Nintendo. It’s hard to find someone who doesn’t know that name. The company has been making games for 33 years, which is old compared to the other first-party companies that make consoles.
Nintendo is also the only company that still produces hardware as well as software, dating all the way back to the Famicom/Nintendo Entertainment System with their iconic “Super Mario Bros.” One of Nintendo’s goals has always been to connect to the fans and please the fans while they were at it. That is why “Nintendo Power” was created.
Initially it started in 1988 as “Nintendo Fun Club News,” and was provided to subscribers for free. Since there was no Internet back in the ‘80s, players would have to spend countless hours trying to figure out what to do if they got stuck in a game. The “Nintendo Fun Club News” was Nintendo’s way of remedying this situation, giving helpful tips and tricks to the players in need. The magazine also gave insight to future games and debuted the nostalgic comic duo of Howard and Nester. Nintendo Fun Club News didn’t make it past seven issues before it was discontinued. It would then be revamped with the title “Nintendo Power.”
It’s been 24 years since the start of “Nintendo Power” and it has had a long history. “The Howard and Nester” comic was already mentioned, and long time fans are sure to remember Nintendo’s huge move to give a free copy of the game “Dragon Warrior” to anyone who subscribed to the magazine. It is sad to think that after all those fond years of memories for most that Nintendo is discontinuing “Nintendo Power.”
As of Aug. 21, Nintendo announced that the last issue of “Nintendo power” will be the December issue, available in stores Dec. 11. For most every video game fan, this is sad news. Whether they subscribed to the magazine itself or just picked up a few issues here and there, the news just seems to bring a frown to the face of any gamer.
This may seem like the end of an era to most, and in a way it is. The good news is that there are always past issues to reflect on and Nintendo itself is still alive and kicking. But a great magazine has died and many people still feel a twinge of pain from it.
R.I.P “Nintendo Power.”
