From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power In mid-1998, Nintendo Power allowed outside adver-
tising 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 con-
tent. These front cover advertisements were often simply
The current Nintendo Power logo. subscription offers.
In July 2005, Nintendo Power created a new design to
Editor Chris Slate
appeal to a limited gaming audience, including a new
Categories Video games logo and article format. Along with the cosmetic over-
haul came a greater focus on Nintendo fans, staff reviews,
Frequency Monthly
rumor-milling and fan service including an expanded
Circulation 475,000[1] and enhanced reader mail segment (known as "Pulse")
Publisher Nintendo (former), Future US (current) and an equally revamped "Community" section. Ninten-
do also introduced a new incentive promotional offer
First issue July/August 1988 that involves the registration of three Nintendo (or Nin-
Country USA, Canada tendo affiliated) products through Nintendo.com to re-
ceive a free three issue trial subscription to Nintendo Pow-
Language English er.
Website http://www.nintendopower.com/ Today, the magazine has shifted its focus from game
strategies to mainly news, previews, and articles on up-
ISSN 1041-9551
coming games. The overall composition has shifted to a
more ostentatious design, with less standard framework
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy
and more aggressive, bright colors and shapes.
magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of
America, but now run independently. As of issue #222
(December 2007), Nintendo contracted publishing duties History
to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Fu-
ture.[2] Issues #001 - #221
The first issue published was July/August 1988 spot- Nintendo Power began as the several page long Nintendo
lighting the NES game Super Mario Bros. 2. It remains one Fun Club News (which was sent to subscribers for free).
of the longest-running video game magazines in the However, in mid-1988 Nintendo Fun Club News was dis-
United States and Canada, and is Nintendo’s official mag- continued after seven issues[3] and revamped as Nintendo
azine in North America. Power.[4] The first issue published 3.6 million copies, with
every member of the Nintendo Fun Club receiving a free
Overview and design one. Almost one third of the members subscribed.[citation
needed]
From the beginning, Nintendo Power has focused heavily
The magazine was edited at first by Fun Club "Presi-
on providing game strategy, tips and tricks, reviews, and
dent" Howard Philips, himself an avid game player. While
previews of upcoming games. Seeing as the magazine en-
the Fun Club News focused solely on games made in-
joyed twenty years of Nintendo-directed publication, NP
house by Nintendo, Nintendo Power was created to allow
was the ultimate source for detailed mapping and insid-
for reviews of games produced by those licensed by Nin-
er knowledge delivered directly from the programming
tendo, such as Konami, Capcom, and the like. Nintendo
teams. As a result, the magazine has enjoyed the reputa-
Power’s mascot in the late 1980s and early 1990s was
tion of being the definitive source for all things Ninten-
Nester, a comic character created by Philips. After Philips
do, separating itself from a more traditionally specula-
left the company, Nester became the magazine’s sole
tive approach as used by its contemporaries. The maga-
mascot. Early issues of the magazine featured a two-page
zine has remained financially successful and is one of the
Howard and Nester comic, which was later replaced with
longest-running game oriented magazines still in circu-
the two-page Nester’s Adventures, later reduced to one
lation.
page, and eventually dropped altogether. Subsequently,
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Nintendo Power
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 con-
tinued 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 run-
ning 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 sub-
scriber. This promotion was in part a move on Nintendo’s
part to make money off Dragon Warrior (Dragon Quest in Ja-
pan) 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
Pre-Nintendo Power: Nintendo Fun Club News issue#3 featured lengthy, continuous comic stories based on Su-
per 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 Em-
pire 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 Cus-
tom 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: Oca-
rina of Time.[5]
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.
Issues #222 and beyond
On September 19, 2007, Nintendo officially announced
First issue of Nintendo Power that the large magazine publisher Future US would begin
publishing Nintendo Power. The company’s first official
issue was released in October, as issue #222 (December
Mario replaced Nester as the mascot of the magazine.
2007). It was also revealed that circulation would be in-
Later, during the early 2000s, the magazine made another
mascot out of its Senior Writer, Alan Averill. Apparently
2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Nintendo Power
creased to 13 issues a year, with the extra magazine being at the London 2012 Olympic Games. It also had "7 reasons
a holiday season bonus issue.[6] you should buy Mario Kart 7". There was also a tenth an-
Before the magazine’s 20th anniversary, it began a niversary feature for the GameCube. They ranked the top
temporary section called 20 Years of Nintendo Power. This 25 GameCube games. They are as follows:
section took "a look back at classic gaming moments • 25. Ikaruga
through the eyes of Nintendo Power." Part of the year- • 24. Animal Crossing
long celebration of Nintendo Power’s 20th anniversary, • 23. F-Zero GX
this section ran only for 2008, ending with the Holiday • 22. The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures
2008 issue. • 21. Tales of Symphonia
Issue #231 (August 2008) celebrated Nintendo Power’s • 20. Star Wars Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron II
20th anniversary and made a list of the top twenty games • 19. Donkey Kong Jungle Beat
from each of Nintendo’s home and handheld consoles, • 18. Skies of Arcadia Legends
and the best one for the unsuccessful Virtual Boy. • 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
Main sections
Currently running
Pulse
Formerly "Player’s Pulse", this is a traditional mailbag
section that features letters to the editor as submitted
December 2010 Issue
by readers. At first it was two different sections titled
Spotlight,
Mailbox and Video Spotlight the latter of which featured
In February, Nintendo Power released a bonus issue
mail from notable gamers. But during 1989, they merged
called 20 Years of Nintendo Power. It contained information
into one section. Now, the first two pages are dedicated
on classic Nintendo Power articles from the NES to the
to basic letters while the third page is for responses to a
Wii era. It also had stories behind Pokémon’s arrival in
requested topic. Starting in #239, a new column on the
the United States, 3-D gaming, every Legend of Zelda
second page titled Don’t Hassle the Hoff began, spotlight-
game, and more. It was only available in stores; it did not
ing senior editor and veteran Nintendo employee Chris
ship to subscribers.
Hoffman’s response to a letter. For example, a fan tried
In issue #252, Nintendo Power included a top ten list
to explain that the character Tails from the Sonic the
for the best games of the decade.
Hedgehog series was a fox, not a mutant squirrel (as Nin-
Nintendo Power has also released several seasonal
tendo Power called him). Hoffman, however refused to
Buyer’s Guides, poster magazines, a 2010 calendar, and
believe him. This section is a reference to American actor
two special guides dedicated to Mario and The Legend of
David Hasselhoff.
Zelda respectively, available only at retail.
While Nintendo Power does respond with a serious
The latest issue is November (Volume 273), Which
response to several of the letters it receives, it’s more
previews Mario Kart 7 for the Nintendo 3DS. It also spot-
than common for a joke response to be posted. However,
lights The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Super Mario
the amount of letters posted in Pulse has dropped drasti-
3D Land, Shinobi, Rayman Origins, and Mario and Sonic
3
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Nintendo Power
cally. For example, in Volume #206, 18 letters were post- • February 2011: Sonic the Hedgehog
ed in the first two pages of Pulse and 17 contained a re- • March 2011: Waluigi
sponse. In Volume #257, eight letters were posted in the • April 2011: Mike Haggar
first two pages and six received a reply. • May 2011: Kirby
A section called "Top Sellers" and "Most Wanted" was • June 2011: Ryu Hayabusa
originally merged in 2005 with "Pulse". It showed the top • July 2011: Tingle
five games of each console people wanted most, and the • August 2011: Nights
top sellers of each system. The former required input in- • September 2011: Donkey Kong
to the NSider Forums, which closed September 17, 2007. • October 2011: Phoenix Wright
The section was consequently removed in late 2007. Fu- • November 2011: Earthworm Jim
ture US stated that they "didn’t really want to lose" the At the end of Power Up is the Game Forecast (formerly
"Most Wanted" and parts of the "Community" sections "Pak Watch" and later "Game Watch Forecast"). This sec-
(NSider Reviews, Fan Art, etc.), but, according to Future tion is a list of upcoming games and their status in rela-
US, "[Future US] have always depended on input from tion to release. As of Issue #223 (Holiday 2007) Future US
people at nintendo.com’s NSider forums." Future US con- switched from the previous three dot progress meter to
tinued with that due to Nintendo’s decision to indefinite- using specific time frames of release but warns readers
ly close the NSider forums, "Unfortunately, there isn’t that the release time frames are subject to change. There
much we can do right at this moment." However, Future was formerly a little column in between the page called
US hinted that they would possibly create a new forum Bits of Tid, in which little pieces of information in the
to replace the NSider forums and they will be currently world of gaming are shown. Next to the Game Forecast is
"looking at ways to bring those cut sections as soon as Readers Most Wanted that shows the top 10 games gamers
possible." In issue #256, Most Wanted was revived in the want. Opinions can be inputted through an online Nin-
form of Reader’s Most Wanted, placed within the Game tendo Power survey.[7]
Forecast in "Power Up."
As of Volume #256, Pulse expanded a new page called Download
"The Score." Results from online polls are posted, with Debuting in issue #212, "Wii Channels", as it was known
topics related to Nintendo gaming. at the time, provides information on recently released
and upcoming Wii Channels and Virtual Console, Wi-
Power Up iWare, and DSiWare titles. The Evaluation Station is a col-
Formerly News until issue #256, it is a lengthy, multi-page lection of mini reviews of the latest Virtual Console, Wi-
segment devoted to news relating to video games, their iWare, and DSiWare titles. Reviewists rate the games on
publishers/developers, and announcements. As of issue a scale of "Grumble Grumble," "Hmmm...," and "Recom-
#256 it also contains a "Collector’s Corner" which spot- mended." It also featured a column called Wanted! de-
lights gaming-related merchandise, "Star Power" which voted to the most wanted Virtual Console titles, the re-
spotlights a video game character, "A Winner Is.../ sults showing most wanted games from both readers and
Dodongo Dislikes..." that highlights brief highs and lows staffers. EarthBound was currently #1 on the list the sub-
in the gaming world, "Warp Zone" that displays what scribers sent in, and Mega Man: The Wily Wars was current-
Nintendo Power wrote 5, 10, and 20 years ago, and a short ly the #1 title the employees want to see on the Virtu-
"Power Quiz." However, the answers are displayed at the al Console. As of volume #245, Wanted! has been officially
bottom of the page, unlike the lengthier "Power Quiz" in discontinued. In this month’s issue, September 2011, pre-
the past.Ther is also a section called ’That was awesome! views Colors! 3D and gives you a download bonus for a
Our favorite video game moments’. Tornadus for Pokedex 3D. August 2011 is the first issue
There’s even the "Star Power" Section in which each with 3DS virtual console and 3d classics reviews.
month talks about a video game character on his/her ca-
reer graphs (with high points and low points), the staff’s Previews
four favorite games with that character in it, the quote(s) Information on upcoming games spread throughout
from the character’s game(s), and other details. Here’s pages accompanied by numerous screenshots and art-
what was shown so far: work. In volume #252 it changed from a column-esque
• July 2010: Yoshi layout to a more standard article design.
• August 2010: Captain Falcon
• September 2010: Little Mac Power Profiles
• October 2010: Bowser A column containing information and an interview with
• November 2010: Zelda a person involved in the game industry. It debuted in
• December 2010: Fox McCloud issue #216 and featured famed video game designer
• Holiday 2010: Mega Man Shigeru Miyamoto.
• January 2011: Olimar
4
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Nintendo Power
Playback Epic Center
A section reminiscing about games of old. This depart- Role-playing game information and coverage. Originally
ment made its debut in the #201 (March 2006) with Earth- written by Alan Averill, who has since left Nintendo Power.
worm Jim. Discontinued in the late 90s, due to a lack of role-playing
games on the Nintendo 64.
Reviews
A section where staff writers review the latest games. NES Achievers / Power Player’s Challenge / Arena
The games are rated on a scale of 1-10 with increments Players send in their best game scores to try to win free
of .5. They used to be rated on a scale of 1-5 with any T-shirts, originally Super Power Stamps. Later it chal-
increment. Currently the only perfect 10s in Nintendo lenged readers to do insanely hard stunts such as a 3
Power history are Metroid Prime, Super Mario Sunshine, heart run without being forced to continue after defeat
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Resident Evil 4, in Zelda games.
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, and Super Smash Bros.
Brawl. NES Journal
The second-highest reviewed games are New Super A newsletter within the magazine, often featuring media
Mario Bros, Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story, Super news relating to Nintendo (such as the premieres of the
Mario Galaxy 2, Pokemon HeartGold and Pokemon cartoon shows and the release of The Wizard) and celebri-
SoulSilver versions, and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of ty interviews. The column disappeared after Volume 16,
Time, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, The Legend of but the celebrity interviews remained until late 1992.
Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, and The Legend of Zelda: Twi-
light Princess which all scored a 9.5. Among the worst The Nindex
reviewed games have been Ant Nation, Fantastic Four: A list of released Nintendo GameCube games. It appeared
Rise of the Silver Surfer and X-Men: Destiny for DS, which with the release of the system, and came to a close in
have all received scores of 2.0, and Kung Fu Panda 2 on 2004.
the Wii got a 2.5. Also, NASCAR 2011: the game, Trans-
formers: Dark of the Moon-Stealth Force Edition for Wii, Nintendo Online
and Transformers: Dark of the Moon-Autobots/Decepti- Showed information and news from video game websites.
cons all got a 3.0.
A Reviews Archive is placed at the end of the issue’s
Game Boy
reviews, showing the scores for all previously reviewed Early in the Game Boy’s lifespan, the magazine ran a spe-
games from the last 10 issues. The staff provides extra cial column focusing on the handheld. However, it ended
commentary on them throughout the archive. In previ- shortly after the Super NES was released.
ous volumes, a blue dot next to the game title represent-
Game Boy A-Go-Go / Title Wave
ed a Wi-Fi compatible title, but has been removed from
issues #244 on. This section featured short strategy reviews for various
video games. Originally, it focused on Game Boy Color
Community games, but then changed its name in 2002 to accommo-
The community section is dedicated to Nintendo-related date Nintendo GameCube games as well. However, it van-
things, such as events, music, collections, fan art, cos- ished from the magazine during 2003.
play, mods, food, websites, and in the past, art of the
Power On
month, reader reviews, Miis, and Animal Crossing. A
number of features such as Reader Reviews and NSider Entertainment section featuring caption contests and
Fan Art were removed due to their dependence on input celebrity interviews. Began in 2002, but ended in
at the NSider Forums, which was shut down indefinitely mid-2005. As of volume 215, the caption contests have re-
on September 17, 2007. turned in the "Community" section.
Pokécenter
Discontinued
For latest Pokémon news and updates, TCG strategies,
Counselors’ Corner and team analysis. It became part of the magazine in
Nintendo’s game counselors would answer game-related April 1999, and ended in the July 2005 issue when it
questions, providing hints and strategies. It was removed merged with several other sections.
in 2003. Nintendo of America eventually closed its game
Game Over
counselor hotline in 2005, and all employees working as
A one-page strategy divulging details on how to conquer
counselors at the time were moved to other departments.
a final boss of a selected game. This feature also made its
debut in the March 2006, volume 201 edition of Ninten-
5
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Nintendo Power
do Power as a replacement for the previously discontin- since the Future US takeover, effective Issue #222, the
ued "Beat the Boss" articles (first appeared in Volumes survey has been omitted, and one only needs to send in
86 and 87, July/August 1996). Game Over sometimes takes basic information (name, address, e-mail address, etc.)
the place of Power Quiz. The Grand Prize often holds a game, the system to play
it on, and other miscellaneous prizes. The Second Place
Power Quiz Prize yields only the game itself. The Third Place Prize
A quiz about a selected game, series, or area of Nintendo. was a T-shirt, but has since been dropped since the Fu-
Alternates issues with Game Over. Answers are posted in ture US takeover. It was discontinued altogether in issue
the next issue, as well as on Nintendo.com. It has been re- #243. However, it has been announced that in the future
vived deficiently in "Power Up" as of issue #256, but there there may be occasional sweepstakes with larger prizes.
are fewer questions and answers are now posted at the
bottom of the page.
Official Guides from Nintendo
Classified Information Power
List of cheats on new games. Slowly died off when in-
creasingly fewer cheats were added into games. Main article: Nintendo Player’s Guide
Nintendo Power also produces a series of strategy maga-
Top Sellers zines called Official Guides from Nintendo Power. The first
An evolution from different versions of this section in- OGNP was simply called The Official Nintendo Player’s Guide.
cluding "Top 30", "Top 20" and "Power Charts". Origi- When Nintendo Power switched from a bi-monthly maga-
nally, it featured the top 30 NES games, then changed to zine to a monthly magazine in May 1990, every other is-
feature the top 20 games for all the systems in 1992. In sue was a strategy guide focused on a single game. This
1995, the name was changed to "Power Charts", and fea- didn’t last long, however, and only four such strategy
tured varying numbers per list, as handheld console lists guides were released. The magazine claimed this was be-
received only half as much space as consoles. It was re- cause the strategy guides were intended to review the
moved in 2001, but brought back in 2002, then revamped games that they considered the best, but they eventually
in 2005 as "Top Sellers", this time being listed in order abandoned the concept upon realizing that the best
of top sales and for "Most Wanted, the NP staff and read- games usually come out shortly before Christmas. Start-
er’s choices for best games. This section was merged with ing in January 1991, Nintendo Power became a full fledged
Pulse. Top Sellers and Most Wanted was removed after Nin- monthly magazine with issue #20. Issues prior to that
tendo’s decision to indefinitely close down the NSider Fo- have become highly collectible.
rums on their website for a big site overhaul in 2007. Most The first four Nintendo Player’s Guides in book for-
Wanted was revived in 2010. mat were the NES Game Atlas (featuring maps of popular
NES franchises), Game Boy (featuring select Game Boy
NP 411/Contact Us games), Mario Mania (featuring information about Nin-
Information on how to reach the magazine’s depart- tendo’s mascot, Mario, but was mostly a full strategy
ments and where to find information on a specific game guide of the then-new Super Mario World), and Super NES
in that magazine. As of issue #222, this has been integrat- (featuring select Super NES games). All four were mailed
ed into Pulse. Pulse is from issue #222 and up. free to subscribers of Nintendo Power in 1992. Later, a fifth
free Player’s Guide, Top Secret Passwords, featured pass-
Nintendo Power Official Miniguide words (and a few cheats) for selected NES, Super NES and
A small, basic guide to newly-released games. It usually Game Boy games. This guide was sent to subscribers who
did not provide information for the whole game, but pro- were now in the Super Power Club. Though originally
vided helpful tips, strategies, and selective walkthroughs. billed as a subscriber exclusive, it was eventually sold at
Some of the miniguides they have implemented into the retailers.
magazine were Magical Starsign and Custom Robo Arena. Beginning with The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past,
Since its omission, the ’miniguides’ have begun bearing a Player’s Guides adopted a "one specific game" format,
normal article format, such as the "Galactic Tour" article much like the earlier Nintendo Power Strategy Guides. They
for Super Mario Galaxy in issue #222. are separate entities from the magazine itself. The con-
cept is now emulated by other publishing companies
Player’s Poll Sweepstakes such as Brady Games or Prima for Nintendo and other
Since issue one, Nintendo Power has had a "Player’s Poll video game consoles. Almost all major Nintendo video
Contest" (later called "Player’s Poll Sweepstakes") where games released from then to 2007 had an OGNP associated
there would be a grand prize, a 2nd place prize, and 3rd with it.
place prize once a multiple-choice survey about the mag- OGNPs are often sold at video game retailers, maga-
azine’s content and demographic was submitted. Ever zine stands and can also be ordered directly from Ninten-
6
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Nintendo Power
do Power. Most Nintendo Power subscription packages in- • 1993: Mortal Kombat (SNES)
clude a free OGNP as an incentive. • 1994: Donkey Kong Country (SNES)
With all of the FAQs for video games on the internet • 1995: Chrono Trigger (SNES)
in modern times, OGNPs have suffered lower sales, and • 1996: Super Mario 64 (N64)
have long been a major incentive used for renewing sub- • 1997: GoldenEye 007 (N64)
scription through the mail. T-shirts and the like are of- • 1998: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64)
fered on occasion through the mail-in offers, however, by • 1999: Donkey Kong 64 (N64)
subscribing through the internet, many more premiums • 2000: The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask (N64)
are available (more T-shirts, for example). • 2001: Super Smash Bros. Melee (GCN)
As of mid-2007, Nintendo seems to have quietly dis- • 2002: Metroid Prime (GCN)
continued the series after the publication of the guide for • 2003: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GCN)
Pokémon Battle Revolution. Guides for popular games, in- • 2004: Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (GCN)
cluding recent releases, are going out of stock at the Nin- • 2005: Resident Evil 4 (GCN)
tendo online store. No guide was published for Metroid • 2006: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (GCN/Wii)
Prime 3: Corruption and none have been announced for • 2007: Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
soon-to-be-released major Nintendo projects. However, • 2008: Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)
Chris Slate stated in Issue #223 that the project is on hia- • 2009: New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii)
tus. • 2010: Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)
Nintendo now outsources production of official In issue 252, Nintendo Power, in addition to their games
guides to Prima Games. This can be seen with Metroid of the year awards, included a top ten list for the best
Prime 3: Corruption, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, games of the first decade of the 21st century. They are as
and Super Mario Galaxy, among others. For The Legend of follows:
Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, and "Mario Kart Wii," Prima re- • 1. Super Mario Galaxy
leased "special digest" versions of those games’ strategy • 2. Resident Evil 4
guides, which were NP subscriber bonuses(as such, they • 3. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
carried the label "Supplement to Nintendo Power • 4. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Magazine"). These have been the only such guides since • 5. Super Smash Bros. Brawl
2007. • 6. Metroid Prime
• 7. Elite Beat Agents
Nintendo Power Awards • 8. Metroid: Zero Mission
• 9. Mario Kart Wii
Awards,
The Nintendo Power Awards once called the Nester • 10. The World Ends with You
Awards (after the cartoon character featured in early is-
sues of Nintendo Power), are the magazine’s annual cer-
emony of recognition for the previous calendar year’s
Comics and manga
games. The awards are nominated by the staff members, • Howard and Nester / Nester’s Adventures (Volume 1-55
and the awards are voted on by the readers via Nin- & 231)
tendo.com. The results, which appear in a following is- • Battletoads (Volume 24-25)
sue, reflect both the winners based on readers’ votes and • Super Mario Adventures (Volume 32-43)
which candidates the writers felt should have won. As of • The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (Volume 32-43)
2006, there have been eighteen annual awards featured • Mario VS Wario (Volumes 44 & 56)
in what is usually the May issue of the following year, the • Star Fox (Volume 45-55)
first awards having taken place in 1989, honoring games • Super Metroid (Volume 57-61)
released in 1988. The magazine was known for creative • Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire (Volume 89-93;
awards such as "best mullet" (won by Aqua Man) but excerpts from the graphic novel)
these have largely disappeared and have been replaced • Blast Corps (Volume 97-99)
by more generic awards. The 2009 awards were deter- • Pokémon (based on the long-running series)
mined by separate votes of staff and readers leading to • Punch Out!! (based on the video game)
two possible winners for each award. • Custom Robo (short excerpt from the comic book)
These are the Game of the Year winners from • Metal Gear Solid - The Twin Snakes (short excerpt from
1988-2010: the comic book)
• 1988: Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (NES) • Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Ginji’s Rescue Team (Manga).
• 1989: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES) Based on a 6-part serial in Japan, the English
• 1990: Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES) translation reads right-to-left as in its original
• 1991: Super Mario World (SNES) format. (Volume 207-212)
• 1992: Street Fighter II: The World Warrior (SNES) • Pokemon: Black and White Manga excerpt (Volume 269)
7
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Nintendo Power
Spine pictures Nester
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 charac-
ters 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 McCloud, Mario, and Samus Aran (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 DS-January 2005-June 2005; incomplete Nester
Nester was the long-time teenage mascot and comic strip
Promotional VHS tapes star of Nintendo Power. Nester was created by Howard
On occasion, many subscribers, along with game console Phillips, "President" of the Nintendo Fun Club and a for-
owners who registered their consoles, received VHS mer editor of Nintendo Power, to be the supporting char-
tapes promoting the Nintendo 64 and games such as Don- acter in his comic strip, Howard & Nester. The comic strips
key Kong Country,[8] Star Fox 64, Diddy Kong Racing, Banjo-Ka- generally advertised new games, often by dream se-
zooie, and Pokémon. One of the tapes covered both Donkey quences where Nester was actually a given video game
Kong 64 and Jet Force Gemini. Some of the tapes featured character. From 1989 to 1993, The Nintendo Power
"hidden" previews at the end after the credits. Awards featured Nester-shaped trophies and were re-
The practice has ceased with the availability of DVDs ferred to in the magazine as the "Nesters" as a reference
and online video. Nintendo Power included one bonus to the Oscars.
DVD in the August 2005 (v. 194) issue, featuring videos for In the June 1991 issue (Volume 25), Philips was writ-
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Nintendogs, and other ten out of the strip after his real-life counterpart left
games. Nintendo to work for Lucasarts. The strip was retitled
In the August 2011 (v. 270) issue, they included a Nester’s Adventures the following issue and continued
Pokemon DVD that had a "Catch ’em all" music video and publication until Volume 55 (December 1993). Nester,
the first episode of the Black and White Animated Series. now as a college student, appeared in Nintendo Power issue
#100. He would be seen again in issue #231, the maga-
zine’s twentieth anniversary, here a grown man with a
Spin-offs son new to Nintendo.
During 2001, Nintendo Power released a spin-off semi-mag- Nester has also been featured in a few video games
azine named Nintendo Power Advance, featuring the Game that were released while the character was still featured
Boy Advance and its games. A copy of the first issue was in the magazine. His first appearance was as a commen-
given complementary to subscribers in addition to being tator in NES Play Action Football. Nester was the main char-
sold at newsstands. Four issues of Nintendo Power Advance acter in Nester’s Funky Bowling for the Virtual Boy, which
were printed, the last of which served as a strategy guide also introduced his sister Hester. The character of Lark in
for Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2. Pilotwings 64 for the Nintendo 64 was based on Nester.[10]
With the release of Pokémon for the Game Boy, Nin- Several games for the NES featured the name "NESTER"
tendo Power included six mini-issues of ’Pokémon Power’ as one of the pre-set names on high-score lists, or a de-
mainly featuring tips and strategies for the game. fault character name like in To The Earth for example.
In 1989, a smaller version of the magazine called Pock- A prominent NES emulator has been named after
et Power was distributed at movie theaters showing The him.
Wizard.[9]
8
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Nintendo Power
See also [5] 200:
"NP Top 200". Nintendo Power 200 pp. 58–66.
February 2006
• Official Nintendo Magazine, the U.K. equivalent. [6] Megaton. "Future officially takes over Nintendo
• Nintendo Magazine System (Australia), the Australian Power". OnNintendo.com. http://onnintendo.com/
equivalent publication. Index.aspx?page=1&more=1&post=44&year=2007&month=9.
• Nintendo Dream, the Japanese equivalent. Retrieved 2007-09-19.
• Club Nintendo, the Mexico and Latin America [7] "Nintendo Power Poll Page Survey".
equivalent. Surveymonkey.com.
• Nintendo World, the Brazil equivalent. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RJJQL99.
• History of computer and video games Retrieved 2010-08-10.
• Nintendo of America [8] "DK! Donkey Kong is here!". Platypuscomix.net.
http://platypuscomix.net/interactive/
References nvideos1.html. Retrieved 2010-08-10.
[9] Luke Plunkett. "Pocket Power Unearthed". Kotaku.
[1] "Nintendo Power << Future US, Inc.". Future US. http://kotaku.com/234770/pocket-power-
http://www.futureus.com/what-we-do/portfolios/ unearthed?tag=gamingpocketpower. Retrieved
games/nintendo-power/. Retrieved 2010-09-02. 2009-03-29.
[2] "Customer Service | Nintendo Power Magazine & Power:
[10] Nintendo Power "His handle is Lark, but everyone
Player’s Guides". Nintendo. in class knows this guy is Nester." Nintendo Power.
http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/magazine/ Nintendo of America. September 1996, page 25.
index.jsp. Retrieved 2010-08-10.
[3] Philips, Howard (June/July 1988). "Prez Saz".
Nintendo Fun Club News 7: p. 3 External links
[4] Parish, Jeremy. "EGM Retro: 20 Years of NES from • Nintendo Power official site
1UP.COM". 1up.com. Ziff Davis. • Nintendo Power Issue 1 cover
http://www.1up.com/features/egm- • Nintendo Power Contents
retro-20-years-nes. Retrieved 2007-04-29. • The Howard & Nester Comics Archive
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nintendo_Power&oldid=461985846"
Categories:
• Nintendo
• Video game magazines
• American computer magazines
• Monthly magazines
• Publications established in 1988
• American video game magazines
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