Nintendo Power
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 The current Nintendo Power logo. |
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| Editor | Chris Slate |
|---|---|
| Categories | Video games |
| Frequency | Monthly |
| Circulation | 435,000 |
| Publisher | Nintendo (former), Future US |
| First issue | July/August 1988 |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Website | Nintendo Power |
| ISSN | 1041-9551 |
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo. As of issue #240 (April 2009), Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US. 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.
[edit] 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 20 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 Nintendo, 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.
Today, though still "officially" affiliated with Nintendo, the magazine has become more similar to its contemporaries (i.e. Electronic Gaming Monthly), with a greater focus on staff reviews, gossip, and fan letters than in previous years. However, it still includes game strategies from time to time.
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.
In addition to the aforementioned redesign, the magazine implemented a feature called "Corrector's Corner" which is usually found in the "Pulse" section. Eagle-eyed readers send in their evidence, and the staff reluctantly - and duteously - admit their mistakes.
[edit] History
[edit] Issues #001 - #221
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 and revamped as Nintendo Power.[1] 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 Warrior to every new subscriber. However, this promotion was in part a sly move on Nintendo's part to make money off a failure: Dragon Warrior (Dragon Quest in Japan) games 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. In April 1998, the magazine would again serve as a vehicle to encourage interest this time in the Satellaview subsystem for the Super Nintendo. To this end, Issue #107 was broadcast as a game file under the name BS NP Magazine 107 to be read in BS land by the BS mascot.
Following the release of the Super Nintendo, 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 of comic books based on Custom Robo and Metal Gear Solid have been featured (as well as a very short Metroid Prime comic). Nintendo Power has concluded a comic based on the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games, which is translated from the original Japanese version and reads in traditional manga format.
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, in order: 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.[2]
In issue 211, Nintendo Power began listing upcoming Wii games and Virtual Console titles, and has since done away with both Nintendo GameCube and Game Boy Advance lists.
[edit] Issues #222 and Beyond
On September 19, 2007, Nintendo officially announced 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 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.[3]
Issue #231 (August 2008) celebrated Nintendo Power's 20th Anniversary and made a list of the top 20 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 Zelda game, and more.
Nintendo Power's most recent issue is #244 (August 2009), with Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story being the subject of the cover. Throughout the issue many games were covered, such as No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle, Trauma Team, Wii Sports Resort, and Fragile. It also includes a special section covering the best of Nintendo's E3 2009 along with a special interview with Shigeru Miyamoto.
[edit] Sections
[edit] Currently running
Note: Not all of these sections are in every issue
[edit] 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. As of issue #222, the Contact Us section has been integrated with this one. Later, starting in issue #233, a third page was dedicated to letters replying to Chris Slate's requested topic. Starting at #235, the first page showed the previous Nintendo Power issue cover's newsstand design. In #239, a new small section on the 2nd page titled Don't Hassle the Hoff began, spotlighting a sent debate that Nintendo Power staffer Chris Hoffman would answer. In one letter, for example, a fan tried to explain that Tails was a fox, not a mutant squirrel (as Nintendo Power called him). Hoffman, however refused to believe him.
[edit] Game Watch Forecast
Formerly "Pak Watch" and then "Game Watch", this section takes a look at 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.
[edit] Game Index
A table of contents of sorts that lists on which pages all covered video games can be found in the issue. The "Game Index" has changed its format over the years.
[edit] News
A lengthy, multi-page segment devoted to news relating to video games, their publishers/developers, and announcements. Prior to the June 2005 redesign, the News section was a part of "Game Watch".
[edit] Previews
The latest video game previews.
[edit] Download
Debuting in issue #212, "Wii Channels" (the previous title of it) provided information on recently released Virtual Console and WiiWare titles, new Wii Channels and updates from WiiConnect24. It also featured a column devoted to the most wanted Virtual Console titles. The first part is the top five games subscribers have sent in, and the second part is the top five games Nintendo Power employees want to see. EarthBound is currently #1 on the list the subscribers sent in, and Mega Man: The Wily Wars is currently the #1 title the employees want to see on the Virtual Console. Nintendo Power has recently started rating the Virtual Console and WiiWare games on a scale of "Recommended","Hmm...", or "Grumble Grumble." In the May 2009 issue, the section was renamed Download, with the addition of Nintendo DSiWare. It has also begun reviewing Commodore 64 games.
[edit] Playback
A section reminiscing about games of old. This department made its debut in the March 2006, volume 201 edition of Nintendo Power with Earthworm Jim. This section was not present in volume 231, possibly due to several lists containing classic games in that issue.
[edit] Power Profiles
A column containing information and an interview with various video game designers. It debuted in issue 216 and featured famed video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto.
[edit] Community
Covers events, music, collections, Pokémon, cosplaying, Animal Crossing, mod jobs, screen tests, Nintendo food, websites and other Nintendo-related things, though not all sections show at the same time. The "Mii of the Month", "Art of the Month", and "Reader Review" sections were removed before Future US took over, with the "Art of the Month" and "Reader Review" parts removed due to the NSider Forums being closed on Nintendo's website, and the "Mii of the Month" due to no one sending Miis to Nintendo Power. A second possible reason for this may be because of the Check Mii Out Channel's release.
[edit] Discontinued
[edit] Classified Information
List of cheats on new games. Slowly died off when increasingly fewer cheats were added into games
[edit] Counselors' Corner
Nintendo's game counselors would answer game-related questions, providing hints and strategies. It was removed in 2002. 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.
[edit] Epic Center
Role-playing game information and coverage. Originally written by Alan Averill, who has since left Nintendo Power. Discontinued in the mid 90s, due to a lack of role-playing games on the Nintendo 64.
[edit] 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.
[edit] 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 Wizard) and celebrity interviews. The column disappeared after Volume 16, but the celebrity interviews remained until late 1992.
[edit] The Nindex
A list of released Nintendo GameCube games. It appeared with the release of the system, and came to a close in 2004.
[edit] Nintendo Online
Showed information and news from video game websites.
[edit] Game Boy
Early in the Game Boy's lifespan, the magazine ran a special column focusing on the handheld. However, it ended shortly after the Super NES was released.
[edit] Game Boy A-Go-Go / Title Wave
This section featured short strategy reviews for various video games. Originally, it focused on Game Boy Color games, but then changed its name in 2002 to accommodate Nintendo GameCube games as well. However, it vanished from the magazine during 2003.
[edit] 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 standalone form.
[edit] 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.
[edit] 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. Game Over sometimes takes the place of Power Quiz.
[edit] Super Smash Bros. Brawl Wii Smash Files
This section began on issue #206. It displayed a photo and information about the recently announced Super Smash Bros. Brawl characters. It began with Solid Snake's profile. The section ended abruptly with almost no explanation, long before the game's release.
[edit] 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.
[edit] Most Wanted/Top Sellers
An evolution from different versions of this section including "Top 30", "Top 20" and "Power Charts". Originally, it featured the top 30 NES 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. It was removed after Nintendo's decision to indefinitely close down the NSider Forums on their website for a big site overhaul.
[edit] 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.
[edit] 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 Starsign 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.
[edit] 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.
[edit] Wii Channels
This section had information and reviews of WiiWare and Virtual Console games for the Nintendo Wii. It has now changed the name into Download right after the Nintendo DSiWare games came out. It still has reviews of WiiWare and Virtual Console games, but now includes information of Nintendo DSiWare games. The first issue with this title was May 2009 Volume 241.
[edit] 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 Christmas. 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 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 consoles. Almost all major Nintendo video games released today will have 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 FAQs 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 The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, 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.
While Nintendo no longer produces guides in house, they have licensed several of their most popular properties to Prima Games, in order to produce the "official" guide. This can be seen with Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, and Super Mario Galaxy, among others.
[edit] 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" but these have largely disappeared and have been replaced by more generic awards.
[edit] Comic series
- Howard and Nester / Nester's Adventures (Volume 1-55 & 231)
- Battletoads (Volume 24-25)
- Super Mario Adventures (Volume 32-43)
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (Volume 32-43)
- Mario VS Wario (Volumes 44 & 56)
- Star Fox (Volume 45-55)
- Super Metroid (Volume 57-61)
- Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire (Volume 89-93; excerpts from the graphic novel)
- Blast Corps (Volume 97-99)
- Pokémon (based on the long-running series)
- Metroid Prime (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 Dungeon: Ginji's Rescue Team (Manga). Based on a 6-part serial in Japan, the English translation reads right-to-left as in its original format. It tells the story of what happens in the game in a nutshell. (Volume 207-212)
[edit] 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 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
[edit] Promotional VHS tapes
On occasion, many subscribers, along with game console owners who registered their consoles, received VHS tapes promoting the Nintendo 64 and games such as Donkey Kong Country,[4] 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.
[edit] Spin-offs
During 2001, Nintendo Power released a spin-off semi-magazine named Nintendo Power Advance, featuring the Game Boy Advance and its games. 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 6 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.[5]
[edit] Player's Poll
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. In Issue #223 (Holiday 2007), a Nintendo Power reader sent in a question regarding the "Player's Poll" and Future US stated that they "didn't really want to lose" the Player's Poll but, according to Future US, "[Future US] have always depended on input from people at nintendo.com's NSider forums." Future US continues 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 could possibly create a new forum to replace the NSider forums and that they will be currently "looking at ways to bring those cut sections [Player's Poll and Most Wanted] as soon as possible."
[edit] See also
- Official Nintendo Magazine, the U.K. equivalent.
- Nintendo Magazine System (Australia), the Australian equivalent publication.
- The Howard & Nester Comics Archive
- History of computer and video games
- Nintendo of America
- Nintendo Player's Guide
[edit] References
- ^ Jeremy Parish. "EGM Retro: 20 Years of NES from 1UP.COM". 1up.com. Ziff Davis. http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3144996. Retrieved on 2007-04-29.
- ^ "NP Top 200", Nintendo Power 200: 58–66, February 2006.
- ^ "Megaton". "Future officially takes over Nintendo Power". OnNintendo.com. http://onnintendo.com/Index.aspx?page=1&more=1&post=44&year=2007&month=9. Retrieved on 2007-09-19.
- ^ DK! Donkey Kong is here!
- ^ Luke Plunkett. "Pocket Power Unearthed". kotaku.com. http://kotaku.com/gaming/pocket-power/pocket-power-unearthed-234770.php. Retrieved on 2009-03-29.
