Customer Reviews

Nintendo Power [2-year]

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I've had this magazine for almost a decade now and it's gone through many changes and renovations through those years. Here though, I'll try to explain the aspects of the most recent phase of this magazine.

- There's a section dedicated exclusively to Wii Channels. Here, the staff will provide previews and reviews on wiiware and virtual console games. Being that wiiware previews/reviews aren't as widespread across the net as actual games, these insights might prove useful.

- There's also a very nifty chart keeping track of all games in development for Nintendo systems. I often refer to this chart as it is very convenient.

- The magazine maintains a good connection with readers and fans. There are the usual few pages dedicated to reading mail, but in addition to that, Nintendo Power likes to look at what fanboys/girls are doing to show their Nintenlove. They interview fans who hand-craft real-life replicas of Zelda swords, someone who made their house into a model of Super Mario Bros., and other die-hard fans like that. So all you Nintendo fans, rejoice!

- Lots of interviews. Nintendo Power really wants you to know what's in the minds of developers, publishers, and other big people in the gaming world. I find that in general, each issue has several interviews. This is nice and all, but if you're not into interviews, you may find these things taking up space.

- Lots of screenshots. There is not a single page without a picture on it. Every game they present to you will have a screenshot with it. And with games in the features section, you'll often find the pictures taking up more space than the words. This, of course, makes the article seem much longer than it actually is. But in general, I find these pictures very useful for getting an idea of the graphical style of games. And this is a big plus for those who like to quickly go through a magazine and check out the pictures.

- Maybe not as mature as some other gaming magazines. I do notice some of the content is organized with the younger reader in mind. I did notice that one article even had a warning which urged those under 17 to skip the article. This isn't to say that older readers won't enjoy this magazine at all, but don't expect anything overly mature.

- Many of the articles also tend to be "light reads." They may look long but they're actually not. I'd say that each article is about a page or so (in conventional, small magazine font) without all the pictures. So those looking for extensive, long articles may find themselves dissapointed. But those who are looking for a general idea of a game and its concepts will be very pleased.

- Biased reviews. This is definitely noticeable. If Nintendo published or developed the game, don't trust the review on it. Their reviews of third-party games are generally reliable, but I would suggest that you consult other sources for game reviews.

- They do offer a contest every magazine, and the prizes are always desirable. A definite plus.

Nintendo Power is a great magazine for Nintendo fans. However, it was significantly better when Nintendo published it in-house. FutureUS ruined some of the best parts in it and also never delivered on the promises that were made in the last issue Nintendo actually published themselves. FutureUS' customer service people are also extremely annoying and pushy. They will send you a "FINAL NOTICE" warning about your subscription expiring when you still have four months to go. Nintendo Power will break some news first but shortly after they do, you can easily find it online. For free. In addition, a lot of the news they publish that isn't an exclusive is usually out of date. I kept my subscription to the magazine for a year after FutureUS took over but did not renew it as I was very disappointed with the direction the magazine was going.

Bottom line: If you're looking for Nintendo news, you'll have better luck online or in other magazines. FutureUS has very pushy people when it comes to renewing your subscription. The majority of the news published in Nintendo Power is also out of date by at least a whole month. I've seen things that have been two months old, such as their E3 coverage.

Right now, I am beyond frustrated with Nintendo Power. EVERY MONTH, I have to email because of a missing issue. EVERY MONTH, they tell me it's too late, no issues left to send out, they'll extend my subscription. Once in awhile, I'll get the issues late -- very late -- but that tells me they have the correct address. I call to complain that I didn't get the last three issues and the lady on the line said my subscription has been extended too many times, so she takes some of the extensions back. Not to mention she did nothing about my missing issues. According to her, it's the post office's problem. She'll send me a letter so that I can bring it to the post office and file a complaint.

What??? I expected her to send me my missing issues and I get her (and her supervisor) arguing with me that the issues have been sent and there's nothing they could do.

My coworker's daughters also subscribe to this magazine. Whenever the issues are late, I check with her to see if she's gotten hers. She also has a problem with the issues arriving on time. I told customer service that, and they continue to insist it's the post office. I'm sure someone in our city is looking through the mail every month and taking only Nintendo magazines out of everyone's mail. Nothing else is missing. That doesn't convince them.

I really and truly would love to cancel this magazine. This review would actually contain some four letter descriptive text, except that I don't swear. My son loves the content and it always makes him feel like he's "in the know" before all his friends. It's the only reason I don't cancel. This was a gift to him from last year, but we won't be renewing.

Nintendo Power deserves less than one star for its subscription management and customer service. My son would give it five stars for content. He devours it. For someone who doesn't read much, I'm happy he's found something he enjoys.

I love this magazine! What's great about this magazine? It's kids friendly!
The staff keeps you entertained. They are informative and writes their reviews in a chatty fashion (Like this review). One important thing though... This is ALL NINTENDO, nothing else. So if you want a more in depth look at Wii, DS, 3DS games... CHOOSE THIS. This magazine is full of pictures and full of screen shots. Their magazine are very organized and reviews are VERY informative. They have tons of preview stuff. They are funny, especially when they respond to the reader's letter. If you arn't quite sure if this is the right magazine... I suggest you taking a trip to the nearest bookstore and look for this magazine in the "technology" or "video game" section and see for yourself.

My son loves Nintendo Power Magazine. He brings it in to school to share with his friends. He loves finding out about what's up and coming, and is interested in the reviews. It encourages him to read, which is always a good thing.

my son already had s subscription but Amazon had this really cheap so we bought it. I explained in the comments when purchasing the product that we wanted the new subscription to begin after our current one ends. No problem.

Nintendo Power is the #1 game magazine. It is covered, inside and out, with all of your favorite Nintendo info.

The reviews help you decide whether to get a certain game or not. It is also the magazine to get the first of every bit of gaming information before other magazines do.

The Pulse letters at the beginning of the magazine are mostly funny. Sometimes, the NP Crew would make fun of Chuck Norris. Other times, Big the Cat from the Sonic series (Don't we all?). But there are more funny parts besides making fun of those two. In the Pulse, there's "Don't Hassle the Hoff", in which Chris Hoffman (NP Crew) answers a letter that's targeted at him.

Like every game magazine, there are previews of upcoming videogames, and the screenshots would let you get the visual look of the games.

The Star Power section is somewhere before the WiiWare reviews. It spotlights a game character and notes his/her high or low points in some of the games he/she has starred in.

At the very end of the magazine, you can see some Fan Stuff. Nintendo fans show off their awesomeness by designing or creating cool Nintendo-related sculptures, images, etc.

Next to the Fan Stuff is the Screen Test, in which a random screenshot from a random game is taken, and people must try to come up with funny things to say about it. For example: There was this screenshot of a sea diver encountering a whale, while the caption in the screen says "She's gonna ram you! Swim away!" One person would say "But her smile tells me that she wants to give me a hug!"

Overall, it's an awesome magazine. Subscribe now.

When I was a kid, Nintendo Power was light on ads and could get up to 120 pages. You got a free poster every month, plus complete maps of games, as well as a complete $20 strategy guide on renewal. When Amazon.com sent me an offer for 50% off a gaming magazine subscription, I opted for Nintendo Power despite being more of a PC Gamer now.

The magazine is much thinner now, only 90 pages, with three times as many ads as the classic version. They no longer give you a free poster each month, and you don't get a strategy guide with your subscription.

The only section that offers anything you wouldn't be able to find better online is the "Pulse" section, where readers write to Nintendo Power.

I understand that the internet is a huge competitor of gaming magazines, but if anything that should mean that the magazines try harder and give information that the internet doesn't (such as full maps of stages, demos for soon to be released games, or even a poster to hang on the wall).

The game on the cover of the most recent issue is Donkey Kong Country Returns, a 2D platformer. The section devoted to DKCR has only information about the gameplay mechanics and descriptions of the items, both of which would be familiar to anybody who played the original Donkey Kong Country (which I'd assume is most people). For a 2D platformer, it would be easy to provide full maps of at least a few stages with information about where the hidden bonus stages are.

One thing that I like is the review section. I'm always more willing to trust a Nintendo Power review than that of another magazine since there is a clear bias against the Wii in the media. But review scores can be checked online without a magazine subscription. There's also a review archives section that shows the scores many past games received, which would be convenient if it wasn't so easy to look up on Metacritic or GameRankings.

The pictures are fun to look at, and the cover-art rarely disappoints. I just wish we still got a poster.

The magazine may be a fun read for children, but for adults who grew up with the magazine 15-20 years ago, Nintendo Power is a lazy effort.

There is no question about the power of Nintendo. For over 20 years, Nintendo Power has shown to be one of the most reliable sources for video game news, and the latest trends with Nintendo's video games and the latest information on games for the hottest system on the market, the Nintendo Wii, and the Nintendo DS. You get the best on reviews for the latest titles like Guitar Hero: World Tour, and news about classics to download for the Wii's Virtual Console, all the way to news about Nintendo's upcoming handheld, the DSI. Overall, Nintendo has shown to deliver from top to bottom for hard core fans, and if you are a Nintendo head, than you'll love this magazine, and I suggest you subscibe to Nintendo Power.

Price: A-

News: B+

Reviews: B+

Previews: A-

Overall: A-

This is a good mag about what is coming out for your favorite Nintendo system. The reviews are maybe slightly biased, but so what. They are reviewing games for their gaming platforms. You get reviews based on how they feel the companies made the game for the DS or Wii. Pick this up and enjoy.