Your Childhood Is Dead; Nintendo Power Is No More

At the end of 2012, the 285th and final issue of Nintendo Power was shipped to subscribers and newsstands worldwide, officially bringing to end to any shred of adolescence you thought you still possessed. Flipping through this issue is a bittersweet affair, and it really does read like a eulogy to your younger self.

Nintendo Power is a name revered by even the most casual of gamers, and its demise has seemingly tolled the death bell for gaming-related printed media.

There is a ton of great content in the issue for retro gamers to dig into. There’s a countdown of the 285 best games for Nintendo consoles (one for each issue), memoirs from former editors, a retrospective of each year of Nintendo Power history, and more.

As an added bonus, there is also a commemorative poster featuring every single Nintendo Power cover ever printed. It’s one of the coolest pieces of gaming memorabilia ever produced, and an awesome addition to any gaming room.

The final issue’s cover is probably its most endearing aspect; it’s clearly an homage to the magazine’s inaugural issue and is even done in the same clay-sculpture art style. It’s blissfully nostalgic and a fitting tribute to the magazine’s roots. Nintendo Power‘s old slogan from the NES days, “The Source for Nintendo Players Straight From The Pros,” was even tagged on at the bottom.

It’s a wonderful piece of retro-minded sentiment and is sure to bring a smile to any longtime reader. Even if you haven’t read Nintendo Power in years, I highly recommend you go out and find yourself a copy of this one. It’s an invaluable piece of gaming history and one I will treasure immensely.

I am personally saddened, as I’m sure many other gamers are, to see Nintendo Power go. Before the Internet, gaming magazines were the only way to obtain news on upcoming games and informed strategies on the ones you already owned.

Who didn’t salivate over owning a complete map of the Legend of Zelda‘s overworld? Nintendo Power offered all this and more, and is no doubt an integral part of 90’s-kid pop culture.

I vividly remember sitting for hours on my bed, flipping through stacks of back issues, most of which I had read at least 10 times already. Nintendo Power is, without question, one of my main writing influences, and a big reason why I founded Retrovolve in the first place. I can’t help but feel a little guilty. After all, it’s idiots like me that started websites of our own and pretended to credible who are responsible for diminishing the demand for these types of publications. Regardless, I have nothing but the highest appreciation for the magazine and all those who contributed over the last 24 years.

So thanks for two decades of wonderful gaming memories, Nintendo Power. Most of all, thanks for inspiring a kid with an unwavering love for video games to never grow up and start writing about them himself. I hope that in some way, I am able to inspire young gamers the way you inspired me.