US · 1988–2012
Nintendo's own official US magazine, originally published in-house, that served as the primary strategy guide, preview source, and brand ambassador for a generation of NES and SNES players.
Nintendo Power launched in July/August 1988 as a direct successor to the Nintendo Fun Club News newsletter, initially published by Nintendo of America itself before being licensed to Future US in 2007. At its peak the magazine had over 3 million subscribers, making it the highest-circulation gaming publication in the United States during the early 1990s. The magazine's defining characteristic was its dual role as journalism and marketing: Nintendo Power exclusively previewed first-party games, printed multi-page pull-out maps and strategy guides, and ran the Nintendo Power Awards that allowed readers to vote on their favourite games of the year. Critics noted the obvious conflict of interest in a company reviewing its own products, but for millions of children with no internet access, Nintendo Power was the authoritative source on games, cheats, and strategies. The magazine was discontinued in December 2012 after Future US chose not to renew its licence.