Poll – Nintendo Power
Tuesday, February 10th, 2009 at 1:01pm by David
An interesting blurb from Iwata can be found in an article over at MTV. It basically reassures the assumption that Nintendo farmed out the publishing of Nintendo Power to Future US because it is easier and cheaper for them to disseminate information through the Internet.
Personally, I think Nintendo Power has really turned around since it left Nintendo’s grasp and recent issues have become very focused.
So, this week, we want to know:
Do you subscribe to Nintendo Power?
February 10th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
I had a year’s subscription in 2007/2008. And I have to say that I like what Future has done with it, but not quite enough to renew my subscription. I’ve always liked the idea of magazines, but they have a hard time competing with blogs and websites in certain areas, like news. Still, I do like NP for their interviews, reviews, and features.
I may subscribe again, but only if the magazine changes a bit more for the better. Until then I’ll just keep spending fifteen minutes flipping through the latest issue at the library.
February 10th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
Like so many back in the day I had a Nintendo Power Subscription when they offered the original Dragon Warrior for NES as a free gift. I met one of my best friends because we were both reading Nintendo Power at lunch in 8th grade – we had both gotten the Dragon Warrior free gift as well.
February 10th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
We don’t have Nintendo Power, but we do have ONM, which I subscribed to for a while, mainly for the free gift of Donkey Konga 2 with bongos. Awesome game… lol
February 10th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
Nope, but I used to.
If there’s a worthwhile free gift, I sign-up for a year. And since Nintendo farmed-out the publishing, I haven’t seen any offers.
February 10th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
I have been subscribring for years. I like how they changed it so they no longer have all the words on the cover. Still a great mag, last month’s RPG blowout was especially awesome. Still waiting for the current issue to come.
February 10th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
I was a subscriber when I was young, then during the gamecube era I was on my own and had some money so I restarted my subscription.
However when Future took over something happened with my subscription. I never received any notification to renew, no letters, nothing. In the past I would renew when Nintendo would send me a notice and offer a free t-shirt (or something). However when my first subscription renewal date with Future came around they sent nothing so I forgot about it and when I realized what had happened it was already cancelled. I could renew but it is too much effort now.
February 10th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
I had NPower all the way through middle school, it rocked, but when I was in 8th grade somebody messd up my subscription (order through school), so I kicked my addiction to NPower after that (I hooked on internet instead).
February 10th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
I voted on “Used to” because I used to subscribe to the Brazilian version of Nintendo Power. But I canceled when they pretty much had nothing but GBA news, nothing on the Cube front.
February 10th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
You know what? Fuck all you who said “no”. You’re the reason the magazine sucks these days.
February 10th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
Way to contribute to the decline of the printed news media.
February 10th, 2009 at 6:00 pm
@Poochy
I only said no ’cause I’m from the UK, we don’t have NP 0.0
February 10th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
@Jamie
Sorry about that.
But you guys still have Nintendo Official Magazine, right?
Please support that.
February 10th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
I used to subscribe back in the N64 days. I remember getting a few strategy guides as free gifts for renewing the subscription. Magazines used to be so exciting back in the day. You’d wait until the new issues came in to get your dose of gaming news.
Nintendo Power is where got my news that Zelda: OoT was delayed (again). I also got the news that they were going to release a Gold cartridge to those people who preordered the game.
I’ve been following Internet news for a while now and I have to say I miss the magazine days. I felt like I was reading a lot more articles and becoming interested in games I never heard about or cared about. I might have to consider resubscribing, the price doesn’t seem that bad.
February 10th, 2009 at 7:03 pm
Aw yeah, Nintendo Power is the best. Even with the internet, there’s some stuff (Like the Indy Game and TMNT) that NP got first.
I had it, then for personal reasons had cancel, but now I’m going to try and stick with them to the very end, which hopefully, is no time soon!
February 10th, 2009 at 7:03 pm
I still have a subscription, Poochy ol’ boy. Don’t get down on your feet. It’s okay- You can get up.
February 10th, 2009 at 7:08 pm
I used to been a subscriber since the NES days; think the very first issue had the Mega Man 2 cover on it.
February 10th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
I personally used to enjoy NP a lot, but I find recently that they really aren’t covering anything that interests me anymore. There just seems to be a real lack of gems coming up anytime soon. I’m not interested in really violent games, I’m just looking for the next killer title to play on my Wii or, even better, DS.
February 10th, 2009 at 10:26 pm
@Axel
I think the Feb issue is simply amazing. I had so much fun reading that one. Sands of Destruction looks great from Sega of all people. Check it out. Also, the Princess Nyna’s dress took my breath away, on top of that, great art works from FE: Shadow Dragon in the magazine that you won’t find anywhere else, IGN included. Nintendo Power is back, I am telling you man.
P.S. Can the site run a coverage on Sands of Destruction? It’s a classic in the making. I wish it is for the Wii, but it’s a DS exclusive.
February 10th, 2009 at 10:59 pm
I don’t like any gaming magazine that doesn’t provide some kind of free demo disc. I just can’t get up for print media that doesn’t offer anything extra anymore. The only magazine I buy is Anime Insider.
February 11th, 2009 at 12:46 am
I subscribed to the magazine since 2001 and ended my subscription after the ad-laden filth that the magazine has become since it changed hands. Once there are insurance ads in your Nintendo magazine, you know it’s time to move on.
The thing that got me the most is that I used to look forward to renewing my subscription every year because I could go online and choose from a couple dozen renewal bonuses with the subscription from the Nintendo store. Many of my most beloved t-shirts and swag came from those deals. I even enjoyed the ones that came with games for a discounted price, and bought those on a couple of occasions.
Now you get a “free gift” with your renewal purchase. How am I supposed to know that it won’t be a Bratz Ponyz keychain or something?? I stopped trusting and loving Nintendo Power when they switched over, and it’s a real shame for me, because I loved that magazine a lot.
February 11th, 2009 at 8:02 am
I just a couple days ago got my final issue. I’ve been subscribing for just over 11 years. My first issue was number 103, December 1997. The cover game is Diddy Kong Racing, and the headline at the top of the cover proudly proclaims, “Zelda 64! The First 100 Pictures!” But now the mag is half ads. And the other half is barely worth reading. And they don’t even give out cool bonuses any more. Not even a gift when you purchase the subscription. I got alot of CDs and shirts that way. About the only thing I’ll miss is that occasionally, they’ll have a notice in the back when someone (usually ToysRUs) is giving out a special Pokemon.
February 11th, 2009 at 8:35 am
The first time I subscribed I originally wanted to get the Zelda Collectors bonus dis for new subscribers. Unfortunately I had missed that deadline, but instead was pleasently surprised to receive a demo disc for Metroid Prime 2: Echoes.
That was back in 2004. But last summer I sadly waved good bye to my subscription. It was twenty bucks that I didn’t have and needed for gas. I whole heartedly intend to renew my subscription as soon as possible.
But there was another reason I ended my subscription as well. I didn’t care for the Future U.S. crew for some time. But after a little while it started to grow on me and now I am looking forward to sending out my $20 renewal card.
February 11th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
I hate Nintendo Power now that Future took it over!! Shame on you Nintendo!!
February 11th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
They jipped me about 5 issues, during the switch over, so I never resubscribed to the magazine. Also, since they stop giving out players guides, It kind of feels a bit incomplete as a subscription.
February 11th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
It’s still good! QUIT IT, FOOLS!
February 11th, 2009 at 10:43 pm
Its a fine magazine, but its just not useful to anyone over the age of 12 and a mediocre understanding of RSS feeds.
February 12th, 2009 at 5:31 am
@Drahken I remember the 100 Zelda pictures issue. Ah good times.
When Nintendo owned Nintendo Power there weren’t any ads in it right? I liked that. I find having ads every other page a turnoff. I end up ignoring them anyway and spend more time flipping through content than reading.