The author reminisces about their childhood and the excitement of receiving issues of Nintendo Power, a magazine that provided gamers with tips, tricks, and information about upcoming games. They recall the thrill of reading about new games, trying out cheat codes, and competing with friends to get the highest scores. The author also shares humorous anecdotes about the magazine's quirks, such as its tendency to print ridiculous letters from readers and feature bizarre advertisements.
As the author flips through old issues, they highlight some of the magazine's most iconic features, including its top 30 game rankings, comics, and contests. They also poke fun at some of the more embarrassing moments in the magazine's history, such as its early attempts to create serious-sounding articles and its later reliance on gimmicky promotional tactics.
Throughout the summary, the author's nostalgia and affection for Nintendo Power shine through, even as they acknowledge its flaws and imperfections. The text is a lighthearted and entertaining tribute to the magazine and its role in shaping the gaming culture of the 1980s and 1990s.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Nintendo Power was a magazine that provided information about Nintendo games.
2. The magazine was first published in an issue that included a map of Metroid and a Super Mario Brothers unlimited 1-up trick.
3. The magazine included a section called "NES Achievers" where readers could submit their high scores.
4. To submit high scores, readers had to take a photo of their screen, which was difficult to do without digital cameras.
5. Nintendo Power printed guidelines on how to take photos of game screens.
6. The magazine included a section called the "Top 30" that listed the most popular Nintendo games.
7. The Top 30 list initially only included NES games but later expanded to include SNES and Game Boy games.
8. There was also a Top 5 list for Virtual Boy games.
9. The magazine included advertisements for games and gaming-related products.
10. Some advertisements were considered weird or disgusting.
11. Each issue of the magazine came with a poster.
12. Posters were initially difficult to remove from the magazine without ripping them.
13. Later issues included staples to make it easier to remove the posters.
14. The magazine included contests and giveaways, including a chance to design enemies for future Mega Man games.
15. Some contest prizes included a sneak showing of the Ninja Turtles movie and a chance to meet Arnold Schwarzenegger.
16. One contest prize was a Street Fighter II arcade machine.
17. The magazine included comics based on popular Nintendo games, including Castlevania and Zelda.
18. The magazine included a section for reader mail, including complaints and suggestions.
19. One reader complained about the game Rambo for the NES being boring.
20. Another reader complained about the lack of effort in naming Nintendo 64 games.
21. Nintendo Power responded to reader mail and sometimes made changes based on reader suggestions.
22. The magazine was initially targeted towards younger readers but later shifted its focus to target older teenagers.
23. The magazine was discontinued in 2012.