Nintendo Power

Nintendo Power is the official Magazine that publishes information on the current Nintendo consoles & handhelds. The first issue was made in July 1988 featuring Super Mario Bros. 2 on the cover. Ever since, it has had over 200 issues, and is sold only in North America.

Features

 * Contents - A list of pages the features are on.
 * Game Index - A list of all the games featured in the magazine, and what page they are on.
 * Pulse - Fan letters, as well as a letter from the editor, most wanted games, and best selling games.
 * News - All the latest news in gaming, as well as a don't miss section telling you the dates of upcoming games.
 * Game Watch Forecast - A full list of all upcoming games for the DS and Wii.
 * Previews - Short previews of upcoming games.
 * Download - A monthly look at the WiiWare, Vitual Console, and DSiWare games.
 * Reviews - Reviews of all the current and upcoming games for the Wii and DS.
 * Playback - A look back at games for classic consoles and handhelds.
 * Next Month - A section talking about what will be covered in next month's issue.

History
Nintendo first created a monthly newsletter about Nintendo video games. The cover of the first issue featured Super Mario Bros. It was titled Nintendo Fun Club, and was later changed to the magazine Nintendo Power. The first issue featured Super Mario Bros. 2 on the cover, and was the first of hundreds of future issues to come. The next issue was the first to feature a controversial cover, featuring Simon Belmont holding a head of dracula.

In issue seven, the Game Boy was revealed, following the first strategy guide of volume thirteen. In issue eighteen, they made their first review section, titled Now Playing.

Cover
Scott Pelland explained that the magazine's cover is to sell the magazine using fantastic imagery and eye catching words to influence the potential buyer to purchase a copy of the magazine. The process to decide what will be on the cover of Nintendo Power is no easy task. The writers must ponder on which story is the biggest, if the content is exclusive to the magazine, if the game in question too big to not place on the cover, if there is an interesting picture of the game available to place on the cover, or if it's too late in the game to make it a cover story. Then, the writers debate on which game should make the cut. Some publishers will request that their games be made on the cover, and one publishing giant which Scott Pelland didn't name was extremely keen on getting their game to be featured on the cover, and eventually it was. He then explained that the publisher is still around to this day.

The very first cover of Nintendo Power featured a clay model of Mario and Wart (the game in question was Super Mario Bros. 2). They would abandon this style the next issue, though the cover has become iconic, with most fans of the magazine instantly recognizing it. In Nintendo Power V39 Nintendo went back to this style once more with a Mario Paint cover that featured Mario, on an SNES mouse, painting a scene with Yoshi.

As time passed so did the overall mood of the Nintendo Power covers, as well as the logo. Nintendo Power V68 introduced a 3D rendering of the logo, while years later starting with Nintendo Power V193 Nintendo Power would completely redo it when they redesigned the entire magazine. In 2008 Nintendo Power started to give exclusive covers to those who subscribed to them that were devoid of annoying text that distracted the customer from the main attraction - the actual image. The primary games that were featured within were placed in a box below.

Milestones

 * Volume 1 - First issue featuring Super Mario Bros. 2 on the cover. First Mario Cover.
 * Volume 4 - First Zelda cover.
 * Volume 7 - Game Boy introduced.
 * Volume 18 - Now Playing debuts
 * Volume 25 - Super NES introduced.
 * Volume 28 - First SNES game on the cover, Super Mario World
 * Volume 31 - First Metroid cover.
 * Volume 44 - First bonus issue.
 * Volume 49 - Final NES game cover, Battletoads & Double Dragon.
 * Volume 50 - 50th issue
 * Volume 66 - Last cover to feature Claymation.
 * Volume 72 - First E3.
 * Volume 75 - First and only Virtual Boy cover.
 * Volume 78 - 10 year anniversary for NES.
 * Volume 85 - Nintendo 64 introduced, first N64 game on cover, Super Mario 64.
 * Volume 98 - Pokemon debuts.
 * Volume 100 - 100th issue
 * Volume 110 - 10 year anniversary for the magazine
 * Volume 114 - Game Boy Color introduced.
 * Volume 132 - Game Boy Advance introduced.
 * Volume 137 - Gamecube introduced.
 * Volume 150 - 150th issue
 * Volume 151 - First Gamecube game cover, Super Smash Bros. Melee
 * Volume 170 - 15th anniversary of the magazine
 * Volume 181 - Nintendo DS introduced.
 * Volume 193 - Enhanced Nintendo Power design debuts.
 * Volume 194 - First DS Game cover, Mario Kart DS.
 * Volume 198 - Wii controller revelealed.
 * Volume 200 - 200th issue.
 * Volume 205 - Wii fully revealed.
 * Volume 207 - First Wii game cover, Rayman Raving Rabbits.
 * Volume 231 - 20th Anniversary Issue

Main Staff

 * Kim Logan - Art Director
 * Chris Slate - Managing Editor
 * Andy Myers - Staff Writer
 * Chris Hoffman - Staff Writer
 * Chris Shepperd - Staff Writer
 * Steve Thomason - Senior Writer
 * Drew Williams - Senior Writer/Editor
 * Giancarlo Varanini - Staff Writer
 * Steven Grimm - Senior Writer/Editor
 * Jim Catechi - Assistant Art Director
 * Tim Garret - Senior Staff Designer
 * Cory Conner - Staff Designer
 * Rebekah Lane - Staff Designer
 * David Waterworth - Staff Designer
 * Pete Michaud - Production Assistant
 * Paul Gerlt - Production Supervisor