The final issue hits all the right notes
Last night, I noticed that thefinal issue ofNintendo Powerwas in stock at Barnes & Noble. Naturally, I bought two copies: one to peruse and one to leave in the shrink wrap FOR. EV. ER.
I want to share a few impressions about issue #285 in the hopes that you’ll run out the door to snag a copy as soon as possible.
You already know about the magazine’s cover, which pays tribute to the cover of the very first issue. Perhaps even cooler than that is the included poster, which features a spread of every single issue plus variant covers stretching all the way back to 1988, bringing the total count to 300.
The mag is split up into four massive sections:NP‘s top Nintendo games ever, a recap of all 24 years ofNPhistory, farewells from current and pastNPeditors, and a review blowout for most of the Wii U launch library. And this time around, the letters to the editors don’t only include messages from readers but also from industry faces like WayForward’s Matt Bozon and Sean Velasco, DreamRift’s Peter Ong, and Game|Life’s Chris Kohler, among others.
The top 285 games — one for every issue of the magazine’s run — definitely has some odd placements, especially on the lower rungs. I’m slightly disappointed that the Game Boy got as little representation as it did, but just about all the games you’d expect to make the cut have. These are just the editors’ opinions, after all, and it’s not like you’ll be able to write in your objections.
The biggest draw, of course, is the year-by-year retrospective ofNintendo Power. Seeing the scans from those decades-old issues and reading about all the promotions running at the time really sent me back to my childhood. They even highlight one of my favorite moments: a 1995 contest in which the winner would get to be an extra on the set ofThe Mask II! Whoever won that contest got royally fucked over! Ha!
Editors from throughoutNP‘s life chime in with their favorite moments and also a couple of their more shameful ones. For instance, I’m glad that Scott Pelland, managing editor from 1988 to 2008, was able to admit that no one on staff was happy to promote the Virtual Boy but were obligated to anyway. And Steve Thomason, editor-in-chief from 2003 to 2012, asks forgiveness for givingShadow the Hedgehogan 8.0. It’s cool, Steve. Nobody’s perfect.
The magazine closes with one last surprise: a two-page comic starring Nester and his son Maxwell. Nester was just a spunky kid when he first gracedNPalongside “Gamemaster” Howard Phillips. AfterNester’s Adventurescompleted its run, he would return sporadically for high-profile events, such as the mag’s100th issue. We saw him grow up, go to college, and start a family, but throughout it all, he’s still a kid at heart and able to pass that gaming spirit on to his progeny.
