective Issue #222, the survey has been omitted, and one only needs to send in basic information (name, address, e-mail address, etc.) The Grand Prize often holds a game, the system to play it on, and other miscellaneous prizes. The Second Place Prize yields only the game itself. The Third Place Prize was a T-shirt, but has since been dropped since the Future US takeover. It was discontinued altogether in issue #243. However, it has been announced that in the future there may be occasional sweepstakes with larger prizes.Official Guides from Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power also produces a series of strategy magazines called Official Guides from Nintendo Power. The first OGNP was simply called The Official Nintendo Player's Guide. When Nintendo Power switched from a bi-monthly magazine to a monthly magazine in May 1990, every other issue was a strategy guide focused on a single game. This didn't last long, however, and only four such strategy guides were released. The magazine claimed this was because the strategy guides were intended to review the games that they considered the best, but they eventually abandoned the concept upon realizing that the best games usually come out shortly before ChristmasChristmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
. Starting in January 1991, Nintendo Power became a full fledged monthly magazine with issue #20. Issues prior to that have become highly collectible.
The first four Nintendo Player's Guides in book format were the NES Game Atlas (featuring maps of popular NES franchises), Game Boy (featuring select Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
games), Mario Mania (featuring information about Nintendo's mascot, Mario, but was mostly a full strategy guide of the then-new Super Mario World
Super Mario World
, subtitled Super Mario Bros. 4 for its original Japanese release, is a platform video game developed and published by Nintendo as a pack-in launch title for the Super Famicom/Super Nintendo Entertainment System , and is the fourth game in the Super Mario series...
), and Super NES (featuring select Super NES
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
games). All four were mailed free to subscribers of Nintendo Power in 1992. Later, a fifth free Player's Guide, Top Secret Passwords, featured passwords (and a few cheats) for selected NES, Super NES and Game Boy games. This guide was sent to subscribers who were now in the Super Power Club. Though originally billed as a subscriber exclusive, it was eventually sold at retailers.
Beginning with The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Player's Guides adopted a "one specific game" format, much like the earlier Nintendo Power Strategy Guides. They are separate entities from the magazine itself. The concept is now emulated by other publishing companies such as Brady Games or Prima
Prima Games
Prima Games, a division of Random House, is the largest publishing company of video game strategy guides in the United States. It is an imprint of the Random House Information Group, based in Roseville, California...
for Nintendo and other video game console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
s. Almost all major Nintendo video games released from then to 2007 had an OGNP associated with it.
OGNPs are often sold at video game retailers, magazine stands and can also be ordered directly from Nintendo Power. Most Nintendo Power subscription packages include a free OGNP as an incentive.
With all of the FAQ
FAQ
Frequently asked questions are listed questions and answers, all supposed to be commonly asked in some context, and pertaining to a particular topic. "FAQ" is usually pronounced as an initialism rather than an acronym, but an acronym form does exist. Since the acronym FAQ originated in textual...
s for video games on the internet in modern times, OGNPs have suffered lower sales, and have long been a major incentive used for renewing subscription through the mail. T-shirts and the like are offered on occasion through the mail-in offers, however, by subscribing through the internet, many more premiums are available (more T-shirts, for example).
As of mid-2007, Nintendo seems to have quietly discontinued the series after the publication of the guide for Pokémon Battle Revolution
Pokémon Battle Revolution
is the first Wii incarnation of the Pokémon video game franchise. It is also the first Wii game to use the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection in North America and Japan and the first Wii game to wirelessly interact with the Nintendo DS handheld....
. Guides for popular games, including recent releases, are going out of stock at the Nintendo online store. No guide was published for Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is a first-person action-adventure game developed by Retro Studios and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. It is the tenth game in the Metroid series, and the final entry in the Metroid Prime trilogy—excluding two spin-off titles. It was released in...
and none have been announced for soon-to-be-released major Nintendo projects. However, Chris Slate stated in Issue #223 that the project is on hiatus.
Nintendo now outsources production of official guides to Prima Games
Prima Games
Prima Games, a division of Random House, is the largest publishing company of video game strategy guides in the United States. It is an imprint of the Random House Information Group, based in Roseville, California...
. This can be seen with Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is a first-person action-adventure game developed by Retro Studios and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. It is the tenth game in the Metroid series, and the final entry in the Metroid Prime trilogy—excluding two spin-off titles. It was released in...
, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
is the fourteenth game in Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series. It was released after The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for the Wii and before The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks for the Nintendo DS...
, and Super Mario Galaxy
Super Mario Galaxy
is a 3D platform game developed by Nintendo EAD Tokyo and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It was released in most regions in November 2007, and is the third 3D original platformer in the Mario series, after Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine. The game follows the protagonist, Mario, on a...
, among others. For The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
is the fourteenth game in Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series. It was released after The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for the Wii and before The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks for the Nintendo DS...
, and "Mario Kart Wii
Mario Kart Wii
is a racing video game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. It is the sixth installment in the Mario Kart series and the second Mario Kart title to use the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. The game was released worldwide...
," Prima released "special digest" versions of those games' strategy guides, which were NP subscriber bonuses(as such, they carried the label "Supplement to Nintendo Power Magazine"). These have been the only such guides since 2007.
Nintendo Power Awards
The Nintendo Power Awards, once called the Nester Awards (after the cartoon character featured in early issues of Nintendo Power), are the magazine's annual ceremony of recognition for the previous calendar year's games. The awards are nominated by the staff members, and the awards are voted on by the readers via Nintendo.com. The results, which appear in a following issue, reflect both the winners based on readers' votes and which candidates the writers felt should have won. As of 2006, there have been eighteen annual awards featured in what is usually the May issue of the following year, the first awards having taken place in 1989, honoring games released in 1988. The magazine was known for creative awards such as "best mullet" (won by Aqua Man) but these have largely disappeared and have been replaced by more generic awards. The 2009 awards were determined by separate votes of staff and readers leading to two possible winners for each award.These are the Game of the Year winners from 1988-2010:
- 1988: Zelda II: The Adventure of LinkZelda II: The Adventure of LinkZelda II: The Adventure of Link, released as in Japan and often mistakenly called The Adventures of Link, is an action role-playing video game with platforming elements. The second installment in The Legend of Zelda series, it was developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment...
(NES) - 1989: Teenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES game)Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, released as Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles in Europe, and in Japan, is a 1989 platform game for the Nintendo Entertainment System...
(NES) - 1990: Super Mario Bros. 3Super Mario Bros. 3, also referred to as Super Mario 3 and SMB3, is a platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System , and is the third game in the Super Mario series. The game was released in Japan in 1988, in the United States in 1990, and in Europe in 1991...
(NES) - 1991: Super Mario WorldSuper Mario World, subtitled Super Mario Bros. 4 for its original Japanese release, is a platform video game developed and published by Nintendo as a pack-in launch title for the Super Famicom/Super Nintendo Entertainment System , and is the fourth game in the Super Mario series...
(SNES) - 1992: Street Fighter II: The World Warrior (SNES)
- 1993: Mortal KombatMortal Kombat (video game)Mortal Kombat is a 1992 fighting-game developed and published by Midway for arcades. In 1993, home versions were released by Acclaim Entertainment. Released in the Fall of 1994, the Microsoft Windows 3.1x version was released by Activision Interactive. It is the first title in the Mortal Kombat...
(SNES) - 1994: Donkey Kong CountryDonkey Kong CountryDonkey Kong Country is a side-scrolling platformer video game developed by Rare, featuring the character Donkey Kong. It was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1994. Following an intense marketing campaign, the original SNES version sold over 8 million copies worldwide, making...
(SNES) - 1995: Chrono TriggerChrono Triggeris a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1995. Chrono Triggers development team included three designers that Square dubbed the "Dream Team": Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of Square's Final Fantasy series; Yuji Horii, a...
(SNES) - 1996: Super Mario 64Super Mario 64is a platform game, published by Nintendo and developed by its EAD division, for the Nintendo 64. Along with Pilotwings 64, it was one of the launch titles for the console. It was released in Japan on June 23, 1996, and later in North America, Europe, and Australia. Super Mario 64 has sold over...
(N64) - 1997: GoldenEye 007 (N64)
- 1998: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of TimeThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Timeis an action-adventure video game developed by Nintendo's Entertainment Analysis and Development division for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It was released in Japan on November 21, 1998; in North America on November 23, 1998; and in Europe on December 11, 1998...
(N64) - 1999: Donkey Kong 64Donkey Kong 64Donkey Kong 64 is a platform game, developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was released in North America on November 24, 1999 and in Europe on December 6, 1999. The game is a follow up to the Donkey Kong Country trilogy on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System...
(N64) - 2000: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's MaskThe Legend of Zelda: Majora's Maskis an action-adventure video game developed by Nintendo's Entertainment Analysis and Development division for the Nintendo 64. It was released in Japan on April 27, 2000, North America on October 26, 2000, and Europe on November 17, 2000. The game sold approximately 314,000 copies during its first...
(N64) - 2001: Super Smash Bros. MeleeSuper Smash Bros. MeleeSuper Smash Bros. Melee, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBM or simply as Melee, is a crossover fighting game released for the Nintendo GameCube shortly after its launch in . It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 game Super Smash Bros., and the predecessor to the Wii game Super Smash...
(GCN) - 2002: Metroid PrimeMetroid PrimeMetroid Prime is a video game developed by Retro Studios and Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube, released in North America on November 17, 2002...
(GCN) - 2003: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind WakerThe Legend of Zelda: The Wind WakerThe Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, released as in Japan, is an action-adventure game and the tenth installment in The Legend of Zelda series. It was released for the Nintendo GameCube in Japan on December 13, 2002, in North America on March 24, 2003, in Europe on May 2, 2003, and in Australia on...
(GCN) - 2004: Metroid Prime 2: EchoesMetroid Prime 2: EchoesMetroid Prime 2: Echoes, known as in Japan, is a first-person, action-adventure video game developed by Retro Studios and published by Nintendo for the GameCube video game console. It is the seventh game in the Metroid series, a direct sequel to Metroid Prime, and the first game in the series with...
(GCN) - 2005: Resident Evil 4Resident Evil 4Resident Evil 4, known in Japan as , is a survival horror third-person shooter video game developed by Capcom Production Studio 4 and published by multiple publishers, including Capcom, Ubisoft, Nintendo Australia, Red Ant Enterprises and THQ Asia Pacific...
(GCN) - 2006: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight PrincessThe Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princessis an action-adventure game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development, and published by Nintendo for the GameCube and Wii video game consoles. It is the thirteenth installment in The Legend of Zelda series...
(GCN/Wii) - 2007: Super Mario GalaxySuper Mario Galaxyis a 3D platform game developed by Nintendo EAD Tokyo and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It was released in most regions in November 2007, and is the third 3D original platformer in the Mario series, after Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine. The game follows the protagonist, Mario, on a...
(Wii) - 2008: Super Smash Bros. BrawlSuper Smash Bros. BrawlSuper Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
(Wii) - 2009: New Super Mario Bros. WiiNew Super Mario Bros. Wiiis a 2009 side-scrolling platform video game published and developed by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. The game was released on November 12, 2009 in Australia, November 15, 2009 in North America, November 20, 2009 in Europe and December 3, 2009 in Japan...
(Wii) - 2010: Super Mario Galaxy 2Super Mario Galaxy 2is a platforming video game developed by Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It was first announced at E3 2009 and is the sequel to Super Mario Galaxy. It was released in North America on May 23, 2010, in Japan on May 27, 2010, in Europe on June 11, 2010, and in Australia on July 1,...
(Wii) - 2011: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward SwordThe Legend of Zelda: Skyward Swordis an action-adventure game for the Wii console and the sixteenth entry in the Legend of Zelda series. Developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development, it was released in Europe on November 18, 2011 in North America on November 20, 2011, in Japan on November 23, 2011, and on November...
(Wii)
In issue 252, Nintendo Power, in addition to their games of the year awards, included a top ten list for the best games of the first decade of the 21st century. They are as follows:
- 1. Super Mario GalaxySuper Mario Galaxyis a 3D platform game developed by Nintendo EAD Tokyo and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It was released in most regions in November 2007, and is the third 3D original platformer in the Mario series, after Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine. The game follows the protagonist, Mario, on a...
- 2. Resident Evil 4Resident Evil 4Resident Evil 4, known in Japan as , is a survival horror third-person shooter video game developed by Capcom Production Studio 4 and published by multiple publishers, including Capcom, Ubisoft, Nintendo Australia, Red Ant Enterprises and THQ Asia Pacific...
- 3. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight PrincessThe Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princessis an action-adventure game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development, and published by Nintendo for the GameCube and Wii video game consoles. It is the thirteenth installment in The Legend of Zelda series...
- 4. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind WakerThe Legend of Zelda: The Wind WakerThe Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, released as in Japan, is an action-adventure game and the tenth installment in The Legend of Zelda series. It was released for the Nintendo GameCube in Japan on December 13, 2002, in North America on March 24, 2003, in Europe on May 2, 2003, and in Australia on...
- 5. Super Smash Bros. BrawlSuper Smash Bros. BrawlSuper Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
- 6. Metroid PrimeMetroid PrimeMetroid Prime is a video game developed by Retro Studios and Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube, released in North America on November 17, 2002...
- 7. Elite Beat AgentsElite Beat AgentsElite Beat Agents is a music video game developed by iNiS and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. It was first released in North America, and has since been released in Europe and South Korea . It is the spiritual sequel to Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan, a Japanese rhythm game...
- 8. Metroid: Zero MissionMetroid: Zero Missionis an action-adventure video game developed by Nintendo R&D1 for the Game Boy Advance handheld console. It was published by Nintendo in North America in February 2004, in Australia in March 2004, in Europe in April 2004, and in Japan in May 2004. It is the sixth installment of the Metroid series,...
- 9. Mario Kart WiiMario Kart Wiiis a racing video game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. It is the sixth installment in the Mario Kart series and the second Mario Kart title to use the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. The game was released worldwide...
- 10. The World Ends with You
Comics and manga
- Howard and Nester / Nester's Adventures (Volume 1-55 & 231)
- BattletoadsBattletoadsBattletoads is a platformer video game created by Tim and Chris Stamper and developed by Rare. Starring three anthropomorphic toads named after skin conditions , the game was created to rival the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games....
(Volume 24-25) - Super Mario AdventuresSuper Mario Adventuresis an anthology of comics that ran in Nintendo Power magazine throughout 1992, featuring the characters from Nintendo's Mario series and based loosely on Super Mario World. Charlie Nozawa, the artist who created the comics, is also known by the pen name Tamakichi Sakura...
(Volume 32-43) - The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the PastThe Legend of Zelda: A Link to the PastThe Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, known as in Japan, is an action-adventure video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game console, and the third installment in The Legend of Zelda series. It was first released in Japan in 1991, and was...
(Volume 32-43) - Mario VS Wario (Volumes 44 & 56)
- Star Fox (Volume 45-55)
- Super MetroidSuper Metroid, also known as Metroid 3, is an action-adventure video game and the third game in the Metroid series. It was designed by Nintendo Research & Development 1, programmed by Intelligent Systems, and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game console...
(Volume 57-61) - Star Wars: Shadows of the EmpireStar Wars: Shadows of the EmpireStar Wars: Shadows of the Empire is a multimedia project created by Lucasfilm Ltd. in 1996. The original idea was to create an interquel, a story set between the movies The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi , and to explore all commercial possibilities of a full motion picture release,...
(Volume 89-93; excerpts from the graphic novel) - Blast CorpsBlast CorpsBlast Corps is a video game for the Nintendo 64 developed by Rare and published by Nintendo. It was released in North America on February 28, 1997, and in the PAL regions on September 1, 1997...
(Volume 97-99) - PokémonPokémonis a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
(based on the long-running series) - Punch Out!! (based on the video game)
- Custom Robo (short excerpt from the comic book)
- Metal Gear Solid - The Twin Snakes (short excerpt from the comic book)
- Pokémon Mystery DungeonPokémon Mystery Dungeon- Manga :*Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Ginji's Rescue Team, manga adaption of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team*Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blazing Exploration Team, manga adaption of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, Explorers of Darkness, and Explorers of Sky.-...
: Ginji's Rescue TeamPokémon Mystery Dungeon: Ginji's Rescue TeamPokémon Mystery Dungeon: Ginji's Rescue Team is a 6-part manga serial that first appeared in Japan's CoroCoro Comic in the fall of 2005...
(Manga). Based on a 6-part serial in JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, the English translation reads right-to-left as in its original format. (Volume 207-212) - Pokemon: Black and White Manga excerpt (Volume 269)
Spine pictures
Starting with issue #92, pieces of Nintendo characters were printed on the spine of the magazine. When placed upright in order, the magazines form complete characters when viewed from the side. When Nintendo Power was redesigned, the spine picture idea was abandoned. The printed characters include:- Mario (though some sections were either misprinted/printed twice, resulting in a disfigured Mario)-1997
- Link-1998
- Donkey Kong-1999
- Lugia-2000; incomplete
- Fox McCloudFox McCloudis an anthropomorphic video game character and the main protagonist of the Star Fox series. He was created by Shigeru Miyamoto and designed by Takaya Imamura. As his name implies, he is a red fox and the main player character of the series....
, Mario, and Samus AranSamus Aranis the protagonist of the Metroid video game series. Introduced in the 1986 video game Metroid, Samus is a female ex-army soldier bounty hunter usually fitted with a powered armor suit with weapons that include beams and missiles...
(side-by side)-2002 - Link (Wind Waker)-2003
- Mario, Link, Samus (Square Pictures From Up to Down)-January 2004 through May 2004
- Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Fox McCloud (Square Pictures From Up to Down)-July 2004 through December 2004
- Nintendo DSNintendo DSThe is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
-January 2005-June 2005; incomplete
Promotional VHS tapes
On occasion, many subscribers, along with game console owners who registered their consoles, received VHS tapes promoting the Nintendo 64Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
and games such as Donkey Kong Country
Donkey Kong Country
Donkey Kong Country is a side-scrolling platformer video game developed by Rare, featuring the character Donkey Kong. It was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1994. Following an intense marketing campaign, the original SNES version sold over 8 million copies worldwide, making...
, Star Fox 64
Star Fox 64
, known in Australia and Europe as Lylat Wars, is a scrolling shooter video game for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It is a reboot of the original Star Fox, and the only game in the Star Fox series to be released on the Nintendo 64....
, Diddy Kong Racing
Diddy Kong Racing
Diddy Kong Racing is a 1997 racing game for the Nintendo 64 developed by Rareware. 800,000 copies were ordered in the two weeks before Christmas 1997, making it the fastest selling video game at the time, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. It is the first game to spin off from the...
, Banjo-Kazooie
Banjo-Kazooie
Banjo-Kazooie is a platform and action-adventure video game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was originally released for the Nintendo 64 in 1998...
, and Pokémon
Pokémon
is a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
. One of the tapes covered both Donkey Kong 64
Donkey Kong 64
Donkey Kong 64 is a platform game, developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was released in North America on November 24, 1999 and in Europe on December 6, 1999. The game is a follow up to the Donkey Kong Country trilogy on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System...
and Jet Force Gemini
Jet Force Gemini
Jet Force Gemini is a third-person shooter video game developed and published by Rare. It was exclusively released for the Nintendo 64 in late 1999 in North America, Europe and Japan...
. Some of the tapes featured "hidden" previews at the end after the credits.
The practice has ceased with the availability of DVDs and online video. Nintendo Power included one bonus DVD in the August 2005 (v. 194) issue, featuring videos for The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
is an action-adventure game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development, and published by Nintendo for the GameCube and Wii video game consoles. It is the thirteenth installment in The Legend of Zelda series...
, Nintendogs
Nintendogs
is a real-time pet simulation video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console. It was first released in Japan, and was later released in North America, Australia, Europe, and other regions. It was originally released in three different versions:...
, and other games.
In the August 2011 (v. 270) issue, they included a Pokemon DVD that had a "Catch 'em all" music video and the first episode of the Black and White Animated Series.
Spin-offs
During 2001, Nintendo Power released a spin-off semi-magazine named Nintendo Power Advance, featuring the Game Boy AdvanceGame Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
and its games. A copy of the first issue was given complementary to subscribers in addition to being sold at newsstands. Four issues of Nintendo Power Advance were printed, the last of which served as a strategy guide for Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2.
With the release of Pokémon for the Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
, Nintendo Power included six mini-issues of 'Pokémon Power' mainly featuring tips and strategies for the game.
In 1989, a smaller version of the magazine called Pocket Power was distributed at movie theaters showing The Wizard
The Wizard (film)
The Wizard is a 1989 adventure dramedy film starring Fred Savage, Luke Edwards, and Jenny Lewis...
.
Nester
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
and comic strip star of Nintendo Power. Nester was created by Howard Phillips, "President" of the Nintendo Fun Club and a former editor of Nintendo Power, to be the supporting character in his comic strip, Howard & Nester. The comic strips generally advertised new games, often by dream sequences where Nester was actually a given video game character. From 1989 to 1993, The Nintendo Power Awards featured Nester-shaped trophies and were referred to in the magazine as the "Nesters" as a reference to the Oscars
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
.
In the June 1991 issue (Volume 25), Philips was written out of the strip after his real-life counterpart left Nintendo to work for Lucasarts. The strip was retitled Nester's Adventures the following issue and continued publication until Volume 55 (December 1993). Nester, now as a college student, appeared in Nintendo Power issue #100. He would be seen again in issue #231, the magazine's twentieth anniversary, here a grown man with a son new to Nintendo.
Nester has also been featured in a few video games that were released while the character was still featured in the magazine. His first appearance was as a commentator in NES Play Action Football
NES Play Action Football
NES Play Action Football is a football video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was developed by TOSE, published by Nintendo, and was released in 1990. The game was also ported to the Game Boy as Play Action Football, and received a follow up on the Super Nintendo, Super Play Action...
. Nester was the main character in Nester's Funky Bowling
Nester's Funky Bowling
Nester's Funky Bowling is a bowling video game developed by Saffire Corporation and published by Nintendo for the Virtual Boy handheld game console. It was only released in North America on February 26, 1996. Players control Nester, a character from the Nintendo Power comics, or his twin sister...
for the Virtual Boy
Virtual Boy
The was a video game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was the first video game console that was supposed to be capable of displaying "true 3D graphics" out of the box. Whereas most video games use monocular cues to achieve the illusion of three dimensions on a two-dimensional...
, which also introduced his sister Hester. The character of Lark in Pilotwings 64
Pilotwings 64
is a video game for the Nintendo 64, originally released in 1996 along with the debut of the console. The game was co-developed by Nintendo and the American visual technology group Paradigm Simulation. It was one of three launch titles for the Nintendo 64 in Japan as well as Europe and one of two...
for the Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
was based on Nester. Several games for the NES featured the name "NESTER" as one of the pre-set names on high-score lists, or a default character name like in To The Earth
To the Earth
To the Earth is a light gun shooter for the Nintendo Entertainment System produced by Nintendo. It was released on November 1989 in North America and in Europe on February 23, 1990. It uses the NES Zapper to destroy ships and gain powerups...
for example.
A prominent NES
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
emulator has been named after him
Nester (emulator)
Nester is a NES emulator for Windows that emphasizes ease of use, stability, performance, emulation of many Multi-Memory Controller chips, and organized source code that is easy to maintain and port to other host platforms. Darren Ranalli started writing nester in early 1999, and the emulator saw...
.
See also
- Official Nintendo Magazine, the U.K.United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
equivalent. - Nintendo Magazine System (Australia)Nintendo Magazine System (Australia)Nintendo Magazine System was the official Nintendo magazine of Australia. In publication for seven years until 2000, the magazine was a branch of Official Nintendo Magazine, the UK's official Nintendo magazine, which was also called Nintendo Magazine System at the time...
, the Australian equivalent publication. - Nintendo DreamNintendo DreamNintendo Dream is a Japanese video game magazine first published by Asahi Communications, and currently published by Tokuma Shoten. It is Japan's main Nintendo Magazine featuring Nintendo game reviews for the Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS and Wii. It was originally named "64 Dream" and went on sale...
, the JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese equivalent. - Club NintendoClub NintendoClub Nintendo is the name of several publications and a more well-known customer loyalty program provided by Nintendo. The loyalty program is free to join and is committed to providing rewards in exchange for consumer feedback and loyalty to purchasing official Nintendo products...
, the MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and Latin AmericaLatin AmericaLatin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
equivalent. - Nintendo WorldNintendo WorldNintendo World is a Brazilian video game magazine which covers games for the Nintendo Wii and DS. It was created in 1999 by the Conrad Editora. Initially it covered games for the Nintendo 64 and Game Boy Color consoles, which were very popular in the country at the time...
, the BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
equivalent. - History of computer and video gamesHistory of computer and video gamesThe history of video games goes as far back as the 1940s, when in 1947 Thomas T. Goldsmith, Jr. and Estle Ray Mann filed a United States patent request for an invention they described as a "cathode ray tube amusement device." Video gaming would not reach mainstream popularity until the 1970s and...
- Nintendo of America