Sad Day For Gaming – The End of Nintendo Power

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The long running gaming magazine Nintendo Power is coming to an end. No exact date has been released yet, but the 24 year old publication will soon cease to be. The Nintendo only magazine started back in the summer of 1988 and has given it’s readers previews, reviews, and so much more in the past 2 decades. I can’t speak for recent years, but growing up Nintendo Power was a monthly staple for me, I waited for the new issue to arrive every month so I could take it into school and read through it with my friends. I started reading Nintendo Power back around 1996, and kept my subscription till around 2000-2001. I got the 100th issue, the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time issue, the first edition of the Pokécenter, and so many others. If I’m not mistaken I still have every issue tucked away somewhere.

For those of you who never read Nintendo Power, it wasn’t that different from all the other gaming magazines, other than it was nothing but Nintendo related content. But back in the late ’90s that was awesome! Nintendo was still king at that point. Sega was dying and Sony was still just coming up. I remember reading the letters column in every issue with people asking questions or speculating on the next console Dolphin (which ended up being Gamecube). A lot of the interest I have in video games comes from reading this magazine as a kid. It led me to get others like Game Informer, Playstation Magazine, GMR, etc.

The discontinuation of Nintendo Power is another sign that the kids of the ’80s and ’90s are no longer kids. We’re adults now and don’t have time for magazines from our childhood. It probably doesn’t help that Nintendo is no longer king of the consoles but just another faction in a war for that throne. If you’re feeling nostalgic, or want to see what I’m talking about go over to or stop by your local gaming store and pick up an issue of Nintendo Power, it’ll be another dead piece of gaming history soon enough.

If you want more on Nintendo Power go check out this article over at IGN it’s got a lot of memories from the staff talking about their experiences with the magazine.

Chris talks a bunch on PodQuest each week. He's also been known to write about stuff from time to time. You can Email Chris or follow Chris on Twitter @Just_Cobb or Facebook

6 responses to “Sad Day For Gaming – The End of Nintendo Power”

1. Hunter says:

   August 22, 2012 at 1:28 pm

   I never had a subscription myself (I Had gamepro). But the fact that this is happening still sucks. It was a status symbol for game companies as well as video game players. Now its going the way of the poodle and our primitive notions of modesty. Does anyone have any idea why? Other then the fact that most magazines can’t keep up with the internet.

   • Chris says:

     August 22, 2012 at 1:50 pm

     From what I’ve read Nintendo didn’t publish it themselves they went through an actual publishing company and the contract just wasn’t worth renewing. But apparently they were looking into other forms to keep Nintendo Power going, that may just be speculation and rumor though.

2. Hunter says:

   August 22, 2012 at 1:28 pm

   I never had a subscription myself (I Had gamepro). But the fact that this is happening still sucks. It was a status symbol for game companies as well as video game players. Now its going the way of the poodle and our primitive notions of modesty. Does anyone have any idea why? Other then the fact that most magazines can’t keep up with the internet.

   • Chris says:

     August 22, 2012 at 1:50 pm

     From what I’ve read Nintendo didn’t publish it themselves they went through an actual publishing company and the contract just wasn’t worth renewing. But apparently they were looking into other forms to keep Nintendo Power going, that may just be speculation and rumor though.

3. Hunter says:

   August 22, 2012 at 2:58 pm

   Gotcha, thanks for the heads up on that Chris. Still nothing beats the feeling of getting a mag in the mail every month. I get Game Informer now and every time I get a new issue I get all excited, almost like I’m getting a Christmas present before December.

4. Hunter says:

   August 22, 2012 at 2:58 pm

   Gotcha, thanks for the heads up on that Chris. Still nothing beats the feeling of getting a mag in the mail every month. I get Game Informer now and every time I get a new issue I get all excited, almost like I’m getting a Christmas present before December.