December 2012, a date the Mayans have forseen. The impending destruction of the world? No, the end of Nintendo Power. The end of an era. Nintendo Power has been loyally sending out their monthly subscriptions since July 1988, and though the quality of the magazine has diminished in recent years (not to mention the thickness of it), it will still leave such a stinging pain in my chest to know that one of my favorite gaming publications will soon end forever.
The end of Nintendo Power makes me think however. What else does this mean? Of course it doesn't effect video games in any way itself, it's just a gaming magazine. But in my eyes, and I'll assume many others, this represents the end of a golden era of gaming, a magical era. No longer will easter eggs and secrets be
what their name implies, something incredibly difficult to find, perhaps even taking you years to find. No longer will you have to research and dig through issues and issues to find what you need to know for that next playthrough, perhaps a powerful item, maybe a new area you were totally unaware of. The very traits that gaming used to be known for are symbolically dying with the death of this magazine.
The very things that we grew to love about the video game industry and shared with our friends, that is no more. No longer will there be spreading of rumors and cheat codes among friends, spending days upon days trying them out, either resulting in your success, or your falling to the hands of a practical joke. No, this is all gone, thanks to the very medium this blog post is being posted on-the internet. Everything can be uploaded today. Cheats, secrets, easter eggs, all get uploaded to youtube, to various gaming websites, even to our very own forums before we get a chance to find them out for ourselves.
I'll miss all the memories Nintendo Power. I'll miss coming home from school as a kid and seeing you lying on my bed, my excitement taking control of me as I tear open the pages and begin reading. I'll miss re-reading you constantly for fun. I'll miss the editorials and the letters submitted, the short reviews and the easter eggs and the small game walkthroughs you used to supply us. But most of all, I'll miss the magic that you used to represent.
It's been a wonderful 24 years, so please everyone, pick up the final issue when December 2012 rolls around, it's been said they're doing something special for the last one.
Time may heal all wounds, but it will never replace a broken heart.
Sony has refreshed the Holiday Sale, as new titles are added and a lot have been removed.
Here is a look at the exhibit from the early access preview.
Speed Factor throws players straight into a neon-lit highway of nostalgia, where punk rock riffs and pixel-perfect visuals collide in a furious symphony of speed. Inspired by the golden age of 80s and 90s arcade racers, this game invites you to tear through 50 diverse tracks across five vibrant locations, each brimming with retro flair. From customising traction assists to upgrading classic rides, Speed Factor is more than a race; it’s an adrenaline-fueled journey through the heart of arcade rebellion, demanding both skill and swagger from every driver who dares to take the wheel.
Your childhood memories of it practically mirror my own. Whether anticipating new ones in the mail or perusing older issues the library kept, I had a blast reading them.
May ye rest in peace, Nintendo Power. :'(
Couldn't agree more. It was a great mag and now it is mostly nostalgic filler. It was obvious that Nintendo had all but abandoned the Wii once the 3Ds came out, because there were so few Wii reviews. It is quite sad. Love the mag when I was younger and then subscribed to it for my son.
The only maganize i trully cared about was the original PlayStation magazine it had great content and came with demo discs.
The final issue had an unforgettable cover...the end of a golden age.
It's sad that Nintendo Power is going the way of a lot of the great game magazines have gone, but I think the era you speak of was effectively ushered out a really long time ago (at least 15 years), with the advent of the internet. Symbolically and otherwise.
While my early childhood holds similar memories involving Nintendo Power, EGM was my magazine of choice by the 5th grade or so (I played Genesis as well), so I went through this mild sadness when they were first canned. Then I realized that there is not much of a place for a printed publication on gaming in the world anymore, and I was mainly continuing to read just for Seanbaby anyway.