Playing With Power

Playing With Power – Nintendo Power #5

Issue 5 released with the first format change for the magazine.  Going back to the Nintendo Fun Club News, the reader mail was always found toward the end of the magazine but this issue it was finally moved to the front where it would remain for the run of the magazine.

The main feature of the magazine this month is a look at Ninja Gaiden.  First we get tips on the rest of Zelda II and a short look at news from CES.  Before there was an E3 show, the big trade show of the year for video games was CES or Consumer Electronics Show. Much like E3 is now, this was the opportunity for  game companies to reveal their new titles that would be coming out in the coming months/years as well as new technologies from arcade manufacturers.

Two more new features of the magazine this month is a preview section as well as a power meter rating.  In previous issues and going forward the Pak Watch section would provide a small paragraph of information about upcoming games but the new Previews section expanded the coverage of upcoming games to that closer of a full feature on the game.  It gave Nintendo more chances to promote its upcoming games without dedicating the 10-12 pages to it that a full feature would get.  The power meter was also introduced in the preview section and could also be found in the Pak Watch and Video Shorts sections as a way to guage the excitement for upcoming games.  Surprisingly all games did not get high scores as games like Mappyland and Flying Dragon were relatively low scored while Teenage Muntant Ninja Turtles scored very high and would be featured on the cover of the next issue.

Another unique insert in this issue was an 8 page list of all currently released games as of the publication date which also included information such as how many players could play, if the multiplayer games were simultaneous play or alternating play as well as if the game used battery or password saves.

Finally we have the first Nintendo Power reader awards, called Nesters.  This was an opportunity for readers to vote on games in individual categories with results posted in the next issue. There is of course much more than this but you will just have to read it and experience the fun for yourself! Next issue, we hear about a new way to play Nintendo that would change car rides for a generation of gamers.  Until then…

Play with power!